Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Introduction Of The Discussion Will Focus On The Origins Of Essays

The introduction of the discussion will focus on the origins of the Great Depression and the escalating events that led to it. This will provide adequate foundations to bring up questions and attempt to answer them in an objective fashion as to why and how the Depression affected different industrialized countries in different ways. The core of the debate will consist of detailed comparable analyses of the consequences of the Depression with an emphasis on the economic aspects. The conclusion will provide a brief overview of the ways used by the different governments to get out of that dark episode of world economic history. When studying the Great Depression and it's effects, it is not unusual for historians to choose World War I as a starting point for their investigation. The reason for that is the importance of the repercussions the conflict had on the economies of all the countries that were involved in it. First of all, the War made it impossible for Europe to maintain previous levels of production. For example, before the War, France, the U.K. and Germany accounted for about 60 percent1 of the world's exports of manufactured goods, a share of the market which they could not sustain during the conflict. Consequently, Europe took many of its markets to the U.S. and Japan. The stunted growth of the European economies meant a lower demand for raw materials, which in turn lowered the demand for European exports. In agriculture, things didn't look any better, as it was the sector which employed the most people. At the end of World War I, Europe was forced to import food from the U.S.. Moreover, these transactions were conducted on a credit basis since Europe could not afford to pay for its purchase at that time. Clearly, the U.S. was going from being a traditional debtor of Europe before World War I to becoming its creditor: America had financed the war and it was issuing loans for its reconstruction. However, the attitudes in the U.S. were evolving in an unusual direction: an increasing number of American financiers were starting to literally seek ut potential borrowers which led to competition among U.S. banks and the spreading of unsound lending.2 The main object was to "do the most business", even at the expense of essential caution. What seemed like a beginning of recovery from the Great War, was in fact an immense accumulation of debts, which made the international economic order vulnerable to depression. Analyzing these events with the insight we have today, they seem even more unbelievably audacious given the high instability of the borrowing nation. (i.e., Europe) The triggering event was the crash of the Wall Street stock market in October of 1929. The stock market collapsed after steady declines in production, prices and incomes over three previous months which forced the speculators to revise their expectations. Anxiety soon gave place to panic which led to the crash. However, the depression affected the different industrialized countries in various ways and degrees of intensity. The depression was of especially great magnitude in the U.S. because there were not any welfare benefits for laid off workers. In the period between 1929 and 1933, money income fell by 53 percent (real income fell by 36 percent.)3 As a consequence, demand fell significantly, which in turn led to lower production and more layoffs-- up to a high of 25 percent rate of unemployment in 1933. Despite the severity of the situation, the Federal Reserve did not pursue a monetary expansion on policy which would have stimulated the economy through lower interest rates and increased the stock of money in circulation. This inaction is often attributed to the fact that market interest rates in 1930-1931 fell to very low levels, much lower than in the earlier recessions (of 1924 and 1927), and therefore, the Federal Reserve Board wrongfully saw no need to pursue an expansionary monetary policy.4 An indicator of that inaction is that open market operations did not provide sufficient money reserves for a banking system faced with depositors anxious for liquidity (monetary expansion would have filled that need). If the Federal Reserve had provided additional funds to the banking sector after 1930, bank failure would not have been so numerous and the decrease in the attack of would have been (at least) slowed down. Still, it would not be accurate to make the Federal Reserve responsible for all these problems. Other factors contributed to the precipitation of what began as a cyclical recession into what we now know as the Great Depression. One of those is the Hawley Smoot tariff of 1930 which in essence made America

Monday, November 25, 2019

Excessive Compulsive Disorder essays

Excessive Compulsive Disorder essays I know my hands are clean. I know that I have touched nothing dangerous. But... I doubt my perception. Soon, if I do not wash, a mind numbing, searing anxiety will cripple me. A feeling of stickiness will begin to spread from the point of contamination and I will be lost in a place I do not want to go. So I wash until the feeling is gone, until the anxiety subsides. Then I feel defeated. So I do less and less, my world becomes smaller and smaller and more lonely by the day (Healthy Place: OCD Community). The writer of this poem has a disease call Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In OCD, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just can't let go. OCD can persist throughout a persons life, gradually worsening. If not treated, OCD can drastically affect all aspects of a persons life: work, school, friends, and family (Weiskopf). Worries, doubts, and superstitious beliefs all are common in everyday life. However, when they become so excessive as to interrupt ones daily life, then the diagnosis is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a disorder that is not commonly heard of, but surprisingly it affects 2% of the population, more than those with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (Plexus Staff). OCD is an anxiety disorder that manifests itself through obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, overwhelming, recurrent, and unpleasant thoughts. Dr. John R. Smith says, The obsessions are recurrent thoughts, which an OCD sufferer experiences as being outside their control, although they know those thoughts are coming from their own mind. (McShane 14). A person with OCD might constantly repeat a thought in their head, which can be triggered by an external or internal object. Some common obsessions include repeated impulses to kill a loved fa mily member, incessant worries about dirt or contamin...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

MGT Week 4 SA DB Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT Week 4 SA DB - Case Study Example The kid needed love and support. Sometimes people have biases when dealing with family members. The nephew was bounced around family members and did not receive the discipline, encouragement and love he needed. The entire ordeal was an unfortunate situation. In the future instead of avoiding situations it is better to deal with them head on. Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. The approach used by this person of relying on word of mouth was not well thought out. Word of mouth is a good method to evaluate products, but is not well suited for selecting a university. This technique is susceptible to bias opinions. Being overconfident in the decision making process is also not good. Overconfidence can lead to mistakes (Swedroe, 2010). This person should have looked for the advice of counselors, teachers, and other professionals. Doing research online would have also

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Wal-Marts Environmental Sustainability Program Essay

Wal-Marts Environmental Sustainability Program - Essay Example Since Wal-Mart is a retailer of a wide variety of merchandise products, management’s thrust into environmental sustainability comes in the form of ensuring that the products they sell should conform, not only to the highest standards of quality, but more so, to comply with the products’ impact on the environment. Recently, Wal-Mart initiated a program which would label each product they sell according to an eco rating, which aims to â€Å"measure the environmental friendliness† of the product/s (Whitney, 2009, par. 1).Since Wal-Mart is a retailer of a wide variety of merchandise products, management’s thrust into environmental sustainability comes in the form of ensuring that the products they sell should conform, not only to the highest standards of quality, but more so, to comply with the products’ impact on the environment. Recently, Wal-Mart initiated a program which would label each product they sell according to an eco rating, which aims to â €Å"measure the environmental friendliness† of the product/s. The program would attest to the company’s commitment to adhere to its sustainable strategies. The information provided by the suppliers of the products would be encoded in the company’s database and an eco rating system would be available to the consumers, as required. In this regard, the objective of the essay is to proffer an analysis of the company’s environmental performance and how this could be enhanced by the new service.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Final - Research Paper Example This report is aimed at conducting a study and presenting a paper to the board of directors of a large nonprofit based health relief company regarding the issues about solving the health needs of a poorly developed African Country, Ghana. This report is prepared by keeping in mind the available organizational resources and capabilities , the funding required for the project initiatives , the need for obtaining subsidized medicines from, the major international pharmaceutical organizations functioning across the globe, the need for collecting non generic medication sources, non USDA approved medications and alternate stem cell based medication from different foreign sources. The research is conducted with the ultimate objective of proposing the most suitable and practically feasible expenditure plan including the budgetary propositions, financial controls, funds accounting perspectives, management of public expenditure, analysis of the relevant budgets and financial statements related to the healthcare industry in the country, the financial reporting requirements as per the regulatory requirements of the state government and the management and control of public expenditures. Additionally, these financial management components are critically delved into and evaluated for the purpose of providing sufficient information to the decision making authorities to take key administrative decisions and also apply the financial structures like expenditure plans and budgets as significant financial disciplinary processes and tools. The healthcare segment has become a booming as well as a crucial sector in terms of importance and effectiveness. The recent focus of the healthcare industry has remained constant on the provision of healthcare and medical aids to the lesser developed or under developed nations in the world like Africa. Many of the regions in

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Challenges Faced In International Trade Theory Commerce Essay

The Challenges Faced In International Trade Theory Commerce Essay International trade theory explains the pattern of international trade and the distribution of the gains from trade. Strategic advantage one business entity has over its rival entities within its competitive industry is called competitive advantage. Achieving competitive advantage strengthens and positions a business better within the business environment. In this report, Logitech as a case study of international trade and competitive advantage fully discussed in form of answering study questions. Background Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music, home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices. Key product lines mice, trackballs, and keyboards webcams, speakers, headsets, and headphones interactive gaming devices network music systems video-security solutions advanced universal remote controls History 1981 established in Switzerland, opens Palo Alto office the following year 1982 introduces its first computer mouse, the P4 1984 secures first major OEM contract with HP 1985 introduces the C7, which sells for under $100 and does not require a separate power supply 1986 opens manufacturing center in Hsinchu, Taiwan, still a key center for worldwide operations and engineering 1987 reaches an OEM agreement to manufacture mice for Macintosh computers sold in Europe 1988 opens OEM sales, manufacturing and distribution hub in Cork, Ireland 1989 wins OEM contract for IBM; introduces the Series 9 mouse, the first mouse designed to fit the natural curve of the human hand 1991-92 introduces first cordless mouse, first digital still camera, and first mic/speaker combo 1994 opens first fully-owned manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, which now employs 4,000 people 1995 introduces trackball technology; unveils first web camera and gaming joystick 1997 listed on Nasdaq; unveils first USB mouse 2000 introduces the first mouse with optical sensor to track movement 2001 acquires Labtec, expanding its audio business; unveils first cordless optical mouse 2003 surpasses $1 billion in annual revenue; ships its 500 millionth mouse 2005 opens new facility in Suzhou, China 2006 130 new products introduced; 143 million products shipped worldwide Logitech Today Global operations California marketing, finance, and logistics (some RD) Switzerland research and development (programming) Ireland design, mechanical engineering, sales support Netherlands European distribution Taiwan worldwide operations Suzhou, China manufacturing Performance more than 9000 employees distribution in more than 100 countries projected sales, $2.4 billion (11% OEM; 89% retail) Literature review International Trade Theory Brown (2005) defines comparative advantage means the comparison of relative price differences between nations to explain the pattern of trade. For example, compare the relative price of wheat in terms of cheese at home to the same relative price in the foreign economy in a hypothetical equilibrium with no trade (autarky) or with restricted trade. The country with the lower relative price of wheat is said to have a comparative advantage in wheat while the other country has, symmetrically, a comparative advantage in cheese. Buy low, sell high logic predicts that a country will export the good in which it has a comparative advantage. Theory of Comparative Advantage Free trade between international countries concept was structured and built by David Ricardo an economist. He stated that countries goes for trading with other countries would highly benefit from this trade as specialization as there in these countries. In free trade there are no any tariffs or taxes on incoming or outgoing goods and services. Typically, countries tax incoming goods in an attempt to keep domestic producers competitive. According this theory all trading partners even less efficient producers will benefit from specialization and free trade. Porters Diamond and Competitive Advantage Due to globalization, most of organizations strategies were changed towards being international wise. Even if an organization does not plan to import or to export directly, management has to look at an international business environment, in which actions of competitors, buyers, sellers, new entrants of providers of substitutes may influence the domestic market. Information technology is reinforcing this trend. Michael Porter introduced a model that allows analyzing why some nations are more competitive than others are, and why some industries within nations are more competitivethan others are, in his book The Figure.1: Porters Diamond model Competitive Advantage of Nations. This model of determining factors of national advantage has become known as Porters Diamond. It suggests that the national home base of an organization plays an important role in shaping the extent to which it is likely to achieve advantage on a global scale. This home base provides basic factors, which support or hinder organizations from building advantages in global competition. Porter distinguishes four determinants: Firm strategy, structure and rivalry Related and supporting industries Factor conditions Demand conditions Factor Conditions The situation in a country regarding production factors, like skilled labor, infrastructure, etc., which are relevant for competition in particular industries. These factors can be grouped into human resources (qualification level, cost of labor, commitment etc.), material resources (natural resources, vegetation, space etc.), knowledge resources, capital resources, and infrastructure. They also include factors like quality of research on universities, deregulation of labor markets, or liquidity of national stock markets. These national factors often provide initial advantages, which are subsequently built upon. Each country has its own particular set of factor conditions; hence, in each country will develop those industries for which the particular set of factor conditions is optimal. This explains the existence of so-called low cost-countries (low costs of labor), agricultural countries (large countries with fertile soil), or the start-up culture in the United States (well developed venture capital market). Porter points out that these factors are not necessarily nature-made or inherited. They may develop and change. Political initiatives, technological progress or socio-cultural changes, for instance, may shape national factor conditions. A good example is the discussion on the ethics of genetic engineering and cloning that will influence knowledge capital in this field in North America and Europe. Home Demand Conditions Describes the state of home demand for products and services produced in a country. Home demand conditions influence the shaping of particular factor conditions. They have impact on the pace and direction of innovation and product development. According to Porter, home demand is determined by three major characteristics: their mixture (the mix of customers needs and wants), their scope and growth rate, and the mechanisms that transmit domestic preferences to foreign markets. Porter states that a country can achieve national advantages in an industry or market segment, if home demand provides clearer and earlier signals of demand trends to domestic suppliers than to foreign competitors. Normally, home markets have a much higher influence on an organizations ability to recognize customers needs than foreign markets do. Related and Supporting Industries The existence or non-existence of internationally competitive supplying industries and supporting industries. One internationally successful industry may lead to advantages in other related or supporting industries. Competitive supplying industries will reinforce innovation and internationalization in industries at later stages in the value system. Besides suppliers, related industries are of importance. These are industries that can use and coordinate particular activities in the value chain together, or that are concerned with complementary products (e.g. hardware and software). A typical example is the shoe and leather industry in Italy. Italy is not only successful with shoes and leather, but with related products and services such as leather working machinery, design, etc. Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry The conditions in a country that determine how companies are established are organized and are managed, and that determine the characteristics of domestic competition. Here, cultural aspects play an important role. In different nations, factors like management structures, working morale, or interactions between companies are shaped differently. This will provide advantages and disadvantages for particular industries. Typical corporate objectives in relation to patterns of commitment among workforce are of special importance. They are heavily influenced by structures of ownership and control. Family-business based industries that are dominated by owner-managers will behave differently than publicly quoted companies. Porter argues that domestic rivalry and the search for competitive advantage within a nation can help provide organizations with bases for achieving such advantage on a more global scale. Porters Diamond has been used in various ways. Organizations may use the model to identify the extent to which they can build on home-based advantages to create competitive advantage in relation to others on a global front. On national level, governments can (and should) consider the policies that they should follow to establish national advantages, which enable industries in their country to develop a strong competitive position globally. According to Porter, governments can foster such advantages by ensuring high expectations of product performance, safety or environmental standards, or encouraging vertical co-operation between suppliers and buyers on a domestic level etc. Questions Question 1 In a world without trade, what would happen to the costs that American consumers would have to pay for Logitechs products? Question 2 Explain how trade lowers the costs of making computer peripherals such as mice and keyboards. Question 3 Use the theory of comparative advantage to explain the way in which Logitech has configured its global operations. Why does the company manufacture in China and Taiwan, undertake basic RD in California and Switzerland, design products in Ireland, and coordinate marketing and operations from California? Question 4 Who creates more value for Logitech, the 650 people it employs in Fremont and Switzerland, or the 4,000 employees at its Chinese factory? What are the implications of this observation for the argument that free trade is beneficial? Question 5 Why do you think the company decided to shift its corporate headquarters from Switzerland to Fremont? Question 6 To what extent can Porters diamond help explain the choice of Taiwan as a major manufacturing site for Logitech? Question 7 Why do you think China is now a favored location for so much high technology manufacturing activity? How will Chinas increasing involvement in global trade help that country? How will it help the worlds developed economies? What potential problems are associated with moving work to China? Answers Answer 1: The costs American consumers would have to pay for Logitech products would increase significantly in a world without trade. Â   This is due to the face that production, assembly, resources, and sale of their products would all have to be conducted in the US. Â   Logitech would no longer be able to rely on China for cheap labor and assembly, or Taiwan for efficient and cheap manufacturing. Â   Therefore these increased expenses would require a rise in retail price for the consumer. Answer 2: Trade helps in reduction of product prices due the following: Components are procured from any part of the world where they can be produced or manufactured at the best cost. (Motorola plant in Malaysia makes the mouses chip; Agilent Technologies supplies optical sensor). The actual assembling/manufacturing is done at the place where is cab done most cost effectively. (Assembling is done in Taiwan and China) The product reach the customers the most efficient way are taking the services of the most efficient logistics company. (Marketing from Fremont) Answer 3 Comparative advantage, as proposed by Ricard, says that it is beneficial for nations to involve in trade even when there is absolute advantage for them to produce all the goods. So nations will invest a major portion of their resources to produce what they can produce with advantage. This theory is being applied to the case as follow: China: It is cost effective to manufacture in China. China has a large population of semi-literate people who lives in semi-urban areas. It is important for the Chinese government to provide avenues for its people to earn their livelihood. Mass manufacturing is a good way of employing many people. Since there is abundance of semi-literature human resources in China it can manufacture products which need semi-skilled labor most efficiently. Thus Logitech uses China to manufacture mice. Taiwan: Taiwan has invested in creating industrial parks. It is giving land in these parks at very nominal rates. It had developed a strong supply base for computer parts, it has well qualified people. Its local computer industry is also expanding. Taiwan has done all these with an objective of being a major player in the electronics components manufacturing. Logitech is taking advantage of the facilities developed. California: California is located strategically due the Silicon Valley. Having an office in California provides an opportunity for any company to interact with the other companies. It also gives insights into the emerging technologies. These advantages make Logitech choose California as a center for RD. Since California also houses many large corporation, it makes perfect business sense for Logitech to have their marketing operations here. Switzerland: It is known for precision industry. The right talent is available here for developing the software for mice. Hence, Logitech is developing primary software in Switzerland. Ireland: The design firm in Ireland is used by Logitech for ergonomics design. The Ergonomics Society of Ireland is very active in promoting the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems and devices of all kinds. Answer 4 Logitech make $8 for every mouse being sold. Let us assume that $3 of this is spent on RD and software programming. The earning per employee writing the software are code is (3*100)/650 = 0.47 cent. The value added per employee in China is (3*100)/4000 = 0.075 cents. Hence, the value added by RD people is greater. Free trade is beneficial because, it is the free trade which is allowing Logitech to take advantage of the low cost manpower available in China. If free trade were not available, Logitech would be forced to manufacture its mice in US at much higher cost. Answer 5 It helps Logitech to stay close to its customers. It can respond to the demands of the customers more promptly. Fremont is also the place where a lot of technological innovations are happening. Logitech being in the high-tech industry, continuous innovation is a key success factor for its business. Fremont is also an important in terms of managerial talent. All these reasons make it convenient for Logitech to move to Fremont. Answer 6 Porters diamond considers four important attributes which will create an environment helps the domestic industry. The four attributes can be applied to Taiwan becoming a manufacturing hub for electronics goods as shown below: Pool of resources: Taiwan has well qualified people for manufacturing electronic goods. It has good infrastructure and transportation facility. Demand conditions: There is demand throughout the world for electronic products produced in Taiwan. All major global companies source their electronic components from Taiwan. Relating and supporting industries: Taiwan has a well-developed supply base for parts and rapidly expanding local computer industry. Firm Strategy, structure and rivalry: there is competition and rivalry among local companies which help in better efficiency. In addition, government role: The government has created Science-based industrial parks through which they encourage companies to invest in Taiwan. Land is given at very subsidize rates in these parks. Answer 7 All the factors, in Porters diamond are at play in China very efficiently. It has huge human resources, land, water and other natural resources. It has good infrastructure for transportation, ports, and communication. It has created special zones for promoting exports, thus ensuring a good demand for the goods they manufacture. The rivalry among the domestic firms is also very strong. Government supports export oriented firms through funds. The cost of labor is very low. Technical human skills are available. These factors make China a favored location for high-technology manufacturing. Chinas increase in global trade will ensure that investment flows into China for manufacturing. Its balance of payment position will become very strong. It can use the trade a lever for political mileage. As more investment happens it will help China to reap the advantages of economics of scale. It can provide better living conditions for its citizen. It will also generate funds for planned investment. The worlds developed economics will be able to take advantage of the low cost manufacturing available in China. The global companies can improve the efficiency of their supply chain be manufacturing in China. The following are the potential problems associated with moving to work in China: The political changes, when they happen, can lead to disruption of work. Decision making at the government level is opaque, which can cause problems if unfavorable decisions are taken. When there is trouble in the political relationship between the home country and China; the companies may lose an opportunity to develop an alternate to China as a manufacturing hub. Conclusion It is obviously clear to any one that Logitech has strongly satisfied Porters diamond attributes by ensuring resources (China and Taiwan), go with Demand (Taiwan), Firm Strategy, structure and rivalry (California, Swaziland and Fremont) and keep involve in what is up-to-date (Taiwan, Switzerland, California and Fremont). By achieving this, Logitech is considered one of aggressive competitors all over the world with high competitive advantage using innovation as a key tool.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Matrix Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’m sitting in a chair, talking to a man that I’ve wanted to know for a long time. His name is Morpheus; I know that he knows more than I do about the world and how it works. Now it’s my turn, in each of his hand’s there is a pill, in one there’s a red pill and in the other a blue pill. The red pill will have me further my knowledge and the true nature of things will be revealed. The blue pill stops any further knowledge and my perception of things will remain unchanged. I take the red pill. Why do I take the red pill?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, let’s consider the way I am. I am a very nosy person who likes taking chances and risks. If I’m given a glimpse of what is real how can I go back? I’m curious as to what lies ahead. For Morpheus to po...