LESSON 2

COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

1. learn about globalization as a phenomenon, its implications, and its effect to
communication; and
2. demonstrate an understanding of the impact of globalization on communication by
delivering a two-minute speech.

Read the following reading texts that provide information about globalization.

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION ANYWAY?

Alex Gray (World Economic Forum, 2017)

How globalization works

In simple terms, globalization is the process by which people and goods move easily
across borders. Principally, it is an economic concept – the integration of markets, trade, and
investments with few barriers to slow the flow of products and services between nations.
There is also a cultural element, as ideas and traditions are traded and assimilated.
Globalization has brought many benefits to many people. But not to everyone.

Storm in a coffee cup

To help explain globalization's economic side, let's take a look at the well-known
coffee chain Starbucks.

The first Starbucks outlet opened its doors in 1971 in the city of Seattle. Today it has
15,000 stores in 50 countries. These days you can find a Starbucks anywhere, whether
Australia, Cambodia, Chile, or Dubai. It's what you might call a truly globalized company.

And for many suppliers and jobseekers, not to mention coffee-drinkers, this was a
good thing. The company was purchasing 247 million kilograms of unroasted coffee from 29
countries. Through its stores and purchases, it provided jobs and income for hundreds of
thousands of people all over the world. But then disaster struck. In 2012, Starbucks made
headlines after a Reuters investigation showed that the chain hadn't paid much tax to the UK
government, despite having almost a thousand coffee shops in the country and earning
millions of pounds in profit there.

As a multinational company, Starbucks was able to use complex accounting rules that
enabled it to have profit earned in one country taxed in another. Because the latter country
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had a lower tax rate, Starbucks benefited. Ultimately, the British public missed out, as the
government was raising less tax to spend on improving their well-being.

How did globalization happen?

We might think of globalization as a relatively new phenomenon, but it’s been around
for centuries.

One example is the Silk Road when trade spread rapidly between China and Europe via
an overland route. Merchants carried goods for a trade back and forth, trading silk as well as
gems and spices and, of course, coffee. (In fact, the habit of drinking coffee in a social setting
originates from a Turkish custom, an example of how globalization can spread culture across
borders.)

What drives it?

Globalization has speeded up enormously over the last half-century, thanks to great
leaps in technology.

The internet has revolutionized connectivity and communication and helped people
share their ideas much more widely, just as the invention of the printing press did in the 15th
century. The advent of email made communication faster than ever.
The invention of enormous container ships helped too. In fact, improvements in transport
generally – faster ships, trains, and airplanes – have allowed us to move around the globe
much more easily.

What's good about it?

Globalization has led to many millions of people being lifted out of poverty. For
example, when a company like Starbucks buys coffee from farmers in Rwanda, it is providing
livelihood and a benefit to the community as a whole. A multinational company's presence
overseas contributes to those local economies because the company will invest in local
resources, products, and services. Socially responsible corporations may even invest in
medical and educational facilities.

Globalization has not only allowed nations to trade with each other, but also to
cooperate with each other as never before. Take the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, for
instance, where 195 countries all agreed to work towards reducing their carbon emissions for
the greater global good.
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What's bad about it?

While some areas have flourished, others have floundered as jobs and commerce
move elsewhere. Steel companies in the UK, for example, once thrived, providing work for
hundreds of thousands of people. But when China began producing cheaper steel, steel plants
in the UK closed down, and thousands of jobs were lost.

Every step forward in technology brings with it new dangers. Computers have vastly
improved our lives, but cybercriminals steal millions of pounds a year. Global wealth has
skyrocketed, but so has global warming.

While many have been lifted out of poverty, not everybody has benefited. Many argue
that globalization operates mostly in the interests of the wealthiest countries, with most of
the world's corporate profits flowing back to them and into the pockets of those who already
own the most.

Although globalization is helping to create more wealth in developing countries, it

does not help close the gap between the world's poorest and richest nations. Leading charity
Oxfam says that when corporations such as Starbucks can legally avoid paying tax, the global
inequality crisis worsens.

Basically, done wisely (in the words of the International Monetary Fund), globalization
could lead to "unparalleled peace and prosperity." Done poorly "to disaster."

THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON GLOBAL COMMUNICATION

By: Anam Ahmed
Reviewed by: Elisa Shoenberger, M.B.A.
Updated November 21, 2018

Connecting with people on the other side of the world is now much easier than it was
a few years ago. Satellites, fiber-optic cables, and the internet make it effortless to share
information with those in different time zones and locations. Global communication is directly
affected by globalization and helps increase business opportunities, remove cultural barriers,
and develop a global village. Both globalization and global communication have changed the
environmental, cultural, political, and economic elements of the world.

Increased Business Opportunities

Many companies today hire employees that are located in other countries. Using
communication vehicles such as video calling makes it simple to converse with colleagues
across the globe, almost making it feel like they are in the same room. Technology also makes
it easier to connect with suppliers and customers all over the world and to streamline those
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relationships through improves ordering, shipment tracking, and so on. With this kind of
communication technology, many businesses are able to take advantage of opportunities in
different countries or cities, improving the economic outlook on a global level.

Thanks to global communications, information itself can be transferred as a valuable

business asset from one country to another. This has the effect of making everyone's
operations more modern and efficient, regardless of where they are located.
Fewer Cultural Barriers

Many people perceive culture to be the root of communication challenges. When

people from two different cultures try to exchange information, the way they speak, their
body language, or their mannerisms can be interpreted differently by the other person. The
way people approach problems and how they participate in communities is influenced by
culture.

Globalization has made it possible, for example, for someone in Japan to understand
how someone in the U.S. goes about their day. With television and movies, cultural barriers
are becoming less prevalent. Being able to communicate effectively and frequently with
colleagues or friends across the planet helps people understand each other’s cultures a little
better.

Creation of a Global Village

You’ve likely heard of the phrase "global village," coined by theorist Marshall
McLuhan. Affected both by globalization and global communication, the global village is
created when distance and isolation no longer matter because people are connected by
technology. Wide-spread telephone and internet access have been life-changing for many
people across the world, especially those in developing countries. Many are now enrolling in
universities across the world without having to leave their desk chair. Virtual assistant jobs are
becoming commonplace. Employees from developing countries work with companies in
North America or Europe, providing administrative support and other business services that
can efficiently be conducted over the phone or via the internet.

Globalization and global communication have made it easier to see people on the other
side of the world as neighbors instead of a stranger from a faraway land. There is so much
knowledge about other countries and cultures available online, that it’s no longer a complete
mystery.
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How has globalization affected how people communicate?

Communication has been greatly affected by globalization and globalization through

communication. Here is a video entitled “Connected, but Alone” from TED talks with a
significant message.

(Please refer to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4&t=3s)

After watching the video, reflect on the message of Ms. Sherry Turkle. Respond by
writing a two-minute speech on the impact of globalization on how we communicate and vice
versa. Ask yourself: How has the communication relation at home been done? Who usually
initiates the communication flow at home? Has the communication line among family
members been affected by technology? Recommend a solution to address the condition at
home.

The speech will be delivered via a zoom meeting, depending on the quality of your
internet connection. In case there is a technical problem, you may record your speech and
submit it to our Schoology account. The schedule of the Extemporaneous Speech will just be
posted.

Extemporaneous Speech
RUBRIC

Content and Clear Organization 15

Delivery 15
Pronunciation, Enunciation and Diction 10
Stage Presence (eye contact, poise, personality) 10
TOTAL 50

Sources:
https://bizfluent.com/info-8232542-effects-globalization-global-communication.html
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/what-is-globalization-explainer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4&t=3s

Further Readings:
Madrunio, Marilu R. (2018). Purposive Communication Using English in Multilingual Contexts.
Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Magan, Rhodora G., et. al (2018) Purposive Communication in the 21 st
Century.Manila:MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.