Globalization and Change

some would say that the world is now flat, based on the fact that lighting fast communications have created a global economy. Friedman (2005) stated that technology and geo-economics is fundamentally reshaping our lives much more quickly than many people realize (Friedman, 2005). Faster communication means that people on opposite sides of the world can now collaborate in real time. This process of a virtually shrinking world with interconnected economies is referred to as globalization. Globalization was greatly sped up by the internet beginning around the year 2000. Suddenly it was possible for the whole world to be interconnected as countries began to develop the infrastructure to connect to the internet and the World Wide Web (WWW). However the WWW was not the first time globalization occurred. So far it has taken place in three main phases. Globalization 1.0 (1492 to 1800) shrank the world from large to medium via international trade of resources and imperial conquests. Globalization 2.0 (1800 to 2000) shrank the world even more to a small size. This was spearheaded by companies globalizing markets and using international labor. Around 2000, Globalization 3.0 began shrinking the world even more to a tiny sized world that seems to be virtually flat. Globalization 3.0 is different from 1.0 and 2.0 because it uses advanced communication technology to shrink the world and empower individuals. Most of these empowered individuals are diverse and are usually non-Western and nonwhite (Friedman, 2005). Friedman (2005) also writes that it is now possible for more people than ever to collaborate and compete in real time with more people in different corners of the planet and on a more equal footing than at any previous time in the history of the world (Friedman, 2005). And why not? Sauve (2007) stated that time after time it has been proven that a large group of peers is more adept at solving complex problems than a small group of experts (Sauve, 2007). All of this globalization ultimately means there is a greater level of diversity in teams. It is not unusual these days for many people in the United States (US) to have co-workers in other countries. In the US, many businesses that remain based here have also taken a queue from globalization and teamed up employees from difference states. In order to make these diverse teams work, leaders and co-workers must practice inclusion. Inclusion is the practice where everyone is treated and informed equally with no bias based on race or geographical location. Young (2007) wrote that you must create an inclusive environment by changing the organization culture. Young goes on to say that a truly diverse organization has employees that actually have the freedom to stand apart, bring in different ideas and challenge what is entrenched. Above all, these employees bring their passion to their work and build a sustainable future for the business (Young, 2007). Globalization also leads to outsourcing and off-shoring, perhaps the two most obvious examples of major changes that affect almost every large organization (Anderson, 2003). Outsourcing and off-shoring are terms used to describe how jobs and manufacturing are moved outside the US using cheap labor and cheap raw materials. This has led to many job losses in the US. For those in the US that have been displaced, globalization can create personnel issues within an organization. This makes inclusion training for employees even more important. Globalization, diversity and technology advances can lead to challenging issues when creating training programs for today’s organizational teams. One possible answer to this, as posited by Sauve (2007), is where organizations tap into the expertise of the learners themselves by empowering them to teach each other (Sauve, 2007). Instructional design graduate students need to take globalization, diversity and technology advances into consideration when creating training programs. How to develop and present curriculum to a global audience full of diverse technologically savvy means having to be ready for just about anything. Designers should brush up on their diverse team member’s cultural “do’s” and “don’ts”. Instructional designers also need to adapt to new technology and become proficient at it. Additionally designers need to remember that the learner remains at the center of the instructional design process. What the learner needs to know, when, and how are essential in delivering information and instruction in the real world (Anonymous, 2010). Many organizations today also use process improvement based on Six Sigma methodology. This in itself can actually lead to off-shoring and outsourcing. As reported by Chakravorty (2010), Six Sigma aims to remove all processes that don't add value to the final product or service. However, many of the organizations that have implemented Six Sigma have discovered that nearly 60% of all corporate Six Sigma initiatives fail to yield the desire results (Chakravorty, 2010). In this light, not only does the instructional designer have to be aware of globalization, diversity and inclusion, but they also have to deal with a resistant to change culture which has been in "change overload" for some time. Diversity is very important. Learning about the culture of others. Being professional. As instructional designers we would take that into consideration. Diversity brings tolerance. It might help make the world a better place.