The World Is Flat

Title: The World is Flat вЂ" Canada and the Flat World

There are many challenges and opportunities that the Flat World has provided and allowed for in the world we live today. Canada needs to be prepared for this Flat World. The following hopefully explores just that.

1. How has/does a flat world impact world trade and Canada. The flat world, with the advent of advancements and exposure to technology, infrastructure, culture, cost, education, political change and ideology has changed both World Trade and Canada has a whole. The flat world has changed a traditional top-down (vertical) type command and control to a horizontal one (collaborate and connect), in our global economy. This in turn impacts the World and Canada. Countries that are driving the flattening world such as India, China, and Ireland whom have allowed for global collaboration, innovation, creativity, skilled/educated labor force (education has a national strategy), political and economical reform has allowed them to prosper and become effectively competitive relative to the rest of the World in terms of Globalization. The rest of the World (The countries that want to adopt and adapt) and Canada, moving forward in the flattening world, has to be adaptable and adoptable, by collaborating as a global community and society, being competitive, innovative, creative, with continued political and educational reform, we shall continue to be prosperous providing growth for the world, Canadians, and the new found global surrounding communities.

2. How do you see the future job growth in Canada impacted by a Flat World? Canada is a beautiful country. I feel Canada is adapting to the flattening world. We are fostering business growth through focusing on development of small businesses, corporate strategies, and continue to adapt to the ever changing global marketplace. That being said, I feel job growth in Canada, will change to those of a high-skill/specialized nature vs. the low-skill/labor activity within the manufacturing industry. These in turn will be likely transferred to countries such as India, China, and other countries that in turn are more competitive. As defined within the book �the new middle’ job classes will be the individuals that are competing globally. Education and continuous skill upgrade are needed. Job growth in Canada shall continue to be effective, we partially subsidize education, have a capitalistic environment along with the social safety nets such as reasonable labor laws, and public health care. That being said we need to stay focused and continue to provide for business/political reform (as the world continues to change), address the educational need of all Canadian citizens, to be innovative, creative and competitive.

3. In what way will youth be impacted by the Flat World? Global youth in the flattening world shall have the opportunity of a lifetime provided they stayed focused, become educated and remove the complacency that exists with regards to being unaffected by the flat world, and having the instant gratification factor. The ability to be able to be exposed to new emerging technologies, be able collaborate globally with companies (first jobs/careers), education, and experience different scenarios at the global level shall provide for a full prosperous future. However, with the flat world youth needs to be more competitive due that fact they are competing globally for jobs, and in business. To accomplish this they need leadership and that is up to us. In both education and at work we need to mentor them, develop them, to be the �best of the best’ so that they are able to obtain high-skill �new-middle’ jobs. From a political leadership standpoint we need to ensure that we promote education, skill upgrading and personal development so that youth have the ability to �learn to learn’ and be employable, thus continuously contribute to the global surrounding community.

4. What Type of content should be emphasized/de-emphasized in schools, and what types of teaching methodologies would best prepare students for the future and a flat world.

The approach described in the book is excellent one, to establish and emphasize in education. It focuses on four strategies. 1) The ability to �learn how to learn’ be inspired and love doing it. 2) Be passionate and curious. Having strong combination of curiosity quotient and passionate quotient would foster motivation, innovation and creativity, and thus self education in turn developing the individual’s intelligence quotient. 3) Development of strong interpersonal/interactive skills. This shall allow for strong interactions with other people within the collaborative world. 4) Development of the right-hemisphere of the brain, which addresses relationship skills, and creativity, and �seeing the big picture’. An area that I would also emphasize in education that is not really focused on is financial education. Being able to understand and interpret how the economic and financial aspects of the global marketplace work would be a very strong asset to students. This includes understanding financial reporting, investment strategies, and application of financial well being (i.e. minimization of debt, asset acquisition and allocation, etc.). In terms of de-emphasizing teaching activities I would address some minimization of low-skill type elective courses which may potentially detrimental for student growth and development.

5. What are the specific challenges for Managers to be better equipped to work in a flat world? (i.e. generalist vs. specialist, large company vs. small).

As a manager in the flat world you need to ensure that you are able to be both adaptable and be receptive to change, and face new challenges as they appear. Due to the economic landscape changing as a result of the flat world the days of the �job for life’ within large corporations are over thus the skill-set within a generalist point of view needs to be combined with one of specialization so that you can adapt and be employable within both large and small business. Focus also needs to be placed on your employees in ensuring that they too are in turn educated and retrained in a specialized environment so they to have �lifetime employability’. A prime example is defined within the book with the example of Capital One being able to provide versatility to its employees through and education and retraining within a specialized environment. Thus, the manager within the flat world needs be versatile in order to compete.

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