The good and bad that come with globalization and capitalization seems to be either good or bad dependent upon what cultural lens it is looked at through. Capitalism has made it easier for workers to be exploited and for the majority of people to agree to it by essentially condoning it with the adage of “He who has the most profits win”. This is the bad side of capitalism that is built on one of the worst facets of humanity, which is greed, however this seems to be the world we live in today. Friedman's account of the theory of Globalization seems to provide a good understanding and I think that the counter to having success in the system is by losing the cultural integrity and the difference of countries. This can be seen if too much homogenization occurs and the Lexus will start to outweigh the Olive Trees. I think that countries and people might not want to completely give up their whole identity for McMansions and McEverything. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “nothing is as sacred as the integrity of one's own mind” and I think that can be true for countries as well. If a balance between the Lexus and Olive Trees is not maintained then “cultural integrity” will not be saved and nothing will be sacred anymore and this will eventually be a “lose-lose” situation for everybody involved and Capitalism won't seem so “win-win”.
The relevance this book can provide a manager involved in enterprise engaging in international business is to always try to see the business venture from the other culture's point of view first and not necessarily the culture one is currently living in. The McDonald's theory might hold true for some countries, however the menu of pork and meat might not even be up for discussion in other countries. Also, it is important to note that companies that have lasted didn't always have the best product and idea that trumped another company, but their strategy was built to sustain the long-haul and encompassed the bigger picture or say thirty years down the road. They did not take the approach of “take now and worry about it later”. A more strategic approach that embodies the central thesis of balance, while taking into account the cultural integrity of that country will create a lasting international business relationship between companies.
