Global Competitiveness
As the world becomes a smaller place, economies are shifting away from national economies to global economies. Robert Reich, Ira Magaziner, and Michael Porter each offer a different view of how a company remains competitive in this global economy. Reich stresses the difference between American-owned corporations and American competitiveness. Magaziner highlights the growing need of innovation and the avoidance of national complacency. Porter focuses on his diamond of national competitiveness.
While Whirlpool is an American owned company—the company’s headquarters and upper management all operate out of America—the majority of the company’s factories and production lies overseas in South America and Asia. Similarly, while Toyota is a Japanese owned company, it has increasingly manufactured its cars within US borders. Whirlpool is an American company but does not benefit American competitiveness. Reich maintains that “foreign-owned businesses that benefit national competitiveness most are those that commit their engine of competitiveness to the host country.” Whirlpool may be American run, but Toyota’s factories in America create American jobs and train an American workforce, both commodities in national competitiveness. Reich further emphasizes the importance of a skilled work force: “A nation’s most important competitive asset is the skills and learning of its work force…[and]…National policies should reward any global corporation that invests in the American work force.” Stressing the skilled work force, as Magaziner has noticed, is not just an American necessity.
Magaziner gives two examples of countries who take national pride in training the work force: Korea and Singapore. Bo...
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...ompanies cannot compete, Tonelson gives two credible reasons for trade barriers. First, infant industries will have a chance to develop and one day be able to compete on a global arena. Second, hurting industries will have a chance to revamp their productions, regain efficiency and once again compete with the foreign product. On the other hand, Krugman believes that most nations use trade deficit and international competitiveness as a political ploy to impose trade barriers. Each country’s economy depends on the population within the country, not on what other countries are doing. Nations should thus not impose any trade barriers so that the foreign competition could both stimulate and replace inefficient companies. Meanwhile, nations should upgrade their workforce to efficiently produce goods that ship to other countries, creating a mutually beneficial cycle.
The understanding of life seems quite simple for Hester in the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by David H. Lawrence. She believes that life is difficult without money, and money is the essence needed, not love, in order to live a great life. Part of this is true since money is a necessity to at least live a healthy life. However, Hester neglects her kids before and after she is no longer able to support her lavish lifestyle. When Hester’s son Paul shows to be a beneficial character there is still no love for him till the end. Hester’s act of neglecting Paul is what leads her family to their destruction by her ever growing greed.
General Motors is knocking on the door to world class business performance. Ohmae’s five stages of global operation support General Motors aspirations. From stage one to stage five there are significant differences to becoming a global organization. For instance, stage one, states that a company supports arm’s length customer export activity by a domestic company that links up with local and distributors to function. This stage represents the entry level global corporation. General Motors is at stage 4 of Ohmae’s five stages of becoming a global corporation, because it has exemplified the following traits: Systems and tools used globally not just at headquarters, R&D, Engineering and other business operations have a global focus, and all support functions are applied globally. (MFGO 601, WK. #2 Lecture Notes) An example of Ohmae’s, stage ...
Corporations in the United States have proved time and time again that they are all about profit and not about what is good for America. One example of this is the fact that many corporations have factories in other countries, or buy from other corporations that do. Nike (an athletic shoe and clothing company) produces most of their shoes and apparel in factories in other countries, including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, Vietnam and Malaysia. According to Nike’s factory disclosure list released May 2011, only 49 of it’s over 700 factories are located in the U.S. (Nike, Inc.) This means that thousands of jobs that could be filled by needy Americans are instead being filled by workers in other countries. This reason that Nike and other corporations outsource is very simple, it is very cheap to do so. In an excerpt from Jeffrey St. Clair's book “Born Under a Bad Sky” the author describes the vast differences between Nike’s production costs and retail prices. “In Vietnam, it costs Nike only $1.50 to manufactu...
Outsiders wondered how each company’s internal changes would affect their endless competitive battle in the industry. The case illustrates how global competitiveness depends on the organizational capability, the difficulty of overcoming deeply rooted administrative heritage, and the limitations of both classic multinational and global models.
Lawrence, D.H.. "Rocking Horse Winner, by DH Lawrence." Rocking Horse Winner, by DH Lawrence. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .
Preschool age children, ages three to five, many times react with feelings of anger and sadness. Many of the preschool age children will regress after the initial shock of the separation. Signs of regression could be once again asking for a security blanket, bedwetting, returning to thumb sucking, needing help feeding themselves, or hitting their siblings. The children in this age group are more anxious and insecure than a child growing up in a two-parent home (Teyber 11). The majority of the children in the preschool age-group have abandonment issues and fear that since one parent has left the home that the other may move out as well. As the children get older the effects the divorce has on them is different but no less traumatizing.
Sliding the barn doors open, I step into a warm, comforting environment. Musty straw mingles with the sharp aroma of pine shavings, complementing each other. A warm glow from sporadically placed incandescent lightbulbs richens the leather tack, all cleaned and hanging ready for the day's use. From it wafts the smell of a new pair of shoes. The fruity essence of "Show Sheen", applied after yesterday's baths, still lingers in the air. Even the harsh stinging scent of urine and manure is welcome at this early morning hour. Breaking open a bale of hay, I sense the sweetness of the dried timothy as it engulfs my olfactory system, making me wish my queasy stomach had not made me skip breakfast. I am nervous, as are many others. I know that the day ahead will bring excitement, dread, triumph, and defeat. The unpredictable nature of horse shows causes frenzied questions, like salmon spawning, to run constantly though my mind. Will the judge like my own particular style? What if the red flowers bordering the first jump spook my horse? What if a piece of paper on the ground blows into the ring? Will this horse show be a success? The outcome depends not just on me; but a...
Lawrence, D.H. "The Rocking-Horse Winner." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed. R. V. Cassill. New York: Norton, n.d. 299-308. Print.
Gilpin discussed the MNC’s evolution through the lenses of a number of business economic theories. Using Raymond Vernon’s Product Cycle Theory, the overseas expansion of American companies until the 1960s was shown as a means of preempting foreign competition and preserving monopoly positions, which was possible then because of the wealth and technology gaps that existed between the US and the rest of the world (282-83). Following the closing of such gaps, Dunning and the Reading School’s Eclectic Theory explained the next stage of the MNC’s evolution as propelled by the great leaps made in technology and communication, which made internationalized management both possible and viable (283). Michael Porter’s Strategy Theory, meanwhile, asserted that the MNC is now in the era of strategic management, wherein activities and capabilities spanning borders allow it to “tap into the value chain” in the most advantageous positions (285-85). Gilpin made an interesting point, however, that MNCs are oftentimes the result of market imperfections and unique corporate situations. In many instances, the decision to expand a firm’s operations in another country was a means of circumventing protectionist measures and trade barriers, or simply to curry favor with governments, as practiced by IBM (280...
Rugman, A. M. and D’Cruz, J. R. (1993). The ‘double diamond’ model of international competitiveness: the Canadian experience’. Management International Review, 2, 17-39.
Technology has become a huge part of everyday life, and people seem to have one great debate and are fighting over which is the best phone, iPhone or Android. The Apple iPhone is a cellular smartphone that was created and is maintained by Apple Inc. Android is another type of smartphone that is accessible to consumers, but the operating system is powered by Google and many different companies produce Android devices. The different operating systems and interfaces have created a long and carried out debate to which was superior. iPhone is the better phone and there are many reasons as to why it is superior to its rival, Android. The iPhone’s sleek and beautiful design has users’ hands fondling the device and never putting it down. The operating system is very distinct, but is straightforward with its functionality. People who purchase the iPhone believe that they have received their money’s worth and more when owning and iPhone. The iPhone is better than Android when compared because of the beautiful design and attractive display, the operating system and its functionality, and the device’s personal worth is definitely worth the money spent to own one.
Taylor, Raymond J. ?Listening to the Children: Children of Divorce Speak Out About Their Parents.? Journal of Divorce and Remarriage 35 1/2 (2001): 147-154.
Divorce is becoming increasingly common among couples in today’s time. It is sad to know that most cases of divorce involve children. Divorce affects the parents but it affects the children much more. Divorce impacts kids greatly, often causing depression, rebellion, or inspiration/motivation, to develop and potentially end up a permanent aspect in their lives.
15. Hill, Charles W.L. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. New York : McGraw-Hill, 2007.
The book, The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman draws attention to some very good points concerning globalization and the world economy today. Friedman emphasizes the status of America today in relation to the other countries of the world. As I looked at the things in which he warned about or highlighted, I realized the importance of this issue. He talks about a few aspects in which need to be kept competitive in order for America to retain their current standing in the world market.