Obstacles to Globalisation

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Introduction One of the most amazing aspects of life today is the way in which nations are progressively becoming a fundamental part of the global economy. Peter Dicken (2007) has called it Global Shift which is simply the way different national businesses now think of the world as one vast market. However, despite all the change that is seemingly taking place, there are obstacles which prevent the coming together of all these countries and this essay aims to identify and discuss what these barriers mean for International Businesses today. What is Internationalisation? According to Dicken (2011), a firm that controls operations in more than one country is an international or a transnational firm. Internationalisation has existed as far back as the 14th century when the Merchant of Prato, Francesco di Marco Datini traded across different nations in Europe, including catering to the luxurious market of Paris thus “exporting to Paris Tuscan silks, embroideries and pictures and Spanish jewels, armour and leatherwork, and buying Parisian fine enamels, inlaid with gold, Flemish or French stuffs for bed-curtains and wall-hangings’ (Origo, 1988: 85). The Barriers of Internationalisation There are different varieties of capitalism (authoritarian, liberal, or coordinated) and the practice of each variety differs from place to place. The literature of different authors on the varieties of capitalism has shown that there is the existence of differences in the way countries carry out the organisation of their economic activities. These significant differences results in barriers that may prevent the convergence amongst different national business systems. Some of these barriers include: 1. Financial Barriers: • Cost of foreign operations: The decision by a firm to move its operations abroad or start dealing with foreign markets usually means that there

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