Globalization Has Increased Poverty In A Developing Nation Economics Essay

Globalization Has Increased Poverty In A Developing Nation Economics Essay Nowadays, the term globalization is the main focus of attention. It is often described as a process of internationalization easy communication regardless of geographical boundaries due to advance technologies, easy and fast financial capital flow across the globe and countries become more interdependent particularly in economy. It is believed that globalization provides consumers with variety of choices with affordable price. So, is the globalization reducing or increasing poverty? This study will attempt to briefly answer this question. Though both the United Nations and India have celebrated fifty years, they have been criticized for failing to translate the stated mandate for the disadvantaged millions. Half a century after Independence, as of now, we have the largest population of poor people in the world, one third of our rural population is below the poverty line and despite the UN agencies massive aid projects, the development assistance of the World Bank, bilateral aid, the Center and State governments intervention, the gap between the rich and the poor has doubled in the last three decades fifteen years ago the lowest 20 per cent of global population received 2.5 per cent of global wealth whereas at present, the share has been reduced to less than 1.3 per cent. For example, the 1999 UNDP Human Development Report records that the gap between the rich and the poor among nations as well as within nations has widened. Even the World Bank in its Report for 1999 concedes that raising the GNP is not enough to impr ove human development, other social measures are needed. The trickle-down theory of economic development cannot bring out the desired results. It has also pointed out that India is a country of stark contrasts and disparities. Among the widening contradictions some seem to be glaring. Undoubtedly food grain production has increased fourfold but 653 per cent of children under four remain undernourished; literacy has doubled, yet half the population is illiterate, life expectancy has improved but only 927 females survive for every 1000 males. As we have entered into the twenty-first century, it is imperative on our part to look at the scenario with bare facts and figures. The problem statement Does Globalization increase or reduce poverty. Objective and scope Poverty in India is widespread with the nation estimated to have a third of the worlds poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 42% of Indias falls below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day (PPP, in nominal terms Rs. 21.6 a day in urban areas and Rs 14.3 in rural areas); having reduced from 60% in 1980. According to the criterion used by the Planning Commission of India 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004-2005, down from 51.3% in 1977-1978, and 36% in 1993-1994 Among the causes ascribed for the high level poverty in India are its history under British rule, large population, and low literacy. Also important is Indias social structure, including the caste system in India, and the role of women in Indian society. Economic growth has in the past been dampened by a dependence upon agriculture, and the economic policies adopted after its independence. Since the 1950s, the Indian government and non-governmental organizations have initiated several programs to alleviate poverty, including subsidizing food and other necessities, increased access to loans, improving agricultural techniques and price supports, and promoting education and family planning. These measures have helped eliminate famines, cut absolute poverty levels by more than half, and reduced illiteracy and malnutrition. (I) Defining globalization and poverty (II) Does Globalization reduce poverty, (III) Does Globalization increase poverty, (IV) What are the other reasons contributing to poverty, (V) What role The World Bank, IMF and WTO play in developing countries, (VI) Who benefit the most from globalization. Defining Globalization and Poverty Globalization has been defined in various dimensions. Among many established definitions, these are some of them. Globalization as internationalization in which is viewed as simply another adjective to describe cross-border relations between countries; Globalization as liberalization which refers to a process of removing government-imposed restrictions on movements between countries in order to create an open, borderless world economy. Defining poverty is controversial. Definition of poverty in developed countries may not be applicable to the one in developing countries. However, United Nations and World Bank define poverty line as living on less than a $1 and $2 a day for low income countries. Sociologists define poverty a lack of essential items such as food, clothing, water, and shelter needed for proper living . Since Globalization and Poverty is a huge and very broad topic, this short paper is to attempt looking at one of the heated debate questions on whether globalization reduces or increase poverty. Numerous studies on this issue have been carried out. However, the findings are conflicting. (II) Globalization Reduces Poverty Neoliberal economists widely believe that globalized trade benefits not only the affluent but also the poor through trade integration. Neoliberal economic theorymore open economies are more prosperous, economies that liberalize more experience a faster rate of progress Wade (2004, p-567). The belief is that as countries open up their economy such as by slashing down the trade barriers for instance tariff, custom duty and quotas, price of imported goods will be affordable for the poor; foreign direct investments come in and create jobs in local economy. Consequently, this increases export growth and GDP. Millions of poor peoples living standard improves because of jobs created. China, India and Vietnam are often cited as good examples for success of globalized economy. (III) Globalization Increases Poverty On the contrary, many economists are unconvinced by the neoliberal economists view that globalization reduces poverty. Pilger (2001) in his TV report on Indonesia presents that despite investments from multinational corporations (eg. Nike, Levis, Reebok Classic, Calvin Klein Jeans, Adidas, Gap Inc.), poverty remains unchanged in Indonesia. On average, Indonesian workers are paid only slightly over Rupiah 9,000 (US$1) per day which is just over half of a living wage. Harrison (2006) finds similar situation in Mexico. Mexico is a member of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed in 1993 with Canada, Mexico and USA. If trade integration is to reduce poverty and benefit the poor as neoliberal economists suggest, poverty in Mexico should be declined. But, Harrison (2006, p-7) concludes that poverty rates in Mexico in the year 2000 were higher than they had been ten years earlier. This reinforces that neoliberal economists view on decline of poverty is unconvinced. (IV) Other reasons contribute to poverty Wade (2004, p-571) states that more than 1.2 billion people are still living on less than US$1 a day. The followings are some of the most recognized reasons contribute to poverty: lack of natural resources, natural disaster long period of draught, corruption and sanctions imposed against specific country. For example, according to United Nations, Cape Verde is one of the most stable democratic countries in Africa and the government is relatively mild in corruption. It ranks 49 out of 179 in Transparency Internationals 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index . But due to cycles of long-term drought, lack of natural resources, shortage of water supply and lack of foreign investments, the state is still among the poorest nations on earth despite its good governance. Countries with rich endowment of nature resources also remain in poverty due to wide spread corruption, bad governance, political instability and economic sanctions imposed by powerful countries. For example, my country, Myanmar (Burma) is still among the worlds poorest countries despite rich endowment of natural resources from oil to various gem stones. It is due to political instability, severe corruption, lack of reliable judiciary system, basic infrastructures and economic sanction imposed by The US. Consequently, unemployment rate is remarkably high and chance of economic success for big majority of population is slim unless economic and political reform take place. (V) Role of World Bank, IMF and WTO on development in poor countries The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization are widely known as driving forces of trade liberalization. Pilger (2001) interviews several former executive officials of The World Bank and IMF in his TV report on Indonesia. Those officials explain that the roles The World Bank and IMF have played in Indonesias economy and various criteria a country to comply with order to get loan from them. World Bank and IMF are supposedly to help poor countries. In reality, powerful countries use the two institutions as tools to suck up resources from developing countries via multinational corporations, according to the TV report. To get loans from the institutions, a country has to reform its economy which mainly means to open up markets and allow multinational corporations to access to countrys resources and privatize industries. Thus, complying with the criteria implies serving the best interests of multinational corporations. In addition to opening up markets for multinational corporations, the loans also come with so called technical experts or consultants. So, significant sum of the loans go back to developed countries as salaries of those experts. To get loan from the institutions, a country also has to have a good relationship with the US because it controls 16.77% of total votes in IMF and 16.39% of The World Banks total vote. For instance, N-Korea and Cuba cannot get loans from the institutions because of sour relationship with The US. World Trade Organization (WTO) is another driver of trade liberalization. It forces member countries to open up their markets and eliminate trade barriers. New members are also required to fulfill these criteria. Members are required to comply with intellectual property laws which were mainly written by the big corporations. WTO is widely criticized for being ineffective to protect the interests of developing nations. When trade disputes occur, chance of getting success in legal battle for poor country is very slim even if it has a good ground because the mechanism is so expensive and complicated. Besides, it cannot force developed countries to stop subsidizing agricultural industry because farmers from poor countries are unable to compete with those heavily subsidized farmers in developed countries. Thus, poor countries always have less advantage in global trading system. (VI) Who benefits the most from globalization? There is no doubt that globalized trades/economy benefits all the parties concerned. However, various studies show that advanced countries are benefiting from the trades more than poor countries. Yotpoulos and Romano (2007, P-21) state that free markets and free trade work best if there are supported by extensive institutional structure such as business infrastructures, reliable legal system and political stability. Thus, globalization is more likely to favour the countries which are wealthy and institution rich, at the expense of those that are poor. On the other hand, developing countries with strong infrastructure base, political stability, dependable legal system and abundant labor forces also benefit from globalization. China, India and Vietnam are often cited as ideal examples. Furthermore, United Nation (2007, P-23) asserts that countries with bargaining strength are more likely to benefit more from bilateral trade agreements and impose more onerous terms on the weaker parties. We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the worlds people share the benefits of globalization. Kofi Annan . (VII) Conclusion In short, it is hard to find convincing data to support either globalization reduces or increases poverty. However, it is clear that globalization is more beneficial to developed countries than to developing countries mainly because of wide spread corruption, bad governance, lack of necessary business infrastructures. Unless world leaders share Kofi Annans concern We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the worlds people share the benefits of globalization., the following remarks are unfortunately likely to continue to be true. George Monbiot (Environmentalist) summarizes, Globalization is used to suggest a coming together of people of all races, all countries. It will relieve poverty and distribute wealth. What is actually happening is precisely the opposite. The Poor become markedly poorer and wealthy become staggeringly wealthier. United States Space Command (1997, p-6) remarks The globalization of the world economy will also continue, with a widening between haves and have-nots. References: Ann Harrison, GLOBALIZATION AND POVERTY NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Working Paper 12347, Cambridge, 2006. www.nber.org/papers/w12347 John Pilger, Globalization: New Rulers of the World, Carlton Production, 2001. (TV report) Pan A. Yotpoulos and Donato Romano (editors), The Asymmetries of Globalization, Routledge, USA Canada, 2007. ROBERT HUNTER WADE, Is Globalization Reducing Poverty and Inequality? London School of Economics and Political Science, World Development Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 567-589, UK, 2004. United Nations, The Employment Imperative: Report on the World Social Situation 2007 New York, 2007. Significance of the study India opened up the economy in the early nineties following a major crisis that led by a FOREX crunch that dragged the economy close to defaulting on loans. The response was a slew of Domestic and external sector policy measures partly prompted by the immediate needs and partly by the demand of the multilateral organisations. The new policy regime radically pushed forward in favour of a more open and market oriented economy. Major measures initiated as a part of the liberalisation and globalisation strategy in the early nineties included scrapping of the industrial licensing regime, reduction in the number of areas reserved for the public sector, amendment of the monopolies and the restrictive trade practices act, start of the privatisation programme, reduction in tariff rates and change over to market determined exchange rates. Over the years there has been a steady liberalisation of the current account transactions, more and more sectors opened up for foreign direct investments and portfolio investments facilitating entry of foreign investors in telecom, roads, ports, airports, insurance and other major sectors. The Indian tariff rates reduced sharply over the decade from a weighted average of 72.5% in 1991-92 to 24.6 in 1996-97.Though tariff rates went up slowly in the late nineties it touched 35.1% in 2001-02. India is committed to reduced tariff rates. Peak tariff rates are to be reduced to the minimum with a peak rate of 20%, in another 2 years most non-tariff barriers have been dismantled by March 2002, including almost all quantitative restrictions. Globalization has increased poverty, although there is a school of thought that it has reduced poverty. India is Global: The liberalisation of the domestic economy and the increasing integration of India with the global economy have helped step up GDP growth rates, which picked up from 5.6% in 1990-91 to a peak level of 77.8% in 1996-97. Growth rates have slowed down since the country has still bee able to achieve 5-6% growth rate in three of the last six years. Though growth rates has slumped to the lowest level 4.3% in 2002-03 mainly because of the worst droughts in two decades the growth rates are expected to go up close to 70% in 2003-04. A Global comparison shows that India is now the fastest growing just after China. This is major improvement given that India is growth rate in the 1970s was very low at 3% and GDP growth in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, and Mexico was more than twice that of India. Though Indias average annual growth rate almost doubled in the eighties to 5.9% it was still lower than the growth rate in China, Korea and Indonesia. The pick up in GDP growth has helped improve Indias global position. Consequently Indias position in the global economy has improved from the 8th position in 1991 to 4th place in 2001. When GDP is calculated on a purchasing power parity basis. Globalisation and Poverty: Globalisation in the form of increased integration though trade and investment is an important reason why much progress has been made in reducing poverty and global inequality over recent decades. But it is not the only reason for this often unrecognised progress, good national polices , sound institutions and domestic political stability also matter. Despite this progress, poverty remains one of the most serious international challenges we face up to 1.2 billion of the developing world 4.8 billion people still live in extreme poverty. But the proportion of the world population living in poverty has been steadily declining and since 1980 the absolute number of poor people has stopped rising and appears to have fallen in recent years despite strong population growth in poor countries. If the proportion living in poverty had not fallen since 1987 alone a further 215million people would be living in extreme poverty today. India has to concentrate on five important areas or things to follow to achieve this goal. The areas like technological entrepreneurship, new business openings for small and medium enterprises, importance of quality management, new prospects in rural areas and privatisation of financial institutions. The manufacturing of technology and management of technology are two different significant areas in the country. There will be new prospects in rural India. The growth of Indian economy very much depends upon rural participation in the global race. After implementing the new economic policy the role of villages got its own significance because of its unique outlook and branding methods. For example food processing and packaging are the one of the area where new entrepreneurs can enter into a big way. It may be organised in a collective way with the help of co-operatives to meet the global demand. Understanding the current status of globalisation is necessary for setting course for future. For all nations to reap the full benefits of globalisation it is essential to create a level playing field. President Bushs recent proposal to eliminate all tariffs on all manufactured goods by 2015 will do it. In fact it may exacerbate the prevalent inequalities. According to this proposal, tariffs of 5% or less on all manufactured goods will be eliminated by 2005 and higher than 5% will be lowered to 8%. Starting 2010 the 8% tariffs will be lowered each year until they are eliminated by 2015. GDP Growth rate: The Indian economy is passing through a difficult phase caused by several unfavourable domestic and external developments; Domestic output and Demand conditions were adversely affected by poor performance in agriculture in the past two years. The global economy experienced an overall deceleration and recorded an output growth of 2.4% during the past year growth in real GDP in 2001-02 was 5.4% as per the Economic Survey in 2000-01. The performance in the first quarter of the financial year is5.8% and second quarter is 6.1%. Export and Import: Indias Export and Import in the year 2001-02 was to the extent of 32,572 and 38,362 million respectively. Many Indian companies have started becoming respectable players in the International scene. Agriculture exports account for about 13 to 18% of total annual of annual export of the country. In 2000-01 Agricultural products valued at more than US $ 6million were exported from the country 23% of which was contributed by the marine products alone. Marine products in recent years have emerged as the single largest contributor to the total agricultural export from the country accounting for over one fifth of the total agricultural exports. Cereals (mostly basmati rice and non-basmati rice), oil seeds, tea and coffee are the other prominent products each of which accounts fro nearly 5 to 10% of the countries total agricultural exports. Where does Indian stand in terms of Global Integration? India clearly lags in globalisation. Number of countries have a clear lead among them China, large part of east and far east Asia and eastern Europe. Lets look at a few indicators how much we lag. Over the past decade FDI flows into India have averaged around 0.5% of GDP against 5% for China 5.5% for Brazil. Whereas FDI inflows into China now exceeds US $ 50 billion annually. It is only US $ 4billion in the case of India Consider global trade Indias share of world merchandise exports increased from .05% to .07% over the pat 20 years. Over the same period Chinas share has tripled to almost 4%. Indias share of global trade is similar to that of the Philippines an economy 6 times smaller according to IMF estimates. India under trades by 70-80% given its size, proximity to markets and labour cost advantages. It is interesting to note the remark made last year by Mr. Bimal Jalan, Governor of RBI. Despite all the talk, we are now where ever close being globalised in terms of any commonly used indicator of globalisation. In fact we are one of the least globalised among the major countries however we look at it. As Amartya Sen and many other have pointed out that India, as a geographical, politico-cultural entity has been interacting with the outside world throughout history and still continues to do so. It has to adapt, assimilate and contribute. This goes without saying even as we move into what is called a globalised world which is distinguished from previous eras from by faster travel and communication, greater trade linkages, denting of political and economic sovereignty and greater acceptance of democracy as a way of life. Consequences: The implications of globalisation for a national economy are many. Globalisation has intensified interdependence and competition between economies in the world market. This is reflected in Interdependence in regard to trading in goods and services and in movement of capital. As a result domestic economic developments are not determined entirely by domestic policies and market conditions. Rather, they are influenced by both domestic and international policies and economic conditions. It is thus clear that a globalising economy, while formulating and evaluating its domestic policy cannot afford to ignore the possible actions and reactions of policies and developments in the rest of the world. This constrained the policy option available to the government which implies loss of policy autonomy to some extent, in decision-making at the national level. ~

Technology Management Assignment

Introduction The emergence of new technologies has made a big impact on business management. Technology applications have been proven to enhance the acquisition of information and resources. Technology has also become an important element in decision making and product innovation. As such, without technology management, organizations cannot survive in the current business environment. Technology management has also been proven as a key component in the creation of wealth. Therefore, the management of technology, especially for technology intensive firms, is essential for their survival and to maintain their competitive advantage. Technology management is a multi-disciplinary field, which works as a bridge between engineering and business disciplines. The importance of technology management cannot be overlooked. In recent years, all leading developments in the global business environment are the result of the application of technology management (Khalil, 2000). Technology management is related to innovation (Mortar et al., 2009). In the current business and technological environment, corporations and SMEs must be able to adapt and evolve if they want to survive and expand their business. The ability and willingness to change is essential to survive in today’s highly competitive environment. As such, innovation has become an important aspect in the culture of an organization and is seen as a driving force in achieving growth (Trott, 2005). Innovation, in turn, is recognized as one of the results of efficient technology management. Technology management is a dynamic tool that can be utilized for various industries, both in the private and government sectors. The education sector is one of the areas where technological improvement is needed. This can be achieved through the use of online learning software and other related tools. Online learning communities are a growing feature in the landscape of educational technology. These tools and technology-oriented software are the key improvements in the education system and this has been proven with the passage of time (Herrington & Oliver, 2000) This essay analyses Pakistan’s education market to find the gaps in the use of technology in the country’s education sector. To illustrate the importance of technology management, the essay also discusses its application in relation to the development of new software targeted for the education sector in Pakistan. The development of the new software is carried out with the guidance of an appropriate technology oriented-business model and business plan. This is done to minimize the risk and uncertainty involved in the product development process. Literature Review Benefits of Technology ManagementLooking at the economic history of the UK, technological management has been recognized as one of the key factors in the birth and development of the industrial sector during the nineteenth century (Trott, 2005). Since then, technology management has been an important aspect in economic and business growth. Technology management is recognized as an important element in business management. Firms have utilized technology management in their operations and have adapted it to suit their business needs (Pilkington & Teichert, 2006). Many organizations are going through radical transformations due to technological changes that are happening on a global scale (Levin & Barnard, 2008). In this scenario, technology management is seen as playing an important role in managing organizational change. Over the years, many authors have focused on how to manage technology resources (Cetindamar, Phaal & Probert, 2009). Technology management involves processes to enhance performance and utilization of resources. It involves the acquisition and integration of existing knowledge into the creation of new knowledge. This is an important factor for an organization to survive in the current competitive environment. Every organization must have the flexibility to change and create new knowledge by adapting to the changes in the market. This will lead to higher performance and sustainable competitive advantage (Liu et al., 2006). Technology management is identified as a crucial factor for the long-term success and profitability of an organization. Technology is considered as one of the core assets that a firm relies on (Cockburn & Henderson, 1998). Technology management enables an organization to utilize its resources in creative ways in order to enhance performance and increase profit margin and market share. The company can also acquire and manage resources with the help of technology management. Challenges in Technology ManagementOne of the main difficulties in business is to manage uncertainty. This is the same challenge in technology and innovation management. New product innovation is a complex process. There are numerous factors and risks involved in innovation. The organization has to manage internal and external risks. Some of these are manageable while others are beyond their control. The management of the innovation process, which is a subset of technology management, involves trying to develop the creative potential of the organization. It involves the fostering of new ideas and generating creativity. Managing uncertainty is a central feature of managing the innovation process and managing technology (Trott, 2005). When there is new product innovation related to technology, the chances of uncertainty arises. Different experts have worked on these issues and have developed theories to avoid uncertainty or to create a better understanding of uncertainty, which occurs from new innovation. One of the theories in avoiding uncertainty is Pearson’s Uncertainty Map. This was developed after extensive analysis of different case studies of major technological innovations, including Pilkington’s float glass process, 3M’s Post-It Notes, and Sony’s Walkman (Pearson, 1991). Establishing something new is the essence of product innovation and this process necessarily involves risk. Therefore, early risk identification and management is required by innovative firms. Risk and uncertainty usually occur at the beginning of a new innovation process. It is important to note that innovation is not just about opening up new markets. Innovation can also present new ways of serving older and established markets. Technology Management and InnovationIn today’s fast changing business world, innovation has become a fundamental component in organizations. The speed of innovation has changed the nature of global economic growth – made possible by the rapid evolution of technology, shorter product lifecycles, and a higher degree of new product development. Additionally, the availability of more knowledge to firms has made innovation even more complex (Du Plessis, 2007). From this perspective, innovation is undeniably a product of technology management. One of the primary roles of technology is as an enabler – it ‘encourages the constant need to evaluate, update, and employ changing job descriptions and business processes’ (Savino 2009, p.1). Technological advancements have significantly changed how businesses operate and how employees go about doing their work. The new paradigm in business organizations is the continuous demands for improvement and the acquisition of knowledge in a very dynamic and constantly evolving environment. The catalyst that enables constant improvement and innovation is technology (Savino 2009). As such, it is highly important to manage technology in the pursuit of innovation. Researchers have recognized that large multinational firms are one of the key drivers for the globalization of research and development (R&D) and innovation activities. A study by Gerybadze & Reger (1999) found that R&D and innovation strategies have changed over the years. Since the mid-1990s, multinational corporations have been inclined to consolidate and streamline their operations. This shift in technology management strategy is due to the failures of distributed R&D activities and globally-dispersed innovation processes, which have led to highly complicated and unmanageable organizational structures. Consequently, firms have opted for leaner and more effective types in managing the portfolio of innovation activities. Using Business Models for Product Innovation One of the ways to manage risk in new product innovation is to come up with an appropriate business model or business plan. A business model helps in making the innovation successful and avoiding the chances of failure, which is one of the risks of innovation. Although creating and implementing the business model for a small firm is not an easy process, many firms utilize this in order to minimize the chances of failure (Lindgren, 2011). Business models have been the focus of both the academic writers and practitioners. Creating a business model is now a part of the innovation process (Zott, Amit & Massa, 2011). Researchers found that most firms have a variety of activities and corresponding business models. As such, a firm can use different business models to suit their various activities or a multi-business model approach can be used. Carrying out the perfect business model is not an easy task especially for the SME’s because they have limited resources; lack knowledge about the business; and have few business tools to support their activities (Neffics, 2010). Developing a new software for Pakistan’s education sector There is an existing gap in the use of technology in Pakistan’s education sector. Although there are some online tools that are used to manage online data and news, the information is usually found and managed in university websites only. There are currently no private providers of online learning software in universities in Pakistan. The new ruling of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) requires all education institutes to set online databases. As such, universities need to develop online learning software to fulfill the requirements and facilitate their students into using these new tools. This represents a good opportunity for the development of e-learning software for use in universities and colleges in Pakistan. Our plan is to develop software similar to â€Å"Moodle† for use in universities. Industry and target market A few years ago, Pakistan had no framework for the use of technology in higher education. This meant that the country’s education standards and quality were not at par with the rest of world. Pakistan was unable to make any progress in the education sector until 1991. There were only 34 universities serving a population of over 100 million and from 1997 to 2002, only 10 private universities were added. However, the rapid growth of the education sector resulted in the establishment of 53 private institutions by 2004. There are currently more than 74 universities across the country (HEC, 2012). Product Description The software that will be offer to customers is similar to â€Å"Moodle,† which is the acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is an open-source course management system (CMS) / learning management system (LMS) / virtual leaning environment (VLE). It is used as a tool for creating online dynamic websites for students (Moodle 2013). Recent surveys show that it is considered as one of best e-learning software used by educators and is used by several primary and secondary schools in the UK (The Guardian, 2008). The software is customizable and there will be some modifications depending upon the circumstances and requirements of the clients. Using Moodle, the teacher can upload data form anywhere and student can access it instantly (The Guardian, 2008). Our aim is to introduce Moodle and to customize the software according to the needs of the higher education system in Pakistan. The software will allow tutors to manage their courses according to their requirements and students will be able to access available data from anywhere. University administration will also be able to upload news, results, and other related information using this software. There are various benefits in the application of the e-learning software in Pakistani universities. These include increase in availability of information, quick feedback, and better communication. The Moodle e-learning system provides users with an online platform for communication and sharing of content, information, and news. Communication – is the basic function of the Moodle e-learning software. Professors can post any course-related announcement for students. Students can chat with other students in real time. Discussion threads can be created. Students and teachers can participate in the discussion. Content – is the second core function of the software Teachers can post lectures, articles, assignments and other related information. Teaching calendar of the year can be included. Teachers can post quizzes and exams and allow students to access them via the internet. Students can submit their assignments online. Business Model A business model serves as a guide to help businesses create, deliver, capture and exchange value (Trott, 2005). There are main four components of a business model. Source: Trott, 2005 Core StrategyCore strategy is the first component of business model. It describes how a firm competes with its competitors. The core strategy involves customizing the software according to the needs of the organization and to set an optimum cost. Initially, we are targeting one university only, which is the Bahira University Islamabad. Other education institutions will be approached later on. Mission StatementOur mission is to provide excellent technology services to universities in Pakistan at the best cost. Product ScopeThe e-learning software will be developed by focusing on the needs and requirements of the clients. E-learning software is popularly used in UK schools. Teachers and students have given positive feedback on the use of e-learning software. We are expecting the same positive response from Pakistan’s education sector. Our focus is to develop the software based on some key points. Ease of use is one of the main objectives of the e-learning software. The product is new so we will ensure that it is easy to use and manage so that our clients will not have difficulty in using it. We will also ensure administrative flexibility so that they can manage it according to their needs. Our aim is to provide maximum value and optimize institutional investments to help them reduce their overhead costs and manage their finances better. We will also develop the software so that it is easily upgraded in the future should the client require changes. Basis for DifferentiationThere is currently no e-learning software in Pakistan, which is customized for the education sector and has excellent communication and content features. Most universities in Pakistan are using their websites for announcement and other news but they do not have a comprehensive software similar to Moodle. Our core differentiation is that we offer a customizable, flexible and easy to use software for the education sector. Strategic ResourcesFor the development of this software, we will hire the best software developer form Pakistan. The reasons for hiring the software developer from Pakistan are lower labor costs and familiarity with Pakistan’s education sector. This will help us to minimize our costs and be more efficient in our product development. Our strategic asset is our developers and our business plans. Technology Strategy The technology strategy is part the overall corporate strategy takes into consideration the components of the core strategy. In pharmaceutical firms and high tech equipment manufacturers, it is common for the technology strategy to be related to the corporate strategy. This concerns the management and use of technology for further expansion and development (Burgelman & Doz, 2001). Our core strategy is to focus on innovation and excellent services for our clients. Our goal is also to build reliable and flexible software that is cost effective and sustainable. The product we offer is based on Moodle. Although Moodle is already available in the market, we will develop a new e-learning software based on the Moodle framework. This new e-learning software will be customized to suit Pakistan’s education sector. Our basic strategy is to understand the client’s requirements and create products that will address all their needs. The service strategy provides guidance on how to design, develop, and implement our service management plans. We will provide not only the software to our clients, but also services such as installation, customization, and post-sales support. We will also provide trainings to teachers and administrative staff on how to upload data and use communication tools. Trainings will also be provided for university students who will be using the e-learning software. Financial Strategy The financial strategy is an important component of any business plan. Initially, we are going to finance our business using our personal savings and from investments of our family and friends. Our initial capital investment is ?3,000 to ?5,000. For future expansion plans, we will loan from a bank or other financial institutions. Partnership Networks We are going to start with one project, through the help of a partnership with a small software firm. This will help to minimize our development costs. The partnership contract will be based on profit sharing. The reason for entering into a partnership is to allow us to offer our products to other universities in the future. It is my responsibility to secure the contract from the university. It is my task to find out the requirements and needs of the university and to negotiate with them in terms of cost and other pertinent issues. Customer Interface Our target market is the Pakistani education sector. The main reason for targeting this market is the lack of educational software in Pakistan. Initially our target is one university, which will be Bahria University Islamabad. The motive for choosing this organization is the fact that some of our colleagues have studied there and are very familiar with the university. According to students of Bahria University, the administrative system that their university is currently using is not user friendly compared to other well-known universities in the Pakistan. As such, it will be a great idea to offer the new e-learning software to this university. To get the contract for developing this service, we will talk to the university’s management team. We will present them our product’s features and offer our services to them. Pricing Model We are new in the market and we want to compete with existing players. Our main focus is to attract a lot of customers and this can be achieved by making our products affordable. We are applying a cost leadership strategy. We will offer the best products at low cost to persuade customers to avail of our products. This is an ideal market entry strategy. maximum customers and for this out for going for cost leadership strategy. We will offer best low cost to facilitate our clients and make them comfortable to deal with us. Initially our motive is to adjust our self on low profit and gain market share. Conclusions Success of an organization depends on leaning, innovation, and constant change in a systematic and scientific way. Every organization will constantly have to acquire new knowledge to remain competitive. Change and uncertainty is managed by having a plan for the future. With a business plan, uncertainty ceases to be a threat and becomes an opportunity. Different models must be used to avoid uncertainty and risk. In entering a new market, we will use a business model to avoid uncertainty and carry out the innovation process in a manageable way. Being management student, we admire the importance of literature on technology management and new product innovation. On the basis of that literature and examples, we can conclude that if we ignore all those theories and models, product innovation will not be achieved. Our plan is based on the review of relevant literature and carried out through a business model. References Burgelman, R.A. and Doz, Y.L. (2001). The Power of Strategic Integration. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(3), pp. 28-38. Cetindamar, D., Phaal,R. & Probert, D (2009). Understanding technology management as a dynamic capability: A framework for technology management activities. Technovation, 29(4), pp.237-246 Christoph Zott, Raphael Amit and Lorenzo Massa, Journal of Management published. Vol No. X online 2 May 2011 Pilkington, A. (2008 ). Engineering management or management of technologyA bibliometric study of IEEE TEM. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management. 3(1) pp. 63-70. Herrington, J., and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. HEC, (2012) Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Available at: http://hec.gov.pk/Pages/HECMain.aspx. Jaldemark, J., Lindberg, J. O., & Olofsson, A. D. (2005). Sharing the distance or a distance shared: Social and individual aspects of participation in ICT-supported distance-based teacher education. Challenging prospects. p. 142–160. Jack Kenny, (2008) Moodle takes lead in secondary, â€Å"The Guardian† Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/sep/18/link.link (Accessed: 30 March 2013). Khalil, T. M. (2000). Management of Technology: The Key to Competitiveness and Wealth Creation. Boston: 18th Edition, McGraw-Hill. Liu, J.J., Qian, J.Y. & Chen,J. (2006). Technological learning and firm level technological capability building: analytical framework and evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms. International Journal of Technology Management, vol.36, pp. 190-208, 2006. Levin, D.Z., & Barnard, H. (2008). Technology management routines that matter technology managers. International Journal of Technology Management, 41(1-2), pp.228-237. Mortar, L., Kerr, C. I. V., Phaal, R. & Probert, D.R. (2009). A toolbox of elements to build technology intelligence systems. International Journal of Technology Management, 47(4), pp. 322-345. NEFFICS, (2010 /11). Business Models and Business Model. Innovation in a Secure and Distributed Cloud Clustering (DISC) Society. p.58(1) , pp. 159-167. Pearson, A. (1991). Managing innovation: an uncertainty reduction process. in Henry, J. and Walker, D. (eds) Managing Innovation, Sage/Oxford University Press: London. p.18–27. Pilkington, A. & Teichert, T. (2006). Management of Technology: Themes, Concepts and Relationships. Technovation. 26(3), pp. 288-299. Trott, P. (2005). Innovation Management and New Product Development. 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall. Tidd, J., Bessant, J. and Pavitt, K. (2005). Managing Innovation. Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Globalization and Technology Essay

Friedman explains how 10 ingredients, he calls â€Å"flatteners† which has inadvertently brought about a new global business environment. The 1st flattener is the â€Å"Fall of the Berlin Wall†, where Friedman explains how on 11/09/89 the Berlin Wall came down and exposed the continents into one globalize trading world. Friedman explains about six months after the â€Å"Berlin Wall Falling† the â€Å"Windows Operating System† computer chip exploded and launched the beginning era of internet PC revolution. He calls this era â€Å"The Fall of The Walls and the Rise of The Windows†. Explaining how the â€Å"Wall† stood in the way of globalization. Six months after the Wall Fell the Windows Operating System 3.0 shifted and created a single graphical interface. The 2nd flattener was the date 08/09/95 having an immense impact which I believe is a milestone in the history of our technology growth and its repercussions was when Netscape, a internet b rowser (which is a drop box that is illustrated on computer screens giving a outburst of availability to the internet’s world wide web of information and created an open highway with no speed limits), went public. As Netscape became available to all people at their finger tips it played a key roll empowering individuals with massive amounts of information and helped commercialize and set open standards, equally facilitating all of the world’s people with virtually the same chance of opportunities for growth. This phenomenon is greatly indicative to the remaining of Thomas Friedman’s flatteners and their implications, good and bad, on human kind essentially defining what he meant with the statement: â€Å"The World Is Flat†. The Netscape browser brought the internet to life and gave us the .com boom creating a bubble of wild crazy investments which facilitated the fiber optic boom. Friedman explains how an overinvestment of 1 trillion dollars in five years into fiber optic cable inadvertently connected the world through the internet. Which lead us to the â€Å"Workflow Software†, the 3rd flattener where all the software programs and standards that connect PCs with ba nds of cable to allow work to flow, such as Microsoft Word. These events fountain a technology revolution, which virtually connected everyone’s application to everyone else’s application. Creating a new global platform where Friedman describes this era as a collaboration of platforms, flattening the world. This platform marks the end of a new beginning as Freidman describes â€Å"The Genesis Moment†. Freidman explains how this Genesis moment fueled a network connecting  Ã¢â‚¬Å"people to people†, â€Å"companies with companies†, â€Å"people with companies† and â€Å"more people with more different places† and so. Thus, starts the emergence of Freidman’s theory â€Å"The World Is Flat†. This new platform is based on a collaboration of the following six flatteners. Starting with the 4th flattener in which Friedman labels as â€Å"Outsourcing† was built around the â€Å"Y2K† fade. Outsourcing was the product of collaboration which allows departments of large companies to work out of State, and more so, to work out of our country. This collaboration aided companies to disaggregate a good proportion of their business processes and source it out to anywhere around the world at a lesser cost than it would have otherwise cost here in the US. Outsourcing gave way for companies to take advantage of high skilled laborers with low-cost wages, utilizing them as vehicles for companies to gain profits and develop an exponential boost of effective efficiency by tremendously improving their overall production and operations increasing profit margins. Although, many American companies probably did not stop to analyze the repercussions of their gains. The 5th flattener is â€Å"Off Shoring†, which is built around China joining the World Trade Organization. Off-shoring is taking an entire factory and physically moving it from the U.S. to a foreign country and integrating into global production operations. The 6th flattener is â€Å"Open-Sourcing† where the writing of â€Å"Linux† was created. Linux is a computer operating system program and is the biggest competitor’s to Microsoft’s operating system program. This new operating system â€Å"Linux† was created by a collaboration of computer sc ientists on the internet who demanded no money for their efforts allowing this free program to be downloaded by anyone who seeks it out. Linux is the biggest competitor to Microsoft whereby under cutting Microsoft, Friedman emphasis, how it would be hard to bet â€Å"zero†. â€Å"Supply Chain† is the 7th flattener which is built around Wal-Mart, as Freidman stated, represents the construction of a hyper-efficient, down to the last atom of efficiency global supply chain of operations. Wal-Mart successfully capitalized on MIT (management information technology). An example is where as you take an item off a Wal-Mart shelf in one city, that item will immediately be in production in China. Surprisingly, Wal-Mart doesn’t manufacture anything, but has successfully held itself as the biggest American retail company by innovation of a global supply chain to the last atom of efficiency. â€Å"In-Sourcing† is the 8th  flattener. UPS, an express package delivery service company capitalized on in-sourcing by taking over internal logistics of companies such as Toshiba. This way of business is not an e asy situation but can successfully be done by normal standardization company set-up where UPS will repair a broken item of Toshiba products. UPS virtually creates and operates a replication of Toshiba’s repair center. Toshiba agrees to pay UPS to operate this repair services for their customers in which UPS delivers the repaired product back to the original customer where Toshiba never touch their own products. The 9th flattener is where Friedman describes as â€Å"Informing† examples are Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft search engines. These informing tools allow you to collaborate yourself with unlimited amounts of data, information and resources. Informing is a way where we as individuals can collaborate ourselves with information. The 10th flattener is what Friedman calls â€Å"Steroids†. This is wireless technology, voice over the IP, and advances in computer microchips and storage capacity. He explains how Steroids basically turbo charge all nine of these new forms of collaboration and make it so you can now use anyone of these advances from anywhere through any device. These ten flatteners complement each other and converged into a single global web enabled platform. Without plan these events of convergence overlapped and complemented each other, working together with multiple forms, melting any world’s gaps and virtually bringing all people together closer than ever before. Friedman summarizes the flatteners by explaining how â€Å"three convergence of technology† makeup the 10 flatteners are as followed: †¢ 1st Convergence: Globalization 1.0: where the world changed from â€Å"Large? to Medium† and the agent of this global change were through countries. Globalization 2.0: where the world changed from â€Å"Medium? to Small† and the agent of this global change were through companies, markets and laborers. Globalization 3.0: where the world changed from â€Å"Small? to Tiny† and the agent of this global change were not countries or companies but individuals and small groups. Where individuals world wide, now have access and the ability to facilitate, embrace, and empower themselves individuality with any advancements they may desire. This global change has flattened the economic playing field geographically through time, distance and language providing the opportunities of capitalism and its byproduct is competition world wide for all people of the world. Essentially, this defines Thomas  Friedman’s meaning of â€Å"The World Is Flat†. †¢ 2nd Convergence: The need for adaptation of our new flat world habits where resources, rather it be natural or synthetic, are more evenly distributed among all living people of the world therefore resulting in a negative amount of resources allocated for each American’s average income level. Friedman tells a detailed personal story when he experienced the flatten world describing how he once lacked new information and therefore failed to take advantage of attaining his airplane flight boardin g pass the night before starting at 12:01am. Other passengers took advantage and utilized their resource tool of new technology where customer service provided by Southwest Airline’s internet we2 site. Even thought other passengers on the same airline flight as Thomas Friedman was able to receive their airline-boarding pass the night before the flight. Allowing the other passengers more free time before having to arrive at the airport and not having to stand in a waiting line. According the Friedman’s writing, we as Americans would have to learn to view the world from a different perspective, understanding and accepting competition will increase and we may get less for our dollar in the near future. Friedman called this process where people will have to horizontalize themselves. He explains when the world goes flat the value increasing is not created vertically, in single sections or companies, but is increasingly created horizontally by who is collaborated with what companies, inside and outside your company and/or companies you buy from as consumers. People having to horizontalize them selves and to think very different about how we collaborate within firms and with other firms in order to reach new value creation. An example is when computers became available to the average consumer and businesses, people had to adapt to a very different workplace and work habits in order to collaborate with the new technology. †¢ 3rd Convergence: Freidman states the last convergence is since all of this globalize collaboration been accruing there was a massive quite perfect storm was being created â€Å"3-billion† people who were out of the game walked onto the playing field of trade and consumerism from China, India and the former Soviet Union. Freidman recognizes that approximately only 5% of those three billion people can plug in and play after calculating the numbers it turns outs to 150 million people, which equal the size of the American workforce today. Freidman’s main argument of his book is the triple convergence of the ten  flatteners that are flattening the world, the convergence of a whole new way of doing business is much more horizontal rather vertical including three billio n new players. In general, Thomas Friedman finalized his argument by emphasizing â€Å"the world is flat and I’m here to tell you that everything we called IT revolution these last 20 years, was just the warm-up act that has been the sharpening and the distribution of the tools of collaboration. Now you are going to see several billion people increasing quickly learn how to use and apply those tools across a whole new range and forms of collaboration†. I agree with much of Friedman’s theories and the flatteners he chose to describe the extreme important impacts that affect our IT revolution world to at which the state it is in today. Freidman chose these events as milestone, where I would add emphasis on the importance of the sequential pattern of the flatteners’ events in which they transpired. Much through pure chance the sequence of events our technology growth and it processes just fell into action, rather for better or for worst, it was bound to happen. And if you ask most Americans if they think we should have not had the opportunity in attaining these advance technology leaps, I would prognosticate that most people would not forgo these gains for anything less regardless of the repercussions. I believe the most important flattener is 08/09/95 when Netscape went public because it opened an express highway of doors of opportunities with no speed limits, in my opinion, having one of the greatest technological improved impacts on human kind by immediately and direct changing our standard ways of living and increasingly potential capabilities. When Netscape became public it gave us a huge stepping-stone of advancement connecting the people of the entire world to each other. This change gave way for all of the other leaps of events to unfold without such a change Friedman’s other collaboration could not have taken place in the matter in which it did. This technology metamorphosis has allowed people to work from their homes, communicate to family members that are out of the country, and educate themselves with tons of information. I agree with Friedman in that â€Å"learning to love learning† are important elements missing from our culture’s view of education today. People must know that learning is never ending. There is always some skill or fact that is unknown that can be learned, but only if that person has a desire to learn. Even though children have the greatest opportunity to gain knowledge,  many children do not take advantage of it. They should realize that learning is constant and that educat ion is very powerful. Although I do not agree with Friedman in that â€Å"learning to love learning† is â€Å"most† important elements our society is missing from our culture’s view of education. I believe first and foremost public schools from 1st grade all the way to BA degree with in a university should be facilitated and paid for all American children with governmental taxes. National health care and wage insurance can help people survive while they are unemployed. Basically, we Americans should go back to the basics in that our society should enforce (good old fashion morals) basic conduct that reflects morals and respect utilizing integrity anything we do. The opposite is true in which we allow the media and forms of other public exposure to report stories with exaggerated facts and/or information that adversely affects our children’s view of themselves and everything around them. Should we go back to basic traditional teaching where in the beginning of child’s education building a strong foundation in our children’s life incorporating strong work ethics including a strong sense of pride in the all work and accomplishments attain. I believe if these foundations are bestowed within our children’s lives, the results will give them empowerment, enabling and encouraging our children in the right direction so that, when needed they can educate, empower, enable, and encourage themselves in becoming the most efficient individual collaboration. Understanding this way of life and incorporating these values within our daily lives utilization of fewer resources. Americans must acknowledge that we may have to learn to live with fewer luxuries and learn to be more conservative with natural resources but not necessary having to accept a weaker economy for the sake of it. There is a limited amount of natural resources available at any given time on earth and after these natural resources are evenly divided out per individual, the amount per individual is very small in size. Therefore, I do believe Americans should start adapting to new ways of living and consume fewer resources per individual. Many people may agree with my belief that Thomas Friedman failed to emphasis, what I call â€Å"individual re-shapers† where Americans should re-evaluate (re-shaping) their morals, integrity, honor and trust and try to incorporate these ideas within the intra-structure of American families, public schools, public facilities,  communities, cities, states, agencies, government, services, products and companies of the United States. If Americans would utilizes the same amount of time and investments, monetary and non-monetary, within our society moral values as whole and start new policies that will complement our global changes. These changes can initiate with my extremely important idea of â€Å"individual re-shapers† by developing and morally growing in a positive direction for the better good of all people around the world as a whole. Some â€Å"individual re-shapers† are technological advancements within public schools, which is essential for success and may have exponentially increasing our standard of living and helped improved most Americans everyday life by starting with our children. Another â€Å"individual re-shapers† is restricting the media to mislead or avoid the real truth of WORLD NEWS and not allow political groups or public positions and agencies to utilize law suites and avoid addressing real society moral problems of the American people. This can facilitate our country to be effective in a continuous society that morally develops at a rate parallel to the repercussions of technologies developments. The most important knowledge I have acquired from Thomas Friedman’s book â€Å"The World Is Flat† is the confirmation of my own personal beliefs as well as my personal career plans and professional development that incorporates and utilizes my code of honor and integrity in whatever I do in my life, rather it be a branch manager overseeing many employees, and/or a wife and mother (in which I believe is one of the hardest but important jobs a person can hold) raising children that reflecting the same, if not better, code of conduct in the ir life.

Culture And Heritage Of The World Is Born Into A Culture

Everybody in the world is born into a culture. We, as humans, adapt to this culture, and change it into our own. Even though we refine our culture to match our personalities, we still hold the values that we’ve learned originally from our culture and heritage. These values that we hold affects us in ways that some people don’t even realize. A person’s culture affects the way a person views the world and others to a great extent because culture shapes perspective. Perspective gained from culture affects the viewpoint of a person’s world and the people in it. Robert Lake, also known as Medicine Grizzlybear in his Indian tribes, was a concerned parent when his son, Wind-Wolf, was getting bullied and harassed by his classmates and their parents. To make matters worse, he was labeled by his teacher that he was a â€Å"slow learner† because he didn’t pick up on things as easily as his Western classmates. His father wrote a letter to his son’s teacher, that was later adapted as an essay, titled â€Å"An Indian Father’s Plea†. â€Å"So I realize he may be slow in grasping the methods and tools that you are now using in your classroom, ones quite familiar to his white peers, but I hope you will be patient with him. It takes time to adjust to a new cultural system and learn new things.†(Lake 77) In this small excerpt from the essay, it shows how Wind-Wolf’s father is trying to ask the teacher to help his son, and trying to change the teacher’s perspective on the situation. The teacher,Show MoreRelatedInterpreter Of Maladies Summary1084 Words   |  5 Pagesboundaries between people and cultures. Yet, despite this common definition, cultural assimilation can do just the opposite, bringing unfortunate division instead of homogeneity. 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