Thomas Friedman’s introduction started with a brief history of how we found out that the world is round. He then went from talking about the 1400s to the present time and finished his paragraph with “The world is flat.” (Pg.33). Obviously, we all know that the world is round, so this caught my attention because I wanted to understand what he was about to explain. He spoke about how technology and globalization changed people’s lives and many people didn’t realize it. His first two paragraphs were difficult for me to understand because I was mainly visualizing the historic events. And I couldn’t see how he related globalization to the earth being round or flat.
In Friedman’s globalization analyses, he was referring in a general aspect
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Businesses now work more effective and cheap due to the competitive prices of resources that have become more easily accessible. In the business sector a globalization effect that has personally affected me is the advancement in transportation. We have jet engines, container ships that move product from country to another. Depending on which perspective I’m seeing through globalization, it is either a pro or a con. If I see transportation globalization as an employee then it is a con for myself, because jobs are being given to people in other countries for less. Then from a consumer perspective, I benefit from transportation globalization because now the product is cheaper and now I am paying less.
On a daily basis transportation globalization affects me on a more personal level. For example, when I order something online and the store doesn’t have the item on stock then they will use the internet to strategize supply and demand to a certain area. And then as soon as I order my item, the store will instantly deliver my item either to my shipping address or to the closest store available to me. Another way that transportation globalization affects me directly is through the use of mobile applications such as Uber and Lyft. Through the use of these applications, I can get transportation rides from one destination to another. We have rental vehicles at our commodity and there is even a specific mobile application where we can rent another person’s vehicle
I believe globalization has brought forward positive aspects as well as negative aspects equally. However, the positive effects for one country can also result in a negative for another. Here are a few examples of how I see this happen, through globalization many economic opportunities are provided, this increases the standard of living for many; however these benefits are not worldwide and we continue to see that the wealthy are getting wealthier at the expense of others. Globalization benefits consumers by providing the best price possible through outsourcing goods around the world; this, however, takes business away from local companies and leaves many people without a job. Globalization provides knowledge of what is happening around the world through the advancements in technology and through the media making aid available in times of need and acknowledgment of the issues happening worldwide. The advancement in globalization has provided worldwide travel
Globalization has, for better or worse, altered the economic arena for every country in the world. For many less developed countries, globalization has leveled the playing field so that their economies can compete with the larger, more developed ones such as the United States and other large western economies. For instance, technical engineers in India and China are now just as qualified as engineers in America, but at half the cost. The once large and prosperous service sector in the United States as well as telemarketing services have largely been sourced to India as a large exodus of American multinational corporations find cheaper workers who deliver comparable quality. This then seems to be the essence of globalization - businesses
In Friedman’s “It’s a Flat World, After All”, Friedman in a trip Bangalore, India accidentally “encountered the flattening of the world”. The following paper will analyze “It’s a Flat World, After All” and the flattening of the world. To conclude the paper I will summarize my thoughts on the flattening of the world.
The definition is excellent in describing the system that is present today. Friedman pointed out that markets around the globe become intertwined into one web of connectivity, where one company in North America can easily interact and do business with an individual in Asia, and create profits. However, the inter-connectivity I believe in has more to it. Going beyond what Friedman stated, I argue that the globalization of world markets not only helps the existing large financial centers of the world, but also smaller, and often times, newer markets. While I do not agree with the outsourcing of jobs, the factories moved to lower wage countries is a benefit to people working, and living there. It offers employment, and a life to the workers that they would have never had if the factories were never sent there. It helps the poorer nations in developing an economy, and become part of the global market. Friedman said that Supermarkets can destroy nations (473), but its power could also aid the poorer nations to grow and even maybe, join the global
People can no communicate, create, and transfer information within a split of the second. Friedman mentions "Globalization 1.0 and 2.0 were driven primarily by European and American individuals and businesses" (Friedman, 631.) What he means is business, and individual are interacting and integrating between one another in the Western and European world, but since; Globalization 3.0 is approaching at a rapid pace. Friedman stated (because it is flattening and shrinking the world, Globalization 3.0 is going to be more and more driven not only by individual but also by a much more diverse--- none-Western, nonwhite---group of individual" (Friedman, 631.) Even though India was the reason he came to the conclusion the world is flat, but during that time, China, Japan, and many other country are doing the same thing. This new era will be power by global market which is striving on competition, and those who can't catch up will be left behind.
After watching Friedman’s lecture on his belief of how globalization and information technology have been primary drivers to today's "flat world." He stated that this actually came about by accident. How his theory developed in India, while filming a documentary. He was interviewing a CEO who stated the “global economy is being leveled and stated Americans are not ready for it”, which is what lead him to creating his book the world, is flat.
The world is ever changing and has been that way even before humans dominated Earth. However, what we are interested in for this topic is in the last few decades where globalization has had an impact in the early 21st century, making the world “flat”. The phrase that the world has become flat is a metaphor for viewing the world level in terms of commerce and competition, meaning a level playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity. However, opinions are divided on how much globalization has actually impacted the world as a whole. Critics argue that Friedman’s term “flat” is grossly exaggerated as his view is from an American perspective. This paper investigates major arguments for both sides.
In Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat he presents his idea of the globalization of the world in all areas; from economic to communication with other countries. Friedman is a journalist from the New York Times and most of his work focuses on economic and technological innovations and advancements, and furthermore how they are associated to history. The ideas he presents in this book are both plausible and convincing. The main focus is whether the world is “flat“. The answer to this question depends on the readers’ political, economical, and technological opinions. Friedman does however present evidence in many situations where the globalization of the world is clearly evident. This essay will explore these different
There are many benefits from globalization. One benefit is more efficient markets, efficient markets means supply and demand. Efficient markets cause the economy to multiply, in a world like ours if the economy is increasing, every thing that is connected to it benefits. Another advantage of globalization is new solutions, globalization permits significant procedure to occur more efficiently and important ideas to become reality. It also allow use, the human race to push forward. On the other hand, the disadvantages of globalization are that someone always has to lose, and that the home team loses. Someone invariably has to lose since globalization is fundamentally a
Thomas Friedman mentions that world is growing flatter. When he says that world is flat, he means that world is becoming more economically fair and levelling opportunities and wealth among all the nations. With easy access to information and availability of opportunities irrespective of one’s locations is providing for people from many different countries with an equal chance to succeed economically.
In part one of the book “The world is flat” Friedman discusses the competition of global knowledge in the world today and how it is steadily growing. There is a discussion of the ten forces that has flattened the world. These forces are: 11/9/95, the fall of the berlin wall, 8/9/95 the day Netscape went public, work flow software, uploading, outsourcing, offshoring, insourcing, uploading, outsourcing, and the steroids. Friedman comes to a conclusion of how he thinks the world may have become flattened through these possible ten forces that he feels may have caused the world to become flattened. The world may have become flattened through what Friedman calls a convergence or rather triple convergence, because there are three in particular. The first convergence explains how these flatters collaborated to create a global-enabled platform. The second convergence is the appearance of business skills and practices that make the flattners. The third convergence is the great sourcing out will re-arrange things that define us in this world.
Globalization is something that has been occurring since early in the history of entrepreneurs, and something that will not be going away anytime soon. Businesses can enjoy many benefits from globalization that include an increased audience to market their products to, and quicker sharing of innovative ideas. The advantages of globalization are just as much a disadvantage. The increase in competition between domestic and foreign business has lead to a decrease in employment and an increase in outsourcing. Businesses need
There has been a great deal of discussion in recent years about globalization, its impact has been both praised and criticized. Globalization is defined as the process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improved communications. I believe the technological advances have had a positive impact on globalization. The use of cellular/mobile phones and the internet have allowed easier access to conduct business anywhere in the world.
The phrase: "the world is flat" can be interpreted in many ways. Basically what Friedman means by "flat" is "linked." The falling of trade and political barriers and technical advances have made it possible to do business, instantaneously with billions of other people around the world. It has allowed for parts of the world, which had previously been cut off, like China and India, to successfully compete in the world market. Thus, the playing field is being leveled, and no one nation has an advantage. Friedman could also refer to a "flat world" in a metaphorical sense. In a spherical earth you cannot see around the world and cannot recognize the opportunities far from where you live. If the world were flat you could see it all. There
People around the world are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow quicker than ever. Products produced in one part of a country are available to the rest of the world. It is much easier for people to travel, communicate and do business internationally. This whole phenomenon has been called globalization. Spurred on in the past by merchants, explorers, colonialists and internationalists, globalization has in more recent times been increasing rapidly due to improvements in communications, information and transport technology. It has also been encouraged by trade liberalization and financial market deregulation.