Report Sample: Evaluation on the Effects of Globalization to Babcock Plymouth

Globalization has adversely affected Babcock Plymouth just like it has affected many other businesses. Recent literature on globalization has emphasized the need to move beyond the first wave of globalization theory. This is because it had an inclination on making assertions that were general as well as abstract with regards to globalization without differentiating its forms and its varied impacts in various locations.( Gereffi and Lee 2012:48(3), 24-32). Within the business context, moves have been made in recognition of globalization to being as much cultural sense as in economical sense (Kellner,2002:20(3), 285-305) and it being a phenomenon of a historical process which is long term or alternatively as is with the case of Babcock Plymouth as a very recent thing that is post-1960s period. (Crane and Matten 2016).

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This being said it is important to know what exactly is Babcock Plymouth. It is a British multinational company, tasked with the provision of engineering support services in the following divisions: Marine and Technology, Defense and Security, Support Services It is among Babcock International Group's Marine and Technology Divisions (Babcock International Group, 2017) with its Marine and Technology division having a focus on the provision of life support service for the UK Royal Navys Submarines, their Naval Ships as well as Infrastructure, and at the same time building its naval support capabilities (Babcock International Group, 2016). Despite the challenges that come with globalization, it has worked in their favor as the division generates the highest earnings in revenue totaling to GBP1.7 billion in 2016, which constituted 40% of company's total revenue. (Baron, 2013).

Being a FTSE 100 business Babcock International has over 34,000 highly skilled employees making it one of the largest and most successful businesses enterprise in the UK. Its headquarters is in London and has offices; it is renowned for its specialized training facilities, high-end dockyards, equipment testing centers facilitating research and development across the UK. Being a significant employer as well as a major driving force of the UK economy (Korten, 1998:98(1).). Babcock has been at the forefront in embracing globalization in their delivery of vital engineering support services through adaptation of technological and educational advancements as it is renowned for its first class training producing highly competent workforce which it provides to some of the world's most technologically advanced and fast moving industries. (Daniels, et. al,2009)

At present, Babcock Plymouth sees the rapidly growing impact of technological advancements on the global social- economic-political framework and acknowledges that its implications are yet to be adequately explored. This can be attributed to the fact that these effects of technological change are largely being underestimated as short-term; as the crisis- dominated problems are seen to be taking the center stage of the attention of most of the international community. This being so, Babcock Plymouth has been seen to try to create the business from this by focusing of one of these crisis- dominated problems which is war hence the military and more specifically the marine. (Dicken,2015)

In line with the global events, Babcock has accomplished a major weapons upgrade of Hunter-killer submarine HMS Trenchant at Plymouth base successfully undergoing a major upgrade. This maintenance upgrade was one of the largest as well most complex to have been done on a submarine which was undertaken at Devonport Naval Base, having been installed with new weapons and sensors. This is a clear demonstration of the company embracing globalization and its effects. Globalization is being characterized with military might help countries especially first world countries like the UK to combat global terrorism hence ensuring that their interests are being safeguarded. Babcock Plymouth's has the interest of its clients at heart having the safety of Navy crew at heart which is an attribute which is proving to be a recipe for success coming with globalization. (Babcock International,2016).

Babcock Plymouth here proves it fully embraces the technological advancements and safety and security that come with globalization by utilizing its highly skilled and modernized workforce to create the most modern equipment available. Its engineers worked on a change in the dry dock of the double motor generator, the external hull paint, change the main battery, extensive work on the hull surveillance among others which made use of the advancements in technology and manpower which amounted to over 650,000 labor hours. (Babcock International,2016).

This is a clear demonstration of how the organization is being positively affected by globalization as their completion of the project serves as proof of the strong cooperation of man and machine with the use of technology information that is imparted on Babcock Plymouth staff and employees in their highly specialized and upbeat training that comes with embracing advancements in technology and education that comes with globalization. Embracing globalization also means that the management structures and methods have to be in line with the current times which helped Babcock Plymouths management team and ship staff team to streamline their management structure hence helping them to stay focused on overcoming significant technical challenges hence enabling them to deliver as they did with the submarine HMS Trenchant. (Babcock International,2016).

There are some debates about globalization which have ended up being separated between two perspectives, i.e., the globalist perspective and skeptical perspectives. Some like in the case of Babcock Plymouth tending to take globalization in a benign view i.e., globalist perspective as they take it as an equalizing process rather than the skeptical perspectives where globalization is just dominated by power.

With globalization comes advancements in information technology hence the provision of computer systems capable of altering productivity as well as employment patterns. Babcock Plymouths is also at the forefront in giving its employees information updating them on various aspects of globalization like Women in STEM Plymouth events.' The company has had its fair share of casualties as in 2015 the UK faced a shortfall of 40,000 engineers, and they rightfully spoke out about this in the third Women in STEM Plymouth event, which Babcock hosted in 2015 at the dockyard and naval base Plymouth. The company expresses how they value their employees using its leaders to demonstrate their gratitude and commitment regardless of the challenges that come with globalization. As Babcock's managing director for the naval marine John Howie, told the Women in STEM Plymouth events delegation: "Projections show the UK will experience a serious shortage of engineers in the coming years 87,000 graduate level engineers are needed each year between now and 2020, but the higher education system is currently only producing 46,000, which suggests there is a long way to go to fill this potential skills gap."Babcock International (2015).

Babcock Plymouth is one of the few engineering giants that is seen to be making good use of the broadened global communications and transportation, as a direct result of technological breakthroughs, thanks to globalization hence speed up and linking the world's operations at a much larger scale than trade pacts do. (Struna,2013:651-657). The advent of nuclear weapons technology has been dominant in this modern day and age which has altered the dangers of war in a radical fashion and it is still these nuclear weapons technology that is seen to be dominating negotiations with the aim of averting a nuclear war between the superpowers. Babcock Plymouth being one of the few companies that deals with nuclear warheads is at the center of this and thanks to the very awesomeness inherent in the technology delivered by such companies such a war has been averted, despite the apparent and systematic shortcomings of the involved political leadership. (Scullion, et al. 2007:309-319).

I have given an evaluation of how Babcock Plymouth of Babcock International Groups marine and technology Divisions is or could be affected by globalization. In the areas in which I have addressed, we have seen Babcock Plymouth's role in regional and global politics and its hybrid globalized culture. Babcock Plymouth's experience of globalization has a strong relation to economic expansionism as its global experience having a basis in the modern era of capitalism. (Lawrence and Weber, 2007).

There is a strong globalist perspective which has captured the spread of globalization, which is something Babcock Plymouth has been acting as both an agent and recipient. With Babcock Plymouth as is with other multinational companies, globalization has brought about inequalities and injustices like in the event where there was a shortfall of 40,000 engineers. Babcock Plymouth is a division in Babcock International Groups Marine and Technology Division which has usually been part of the core of corporations that have the greatest influence in processes of globalization. (Lord and Ranft, 2000:573-589).

These different perspectives being viewed in this paper come together to demonstrate how this organization is or could be affected by globalization stressing on communication and technological perspective. These perspectives have combined the skeptical and globalist insights in evaluating how Babcock Plymouth has been affected by globalization. (Luke 2008:466-449). However, these circumstances behind Babcock Plymouths experience when it comes to globalization do not determine it. They help to explain how this organization is affected by globalization as they are parts of the way Babcock Plymouth experience of globalization has developed. How the organization opts to respond to globalization is in its own right a matter of political choice and there is room for making alternative choices in the future.

References

Babcock International, 2015"Babcock chief warns Plymouths women engineers of UK recruitment crisis," The Herald.10 April

Babcock International,2016. Nuclear submarine ready for action following major weapons upgrade at Plymouth. , The Herald 22, September.

Baron, D. 2013. Business and its Environment, 7th Edition, Chpt 17

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Crane, A., & Matten, D. 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.

Daniels, J. D., Radebaugh, L. H., Sullivan, D. P., & Salwan, P. 2009.International business. Pearson Education India.

Dicken, P. 2015, Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contour of the World Economy: Chpt 1& Chapter 5 SAGE Publications Ltd.

Gereffi, G., & Lee, J. 2012. Why the world suddenly cares about global supply chains.Journal of supply chain management, pp.24-32.

Kellner, D. 2002. Theorizing globalization."Sociological theory, pp. 285-305.

Korten, D. C.1998. When corporations rule the world. European Business Review,pp.98(1).

Lawrence, A. and Weber, J. 2007. "Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy,15th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education

Lord, M. D., & Ranft, A. L. 2000. Organizational learning about new international markets: Exploring the internal transfer of local market knowledge. Journal of international business studies,pp.573-589.

Luke M, 2008. Britain and Globalization, University of Sussex , pp 466-449

Scullion, H., Collings, D. G.,& Gunnigle, P. 2007. International human resource management in the 21st century: emerging themes and...