Cultural Genealogy of Asian Globalization - Case Study Example

Globalization The Toshiba Corporation encompasses a group of other companies which include Hitachi, Mitsubishi electronic, Fujitsu and NEC Corporation. With the spread of globalization and the need to gain global market leadership, the company boasts of more than 50 branches spread across the world. However, its main headquarters exists in Japan. The company came to existence in 1873 following the move by the Japanese government to promote modernization and to develop telegraphic equipment. Its target market skews a little bit more towards the domestic market at 60% of its total sales. The rest of the sales take place in other exports to North America at 16%, Asia at 11%, and Europe at 10%. The Toshiba Computers mainly focus in innovation and manufacturing of high end performance computers and laptops. Currently, one of the consumers of Toshiba products include me considering my ownership of the Toshiba Portege laptop (Ukessays.com). In terms of people who benefit from such innovations as well as the target market, Toshiba Computers target large business institutions, governments and domestic consumers. The largest portion of its consumers entails the teenagers and generally the youth under 30 years of age. This mainly happens owing to the nature of these group of people to be tech savvy and their need to have best available machines for use at work, home and other leisure activities. Also, learning institutions tend to benefit most from Toshiba computers for administrative purposes as well as the ultimate learning purposes for the students and pupils. The Portege machines portray high speeds of the processor. In addition, the razor blade technology in the visual graphics of the machine make it the best suitable for clarity of images and even compatibility with other functions such as gaming software’s (Toshiba.co.jp). For this purpose, in 2011 Toshiba recorded a high rate of growth as Personal Computer (PC) vendor and got a top five ranking amongst other global PC vendors such as HP, Dell, Acer and Lenovo. The Toshiba Portege exhibits one of the many high end performance laptops the latest one being that of 13.3 inch R930 series. These are designed for ease of portability with the best performance. For this purpose, these machines have had a long battery life reputation since time immemorial. In addition to that, these machines tend to be light weight and can therefore be utilized on the move for any mobile consumers (Ukessays.com). Various tragedies of nature may have jeopardized production of these products among many other lifestyle enhancing electronic products. The production of Porteges may have faced a little setback following the great earth quake which took place in 2011 in Japan. The supplier of chips necessary for manufacture of these machines got worst hit and for this purpose, the supply of these chips fell short. Consequently, fewer quantities were made in that year. In my case, I acquired the machine, Portege R835 – p 55X in the year 2011. The extensive internet and social media marketing of the product alongside influence form peers to acquire it got me to purchase it. In the year 2012, the super storm Sandy hit one of the plans in New York. This led to loss of many lives as well destruction of the firm (Toshiba.co.jp). 2. Toshiba Corporation owns many outlets in every continent and keeps spreading. Here in America, may Toshiba outlets exist and they help to bring the electronic products closer to its target market. Toshiba products feature high performance and durable products which also sell at pocket friendly prices. Many high technology companies survived the economic downtown by establishing after sales services. In 2002, Toshiba implemented the first after sales strategy in the aim of establishing a sense of ownership for its users. The strategy included a Toshiba registration form prompted by the first ever use of the product. When a buyer switches on the machine for the first time, a form prompting the user to create a profile pops up (Toshiba.co.jp). In the high tech market, post sales activities between manufacturer and its users usually prove profitable for the enterprise. Such activities may include availing spare parts and or providing maintenance for its established base of consumers. The Toshibas strategy to request for customer profile creation enables the Toshiba Company to provide warranty that best suits the product. Following this approach, the warranty sales for the company increased by 37% and on the other hand, the total sales improved by 4% in the initial month of implementation on the strategy. Also, concern for the environment helps to create customer loyalty. For this purpose, Toshiba begun manufacturing energy conserving products in addition to the use of green technology in its manufacturing (Toshiba.co.jp). Having been a loyal customer of Toshiba Corporation in relation to other house hold appliances, the excellence in innovation of Toshiba products got me interested in their laptops. Above all, Toshiba uses very well thought of marketing strategy which gets their products right at the door step of its users. Every user needs products that best suits their needs. For this purpose, Toshiba Portege laptops best serve those individuals who spend most of their time on the internet either doing academic researching or conducting administrative or business functions (Toshiba.co.jp). The marketing strategy of Toshiba Corporation mainly encompasses the 4Ps. They include place, product, price and promotion. Product refers to the end product of a manufacturing company. The good or service needs to suit the need of its particular users. Most high performance machines do not focus on embracing all the needs into one product. Rather, producing one product that best serves a particular function may be quite necessary. The long battery life of the Toshiba Portege laptops, high definition visual graphics, incredible processor speed and the light weight of these machines seem to have the potential to serve best those people who need to be mobile. It also excites the tech savvy students and professionals (Ukessays.com). Promotion refers to the marketing strategies employed so as to create awareness to the public. The promotional strategies for Toshiba Corporation such as sponsorship of community activities in Community Social Responsibility mandate of the company help to promote sales. In its advertisements, Toshiba tends to be friendly and inviting in that they make all their products look affordable and user friendly (Ukessays.com). In pricing, the company considered its target market and ensured that even students could afford these machines. Finally, for place, Toshiba Corporation already owns big outlets in big cities of every continent. I bought mine from the New York outlet through internet buying and selling (Ukessays.com). The availability of spare part and maintenance shops in my locality contributed highly to my purchase of the Portege machine. Globalization takes credit for the modern mobility of people, images, knowledge, drugs, fashion, beliefs and capital across national boundaries with extreme ease. Comprehending multidimensionality of the impacts of globalization suggests the need to look up the matter in various ways thereby refraining from the one dimension account. In this way, he noted that deliberate analysis of globalization through anti-reductionists concepts enables the world to notice the sensitive aspects and dimensions by which culture and globalization connect resulting in complex connectivity. The growth of corporations in the contemporary world face numerous challenges. The ethos of establishing a successful enterprise regardless of the diversity of culture lies on the prosperity of globalization. As popularized in numerous articles and books, globalization contributes to the human culture both positively and negatively. The economic dimensions of globalization produces winners and losers as well as contributing to the unified global market. The dynamic results and dimensions of competition in globalization such as environmental degradation, diffusion of cultural practices and emergence of new ways of life contribute to the ultimate uncontrollable globalization. In order to develop policies governing trade and competition within nation and internationally, the World Trade Organization in addition to other international organizations aims to stabilize the impacts (Tomlinson 34). Joseph Schumpeter (1942-1984) argues that capitalism as a result of globalization contributes to creative destruction through competition of industries. In this aspect, the more innovative competitive in constantly provided products and goods of better quality to its consumers tends to take the lead in the market (Schumpeter 18). Through globalization, labor becomes mobile increasingly thereby shifting the balance of economic dominance based on capital against labor. The emergence of corporate authority and genuine market in Europe contributes to less than the anticipated procedurals in neo-liberal projects (Tomlinson 43). In-depth analysis of characteristics of globalization in the contemporary economy include growth of direct foreign investments, liberalization of global trade, sudden occurrence of cross border financial strains, agitated competition in the international markets, policy decision to promote international trade transactions, advanced technology mores o in information and communication technologies, increased environmental degradation and socio-cultural practices erosion. Direct pressures of competition such as dominance in the trade market promotes organization and convergence of cost policies thereby evading the possible unfairness of trade between nations (Reitzer 39). Globalization and its effect of agriculture can be felt all over the world. Through capitalism, various farmers in countries such as Uganda, China, Cambodia and Ethiopia forcefully lost their land. Hillary notes that the acquisition of land for replicates the scramble for Africa colonialism. Poor farmers with incapability to purchase the necessities for maintain land face pressure to trade their meagre possessions contributes to the ultimate movements for food sovereignty. During the World Food Summit in 1996 on food sovereignty to relegate food as a market product, regulatory principles were identified. They include acknowledgment of food as a basic human right, protection of natural resource to conserve biodiversity, eradicating global hunger, promoting social peace by immortalization of food and finally democratic control of small and large scale farmers. References Breton, Raymond. Globalization and Society: Processes of Differentiation Examined. Westport, Ct. [u.a.: Praeger, 2003. Print. Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. Lanham, Md.: Start Publishing, 2012. Internet resource. Tomlinson, John. Globalization and Culture. Oxford: Polity, 1999. Print. Toshiba.co.jp,. 'Toshiba : History'. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. Ukessays.com. 'Marketing Of Toshiba Laptops In Cuba Economics Essay'. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. Read More