Zlenko+Alexander+case+study

An interview with 23 years-old businessman from Omsk about globalization process.

//** 1. What is globalization for you? **//

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- The first what I can imagine, when I hear this term – is integration in something united, blurring of boundaries. It’s difficult for me to formulate my attitude to this process, because there are lots of pro and contra. On the one hand, it’s appearance of new possibilities, prospects. The quantity of goods in our shops is growing, and this growing is so noticeably, that a man, living =====

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during the USSR exists, even couldn’t imagine that something like this is possible. From the other hand, with these goods are coming another culture, another fashion, another lifestyle. And all points which make one country diverse from another smoothly disappear during the globalization. And this is with no doubt a negative influence, which develops rather quickly. Nowadays a teenager hardly say who is Vladimir Vysotsky, but he knows very well who is 50 cent and other heresy. They sing their songs and don’t understand the meaning of this song. How you can like something, if you don’t understand its meaning? In no way I think. And they do it, because it’s trendy to sing such songs, because TV shows only them. Diversity is what makes our life brilliant, and globalization kills it. ===== //** 2. Do you feel your involvement in this process? **// - Of course I feel it. The problem is that no one think about this involvement. Every day we use cell phones, which developed in USA, watch the time on watches, which produced in Switzerland, wear a cloth, produced in China, drink coffee, imports from Brazil and Columbia. My last name and passport – it’s all that what I have from Russia.

//** 3. Which role plays globalization in your company and in your one life? **//

- Our company works on international quality standards, we imports minerals from Germany, and our brand is made by the company from Finland. I think it gives the answer on your question.
And what about me, I’m typical consumer. If I think about ration between foreign and national goods, which I consume, it will be near 80 per cents of import to 20 of national goods. I glad to support domestic producers, but the goods in which I need are not produced in Russia or have rather low quality.

//** 4. Which hiring politic has your company? **//

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- The department which I’m leading directly related to the work with clients, that is why we try to hire young and initiative guys which have no problems with Russian language. It’s important in our job. We must be able to convince people, find a right way from difficult situations in very short period. =====

//** 5. Are there any migrants in your company? **// - Formally they are, but it’s guys from CIS, in particular from Kazakhstan. They have Kazakh passport, but they grew up in Russian families and get education in Russian schools. For this reason it’s difficult to perceive them as migrants.

//** 6. Do you have to cut your staff? How often? What category of staff you cut and why? **//

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- In this moment firing the staff happens very rarely, because nowadays the company is on the stage of development. There is rather huge staff turnover, because the work is not from easiest. They understand that it’s not their job and retire not to lose their and our time. There was some time ago a guy from Caucasus, he has big problems with Russian language, but we gave him a chance, organized special trainings for him and so on, but unfortunately he failed. He understood it itself and retire. =====

//** 7. Do you feel any danger from the foreign companies after entry Russia in WTO? **//

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- I can’t say exactly how Russian entry in WTO will influence on our company, but we should feel danger less then another sectors of economic. As I said previously, we work on international quality standards, our products get first places on Europe fairs. We are more then competitive.=====

//** 8. Do you feel strong connection with Russian culture? **//

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- Of course yes. Russian culture and mentality are very important for me. Russia was always invincible in case of its character. I’ll have big problems with adaptation in another country, if I’ll go there on permanent residence. Russian are absolutely different with other nations and I’m proud about this fact. Unfortunately in last time we can see awful tendency. Besides our young generation looks like western people, they begin think like them. I’ll be not surprise if 20 or 30 years after America gain their aim and new Russian generation will recognize the victory of USA in second world war, but not the USSR.=====

//** 9. How do you think, is there some loose of national identity nowadays? **//

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- It’s really happens and happens rapidly. I’m always confused, when I see a poster, which invite everybody in night club to celebrate the most important Russian holidays like Halloween. Ifeelfurious. I want to put on head this stupid pumpkin everyone, who visit this party. Western world successfully impose their lifestyle our youth. =====

//** 10. If you have enough authority, what will you change in such process as globalization? **//

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- I think I’ll close the borders of all countries. I’ll make strict limits in import production. It will be possible to import only goods, which country is not possible to produce itself in case of geographic location, competitive advantages and so on. People can visit another countries and learn culture of another countries, but allow to impose a lifestyle of more influence countries to another – it’s not acceptably. =====


 * Thank you so much for your opinion! **