Listers,
at the risk of belabouring an already extended thread on
who/what/where/when/etc, may I point out a large and glaring paradygm
taken from university business:
ALL things have cycles. Generally the cycle of business and economic
superiority has moved in dyansties from East to West. Before the British
empire, there was the Asian dynasties. Based on sheer numbers, China was
able to build things like the Great Wall, etc. to protect its' domain.
Prior to the Industrial REvolution, protection of wealth was almost more
important than creation.
The British were the originators of the Industrial REvolution and it was
this mechanization which afforded the industrial power base. Many examples
have been given on this list already, but perhaps Mr. James Watt and his
steam engine are of the earliest example. No more need for un-trained
Marmot slave labour to turn the treadles for the machines!
By the early 20th centruy, people like Henry Ford took things one step
further and developped the modern industrial society. The theory of
Scientific Management (Frederick Taylor) actually came as a result of
studies of Ford's ideas, among others.
Skip past the great wars, enter the Japanese.
The Japs, as we know, at that time had no industrial base left and were not
much more than an island nation with a strong army - left over from the
need to protect against the much larger China. The American essentailly
implanted western practises. Not waiting around to be further dominated
they decided to improve on ideas just as Ford revolutionalized auto
production from studying the British. Now we can claim the Japs have no
new ideas- or didn't for the longest time, they just made things better and
cheaper. ... enough for us to buy in. The British motorcycle industry
died as a direct result of this process.
Now, that is a bit of a story from "International Business, 118.325, U of
M, 1989" as I remember the lectures. At that thime the predction was that
another circle of the globe would occur, back to China and then Europe.
Computers, and the modern busiess world have allowed a new dimension, that
is, North South in nature. South America, Mexico, India, etc. have HUGE
populations working at very low wages and living standards. Our companies
are farming work out via satelite links to offices there, and via "sweat
shops". Has anything changed in 300 years?!? Not really, just the speed
and the technologies.
In summary, something I always say tongue in cheek is:
"The Brits invent it, the Germans make it work properly, and the Japanese
make it affordable".
There endeth the lesson in international economics and marketing. Hope it
is of some interest when reflecting on the "firsts" expressed so far.
Dave
Dave Terrick
69 GT6+
Winnipeg
|