Many of us have read Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat, and now comes a new book by Ronald Aronica and Mtetwa Ramdoo who put air — not sure hot or cold — into Friedman’s flat world.
After reading their commentary, let me ask you this: Do you think Friedman’s vision of the globalized world is a deeply skewed account of globalization?
I wonder what Christopher Columbus would have thought of this whole debate? And what about the folks who produced Around the Flat World in Eighty Days and Love Makes The World Go Flat?”
Think they care?
Tags: globalization, Laurel_Delaney, Mtetwa_Ramdoo, Ronald_Aronica, The_World_Is_Flat, Thomas_Friedman
Laurel,
Here is my disclaimer: I am a Friedman fan and a self-proclaimed flat-worlder, with caveats.
The criticism is a non-issue. Nearly every author writes from a point of view, and neither Friedman nor his critics are exceptions. Although Friedman sees globalization in a way that is skewed toward his vision and sense of it, he is closer to being right than he is to being wrong.
This is an issue that every consultant, marketer and business person needs to understand. It affects our livelihoods and our lives and will only grow in its influence.
Lewis ~ I, too, am a huge fan of Friedman’s and loved The Lexus and the Olive Tree nearly as much, if not more, than The World Is Flat but as much as I understand Friedman’s thinking, I will never understand the theory of our world being flat. Interconnected, yes. But flat, no.
Globalization is here to stay but someone — let’s start with you Lewis — needs to explain to me what globalization has to do with being flat? I look at Friedman’s remark or title of book as merely coining an expression that plays off the original discovery of Christopher Columbus who said, “The world is round.”
Like you, Laurel, I think Friedman’s calling the world flat is just an easy and provocative way to communicate his point about the world’s interdepency and interconnections. From looking at the link, I see his critics are calling his writing superficial. I think he tells stories and gets lightly into the subject, to keep the reader interested and engaged. If he were to go into a deep treatise, it would be too heavy for most and wouldn’t have sold 2 million copies.
I think Friedman’s thinking is on target, although I wouldn’t argue that there are other points of view that have some merit as well. But it’s a good wake-up call to Americans and westerners that the world is a larger place than our own borders and we don’t dictate or control what happens globally.
David — totally with you on Friedman. However, this part:
“But it’s a good wake-up call to Americans and westerners that the world is a larger place than our own borders and we don’t dictate or control what happens globally.”
I’m not so sure. Yes, it’s a red alert on globalization. But while we don’t dictate or control what happens globally, we can most certainly get ourselves to a place of choice with our business. Mine is doing business with the world.
What about for you?
Where can we get more info. on the Aronica and Ramdoo book? Have you read it? What do you think?
Martin — it was mentioned in my original post but here it is again:
http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-Critical-Analysis-Bestseller/dp/0929652045/ref=sr_1_1/002-5943429-7911263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178553972&sr=8-1
I have not read it but you will get a general idea of what’s going on by reading the reviews.
Martin — it was mentioned in my original post but here it is again:
http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-Critical-Analysis-Bestseller/dp/0929652045/ref=sr_1_1/002-5943429-7911263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178553972&sr=8-1
I have not read it but you will get a general idea of what’s going on by reading the reviews.
Joseph Stiglitz’s latest book, Making Globalization Work is a nice rebuttal to Friedman’s claims of a flat world. I have to agree to the above comments that there is vast inter-dependency, but certainly not equal opportunity for global competition.
Laurel – Flat is a reference to organizational structure. When you flatten an organization you remove layers of bureaucracy and drive important decision making to a lower level. Your organizational pyramid becomes more and more squashed.
Jason — will check out Stiglitz’s latest book because I liked his last one (although very heavy reading I might add) “Globalization and Its Discontents.”
And thanks Fred for the education on what flat really means from an oganizational standpoint.