This is an interesting essay on globalisation. Not for the faint hearted. But of you can understand this essay you are on your way to an A1 for English and of course Combined Humanities
What Is Globalization?
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.
This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.
Globalization is not new, though. For thousands of years, people—and, later, corporations—have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages.
Likewise, for centuries, people and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many of the features of the current wave of globalization are similar to those prevailing before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
But policy and technological developments of the past few decades have spurred increases in cross-border trade, investment, and migration so large that many observers believe the world has entered a qualitatively new phase in its economic development.
Since 1950, for example, the volume of world trade has increased by 20 times, and from just 1997 to 1999 flows of foreign investment nearly doubled, from $468 billion to $827 billion.
Distinguishing this current wave of globalization from earlier ones, author Thomas Friedman has said that today globalization is “farther, faster, cheaper, and deeper.”
This current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, vastly increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international trade and investment.
Governments also have negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and investment. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners. A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business structure.
Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies have given all sorts of individual economic actors—consumers, investors, businesses—valuable new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more informed analyses of economic trends around the world, easy transfers of assets, and collaboration with far-flung partners.
Globalization is deeply controversial, however.
Proponents of globalization argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living, while opponents of globalization claim that the creation of an unfettered international free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local enterprises, local cultures, and common people.
Resistance to globalization has therefore taken shape both at a popular and at a governmental level as people and governments try to manage the flow of capital, labor, goods, and ideas that constitute the current wave of globalization.
To find the right balance between benefits and costs associated with globalization, citizens of all nations need to understand how globalization works and the policy choices facing them and their societies.
Globalization101.org tries to provide an accurate analysis of the issues and controversies regarding globalization, especially to high-school and college students, without the slogans or ideological biases generally found in discussions of the topics. We welcome you to our website.
http://www.globalization101.org/What_is_Globalization.html
After reading this article, and refering to chapter 2 book four of your text book, how far do you agree that the main force that has made globalization possible has been imporvement in the transportation ? Explain your answer.
Hint on how to write the essay.
Three factors for globalisation.
Explain how improvement in transportation lead to globalization.
Explain how TNC (trade, government policy)lead to globalization.
Explain how technology lead to globalization.
Explain why you agree or disagree with the given statement.
If you agree, then you must say why transportation is the main force and the other two are not.
If you disagree, then you must explain why transportation is not the main force of globalization and why the other two are.
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.
This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.
Globalization is not new, though. For thousands of years, people—and, later, corporations—have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages.
Likewise, for centuries, people and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many of the features of the current wave of globalization are similar to those prevailing before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
But policy and technological developments of the past few decades have spurred increases in cross-border trade, investment, and migration so large that many observers believe the world has entered a qualitatively new phase in its economic development.
Since 1950, for example, the volume of world trade has increased by 20 times, and from just 1997 to 1999 flows of foreign investment nearly doubled, from $468 billion to $827 billion.
Distinguishing this current wave of globalization from earlier ones, author Thomas Friedman has said that today globalization is “farther, faster, cheaper, and deeper.”
This current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, vastly increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international trade and investment.
Governments also have negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and investment. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners. A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business structure.
Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies have given all sorts of individual economic actors—consumers, investors, businesses—valuable new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more informed analyses of economic trends around the world, easy transfers of assets, and collaboration with far-flung partners.
Globalization is deeply controversial, however.
Proponents of globalization argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living, while opponents of globalization claim that the creation of an unfettered international free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local enterprises, local cultures, and common people.
Resistance to globalization has therefore taken shape both at a popular and at a governmental level as people and governments try to manage the flow of capital, labor, goods, and ideas that constitute the current wave of globalization.
To find the right balance between benefits and costs associated with globalization, citizens of all nations need to understand how globalization works and the policy choices facing them and their societies.
Globalization101.org tries to provide an accurate analysis of the issues and controversies regarding globalization, especially to high-school and college students, without the slogans or ideological biases generally found in discussions of the topics. We welcome you to our website.
http://www.globalization101.org/What_is_Globalization.html
After reading this article, and refering to chapter 2 book four of your text book, how far do you agree that the main force that has made globalization possible has been imporvement in the transportation ? Explain your answer.
Hint on how to write the essay.
Three factors for globalisation.
Explain how improvement in transportation lead to globalization.
Explain how TNC (trade, government policy)lead to globalization.
Explain how technology lead to globalization.
Explain why you agree or disagree with the given statement.
If you agree, then you must say why transportation is the main force and the other two are not.
If you disagree, then you must explain why transportation is not the main force of globalization and why the other two are.
11 comments:
Improvements in transportation has now decrease the time taken to travel from one place to another.
Now, commercial aircrafts, large ocean-going vessels, and containerisation greatly increased the movement of goods and people from one place to another.
Containerisation has reduced the time and cost of moving goods over long distances. It has also simplified the transfer of goods from one mode of transportation to another since it can be easily transferred from ships to trucks.
Efficient and integrated transportation infrastructure e.g. airports,railways and highways helped facilitiate the mobility of goods and people around the world.
TNCs help set up their operations around the world, sourcing for new markets and lowering the cost of production.
They are controlled and coordinated by the HQs located at their country of origin.
They also source for components from around the world before assembling the final product in another country.
All these helps integrate international trade and interaction.
Technology helps to improve communication in different locations at a faster and convenient pace.
Communication can be done through telephone, emails and video conferencing.
Satellite technology helps by letting messages to be transmitted from one location to another
Optical fibre systems help carry high capacity information over at a high speed.
Invention of technology like the Internet enables consumers to access information about new products and places more conveniently and efficiently.
It has greatly transformed how one communicates,conducts business,obtains information and purchasing goods and services.
I agree to this statement to a small extent as without transportation, goods cannot be transported around the world and people are not able to travel around the world.
For example, a businessman could never travel around the world without the aid of aeroplanes, trains and car.
With transport, goods and services could relocated around the world efficiently and at a faster rate.
TNCs has to use transportation to move their components around the world to assemble as a final product,
and goods has to be exported from another country to be sold.
Goods that are ordered through the internet has to be transported from the country of origin to one's chosen location
This relies on transportation through ocean atlantic cargo,trains or trucks.
Having a oversea's meeting also do rely on transport as a businessman has to book a flight to that country in order to be there.
I disagree to a large extent as transportation plays a minor role in globalization as transportation only allows goods and people to be transported at an efficient and convenient rate
It does not integrate the world as much as technology and TNCs does.
Internet and TNCs should be the main forces of globalization as they connect people around the world.
People from different countries could communicate through the aid of email,telephone and video conferencing.
TNCs set up operations in different countries which goods could be made from the country of origin and exported to other parts of the world.
A product could end up with different components made from different countries.
Yes, i agree that improvements in transportation had made globalisation possible. However, to go as far as to say that it is the main force behind globalisation is a little far-fetched.
Improvements in transport had decrease the time taken for people, and goods to travel across the world. Commercial airplanes had now taken over from traditional sailing methods ( which is very dependent on wind energy ) to provide a sustainable form of transport for people. It is also faster. Improvements such as containerisation reduces the time for goods to travel from one place to another as goods can now be transported in bulk.In the past, it might take months for goods to travel from one place to another and the timing of arrival might not be accurate. Therefore, all these improvements had eased trading, bringing the world closer. And thus, making globalisation possible.
Another factor that made globalisation possible is the setting up of Trans-National corporation ( TNCs) and their activities. TNCs continuously source for cheaper alternatives to lower their cost of production. For example, the A380 jet plane is assembled by many small parts from countries around the world like Japan, Korea. This is a vital and concrete example that shows us that the TNCs initiate global trading and increase the amount of competition around the world, leading the globalisation.
One other factor is the advancements of technology. Technologies such as e-mail and video communication had allowed important documents to be transferred at lightning speed. Also, such advancements had allowed people to hold conference call from all over the world - globalisation.
I feel that TNCs are the main driving force behind globalisation. Without them, even with the highest technology and advancements, we may not be able to fully utilise our resources and causes the reverse effect of globalisation. Yet, improvements in transport and technology advancements also proved to be a contributing factor that lead to globalisation. Without any, a globalised world would be difficult to exist.
Tan Wei Chun
4Justice
Dear Elgin
Great attempt.Although I did not like teh first three paragraphs as it is just mainly a description of transport, internet and TNC with no link at all to globalization.
Only with teh paragraph starting with I agree ... did you strart to answer the question.
To improve yor uessay you need to define clearly what is globalization
Good luck
Well done Wei Chun
I will giev an L6/12 for this question.
You have linked clearly the globalization with the three factors.
You lost that 1 mark because you did not explain why technology is not the main driving force in the last paragraph. You have explained why TMC is the main driving force and why transport is not.
Keep up the good work
I believe that improvement of transportation and transnational corporations are indeed important in making globalization possible but the main force that makes globalization possible should be the improvement of technology.
Globalization is the process by which people, their ideas and activities in different parts of the world become interconnected or intregrated.
Improvements in transportation technology has greatly reduced the time and cost of moving goods and people from one place to another. Take containerization as an example, containerization has greatly simplified the transfer of goods from ships to trucks. With more efficient transportation, trade could happen with much more ease internationally thus we can have globalization.
Transnational corporations are large global firms that operate and have production or service facilities in various countries. With TNCs like Microsoft corporation we can fully utilize the resources of companies by sourcing for new markets lowering the cost of production. In this process people from different parts of the world becomes interconnected and integrated thus TNCs drives globalization.
Improvement in technology made communications among people all over the world faster and more convenient. Important improvements are the internet and optical fibres. With the internet, consumers can access information of their products almost simultaneously with the help of optical fibre. With this improvement in communication, people from different parts of the world can conduct business and purchase goods and services efficiently driving globalisation.
However the main driving force for globalization should be improvement in technology which made communication faster and convenient as TNCs needs to coordinate and control their worldwide activities easily through communication or else they will incur losses which defeats the purpose of their operations to cut down costs. Improvements in transportation is to reduce the time taken for goods and services to be transported but if there isn’t fast communication people might still take a longer time in making trades as they is inefficient communication and time is wasted. so I don’t agree that the main force that make globalization possible is transport as improvement in communication is the one that is needed for the other two factors to happen and so it is the main force in making globalisation possible.
Dear Wee Yang,
Good intorduction and great definition for gloablisation.
Yes the next three para you have the point and the explanation on why the three factors promote globalization. But I am not very satisfy with theamount of fact used to suport your answer. There is a need for a balance between what you have written and what elgin has done.
The last papr was good as you try to aruge what inprovement in technology is better the the other two.
So work on your PEEL and you will be there
Yes, I agree that transportation is a force that has made globalisation possible.
Globalisation is a process by which people, their ideas and their activities in different parts of the world become interconnected. Improvements in transportation,technology and transnational corporations have brought about globalisation.
Improvement in transportation has shorten the time take to transfer goods from one place to another. This has indeed speed up globalisation. For example, in the 20th century, containerisation which is a system of cargo transport using standard-sized containers that can be loaded on container ships. It is widely used, even up to date. It has definitely shorten the time needed to transport the goods compared to the past. Also, countries with efficient transport network worldwide with efficient and integrated transportation infrastructure has allowed goods to be moved around the world easily. Improvement in transportation has definitely speed up globalisation, therefore making globalisation possible.
Transnational corporations (TNCs) are large global firms that operate outside the region of their country in a number of countries, have also contributed to globalisation. By setting up firms at different locations in different part of the world such as Nokia, the cost of production has been reduced as transnational corporations are able to source for goods for good quality and low prices at different part of the world with the presence of resources. With TNCs, they allow the interaction of goods and services to increase, therefore speeding up globalisation.
Improvements in technology has, in other words, allow communications among people from different parts of the world to occur easily and effectively. The invention of telephones, internet, video conferencing and email has allowed ideas to be transmitted from one place to another at an instant. This has contributed to the fast, speedy globalisation. For example, satellite technology has enable messages to be transmitted from one location and received it in another part of the world almost simultaneously. Also, internet has allowed people to access information about goods and places more conveniently and efficiently. Internet keeps people intergrated, making globalisation possible.
I agree that the improvement in transportation is a force that has made globalisation possible as it has allowed the transfer of goods from one place to another and it also speeds up globalisation. Without transportation, transnation corporations will not be able to operate as they would need to go to different parts of the world to find the cheapest cost and transporting the goods to another part of the world to assemble them.
However, improvement in transportation is not the main force that made globalisation possible. Transnational corporations play a part in globalisation too. Without them, improvements in technology and transportation are not able to be carried out and be extended to their maximum use.
I think that improvements in technology is the main driving force that made globalisation possible. Without technology, the invention of aeroplanes and machines used to transport goods efficiently would not be possbile. Also, without technology, TNCs are unable to carry out their operations as they are unable to extract information to source for the best resources. Therefore, improvements in technology is the main driving force that made globalisation possible.
Globalization is interaction among governments of different nations, where by economies are integrated a process driven by development in transportation, communication and the emergence of Transnational Corporations.
On a global scale improvement in transportation technology increases the speed and amount of goods transported to various locations. Hence a larger number of goods can be traded in a single trip in a shorter amount of time. An example would be containerization which simplifies the time, cost and method of transfer. Falling transportation cost also reduce one of the trade barriers initiating more global trade.
While on a national scales mobility of goods and people have also become more integrated, through transportation infrastructure for example The Circle Line which would be complete from 2010 cut traveling time bypassing busy interchanges like City Hall and the newly build Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 to facilitating more flights to meet the demand for travel. This thus means more interaction between countries through trade and the integration of people around the globe
Development in communication allows people around the globe to communicate. This include Satellite technology and the use of optical fibre allowing massive amount information to be transmitted quickly then ever before, like video conferencing and latest ‘G3’ function via hand phones. Bringing people around the globe closer then never before. Advance communication like the Internet enable easy and quick access to information and transfer of data and software example lightening-quick transfer of unimaginable sums of money around the globe would be impossible without this technology. Purchasing items through the world’s online market place ‘eBay’ or ‘mocca.com’. Communication thus allows rapid and easy transfer of information and interaction of people around the globe easily.
Transnational Corporation (TNCs) are large global firms operating in various countries. TNCs source for new potential markets like China and sets up their operation at different location to trade internationally. By controlling and coordinating global activities they are able to source for cheaper components around the globe. Examples include Boeing.Co majoring in for Aerospace & defense and Nestlé SA as a global consumer brand. This increases competition among companies of different countries and thus further integrating the world economies through the convergence of the prices of traded groups. For example the Bankruptcy of the ‘Lehman Brother’ financial service firm affected the global market.
In conclusion transportation made globalization possible. In the 19th century Transportation ‘shrunk’ the world, through the falling cost in transport. This lead to increases in trade volume thus initiating the integration the world economies through the convergence of the prices of traded groups, this was the start of globalization. While the main driving force of globalization leading the further integrating of the world economies are the TNCs in which modes of advance communication technology is the catalyst for TNCs to manage their firms the causing the rapid globalization of the 21st century.
Jeremias
4 Adventurous
Dear Felicia
Good explanation for the first 4 para
You said
However, improvement in transportation is not the main force that made globalisation possible. Why is it not the main ? Why is it less then teh other two factor?
You said "I think that improvements in technology is the main driving force that made globalisation possible. Without technology, the invention of aeroplanes and machines used to transport goods efficiently would not be possbile." You have mixed up imporvement in technology with transport.
L4 9/12
Dear Jeremias
Good effort Refreshing approach but the last para you said
"While the main driving force of globalization leading the further integrating of the world economies are the TNCs in which modes of advance communication technology is the catalyst for TNCs to manage their firms the causing the rapid globalization of the 21st century."
which does not make sense
May be you are trying to say that transport is the factors that start the process and the otehr two just enhance it?
One of the driving forces of globalization is indeed improvement in transportation. However, the other forces of globalization include improvements in communication technology and Transnational Corporations (TNCs).
Globalization refers to the process by which people, their ideas and activities become interconnected or integrated.
Transportation systems are means by which people, materials and products are transferred from one place to another. In the 19th century, the widely use of steam engine was introduced. In the 20th century, the commercial jet aircraft, ocean going vessels and containerization was widely used. Containerization has greatly reduce the time and cost of transporting goods and materials over a long distance. The efficient integrated transport infrastructures in the world, such as airports, sea ports have greatly reduce the time taken for people to travel. We say it is a key force of globalization as it helps people get connected via traveling. Transportation has lead to globalization as the world has now ‘shrunk’ as people can travel much faster and conveniently.
Another key driving force of globalization is communications. Communication systems are means by which information is transferred from one place to another, in the form of ideas, instructions and images. Satellite technology has allowed people in different parts of the world to receive and send messages almost simultaneously. The advancement in communication technology, the Internet, has allowed consumers to receive information more efficiently and conveniently. This is yet another key source of globalization as it allows the world to be connected through communications via the internet and many other communication tools. Communication has caused people in different parts of the world to be connected. Therefore, it has contributed to globalization
TNCs are large global firms that operate in many other countries and have production and service facilities outside country of origin. They operate globally for a variety of reasons which includes, sourcing for new markets and lowering cost of production. TNCs usually source for materials all over the world and assemble them in a particular country. When they do this, the economies in different parts of the world become integrated, and when this happens, the world is said to be globalize as the economies now are integrated.
In conclusion, I feel that the main driving force of globalization is communications. Advancement in transportation will never be made as successful as now, if the improvement of communications did not occur, meaning that there will be presence of infrastructure but they would not be able to function properly as there is a lack of communications among the people in different parts of the world. TNCs are only secondary causes of globalization as without advancement in transportation and technology, it is almost impossible for companies to venture abroad and even if they do, they cannot execute plans of what to do next.
Therefore, improvements in communication technology have resulted in globalization as people can now transfer information and from one place to another more quickly, connecting people together. And I do not agree that the main force that has made globalization possible has been improvement in the transportation.
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