Synthesis Paper
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Osman !1
Abdirizak Osman
Instructor Harlen-Marks
ENG 1111-11
18 February 2016
Technological Innovation Gives Both Businesses & Consumers A Kick in the Right Direction
Transitioning from an industrial economy to a postindustrial economy has proved to be a global
challenge. Factory jobs are now being replaced by jobs in the knowledge industry and service sector (e.g.
educational services, business services, government services, and health and social services). A little over 2
decades ago, many children would follow the way of tradition and idolize their parents’ employment at the local
factory. Production facilities welcomed, with decent pay, uneducated and inexperienced adolescents who had
hopes of starting a family. Recently, however, such jobs have dwindled towards a dramatic low. According to
the Economic Policy Institute, “Trade, Not productivity, Is the Culprit,” the United States has lost over 5 million
manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014. Through technological innovation, information
technology has revolutionized (e.g. going from the creation of the printing press to 3D printing) and lead to the
elimination of low-skill jobs. However, since promoting business growth is of the essence, trends of innovation
are not without benefits (Scott).
A case in point would be when Blockbuster freely opted out of purchasing a little DVD-rental-by-mail
company named Netflix back in the early 2000s. The proposition showed high growth prospects. Netflix was
intending to use the technological innovation of the internet to allow Blockbuster customers to order with the
click of a button. If the idea was embraced, rentals would have shifted from store pickups to online ordering,
and low-skilled jobs (e.g. being a cashier) would have been disappearing by the dozens; however, these jobs
were already doomed the moment the internet and kiosks set foot in the rental industry. The former Blockbuster
Osman !2
CEO, John Antioco,...
Abdirizak Osman
Instructor Harlen-Marks
ENG 1111-11
18 February 2016
Technological Innovation Gives Both Businesses & Consumers A Kick in the Right Direction
Transitioning from an industrial economy to a postindustrial economy has proved to be a global
challenge. Factory jobs are now being replaced by jobs in the knowledge industry and service sector (e.g.
educational services, business services, government services, and health and social services). A little over 2
decades ago, many children would follow the way of tradition and idolize their parents’ employment at the local
factory. Production facilities welcomed, with decent pay, uneducated and inexperienced adolescents who had
hopes of starting a family. Recently, however, such jobs have dwindled towards a dramatic low. According to
the Economic Policy Institute, “Trade, Not productivity, Is the Culprit,” the United States has lost over 5 million
manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014. Through technological innovation, information
technology has revolutionized (e.g. going from the creation of the printing press to 3D printing) and lead to the
elimination of low-skill jobs. However, since promoting business growth is of the essence, trends of innovation
are not without benefits (Scott).
A case in point would be when Blockbuster freely opted out of purchasing a little DVD-rental-by-mail
company named Netflix back in the early 2000s. The proposition showed high growth prospects. Netflix was
intending to use the technological innovation of the internet to allow Blockbuster customers to order with the
click of a button. If the idea was embraced, rentals would have shifted from store pickups to online ordering,
and low-skilled jobs (e.g. being a cashier) would have been disappearing by the dozens; however, these jobs
were already doomed the moment the internet and kiosks set foot in the rental industry. The former Blockbuster
Osman !2
CEO, John Antioco,...