Internet Exercises


1			What college town holds the Guinness record for "the most Internet cafés in a single kilometre"? If you answered Irbid, Jordan you would be correct (or almost correct). While the Guinness Book does not actually recognize the record, certainly Irbid is a contender for the title. In fact, Internet cafés are everywhere in the town, and, one might argue, are changing the way of life in Jordan. Some Jordanians are using the Internet cafés to run small businesses. Others are using the Internet to keep in touch with friends and relatives. Many however, are using the Internet to access information about "the rest of the world." Discuss the role of the Internet in the process of globalization. In particular, consider how the Internet effectively eliminates geographic and political boundaries. In Irbid, many of those who frequent the Internet cafés wear Western-style clothes and speak English (often perfected in Web chat sessions). Discuss what the Internet means to economies that have traditionally maintained a more isolated stance toward the rest of the world. Finally, reflect on the irony that technology that was primarily developed in North America, is being used by so many non-North Americans to learn about North America. Yet it appears that some North Americans have failed to use the Internet in a similar fashion, and remain relatively uninformed about the rest of the world. Source: "College Town in Jordan Is Full of Internet Cafés With a Familiar Feel," The Wall Street Journal, 11/18/02, p. A1.




2			KFC has long been a fixture in the world of North American fast food, but now the Colonel is also calling China home. In fact, after the U.S., China represents KFC’s biggest source of revenues. The company opened its first store in China in 1987, but only after getting the blessing of the mayor of Beijing. In fact, the venture was seen as a highly sensitive one politically, and the appeal of KFC was primarily the fact that it was a foreign company. Today however, as a result of globalization, fast food now represents an integral component in the Chinese diet. KFC has responded by offering a range of menu items including soup, rice, and Chinese breakfast porridge. Discuss the concept of the globalization of markets from the perspective of the fast food industry. How is fast food helping to create a global market? How are differences within markets limiting the process of globalization? Has the Internet had any effect on the process of globalization within the fast food industry? KFC (www.kfc.com) has more or less given its Chinese operations, which plan to open 200 stores a year, free rein. The company believes that those closest to the market are in the best position to make decisions related to that market. Do you agree with this approach? Why or why not? Source: "Cracking China’s Market," The Wall Street Journal, 1/9/03, p. B1.

Your Results:

E-mail Your Results