Free Essays on Globalization

In 1992, Thomas Friedman took a tour of a Lexus factory in Japan and was amazed at the machines and how they assembled the luxury cars. While eating dinner that night while on a Japanese train he read a story about another confrontation in the Middle East. It was the Israelis and the Palestinians. He concluded that half the world was after the Lexuses and the other half was fighting over who owned the olive tree. His analogy was that the Lexuses were a symbol of brilliant technology because of how they are assembled. Mr. Friedman is a foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and has a Pulitzer Prize as a foreign correspondent to his resume. Friedman has degrees in an Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. He has very few academic qualifications as an expert in globalization. Although he said â€Å" I am an inveterate traveler having crisscrossed the globe numerous times in my work for the Times. â€Å"Globalization† he writes â€Å"is driven by enormously powerful technologies which are integrating us more and more everyday whether we like it or not. Theoretically, these aspirations and technologies can be choked off, but only at a huge price to society’s development and only by building even higher and even thicker walls.† I believe that Globalization is not just a phenomenon and not just a passing trend. The international system replaced the Cold War system. It is also the integration of capitol technology, and information across national borders, ins way that is creating a single global market and to some degree, a global village. Globalization- the Lexus_ is the central organizing principle of the post Cold War world, even though many individuals and nations resist by holding onto what has traditionally mattered them to them- the Olive Tree. At first glance, the concept is all about American hegemony, about Disneyification of all corners of the earth. But the reality, thank goodness, is far more complex than that, involvin... Free Essays on Globalization Free Essays on Globalization In 1992, Thomas Friedman took a tour of a Lexus factory in Japan and was amazed at the machines and how they assembled the luxury cars. While eating dinner that night while on a Japanese train he read a story about another confrontation in the Middle East. It was the Israelis and the Palestinians. He concluded that half the world was after the Lexuses and the other half was fighting over who owned the olive tree. His analogy was that the Lexuses were a symbol of brilliant technology because of how they are assembled. Mr. Friedman is a foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and has a Pulitzer Prize as a foreign correspondent to his resume. Friedman has degrees in an Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. He has very few academic qualifications as an expert in globalization. Although he said â€Å" I am an inveterate traveler having crisscrossed the globe numerous times in my work for the Times. â€Å"Globalization† he writes â€Å"is driven by enormously powerful technologies which are integrating us more and more everyday whether we like it or not. Theoretically, these aspirations and technologies can be choked off, but only at a huge price to society’s development and only by building even higher and even thicker walls.† I believe that Globalization is not just a phenomenon and not just a passing trend. The international system replaced the Cold War system. It is also the integration of capitol technology, and information across national borders, ins way that is creating a single global market and to some degree, a global village. Globalization- the Lexus_ is the central organizing principle of the post Cold War world, even though many individuals and nations resist by holding onto what has traditionally mattered them to them- the Olive Tree. At first glance, the concept is all about American hegemony, about Disneyification of all corners of the earth. But the reality, thank goodness, is far more complex than that, involvin... Free Essays on Globalization Globalization is a word we are hearing more often these days. It is described as a movement that enables individuals, corporations, and countries to reach around the globe farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before. It is the spread of free market capitalism to virtually every country in the world. With current technological advancements, globalization has become more accessible. Businesses can now manage overseas operations with more control through the use of the Internet and improved telecommunications. Globalization has many characteristics that can benefit some countries while undermining others. To some, globalization is bringing choices and opportunities, while to others it is a disruptive force that threatens lives, jobs, and traditions. In a global economy, markets are without boundaries. Free market capitalism is the driving idea behind globalization. As a result, countries that are willing to participate in the global marketplace are encouraged to open their economy to free trade, privatization, and competition. Every issue has positive and negative points. Despite the promising progress that the global economy promotes, it is surprising that millions of people do not look at globalization in a positive light. Some organizations, such as human rights activists strongly oppose globalization. Why would so many groups oppose something that can be beneficial to every nation? Human rights advocates argue that multinational corporations erode human rights in poorer countries by establishing sweatshops to benefit their business, such as was the incident with Kathie Lee Gifford and her clothes line. Human rights and student groups claim that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank prop up regimes that condone sweatshops and pursue policies that bail out foreign leaders at the expense of local economies. In addition, globalization would bring massive population shifts from rural to urban ... Free Essays on Globalization GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURAL IDENTITY In the review of 'The Clash of civilazation and the remaking of world order', Stephen M. Walt concedes to the fact that, while Samuel P. Huntington's book may "enjoy a longer shelf life" than other works in its league, he ultimatly dismisses it as a "potentially dangerous blueprint for policy." Samuel Huntington says that 'the great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural' which in turn constitutes a 'Clash of Civilazations' because of differing norms and values. In an interview following the 9/11 attacks, Mr. Huntington was featured an a PBS series where he was asked to explain how his theory has held up over the years. Here he speaks of his "Clash of Civilization", a prelude to his in-depth explanation of the lessons we learned from the World Trade Center incident; "Well I think the essence of the argument is that during the Twentieth Century and the Cold War, ideology was a key factor in international relations. The wars were between fascists, communists and liberal democratic countries. Ideology has faded from the scene and people no longer identify with ideologies; they identify with their cultures and cultures may exist at a very local level, but there are also broader cultural entities, and the broadest cultural entities are civilizations. And the argument of the book is that the most dangerous conflicts in the future will be between states and groups from different civilizations because these have a potential to escalate." And when asked about the 9/11 tragedy, he affirms his point with this: "Following September eleventh, how did the world divide in terms of cultures and civilizations? The countries that are closest to us culturallyBritain, Canada, Australiaimmediately came forward, sent military forces to work with ours. The reaction in Europe, part of Western civilization as we are, was again enthusiastic sympathy and expressions of sup... Free Essays on Globalization Globalization Globalization refers to the widening and deepening of the international flows of trade, capital, technology, and information within a single integrated global market (Petras 11). This has been considered to be the basis for global expansionism; the illusion of domestic economic stability has supplemented this process with a strong supportive public opinion. However, the true nature of Globalization continues to be the search for lower waged workers through geographic expansion by means of economic superiority and political manipulation often involving military force (Tabb 25). The reduction of cost due to cheaper labor and an increase in the speed of communication and transportation has continually deepened this process (Tabb 13). Historically, international flows of capital and commodity trade have taken three routes, through imperialist and colonial conquest, trade and investment among advanced capitalist countries and recently through exchanges among Third World countries (Petras 27). These methods share the common goal of exploiting vulnerable areas of the world in order to benefit core countries and more importantly international corporations. However, each route has produced different consequences in global society. Imperialism created an unequal accumulation of capital among the world via the extraction of raw materials in vulnerable colonial regions. This promoted economic growth in the core countries while the periphery was exposed to cheap labor and declining standards of living, basically unable to compete with major world powers. Trade among world powers invited regulated foreign capital in order to complement internal capitalist development. Lastly, the influence of international corporations over Third World regions has led to a large debt crisis in the periphery, which has been used as a tool to manipulate foreign policies in these areas to benefit corporate interests. In the processes of globalizatio... Free Essays on Globalization Thomas L. Friedman is known for writing his interpretations of world affairs. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes as a foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times. In his book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Friedman talks about his extensive travels and experiences with people around the globe and how globalization has affected all types of people from all walks of life. He shows how the Lexus represents advancements in technologies and the pursuit of a higher standard of living while the Olive Tree represents a peoples’ roots. Friedman is a supporter of globalization and describes thoroughly how the best course for the world to take is to nurture this new system. Friedman looks at globalization as the system to take over after the collapse of the â€Å"Cold War system.† He describes the Cold War system as a focus on division and with the collapse of the Berlin Wall came the collapse of the Cold War system. Globalization, with a theme of integration, quickly too k its place. Friedman portrays three fundamental changes as the initial steps towards globalization; changes in how we communicate, how we invest and how we attain information about the world. The â€Å"democratization of technology† was the initial step. Innovations in the 1980’s and 1990’s such as computerization, Internet tools and telecommunications are the driving forces behind the democratization of technology. The ability to communicate with anyone around the world easily and cheaply allowed the potential for wealth distribution to be evenly distributed geographically. The â€Å"commercial paper† market actually started the â€Å"democratization of finance.† These were bonds issued by corporations directly to the public to raise capital. Bonds stopped the monopoly that banks held over people, which allowed for credit to flow freely. The third and final change was the â€Å"democratization of information.† This change began with the globaliz ation of televi... Free Essays on Globalization Globalization: Is it worth it? Given today’s economy does it make sense for a small company to go global? According to Charles Hill, author of International Business, he seems to think that it is a good thing along with many other businessmen, influential economists, and even politicians. Yet that is not the answer for every industry, take for example the family entertainment center industry; going global is not always the wisest choice for expansion. This became evident in a recent interview which was held with Richard Beckert, (personal communication, October 20, 2003); the former CEO and President of Malibu Entertainment Worldwide, Incorporated. Malibu Entertainment Worldwide, Inc. (MEWI) at one time owned and operated approximately 40 family entertainment centers across the United States, Japan, and Spain. Malibu Entertainment is now no longer in existence as it sold its last park in January of this year. This sprawling global company was a publicly traded company in its prime with shares trading at over $30 per share, today the defunct company’s outstanding shares are trading at a staggering $0.0010 per share. This drastic change in the company happened almost overnight after the global expansion according to Mr. Beckert. After opening the first two locations overseas within weeks of each other the company entered into huge financial difficulties, which forced the sale of the two oversea operations within months of their opening. The sale of the locations came at a huge lose to the company that resulted in a loss of over $10 million. With the huge loss in operating capital and equity in the company its shares literally went for $30 per share to $10 per share overnight. From there on out the company was unable to recover and kept the downward spiral. It was being faced with huge loan repayment notes and investors were pulling funding left and right. The company was forced to slowly sell off assets and parks one by one in ... Free Essays on Globalization Globalization is a confusing concept. For some it conjures up images of electronic communications: an email, global media, and popularization of mobile phones. For others it is about trade: the ability to buy coca-cola in rural villages in Africa. For yet others it is about misappropriation and greed: the suicide of Indian peasant farmers ruined by agri-business and genetically modified seeds. From now on, I will present the negative effects of globalization.  gGlobalization h is a very uneven process, with unequal distribution of benefits and losses. The problem is that of who gains and loses from the potential benefits. This imbalance leads to polarization or separation between the few rich countries or individuals that gain benefits, and the many other countries that lose out or are marginalized. Globalization, polarization, wealth concentration and marginalization are therefore linked through the same process. In this process, investment resources, growth and modern technology are focused on a few countries (mainly in North America, Europe, Japan and East Asian NICs). The basic facts are known: 20% of the world fs population live in absolute poverty, with an income of less than $1 per day. Surviving on less than $2 a day is a reality for almost half the people on the planet.  iA majority of developing countries are excluded from the process, or are participating in it in marginal ways that are often detrimental to their interests; for example, import liberalization may harm their domestic producers and financial liberalization may cause instability. j  @ iThe uneven and unequal nature of the present globalization is manifested in the fast growing gap between the world fs rich and poor people and between developed and developing countries; and by the large differences among nations in the distribution of gains and losses. j As a result, the number of hungry people around the @world keeps rising every year and... Free Essays on Globalization Domestic small-and medium-sized technology companies (SMTC) that are currently plotting their strategic direction are faced with a daunting competitive environment today. On the one hand, SMTCs are struggling to survive in the lull of a once-booming and competitive US technology market. On the other hand, should they look outside the US market, they are faced with the prospect of competing head-on with large multinational corporations that have already established a global presence. The pervasive belief surrounding international expansion of any scale is that it is not an initiative to be launched by a company with limited resources-a belief that would eradicate the entire SMTC segment from the global technology marketplace if taken seriously. The result is that SMTCs hold off on any non-domestic activities until financial and human resources are comfortably able to accommodate a new market entry. Niko Partners, an international business consultancy for small- and medium-sized technology companies, believes that waiting for a high comfort-level would be too late for SMTCs, and in fact could mean the loss of critical competitive ground in the long term. The true first hurdle to globalization is not a resource issue but is the achievement of the strategic global awareness of how the SMTC fits into the global marketplace. Niko believes, regardless of when international expansion actually begins, all SMTCs should at least be actively incorporating an international v ista into their strategic roadmaps now. For critical social theory, globalization involves both capitalist markets and sets of social relations and flows of commodities, capital, technology, ideas, forms of culture, and people across national boundaries via a global networked society (see Castells 1996, 1997, and 1998 and Held, et al 1999). The transmutations of technology and capital work together to create a new globalized and interconnected world. A technological revolution ... Free Essays on Globalization The phenomenon known as globalisation Introduction To begin with, tell them that they will need to look at the essay questions today Later we will be doing a trial reflective exercise Let’s look at Globalisation My story When my colleagues and I were faced with redundancy we were placed in a unique position. Or perhaps it wasn’t quite so unique, just unspoken; ‘experts’ are not renowned for publicly applying their own theories to themselves. After years working as labour researchers or workplace change consultants we found ourselves in the position of having the stories we told other workers and their managements about why change was happening being reflected back to us by our managers and the people employed to facilitate our departures. We shifted from being purveyors of the discourses and narratives about why change was necessary to sitting in judgement of whether these very discourses and narratives applied to us, made sense to us, or were believable. Armed with more information than the average potentially redundant worker, we gathered around photocopiers, water coolers, staff room dining tables, coffee shop booths, each others desks - and discussed, argued, complained, questioned. As labour researchers we turned on labour theories, as change consultants we turned on theories of workplace change, and asked ourselves and each other, â€Å"Is what I’ve been saying for the last ten years really the case in my case? Now that I’m down there amongst it all instead of looking at it from the safety of an analyst’s lofty heights, does the story look and sound the same?† The Globalisation Story The stories we told the workers went generally like this: Globalisation led to economic and industry restructuring which leads to organisational change which means jobs change which means you have to do things differently to how you did them before and if you do not change, you won’t be able to give your customer... Free Essays on Globalization McGlobalization â€Å"We must use terministic screens, since we can’t really say anything without the use of terms; whatever terms we use, they necessarily constitute a corresponding kind of screen; and any such screen necessarily directs the attention to one field rather than the other. Within that field there can be different screens, each with its ways of directing the attention and shaping the range of observations implicit in the given terminology. All terminologies must implicitly and explicitly embody choices between the principle of continuity and the discontinuity.† Where would the world be in this day and age if everyone had the exact same experiences, exact same thoughts, and the exact same dreams? To think of such things is ridiculous. Humans would be nothing more than robots, all programmed to think and function in the exact same way. Each individual in the world has their own experiences, none of which that are identical. Not one person was raised identical to another. For every person there comes a screen, and for every experience an individual encounters comes another screen. Think of screens like this. A photographer has many different lenses. Each lens comes with their own unique qualities. So when the photographer switches his lens he is switching the entire picture. In regards to humans we are the Johnson 2 photographer and each experience gives us a different view on things. The result of this gives us another screen. Writers and theorist are no exception to this. Newspapers and publications would not have such an impact on the world if every person had the same view on things. We take in information from one and another and twist it all around in our heads to come up with our own individual ideas. Real life examples of this our seen everywhere. An issue I wish to address is how different people interpret the phenomenon, globalization. To help support this paper I will give examples from d... Free Essays on Globalization Conflict Resolution in Organizations Conflict comes about from differences – differences of opinion, differences in thinking, differences in needs and differences in values. Sometimes these differences can complement each other, as in diversity. Everyone encounters situations on a regular basis that affect how one works and relates with other people. But sometimes we will encounter conflict and in dealing with conflict comes about resolution. One key element in building effective organizational partnerships is the creation of conflict resolution processes and systems that encourage people to work through conflicts and to use them to build better partnerships. As leaders encourage high performance organizations they also need to design conflict resolution systems that encourage that can be an effective tool in dealing with day-to-day situations. Conflict resolution in organizations builds stronger and more cohesive organizations and more rewarding relationships. When we fear conflict or perceive it as a nega tive experience, we harm our chances of dealing with it effectively. Moreover, conflict is neither a positive or negative in situation. Conflict is a natural occurrence. Conflict is a by-product of the diversity that challenges our thoughts, our attitudes, our beliefs, and our perceptions. Each of us has influence and power over whether or not conflict becomes negative and that influence and power is found in the way we handle it. In my organization, (your company), conflict is a way of life and is something that must be dealt with accordingly. Being skillful in resolving conflict is an important managerial tool. Senior and middle level management typically utilize a Win-Win approach in dealing with conflict at (your company). Win-Win conflict is achieved by a blend of both high cooperativeness and high assertiveness (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2000, p.383). The Win-Win Approach is about changing the conflict fr... Free Essays on Globalization In the ever-present debates about globalization, the experience has often been identified with late twentieth-century forms of political market - notably market liberalization - and the associated changes in political thought. Important as these forms have been, however they are hardly the core of global transformation. Globalization is not simply or mainly either an economic or a recent historical occurrence, indeed not a single process at all, and requires a much deeper and broader understanding. Only when this is understood can the significance of the global for the social sciences be acheived.Globalization can be defined as a multifaceted set of distinct but related processes - economic, cultural, social but also political and military - through which economic relations have developed global reach and significance. In this sense globalization includes the development of relations of many kinds as well as particularly global forms. It can be coupled, as Anthony Giddens among other s has argued, to reflective changes in the relations of time and space in the development of progress. Globalization has been developing for six centuries, in the processes through which the ‘multi-power actor civilization’ of the West, as Michael Mann calls it, starting in Europe, has come to take over more or less the entire world. Every 10 years or more accurately each historical period (obviously these do not match precisely with the chronology of centuries) - has made its own contribution to global transformation. From the European exploration of the ‘Indies’ and discovery of ‘America’, in the fifteenth century, through the old days of the Spanish and Portuguese empires to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century domination of Britain and France, a Western new world order came into existence. At the beginning of this process of global change was the new standard of Western economic and cultural life, which by the end of the nineteenth centur y ... Free Essays on Globalization Introduction We are in the midst of a global information revolution driven by the convergence and proliferation of information and communication technologies. The telecommunications sector is changing at warp speed, driven by technological innovation that results in new equipment and services, and also by new entrants and alliances between companies with experience in a wide range of information industries from telecommunications to broadcasting to computer hardware and software to publishing. Three major trends are driving these changes:  · the rapid introduction of new technologies and services;  · the restructuring of the telecommunications sector; and  · globalization of economies and of communications. Together these developments are not only changing the world of telecommunications, but the ways people work, learn, and interact. The Death of Distance "The death of distance as a determinant of the cost of communications will probably be the single most important economic force shaping society in the first half of the next century." The death of distance could have profound implications for both individuals and organizations. The ability to work "anytime, anywhere" allows "road warriors" to work without offices on planes, in hotels, and at client sites, and enables information workers to telecommute from their homes rather than traveling to work. This flexibility can be two-edged for individuals, who can work wherever they choose but may never escape the "virtual workplace." Organizations may reduce their overhead costs and improve their productivity, but they must also learn how to manage their decentralized work force. One major technological trend is the extension of "information superhighways" in the form of broadband networks; another is the increasing ubiquity of communications using wireless technologies (that will, however, initially provide access to squirts rather than floods of information). Personal c...

Christmas Weather Lore

Christmas Weather Lore Weather lore exists for nearly every season and every type of weather, but many of the most well-known sayings have to do with winter weather.    Besides hoping for a White Christmas, theres another reason youll want to keep a watchful eye on your Christmas Day forecast. According to weather folklore, the weather on Christmas foretells the weather for the remaining winter and upcoming year.   Based on the below sayings, what does your Christmas Day weather suggest? Stormy Christmas Weather   - If theres thunder during Christmas week,The Winter will be anything but meek. - If windy on Christmas, trees will bring much fruit. - If it rain much during the twelve days after Christmas Day it will be a wet year. A Mild Christmas Means Cold Will Come    - A green (warm) Christmas, a white (cold) Easter. - So far as the sun shines on Christmas Day,So far will the snow blow in May. - If the ice will bear a goose before Christmas, it will not bear a duck after. - If Christmas day be bright and clear, therell be two winters in the year.. The below proverbs could be used to forecast whether or not youll see a White Christmas based on the weather at Hollantide a Cornish feast traditionally celebrated at the end of October/first of November  which marked the eve of winter. - If ducks do slide at Hollantide,At Christmas they will swim.If ducks do swim at Hollantide,  At Christmas they will slide. - If Candlemas day be dry and fair,  The half of the winter is gone and mair.If Candlemas day be wet and foul,  The half of the winter is gone at Yule (Christmas). The following sayings have less to do with the weather on Christmas and more to do with what calendar day Christmas falls on:   - If Christmas Day on Thursday be,  A windy winter ye shall see. - It will be the same weather for nine weeks as it is on the ninth day after Christmas. - The nearer the New Moon to Christmas Day, the harder the Winter. Christmas Lore: Where Does It Come From?   Why are these particular Christmas weather scenarios linked to these weather occurrences? Long before there was such a thing as  meteorologists  or tools like barometers or thermometers, farmers, seafarers, and others whose daily work was tied to the weather had nothing to clue them in on what the days weather would bring. To remedy this, people began observing how animals, plants, insects, and even they themselves behaved just before certain weather events. After years and years of noticing these patterns, folks began expecting certain weather based on whether or not they observed these certain events in nature.  They then created rhymes (like those above) to make the connections easily remembered and shared. How many of the above pieces of lore have you heard before? Have you known any of them to ring true where you live?