Chapter 2

Information Systems Today: Managing in the Digital World 2-1

2“The idea of charging for calls belongs to the last century.”

Niklas Zennström, Skype

Fueling Globalization through Information Systems

Chapter


Learning Objectives


Globalization

• Globalization created a new world characterized by:o Worldwide

communication

o Collaboration without barriers


Evolution of Globalization

• Mainly European countries are globalizing

• Power is the primary driver

• Industries changed

• Slow pace of change

Globalization 1.0


Evolution of GlobalizationGlobalization 2.0

• Companies are globalizing

• Reduction in transportation and telecom-munications costs

• Mainly Europe and America involved


Evolution of Globalization

• Individuals and small groups are globalizing

• Fast changes

• Emergence of new industries

Globalization 3.0


Evolution of Globalization: Summary

• “10 Flatteners”o Key factors enabling globalization 3.0

• The World is Flat (Thomas Friedman)


Flattener #1: The Fall of the Berlin Wall

• November 9, 1989

• Fall of communism

• People from the former communist countries gained more freedom


Flattener #2: Netscape Browser

• August 9, 1995

• First mainstream browser

• Gave individuals access to the Internet

THEN

NOW


Flattener #3: Work Flow Software

• Applications that allow people worldwide to communicate

• XML allows applications to “talk” to each other

• New possibilities for information sharing


Flattener #4: Supply Chaining

• Integration of retailers, suppliers, and customers

• RFID tags used

• Wal-Mart became an early leader


Flattener #5: Open Sourcing

• Software and source code freely available to everyone

• Wikipedia a huge success


Flattener #6: Outsourcing

• Outsourcing companies profited from the drop in telecommuni-cations costs

• Companies can now use talented engineers from anywhere


Flattener #7: Offshoring

• Companies set up entire factories in countries such as Chinao Mass production

o Low Costs


Flattener #8: In-Sourcing

• Delegation of company’s key operations to a subcontractoro E.g.: UPS

provides complete supply chain solutions to companies


Flattener #9: In-Forming

• In-Forming is to individuals what outsourcing, offshoring, and in-sourcing is to companies

• Individuals have access to massive amounts of information


Flattener #10: The Steroids

• Technologies that support different types of collaborationo Greater mobility

o Convergence


Learning Objectives


Opportunities of Operating in the Digital World

• Opportunities of Reaching New Marketso Former Eastern

Bloc countries provide new opportunities for international companies to reach new customers


Opportunities of Operating in the Digital World

• Opportunities of a Global Workforceo Low

communications costs

o Highly-skilled labor pool

Engineering Graduates in the US, Europe and India


Learning Objectives


Challenges of Operating in the Digital World

• Globalization also created a set of unprecedented challenges:o Governmental challenges

o Geoeconomical challenges

o Demographic challenges

o Cultural challenges


Governmental Challenges

• Political System Challengeso Political stability

• Regulatory Challengeso Tariffso Embargoeso Export regulationso Quotas


Governmental Challenges II.

• Data-Sharing Challengeso Transborder data flow regulations

• Internet Access and Individual Freedomo Content blocking by governments/censorship

• China – Use of VoIP restricted

• Germany – Sites with fascist symbols prohibited

o Internet access blocking

• Cuba, North Korea


Geoeconomic Challenges• Time Zone Challenges

o Real time meetings across continents difficult

o Working around the clock possible


Geoeconomic Challenges II.

• Infrastructure-Related Challengeso Traditional infrastructure – roads, electricity

o Connectivity – reliable Internet connections

• Challenges Related to Economic Welfareo GDP growth not distributed evenly

throughout the world


Demographic Challenges

• Differing rates of population growth


Demographic Challenges II.

• Expertise related challengeso Different

concentration of skilled workers

o Different costs of workers


Cultural Challenges

•National Cultureso Power Distance – differences in how societies

handle the issues of human inequalityo Uncertainty Avoidance – risk taking natureo Individualism/Collectivism – value placed on

an individual vs. a groupo Masculinity/Femininity – degree to which a

society is characterized as masculine/feminineo Concept of Time – long term vs. short termo Life Focus – quantity vs. quality of life


Cultural Challenges II.

• Cultural Barrierso Language – communication language and norms

o Work Culture – work skills, habits and attitudes

o Aesthetics – art, music and culture

o Education – attitudes towards education and literacy

o Religion, Beliefs and Attitudes – spiritual institutions and values

o Social Organizations – family and social cohesiveness


Cultural Challenges III.

• Other Challengeso Differences in what is regarded as

appropriate

o Standards of dealing with intellectual property

o Different standards

•E.g., writing paper, pillowcases


Learning Objectives


Going Global: International Business Strategy in the Digital World

Multidomestic Business Strategy

Global Business Strategy

Transnational Business Strategy


Multidomestic Business Strategy• Low degree of

integration between subunits

• Flexible and responsive to the needs and demands of local markets

• E.g.: General Motorso Opel in Germanyo Vauxhall in Great

Britain


Global Business Strategy

• Centralized

• Used to achieve economies of scale

• E.g.: Coca-Colao Same core product

o Some different tastes made for local markets


Transnational Business Strategy

• Some operations centralized while others decentralizedo Flexibility

o Economies of scale

• Difficult to manage

• E.g.: Unilever


Business Strategies: Summary

• Different types of information systems can support these organizational forms


Information Systems Strategies• Multinational Information Systems

Strategyo Often used by multidomestic companieso Decentralized systemso Communication between home office and

subsidiarieso No focus on communication between

different subsidiarieso Decentralized local data processing centers


Information Systems Strategies II.

• Global Information Systems Strategyo Used by companies with global business

strategyo Centralized infrastructureo Home office coordinates most of the

strategic decisionso Communication and data sharing networks

between home office and subsidiarieso Data does not stay with local subsidiaries

but flows back to the home office


Information Systems Strategies III.• Transnational Information Systems

Strategyo Pursued by transnational businesses

o Extensive communication between home office and subsidiaries as well as among subsidiaries

o Key data shared throughout the company


IS Strategies: Summary

End of Chapter Content


Opening Case: Managing in the Digital World: Casino Gaming

• RFID tags will revolutionize the gambling industry by providing real time information such as the amount held in chips

• Mobile gambling using PDAs

• Online gambling on the rise


Detecting Intermittent Electrical Faults

• Hard to find intermittent electrical faults caused by small damage to wires

• Pulse arrested sparks discharge (PASD) – developed to help find these faultso Nanosecond bursts of high voltage sent through

wireso Problem areas light up and are identified

• Boeing uses the technique

• U.S. military is interested in the technology


Online Searching

• To “Google” has become a household verb meaning search


Niklas Zennström: Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, Skype

• “The idea of charging for calls belongs to the last century.”

• Skype has 28 million subscribers

• Among the 100 most influential people transforming the world


Underground Gaming Economy

• Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game – MMORPGo Virtual world – players live through avatars

• Players started selling virtual tools for real money – farmerso Banned from various gaming sites due to

behavior being unethical and fear of turning users away


E-Waste• Disposal of electronics containing hazardous

materials is a rising issue

• U.S. exports much of its e-waste to third world countrieso China banned the import in 2002o Other countries to follow

• In mid 2006, EU banned toxic ingredientso Production of “green” hardware

• US government working on making changes – currently state-level legislation most effective


Transnational Development

• Wrigley Companyo World’s largest manufacturer of chewing gum

o Sold in 150 countries

• Good information systems key to conducting marketing researcho Russian marketing research branch initiated the

development of a marketing research work flow automation system

o After successful testing, system was implemented in other marketing research branches


The Automobile Industry• The automobile industry is feeling the

pressure of globalization• Failed attempts at making a “world car”

o Consumers have different tasteso Differences in infrastructures derive needso The price of gasolineo Variations in emission standards

• Cultural and economic conditions need to undergo more globalization to make a world car successful

Chapter 2

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 2