Importance of Being a Global Citizen

Importance of Being a Global Citizen

The opportunities and challenges encountered by businesses today are global, calling for leaders to manage the businesses they lead with a global mindset. Global leaders should aspire to act as bridges, linking talent and resources across the different political and cultural spectrums. With a global mindset, leaders can use their entrepreneurial spirit to ensure there is positive value across the connections. The paper gives an insight into the differences between globalism and globalization and what being a global citizen means. Even though there is a disagreement among theorists on what being a global citizen means, the contribution of global citizenship cannot be overstated. Leaders with a global mindset decode and accommodate competing business situations from diverse viewpoints.

The Distinction between Globalism and Globalization

Globalization and globalism may seem to refer to a similar phenomenon from the outset, but the two concepts are different. On the one hand, globalism is an ideology based on the belief that people, goods, technology, and services should flow across nations without restrictions (Arditi, 2004). On the other hand, globalization refers to a social and economic process that seeks to facilitate the global movement of goods, technology, and talent (Arditi, 2004). The “Globalization at a Crossroads” video delves into the benefits of liberal economic systems and the growth hindrances caused by legal and political systems (Stucke, 2009). The video shows that the liberalization of economic, political, and legal systems in the West contributed to the creation of the modern corporation. On the contrary, oppressive legal and political systems in North Africa and the East excluded many citizens and did support globalization (Stucke, 2009). Even though globalism was acceptable across the West and the East, non-accommodative laws in the East and North Africa did not allow globalization to take off.

The Benefits of Being a Global Citizen for Personal, Academic, and Professional Success

Being a global citizen in the age of technological advancement is no longer a choice but a necessity. Having a global mindset exposes one to the current trends and occurrences across the globe and may potentially help one spot problematic phenomena and chip in to help. For instance, one may contribute to a worthy cause, such as a hunger crisis, hence fulfilling a personal goal. On the academic front, the possession of a global mindset broadens one’s learning opportunities to take advantage of online courses to advance a skill (Papastephanou, 2005). For instance, Udemy offers programs that may help individuals advance their skills. On the professional aspect, advanced technology offers individuals an opportunity to work for some of the world’s largest corporations from wherever they are. During the COVID-19 pandemic, large multinationals like Google realized that they could hire employees from anywhere in the world.

Disagreements among Theorists on the Definition of Global Citizenship

According to Reysen & Katzarska-Miller (2013), there are at least three different theories that attempt to define global citizenship; the political theory, educational theory, and the social theory of global citizenship. Miller advocates for the political approach to global citizenship, which avers that citizens are a product of governments. In other words, global citizenship is based on relations between government institutions, and it cannot be a substitute for political relationships. Secondly, the educational theory of global citizenship is based on the argument that citizens must be educated continually on their historical links to foster global interconnectedness. Finally, social theorists aver that global citizenship emanates from people’s social interconnectedness. To that end, the theorists aver that the West’s definition of global citizenship may not permeate closed societies in the East. I perceive global citizenship as an umbrella term for the environmental, political, social, and economic actions of globally spirited individuals and organizations.

Outcomes of Global Citizenships

Valuing Diversity

One of the positive outcomes of global citizenship is that it has enhanced diversity. Unlike it was the case before globalization took root, companies can now hire employees from different nations. A diverse workforce brings different viewpoints, which go a long way to helping a business operate in different geographical locations (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). Besides, multinational companies are likely to understand the needs of their global customers by evaluating their global employees’ viewpoints.

Environmental Sustainability

Global citizenship has also enhanced environmental sustainability since businesses are held to account based on global standards. Some environmentally aware citizens have gone as far as boycotting products made by multinationals that fail to uphold global environmental standards (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). Global citizens do this to ensure these companies comply with global regulatory frameworks designed to protect the environment.

Personal Experience with the Outcomes of Global Citizenship

Valuing Diversity

As stated above, one of the positive outcomes of embracing global citizenship is that it enhances diversity. Shopify, which facilitates e-commerce businesses to manage their products online, usually hires remote employees. I had a chance to conduct a survey for the company and offer my insights on how they can improve their operations.

Environmental Sustainability

            Lenovo incorporates environmentally sustainable products into its production process. I have used a Lenovo laptop before, and I realized its devices have limited metal products compared to other brands. These efforts are meant to reduce mining activities that degrade the environment (Lenovo, 2022). Besides, the company uses ocean-bound plastics to improve its production processes.

Courses that Encourage Global Citizenship

Information technology (IT) is one of the courses that encourage global citizenship. At the epicenter of globalization is the ability of citizens to communicate with one another across borders. Accordingly, IT facilitates such communication by equipping learners with the necessary skills. Also, public relations (PR) goes a long way in enhancing the spirit of global citizenship. In the social media era, companies require specialized PR personnel to push their products.

Conclusion

Business leaders need to embrace global citizenship if they are to penetrate global markets. Globalization has contributed positively to environmental sustainability since companies are held to account based on global standards. Besides, people can now work anywhere since multinationals are hiring a diverse workforce. Having a global citizenship mindset also helps individuals to pursue their interests. Technological advancement is at the epicenter of global citizenship since it created an infrastructure that allows people to interact without necessarily having to meet physically.

References

Arditi, B. (2004). From Globalism to Globalization: the Politics of Resistance. New Political Science, 26(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/0739314042000185102

Lenovo. (2022). Environmental, Social and Governance Reports | Lenovo. Investor.lenovo.com. https://investor.lenovo.com/en/sustainability/sustainability_reports.php

Papastephanou, M. (2005). Globalization, Globalism, And Cosmopolitanism as an Educational             Ideal. Educational philosophy and theory, 37(4), 533-551.

Reysen, S., & Katzarska-Miller, I. (2013). A model of global citizenship: Antecedents and outcomes. International Journal of Psychology, 48(5), 858–870. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2012.701749

Stucke. (2009). Globalization at a Crossroads – Embedded Content – Films On Demand. Fod.infobase.com. https://fod.infobase.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?token=39350&wID=100753&plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&fWidth=660&fHeight=530

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Reflect: Please take some time to reflect on how the concept of global citizenship has shaped your identity and think about how being a global citizen has made you a better person in your community.

Write: Use the Week 1 Example Assignment Guide Download Week 1 Example Assignment Guidewhen addressing the following prompts:

Describe and explain a clear distinction between “globalism” and “globalization” after viewing the video and reading the article.
Describe how being a global citizen in the world of advanced technology can be beneficial to your success in meeting your personal, academic, and professional goals.
Explain why there has been disagreement between theorists about the definition of global citizenship and develop your own definition of global citizenship after reading the article by Reysen and Katzarska-Miller.
Choose two of the six outcomes of global citizenship from the article (i.e., intergroup empathy, valuing diversity, social justice, environmental sustainability, intergroup helping, and the level of responsibility to act for the betterment of this world).
Explain why those two outcomes are the most important in becoming a global citizen compared to the others.
Describe at least two personal examples or events in your life that illustrate the development of global citizenship based on the two outcomes you chose.
Identify two specific general education courses.
Explain how each course influenced you to become a global citizen.