Which region(s) do you think contribute more to the thriving success of NC?
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Opponents of globalization often point to its negative effects on local communities. But are the effects always negative? Rosabeth Moss Kanter wondered whether global forces could be marshaled to support and develop communities rather than tear them down. In a research initiative focusing on five American communities—Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Seattle, and the Spartanburg-Greenville region of South Carolina—she found three paths to success. The greatest assets to any business, she argues, are concepts, competence, and connections. Any given region, therefore, can thrive as a world-class center of thinkers, makers, or traders. To illustrate these points, she gives us an in-depth look at the success of the Spartanburg-Greenville region, which has become a center for world-class manufacturing. At the time this article was published, the region had already attracted direct foreign investment from more than 215 companies in 18 countries. Behind that success were four critical factors: visionary leadership, a friendly business climate, a commitment to training, and a spirit of collaboration among businesses and between business and local government. The story illustrates what it takes for a local economy to become world-class.
In the future, success will come to those companies, large and small, that can meet global standards and tap into global networks. And it will come to those cities, states, and regions that do the best job of linking the businesses that operate within them to the global economy.
Sweeping changes in the competitive landscape, including the presence of foreign competitors in domestic markets, are driving businesses to rethink their strategies and structures to reach beyond traditional boundaries. Increasing numbers of small and midsize companies are joining corporate giants in striving to exploit international growth markets or in trying to become world-class even if only to retain local customers.
At the same time, communities are under considerable pressure to understand what they need to do to enhance—and in some cases even preserve—their local vitality. Local residents and civic leaders are expressing concern about their communities’ economic future, particularly in light of the impact of global forces on where businesses locate and how they operate. Some see a basic conflict between social and community interests that are largely domestic or even local, and business competitiveness issues that often are international in scope. If the class division of the industrial economy was between capital and labor, or between managers and workers, the class division of the emerging information economy could well be between cosmopolitans with global connections and locals who are stuck in one place.