前回は「Globalization: A history of openness ～ The history of our interconnected world is also a history of our willingness to open up」のさわりの部分だけを紹介しました。今回は残りの部分のその半分を記載します。前回同様、一気読みしたい方は、下記をクリックしてください。すでに読んでしまった人は、この記事の終わりにある私の別のブログを楽しんでいただければと思います。それも興味ないという方は、Amazon Primeで無料映画でもどうぞ（私も今年だけで100本以上、見ました）。
https://opensource.com/open-organization/20/7/globalization-history-open
さて、グローバルビジネスに関わっている方、あるいは、これから関わる方は、少なからずTOEICを勉強されていると思います。私もIBM時代に何回か受験しました。730点というのが海外出張や海外赴任の条件の一つだったからです。その頃（1980年代末）に比べるとTOEICの内容も変化してきました。特にリーディングのボリュームが増えました。一説によると約7000 wordあり、ある程度余裕を持って回答するには160 wpm(words per minutes）のリーディングスピードが必要とのこと。
さて、以下の文章は、467 wordsあります。何分で読めるかチャレンジしてみてください。
Trade
By "trade," I'm referring to the imports and exports of goods and services between countries. It's a key dimension of a globally connected world. Trading extremely simple products and services might be possible via electronic transactions, perhaps over the internet. But on the other hand, highly complex products may require a company to build a distribution network in a wide range of countries worldwide. In this case, then, connectivity, collaboration, and leveraging other open organization principles would be extremely important. In my last job, for example, I set up product distributors throughout Europe and the United States and a production operation in China. Building a strong relationship was very important, difficult and took time and effort. I had to use open organization principles to their fullest.
Investment
Global financial investments also have an impact on global connectedness. If an investor simply purchases shares of an overseas company or deposits funds in an overseas bank account, then more complex relationships are not as critical. But if a company wants to invest in a factory (or sales office for that matter) in a foreign country, then a great deal of interpersonal interaction is required. Economists define these two types of investments differently; they call the latter "foreign direct investment" or FDI. Projects focused on FDI get people working closely with each other across traditional geographic boundaries. Here again, open organization principles will play an important role.
Communications
When considering global communications, think of two broad categories: verbal communications and written communications. The former may involve, for example, telephone communications—simply having the ability to get on a telephone and affordably talk to someone anywhere on the globe. Even today, in many parts of the world, this is not technically possible. On top of that, language becomes a problem internationally, as many people aren't communicating in a common language. These issues are being addressed, but according to the 2019 DHL Global Connectedness Index, this has been more difficult to measure than in the past. Today, there are simply too many communication methods to make tracking this dimension as easy as it was in the past, and those methods seem to be increasing at an exponential rate.
Thanks to proliferating internet access, written forms of communication are also increasing worldwide, but measuring, again, is more difficult to do. For this reason, I'd guess that the next real technological breakthrough will involve both foreign language electronic verbal communication (interpreting) and written communication (translating) software. This software is improving all the time, and could greatly contribute to global communications and information sharing between languages. This, then, will all lead to better integration and spread of open organization principles, as communications are sure to continue to increase worldwide. (Personally, I don't think this technology will replace person-to-person interaction, but could certainly support it.)
いかがでしたか。もう一度、自分のペースで読んで、内容を楽しんでください。
********************************************************************************************************
齋藤信幸の『理詰めの営業』はここ。
R-50 人生100年時代の私のライフデザインは、ここや！
齋藤信幸の「ロングステイ」はここ。
********************************************************************************************************
https://opensource.com/open-organization/20/7/globalization-history-open
さて、グローバルビジネスに関わっている方、あるいは、これから関わる方は、少なからずTOEICを勉強されていると思います。私もIBM時代に何回か受験しました。730点というのが海外出張や海外赴任の条件の一つだったからです。その頃（1980年代末）に比べるとTOEICの内容も変化してきました。特にリーディングのボリュームが増えました。一説によると約7000 wordあり、ある程度余裕を持って回答するには160 wpm(words per minutes）のリーディングスピードが必要とのこと。
さて、以下の文章は、467 wordsあります。何分で読めるかチャレンジしてみてください。
Trade
By "trade," I'm referring to the imports and exports of goods and services between countries. It's a key dimension of a globally connected world. Trading extremely simple products and services might be possible via electronic transactions, perhaps over the internet. But on the other hand, highly complex products may require a company to build a distribution network in a wide range of countries worldwide. In this case, then, connectivity, collaboration, and leveraging other open organization principles would be extremely important. In my last job, for example, I set up product distributors throughout Europe and the United States and a production operation in China. Building a strong relationship was very important, difficult and took time and effort. I had to use open organization principles to their fullest.
Investment
Global financial investments also have an impact on global connectedness. If an investor simply purchases shares of an overseas company or deposits funds in an overseas bank account, then more complex relationships are not as critical. But if a company wants to invest in a factory (or sales office for that matter) in a foreign country, then a great deal of interpersonal interaction is required. Economists define these two types of investments differently; they call the latter "foreign direct investment" or FDI. Projects focused on FDI get people working closely with each other across traditional geographic boundaries. Here again, open organization principles will play an important role.
Communications
When considering global communications, think of two broad categories: verbal communications and written communications. The former may involve, for example, telephone communications—simply having the ability to get on a telephone and affordably talk to someone anywhere on the globe. Even today, in many parts of the world, this is not technically possible. On top of that, language becomes a problem internationally, as many people aren't communicating in a common language. These issues are being addressed, but according to the 2019 DHL Global Connectedness Index, this has been more difficult to measure than in the past. Today, there are simply too many communication methods to make tracking this dimension as easy as it was in the past, and those methods seem to be increasing at an exponential rate.
Thanks to proliferating internet access, written forms of communication are also increasing worldwide, but measuring, again, is more difficult to do. For this reason, I'd guess that the next real technological breakthrough will involve both foreign language electronic verbal communication (interpreting) and written communication (translating) software. This software is improving all the time, and could greatly contribute to global communications and information sharing between languages. This, then, will all lead to better integration and spread of open organization principles, as communications are sure to continue to increase worldwide. (Personally, I don't think this technology will replace person-to-person interaction, but could certainly support it.)
いかがでしたか。もう一度、自分のペースで読んで、内容を楽しんでください。
********************************************************************************************************
齋藤信幸の『理詰めの営業』はここ。
R-50 人生100年時代の私のライフデザインは、ここや！
齋藤信幸の「ロングステイ」はここ。
********************************************************************************************************
※コメント投稿者のブログIDはブログ作成者のみに通知されます