Research Paper (How conflicts effect an economy, focusing on

(How conflicts effect an economy, focusing on Afghanistan) - Research Paper Example Development indicators are some variables to measure when determining the level of a country’s economic growth. For instance, life expectancy can be a development indicator, and it is a variable that is easy to measure. Another hypothesis in this study can focus on conflict conditions that affect economic development. In this case, the hypothesis can be "conflicts leads to political instability creating conditions that do not favor economic growth". This can be an alternative hypothesis and the reason for setting for the research question is that it gives measurable variables. It is easy to conduct interviews and collect opinions of the Afghanistan business people about what political instability implies for their investment. Therefore, the research has both general and alternative hypothesis and prefers them since the variables easy to measure. The research will not be complete without good conceptualization of the design and approach to the study. In the conceptualization stage, researchers attempt to define their study to the details or they make it as clear as possible2. In this case, it will be necessary to dig deep about conflicts. The word conflict has different meanings depending on the context that individuals use it. In general terms, conflict refers to the state of disagreement between two or more people. In civic terms, a conflict refers to differences in ideologies between one or two people. However, the term conflicts bring the image of battle and wars in the country, society or a community. Therefore, this study refers to conflicts in terms of war and raging battles. The aspect of conflicts that the study seeks to cover is economic implications of wars and battles. In the Afghanistan for instance, conflicts have been responsible for many problems in the country ranging from insecurity to slow economic growth. Conflicts in this context refer to the situation where the country

The Relationship between the investment in Petrochemical Industries Research Proposal

The Relationship between the investment in Petrochemical Industries and Economic Development - Research Proposal Example Changing the production means refers to the correction of faults in the structure of the economy or elimination that problem (Omar Mohyee Adeen, 1976). One of the major factors that affect the changes in the national economy is that of investment decisions (Krosinsky, and Robins, 2008). Often the discovery of an abundant natural resource in one country leads to tremendous investment in the resource and decline in the manufacturing sector. This scenario which is called the Dutch disease is a common effect in developing as well as developed countries. It is necessary that the development of an industry following the discovery of a natural resource is accompanied with a balanced development of manufacturing and the small industries. This will lead to generation of employment and diversification of the source’s income. With the availability of abundant raw materials, natural gas and cheap workforce the petrochemical industry is the best industry that shall be developed to grow the economy (Rooney, 2005; Sari, 2009). With this framework, it will be interesting to analyze if there is any relationship between the investments in petrochemical industry and economic growth. Besides this, the author will try to find out the possibility of a Dutch Disease taking place in the Libyan economy. The author will also try to find out the possible ways to prevent it and achieve a balanced growth of economy. The aim of this research is to understand and explore the potential impact of the discovery of petrochemical industry resources in Libya. The author aims to achieve the following objectives through the research: The effect of the development of petrochemical industry on other industrial sector’s size and profitability. In particular, the author aims to find out the affect on smaller and manufacturing industries. Often, the discovery of a natural resource in abundance leads to high economic

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay Example for Free

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay In 1972 Kerry Group started its operation in Listowel, Co. Kerry. In 1974 Kerry Group has been formally established as Kerry Cooperative Creameries Limited in County Kerry, Ireland. The company grew in less than 30 years from this small provincial dairy for one of the world leaders in specialty food ingredients producers and distributors. During the 1970s, the company expanded to include a large number of dairy farms and processing plants in the counties of Cork, Killarney, Galway and Limerick. Between 1979 and 1985, Kerry has built a lot of confidence in their abilities and technologies. During the 1980s the business strategy of the organization was based on organic growth with a focus on diversification. With that Kerry began branching out from its core dairy products in other categories of food. The company had its growth through acquisitions including a number of manufacturing facilities and other food processing, located throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 1986 with Denis Brosnan as chief executive, the cooperative decided to become a full-fledged company, listing its shares on the Irish Stock Exchange. The newly public company reported strong growth after its first  full year of operations, with revenues nearing IR £ 300 million, and net profits of nearly IR £ 6.3 million. Before the end of the decade Brosnan managed to double the sales of the company maintaining its Expansion in Ireland with the acquisition of 1986 Snowcream Moate Dairies, and the formation of a division of convenience foods, bringing the company into this increasingly prominent market. Alongside this movement was the intensification of business Kerry special ingredients. At the same time, Kerry also established presence in the United States, the opening of a processing facility dairy product, Jackson, Wisconsin in 1987. In the 1990s Kerry Group continued to expand its business into the UK from the acquisition of new businesses to the already existing portfolio company. Kerrys acquisition drive continued into the late 1990s, bringing the company into France, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Brazil. Two important acquisitions highlighted Kerrys expansion. The first came in 1994 when the company acquired the business of food processing DCA, bringing the company to a position outstanding among North Americas specialty ingredients producers. The DCA purchase also introduced it to the Australian and New Zealand markets. The opportunity for renewed expansion came in February 1998, when the Kerry Group announced its agreement to purchase the food ingredients businesses of the U.K.s Dalgety PLC. Kerry acquired Dalgety Food Ingredients plants in the United Kingdom and in Hungary and the Netherlandsnew markets for Kerry well as plants in France, Italy, and Germany. The Dalgety acquisition firmly established Kerry as the top specialty ingredients producer in Europe, and one of the worlds leaders in its specific categories. Kerry was now turning its attention to two new markets: the Far East and South America both markets represent a huge potential new customer, both for the companys products and food brands, and products for their  ingredients. Companys initial forays into these markets include acquisitions of plants in Malaysia and Brazil, while the company predicted that these markets are reaching some 25 percent of the companys revenue at the beginning of the next century. Strategic Levels According to Porter Porter in Montgomery (1998) corporate strategy is the general plan for a diversified company, which has two levels of strategy: the strategy of the business unit (or competitive), and corporate strategy (or entire corporate group). To Christensen in Fahey Randall (1999), corporate strategy is one that is concerned with three major issues to be faced by the managers of the corporation: 1. The corporate scope: that complex business corporation should attend? 2. The relationship between its parts: on what basis the business units of the corporation should relate to each other? 3. Methods for managing the scope and relationships: that specific methods acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and others will be adopted to effect specific changes in corporate scope and relationships?

The Presidio San Elizario Essay Example for Free

The Presidio San Elizario Essay It is one of the oldest communities in the El Paso Area. The community was established during the late 1700’s. A presidio was built in the area in order to protect the Spanish settlers from the attacking Apache and Comanche Indian raiders. The exact date of when the presidio of San Elizario was first built remains a debate between many local historians. One well known area historian, Metz, writes, â€Å"The original presidio was built around 1773 and that the original chapel was built of mostly adobe and some wood, and took approximately 40 years to construct. Most of the work was done by prisoners, some of them Indian, mostly Apache. (254). As noted by an online source, the presidio itself was surrounded by a double wall of adobe measuring 13 feet tall by seven feet wide. Inside were barracks for soldiers and special officer quarters. Also within the fort were family residences, corrals, store rooms, and a small chapel. This small chapel was built in a box pattern reflecting the early â€Å"European colonialism. † (San Elizario). The chapel has gone through major changes throughout its history, yet still remains close to its original location to this day. As historian John O. West notes, the San Elizario Presidio is often mistaken as a mission. However, the presidio of San Elizario was not created to convert the local natives to Christianity, but in fact was created as a fort or presidio to protect the Camino Real and other area settlements from Apache and Comanche Indian raiders. (19). An online source also notes that the presidio was involved in numerous military engagements and natural disasters which forced its movement many times throughout it’s early history. (Reyes). According to another historian, Douglas Kent Hall, â€Å"The presidio was moved 37 miles up the Rio Grande in 1780 to its current site. † (131). According to another internet source, â€Å"During the early 1830’s the unpredictable Rio Grande River changed course, virtually isolating San Elizario and its surrounding communities as an island in the middle of the Rio Grande. † (San Elizario). After the US-Mexico War of 1846-1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, establishing the Rio Grande River as the boundary between Texas and Mexico. This left San Elizario to become part of what is now the state of Texas. San Elizario is steeped in both Texas, and Hispanic history. Still remaining today, the San Elizario presidio and chapel has moved many times and gone through many changes since its original construction. One online source notes, in 1829, the Rio Grande flooded completely destroying the â€Å"Chapel at San Elizario. † (San Elizario). A different Website points out that the chapel that stands in the same location today was rebuilt in 1882. (Kohut). Another online source notes, the exterior has changed little from its original construction. The main difference was in the change of the front â€Å"facade,† as this added to the, â€Å"early European colonial,† influence on the contemporary construction of the time. A fire destroyed much of the interior of the chapel in 1935. The inside has undergone dramatic changes since then, again reflecting the influence of â€Å"European architectural style. † With â€Å"pressed-tin† covering the original ceiling covers and beams. Several additions have also been made to the exterior of the chapel. For instance, an orchard has been added to the east side of the chapel and the surrounding plaza. More adobe structures have also been added to the surrounding area in order to add to the formality of the area. The formal rectangular patterned streets and building orientation â€Å"reflects the elements of early Spanish colonialism. † In 1944 the chapel was repainted in order to honor the local soldiers who fought overseas in World War II. (San Elizario). A local college student writes in the Borderlands Website that a â€Å"major restoration of the chapel† began in 1993, however much work still needs to be done to the exterior walls of the structure. The Mission Trail Association, which was formed in 1986, has done much work to uphold the heritage of the chapel at San Elizario and other local Missions. Through their hard work, the Socorro and Ysleta missions, along with the San Elizario chapel have retained their beauty and strength through hundreds of years of faith and devotion. (Reyes). With the help of the Mission Trail Association and donations from tourists and local interest in its preservation, the San Elizario chapel can be a monument for many more generations to enjoy. Works Cited Hall, Douglas Kent.

Why Firms become Multinational Enterprises

Why Firms become Multinational Enterprises Introduction One of the important aspects of globalization is the international transformation of the companies around the world. The companies have evolved from being a domestic firm to a multinational corporation and being present almost everywhere in the world either physically or via internet. These international companies are regarded as true MNCs only if they have made substantial direct investment in foreign countries and have actively and continuously taken part in the management of these assets (Barlett, Ghoshal, p2). Though the companies had started the internationalization process as early as in the seventeenth and the eighteenth century when the developed nations moved towards the under developed ones for acquiring key resources and in search for markets, but the latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of twenty-first century witnessed a huge expansion in the extent to which the firms go international  (Barlett, ghoshal, p1). The internationalization process has trans formed greatly due to the evolution of the motives and the way firms integrate and expand their businesses around the world. There are both proactive and reactive motivations for a firm to go international. Proactive motivations are evident in firms that see a need for a strategic change and want to go international; whereas reactive firms are those that go international because they have to in order to deal with the competition from the domestic firms growing internationally as well as the foreign players entering the domestic market. (Czinkota, The Export Marketing Imperative, 2004, pg 4). This essay discusses these motives for firms to become MNEs and how they go about it. Why firms become Multinational Enterprises In the increasingly global business environment, many companies cannot afford to be under the assumption that their domestic markets will always be profitable. For this reason, many companies start with selling their existing products to the countries which have more number of consumers (e.g. China and India) or where consumers have more purchasing power (e.g., USA) (Rennie, Michael W, 193). This arises from the primary profit-seeking motive of the companies but also helps them to increase their brand identity and global presence (Czinkota, p4). These companies then customize their product line according to the country in which they are selling in order to expand their customer base and tackle the competition from the domestic players. So increased sales are a major motive for a companys expansion, and in fact, many of the worlds largest companies including Volkswagen (Germany), Ericsson (Sweden), IBM (United States), Michelin (France), Nestle (Switzerland), and Sony (Japan) derive more than half their sales from outside their home countries (UN Conference: Promoting Linkages, 2001). Another motive, which arose from the firms going international, was seeking cost effective resources to propel production for local and foreign markets. As the firms expanded geographically, they needed to attain competitive advantage over other foreign as well as the domestic companies. This drove them to invest abroad in countries where resources needed for production were available at low cost (Cosmin Sabau). In the earlier days, these resources included mainly the natural resources like rubber, steel, aluminum, etc., for example, crude oil was sourced from gulf countries to meet the shortfall in the domestic supply of crude oil. Today, it includes low cost land, labor and capital as well. This helped in lowering their cost of production and offering competitive prices to the customer. Sports good companies like Rawlings rely largely on labor in Costa Rica, a country that hardly plays baseball, to produce baseballs (Philip Hersh, 2009). The motivations to expand internationally however changed gradually in response to the great organizational and technological forces (Barlett, ghoshal, p6). One of the major contemporary motives is achieving economies of scale. It was first noted by manufacturers in the military aircraft industry in the 1920s and 1930s that direct labor costs decreased by a constant percentage as the cumulative number of aircraft produced doubled. By increasing the cumulative output and exporting to a larger market, the companies can bring down their cost of production by 20-30 percent (Ghemawat). Many companies establish foreign research and development (RD) facilities to tap additional scientific resources, sometimes acquiring useful knowledge in the process (Heather Berry, 2006, p 151-168). Avon, for instance, applies know-how from its Latin American marketing experience to help sell to the US Hispanic market (Nery Ynclan, July 23, 2002:EI). Yet another motive for companies going international was shortening PLCs (Barlett, ghoshal, p6). As the life of a product became shorter, adequate returns for all the research and development done for the product could be made only by introducing the product to multiple larger markets. In addition companies nowadays aim to launch the product simultaneously in as many markets as possible to enjoy the maximum returns before more firms start producing substitutes. How firms become Multinational Enterprises Internationalization is a very crucial and strategic decision that a company takes in its lifetime. Certain prerequisites need to be met before a firm can think of nationalizing and becoming an MNC. The first one is high country attractiveness. The country should be able to offer something that will promise a competitive advantage for the company or something that can help the company sustain its existing competitive advantage. Another prerequisite is the ownership of strategic competencies. The company should have some competencies that will help it counter balance the incognizance of foreign markets and environmental conditions. Also, the company should have some organizational capabilities that will increase the ROI by leveraging the companys strategic strengths intensively. These three prerequisites are essential for selecting the mode of internationalization and the mode of country entry that will help the company compete in world business. (Barlett, Ghoshal) There are many methods adopted by companies to internationalize and conquer foreign markets. The earliest method used by firms in their process of becoming MNEs was exports and imports. This may include both merchandise exports and imports and service exports and imports. Service exports and imports may be tourism and transportation, service performance and asset use. Some services earn payment for the companies for the performance of those services. For example, the companies may pay fees for turnkey projects which are transferred to the owner once they are operational. Management contracts also earn the companies fees for the performance of general and specialized management functions for another. Asset use includes Licensing, Franchising, etc. Licensing is the process of allowing another company to use its intangible assets like patents, trademarks, copyrights, or expertise, under contracts known as licensing agreements for which they earn royalties. Example. Franchising is the pr ocess of business in which a company permits another company to use the trademark as an asset of the franchisees business. The franchisor will help the franchisee by supplying raw materials, management services etc. and also will lay down guidelines and standards that are to be followed by the franchisee. For example, McDonalds has franchised its outlets in many countries like UK, India, etc. In many circumstances, a multinational with an exclusive technology may fear that a licensing contract lead to dissipation of its proprietary knowledge. In that case, setting up a foreign subsidiary is a preferable strategy. (http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/CP167.pdf) Another method of expanding globally is by making investments on the foreign countries. Foreign investment implies ownership of foreign property in exchange for a financial return. There are two forms of foreign investment: direct and portfolio. The foreign direct investments (FDIs) confer the investor with a controlling stake in the company. For example, when Nintendos CEP bought the Seattle Mariners, the baseball team became a Japanese FDI in the US. Although the control in the foreign company need not be full; even with a minority stake and the remaining ownership widely dispersed, the foreign investor can take decisions that cannot be vetoed by any other owner. When the ownership of the company is taken by more than one company, it is called as a joint venture. Today, at least 61,000 companies worldwide control over 900,000 FDIs in every industry (UN Conference: FDI from Developing and Transition Economies, 2006, p 30-31). On the other hand, the foreign portfolio investment is a non controlling interest in a company or ownership of a loan made to another party. This can be in the form of stocks in a company or loans to a company in the forms of bonds, bills, or notes purchased by the investor. They are comparatively safer than FDIs in terms of risk. Conclusion The changing extent, character and geography of MNE activity over the past two decades is itself a reflection of a series of path-breaking technological, economic and political events. But internationalization is not a one size fits all approach have different motives to go global and do it in the way that best suits their business models and gives them maximum returns. Whichever method a company adopts, it goes through a learning process and increases its knowledge throughout the process. Internationalization has indeed become the need of the hour for companies to sustain their businesses in the long run and develop companys strategic and organizational capabilities.

Famous :: essays research papers

So here I am, microphone in hand, about to sing in front of 100 million people across the world. The cameras are on me, and the audience has fallen silent in anticipation. How did this happen, you ask? How did I, Katie Skipton – an ordinary 15-year-old schoolgirl just a couple of days ago – get to become an overnight superstar? Glad you asked. Sit back, relax, and let me tell you about the craziest day of my life†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three days ago, my class and I were looking forward to a fieldtrip that we were taking to France. We were studying Europe, and as the whole school knows, the sixth grade class votes on which country in Europe they want to visit. We voted on France this year because that’s the language that most of us were learning to speak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anyway, we were all at the airport waiting impatiently for our flight to come. People were looking at us funny. I mean, it’s not every day you see about 150 kids strolling around an airport with only ten adults. As I was sitting there, bored to death, I saw some of my friends go to the shops and cafà ©s, so I decided to go with them. We stopped by the bathrooms since most of us really needed to go badly. I always seem to take quite a while going to the bathroom. My friends already knew this, so they said that they would meet me at the cafà © across the hall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was finally done going to the bathroom and washing my hands very thoroughly, I saw that there were three cafà ©s across the hallway. Which one did they go to? They could have at least had somebody wait here for me. Such good friends they are. Any way, I chose the one that looked most inviting, the one that would attract a lot of teens with its colorful appearance. I stepped inside and wandered around. Out of all the tables that were in there, none of them seated my friends. I had to find my friends because I didn’t know my way back to the waiting room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to the next restaurant. I didn’t think they would be in here because it looked kind of junky and all I could see was a bar. They wouldn’t be allowed there. I had no luck in the last cafà ©, either.

Definition of Year-round school :: essays papers

Definition of Year-round school Year round schools as cited by the thesaurus in the ebsco host states that year round schools are â€Å"schools that operate year-round but have not increased the number of days students must attend.† Education week on the web states that year round education is â€Å"A modified school calendar that offers short breaks throughout the year, rather than the traditional summer vacation. The calendars vary as do the reasons for switching to a year-round schedule. Some schools stagger the schedules to relieve crowding. Others think the three-month break allows students to forget much of the material covered in the previous year† (2002). History of traditional calendar school It is important to understand the reasoning behind the traditional nine-month calendar school year to understand why certain people believe there is a need for change. Woodward, A.C. (1995) â€Å"At one point in time, farming was the primary source of income for families, and everyone in the family was obligated to help. With this in mind, school calendars were scheduled to revolve around the harvesting and planting of crops.† However, the farming population in America dramatically decreased, although the shift away from farming had occurred, the change in the school calendar had not (Huitt, 1995). It is presumed that the school calendar did not change because of tradition of summers as vacation time and the temperatures. Because of the lack of air-conditioning, most schools opted for summer breaks due to the extreme heat and humidity (Glines, 1992). II. Implementing Year-round school â€Å"As determined by the New York State Board of Regents (1978), this school schedule encouraged forgetting. Longer breaks between formal instruction inhibited a student's ability to retain information.† (Woodward, 1995). Many year-round school advocates also argue that year-round school will ease overcrowding, enhance student learning and retention, and reduce cost. (Ballinger, 1988). Alcorn (1992) stated, "If students' longest break from the classroom is one month instead of three, it is possible to avoid what can be called the long summer of forgetting†(p.13). Ballinger (1988) asserts that it is time for a change in the school calendar because â€Å"the customary long summer vacation disrupts the continuity of instruction that curriculum planners desire.† He states that a less interrupted flow of instruction will help and enhance the knowledge learned of most able students by not reviewing at the beginning of each year and wasting time.