Now, from Egypt to China to South Africa, businesses are confronting dissidents and disrupters whose ways are unsettling…Employers do not know the best people to talk to or what to say to them…[Simon] Zadek [writer & consultant] said he thought we would see the traditional campaigners against companies, such as non-governmental organisations, “reluctantly leaving the stage”. In their place would be newer forces unknown to boardrooms…What did take them unawares was the Arab spring, which severely damaged many businesses and whose direction governments and corporate strategists are still struggling to understand…Another disruptive event that shocked business leaders was the recent riot at…Chinese factory of Foxconn [part of Hon Hai]...Also disconcerting was the platinum workers’ strike at Lonmin’s Marikana mining complex in South Africa, which resulted in 45 deaths…It is not easy to get to the bottom of these events, but…[i]nstead of clashes between rich and poor countries, many battles now seem to result from the gulf between rich and poor within countries.