Points to speak:
- The concept – “Think globally, act locally” was derived from the book written in the year 1915 by Patrick Geddes, a social activist and a town planner. He stated that town planning should be done while keeping the environment in mind. So, from them, environmentalists reiterate the concept by saying that while taking any action, the whole health of the planet should be kept in mind, because local actions cause a significant impact on the world.
- With time, the phrase is used in many contexts such as environment, business, education, mathematics etc.
- Many people wait for international action on fixing global issues such as climate change, pollution, unemployment etc. But a few people are taking responsibility and are incorporating eco-friendly solutions in everyday activities. So, they are thinking about the issues at a global level and are acting locally to bring change. These ideas can be implemented by other local communities creating a big change.
- But sometimes the change in local communities does not result in the change at the global level because some countries are releasing a vast amount of greenhouse gases negating the positive impact created by others.
- The phrase – Think global and Act local can be applied to businesses too. Now, there are so many companies that operate in two or more countries. These multinational companies originate in one country and expand their products and services to other countries. But, while launching the products in other countries, if they do not take the local needs into account, they may fail because people may not relate their products. One-size fits all approach will not work in the international expansion of businesses.
- So, the MNCs do market research and after knowing about the local needs and the local culture, they are modifying their services to suit the local needs while maintaining consistency with the global brand and then they are launching the products. This is called glocalization.
- This phrase can be useful for local companies too. Because they too should assess their potential competitors at the global level. They need to question themselves if any MNC enters into the local market, and becomes their competitor, will they be able to sustain and what advantages they will have over the MNCs. It may be the price advantage, extra features or better services. Assessing these things will help in making the business successful.
Conclusion:
The phrase – “Think globally, act locally” can be applied to many contexts including environment, business, and education. Change in the world starts with the actions taken at a local level. The global impact of the steps taken by local communities is significant, especially in this era of globalization.
Your Turn…
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