Globalisation and professionalism
Globalisation: “This is the blanket term to describe the processes through which sovereign national states are criss-crossed and undermined by transnational actors with varying prospects of power, orientations, identities and networks” (Beynon, J. 2000)*.
This week we will be discussing professionalism and how it has been influenced through the phenomena of globalisation. As graduates we have come to accept that globalisation is an inevitable element of our future professional careers. In our opinion we believe globalisation allows us the freedoms that were not so accessible in the past. Currently we are able to access information at greater speeds, work is now done via video conferencing and we are able to network globally with ease. The evolution of the Internet has allowed us to complete University Degrees online and create online business transactions.
However with all this in mind globalisation is full of contradictions! We may have greater contact to industry in other countries although this has generated a more competitive market based approach. On the contrary people are having to work longer and more unsociable hours to cater for the global market. Expectations have evolved and are often out of proportion to what they once were.
*Beynon, J. & Dunkerley, D. (2000). General Introduction, Globalisation: The Reader, London: The Athlone Press
http://socialstudies10.blogspot.com/2008/02/cultural-identity-collage.html
Stay tuned for our next captivating and fabulous blog!
fascinating comments, you say that:
August 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm“we believe globalisation allows us the freedoms that were not so accessible in the past.”
and I wonder with greater freedom do we have greater responsibilities? And what might these responsibilities encompass?
regards
Julia
We beleive we do have greater responsibilites these are, keeping up with new technologies, market place trends and monitoring our personal impact on the new global world. Ensuring that economic success does not adversely impact upon the enviroment.
September 8th, 2008 at 6:02 pmThe interconnectivity that globalisation offers does indeed present greater opportunities for us. And as a student from Singapore, I agree that the work-life balance scales are tipping against us in the face of this increasingly globalised world. Better communications presents a paradox because the ability creates expectations of “professionalism” for us to participate in say a telecon with counterparts in America which is 12 hours behind us, infringing into what is traditionally deemed personal time. It would be difficult to stand your ground and tell the boss “No” to participating in the telecon at what is to you an ungodly hour as its truly a competitive world and if you refuse, then you run the risk of losing your job to a more “professional” person.
September 21st, 2008 at 1:22 pmAs I have discussed above, the impending situation could admittedly be unhealthy. Since I hold a full-time job as a Marketing executive, having to balance work and school committments has not been easy. My typical work day starts at 9am and ends at 6pm. Three nights a week, I have night classes from 7-10pm. In between, there are assignments to be done, readings, research and studying for tests/exams which leaves perpetually no time to spare. In my situation, in order to survive, something’s got to give. It also takes a lot of discipline. Sometimes I sacrifice my social life and sometimes my sleep. In this sense, I am different and slightly less privi;eged than the full-time students in Perth. Yet, I appreciate the experience I gain in my current tight-schedule life, as I feel it prepares me for the challenges of professionalism that I will increasingly have to face in the globalised world.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:41 pmExpectations on a working person differs from country to country I suppose. The globalisation phenomenon is indeed inevitable. I trust that this can be seen more evidently in developed countries such as Singapore, Australia, USA etc. In these nations, the workforce, as compared to those in India for example, are expected to be more well educated and, of course, professional. Efficiency in service delivery is of utmost importance. If our job obligations require us to clock in more hours to meet tight deadlines, or we need to telecon with counterparts in nations where the time zones are different, it would be unreasonable for us not to fulfill this requirement. Afterall, with globalisation, changes are bound to come by as well and this is one of it.
I feel that we do not have to view this process as something which eats into our personal time. We can view it as a socialisation process where it gives us aplenty opportunities to brush up our skill sets. This is beneficial and contributes to our own personal development.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 amTo sum it up as I have discussed above, I feel that a nation’s working culture plays a key role in affecting how working persons go about making the necessary adjustments to their schedule in view of their changing work role as a professional due to globalisation.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:01 amHi MGB,
It was interesting how you analyzed globalization is filled with much contradictions and i agree with how it has definitely opened up more competition among industries and by that creating and prolonging work times just to suit the needs of global consumers. I guess the pros and cons of globalization has got us quite confused.
However, your blog titled “Globalization and Professionalism” and i ponder how globalization has really influenced the subject on professionalism? is it on how it has developed a vast body of knowledge that is applicable and available to the masses and from which could create the existence of professional work that could be provided and justified without the boundaries of time and space?
It was mentioned “Expectations have evolved and are often out of proportion to what they once were”, has globalization created so much competition, that ethical measures have been twisted and not abide to because profits are at stake, because expectations are higher than before, and one has to do what one has to, to keep a competitive edge in the battle?
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 pmIn addition to the above pointers, i do concur that “globalization is an inevitable element in our future professional careers” and ethical dilemmas that we may face in our professional endeavours may be inevitably present too.
i feel that the skills that students and professionals can acquire is Professional Communication and Business Ethics/Etiquette. As much as they may be “soft-skills” but they are very useful in this globalized era where the convergence of nations through work or recreation is on the rise. Understanding how to work/communicate with people from other nations and understanding business etiquette around the world is a trump card to getting things done.
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:35 pmHere’s Globalisation for you:
I’m residing in Singapore, doing a degree from Australia, replying to a post from someone in Perth using a keyboard made in China.
Yes I do agree that globalisation is full of contradictions. When the PC was used more often as a business tool, there were expectations that us rat-racers would be able to take life easy, as data became easier to analyse, communication was instantaneous, and numbers crunched at the speed of light.
However, we are now having more tasks things to do, time is being wasted on e-mail communication (instead of face-to-face), and the only thing we can be sure about is missing deadlines.
Expectations have evolved, and we as present or potential professionals would be expected to follow them.
I refer to Marilyn’s statement about business phone call’s at an ungodly hour; does it mean that doing the phone call is “professional” and rejecting it because of “personal time” not?
I believe professionalism, as in beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder. As I learnt in class recently, on organisations being seen as political entities, having the right people seeing you doing the right thing is more important then doing the right thing.
In a more family-oriented culture or organisation, making sure you leave work at 6pm on the dot is seen as being a professional; you do the best at your job and then go home to take care of your family
In others, you are an individual that lacks “dedication to your job” and “doesn’t have your priorities in order”.
Context is more important than content, thus the same individual doing the same things in different organisations can be “management material” and “first name to appear during budget cuts”.
I believe that the most important thing, therefore, in “context based professionalism”, is intent.
The degree to which a person is dedicated to his or her life goals, be it career, family or friends, should be an indication of how professional he or she is.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:26 pmClarence Lim – I definitely agree with your statements and love your unique definition of globalisation you used “I’m residing in Singapore, doing a degree from Australia, replying to a post from someone in Perth using a keyboard made in China.” However such things often make me wonder, are we prepared and equipped for these rapid changes and are these changes all contributing to make for a ‘better’ society?
Marilyn Tan- Your work-life balance, although fairly full on sounds as if it is in fact contributing greatly to you gaining the necessary skills expected by today’s society. You mention how you often give up your social time as you are constantly tackling work or assignments. It makes me wonder is the life part of your work-life balance life at all? What do you class as life at this point in time? Seeing friends and socialising, resting and relaxing? For me my life is family and friends. My family are a crucial part of my successful uni life, and their motivation continues to drive me. At the same time I believe it is crucial also to maintain healthy relationships with your friends outside of uni also. If I were to cut out all of my socialising I would probably still be successful at uni however I would not be happy and being happy is the most important thing.
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October 5th, 2008 at 6:46 pmI agree with Serafina that globalization does create ethical dilemas in our world. How we respond to these issues will shape the type of worker that we are. Units such as business ethics are a vital part of todays study, learing about other cultures and customs of other societies is also and intergral part of working effectively in todays globalized society.
October 6th, 2008 at 2:41 pmMarilyn Tan, I agree with your comment about globalisation providing greater opportunities for us yet infringing on our personal time. It is very difficult to create a comfortable balance with people trying to satisfy their boss by working back while trying to satisfy their own need for leisure time. As you say something has to give. A person cannot go on sacrificing their leisure and sleep for long periods of time without falling sick or becoming emotionally drained. The body can only take so much pressure before it caves in.
I also understand your situation. I currently am trying to balance working full time (5.5 days per week) with being a student and having to complete assignments. I agree that it can be quite satisfactory in that it helps prepares me for the challenges of professionalism however it does make it difficult to maintain a healthy social life. When I have an assignment to do I have to put off seeing friends to be able to have the time to complete it. Once I have completed it another assignment usually comes up and after so long of this you realise you have lost touch with your friends. It makes me ask the question is it really worth sacrificing everything for professionalism if you do not have the time and energy to reap the rewards? After all life is very short and we need to make the most of the time we do have
October 10th, 2008 at 6:38 pmGlobalisation indeed offers massive opportunities both as a working professional and as an international company. We see from Singapore’s point of view; as more and more local companies venture into China and India (regions with huge commercial potential), we witness an increasing number of mainland Chinese and north Indian professionals coming over to Singapore plying their trade. This is largely due to their professional skills which comes hand in hand with their understanding of their local market.
This “exchange programs” can be view as a commercial driven effort. As more and more companies venture into other countries, they need professionals from the locals to understand their local market. Localisation is the key word to venturing into a another country or region. Cultures and tradition differences are terms that someone from other countries can’t truly understand. As such professionals and companies “moves” into a totally new environment creating an exchanging of talents, culture, traditions, habits that develops into a globalisation effect with professionalism taking a forefront.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:44 amHi Caitlin,
Thanks for your thoughts on my comment.
You are right. I am deceiving myself if I claim there is “balance” in my current work-school-life. Simple pleasures of just lazing on the couch and watching TV (which i now recall having enjoyed in the past) have in fact become distant and fuzzy to me. I have no time for hanging out with friends for coffee. I have no time to catch a movie. I have no time for dinner with friends. I have no time for shopping. I have no time to read a leisurely novel. I have no time for a swim.
But fortunately, I manage to miss crossing the line of insanity (IMHO) and like you, my family is my pillar of strength and I will have time, no matter to eat dinner with them, talk to them, visit my grandma on Sundays.
You have set good priorities for yourself in life which I truly admire. I agree thaat to be happy should be the number one objective for a meaningful life.
My admiration for you stems from my inability to detach myself from the expectations that I set upon myself (i.e., maining a certain grade-point average). It is sad but I just cannot detach from the belief that these sacrifices I make in terms of sleep, social life, are a worthwhile investment that I just have to endure and stay focused on to reap the benefits in due time.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:31 pm