...Summary of The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman LENGTH: 4976 words HEADLINE: It's a Flat World, After All BYLINE: By Thomas L. Friedman. Thomas L. Friedman is the author of ''The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century,'' to be published this week by Farrar, Straus & Giroux and from which this article is adapted. His column appears on the Op-Ed page of The Times, and his television documentary ''Does Europe Hate Us?'' will be shown on the Discovery Channel on April 7 at 8 p.m. BODY: In 1492 Christopher Columbus set sail for India, going west. He had the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. He never did find India, but he called the people he met ''Indians'' and came home and reported to his king and queen: ''The world is round.'' I set off for India 512 years later. I knew just which direction I was going. I went east. I had Lufthansa business class, and I came home and reported only to my wife and only in a whisper: ''The world is flat.'' And therein lies a tale of technology and geoeconomics that is fundamentally reshaping our lives -- much, much more quickly than many people realize. It all happened while we were sleeping, or rather while we were focused on 9/11, the dot-com bust and Enron -- which even prompted some to wonder whether globalization was over. Actually, just the opposite was true, which is why it's time to wake up and prepare ourselves for this flat world, because others already are, and there is no time to waste. I wish I could say I saw...
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...OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 1: GLOBALIZATION Opening Case: Flat Panel Televisions and the Global Economy Introduction What is Globalization? The Globalization of Markets The Globalization of Production Country Focus: Outsourcing American Healthcare The Emergence of Global Institutions Drivers of Globalization Declining Trade and Investment Barriers The Role of Technological Change The Changing Demographics of the Global Economy The Changing World Output and World Trade Picture The Changing Foreign Direct Investment Picture The Changing Nature of the Multinational Enterprise The Changing World Order The Global Economy of the Twenty-First Century Country Focus: India’s Software Sector Management Focus: China’s Hisense-An Emerging Multinational The Globalization Debate Anti-globalization Protests, Globalization, Jobs, and Income Globalization, Labor Policies, and the Environment Globalization and National Sovereignty Globalization and the World’s Poor Country Focus: Protesting Globalization in France Managing in the Global Marketplace Chapter Summary Critical Thinking and Discussion Questions Closing Case: IKEA—The Global Retailer CLASSROOM DISCUSSION POINT Ask students to describe how international business has affected them in their day so far. Ash them about who made the clothes they’re wearing, what type of food they ate for breakfast or lunch (muesli cereal, sushi, Italian-style...
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...Reaction Paper By: Charles L. Roman Title: The World Is Flat Author: Thomas Friedman Publisher: www.fsgbooks.com 13579108642 Pages: 216 I. Summary The author introduces theory that the world is flat. He traveled to Japan, China, America and India that lead him to this conclusion. It starts while he is playing golf when he finds himself surrounded by advertisement of traditional American companies such as Pizza Hut, Epson, HP and Texas Instruments. He identified ten influencing factors that led to globalization and world flattening. First is Collapse of Berlin Wall it allowed people from other side of the wall to join the economic mainstream. (11/09/1989). Then on 1995 internet was lunched. Free workflow software follows allowing people from around the world to collaborate and work together on projects using a shared medium. Communities are uploading and collaborating on online projects. Companies splits service and manufacturing activities into components, with each component performed in most efficient, cost-effective way. Using the Chinese manufacturing sector forced other developing countries to try to keep up with their low cost solutions, resulting in better quality and cheaper products being produced worldwide. By using technology to modernize item sales, distribution, and shipping. Employees are working for another company. People on their own had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people. Finally, the...
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...English 211 Jo Harmon 20 January 2013 Untouchable This is a summary of “The Untouchables” is a section from The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty First Century written by Thomas Friedman. In this excerpt Friedman explains how everyone should strive to be “untouchable” in todays society. This is ironic because untouchables in India’s caste system are people with very little respect, but how Friedman puts it they are people with jobs that can not be outsourced or become digitized. Due to globalization Americans as “individuals will have to work a little harder and run a little faster to keep our standard of living rising.” We have to stop the globalization of industries and begin globalizing individuals because we ave to think globally to survive. Self awareness has been created by the ability to move work around to other countries people now realize they have to be able to have the skills and be able to compete in order to survive in today’s work world. Americans can not be mediocre at their job and get by anymore. A start would be striving to be the best and staying passionate about whatever that person does for a living. Friedman believes that the world is becoming flat due to jobs being outsourced all over the world. Jobs will go to the cheapest most productive worker wherever they may be. The companies that will survive in this new flat world are changing their model of work in order to compete world wide. Students need to reorient what they learn in school to...
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...Introduction The focus of this case study is on the Vizio company and market for flat-panel TVs. However, most importantly Vizio’s unique use of globalization of production which gave them a competitive advantage in the market just as it was peaking. I found it important to do some research on the Vizio company to get a solid understanding of their background and history. The unique blend of origin, ethnicity and country of residence through much of his youth may have played a strong role in CEO, William Wang’s success with globalization. What started as a consultant business in 2002, later helped Gateway launch the first flat-panel TV under $3K and then Vizio found a niche in the flat-panel TV market which set them apart from their competitors. Globalization makes them successful today which is highlighted in the case. Their products are manufactured in Mexico with parts from across the world. Even their core mission and business model states, “VIZIO® lowers cost and increases efficiency by creating and orchestrating mutually desirable global partnerships.” This is definitely a company with a goal of producing affordable producing and passing on efficient manufacturing costs is exactly how they do it. Question #1: Why is the manufacturing of flat-panel TVs migrating to different locations around the world? Flat-panel TV technology is much like other products being manufactured around the globe in that the companies that are manufacturing the products are trying to...
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...Thomas Friedman discusses how 10 principle concepts, in summary, allow easy transfer of capital and information around the world. His concept, that the “world is flat”, emboldens global competition with the possibilities of an equal ‘playing field’ due to the 10 “flatteners”. Friedman’s main focus was on the equal opportunity for corporate businesses globally, but from a financial market perspective, the ease in which capital flows is also encompassed in the “world is flat” concept. Due to technological advances, the global financial market has been refined with electronic exchanges, networks, institutions, and communications. Each country may have its own financial market, but the world is so closely tied together, causing global affects when one market is prospering or suffering. Currently all eyes are on Europe and the “Euro Crisis” stemming from their uncontrollable debt. There are discussions of a $1 trillion dollar bailout for the 16 “Eurozone” countries, which could ultimately cost and estimated $3 trillion or bankruptcy. Greece and Ireland are in the forefront of the countries in financial ruin. With the media making the entire world aware of these countries financial crisis and their insolvent state, investors are reluctant to continue to buy bonds that may not payoff. These investors are expected to bring in cash flow buy buying bonds so the European country can pay back the bank loans with extremely high interest. European Central Bank, responsible for...
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...IKEA WRITTEN REPORT SUMMARY Introduction:............................................................................................................................................ 3 First question: .......................................................................................................................................... 3 IKEA’s business model: ........................................................................................................................ 3 IKEA’s strengths and weaknesses:....................................................................................................... 4 IKEA’s competences: ........................................................................................................................... 5 Summary about IKEA’s successful: ...................................................................................................... 7 Conclusion: .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Second question: ..................................................................................................................................... 7 The drivers of their internationalization: ............................................................................................ 8 IKEA’s internationalization strategy: ................................................................................................... 9 IKEA’s...
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...Assignment Course Code: FEG-02 Assignment Code: FEG-2/TM A/2012-13 Max. Marks: 100 All Questions are compulsory 1. Read the following passage and make notes in the appropriate formal. (15) 'The perpetual cycle of change which has created the face of the Earth, with all its rugged and Fascinating variety usually happens too slowly to be noticed. But occasionally it is rapid and Violent. Volcanoes disgorge molten lava, earthquakes rip open the landscape, landslides, carry away Whole mountainsides. Then human beings become aware of the awesome forces that are shaping Their planet. These forces are fuelled by three powerful sources of energy - heat from within the Earth, heat from the Sun, and the force of gravity. Every landform in the world has been shaped by these ttu.ee energy sources. 'the continents that drift across the surface of the globe, setting off volcanoes and earthquakes and Building mountains. are driven by heat from the Earth's interior which has a temperature of about 5000"C (9000'F). Most of this heat is created by the breakdown of radioactive elements. Earth is unique among the planets of the Solar System in having liquid water on the surface and water has a major role in shaping the planet. The warmth of the Sun evaporates water from seas and lakes. The vapor rises and condenses to form clouds and then falls again as rain and snow. It is then that its landscaping powers begin, weathering rocks and washing away the loose material. or grinding down the...
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...------------------------------------------------- Fall 2013 – Mini project “The World Is Flat” November 18, 2013 Part I “The World Is Flat” The Triple Convergence The ten world flatteners mentioned in chapter two of the book “The World is Flat” together shaped a new global platform and embraced a new workflow system. This new platform permitted the world to join forces and interconnect in ways it had never interconnected before. Thanks to this new platform, geography, time, or distance was no longer a barrier for different sides of the world to collaborate. Due to the creation of “complementary software, the internet, and political factors” (Friedman) countries like China, Russia, India and Latin America, opened their borders and led to the fast pace of globalization mentioned by Friedman. Even though these flatteners were created in the 90’s, as they came together, they had to spread, take root, and connect in order to create this flattening. It didn’t just happen overnight. Friedman mentioned in the opening of chapter two talking about his Southwest experience with them giving people the ability to print their own tickets. And then there were multiple companies developing machines that print, fax, scan, email, and make copies. Needless to say these ten factors (flatteners) that were apparently unconnected came together and create a new global platform. This new global platform (web-enabled platform) is a major part of the lives of the people in the...
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...MNC Structure Ken Shall MA405 Multinational Management Grantham University Professor : Angela Au 6/05/2012 A Multinational Company In business today, the boundaries of the world have seemed to almost disappear. More and more companies have a much broader reach and expanding globally is almost the norm. Many years ago, few companies were able to sell products to other parts of the world, let alone conduct business operations in other countries. Then we began to see some of the world’s largest companies begin to expand globally, not only in sales, but in operations, creating a physical presence in many foreign countries. In the early 1980’s, Honda opened up operations and began building cars in Ohio. This was a real twist, and probably a brilliant move, as it was when many Americans began to realize global expansion yet we wanted to keep jobs here and buy what was built in America. Today, with the help of the World Wide Web and Social Marketing, even a fairly small business can not only sell in other countries, but also have a physical presence there. An example of a US business expanding globally is Le Gourmet Gift Basket Inc. As early as 2004, it had 510 franchise locations including 25 outside the United States. (Le Gourmet Gift Basket Inc) Forming a Multinational Company There are two primary ways that a multinational organization is created - organically or inorganically. The Le Gourmet Gift Baskets example above is a great example of organic growth...
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...4.719 ADVANCED MANAGEMENTOF INFORMATION SYSTEMS Submitted To: Daniel Vidal Word Count: 3074 words (Excluding executive summary and conclusions) GROUP MEMBERS NAMES | STUDENT ID | Gibran Bayhonan | 20150632 | Kamaljit Kour | 20151129 | Rohit Rajput | 20150915 | Veena Thimmasadra Anjanappa | 20151503 | Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary 3 2.0 Introduction 4 3.0 Identification of key Objectives: 5 4.0 Application of Critical Success Factor 6 5.0 Discussion of Two ICT’s 9 6.0 How does ICT‘s benefit IKEA company. 14 7.0 Business Case 16 8.0 Cost and benefit Analysis 18 9.0 Conclusion 20 10.0 Refrences 21 * 1.0Executive Summary The purpose of this assignment knows the use of CSF Methodology to identify the ICT that will support IKEA business objective. As we know IKEA is one of the Global furniture companies whose objective is to give inexpensive furniture to all class of people. By this objective our team is able to identify 3 CSF of IKEA * To provide less expensive and better quality product * Creating a Unique Brand image. * To become one in Global distribution network. Further we identified IKEA ICT which supports business process in gaining competitive advantage .By continuous process improvement and Design and product development IKEA was successful in this industry. We have also explained few examples of IKEA technology in improving their inventory and production management. There is a business case on Application portfolio...
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...University of the Philippines Lahug, Cebu City The World is Flat Book Review by Thomas Friedman Submitted by: Angelique Kay G. Consular Submitted to: Ms. Mae Claire Jabines Chapter Summaries Chapter One: While I Was Sleeping The first chapter begins by illustrating Friedman's disclosure that the world is flat. It sets forward on his visit to Infosys Technologies Limited in India, where he go on foot with Discovery Times. Friedman is inspired by the grounds' propelled innovation, for example the glass-and-steel edifices and huge even screen Tvs. The organization's CEO, Nandan Nilekani, tells Friedman that the global competitive field seems to be leveled and that that the world is being flattened. From this, we can see that a "flat" world is one in which the "playing field" on which companies contend is presently level. It is one in which companies from different nations can compete with each other on an equivalent basis. Friedman breaks down Globalization into three (3) eras. The first is from 1492-1800, which he calls Globalization 1.0 and it shrink the world from large to medium. Its dynamic force is countries — how much physical strength your country has and how creatively you can move it into action. The second is from 1800-2000, which he calls Globalization 2.0 and creates a small world. It is about the multinational companies. As Friedman argues, we are now in the Globalization 3.0 period where in the world shrinks from small to tiny, flattening to such a...
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... | |Zoe Cole | |Aoife Hughes | |Tinuola Omoyele | | | | | Contents Terms of Reference / Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Main Body / Findings 4 References 10 Terms of Reference / Executive Summary In this report, we propose IKEA expand its international market into San Juan, Puerto Rico, South America as mode of entry. The purpose of this report is to make a case for the expansion of IKEA into a new market. The reason we chose Puerto Rico is because the research has already been completed for such a move, and only narrowly missed out to the Dominican Republic as a new destination for the self confessed flat-pack-giants. Zoe, Tinuola and I hope that our proposal will convince you that Puerto Rico is a good move and hopefully the next move. Introduction We propose IKEA go into Puerto Rico, San Juans ,with the hopes of Over the past number of years IKEA has had great success stories of entering new countries and is now...
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...INTRODUCTION A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection. This is different from other light-reflecting objects that do not preserve much of the original wave signal other than color and diffuse reflected light. The most familiar type of mirror is the plane mirror, which has a flat surface. Curved mirrors are also used, to produce magnified or diminished images or focus light or simply distort the reflected image (“Mungan,” 1999). Geometrical optics, or ray optics, describes light propagation in terms of "rays". The "ray" in geometric optics is an abstraction, or "instrument", which can be used to approximately model how light will propagate. Geometrical optics provides rules, which may depend on the color (wavelength) of the ray, for propagating these rays through an optical system. This is a significant simplification of optics that fails to account for optical effects such as diffraction and interference. It is an excellent approximation, however, when the wavelength is very small compared with the size of structures with which the light interacts (“Hecht,” 1987). Glossy surfaces such as mirrors reflect light in a simple, predictable way. This allows for production of reflected images that can be associated with an actual (real) or extrapolated (virtual)...
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...Summary of Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat In The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman discusses events and technologies that are “flattening” the world and increasing globalization. Friedman feels the world is highly interconnected without regard to hierarchy, distance, organizational size, individual status, culture, or language. He describes ten "flatteners" that are reshaping the world. Flattener 1 – Fall of the Berlin Wall The end of the Cold War broke down barriers between people. To catch your attention he identifies this flattener with 9/11. November 9, 1989 is when the Berlin Wall fell. He contrasts it with 9/11 which is journalistically neat but not terribly pertinent. But Friedman doesn't stop with a political-historical event. About the same time (the 1980s), Apple and Microsoft were making personal computers available to the world. Not only did the Berlin wall fall but Microsoft Windows opened [cute]. Part of flattener #1 is the personal computer, the ability of individuals to put their thoughts in digital form. Flattener 2 – The Internet On August 9, 1995 Netscape went public with first internet browser available to the public at large. Now people could access information from all over the world. Flattener 3 - Workflow software Many software developments, standards, and protocols enable computers and other digital devices to interact over the internet so that work and other projects can be done by people any where in the world. Friedman...
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