What Has a Flatter World Changed?

What has a flatter world changed?

There definitely have been several forces that have led us to a flattening world. Thomas Friedman believes events such as the falling of The Berlin Wall, and the adaptation of Microsoft Office were a few of the events that energized globalization. I believe a large number of technological advances altogether made globalization possible. The improvement of transport mediums by land, sea, and air made it possible for things to be shipped and delivered all across the world. Political policy also made it possible for players to globalize through trade agreements and taxation reform. Here recently, we got the Information Age, a time where Internet has made it possible to communicate, exchange ideas, and make transactions with anyone in the world.

The quick development and advancement of technology during the 18th and 19th centuries are what led to rapid global expansion. The Steam engine, and more importantly the gas engine made travel limitless. Trains connected landmasses, automobiles made us quicker than by horseback, airplanes crossed oceans, and now the Internet, the ultimate form of connectivity. All which were welcomed by society, as well as enterprises that use those links to gain dominance. Today, a person can unknowingly buy a product that has components made in 5 different countries, all with money that exists in a digital world.

If you look at the history books, trade and barter has always been a part of society in order to exchange goods and services to each other. Long before the Industrial Revolution people traded, but that specific time period is when technology really began to change the shape of the world. People from all over began to be affected by its exposure. Advances in transport led to travel, advances in media led to information spreading and sharing, advances in resource gathering and manufacturing led to more and more consumption. Globalization has allowed suffering economies to improve the lives of many of its citizens through the selling of labor or land resources. As globalization continues to take down barriers of government, culture, language, and politics, the world will continue to become a place where everyone can now compete. Even the smallest, poorest, and most rural societies have something to offer the globalized market.

The Impact to Others

In my opinion, the flattening phenomenon has affected people just as much as it affected organizations. Depending from what side of the fence you are standing on, it may or may not of been as beneficial. This is why I see it as a main contributor to wealth inequality in out country. I believe it did so by dividing the interest of the shareholder and the interest of the American working class employee. Of Course, not all entities draw a clear line in the sand to provide proof of the counterbalance between the two, but the majority of manufacturing and agricultural companies make clear that the flattening of the world has served the entity much more than the American Worker. I remember when my mothers company, LEE, a denim jean manufacturer, decided to close its doors and relocate to Mexico. That affected so many families while the company itself was only looking out for their interest.

Thanks to globalization, market share has increased dramatically for large-scale business. Any product or service can now be packaged, shipped, and delivered to anywhere in the world via geographical transport, or even instantaneously through fiber optic cable connections. These kinds of companies are able to drive labor and material cost down as they bargain price against other countries around the world. The companies dependent on shareholders are more driven to take all necessary measures to reduce cost and increase a profit, which usually means an inclination to outsourcing as a cheaper alternative than U.S. production and manufacturing.

On the other hand, smaller more domestic businesses, usually from the service industry, have benefited greatly from globalization. Items can be made and imported at a much cheaper cost and then sold at a higher volume. This ultimately helps businesses create sustainability through revenue. My local coffee shop can provide coffee bean options from Peru at a cheaper or comparable cost of something produced domestically. That is when consumers themselves become a benefactor of globalization. Consumers are able to buy more for less thanks to the importations of goods and services that are being outsourced. Globalization is the reason why companies like Forever 21 can sell tons of designer clothes at the throwaway price that they do today.

The Impact to Myself

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