GNED 07 MARKET INTEGRATION REVIEWER

CONTEMPORARY WORLD MARKET INTEGRATION

HISTORY OF GLOBAL MARKET INTEGRATION

  • Pre-modern Economy: Individuals primarily produced goods for their families.

  • Modern Economy: Requires collaboration between various sectors for the production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services.

AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

  • Initiated significant economic changes by transitioning from hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture.

  • Involved the domestication of plants and animals.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

  • Marked the second economic revolution.

  • Led to the rise of industry and introduction of new economic tools, manufacturing processes, and mass production techniques.

INFORMATION REVOLUTION

  • Characterized by technological advancements.

  • Decreased reliance on human labor in manufacturing, shifting focus towards service-oriented work and the production of ideas instead of physical goods.

TWO COMPETING ECONOMIC MODELS DURING INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

  1. Capitalism: The system where natural resources and means of production are privately owned.

  2. Socialism: System where means of production are collectively owned, primarily by the government.

MARKET INTEGRATION

  • Defined as the fusing of markets into one unified market.

  • Takes place when prices in different locations or related goods follow a similar pattern over extended periods.

  • Forms of market integration include:

    • Reduction of trade barriers (e.g., tariffs).

    • Development of infrastructure (e.g., transportation and communication facilities).

  • Example of Market Integration: A French cheese manufacturer selling products in Germany.

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NON-INTEGRATED MARKET

  • Challenges include:

    • Significant trade barriers.

    • Customs duties and extensive paperwork.

    • Leads to complicated, expensive selling processes.

INTEGRATED MARKET

  • With European Union market integration, the French manufacturer can sell cheese in Germany seamlessly.

  • Benefits include:

    • Access to diverse product options for consumers in both countries.

    • Increased competition that helps lower prices.

ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN CREATING A GLOBAL ECONOMY

  • International Financial Institutions: Founded by multiple countries, governed by international law, and assist in various capacities such as:

    • Advising, funding, and supporting development projects aimed at poverty reduction and improving living conditions.

Key Institutions Include:
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF): Promotes financial security and provides policy guidance to strengthen economies within countries.

  • Multi-Cultural Development Banks:

    • World Bank Group

    • African Development Bank

    • Asia Development Bank

    • Inter-American Development Bank

    • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

THREE BASIC KINDS OF MARKET INTEGRATION

  1. Horizontal Integration: Merging or acquiring firms in the same stage of production within the same industry.

    • Example: Facebook's acquisition of Instagram (2012, $1 billion).

    • Example: Kraft Foods' purchase of Cadbury (2010, $19.5 billion).

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  1. Vertical Integration: Companies operate in multiple stages of the production process.

    • Forward Vertical Integration: Engaging in activities closer to the consumer.

      • Example: A wholesaler taking on retail functions.

    • Backward Vertical Integration: Taking ownership control earlier in the supply chain.

      • Example: A furniture manufacturer sourcing wood in-house.

  2. Conglomerate: Combination of dissimilar agencies or activities managed under unified leadership.

    • Example: Unisilver owning both food companies (e.g., Select) and hygiene companies (e.g., Rexona).

    • Example: Procter & Gamble owning both Tide and Lacoste.

DIVISION OF LABOR

  • Core-Periphery Model:

    • Core: High-income nations dominating capitalism; examples include:

      • United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan.

    • Semi-Periphery: Middle-income countries with characteristics of both core and periphery; examples include:

      • Brazil, India, Vietnam, North & South Korea, Indonesia, China, New Zealand.

    • Periphery: Low-income countries providing labor and resources to wealthier nations; examples include:

      • Myanmar, Nepal, Timor, Afghanistan.