Globalization Is in the Interest of All Workers - Literature review Example

Globalization is in the interest of all workers {Insert university name} {Insert instructor’s name} {Insert student’s name} August 9, 2012. Globalization is in the interest of all workers Introduction This report is about the proposition that globalisation is in the interest of all workers. To have a better understanding of this, it is essential to give the definition of the term globalisation and what entails the interest of workers. According to Coates (2010, p. 9) globalisation is the process of integration and interaction among people, governments, and companies, a process that is driven by both international trade and investment and assisted by information technology. The mentioned process does not only have effect on the political, environmental and culture system but also on human physical wellbeing and economic development and prosperity all over the world. According to Bhagwati (2000, p. 12) globalization has provided and has continued to provide benefits for both countries and companies involved despite causing certain challenges to the interest of workers which can be regarded to be minimal in the labour market.The interests of workers entail better payment, good working conditions, and quality education to enable them skilled and compete favourably in the international labour market (Coates, 2010, p. 9). This report is divided into sections; the first section is introduction which gives a brief definition of the essential terms of the proposition. The following section will discuss the main ideas supporting the argument that globalization is in the interest of all workers. It will further highlight some of the challenges caused by globalisation to workers before providing the conclusion. Let examine the key points that globalization is in the interest of all workers. Increased standards of living According to Wade (2003, p. 570) globalization of states economies have resulted into development of international businesses. Moreover, the demand of both goods and services has greatly increased an aspect that has resulted into companies venturing into other states. According to Michel Camdessus who is also the managing director of the International Monetary Fund in his 1996 report pointed out that the industries expansion has resulted into increased income an aspect that has caused improved living standards due to increased employment opportunities. For instance as a result of commercial interests from other nations as well as international corporations, nations such as China have successfully boosted the income of their middle class population due to globalization thus improving their standard of living (Bhagwati, 2000, p. 12). Additionally, the Asian states have managed to increase employment opportunities and payment by creating favourable environment for foreign companies to establish production sites. Moreover, as nations continue to trade and attract foreign investors, more revenue is earned which the government uses not only to improve the transport and housing facilities but also other social amenities for its population. The mentioned has enabled the citizens of these countries to experience better loving standards (Durkheim, 1960, p. 18). On another perspective, Durkheim (1960, p. 18) points out that on the socio-political level globalization contributes to improved democracy and advocacy for human rights. According to Ha (2012, p. 541) existing free market economy which has been as a result of globalization has contributed towards increased number of civil rights societies in addition to bureaucratic authoritarianism in both East and Southeast Asian countries being gradually eroded. Increased social awareness Going back to the definition of globalization, according to Stiglitz (2002, p. 54) globalization is a process whereby people, their ideas as well as their activities in different parts of the world become integrated or interconnected. On a cultural level Rama (2003, p. 12) points out that globalization has enriched the human mutual understanding and interaction. Presently, in the global-wired world, people work and live harmoniously. Ha (2012, p. 543) adds that globalization has contributed towards democracy and human rights an aspect that can be attributed to the ability of the private citizens and workers power to influence the behaviour of the corporate. Additionally, as a result of increased dissemination of information which is readily available in the internet, individuals as well as private groups are in a position to voice their criticism and concerns not only on quality products but also on corruption, graft and human rights violations (Rama, 2003, p. 11) For instance, Foxconn which is a key supplier of apple was reported by unnamed citizens and private citizens for poor working conditions. Nonetheless, the company has promised to improve their working conditions and from recent assessment it is evident that the company has ensured safety of its workers. Durkheim (1960, p. 19) adds that availability of information has impacted directly on the global communication systems development, social awareness among people have increased all over the world. This is attributed to availability of networks and information technology which have enabled them to share not only views but also opinions on research and projects on different fields. Based on the aforementioned, it can be pointed out that globalization has created a sense of global society (Ha, 2012, p. 542). For instance, communication has enabled students from developing nations to be in a position to enrol for university degrees in the developed countries. However, education is only one sector regarding social awareness. But other effects such as social determination have taken place. For instance in 2011, the political unrest in Tunisia was inspired by not only political considerations but also opinions which were shared through social networks. Professional aspiration Stiglitz (2002, p. 54) in his study points out that globalization is a process that have impacted on different areas of human, education being one of them. The concept of globalization has greatly impacted on education. In the 20th century, most developing nations have benefitted from world class educational facilities emerging from the west. Most scholars believe that the mentioned has enabled individuals from developing countries not only to improve on their skills but also standard of education. The impacts of globalization on education system have contributed to rapid development in communication and technology an aspect that has resulted into changes within the existing learning systems (Robertson, 1992, p. 30).This is due to the fact that knowledge, ideas and values have changed the roles of teachers and students, thus causing a shift in the society from the concept of industrialization to information based society. Ha (2012, p. 544) in his study points out that higher education internationalization has been associated with various external and internal changes in the international system. In the external perspective, there have been changes in the existing labor market an aspect that called for skilled and knowledgeable workers as well as workers with better understanding of various business methods, languages and cultures all over the world. In other perspective, it is evident that education has become more valuable to people as a result o globalization. According to () in the 21st century education provides individuals with better opportunities in the employment fields an aspect that can contribute towards better lifestyle, status and power and more as a result of globalization of education, that is promoted by transfer of knowledge from western nations into developing ones with an aim of improving the capabilities and skills of the recipients. Free movement of policies European Union was created as a result of globalization. According to () European Union focuses on free movement of workers. As a result of the European Economic Community, the labor regulation within the community was distinguished from national labor and international laws of all the member states, whereby the aspect of movement was of less concern. Wade (2003, p. 572) points out that labor standards does not only focus on the industrial relations but also employment protection which was not the key goal of European Union which only aimed at ensuring free movement of the workers. The mentioned not only increases the chances of the workers but also motivated them to look for higher payments in the labor markets. According to Robertson (1992, p. 26) globalization has enabled the workers to freely look for jobs from other member states. Additionally, the European policies enable the workers top move from one member states to the other as well as freely settle in these states for the purpose of employment. Moreover, the free movement policies which are as a result of globalization enables the member states to receive equal treatment in terms of access to not only employment but also working conditions and other existing working conditions which could result into the workers being easily integrated into the host member states (Wade, 2003, p. 570). Diffusion of technology Stiglitz (2002, p. 51) points out that globalization has resulted into diffusion of technology. Innovations in computing, information technology and telecommunication are some of the key drivers that support globalization. Nonetheless, due to the fact that the labor market all over the world is presently open and avail more opportunities, it is evident that the aspect of globalization have made workers to be in a position to demand more from their employers. Additionally, it is essential for industries to put in extra efforts in the global market to ensure that they gain high returns on investments due to technological advancements an aspect that will make employees not to appreciate the old technology (Wade, 2003, p. 568). Having discussed the proposition that globalization is in the interest of all workers, it is essential to examine the argument that globalization is not in the interest of all workers before coming up with a conclusion for this report. According to Rama (2003, p. 17) globalization results in outsourcing and off-shoring effect on the workers as it causes unemployment in the domestic economy. Off shoring makes workers who are old and low skilled to be disadvantaged as they find it challenging to find employment after being rendered redundant. It has been further argued that globalization is not in the interest for all workers due to the fact that it results into exploitation of workers especially those in developing countries. According to Robertson (1992, p. 16) globalization has not only increased the income gap within countries and also between them. Moreover, it has been argued that advancement in technology has rendered workers redundant resulting into joblessness. The mentioned is caused by structural changes which in return cause structural unemployment. However, from the presentation above, it is evident that globalization is more beneficial to the workers than otherwise. Therefore, it is evident that globalization will continue to impact on the world. Moreover, due to the fact that there are more opportunities and the labor market is more open as a result of globalization, making workers to demand for more (Stiglitz, 2002, p. 49). Pertaining to equality, there is improve living standards, good management and human beings are not merely perceived as assets. It can be further pointed out that MNC are key beneficiaries of globalization as a result of outsourcing their businesses then off shoring the same. It also provided the workers with an opportunity to improve their standards of living and as a result of labor mobility they were in a position to move into larger market where their skills were more appreciated and thus benefitted from better payments (Robertson, 1992, p. 23). Despite the few challenges brought about globalization and due to the fact that it is not for the interest of all workers, the scale of power has been more balanced and shareholders and workers have been in a position to focus on their best interests in the labor market. Importantly, globalization has transformed the world into a small global village. This makes it challenging for workers to find alternative opportunities in the already competitive market (Robertson, 1992, p. 28). However, as a result of technological advancement, the quality of the education has greatly improved making workers to be in a position to enjoy better payment as a result of their advanced skills. Hence, conclusively, the living standards of the workers have greatly improved. In summary, globalization has its challenges and benefits for the workers, but modern workers has something to bargain with as a result of it an aspect that has been brought about by globalization therefore it is in the best interest of all workers. References Bhagwati, J, 2004, Indefense of Globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. Coates, J, 2010, the Future of the Workforce, Employment Relations Today, pp. 1-9 Durkheim, E., 1960 The division of Labour in Society, The Free Press of Glencoe, New York Ha, E, 2012, Globalization, Government Ideology, and Income Inequality in Developing Countries, Journal of politics, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 541–557 Rama, M, 2003, Globalization and Workers in Developing Countries, World Bank Policy Research Working Robertson. R, 1992, Globalization. Sage, London Stiglitz, K., 2002. Globalization and its Discontents. W.W. Norten& Co. New York. Wade, R.H, 2003, Is Globalization reducing Poverty and Inequality? World Development 32 pp567-589 Wilpert, B, 2009, Impact of globalisation on human work, Safety Science, 47, pp727-732 Read More