...The World Is Flat Thomas L. Friedman’s book, The World Is Flat is a book helps us understand the how the world is flat. He does this buy dissecting the world we live in and by sharing information we all should know. The World Is Flat focuses on globalization along with social, political and environmental issues we face. Chapter two highlights the ten forces that flattened the world along with the effect and opportunities we now have because the world flattened. The fall of the Berlin Wall, Netscape Going Public, Work Flow Software, Uploading, Off shoring, Supply Chains, In sourcing, Informing and Steroids are the ten forces Friedman identifies to be the main causes that flattened the world. The first force that triggered the world to flatten was the fall of the Berlin Wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall helped us to understand the world differently. It helped us to open our eyes and think outside the box rather then just in our own. The fall of the Berlin Wall, allowed us to have a free market, introduced capitalism. We then began to adopt commons standers on how economics should be run along with a common understanding on how banking and accounting should be done. The second force that helped Flatten the world was when Netscape went public. Friedman describes the Internet and how it helped to connect people to come together globally. Netscape was an explosive technology that became w accessible to everyone. This made people want to do things differently...
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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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...flattening by the increasing development of technology, which transforms the human experience of time and space. With the process of globalization, the interaction among people in the world has changed from country level to company level, then to individual level. The world is flattened in a way that barriers such as time and space are disappearing. As a product of the process of globalization, I have witnessed this flattening process in every aspect of my life and expect for the future transformation. Eight years ago, I packed 14 years of my life into two big suitcases and flew over the Pacific Ocean from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China to San Francisco Airport in California, America. I did not only leave the delicious food that I used to crave in Shanghai, but also my closest family members and friends back in Shanghai. I was worried if I was able to keep in touch with them and if we could still laugh together on the same topics. After I settled at the new home, I asked my mom for telephone call cards to call my friends. I called them every week for an hour or two at weekends and this became the thing that I was most excited to do. I remembered that my dream was to have a call card that does have minute limit so I could use it forever. Now, I just realized that my dream certainly has come true. I never have to worry about running out of minutes when I am calling my friends and I am thankful to the development of new technologies or the internet that enable me to do...
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...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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...Summary Friedman concludes that the world is flat on a visit to Infosys Technologies Limited in India, where he travels with Discovery Times. Friedman is impressed by the campus’s advanced technology such as the glass-and-steel buildings and large flat-screen televisions. Nandan Nilekani, the company’s CEO, tells Friedman that the playing field has been leveled; now countries like India can compete for global knowledge. Friedman realizes that the world is flat, which fills him with both dread and excitement. Friedman believes there are historically three great eras of globalization. The first was from 1492-1800, which he calls Globalization 1.0; the second was from 1800-2000, which he calls Globalization 2.0. Friedman argues that we are now in the midst of Globalization 3.0 is a period in which the world shrinks from small to tiny, flattening to such a degree that individuals can collaborate and compete globally. Friedman tells the reader that the purpose of this book is to understand how the world became flat as well as the implications of that development. Friedman spends a night in an Indian call center. Twenty-five hundred twenty-somethings work in this multi-floor facility; some are “outbound” operators, selling various items, others are “inbound” operators, tending to the customer-service needs of various companies. Friedman notes that there are about 245,000 Indians working in this industry, which offers them high-paying, high-prestige jobs. Employees are trained how...
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...highly regarded leaders in the world and garner respect globally. Leaders in the military often face life-altering decisions that ultimately keep the United States of America and its citizens safe from enemy intrusions. Several factors both internal and external affect how military leaders lead, train, and prepare troops. Globalization has a huge effect on the military leadership and training techniques. Military personnel currently train to engage in battle on foreign lands of the Middle Eastern region. Leaders prepare troops for survival in areas high temperatures, urban warfare, and to be cognizant of unexpected enemies like women and children. Globalization has compelled the military to establish command in many areas of the world in some instances like Okinawa, Japan; there are fully- operational military commands. In other instances like the American Embassy in Moscow there is only a small Marine detachment. Military personnel strategically placed throughout the world provide the optimum amount of security and protection for America. While attached to these remote areas of the world service members conduct business with local citizens on a frequent basis. Locals work on the military bases engaging in different types of employment ranging from fast food operation to technical jobs requiring security clearances. In essence the U.S. military affects the global economy while it simultaneously provides protection for America and its citizens. Technology plays an intricate part on...
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...and twitter to market business services and products and receive feedback from customers. It benefits businesses to invest in information systems because it is one way to take advantage of these new technologies so your business can enhance efficiency and profitability and stay ahead of the competition (Laudon & Laudon, 2012, P.4). -Their relationship to globalization is that the internet and global communication had significantly reduced the economic and cultural advantages of developed countries. -The challenges of globalization in a flattened world are competing for jobs, markets, and resources (Laudon & Laudon, 2012, P.9). Some opportunities are that businesses can acquire how to profit from lower costs available in world markets and develop more sophisticated and profitable products and services. With the U.S economy creating 3.5 million new jobs every year, employment for information systems is rising. 3) The organizational dimension of information systems is a structure that is composed of different levels and specialties. This dimension completes and coordinates work through hierarchies. The people dimension is the employees of the business. They need highly skilled and educated people who understand how to use the information in a system. The last dimension is technology which consists of computer hardware and software. The hardware is the physical equipment used for input, processing, and output activities. The software contains preprogrammed instructions that control...
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...Assignment 1 How are information systems transforming business and what is their relationship to globalization? a. Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. b. Identify three major new information system trends c. Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. d. Describe the challenges and opportunities of globalization in a “flattened” world. Information system are the main aspect of business. It ensure that the data that is being stored or transferred is kept completely safe and secure. It also ensure that the data is properly organized, and much less space consuming. The main thing about it is that it maintains data digitally, rather than maintaining a physical record in this way more amount of data can be stored. The 3 major trends in information system are : A : data collection automation : With the expansive range of information that can be collected, many companies find they need guidance on how to avoid overlapping activities and optimize. They may choose to outsource the management of their entire information source portfolios and the monitoring of news outlets, web blogs and websites to specialists that can offer economies of scale and virtually endless source portfolios. There is a caveat here: you will have to make sure you choose a partner that has the flexibility to adapt to your changing requirements. B : information analysis automation : With the onslaught of big data and quantitative...
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...very strong argument (figuratively) that the world is becoming flat. After reading this essay, one really has no choice but to agree. The essay was written fairly recently due to the fact that he mentions very current technology in this essay. Mr. Friedman said “I just want to understand why Indians were taking Americans work and why they have become such an important pool for outsourcing Americans work” (626). It is obvious that he is somewhat warning the American culture, young and middle aged. The world really is flat in regards to technology, the economy, and our ever changing cultures. Thomas L. Friedman’s argument in this essay is that the world is flattening. He starts with the setting on a golf course in Bangalore, India. Bangalore is the home of the modern world’s most advanced technology. The author kept comparing his journey to Bangalore, to the journeys of Christopher Columbus. As we all know Christopher Columbus set out to find a more direct way to India and to prove that the world was round. The author of this essay uses the modern world of technology and its recent advances to prove that the world is in fact flat and that everyone needs to be ready to except significant changes to our culture and power as we know it. Through the help of interviews with the CEO of Infosys Technologies Limited, he supports the fact that the people from Indian are helping to make the world smaller through the technologies that his company has designed and built (627)...
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...electronic data, has greatly facilitated cross border collaboration. a. Outsourcing b. Insourcing c. Informing d. Supply chaining 3. Friedman argues that 8/9/95 is a significant date in the history of globalization. Why? a. Netscape went public, ushering in the Internet boom, which led to massive investment in fiber optics and other high tech infrastructure b. Bill Gates and Microsoft introduced Windows 95, which revolutionized the way in which companies manage information c. NAFTA was ratified by the governments of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, forming the world's largest free trade area d. Bill Clinton signed a free trade accord with China, the last major bastion of Communism in the world 4. Friedman mentions many companies that are using information technology to better serve their customers and enhance their position in the marketplace. Which of the following is a company he does NOT discuss? a. Southwest Airlines b. McDonald's c. Jet Blue d. Apple Computer 5. The owner of an American manufacturing company closes his factory in Canton, Ohio and opens a new one in Canton, China. According to Friedman, this is an example of: a. Outsourcing b. Offshoring c. Insourcing d. Open-Sourcing 6. Friedman argues that 11/9 is a critical date in the history of globalization. Why? a. Friedman is dyslexic; terrorists struck the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11 - not 11/9 b. The Berlin Wall fell on 11/9/89, symbolizing the end of Communism ...
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...possible because of great technologies such as the internet. The internet has evolved into a place where the whole world can connect and communicate with each other. The internet has tools such as email, instant messaging, social media sites and online video games that allow individuals to talk with almost anyone in the world as long as they have access to the internet. Having the capability to communicate with anyone around the world may change ones perception of the world personally and globally. Individuals can discuss various topics and express their different points of views on the subject. Recent events at ones fingertip is a powerful tool to have. Being able to hear about global events within minutes of it actually happening may change ones view on world issues personally and globally. Online video games and social media sites can alter ones perception of the word, while allowing individuals to acquire and discuss ideas from around the world. The internet’s advancements have allowed for online video games. These games allow players to have online contact with people all over the world. These online games are usually called MMO games, or Massive Multiplayer Online games. Many people around the world play online video games; experts say the companies strive to make the games addicting so more people play for longer periods of time. Online games allow individuals to meet people from around the globe which can very much change ones perception of the world. While communicating...
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...Network Finance " Network Finance" is for the entire electronic commerce, based on network technology, helping enterprises to achieve financial and business collaboration, build remote statements, accounting, audit, audit and other remote processing. Its necessity is explained as follows. The rapid development of e-commerce: In chapter 4, we realized anticipating significant new developments and changes that will have a major impact on the industry largely took into account of strategic planning by many firms. For example, Over the last 10 years, e-commerce has become bigger and bigger. Electronic Commrerce refers to use systematic electronic tools, engaging in various economic activities in the whole process of commodity exchange. As e-commerce enterprises need to have the financial system which is based on the network, the rapid popularity of e-commerce is bound to promote the emergence and development of Network Finance. Thus, Network Finance plays a decisive role in electronic commerce The further development of network finance will give rise to the great development of electronic commerce as well. The necessity of a business process: In Chapter 12, the author highlights that for contemporary financial management, internal control systems must be expanded and updated to face a fast-changing, high-technology system of receiving payments and making disbursements nowadays, For a long time, due to technical limitations, how to strengthen the financial enterprise internal...
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...of diversity (e.g single parent families) · Gender goes against fundamentalism by womans rights · Sexuality goes against fundamentalism by homosexuality being against original scriptures (e.g the Bible) · Fundamentalism brings certainty to an uncertain world by believing certain things WILL happen; no need to worry about things they're certain about (e.g the afterlife) Giddens: Cosmopolitanism · opposite to fundamentalism · embraces the modern world · tolerant of the others views by using rational arguments · emphasises self improvement Castells (1998) two responses to postmodernity · Resistant identity: a defence reaction to those who feel threatened and retreat into fundamentalist communities · Project identity: response of those who are forward looking and engage with social movements such as feminism and environmentalism Characteristics of fundamentalism · religious texts are seen as perfect: are read literally (Bible, Qu'ran, Torah). One consequence is that fundamentalism rejects religious religious pluralism (multiple religions). This has important implications for what schools teach. · There is a profound rejection of modern society. Modern society is seen as morally corupt. Living in the modern world is seen as problematic because of the variety of choice. Fundamentalists reject the idea of choice and assert the value of tradition. · activism is strongly encouraged. Fundamentalists are vocal in their struggle of good against evil; media images often focus...
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...changed over the past seventy years in every significant way. Without information systems, these changes would not have occurred. To gain a perspective on the evolution of information systems, we can review the significant computer inventions from the first computer through to cloud computing. As computer technology progressed, new skills had to be learned, and new methods of management evolved to replace old hierarchical styles with new team based methods. Increased productivity resulting in new information technology caused the downsizing of employees that began in the late 1980s and has continued. Information systems consultants identified productivity gains, so large that they cut the numbers in half and still weren't believed. Many of the products and services we use every day had not been invented just five or ten years ago. The ability to communicate electronically with anyone anywhere in the world has driven the globalization of business at a very rapid rate. Industrial economies and the business enterprise have been transformed by technology. The digital firm emerged, and the business environment we knew fifteen to twenty years ago no longer exists anywhere in the world. Fortune 500 companies have global operations and operate as global enterprises for which time or borders are...
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...Case Analysis – Week10 DMBA604 9043 – UMUC Summer 2008 July 20, 2008 James Rarick 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Lessons Learned ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Solving a fundamental problem ............................................................................................................ 5 Marketing .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Business Planning & Product Planning.................................................................................................. 6 Variables to Success .............................................................................................................................. 6 Updated Case Information............................................................................................................................ 7 Business Plan......................................................................................................................................... 7 Industry Shift Impacting...
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