The answer to whether progress is inherent in globalization really depends on who is being asked. Developing nations and the majority of the world are likely to sing the praises of globalization and tout the benefits of economic growth, increased job opportunities and a greater sharing of prosperity. For developed countries, one might anticipate a less enthusiastic response. While the declining consumer goods costs are likely viewed as a positive, or progress, this is presumably countered by the fact that job and wage security are being increasingly challenged by worker options from the global marketplace.
In reality, globalization is simply the effect of borderless exchange of economic, social, and technological capital. International advantage ebbs and flows in accordance with trade barriers and in this day and age, companies of any and all sizes are engaging in global commerce—be it in the form of goods or services. Access to the global economy is no longer the exclusive dominion of the large multinational corporations, and instead, businesses of all sizes and types can engage in this exchange. Clearly this is progress.
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"Progress is Inherent in Globalization".
Large, economically sound businesses are more likely to sing the praises of globalization, given the ability to find less expensive labor, resources, and manufacturing facilities abroad. In turn, profits are elevated as a result of less wages and related production costs, and investors and executives alike reap the benefits of such progressive action. The advent of such employment, production, and technology being brought abroad, to developing nations, has resulted in those kinds of nations (think Brazil, China, India or Russia) enjoying a boost towards becoming more fully industrialized, and raising the standards of living within.
The flipside of such progress is the argument that outsourcing jobs and production leads to job loss and related profit in the more developed nations. This argument can then be countered with the fact that offshore production or services can enable the consumer or end user to enjoy a reduced cost of goods or services. In other words, lower wages and production costs can result in lower prices, which many would argue is progress in and of itself.
Globalization has other effects, including the overall betterment of global living standards, as developing nations become more industrialized as a result. Detractors however, might argue that progress in already developed nations is actually somewhat impeded by globalization given the flow of jobs and work to less costly sources and locations. There is also the argument that culture is being diffused through homogenous cultural offerings, such as the global presence of Wal-Mart or McDonalds. Though globalization requires an exchange between cultures, it can, as in the above example, render them more similar in some ways—and clearly that would not be viewed as progress by many.
The reality is that globalization is progressive and positive in more ways than not. Businesses have been forced become more flexible and adaptable to change. There is far greater awareness of the fact that low wage workers are hurt the most by outsourcing of jobs, but the reality is that they lack transferable skills. Energy is better spent on training and educating the workforce, as opposed to mourning prior opportunities that have been lost to overseas entities.
In developed countries like the United States, globalization places a greater emphasis on the need for a more educated workforce, and one that is flexible and adaptable to change. To the extent that globalization is forcing long overdue advancements in this area, that in and of itself is immense progress. Globalization is a reality and must be embraced accordingly.
