Jihad Vs McWorld

Benjamin Barber, professor of political science at Rutgers University, has expressed in "Jihad vs. McWorld," the challenges of our new global reality. He posits that the two concepts currently shaping our world, might just be anti-democratic in their very nature. This pull toward "Jihad" is based upon the unification of "tribes" around cultural, religious and faith-based commonalities. The other trend, McWorld is formed around economic and ecological needs which demand a global network of cooperation technology and commerce. The stark challenge, as we attempt to balance these two belief systems is not only managing the dynamic from "within" a specific nation but also from "without."

As these two opposing viewpoints grow seemingly in direct contrast '" both towards a "NEW WORLD ORDER", Barber examines the nature of social, cultural and/or religious resistance to globalization. Opposition to globalization mainly stems from the fear that there will be a flattening of diversity '" and a melting of individual and cultural differences. If we look at New York City, which could be a mini-experiment for globalization because of all the diverse cultures living there (I grew up there) the "melting pot," concept for New Yorkers is more of a "vegetable salad." In essence, people co-exist in one big "bowl" but every vegetable maintains its own individual flavor and distinct taste. What we find after examining the two concepts of Jihad and McWorld, however is that neither concept encourages INDIVIDUALITY. They both lead to some form of conformity with "one ruler acting on behalf of the masses." The article further suggests that in order to thoroughly understand this global trend, we must refer the US Articles of Confederation or perhaps the Green movement adage; "Think globally, act locally" to understand implementation of either strategy.

As a student of global business, I have concluded that for enterprises to avoid exacerbating the kinds of tensions identified by Barber, we must be prepared to do (and not do) the following:

1. Multinational corporations must do everything possible to incorporate the socio-political, cultural and religious concerns of people when moving into a country to do business. This will help to eliminate hostility and the idea that the corporation lacks respect for the indigenous peoples. Blue laws must be appropriately modified to insure that there is a smooth transition between consumer and enterprise.

2. Understand that Every nation, needs something another nation has; and some nations have almost nothing they need, it is imperative that we act in ways that give access to opportunity to all or as many stakeholders as possible as we negotiate shared resources.

3. Know that true democracy functions from the ground up '"therefore an enterprise must make every attempt to engage the common markets thru a common language, as well as a common currency, etc. To achieve this, as some have suggested, "find a way between capitalism and socialism such as economic cooperatives and employee stock ownership plans" to encourage participation in corporate success. For if we do not allow people to feel vested or reap the benefits of our own success '" the common behavior produced might in fact be a free vote against the imposed ideology or belief system.

4. Keep in mind that in our pursuit of global commerce '" we have called on science and technology and are creating "open societies" which is flattening our world and transcending national borders. As we create this world, we see that the majority of the data is in English and only accessible to a small percentage of the world's population which will further separate people by class and the "have" vs "have nots" on either side. We must be very conscious that we make every effort to make these tools truly accessible. Even if it means, translating our corporate websites for use in multiple languages. Keeping in mind, that if we don't tell our story, it is quite possible that the "opposition" just might.

"It is less the goods than the brand names that do the work, for they convey life-style images that alter perception and challenge behavior." In this way we must protect our brands and the way the marketplace sees us. We must not take for granted that anything is irrelevant or small '" because in open societies, the brand, business or image is driven by consumer opinion '" which can easily be transmitted via the very tools of technology that we depend or rely on.
So, in conclusion, as I examine these two world views illustrated in Jihad vs McWorld, by Barber, I can analyze that both concepts secure solidarity and conformity through war (economic, physical, psychological, etc) against outsiders. By taking away the individual's right to choose thru fair competition or vote via a truly democratic process, it was made clear that option delivers a formula for "the attitudes required for the cultivation of new democratic women and men capable of governing themselves."