Globalization refers to the socialization, interaction, cooperation, communication, and engagement among organizations, governments, and individuals at the global level. Advancement in communication, transportation, and technology has helped to make globalization a realization where humans engage in real-time transactions, socialization, meetings, treaties, and engagement among others despite having disparate geographical locations. According to Pietro, Girsberger, and Vuille (n.d.), there are four main drivers of globalization: trade, migration, the spread of technology, and foreign investments. The realization of globalization has turned the world into a global village, where individuals thrive through interaction, cooperation, and engagement on the global level. The field of work and employment has greatly benefited from globalization and has seen many employees leave their countries to seek employment abroad. Although globalization has many positive impacts, such as increased job availability for the competent, increased labor market for companies, and improved flexibility in the structure of jobs, it also has challenges due to increased inequality and oppression of vulnerable groups in society, especially women.
Globalization has greatly transformed flexibility in employment around the globe. Individuals can now work easily in a different country or operate from a different country, yet belong to an organization that is located in a different country. According to Pietro, Girsberger, and Vuille (n.d.), there has been a sharp increase in the number of individuals migrating to other countries for employment. It is worth noting that countries exhibit both inflows as well as outflows of labor, which could have adverse impacts on an economy. Pietro, Girsberger, and Vuille (n.d.) reveal that about 16 migrations around the globe are attributed to labor exchanges between nations. Apart from that, it is worth noting that the coming of the Internet has transformed the structure of work, and it has helped many employees to work remotely. Various organizations and governments have greatly adopted the use of remote work structures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many organizations and employees have affirmed their liking for remote work structure, and many entities will retain this work-plan structure.
It is also worth noting that globalization has helped to create new types of jobs at a time when jobs in the traditional job market were dwindling. Globalization and advancement in technology have led to the adoption of machines and automation in the industrial market, which has reduced job opportunities in these traditional job havens. On the other hand, the emergence of online audiences has created employment opportunities for many content creators and businesses. Advancement in globalization has helped to generate many new job positions that did not exist during the industrial revolution era.
Globalization has also had immense impacts on the employment of women since it has helped to open up more job opportunities for women. Women have been empowered in various ways in the globalized world, where many have found passion to engage in online content creation, migrate to another country for better-paying jobs, acquire skills from international peers through online platforms, and many others. This has helped to increase the participation of women in the market economy and employment, in both developed as well as developing nations.
According to Helpman (2018), globalization has led to an increase in wealth inequality among nations, with developed nations reaping greater benefits from globalization as compared to developing nations. This is true considering that developed nations are the manufacturers of most products and reap the benefits through profits in selling such products and services to developing nations. Inequality in economic empowerment of nations in the age of globalization has exposed women in developing nations to financial frustrations due to a lack of access to job opportunities. This has made them vulnerable to engaging in diverse money-generating activities that endanger their lives. As Helpman states, young unemployed women in developing nations are vulnerable to being tapped by rich tourists flocking to developing nations for pleasure. Economic frustration has also pushed many women to seek self-employment, which has many challenges for women, such as low wages, market instability, and the risk of undergoing losses.
Globalization is largely to blame for the worsening economic condition in most developing nations, due to economic inequality in the global market. The mass exodus of women from developing nations to other nations to find employment opportunities is a good sign of the impact of globalization on women and work. According to Laiboni (1999), women in developing nations such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are actively engaged in the pursuit of greener employment opportunities in the Middle East. This is mainly fueled by the dwindling employment opportunities in the traditional job market in the industries. Laiboni reports that developing nations such as Kenya and Uganda report high rates of unemployment among the youth. Women report higher unemployment rates in developing nations, which has pushed many to seek employment opportunities in other markets, especially the Middle East. However, these women face many challenges and problems in their pursuit of work in the Middle East, with many suffering psychological, physical, sexual, and emotional torture from their masters. Laiboni reveals that most domestic workers from developing nations working in the Middle East face dehumanizing treatment and even death at the hands of their masters. Laiboni reports the case of Pamela Mbogo, who once worked as a domestic worker in Bahrain, where she was mistreated and locked inside the house for days as punishment, but was forced to seek yet another employment opportunity in Saudi Arabia due to lack of employment in her native land Kenya. The lack of employment in the local market has forced many women to travel to foreign nations to seek greener pastures. Laiboni reports that at least 1.5 million Ethiopian girls are working in the Middle East. This trend began in Ethiopia in the 1980s and has since increased rapidly, enabling more and more women to travel to the Middle East to seek employment. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are also active participants in the Middle East job market, each contributing at least 100,000 women in the foreign job market. It is worth noting that women face dehumanizing treatment and conditions during their stay as employees in the Middle East, but they are forced to persevere through harsh treatment due to ineffective governmental and legal protection. Women are forced to seek job opportunities in the Middle East due to corruption and dwindling economic conditions in the job market, which prevents them from accessing job positions. Considering that globalization is the driver of the migration of women to foreign nations, it follows that it has adverse impacts on women’s experiences.
In summary, it is evident that globalization has many impacts on work and employment. Globalization and employment are closely intertwined terms because employment is one of the drivers of globalization, presenting a reverse impact on globalization. Globalization has led to changes in employment structure, it has increased job opportunities, empowered women’s participation in the job market, as well as exposed many vulnerable employees such as women to many challenges.