Alan Farnham

The extensive size and impact of the global economy are more myth than reality, argues Alan Farnham in the following viewpoint. Farnham contends that the global economy is little different now than in the nineteenth century in terms of trade in goods and services and the international flow of capital and labor. One significant difference, according to Farnham, is the speedier transmission of business information. While he does not believe they are inevitable, Farnham describes changes companies may undergo in the future if a global economy does evolve, including international alliances that will create “Trillion Dollar Enterprises” and the ability of companies to succeed globally. Farnham is an associate editor of Fortune magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In what way are many companies not as global as they...