The Technology and Globalization Cycle 1

The Technology and Globalization Cycle

Adam Leshok

South Lyon High School

19 March 2017
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 2

Abstract

This paper discusses how globalization leads to technological advancement and progress.

It gives examples of the types of technology that has been improved such as medicine and

science but also explains how technology and globalization have come together to benefit the

world, opening doors for new opportunities and improvement along with making societies

around the world more efficient. The paper also dissects how globalization and technology are in

a cycle with one another, globalization leading to technology and technology leading to further

globalization, which is the pattern propelling our world forward and will help everyone come to

a better place.

APA Paper: The Technology and Globalization Cycle

The Technology and Globalization Cycle 3

Over the course of civilization, as people spread out and cover the globe, a sure trend to

follow has been advancement in technology. The resulting technology does not only include the

general technology that is typically first thought of such as computers and smartphones, but also

scientific technology and branches from it such as medical technology, business technology and

information technology. These advancements then have also helped us to spread further and

more easily. Through history this cycle has been repeated over and over and has enabled the

human race to move forward significantly. The process of spreading out and the spreading of

ideas following is referred to as globalization. Globalization in itself a controversial topic as it

could be argued that in developing countries the spreading and imposition of dominant ideas and

culture is invasive, destroying age old culture and traditions by forcing new ways on others who

do not want it. When it comes to the overall effects of globalization, however, the good outweigh

the bad. Globalization has allowed for better communication technology and allowed countries

worldwide to work together and individually focus only in areas where each country can accel

allowing for the world to be more efficient which enables us to further develop technology,

allowing humans to globalize more creating a cycle of scientific and technological growth.

The overall effects of globalization on technology have been beneficial and have only

helped advancement in the technology field. For example, according to an article written by Dr.

Harish Gupta (2015) in the British Medical Journal, focusing on changes in India alone, Gupta

explains how in recent years the Indian government has begun to allow doctors of traditional

medicine to prescribe drugs of modern medicine. Although it may be controversial due to lack of

training and experience, it is still beginning and this displays the integration of new technology

into old cultures. Additionally, Gupta discusses discoveries on the other end of the practice,

bringing up Joseph Stiglitzs book Making Globalization Work when Gupta explains how more
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 4

powerful countries have attempted to use the knowledge in medicine of poorer countries.

Recently modern science in the more advanced countries have begun researching the traditional

medicine techniques of lesser developed countries and it has been understood that the less

developed countries continue to use the traditional remedies they use because for one reason or

another they do in fact work in curing the ailments they are supposed to. In turn, the more

developed countries have benefited from doing research on traditional medicine to come out with

new drugs and medications. In the book, Stiglitz (2006) explains that the drug companies,

recognizing the profit potential have followed , rediscovering what was long ago discovered by

traditional cultures - and in some cases doing no more than rebranding it(chapt. 4). Due to the

fact that doctors of traditional medicine have helped drug companies to produce medications, it

is easily argued that Indian doctors of traditional medicine may know more than simply nothing

about medicine so it makes sense for them to be allowed to prescribe modern medicine because

the integration of technology into culture through globalization can work both ways, not only

bringing new technology into old culture but old technology into new culture which can be

equally beneficial.

Not only medicine technology but all kinds of technology like engineering and scientific

technology has also been propelled forward by globalization. An article written by the US

National Research Council Committee(2005) discusses the changes in authorship trends of

scientific output over the last thirty years. In other words, the article discusses how countries

releasing scientific articles such as experiments, or studies, or new discoveries has shifted over

time. Thirty years ago, the United States was the leading producer of scientific output, averaging

about 175 thousand articles per year, with all of Western Europe following with about 140

thousand articles per year. Now the production has shifted with Western Europe beating out the
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 5

U.S.. The US National Research Council Committee attributes this to a few things although it

cannot be directly related to any one cause. First they explain this trend being due to an increase

in the quality and quantity of research abroad than to a decrease in the quantity of US

publications.(part 3, para. 1). The NRCC also explained that this could be related to

international collaboration, as assessed by the number of articles with institutional authors from

more than one country, more than doubled from 1988 to 2001, leading to an increase from 8

percent to 18 percent of all [science and engineering] articles.(part 3, para. 2). It was noted that

the US took part in much fewer collaboration articles than other countries worldwide were. The

trend was also derived from the fact that more recently, other countries have also increased their

capacity for education and research with funding in order to be more competitive with the United

States (part 3, para. 3). This represents the benefits of globalization for science and technology

worldwide because this proves that collaboration leads to higher production quality and quantity

which will help the world because further developments in science and technology help lead to a

higher standard of living in any country to which the new technology is brought.

Globalization has reshaped the world from causing a shift in business and business

strategies world wide. With the world being more integrated than ever before and using the new

technology and machinery that has come from that, such as airplanes, boats, and telephones,

businesses can now be multinational. It is beneficial for corporations to be multinational for

many reasons. For example, a banana company in the U.S. could become multinational setting

by up facilities to grow bananas in the Dominican Republic which can then be grown better

resulting in a nicer final product. This now results in several universal advantages. Obviously,

buyers of the bananas will be more satisfied since the product is nicer, but this creates

competition because now nobody will want bananas that are produced in America because the
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Dominican Republic produces better bananas, so now other American companies have to be

competitive. Competition is beneficial because competition leads to innovation. For example,

perhaps there is another banana company does not have the means to produce bananas in another

country so instead they research genetic engineering in order to genetically engineer bananas that

are a perfect substitute or possibly even better bananas than foreign grown bananas. This kind of

competitive innovation is what leads to technological advancement, like in this case genetic

engineering. Another advantage that develops from growing bananas in the Dominican Republic

to ship to the United States is the economical idea of comparative advantage, the idea being that

a country should do what they are best at in order to help in the bigger picture (Investopedia,

2015). For example, since the Dominican Republic is so good at producing bananas, Dominican

natives can open up a banana farm and then export and sell bananas to other countries. Since

these countries now do not have to worry about producing bananas, they can focus on things they

are better at doing such as developing technology like computers and smartphones. According to

Investopedias article, How does Globalization impact Comparative Advantage? (2015), this

process of comparative advantage has immensely helped developing countries as well ...by

providing jobs and capital investments that would not have otherwise been available. As a result,

some developing countries have been able to progress more quickly in terms of job growth,

educational attainment and infrastructure improvements. (para. 3). This type of comparative

advantage is beneficial for everyone because countries are able to focus on a few main jobs or

goods which leads to more efficiency globally.

Globalization has led to not only job growth in developing countries, as Investopedia

discusses, but market growth, as well, with the birth of new industries like the shipping industry.

Without the ability and technology of shipping, bananas from the Dominican Republic could not
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 7

be brought to the United States in the first place, comparative advantage would not apply to the

situation, and oversea trade would almost halt. Some nations like Singapore, however, have

taken advantage of the need for worldwide shipping and their convenient geographic location to

start an industry and build an economy around shipping and throughput of goods between

countries. According to PSA Singapore (2017), the Port of Singapore is one of the largest naval

ports in the world with connection to over 123 countries and 600 ports worldwide. The port also

has terminals for all purposes from transporting oil to natural gas to concrete so they can ship

more materials through which has lead to the Port of Singapore to be the worlds busiest

transhipment port, handling one-seventh of the worlds container transhipment. This has

positively shifted the economy of Singapore over time, as exports/ through-ports increased, so

did Singapores Gross Domestic Product as shown in the graph provided by International

Enterprise:

Singapore Income from Different Sources

The Technology and Globalization Cycle 8

Figure 1. Singapore Income from Different Sources. This figure shows the money singapore

receives from foreign sources like revenue from exports and foreign stock and compares it to

Singapores GDP.

In the graph (p. 6) it can be seen that the Gross Domestic Product, the white line, and the

exportation of goods, the darker blue line, have had similar trends both increasing dramatically

between 1990 and 2010. The International Enterprise analysis of Singapore further explains that

Unlike larger countries which can rely on domestic consumption to drive economic growth,

Singapore has to export our products and services to global markets in order for our GDP to

grow(Cheong, 2013, p.6). Since Singapore is a small nation with limited land and natural

resources, being self sufficient would be difficult for them but due to globalization and the

shipping technology that has been developed with it, Singapore has benefited greatly, giving the

country the ability to be competitive nation with other developed countries globally. The

shipping services that Singapore provides for the worlds economy better promotes trade and

communication, which builds international relations and expands markets, leading to the growth
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 9

of not only businesses but products as well, further allowing innovation and competition, which

enables the forming new technology and leads to benefits for everyone involved.

Globalization has become a major part of life in the modern day with more technology

and information being spread faster than ever, and although this may change the old ways,

ultimately change is good and globalization brings change. Globalization has brought

opportunities to people all over the world and allows the future to have endless possibilities. The

development of new technology is a sure result of globalization because of the competition and

collaboration the globalization brings. Technology allows us to live our lives easier along with

more efficiently. It could also help us cure new diseases, develop agricultural techniques to feed

more people, and help us to communicate easier and faster, leading to further globalization and

helping to continue the cycle that benefits people from all over the world. This cycle is what will

bring us from present to future.

APA Research Paper Annotated Bibliography

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References

Burnside, K. (2017). How Globalization & Technology Change Business. Retrieved from

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/globalization-technology-change-business-27306.html

This source discusses how globalization has led to changing business practices, for

example outsourcing production to make a good cheaper. It also discusses that now

because of globalization, all business is more connected and individual firms have to run

based on factors out of their control and based on what other firms do. Also effects on

foreign policy for countries have changed due to outsourcing. Im not yet sure how useful

this source will be for anything other than showing the effects of globalization. Though

this source seems credible with a given author, publisher, ect. it does not give a lot of

information making it possibly not be as useful as other sources. (Word Count: 113)

Cheong, T. (2013). Driving Singapores External Economy Beyond 30 Years. Retrieved from

https://www.iesingapore.gov.sg/-/media/IE-Singapore/Files/Publications/IE-Insights/Vol-10-

Driving-Singapores-External-Economy-Beyond-30-Years-Sep-2013.ashx

Gupta, H. (2015). Globalization and its Impact on Science. British Medical Journal.

Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2879/rr-3

This source discusses the progress the technology of medicine in India due to the effects

of globalization in the last decade. Dr. Harish Gupta explains that in recent years the

Indian Government has allowed doctors of traditional medicine prescribe modern

medicine, along with explaining how some traditional medicine techniques were used to

find cures to diseases we face today. Although this article mainly focuses on the

advancements in medical technology, on the topic it is a reliable source and could be

The Technology and Globalization Cycle 11

useful for a brief example of the positive effects that globalization has had. The goal of

this source was to give information on the effects of globalization in medicine, it also

gives an unbiased point of view. (Word count: 118)

Investopedia. (2015). How does globalization impact comparative advantage?. Retrieved

from http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/030215/how-does-globalization-impact-

comparative-advantage.asp

Lawlor, B. R. (2007) The Age of Globalization: Impact of Information Technology on

Global Business Strategies. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=honors_cis

This section discusses how globalization has led to advancements in Information

Technology and breaks it down into three parts; Enterprise IT, Network IT, and Function

IT and explains advancements in each along with how businesses have evolved to use the

new technology produced and how they are able to save money and be more efficient

because of it. This source is a textbook source of what sees to be a college so the

information is credible and is also unbiased because the section does not discuss opinion

only give information. In my APA paper I can use this source to show the direct cause

and effect globalization has had on advancing technology and helping businesses. (Word

Count: 115)

National Research Council (US) Committee on Policy Implications of International

Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States. (2005) Policy

Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United

States. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK37567/

The Technology and Globalization Cycle 12

This book excerpt talks about how research is made in science and technology worldwide

and how who is doing the research has begun to change over time. It uses graphs and

charts to show how in the 40 or so years, scientific output of countries around the world

has shifted. Scientific output being the amount of scientific articles a country releases in a

year. Before about 1995 the U.S. had dominated in that department however since then

European countries have begun to make progress as well, surpassing the United States.

The excerpt explains how globalization is the reason behind this occurrence and has

allowed the world's scientific capacity to increase. Also due to the example the U.S. has

set, other countries have followed and put more money into research. This source may be

useful in my APA paper for showing more evidence as to how globalization and

technology have worked together to help the world advance. This source is surely

credible because it is written by the National Research Council (US) Committee on

Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the

United States. This research group is U.S. government sponsored and although you may

expect it to be bias in favor of the U.S. it clearly shows how the U.S. has fallen behind in

the past two decades and shows how globalization is involved. (Word count: 232)

No author name (n.d.) Effects of Technological Developments on Globalization Process.

Retrieved from http://mediaif.emu.edu.tr/pages/atabek/GCS7.html

This source discusses how technology has helped to drive the globalization process,

arguing the inverse of my papers main argument. The article talks about how the five

elements part of the sociological definition of technology have all played a role in the

world's technological development. This could allow this article to be useful in writing

my paper because I will be able to have evidence to form a discussion about how
The Technology and Globalization Cycle 13

technological advancements and globalization go hand and hand and drive each other

forward. For example, printing press helped writing be more dispensable or radio allowed

us to communicate better so we could spread out. This article does not have an author

listed however I do think the information is still credible because it is from a emu.edu

website, along with the fact that this is a more technical and informative article making it

written in a way that cant really be countered because it simply explains facts. Although

the source does not argue against globalization or technology at all it really doesnt seem

to be a bias source because it is not really written with the intent to take a stand. (Word

Count: 193)

PSA Singapore Terminals. (2017). About Us. Retrieved from

https://www.singaporepsa.com/about-us

Stiglitz, J. (2006). Making Globalization Work. Retrieved from

http://www.library.fa.ru/files/Stiglitz-Making.pdf

Figure 1. Cheong, T. (2013). Driving Singapores External Economy Beyond 30 Years. Page 6