1. BA 447
Discuss chapters 6, 7, 8, 9
Insights from Wal-Mart film
Major points of each chapter
Are there conflicting information? How can we resolve these?
Agenda - Back to comparative advantage
Film on Wal-Mart (PBS, Frontline)
Given a “flat world”, what trade-offs or choices are we forced to consider?

2. How does one survive in a flat world, i.e. what jobs?
Chapter 6
How does one survive in a flat world, i.e. what jobs?

3. Untouchables Jobs that are outsourced – can be digitized and automated
The second unbundling
Be Special? Michael Jordan? But what if you may have to go up against Yao Ming?
Localized? Specific local knowledge, face to face, personalized
Middle class work is really in trouble

4. New Middle Collaboration jobs – go with the flow
Synthesizers – those who can put two, disparate fields or tasks together
Great explainers –
Great leveragers –
Green people –

5. Untouchables - discussion
What kind of jobs is he referring to?
Are these jobs or aspects of a job?
What other jobs might be interesting?

6. How do students today prepare themselves?
Chapter 7
How do students today prepare themselves?

7. What is an education? Learning to learn Develop your curiosity.
Be passionate.
Learn to work with people all sorts of different people
Imagination
Think interdisciplinary, multiple perspectives

8. Chapter 8
Quiet crisis?
Classic wealthy family story
First generation makes the money
Second generation holds it together
Third generation squanders it
Are we losing some of what brought the US to where it was?
The gap between the knowledge base relative to rest of the world is narrowing

9. Gaps Do we have the scientists and engineers to keep us competitive?
Native born
Foreign born
Are we attracting enough students to science and engineering majors?
Do we still have the work ethic?
Kids in grade school have little homework
Quality of education? Funding?

10. Long-term Cycles Are we suffering from the cyclical effects?
As our infrastructure deteriorates, as our factories get older, other countries who came late to the party are at the early stage of their build up.
Or have we been neglectful?

11. Chapter 8
What is or was the source of America’s competitive advantage?
Industrial/scientific base
Individual ambition, drive
Universities
Immigrants
Are these advantages being eroded?
What are our priorities?
Consumerism vis jobs, employment?
Aspirations and opportunities
Easier to make a living here
In developing countries, limited opportunities to make money, usually in manufacturing or exports

12. Chapter 9
“This is not a test” used to be familiar in the 1950s because of an external threat.
The philosophical questions posed here are:
Are we in a crisis?
Can we recognize that we are?

13. Global Context . The beat goes on . . .
What we think of as outsourcing destinations are now sending jobs to other countries.
India now outsources
Global “partners” of companies from US and other developed countries will continue to look for lower cost locations
None will be of the scale of China and India

15. Global Context .
The United States no longer dominates the world’s economy. Since the 1960s . .
Percent of world output about 40% down
Percent of world exports of manufactured goods coming from the US less than half of what it was
Large US multinationals no longer as dominant when compared to the 1970s
In 1970s, half of multinationals were American
By mid 1990s, Japan and US were about even, approximately 30%
The EU is trying to emulate the US

17. Chapter 9
What is his point on
Leadership?
Mucles?
Fat?

18. Change Our Thinking
Story of Stuff