organizing and globalization

Globalization is in the title of the text for this class. More than just a buzz word, globalization impacts how organizations today function and organizations impact the process of globalization.

Several years ago the faculty in my department identified four cornerstones for the program: democracy, diversity, globalization, and technology. We defined globalization as "the interconnectedness, integration, fragmentation, and conflict within human societies and cultures in global contexts." I'm more interested in the pragmatics of globalization and the extent to which ideas, organizations, money, people, and the like move freely (or not) around the globe.

The authors of your text define globalization in the context of organizational communication as "the process through which the global economy becomes increasingly interconnected, through which global and domestic organizations merge, and through which communication technologies blur traditional spatial and temporal boundaries" (p. 382). There are many plusses to globalization, such as an increased ability for organization members to collaborate without regard to physical proximity. On the minus side, organizations have been able to outsource labor to cheaper locations.

As the authors of your text point out in Chapter 13, treaties, laws, and agreements related to globalization privilege property (and organizations) over individuals, especially labor. Globalization is here to stay, but we must consider the impact it has on local economies and the ability of workers to move as easily across borders as goods and products do.

~ Professor Cyborg