Part 3: Information Systems Beyond the Organization
Chapter 11: Globalization and the Digital Divide
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
• explain the concept of globalization;
• describe the role of information technology in globalization;
• identify the issues experienced by firms as they face a global economy; and
• define the digital divide and explain Nielsen’s three stages of the digital divide.
What Is Globalization?
Globalization is the term used to refer to the integration of goods, services, and culture among the nations of the
world. Globalization is not necessarily a new phenomenon; in many ways, we have been experiencing globalization since the
days of European colonization. Further advances in telecommunication and transportation technologies accelerated
globalization. The advent of the the worldwide Internet has made all nations nextdoor
neighbors.
The Internet is truly a worldwide phenomenon. As of 2012, the Internet was being used in over 150 countries by a
staggering 2.4 billion people worldwide, and growing. From its initial beginnings in the United States in the 1970s to the
development of the World Wide Web in the 1990s to the social networks and ecommerce
of today, the Internet has continued
to increase the integration between countries, making globalization a fact of life for citizens all over the world.