Chapter 11: How Companies Cope

So, we've learned how America is behind, but still has the resources to cope in the flat world. Then we learned what developing countries can do to take advantage of the flat world platform and rise up. This chapter is exactly what it's title says: it describes what companies need to do in order to cope in the flat world. Friedman suggests they follow seven distinct rules, some of which he had touched on earlier in the book. These rules vary from a general introspection to find your true core competency, to taking advantage of new technologies to a.) make your big company act small, or b.) make your small company act big, to using outsourcing correctly and efficiently to not only cut costs, but to increase your market share and, perhaps, help out a poor country of people in the process.

It was a pretty good chapter, but I once again found it hard to get through. I don't really have much to comment on this chapter, either. It was pretty clear-cut and straightforward, saying the same thing Friedman has been saying all throughout this book: "The world is taking advantage of new technologies to collaborate more and it is making the world flatter. Learn what you can to hop on this trend before you get left behind."