Globalization and the Digital Divide
Read this chapter, which covers globalization and how it affects individuals, companies, and nations. As you read, focus on how we got to this point and what the world might look like 50 years from now if globalization continues at the current rate.
Summary
Information technology has driven change on a global scale. As documented by Castells and Friedman, technology has given us the ability to integrate with people all over the world using digital tools. These tools have allowed businesses to broaden their labor pools, their markets, and even their operating hours. But they have also brought many new complications for businesses, which now must understand regulations, preferences, and cultures from many different nations. This new globalization has also exacerbated the digital divide. Nielsen has suggested that the digital divide consists of three stages (economic, usability, and empowerment), of which the economic stage is virtually solved.