Module 7

When asking the question of why some countries or regions are better at doing some things than others, there are many things to consider. Friedman focuses on the cultural and economic reasons for this. Some cultures emphasize different things such as education or work ethic. The compensation expected from certain cultures is different which can change how cheaply products can be made. Outsourcing is a possibility in large part because of the expected compensation of the people in other countries. Some other reasons that certain countries are better at doing things could be geographical. Some things only grow in certain countries giving those countries a monopoly on products made from those crops.

Self-directed consumers are consumers who do some of the work for the company they are buying from. When I think about a self-directed consumer I think of online shopping. When a person shops at Walmart.com they do part of the work that is usually done by Walmart employees. Instead of a manager going online to order things for the store the consumer directly sends their order to Walmart which can then be shipped right to their door. The best part of this for a big company is that they can then give control to a customer while at the same time having to pay employees less. Another positive to having customers order directly is that they can provide many more products than can fit in their stores. If a customer goes into a store looking for a pair of shoes there is only so many shoes that will fit in the shoe section. This is not a problem online where you can display all of your shoes in every color and style and the customer can choose the shoes that best fit their tastes. I am definitely a self-directed consumer because I am extremely lazy and would rather shop online than go to a store.

The question of whether or not globalization means Americanization is a complex one. Globalization according to Friedman is the spread of communication, the advancement in travel and international shipping, and the widespread use of the internet. These things helped globalize the world and even the playing field for everybody everywhere. Americanization on the other hand is the influence America has had on the rest of the world. I think people think about Globalization and Americanization as the same thing because up to this time America has used Globalization the best. American companies have used Globalization to set themselves up around the world which in turn influences those places.