Poem Review: Walt Whitman's Poem "I Hear America Singing"

Walt Whitman’s poem I Hear America Singing provides an example of how a nation is built from the very contribution of its members. Singing being a metaphor for the productivity that is derived from the many different types of workers within the nation. Each nation is built off of the various members that complete their functions with spirit that adds up to economic competitiveness.

Think of how the manufacturers assemble products, engineers design products, scientists further industry knowledge, entrepreneurs invent products, the marketers promote products, and the accountants ensure accurate reckoning of balance sheets to determine profit. Even though each person may sing in a solo they collectively mesh together into a chorus and story. 

 Each person has a unique contribution to the overall development of a nation. The unemployed are left out from that song and cannot use their skills to contribute fully. Ensuring that people are trained, educated, and encouraged to be productive helps in developing full economic growth. A worker sings loudest if he/she is engaged with their full abilities that represent their best natural skills. 

I Hear America Singing 

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
          singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or
          at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of
          the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows,
          robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

How Knowledge and Technology Improves Small Business?

The Internet has contributed to globalization while small and medium (SME) businesses are finding the ability to connect with worldwide customers and increase revenues. Research by Vanyushyn, et. al. (2011) discussed the implementation of Internet technology for either structural improvements or marketing enhancements. SME adoption of new technology is important for their overall growth and innovative contribution to economic development.

The Internet is reducing borders and spreading new technologies that create shifts in global structure (Kemeny, 2011). As information spreads, cultures change, businesses connect together, and commerce adjusts it develops a wider marketplace. A small business can be located in the U.S. but have customers from nearly any other place on the globe. Such changes were not possible a few decades ago.

New information technology increases interaction between local governments, large corporations, and international organizations while SMEs improve upon their international competitiveness (Ruzzier at. al., 2006).  Because business is less restricted to geography than it was in the past small businesses can find ways of filling gaps and services in an international market while still being grounded in their local communities.

SMEs are also a major catalyst to local and national economic growth. A report by the European Commission (2011) found that “European SMEs are a major source of job creation: More than 50% of new jobs derive from a group of fast growing companies representing 4% of the total number of European SMEs. In addition, almost half of the two million industrial SMEs have recently introduced innovations to the markets.” Such businesses improve upon the employment market and develop new technologies.

To be successful in an ever changing market businesses must innovate and continue to innovate when new challenges present themselves. Innovative behavior is directly related to the performance of innovation by the adaption or creation of new technology, products and/or processes. The adoption and integration process becomes a new source of competitive advantage for both the business and the nation.

Innovation is not only within the realm of technology but also includes the gathering of knowledge to create change. Innovative change comprises proposing new questions, developing new skills, creating technological advantages, or finding new ways of resolving problems (Comison-Zornoza, et. al., 2004). Innovation is a process of learning about new competencies and technologies that enhance performance and then integrating them into processes for higher organizational effectiveness.

The authors studied 1.) the sequence of steps in the adoptive process, and 2.) the evaluation of the contribution of the Internet on international competitiveness. They found that over time new technologies reduce cost, develop skilled specialists and improve productivity. Small firm innovation takes on more of a refinement, production, implementation, and execution of new online channels. SME can integrate new technologies through refinement of process that are realized in more effective production and performance.

Camison-Zornoza, C., et. al. (2004). A Meta-Analysis of Innovation and Organizational Size. Organization Studies, 25, 331–361.

European Commission (2011). Assessing the performance of European SMEs. Enterprise & Industry Online Magazine. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/magazine/articles/smesentrepreneurship/article_10581_en.htm

Kemeny, T. (2011). Are International Technology Gaps Growing or Shrinking in the Age of Globalization?. Journal of Economic Geography, 11, 1-35.

Ruzzier, M., et. al. (2006). SME Internationalization Research: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 13, 476-497.

Vanyushyn, V. et. al. (2011). New business models for international performance-a longitudinal study of Internet and marketing. ICSB World Conference Proceedings: 1-17. Washington: International Council for Small Business (ICSB).

Improving Economic Activity Through Tariff Reductions

Trade is at the root of economic development. The easy movement of products and services across borders helps create an interconnected world where opportunities for international goods and companies abound. A paper by Dzerniek-Hanouze & Doherty (2013) discussed the significant advantages that can be found by opening trade routes at a national and regional level to ensure that products and services move smoothly to their destinations. 

All trade is based on selling products from one entity to the next. According to Black’s Law Dictionary Trade is ,”The act or business of exchanging commodities by barter; or the business of buying and selling for money; traffic; barter.” A value laden product must transfer hands from one person to the next while a reciprocal value laden item (i.e. money) is exchanged in return. 

Before revenue can be earned through the selling of products these products must be available and present for purchase. This means that the product is available on store shelves, online, or in the locality for customers to purchase. The buyer and seller must be connected together in some way through virtual or physical means to exchange information, items, or financial value. 

The same process must occur when products and services are built. Available items are used to construct higher level products to earn more on the market. Unnecessary tariffs, restrictions, and levies between suppliers and creators directly reduce the possibilities of further growth and development. This means fewer products are shipped out and less revenue gained. 

The supply chain is the vine that is used to move products and services. When tariffs by importing countries are high it impacts the cost and quantity of those products being moved. As costs increase the likelihood that they will be purchased by locals is reduced; it is a customer equity choice. Tariffs are a direct attempt to damage the supply chain mechanisms. 

Improving the flow of products and services is important in speeding up the economy. For example, improving upon inspections, security technology, communications, and transport can also improve upon the costs of moving these products. Lower costs can often result in improved revenue for companies that rely on imported supplies. 

The concept of economic hubs doesn’t make it exclusively into the paper but the author does indicate that reduced borders increase the spillover effects in management, technological know-how, and access to new technologies that move beyond the goods themselves. The production of products and services enhances the skill and abilities of multiple sectors within the economy. 

The authors offered some interesting statistics. For example, the World Economic Forum, The World Bank and Bain & Co. in 2012 indicated that reducing trade barriers could increase global gross domestic product by $2.6 trillion or 5%.  Ebay also indicated in a study that removing virtual barriers improved small business growth by 60-80%. The end result of their analysis is that if countries moved half-way to best practice there would be a 4.7% GDP increase, a moderate reduction of restrictions would improve GDP 2.6%, and a removal of tariffs would result in a .7% increase in GDP. 

Drzeniek-Hanouz, M. & Doherty, S. (2013). Trade facilitation, international supply chains and SME competitiveness. International Trade Forum, 4