Impact of Technological Advances in the Field of Communications as Concerns Globalization - Essay Example

International Business Student Name: Student Number: Course Code: Instructor: 4th March, 2013 Thesis statement What is the impact of technological advances in the field of communications as concerns globalization? Introduction Globalization Aim, method, overview and key findings Description Definition of communication Areas affected by communication. Technology Communication Government policies Labour market Cultures Analysis Technology – As technology improves, so does productivity. Communication – Faster channels of communication improves movement of products. Government policies – Value of information has increased exponentially Labour market – More labourers needed in ICT industry worldwide Culture shift – Mass media influence Conclusion Globalization truly affects the economy of a country. Introduction Globalization is the coming together of systems that enable better economic advances. This joining together, usually to create harmony, breaks down barriers that existed before so as to make trade between countries easier. It involves breaking of trade boundaries, lifting of market tariffs and utilization of labour from across the globe. Ray (2007) declares information as an emerging component and factor of trade among countries that would like to advance. Information is fast becoming the biggest and most sought after commodity. The aim of this essay is to find out how new technology in communication during the globalization age affects a country. It goes without saying that when a country faces globalization, it is bound to experience different changes in how it runs most of its affairs. Most notable of all, however, is the way communication influences the several factors that coalesce around each other to better the lifestyle of a citizen, and thus other issues that affect a country. Description Headrick (2009) loosely defines technology as a system of various factors made by man to perform several complicated or difficult tasks in a much easier way. For instance, the deployment of simple gears and levers employed in a lifting mechanism like a crane enables man to lift a very heavy load that would otherwise take a lot of time to lift in smaller loads. Communication is the movement of information from a point if dissemination to a point of reception. Several improvements have been made to the communication devices available since the advent of the first age of globalization. Barbieri (1999) points out that were not for the different forms of communication during the World War I, trade between non-warring factions would not have been possible. Analysis Technology Like many other factors, communication has improved with the various stages of globalization. From the simple telephone invented by Graham Bell, to the now famous mobile telephony, improvement in technology always increases convenience. A greater improvement in communication has also come through Information Communication Technology in the fields of computer science. The internet enables one to communicate with another at the click of a mouse. Advances in technology have influenced several components of communication, in effect creating a wave of improvement across many interconnected sectors. For instance, Winseck & Pike (2007) mention communication as a key ingredient in influencing the politics of the day. Back in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the media as a component of communication to the masses played a pivotal role in influencing the day-to-day running of a government’s affairs. Communication As aforementioned, the effects of technological advances in communication reach a country’s citizenry through specified factors. However, when narrowed down to specific details, it will be noted that most of these factors inter-marry and meet at the important point that is microeconomics. Microeconomics simply reflects on the consumption habits of a person or a community. Ervin & Alden (2008) criticise communication as a channel through which both good and bad have arisen. They raise concerns on the way consumption habits are influenced through communication. Mass communication through the television has one way or the other created a shift in the understanding of the various diverse cultures in the world. The radio also helps in this shaping of world opinion. The shaping of world opinion is an important factor considered as a means through which both organizations and governments can influence governance. Deardorff & Sterm (2001) decry the use of world opinion even in financial institutions to create suitable environments in which policies can be used in development. For instance, when lobbying for the incorporation of policies that factor under-developed countries as beneficiaries of aid and grants, the responsible bodies like the World Trade Organization may use communication technology to pass information around countries and their respective governments. On the other hand, politicians will use the same communication channels in passing propaganda so as to defeat policies that may not favour their political standing. Government Policies In defeating policies that do not favour their countries, politicians and governments always manage to control the content that is allowed in their countries. For instance, in China and North Korea, content deemed to be of Western origin may be frowned upon. This is due to the fact it may shape the people’s opinion on important things like governance thus strengthening their need to revolt against authority. Communication is the first step towards empowering a population. It is needful for a country to treat information as a very important resource. As it stands, the stage of globalization as currently envisaged puts information as the single most important resource. This is because of the influence it has over several aspects of life. The value of information has gone up exponentially so much so that governments have sought to protect copyrighted content from being accessed and passed around free of charge. SOPA and PIPA are examples of laws which the US government proposed so as to stop the infringement on copyrighted material over the internet. SimplyInfo (2012) reiterates that policies on communication should not curtail the freedom to information. Communication in the strict sense would be strained if such laws are allowed to reduce the content available to the ordinary citizen. Countries like China are known to control the content available to her citizens. Of particular concern, the content from sites such as Google is only restricted to single-source websites. Pop-in advertisements from auxiliary advertising firms over the internet is not allowed. Therefore, in China, it is highly unlikely that content from auxiliary websites would be reverted to when a person clicks on links found in a specific website. This control of communication limits the pace of the new age globalization. Labour Market In addition to the earlier mentioned sectors that are affected by the improvements in communication technology, we find that better communication technology has led to development of jobs in the communication industry. Apart from the conventional jobs as communication engineers and other IT experts, businesses now resort to hiring a labour force that is specially tailored to deal with their communication needs. Call centres and customer care centres are now a common component of organizations. Not only do they develop their own, but businesses also out-source such services. This is a big move away from the initial plan where firms employed their own customer care staff. Goldin (2012) shares the need by companies to focus on their sole goals and hire other companies to carry out auxiliary services. The rates of advancement in communication may have been fortunate for many countries and their citizens. However, analysis on respective countries reveals a concern over the rate at which communication is shifting. The content in mass media is changing for the better, but more people are beginning to notice a trend in culture, which may not be very welcome. There is a depiction of different cultures in a way that may be best described as a deviation from the truth. Consequently, more people are concerned that erosion of cultures may be imminent. For instance, Program on International Policy Attitudes (2008) places the number of countries concerned at the rates of globalization at 22 out of 34. The mixed reactions notwithstanding, a trend of dissatisfaction with the effects of communication on people’s cultures is noted. Cultures In light of the concerns raised by the citizens of different countries, we note that a general shift in cultures affects societies. As an agent of this change, mass communication is seen to only mirror what actually transpires in a society. McQuail (2000) seeks to foster the idea that cultures would not be prevalent without societies. Through the mass media communication tools like televisions, the diverse cultures of different people are beamed across the world. It is now a foregone conclusion that MTV is one of the most influential channels in the world. The effects of watching it are apparent on the average teen in America, and more recently, Britain. The exploitation of a people’s culture is important in influencing their consumption habits. For instance, through watching television, the average population’s desire for a good may be strengthened through advertisements. Competition between manufacturers of different products via aggressive advertisement campaigns is common. Behavioural patterns are the established and production done according to demand generated from advertisements. These are the apparent effects of communication to the average citizen. And as stated before, it is the association established between microeconomics and communication. Conclusion What is the impact of technological advances in the field of communications as concerns globalization? The impact of technological advancements that come with globalization cannot be ignored. It is prudent to note the massive shift in use of gadgets in communication has made lives easier, businesses more profitable and governments stricter, as the value of information has risen considerably. It is imperative that we recognize technology as the main game-changer in the way communication is carried out. We can authoritatively say that through innovation and invention, we have moved from the single fixed line, to a more complex yet cheaper mode of communication – mobile telephony. This in essence affects the rate at which business is carried out at personal level. Communication is a good way through which politicians in respective governments influence the policies that favour them. In effect, the policies developed by politicians shape how the economy of a country is allowed to interact with that of the other countries through trade. Consequently, the rise of information as the next most important resource is seen in how governments try to use policy development to shape opinion that is used to control the masses. Milner & Judkins (2004) imply that governments are falling over themselves in trying to recommend policies that wouldn’t put any particular government at a position of having trade advantage over the other. The new age communication skills as envisaged by organizations are vital in enabling them run the public relations department. Customer-organization interaction is left to the customer care department whereas call centres handle other issues particular to a company’s operation. In essence, all these have contributed to the availability of jobs due to a high demand for a labour force that is particularly trained to carry out such. Therefore, there is a marked improvement in standards of living with the introduction of job opportunities. Finally, communication is an aspect of the culture of a citizenry. However, mass communication is known to shape opinions over certain issues. Mass media may be used to disseminate knowledge on different cultures, but of more concern, it aids in the dilution of most cultures. The influence mass media has on teenagers is an example of how cultures from different societies may be diluted. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that advances in technology, particularly communication, in line with globalization, affect the people that use them directly mostly in a positive way. References Books Ervin, J. & Alden, Z., (2008), Globalization: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO Headrick, D 2009, Technology: A World History, Oxford University Press, New York. McQuail, D 2000, McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory, 5th Edition, Sage, Londen. Ray, L. J., 2007, Globalization and Everyday Life, Routledge. Journals Barbieri, K 1999, ‘Sleeping with the Enemy: The Impact of War on Trade’, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 36, no. 4, 1999, pp. 463–479 Sage Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi), 0022-3433(199907)36:4; 463–479; 0. Winseck, DR & Pike, RM 2007, Communication and Empire: Media, Markets and Globalization, Duke University Press. Deardorff, AV & Stern, RM 2001, ‘What You Should Know about Globalization and the World Trade Organization’, Review of International Economics, The University of Michigan. Milner, HV & Judkins, B 2004, ‘Partisanship, Trade Policy, and Globalization: Is There a Left–Right Divide on Trade Policy?’, Columbia University International Studies Quarterly (2004)48, 95–119. Database Goldin, I 2012, Globalization: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain, Oxford martin School, University of Oxford, viewed 13th March, 2013, Program on International Policy Attitudes 2008, ‘Widespread Unease about Economy and Globalization - Global Poll’, BBC World Service Poll. Viewed 13th March, 2013, SimplyInfo 2012, Heavy Handed Online & Censorship Laws have Chilling Effect on Public Knowledge and Citizen Media, viewed 4th March, 2013, Read More