What is 'Globalization'?
Technology is a major contributor to
Globalization represents the global integration of
international trade, investment, information
technology and cultures. Government policies
designed to open economies domestically and
internationally to boost development in poorer
countries and raise standards of living for their
people are what drive globalization. However,
these policies have created an international free
market that has mainly benefited multinational
corporations in the Western world to the
detriment of smaller businesses, cultures and
common people.
BREAKING DOWN 'Globalization'
Through globalization, corporations can gain a
competitive advantage from lower operating
costs, and access to new raw materials and
additional markets. In addition, multinational
corporations can manufacture, buy and sell
goods worldwide. For example, a Japan-based car
manufacturer can manufacture auto parts in
several developing countries, ship the parts to
another country for assembly and sell the finished
cars to any nation.
Globalization is not a new concept. In ancient
times, traders traveled vast distances to buy rare
commodities such as salt, spices and gold, which
they would then sell in their home countries. The
19th century Industrial Revolution brought
advances in communication and transportation
that have removed borders and increased cross-
border trade. In the last few decades,
globalization has occurred at an unprecedented
pace.
Public policy and technology are the two main
driving factors behind the current globalization
boom. Over the past 20 years, governments
worldwide have integrated a free market
economic system through fiscal policies and trade
agreements. This evolution of economic systems
has increased industrialization and financial
opportunities abroad. Governments now focus on
removing barriers to trade and promoting
international commerce.
globalization. Advancements in IT and the flow of
information across borders have increased
awareness among populations of economic
trends and investment opportunities.
Technological advancement such as digitalization
has simplified and accelerated the transfer of
financial assets between countries.
The Broader Meaning of Globalization
Globalization is also a social, cultural, political and
legal phenomenon. In social terms, globalization
represents greater interconnectedness among
global populations. Culturally, globalization
represents the exchange of ideas and values
among cultures, and even a trend toward the
development of a single world culture. Politically,
globalization has shifted countries' political
activities to the global level through
intergovernmental organizations like the United
Nations and the World Trade Organization. With
regard to law, globalization has altered how
international law is created and enforced.
The Globalization Controversy
Proponents of globalization believe it allows
developing countries to catch up to industrialized
nations through increased manufacturing,
diversification, economic expansion and
improvements in standards of living. China is a
good example of a national economy that has
benefited immensely from globalization.
Outsourcing by companies brings jobs and
technology to developing countries. Trade
initiatives increase cross-border trading by
removing supply-side and trade-related
constraints. The North American Free Trade
Agreement, for example, encouraged U.S. car
manufacturers to relocate operations to Mexico
where labor costs are lower, and many U.S.
companies have outsourced call centers to India.
Globalization has advanced social justice on an
international scale, and globalization advocates
report that it has drawn attention to human rights
worldwide. In addition, some feel the spread of
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Disadvantages of Globalization Description
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where U.S. companies transfer their facilities Proponents of globalization argue that it helps
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Globalization
Over many centuries, human societies across the
globe have established progressively closer
contacts. Recently, the pace of global integration
has dramatically increased. Unprecedented
changes in communications, transportation, and
computer technology have given the process new
impetus and made the world more
interdependent than ever. Multinational
corporations manufacture products in many
countries and sell to consumers around the world.
Money, technology and raw materials move ever
more swiftly across national borders. Along with
products and finances, ideas and cultures
circulate more freely. As a result, laws, economies,
and social movements are forming at the
international level.
This site considers not only the Globalization of
the Economy but also the Globalization of Politics,
of Culture and of Law. The globalized world
sweeps away regulation and undermines local
and national politics, just as the consolidation of
the nation state swept away local economies,
dialects, cultures and political forms.
Globalization creates new markets and wealth,
even as it causes widespread suffering, disorder,
and unrest. It is both a source of repression and a
catalyst for global movements of social justice
and emancipation. The great financial crisis of
2008-09 has revealed the dangers of an unstable,
deregulated, global economy but it has also given
rise to important global initiatives for change.
The term globalization encompasses a range of
social, political, and economic changes. Within
the section Defining Globalization, we provide an
introduction to the key debates. The materials ask
what is new, what drives the process, how it
changes politics, and how it affects global
institutions like the UN.
Globalization expands and accelerates the
exchange of ideas and commodities over vast
distances. It is common to discuss the
phenomenon in highly generalized terms, but
globalization's impacts are often best understood
at the local level. Cases of Globalization explore
the various manifestations of interconnectedness
in the world, noting how globalization affects real
people and places.
Tables and Charts on Globalization provide data
on the growing global interconnectedness and
draw a statistical and graphic picture of
Globalization.
Globalization often appears to be a force of
nature, a phenomenon without bounds or
alternatives. But peoples’ movements have shown
that it is neither unalterable nor inevitable.
Citizens all over the world—ordinary people from
the global North and South—can work together
to shape alternate futures, to build a globalization
of cooperation, solidarity and respect for our
common planetary environment.
Migration
This definition is part of our Essential Guide:
Guide to easing the migration to Office 365
In information technology (IT), migration is the
process of moving from the use of one operating
environment to another operating environment
that is, in most cases, thought to be a better one.
Migration can involve upgrading to new
hardware, new software or both.
The migration process includes making sure the
new environment's features are exploited, old
settings do not require changing and that current
applications continue to work. Companies can
conduct small-scale migration projects that move
a single system, or take on large-scale migration
projects that involve many systems, new
applications or a redesigned network.
Database and data migration
Database migration is the migration of data from
one kind of database to another kind of database.
This usually requires converting the data into a
common format that can be output from the old
database and input into the new database. Since
the new database may be organized differently, it
may be necessary to write a program that can
process the migrating files.
Data migration is the transfer of data between
data storage systems, data formats or computer
systems. A data migration project is usually
undertaken to replace or upgrade servers or
storage equipment, for a website consolidation,
to conduct server maintenance or to relocate a
data center.
Factors to consider in a data migration project
include the amount of downtime required to
complete the migration, as well as business risks
due to technical compatibility issues, data
corruption, application performance problems
and data loss.
Application migration
Application migration is the process of moving an
application program from one environment to
another, such as the migration from an on-
premises enterprise server to a cloud provider's
environment. This type of migration project may
require the use of middleware products to bridge
any gaps between technologies.
Application migration can be a complicated
process due to the differences between the
original and new environments. Elements such as
operating systems, management tools, the
networking architecture, the storage system and
the virtual machine configuration can all differ
from those in the environment where the
application was developed or deployed.
Cloud migration
Cloud migration is the process of moving data,
applications or other business elements from an
organization's on-site computers to the cloud, or
moving them from one cloud environment to
another. Like application migration, moving
company data to a cloud service provider's
environment may require the use of middleware,
such as a cloud integration tool, to bridge any
gaps between the cloud vendor's and the
customer's technologies.
Cloud-to-cloud migration projects are
complicated because the data being moved is
stored and managed remotely and controlled by
external organizations that are often in multiple
locations. As a result, special considerations must
be made in regards to data privacy,
interoperability, data and application portability,
data integrity, business continuity, and security.
Other types of migration
Migration projects can also refer to smaller-scale
projects that upgrade a specific technology or
service. Some examples of these types of IT
migration include:
Software migration is the transfer of a company's
programs used to operate computers and related
devices into a new, upgraded operating system.
System migration is the transfer of business
process IT resources to a newer hardware
infrastructure or a different software platform.
Digital migration is the process of replacing
broadcasting services offered on analog
technology with digital-based networks. The
transition from analog television to digital
television is referred to as a digital migration.
Content migration is the process of moving
information that is currently stored on a web-
based content management system, a digital
asset management system, a document
management system or an HTML based system
and into a new, upgraded system.
In the digital age, other types of migration have
been developed as companies adapt to the
digitization of business processes and company
data. Physical to virtual refers to the migration of
operating systems or application programs and
data from a computer's main hard disk to a virtual
machine or a disk partition. Virtual to virtual is the
migration of operating systems, application
programs and data from a virtual machine or disk
partition to another virtual machine or disk
partition. Virtual to physical refers to the
migration of operating systems, application
programs and data from a virtual machine or disk
partition to a computer's main hard disk.
What Is Discrimination?
Discrimination means treating a person unfairly
because of who they are or because they possess
certain characteristics. If you have been treated
differently from other people only because of
who you are or because you possess certain
characteristics, you may have been discriminated
against.
The Equality Act 2010 highlights 9 protected
characteristics:
Age
Gender
Race
Disability
Religion
Pregnancy and maternity
Sexual orientation
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Discrimination that occurs because of one or
more of the above characteristics is unlawful
under the Equality Act. Considering every person
has at least some of these characteristics such as
age, race or gender, the Act protects every person
from being discriminated against.
If you are treated unfavourably because someone
thinks you belong to a particular group of people
with protected characteristics, this is also unlawful
discrimination.
Types of Discrimination
Discrimination can occur in the following forms:
Direct Discrimination
Under similar circumstances, when a person with
a protected characteristic is treated less
favourably than others, it is direct discrimination.
For example – you have the qualifications and
experience necessary for the job but your
application is turned down because you are ‘too
young’ or ‘too old’.
Indirect Discrimination
If there is a rule or policy in the workplace that
puts you at a disadvantage as compared to
others, it may be considered indirect
discrimination. For example – an organisation
includes a clause that forces all employees to
work on Sunday. This puts Christians at a
particular disadvantage as it is common
knowledge that Sunday is a day of worship for
Christians.
You have a right to challenge the clause if it
affects you directly.
Discrimination by Association
If you are treated unfairly because someone you
know or are associated with has a protected
characteristic, this may be construed as
discrimination by association. For example – you
are refused service in a restaurant because you
are with someone who belongs to a particular
race.
Discrimination by Perception
Receiving unfair treatment because someone
thinks you belong to a group with protected
characteristics, you may be experiencing
discrimination by perception. For example – you
are heterosexual but an estate agency refuses to
lease out a flat to you because they assume you
are gay due to their misconceptions about how
gay people look, dress or behave.
Harassment
Harassment comprises of unwanted behaviour
that makes another person feel offended,
humiliated or intimidated. Unwanted behaviour
could include physical gestures, abuse, jokes,
spoken or written words or offensive emails and
expressions. For example – male gym members
passing sexual comments or telling unwelcome
jokes within earshot of a female gym member
could constitute harassment.
Victimisation
When a person is treated badly or subjected to
detriment because they complained about
discrimination or supported another victim of
discrimination, this may be considered
victimisation. For example – you are denied
training or advancement avenues at work
because you filed a sexual harassment complaint
against your boss.
Understanding When And Where You Are
Protected From Discrimination
The Equality Act 2010 specifies several situations
where you are protected from discrimination.
Some of these situations and settings include but
are not limited to the following:
As an employee in any kind of workplace
including offices, factories or construction sites
amongst others
As a student or staff in schools, colleges and other
educational institutions
When looking for a place or property to rent or
buy a property from estate agents or housing
associations
As a client of a business or organisation that
provides services or goods such as banks, shops
and utility companies
When using transport services such as buses, taxis
or trains
As a patient or resident at any healthcare setting
including hospitals, private clinics and nursing
homes
When interacting with public bodies such as local
authorities and government departments
Special Clauses In The Equality Act 2010
Regarding Disability Discrimination
Under the Act, it is against the law to discriminate
against disabled individuals or put them at an
unfair disadvantage in educational settings, at
work, when renting or buying property or when
providing goods, services and other facilities. The
only time when disability discrimination is
considered legal is if it is possible to justify the
action on health and safety grounds or because domestic violence by their male partners and they
of unavoidable business reasons. would be reluctant to speak to other men about
their experience.
In the workplace, employers must make
reasonable adjustments to the workplace so that A Roman Catholic school is justified in restricting
disabled workers have access to the all the applications for a job as a scripture teacher to
facilities and benefits as workers who do not have only baptised Catholics.
any disability.
If an employer turns down an application because
Special Clauses In The Equality Act 2010 a prospective worker insists they be given time off
Regarding Discrimination In The Workplace at certain times for religious observance, it could
The Equality law protects you from being be construed as religious discrimination.
discriminated against at work during every phase However, if the time off coincides with the
of employment, including: employer’s business time and all workers are
required to be on the job to ensure customer’s
Recruitment orders are met, then the employer may be
Training justified in taking this action by citing the
Employment terms and conditions ‘occupational requirements’ clause.
Salary and benefits
Promotion, transfer and other advancement
opportunities
Redundancy
Dismissal
Understanding When It May Not Be Considered
Discrimination
In some instances, it may not be considered
unlawful discrimination if someone treats you
unfairly on the basis of any of the protected
characteristics, provided that they have good
enough reason for this unfair treatment and are
able to justify the discrimination.

These few examples demonstrate when

discrimination may not be considered unlawful:

A construction company requires all applicants

for a high-rise construction job to take a series of
physical tests. While this might put older
applicants at a disadvantage and could be
considered as indirect age discrimination, the
company is justified as an older worker may not
be able to meet the physical rigors of the job.

A shelter for women posts an advertisement for

female counsellors only. In this case the
employers could escape any potential sex
discrimination complaint by arguing that all of
their clients are women who have suffered