ABSTRACT

Globalisation is a multilevel concept comprising projects, processes and practices. This chapter argues that currently there is no widely accepted project alternative to neoliberalism, leaving related global processes and practices intact. These are conceptualised in four domains: economy, technology, politics and society. This foundation enables examination of the consequences of globalisation for employment and work. A major trend has been the uneven transfer of manufacturing, service and knowledge work from developed to developing countries through the medium of global supply chains. This process raises questions concerning employment growth, workers’ pay and conditions, and income inequality. Reflecting variations in industry, occupation and national contexts, analysis shows that there have been winners and losers and that globalisation has become politically contested. This is because governments have largely failed to ensure that costs and benefits are shared equitably. Assertions of national sovereignty will be insufficient to address the most severe contemporary global problems of climate change, migration and crime. The chapter concludes by arguing that in time, these will be the catalysts that encourage the creation of global rules that are likely to provide the foundation for wider global regulation.