Methods and Essential Conditions for Globalization

Globalization is defined as the integration of countries into world economy or the global market. Such integration involves removal of all trade barriers between countries. It is the process of internationalization of products, markets, technologies, capital, human resources, information and cultures. Globalization refers to the free flow of goods and services, capital, technology and labour among different countries.

The main features of Globalization

1. Globalization involves expansion of business operations throughout the world.
2. It leads to integration of individual countries of the world into one global market thereby erasing differences between domestic markets and foreign markets.
3. It creates interdependency between nations.
4. Buying and selling of goods and services takes place from to/any country in the world.
5. Manufacturing and marketing facilities are set up anywhere in the world n the basis of their feasibility and viability rather than on national considerations.
6. Products are planned and developed for the world market.
7. Factors of production like raw materials, labour, finance, technology and managerial skills are sourced from the entire globe.
8. Corporate strategies, organizational structures, managerial practices have a global orientation. The entire globe is viewed as a single market.
9. Globalization does not take place overnight. It proceeds gradually through several stages of internationalization.

Essential Conditions for Globalization

In order to smoothen the process of globalization, the following are necessary:

1. Removal of quotas and tariffs.
2. Liberalization of Government rules and regulations.
3. Freedom to business and industry.
4. Removal of bureaucratic formalities and procedures.
5. Adequate infrastructure.
6. Competition on the basis of quality, price, delivery, and customer service.
7. Autonomy to public sector undertakings.
8. Incentives for research and development.
9. Administrative and Government support to industry.
10. Development of money markets and capital markets.

Benefits of Globalism for Business

Those in favor of globalization theorize that a wider array of products, services, technologies, medicines, and knowledge will become available, and that these developments will have the potential to reach significantly larger customer bases. This means larger volumes of sales and exchange, larger growth rates in GDP, and more empowerment of individuals and political systems through the acquisition of additional resources and capital. These benefits of globalization are viewed as utilitarian, providing the best possible benefits for the largest number of people.

For global companies, often referred to as multinational corporations (MNCs), common benefits of expanding into developing markets include unsaturated demand for new products, lower labor costs, less expensive natural resources, and other inputs to products. Technological developments have made doing business internationally much more convenient than in the past. MNCs seek to benefit from globalism by selling goods in multiple countries, as well as sourcing production in areas that can produce goods more profitably. In other words, organizations choose to operate internationally either because they can achieve higher levels of revenue or because they can achieve a lower cost structure within their operations.

MNCs look for opportunities to realize economies of scale by mass-producing goods in markets that have substantially cheaper costs for labor or other inputs. Or they may look for economies of scope, through horizontal expansion into new geographic markets. If successful, both of these strategies lead to business growth, with stronger margins and/or larger revenues. There is particularly strong opportunity for business growth in markets where strong economic growth is also projected. In these areas, incomes are rising. In many cases, local populations can now afford goods and services that were previously out-of-reach, including many good produced in industrialized countries. Global companies stand to capture stronger growth and profitability if they can make headway into these markets.

At the same time, international operations contain innate risk in developing new opportunities in foreign countries.

Challenges of Globalism for Business

Along with arguments supporting the benefits of a more globally connected economy, critics question the ethics and long-term feasibility of profits captured through global expansion. Some argue that the expansion of global trade creates unfair exchanges between larger and smaller economies. They argue that MNCs and industrialized economies capture significantly more value because they have more financial leverage and can dictate advantageous terms of exchange, which end up victimizing developing nations. Critics also raise concerns about damage to the environment, decreased food safety, unethical labor practices in sweatshops, increased consumerism, and the weakening of traditional cultural values.

As MNCs do business in new global markets, they may encounter several significant challenges:

1. Ethical Business Practices

Arguably the most substantial of the challenges faced by MNCs, ethical business practices in areas such as labor, product safety, environmental stewardship, corruption, and regulatory compliance have historically played a dramatic role in the success or failure of global players. For example, Nike’s brand image was hugely damaged by reports that it utilized sweatshops and low-wage workers in developing countries. In some nations, particularly those without a strong rule of law, bribing public officials (e.g., paying them off with gifts or money) is relatively common by those seeking favorable business terms. Although national and international laws exist to crack down on bribery and corruption, some businesspeople and organizations are pressured to go along with locally accepted practices. Maintaining the highest ethical standards while operating in any nation is an important consideration for all MNCs.

2. Organizational Structure

Another significant hurdle is the ability to efficiently and effectively incorporate new regions within the value chain and corporate structure. International expansion requires enormous capital investments in many cases, along with the development of a specific strategic business unit (SBU) in order to manage these accounts and operations. Finding a way to capture value despite this fixed organizational investment is an important initiative for global corporations.

3. Public Relations

Public image and branding are critical components of most businesses. Building this public relations potential in a new geographic region is an enormous challenge, both in effectively localizing the message and in the capital expenditures necessary to create momentum.

4. Leadership

It can be difficult for businesses to find effective organizational leadership with the appropriate knowledge and skills to approach a given geographic market successfully. For every geography worldwide, unique sets of strategies and approaches apply to language, culture, business networks, management style, and so forth. Attracting talented managers with high intercultural competence is a critical step in developing an effective global strategy.

5. Legal and Regulatory Structure

Every nation has unique laws and regulations governing business. MNCs need access to legal expertise to help them understand in-country laws and comply with applicable regulations. It is important for businesses to understand the legal and regulatory climate for their industry and type of organization before entering a new market, so that this information can be factored into the business case and strategic decisions about where and how to expand globally, as well as strategic and operational planning to ensure profitability.

A one-land country road riddled with potholes.

For organizations operating in developing and less-developed countries, additional challenges can arise, particularly in the following areas:

• Infrastructure: Infrastructure includes the basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society to operate and for an economy to function. It can be generally defined as the set of interconnected structural elements that provide a framework supporting an entire structure of development, such as roads, bridges, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications, and so forth. It also includes organizational structures such as a stable government, property rights, judicial system, banking and financial systems, and basic social services such as schools and hospitals. A country’s infrastructure will help determine the ease of doing business within that nation. For example, a country with poor road conditions and intense traffic may not be the best place to conduct business that requires goods to be transported from city to city by land. Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for businesses to operate effectively because they have to shoulder additional cost and risk to make up for what the country’s society does not provide.
• Technology: The level of technological development of a nation affects the attractiveness of doing business there, as well as the type of operations that are possible. Companies may encounter a variety of technological challenges doing business in foreign countries, such as training workers on unfamiliar equipment; poor transportation systems that increase production and distribution costs; poor communication facilities and infrastructure; challenges with technology literacy; lack of reliable access to broad-band Internet and related technologies that facilitate business planning, implementation, and control.