Technology and Innovation in a Global Organization Flashcards
Digital Transformation
-Adoption of Ai, cloud computing, ioT, and blockchain
-global firms digitizing supply chains, logistics, customer service
Communication Technology
-Collaboration platforms enabling virtual global teams
-Use of AI chatbots for multilingual customer engagement
Innovation as a Global Process
-R&D centers worldwide
-Open innovation with global partners
-Reverse innovation: Innovations born in emerging markets (GE’s low-cost ECG machine in India) Innovation was born in emerging markets, and moves to established markets
Cultural Variability in innovation
-Innovation style vary: top-down in Japan vs. grassroots in the U.S.
-Tensions between local responsiveness and global integration
International Implications of Innovation
-Innovation increasingly borderless, but still constrained by regulation and culture
-competition no longer domestic, firms face global challengers in every sector
What is Bio-Technology
-Application of biology to create commercial products
-Includes healthcare, agriculture, food, and environmental technology
Global Bio-Tech Landscapes
-Biotech hubs: US (boston, san Diego), China (Shenzhen), India (Bangalore), UK (Cambridge)
-International partners between pharma giants and local biotech startups
Bio-Tech innovation Chain
1.)Discovery
2.) Trails
3.) Regulatory approval
4.) Manufacturing
5.) Distribution
Each stage increasingly offshored or distributed
International Implications of bio-tech
1.) Ethical Diversity: GMOs welcomed in the US, banned in much of Europe. Varying stem cell research
2.) IP and Patent Disputes: cross border enforcement challenges. India’s compulsory licensing for generics vs U.S. IP protection recruitment
3.) Cross-Border R&D: clinical trials run in countries with lower costs and faster patient recruitment. Raises concerns about exploitation and consent.
E-Business vs. E-commerce
-E-business: broader digital transformation of all business processes
-E-commerce: online buying and selling
International Implications of E-business and E-commerce
-Cybersecurity & Data Sovereignty: Companies must comply with national data laws (EU GDPR, China’s Data Security Law)
-Digital Divide: Limited internet access in rural areas of Africa, India, and Southeast Asia slows adoption.
-Localization of Digital Strategy: Language, payment preferences, trust in platforms vary significantly by country
Infrastructure Evolution
-5G expansion improving latency for LoT, gaming, and autonomous vehicles
-LEO (low earth orbit) satellites like Starlink brining internet to remote areas
Emerging Markets as Global-First
-Many regions skipped landlines and desktops, going directly to mobile
-Impacts UI/UX design, mobile banking, and app development
Outsourcing and Offshoring
-Outsourcing: contracting processes to external, often offshore firms (IT support, HR)
-Offshoring: Relocating business units (factories) to other countries for cost or skill advantages
Automation’s disruptive Role
-AI and robotics reshaping the offshoring equation-jobs move to machines, not just cheaper countries
Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)
-Moving high-value work (analytics, design, R&D) to skilled labor markets like India, Poland, and the Philippines
International Implications to Offshoring and Outsourcing
1.) Labor Arbitrage vs Skill Arbitrage: firms seek not just cheap labor, but capable, innovative labor
2.) Ethical Considerations: sweatshops, worker, exploitation, and lack of environmental protections
3.) Resilience: COVID-19 exposed fragility of long supply chains. Nearshoring and digital reshoring and trending
