Globalization Defining Globalization and Its

Globalization Defining Globalization and its Effects on the Economic Future The impact of the Internet on globalization is visible from the pervasiveness and visibility of brands globally to changes in the everyday lives of members of different cultures around the world as they strive to anticipate and react to significant changes in their lives as a result of this market, social, and political dynamic. Globalization, while discussed as a business strategy, actually affects individuals far more often and with greater consequences than corporations.

It is in this blurring of geographic and national boundaries as mass communications, the Internet, and the pervasiveness and speed of e-commerce minimize the distances and differences between cultures. The Internet is serving as the catalyst for these many changes that both individuals and companies experience. The axiom that the Internet is shrinking distances is just part of the story; the fact that the Internet is forcing cultural distances to shrink as well, creating cultural conflict in the process is an area of globalization that impacts each individual differently.

In that cultural conflict is the challenge of globalization, and the Internet simply intensifies this aspect of global relationships. The Internet is literally shoving people and cultures together that may or may not have a common ground; those common attributes need to be created faster than ever to keep communication open between individuals and cultures.

The fact that businesses of all sizes and from all industries are striving to be more global than ever is acting is also acting as a major catalyst of change, pushing individuals and cultures together in the pursuit of business strategies and initiatives. Dr. Michael Porter's Competitive Advantage of Nations (pg. 73, 74, 75) presents the determinants of competitive advantage, a framework for evaluating globalization. His framework, often referred to as the Porter Diamond, is a useful analytical construct for putting the many forces of globalization into perspective.

The many sociocultural influences of globalization, the changing political landscapes of.