The World Is Flat

ASSIGNMENT: The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman Discuss the book in general and what he means by a "flat world" and what conditions make it flat. Focus on at least one specific topic such as 10 flatteners or the 7 rules for companies

The book by Thomas Friedman, "The World is Flat", discusses the enormous changes regarding technology and communications which have altered the lives of people all over the globe (1). A large aspect in regards to the "flat world" is that we are competing with foreigners all over the world for jobs, status, and power.

Friedman states that the world is flat because he sees it as a "level playing field" with converging opportunities (4). He discusses events such as the creation of global supply chains, the Soviet bloc, and the capitalist restructuring of China which have broken down the "vertical walls" and created a single global marketplace (4). He also focuses heavily on the increasing use of technology and its ability to connect entrepreneurs all over the world. Friedman feels that the world is flattened due to the new globalized economics which have connected collaborating and competing individuals that are seeking opportunities.

Friedman discusses the oneness of the world, by writing about the flattening of our world due to several key event and forces. Friedman is overall a "technological determinist", because he focuses on the idea that technology determines what is possible for us (3). He states that our flat world has given us the exposure to several possibilities. The coming of supply-chaining as well as outsourcing are factors which contribute to the oneness of our world (3).

The 10 Flatteners

The core of the book discusses the 10 trends which Friedman thinks are changing the world. The first two flatteners concern the end of communism as well as the ever-increasing rise of the Internet. Friedman states that these two aspects are exemplified by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the initial public offering of Netscape stock in 1995 (2). The 10 flatteners are: The coming of IBM personal computers, the coming of the Netscape web browser, development of software programs that allow computers to communicate with one another, development of open-sourcing, outsourcing, off-shoring, supply-chaining, in-sourcing, in-forming, and coming of wireless technology (1).

Another flattener that Friedman feels is important is the open source movement as something with a global affect. "Open source" regards the technique of developing software. Open source software is developed by a team of engineers which distribute the software freely over the Internet and is available to anyone who has the source code. The problem with open source is that it has become somewhat of a "cult movement" (2). The increase of the Web has created the "Internet Utopians" who are constantly in search of free information without the associated costs.

In regards to outsourcing, Friedman discusses the "dirty little secret" his idea of hiring foreign workers for cost considerations and because foreign workers are often more competent then their American counterparts (3). The secret is the fact that these workers are more motivated to work harder because they

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