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The first chapter of this book contains a fascinating little statistic: In 2003 some 25,000 US Tax returns were done in India. In 2004 this number was closer to 100,000. For 2005 it is expected to be 400,000. As a member of a company which prepares tax returns in the US this is a remarkable and thought provoking insight into the speed at which global change occurs. The books conclusion up front is that if you are working in the US you had better focus on quality discussions and service, not the simple accounting work of the return itself.
What the title essentially means is that the world is shrinking rapidly. The book describes the incredible speed at which India and other developing nations are creating an entirely new dynamic in how work gets done, and information is shared. He talks about Globalization 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, with the most current adoption being only a few years old, yet gaining speed every day exponentially.
This is not as simple as just “outsourcing” work to other parts of the world, but includes how US companies themselves employ wholly new ways to get things done faster. UPS for example, is not only the way to ship your laptop to get it repaired, but actually does the repairs itself. In some McDonalds your order at the drive through sign is actually processed hundreds of miles away in a call center and routed back to the restaurant in the form of an order and your photo to improve accuracy of the order. All this takes place without your knowledge within seconds and 30 feet. Jet-Blue takes the opposite approach to outsourcing, as it employs its reservationists from their homes. The productivity and loyalty improvements prove the approach works, despite the fact that many companies will never give up the illusion of control and thus fail to benefit in the same way.
The book also looks at other ways in which this new global relationship requires a different kind of social responsibility.