The document summarizes Thomas Friedman's book "The World Is Flat" which discusses how globalization in the early 21st century has leveled the global playing field for business. It identifies 10 "flatteners" such as outsourcing, offshoring, supply chaining, and digital technologies that have driven global integration. Friedman believes these forces created a new platform for global collaboration. The book also discusses remedies for American workers to adapt their skills and for the government to make job switching easier to compete in the new flat world.
2. The Book
The World Is Flat:
A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
International bestselling book by Thomas Friedman
Globalization, primarily in the early 21st century.
Friedman recounts a
journey to Bangalore,
The title is a metaphor for viewing the world as a level India, when he
playing field in terms of commerce, where all realized globalization
competitors have an equal opportunity. has changed core
economic concepts
3. The World
1. the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples,
and natural features
2. a part or aspect of human life or of the natural features
of the earth, in particular
5. Globalization
Globalization in which countries and
governments were the main
1.0 protagonists
Globalization in which multinational companies
led the way in driving global
2.0 integration
convergence of personal
Globalization computer with fiber-optic micro
3.0 cable with the rise of work flow
software
7. Ten flatteners
#1 The (11/9/89)"When the
Collapse of walls came down, and
the Berlin Wall the windows came up."
(8/9/95) Netscape and
#2 Netscape the Web broadened the
audience for the Internet
The ability of machines
#3 Workflow
software to talk to other machines
with no humans involved
8. Ten flatteners
#1 The (11/9/89)"When the
Friedman believes these first three forces have
Collapse of become : came down, and
walls
the Berlin Wall the windows came up."
“Crude foundation of a whole new global
(8/9/95) Netscape and
#2 Netscape for collaboration.”
platform the Web broadened the
audience for the Internet
"Genesis moment of the flat world.”
The ability of machines
#3 Workflow
“The next six flatteners sprung from this
software to talk to other machines
platform” humans involved
with no
9. Ten flatteners
#4 Communities uploading and
collaborating on online projects
Uploading
to split service and manufacturing
#5 activities into components which can be
subcontracted and performed in the
Outsourcing most efficient, cost-effective way
The internal relocation of a company's
#6. manufacturing or other processes to a
foreign land to take advantage of less
Offshoring costly operations there
10. Ten flatteners
#7 Supply- Friedman compares the modern retail
supply chain to a river, and points to Wal-
Chaining Mart as the best example
The company's employees perform
#8 Insourcing services beyond theirs for another
company
#9 Informing Search engines are the prime example
Personal digital devices like mobile
#10 "The phones, iPods, personal digital assistants,
Steroids" instant messaging, and voice over
Internet Protocol
11. Remedies
Chapter 3-15 talks about the different effects of the
Flattening World and it’s consequences for America
Thomas Friedman believes that to fight the quiet crisis
of a flattening world:
the United States work force should keep updating its
work skills.
Making the work force more adaptablewill keep it
more employable.
12. Remedies
He also suggests that the government make it easier to
switch jobs by making retirement benefits and health
insurance less dependent on one's employer and by
providing insurance that would partly cover a possible
drop in income when changing jobs.
more inspiration for youth to be scientists, engineers,
and mathematicians due to a decrease in the
percentage of these professionals being American.
13. Sequel Books
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—And How It
Can Renew America (2008)
That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented
and How We Can Come Back (Co-written with Michael Mandelbaum
2011)
14. Application in the Philippines
This is the time to rise for the Filipino Nation, to catch up with other
countries.
We should stop outsourcing products from China, and instead find ways
to manufacture and source our products in the Philippines.
What I see that Lacks in Filipino Products is the Marketing and mindset to
be as good as American and European Brands in terms of quality and
packaging.
