CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE

Convergence is Inevitable in the Context of Globalisation. Critically Evaluate the Contrasting Theoretical Approaches of Convergence and Divergence as well as the Evidence on Which They are Based

Convergence is Inevitable in the Context of Globalisation. Critically Evaluate the Contrasting Theoretical Approaches of Convergence and Divergence as well as the Evidence on Which They are Based

Introduction

For the last two decades, a concept that has revolutionized the whole world and fit it into one picture is the globalization. The technological advancements and the industrial revolutions around the globe have been the major studies of cause and effect relationship. This concept has been supported and encouraged by the convergence and divergence in various aspects of social and business life. The terms have been known to the extensive discussion forums for the past 10 years, and their impact has been studied in relation to cultural, technological, political and environmental changes.

In the past few years, the vision of convergence has been reformed, thus entering a new phase. It is now considered as main trigger of this economic globalization process instead of technology and industrialization. In the discipline of HR, various theoretical approaches have been theorized and tested by the international scholars and academic studies. It is true that these terms have influenced and modified the way training, development, corporate culture building, and major HR practices have been undertaken in the past.

This paper specifically discusses about the ever blasted and most attention catching concept of globalization with a focus on explaining the process of industrialization, technological boom and other important factors associated with it. An effort is made to highlight various theories that have been proposed and well understood in relation to convergence and divergence and their consequences on the HR functions and practices. In the light of generated evidences from literature, the paper focuses on the cause and effect relationship between the theoretical approaches and their influence on the process of training and development.

Discussion

Globalization has been named as the driving force to bring change in costs and incentives for specific economic policies. The holding key power of government's economic success is increasingly dependent on the participation of the country in the global dynamic economy. However, the knowledge gained about the nature of globalization remains to diminish the influence of specific interests on the precise response.

World economic globalization consists of global financial markets, direct cross-border investments in production and international trade. All these areas represent the increasing mobility and the growing volume of cross-border economic activities. It has been argued that convergence and divergence are by products of globalization that has been the cause of bringing the world population together at the same time creating the reasons for increased differences (Lane, 2012, p. 4).

The increased mobility has become the source of shared values, cross-cultural learning opportunities, business and industrial developments, economic progress; moreover, it has brought the world close to one point of uniform level where they could relate to their identity and significance in their ...