Great Wall of China: Importance and Latest Findings

Great Wall of China: Importance and Latest Findings (Use related reports, other published or on-line material to analyze the selected site) Introduction (250) The Great Wall was reckoned as the worlds largest human-made structure made up of stone, bricks and earthen works whose construction started as early as the 7th century BC. Originally, it was used in many purposes but the most significant was to act as a border control that comprised of watch towers, garrison station and troop quarters etc. It has received recognition by making the World Heritage List in 1987 of its cultural values in Chinese history. In recent decade, archaeologists put efforts in investigating the actual length of the Wall by applying field walking, remote sensing and stratigraphy to look for archaeological potential in nearby areas. It has contributed to a drastic change for the world to recognize an even larger construction project in China. Over the years, it has been attracting tourists from all around the globe to witness this majestic fortification. In spite of their endless fascination towards the most reckonable ancient wall, many were inconsiderate in littering that sparked debates in its preservation work. Furthermore, the Great Wall is praised by its profound value in Chinese history, act as a strong symbol and historical evidence for people to ascertain past events. In the following, it will discuss its historical importance, recent unearthed findings, preservation work and cultural values to analyze its relationship of past and present. Criteria of WHL [Danny] According to the World Heritage Convention, there are ten criteria for the world heritage selection. Six of them are culture criteria and four of them are natural criteria. The committee will evaluate the heritage site based on this ten criteria. If the heritage sites list on the WHL, â€Å"sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten criteria (UNSECO, n.d.)†. The Great Wall is the culture site that list on the WHL and it meets five out of six culture criteria of selection. In addition, the Great Wall meets criteria (i), (ii),(iii), (iv) and (vi). So, the Great Wall is a heritage site that contains outstanding universal value. Therefore, the Great Wall has been listed on the WHL at 1987. The criterion (i) is â€Å"to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius (UNSECO, n.d.)†. The Great Wall is a masterpiece because it is the only human hands built construction on the earth that human can see it from the space (UNSECO, n.d.). The length of it is larger than 20,000 kilometers and all built by human hands. So, it shows the human creative genius in building this huge scale construction. For the criterion (ii), the heritage site shows the significant interchange in the human values. The human values of Chinese spread to the northern frontier in the period of Chunqiu. The Great Wall reinforces the Sinicism by the transfer of population (UNSECO, n.d.). Some of the Chinese and foreigner from north lived near the Great Wall and the culture intergradation shows the interchange in the human values. For the criterion (iii), the heritage site provides special or important evidences to the civilization. The Great Wall provides special or important evidences to â€Å"the rammed-earth sections of fortifications dating from the Western Han (UNSECO, n.d.)†. Some sections of the Great Wall are made of the rammed-earth which is the old constructional material. For the criterion (iv), the heritage site is an outstanding model for buildings, architectural style or craft. Since the Great Wall is the longest and oldest military construction in the World, it is an outstanding model for military construction. In 220 B.C., Qin Shi Huang built the first military construction-the Great Wall of the Qin dynasty to protect the country (UNSECO, n.d.). In the later dynasties, they also built this kind of military construction to prevent the incursion from the north. Therefore, The Great Wall is an outstanding model for fortifications and it served as military purpose for 2,000 years. For the criterion (vi), the heritage site is associated with the literary work of prominent worldwide significance. â€Å"The Great Wall has an incomparable symbolic significance in the history of China (UNSECO, n.d.)†. We can find the Great Wall this symbolic significance in many Chinese literary works in Tang dynasty such as the poems of Tu Fu (712-770) (UNSECO, n.d.). As a cultural heritage site, the Great Wall does not meet the criteria (v). According to the requirement, the heritage site on the WHL only need to meet at least one criterion. The other five criteria have proof that the Great Wall is qualified and worthy to list on the WHL. Excavation [Kelly’s] Even though the Great Wall still remains in China, archaeologists have found various means to study sites around the Great Wall in bid to seek its cultural significance. In fact, the most prominent study was the use of Google Earth and carbon dating that helped in discovering a lost segment of the Wall back in 2011 in Southern Mongolia (Owen, 2012). Initially, the archaeologists were investigating typographic clues seen in Google Earth through satellite photographs. Via remote sensing, they were able to consult ancient historical texts to analyze these satellite imagery. Interestingly, they only discovered a remaining piece of fossil instead of skull and large thighbone. With this evidence in mind, archaeologists thought that the Wall must be in a much extended length. Similarly, radiocarbon dating had shown partly exposed wood and rope remains; the construction was then assumed to be went on for over hundreds of years or even more than a thousand years later, approximately from 1040 to 1160. As a result, they widely supposed that Western Xia dynasty constructed the Wall on the site (Owen, 2012). Excavation is therefore very essential in establishing an approximate date of the past for archaeological sites. Up until now in 2015, archaeologists have been examining archive photos, historical documents and field walking to discover more and more parts of the Great Wall that have not been publicly visible. One team of experts in Northwestern China discovered a new section of wall which is comprised of rammed earth whereas some parts were even built on top of mountain ranges and spread along valleys; it was found mainly between Jingyuan Country and Nanchangtan village. In historical documents, they came to a consensus that Emperor Qin demanded the Great Wall had to run across Gansu province, Ningxia and Mongolia. However, some ruins were found shorter than usual that the archaeologists believed it was because of natural degradation. In this case, the Great Wall can be seen as different structures built through both Northern and Southern Mongolia from start to finish, and existed over a couple of dynasties (Chow and Chan, 2015). All in all, from the above dating methods and analytical study of the Great Wall, many published materials have told the world how the Great Wall is actually more drawn-out; it certainly was a ground-breaking news for archaeologists and tourists as well. In particular, Google Earth was profoundly applied in the study as it proved its scientific values in doing archaeological research. Under these circumstances, archaeology can be seen as a stepping stone for the Chinese to have deeper understandings of Chinese history and even the cultural transformation in their own place. From learning about the past emperors, the Chinese can also enhance their sense of belonging with ancestors and share amongst generations. Preservation Currently, regarding the preservation of the Great Wall, several measures are undergoing. Patrol Teams According to an article found on China daily, an official patrolling team is being organized to check against the damage of the mammoth structure. This patrolling team will focus on the section in Beijing, which is 630km long, including the most popular section of the Great Wall, Badaling. (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/16/content_520680.htm, 2006) As mentioned by Yu Ping, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, members of this team will usually be rural residents who live near the Wall, and will be paid by local governments. Apart from the patrol team, a buffer zone would also be drawn to help protect the Great Wall, as announced by the Chinese administration. This buffer zone will take up to three years to be finished. At present, only a general standard ranging from 500 metres to 2 kilometres away from the Wall is designated as a buffer zone to protect it. Change in Law to protect the Great Wall Back in Sep. 20 of 2006, the State Council have promulgated regulations regarding the protection of the Great Wall, which have come into effect on Dec. 1 of the same year (http://www.lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?lib=lawid=5635CGid=, 2006). The law will focus on protecting the Great Wall, with its attached buildings and surrounding enviornment. For example, from August 2003 onwards, hikers and tourists will not be permitted to explore unprotected sections of the Great Wall. According to an article found on Travel China Guide,The purpose of the regulation are to help regulate visitor’s and local resident’s behaviors when visiting the Wall. For example, article 18 of the regulation forbits activites such as illegal organizations of activities and taking away items related to the Great Wall. (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/wallprotection/law/, 2006) Restoration Efforts Back in March of 2004, the initial phase of renovation on the section known as Huanghuacheng had begun. According to an article found on China Daily, â€Å"it includes rehabilitating 13 battlements, two gates and 3,300 metres of wall on a four-kilogreat wall from the spacemetre stretch.† (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/20/content_435783.htm, 2005) Mei Ninghua, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Heritage, also mentioned that this renovation project is scheduled to be carried out in three phases and would cost at least 12 million yuan. To add on, Luo Zhewen, an expert on ancient architecture also noted that original materials and traditional techniques should be used as much as possible, otherwise, the word â€Å"preservation† could not be fulfilled. Improvement However, just as the preservation work is undergoing, damage to the Wall are still becoming serious. Currently, A large amount of the wall has collapsed and in some sections, only its foundation remains, accroding to a five-year survey (Rossella Lorenzi, 2012). On the other hand, sections which are yet to be restored, known as â€Å"wild wall† and are not open to the public, also suffer from man-made damage. It could be found that local villages often put up iron ladders illegally to attract hikers. It is often argued saturated tourism is the main cause for the damage done on the Wall, with most of the bricks in Badaling being carved with people’s names and graffiti as supporting evidence. The Great Wall’s current preservation work could be improved from several perspectives. Firstly, it would be important to educate the public about the importance and cultural significance of representing their cultural identity. Extra care and financial support should be given to locals villages living near parts which are considered â€Å"wild walls. Most of the villages are â€Å"damaging the Wall† simply because they are having a tough life. It is possible that with adequate financial support, the village’s burden could be alleviated and no longer need to continue the aforementioned act. Planting trees can also help protect the areas from erosion. However, there are still rooms for negotiation among cultural heritage organizations and Chinese government. Last but not least, tourists like us can also participate in helping the preservation work. Just as usual practice when we visit foreign places, we should never leave trash behind nor take away anything related to the Great Wall. Such insignificant actions could contribute a lot to the preservation work to an extent far beyond our imagination. Cultural significance of cultural site The Great Wall is the longest and oldest military fortifications in the World, and ranks among the â€Å"Seven Wonders of the World†. It starts from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east and ends at Jiayuguan Pass in the west which is for protect the resist the invasion of nomadic tribes in different periods. The Great Wall was first built at the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and constructed at the Ming dynasties (1368-1644), and the history reflected the meaning and cultural significance behind the Great Wall. First of all, the Great Wall is a powerful symbol in China. It represents the unification of China because it is a wall that made China was unified in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). (China Highlights, 2011) In the Spring and Autumn Period, the first part of the Great Wall was built to against the war. The Great Wall had the purpose of military defense, especially in preventing northern people on horseback from attacking people in the south. In the Qin dynasty (221 BC), King Zheng of Qin unified China by linked all the wall together and formed a dividing line in China. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, all of the Chinese worked together for the good of the country. (Chen, 2014) Besides, the Great Wall is used as a dividing line to divide the north and south nationality and keep their culture not affected by each other. Also, the Great Wall helped to defense the northern people came and attacked China. In The March of the Volunteers which is the National Anthem of the Peoples Republic of China, the lyrics â€Å"Take our flesh, and build it to become a new Great Wall!† show that the Great Wall is the protection for the life and spirit of Chinese. (Chiu, n.d.) Secondly, the legends and stories about the Great Wall show the cultural significance. As the Great Wall of China has become the symbol of the Chinese nation and its culture, there were lots of beautiful legends and stories happened during construction are abundant, such as Meng Jiangnus story and the legend of the Beacon Tower. (Travel China Guide, 2011) For the Meng Jiangnus story, it happened during the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). Meng Jiangnus husband was caught by federal officials and sent to build the wall. After Meng knew her husband was dead because of build the wall, she cried and her howl caused the collapse of a part of the wall. This story shows the wall is the production of tens of thousands of Chinese commoners. Those beautiful stories and legends about the wall are helpful to keep the Chinese history and culture. (Travel China Guide, 2011) The Great Wall built to protect the culture and agriculture of China and defend the attack from northern people. With the history and cultural significance of the Great Wall, it represents the spirit of Chinese as Chinese are tough and strong to protect themselves. Conclusion Reference List: [Danny] UNSECO, (n.d.), The Criteria for Selection. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/ 2. UNSECO, (n.d.), The Great Wall. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/438 [Kelly’s] 3. Owen (2012), â€Å"Lost† Great Wall of China Segment Found?  National Geographic News. Mar 20, 2012. Retrieved from  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120319-great-wall-of-china-mongolia-science-lindesay/?utm_source=feedburnerutm_medium=feedutm_campaign=Feed%3A+ng%2FNews%2FNews_Main+%28National+Geographic+News+-+Main%29utm_content=Google+Reader 4.Chow and Chan (2015), Its even greater than we thought! Archaeologists discovered NINE new sections of the Great Wall of China. Daily Mail Online. Peoples Daily. United Kingdom. Apr 16, 2015.  Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3041972/It-s-greater-thought-Archaeologists-discovered-NINE-new-sections-Great-Wall-China.html   [Aiken’s] Great Wall section gets facelift (2005). China Daily  Retrieved April 29, 2015, from  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/20/content_435783.htm Regulations on Great Wall Protection, Travel China Guide  Retrieved April 29, 2015, from  http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/wallprotection/law/ Great Wall to introduce patrol team, China Daily  Retrieved April 29, 2015, from  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/16/content_520680.htm Rossella Lorenzi (June 7, 2012). Great Wall of China Twice as long as thought, Discovery News  Retrieved April 29, 2015, from  http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/great-wall-china-long-120607.htm Regulations on the Protection of The Great Wall, à ¥Ã…’-à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¦-†¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¶Ã‚ ²Ã‚  Retrieved April 29, 2015, from  http://www.lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?lib=lawid=5635CGid= [Kawun] Travel China Guide (2011). Great Wall Culture. Retrieved April 28, 2015 from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/culture/ China Highlights (2011). Great Wall Culture. Retrieved April 28, 2015 from http://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/culture/ Chen, A. (2014). China Travel Page. Cultural Significance of the Great Wall of China. Retrieved April 28, 2015 from http://www.chinatravelpage.com/cultural-significance-of-the-great-wall-of-china Chiu, L. (n.d.), Chinese Culture. In The Chinese National Anthem. Retrieved April 28, 2015 from http://chineseculture.about.com/od/musicinchina/a/Nationalanthem.htm Globalization For Society: Analysing The Pros And Cons Globalization For Society: Analysing The Pros And Cons The world as we know it is slowly becoming progressively smaller. Academics and theorists like have pointed out that this occurrence may well be attributed to increasing intensity of globalisation of nations. This is particularly implicated in the context of business and commerce. However, one must first recognise the advantages and pitfalls of globalisation upon contemporary business. In the claim of Lasserre, he noted that Ricardo has indicated several pros and cons of globalisation. The following discussions will be covering the said attributes claimed by Ricardo. In the same regard, an analysis will be made on the claims of Ricardo based on recent circumstances on commercial and business milieu. On the other hand, the paper will similarly discuss the implications of globalisation on a particular multinational company. For the purposes of this paper, this multinational company will be Procter Gamble. The discussions and observations made in this paper are all to be based on schol arly and academic journals directly related to the topic of globalisation. Globalisation is essentially touted by a lot of contemporary academics and scholars as possibly one of the most influential concept among the existing theories known. (2004) The following discussions will be covering the noted advantages of globalisation as stated by Ricardo.    Ricardo pointed out in his classic work that globalisation is able to create an overall wealth for all nation because it induces specialisation for these countries. In the same regard, this increase in specialisation also triggers an increase in trade of these countries. Essentially, this is seen in the integration and coordination of companies in the global scale. Particularly, industries that involved in manufacturing and major industrial companies tend to engage specialisation in terms of their factories and shipment of inventory from their suppliers from different parts of the globe. The problem in this category is that there is a recent study that indicates that there is no evidence of any trend that trade specialisation is present across countries. (2002) This is highlighted by the studys notion that the presence of global actors should constantly adapt to the local conditions of their host courtiers. Basically, these claims indicate that trade specialisation as indicated in the discussions of Ricardo may have been rather short in realising its objectives. This is rather connected to the concept that will be later discussed regarding the diminishing of the concept of the nation. The findings of   (2002) manifest that there is no actual specialisation in trade that exist. To a certain extent, the theory of comparative advantage as indicated by Ricardo, which essentially creates specialisation, is offset by the drive of the modern organisation to diversify itself and immerse its marketing initiative based on the host countries where it operates.    B.   Reduction of Cost Efficiencies Based on the claim of Ricardo, globalisation is able to create cost efficiencies for companies that intend to operate in the international setting. Basically, this creation of cost efficiencies tends to diminish the occurrence of inflation as well as the reduction of price in the market. In the context of inflation, Ricardo indicates that the increase in the money supply in the economy is proportionate to the increase in the supply of goods and services. This is mainly manifested by the increase in the players in the market with reference to foreign competitors and its local counterparts. Essentially, this scenario presented by Ricardo may have been an overly romanticised version of the implication of globalisation. The problem in this claim is that   may have assumed that globalisation automatically lessens the possibility of inflation. As indicated in the work of   (1997) regarding the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement, the decrease in inflation is merely incidental occurrences. B asically, states that engage in trade with each other have to essentially amend their policies and state laws before inflation could be controlled. With mention of agreements between countries, the occurrence of globalisation nowadays also entails trade liberalisation measures between trading blocs, regional and international organisations. Among others, these trade liberalisation initiatives tend to induce management tools for the inflation. (2002) Thus, a major shortcoming on the assumption of Ricardo is the consideration of the cooperation of countries in the liberalisation and trading initiatives. Without this variable, inflation rates will continue to be erratic and out of control.    On the other hand, another implication of the infusion of cost efficiencies of globalisation is the reduction of price of goods and services. Essentially, this price reduction tends to similarly give benefit for the end-users and consumers. The presence of an intensified level of competition among both the local and international players in different industries has triggered this cost efficiency. The problem in this scenario is that the factor of trade liberalisation plays a huge part on this. In the same regard, issues on whether free trade is actually tantamount to fair trade still continue. There has been claim that the conditions held by globalisation essentially spell the end of the democratisation of wealth. (1999) This also entails that countries that have power and resources over the others tend to benefit more on the current manifestation of globalisation.    C.   Better allocation of natural, financial, and human resources The claims of Ricardo also pointed out that globalisation have improved the possibilities of allocating the resources of organisations. To some extent, this may have been rather accurate as contemporary businesses do consider the reduction of costs as among their major concerns in their operations. For instance, the concept of outsourcing has become a major element in contemporary globalisation efforts of companies. Basically, the process of outsourcing tends to cover subcontracting endeavours of a business to another business. ( 2007) In this regard, the consideration of the price and possible costs that the parties involved will be taken highly as the price of a particular product or service tends to differ geographically. A fairly recent contribution to this model is the concept of strategic outsourcing. (2002) In this regard, the consideration of exchange rates and other location-specific attributes tend to contribute highly on the decisions of modern businesses. As mentioned above, it appears that reducing the costs of operations is as important nowadays as gaining profit. Essentially, the intensification of the competition as manifested by the consequent intensification of globalisation and competitive positioning in the international market has triggered some level of change on the part of modern businesses. However, this practical set of circumstances may have some inconsistencies with the claims provided by Ricardo. For instance, the claim of Ricardo pointed out that a better allocation is imminent as globalisation flourishes. Possibly the sole element that may have been accurate in this sense is the allocation of financial resources. Essentially, globalisation encourages the provision of foreign direct investments from countries with capital to those that require it. (2007) The problem in this regard is that it has taken away the factor representing the propensity of man to exploit and abuse his resources. (2003) Basically, studies have been calls for sustainable development as major corporations tend to exploit the natural resources occupied by their subsidiaries. This is similarly true with regards to the allocation of human resources. This will be discussed in the later part of the paper.    D.   Reduces Corruption The work of Ricardo also indicated that globalisation tends to reduce corruption. Basically, he assumes that the free market trade will be sufficient to take on any form of corruption both from the states and from the corporations competing as well. Unfortunately, in the current setting of globalisation is far from being free from corruption. For instance, powerful nations have the propensity to bend the rules in their favour. A lot of articles have pointed to the inclination of the United States to engage in protectionists policies despite the fact that these policies directly contradict those that they have signed in international free trade agreements. (2001) This basically shows how major economies could implement rules on their favour and in doing so they tend to widen the polarity between them and developing and less developed nations. In the same regard, it is apparent that the claim of Ricardo regarding the reduction of corruption is attributable to the invisible hand mention ed in the early works of classical economists. (1998) Basically, the said concept came from Adam Smith claming that absolute free trade will be enough to regulate itself from any inconsistency. It claims that that the community will be able to manage it and rid of any wrongdoing. Again, this plainly indicates that the claims provided by Ricardo may have been based on pure theoretical assumptions without regard of the actual happenings in the real world. In reality, unethical practices do exist. From corruption to corporate bribery, this shows that the theory of the invisible hand is reduced to a mere myth. (2000) III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cons of Globalisation The consequent discussions will be covering the stated disadvantages of globalisation as indicated by Ricardo. Same as the claims of advantages above, the said disadvantages will be examined and related to the academic and scholarly journals. A.   Imposes strain on labour force In the claim of Ricardo, there are also some shortcomings and adverse effects of globalisation in the imposition of strain in the workforce. Basically, Ricardo claims that globalisation tends to have an implication on both developing and developed countries. It has been said that developed countries tend to encounter possible abuses from the investors. There have been reports that sweatshops in India tend to employ children in their operations. (2004) Specifically, the said study indicated that companies with such operations still proliferate in countries like India and Pakistan. Essentially, because of the failure of the laws protecting the rights of the labour force, particularly the children, abuses tend to become apparent. On the other hand, in the context of developed countries, the labour conditions of the country tend to encounter what is called job destruction. (1996) Essentially, the phenomenon tends to highlight the shift of the attention of corporations towards the less de veloped countries with less costly labour. B.   Standardises customer tastes In the claim of Ricardo also indicated that globalisation tends to establish that at some point, the world will come to a level of standardisation. This means that every state or organisation will be taking on the closely the same elements that they contend. Basically, the claim focuses on the assumption that the customer tastes will become so standardised that companies will tend to be less diversified in terms of their products and services. Specifically, the claim indicates that eventually in every industry, the companies will offer rather indistinguishable products and services which the consumers will have no regard on brand. To some extent, this claim is true. The matter of it is that the modern business folk realised that if they do not differentiate their products, they will eventually meet their demise in the industry. For instance, the study of   (2005) indicates that multinational companies tend to establish complex differentiation strategies to endure continued existence and possibly even market leadership. One could also be sure that the competitors of that particular industry will do the same. In this regard, the context of diversity tends to be the end result of such differentiation processes. Other multinational companies tend to extend their diversity by infusing both localisation and globalisation principles. (2004) This means that they tend to immerse themselves to the behaviour of the market. C.   Induces concentration of power in a few global corporations Globalisation tends to induce power into a chosen and privileged few. This is another claim given by Ricardo in his classical view of globalisation. Basically, this indicates that international business tends to represent a certain type of inherent inequality. This is especially true for those that are a part of a trade liberalisation organisation like European Union (EU), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). (2007) The problem in this setting is that those that have the capital and loads of it tend to wield it to those who may appear to succumb to their influence. As mentioned in the discussions above, trend towards joining these trading organisations opens up their market to open competition with foreign companies. Specifically, the local business folks tend to suffer the implications of globalisation and the consequent opening up of their trade routes. As indicated by   (1996, 40) there are other elements other than competition that comes into the picture when international businesses are concerned. Such elements included in the fray are those directly involved in the economy of the host country like the exchange rate, the policies of the land and other elements that are particular to that state.   Ã‚  Ã‚   IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Practical Implications of Globalisation The discussions above have discussed the theoretical implications of globalisation in businesses. The following discussions will be focusing on the globalisation endeavours of an existing company. Specifically, the discussions will be focusing on the conditions surrounding Proctor and Gamble (PG). The companys bout with globalisation was dealt with proper strategy formulation. The said company is among the leaders in the consumer product industry. (2003) Based on the observation of recent articles, the company have conducted a fairly good diversification initiative. (1995) They have divided the company into several segments that will be battling it out with the rest of the brands present in consumer product industries. As indicated by   (2003) the segments were divided into fabric and home care; baby, feminine, and family care; beauty care; health care; and food and beverage. With these segments, it is anticipated that PG will possess a culture with an innovative flair. However, the rest of the players in the industry have caught up with competencies of the company. This may be the grounds for   (2003) to mention that the company is lagging off in its innovation levels. However, this rather perceptible weakness has been offset by the impeccable wherewithal of the company to operate its international machinery to their advantage. The installation of the global business units (GBUs) triggered their meteoric rise to the international product industry. ( 2003) (2003) further claimed that the company have seized the opportunities in expanding the network of their operations in the other countries by putting in directly investing on plants and equipment in these areas. They have exploited the lower costs of labour in other nations provide the opportunity to cut the operational costs and allow the company to spend it to other areas. It is in this likely lessening of operational costs that increases the likelihood of developing the existing top brands of company in major markets all over the world. () In the later part of the operations of the company, they have acquired another major brand in the consumer product industry: Gillette. Basically, this is the companys attempt to alleviate its limited access to the market share of the male grooming industry. The buying of Gillette places a major shift on the all the company as over  ½ of the existing market share in the said area is held by Gillette. ( 2004) Basically, Gillette possesses a substantial number of brands in the supposed market as equalled to PG. Basically, the intention of PG to continuously improve and garner a huge proportion of its market share is based on the fact that its major competitors have been breathing down their necks. (2005) With the constant intention to gain favour on their marketing position, PG has become one of the most successful companies in the world holding among the most popular brands known in recent history. And as observed by this researcher, this may only be the beginning for PG on its quest to gain more brands and conquer the rest of the world with its products.    V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Analysis The discussions above have provided specific elements that deal directly with the actual implications of globalisation to society. Basically, the study provided the perceived obstacles to globalisation, effects on product/services and the labour market, and influence of culture. In the case of the perceived obstacles to globalisations, discussions on over-regulation and the imposition of trade barriers are noted. In the same regard, political implications of individual states are indicated to be among the major obstacles for globalisation. Poor currency policies such that of the exchange rate as well as the existence of barefaced corruption allows for the advantages of globalisation to sink in. On the other hand, the study has also mentioned the effects on product/services and the labour market. Studies have been pointed out claiming that the labour market tends to suffer in developed countries as companies tend to find competitive advantage in finding less costly labour in developin g and even in less developed countries. In the context of consumer tastes, the existing literature on literature indicates that globalisation will essentially make the demands of the consumers more similar. To an extent, this intensifies the competition between companies as their products and services become less and less distinguishable. Moreover, another factor emerged as a component in the success of globalisation: culture. In this regard, the regard of culture as a determinant of organisational and marketing success of multinational companies added complexity on the early provided theories like that of Ricardo. The discussions above have pinpointed the need for companies to engage in localisation initiatives in line with their globalisation endeavours to keep up with the demands of their individual market though monitoring and adapting to the subtle changes in its behaviour.   Ã‚  Ã‚   VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion The discussions above have presented an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation as indicated in the work of Ricardo and Lasserre. Essentially, some of the theoretical claims of above may have been contradicted throughout time as numerous studies have similarly gone against the said assumptions. At some point, one must realise that the concept of globalisation has changed since the times of Lasserre and Ricardo. They must realise that to some extent, the theories that they have formulated has become rather obsolete in the current setting. In any case, the fact remains that the constant changes in the environment as implicated by globalisation tends to similarly augment the demands on the individual businesses.   Ã‚  Ã‚   VII.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recommendation The following recommendations are to be based on the conclusion above as well as the arguments and observations held in the paper.    Take initiatives to gain fair trade in this era of free trade Civic organisations as well as the individual member states of particular trading organisations like the EU and the WTO should take steps to minimise the occurrence of fraud and corruption in international trade. Basically, protectionist laws as well as rights encouraging competition should be drafted carefully such that those who are not privy to power and capital would not be subjected to abuse from their counterparts.    Studies should focus on the current trend of diversification among multinational companies Multinational companies now realises the potential of implementing the paradox of globalisation and localisation. In this regard, the multinational companies nowadays have become more engrossed to diversification of the products and services that they offer to their consumers. In this regard, studies should also focus on the said idea as this may indicate a shift in the definition of globalisation as it did in the classic definition of Ricardo.    Carry out further studies on the dynamic nature of globalisation Related to the recommendation above, the findings of this study should serve as an impetus to find further explanation and possible forecasts on the possible path on which globalisation could take in the future.