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MATERIAL AND EXTERNAL RESEARCH. THE DOCUMENT CONTAINS BOTH
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,MNG4804 2026 POE 2026 MNG4804 2026
Table of Contents
QUESTION 1 ............................................................................................................. 3
Evaluate and extensively assess the impact of globalisation on developing countries
such as South Africa, using practical scenarios. ........................................................ 3
QUESTION 2 ............................................................................................................. 7
Critically examine the socio-economic benefits and challenges faced by African
countries as a result of foreign direct investment (FDI), using practical examples. (20)
................................................................................................................................... 7
QUESTION 3 ........................................................................................................... 12
Critically evaluate the importance of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as a
regulatory body in international trade arrangements. (20) ........................................ 12
QUESTION 4 ........................................................................................................... 16
Based on current global dynamics, discuss how expatriates should be supported in
developing countries. (20) ........................................................................................ 16
, MNG4804 2026 POE 2026 MNG4804 2026
QUESTION 1
Evaluate and extensively assess the impact of globalisation on developing
countries such as South Africa, using practical scenarios.
1. Introduction
Globalisation represents a fundamental transformation of the international business
environment, characterised by the increasing integration of national economies
through trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), global production networks, digital
connectivity, and the diffusion of knowledge and technology. According to Hill (2023),
globalisation is driven primarily by the decline of barriers to the free flow of goods,
services, capital, and people, alongside rapid advances in communication,
transportation, and information technologies. For developing economies such as
South Africa, globalisation has been neither uniformly beneficial nor entirely
detrimental. Instead, it functions as a double-edged phenomenon, simultaneously
creating opportunities for industrial upgrading, export expansion, and technological
learning, while exposing domestic firms and workers to intensified global competition,
structural unemployment, and vulnerability to external shocks. This discussion
critically evaluates the economic, industrial, and social impacts of globalisation on
South Africa, drawing on theory and practical scenarios to demonstrate both its
developmental potential and inherent risks.0717513144
2. Theoretical Perspectives on Globalisation and Development
From a classical economic perspective, globalisation enhances welfare through
comparative advantage, allowing countries to specialise in activities where they are
relatively more efficient (Hill, 2023). Modern trade and investment theories further
emphasise the role of global value chains (GVCs), in which production is fragmented
across countries based on cost efficiency, skills, and institutional advantages.
Developing countries can benefit by integrating into these networks, gaining access to
foreign markets, capital, and technology.
However, dependency and structuralist theorists argue that globalisation may
reinforce existing inequalities between developed and developing nations, as the latter