Background Information

Definitions of Globalisation

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary {12}: “ the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets”

According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary {13}: “the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries”

According to Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) {14}: “growth to a global or worldwide scale>”

According to Wiktionary {15}: “the process of going to a more interconnected world>”

Our own definition: “the development of technology and communication to integrate countries across the globe, resulting in a more unified advancement of countries through trade, telecommunication and spread of culture.”

History

In 300BC, Alexander the Great "discovered the ancient world in a global sense." He was one of the first people who had come up with the concept of Globalisation {1}.

In 1897, Charles Taze Russell coined the term "corporate giants" which today, are multinational corporations such as McDonald's, Starbucks and Subway, which are found in many parts of the world. This idea was also present during the times of colonisation, where the European powers had international trade between the imperial powers and colonies {2}.

Today, the main medium for globalisation daily is through the World Wide Web but telecommunications is also a large contributing factor.