Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 91

Summary - Essay Example One does not have to complicate issues but rather perceive things as they are and slowly move to understanding the reason why they are as they are. The writer insists on keeping one’s eyes and mind open to diverse modes of reasoning. He explains that even in the darkness or blurriness of fog there seems to be specks of light. He states that in darkness there’s a great deal of light, the same lies for where there’s too much light. As he concludes, the writer describes the secret path to illumination. The writer talks about the ethics of journalism. This regards the type of imagery and language they use in describing events or people. He gave an example of black suspect whom the newspaper presumed guilty and as a result printed a photo that gave him a more sinister look that aimed at showing blacks are criminals. Ethics lay all round, including writing the truth in the newspapers and no amount of captioning can make a visual lie to be true. Disregarding the misrepresented information a lie still remains a lie. In conclusion, it is rather a question of ethical responsibility than just putting the message

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial

Effect Of Temp On Endo And Ectotherms (metabolism) :: essays research papers

Animal metabolism consists of the utilization of nutrients absorbed from the digestive tract and their catabolism as fuel for energy or their conversion into substances of the body. Metabolism is a continuous process because the molecules and even most cells of the body have brief lifetimes and are constantly replaced, while tissue as a whole maintains its characteristic structure. This constant rebuilding process without a net change in the amount of a cell constituent is known as dynamic equilibrium (Grolier1996). In the combustion of food, oxygen is used and carbon dioxide is given off. The rate of oxygen consumption indicates the energy expenditure of an organism, or its metabolic rate (Grolier1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Metabolic rate is directly linked to the core temperature in an animal. An ectotherm, or cold blooded animal, warms its body mainly by absorbing heat from its surroundings. The amount of heat it derives from its metabolism is negligible. In contrast, endotherms derive most or all of its body heat from its own metabolism (Campbells,p899). Because ectotherms do not produce their own heat, they cannot actively ensure their ideal temperature for an ideal metabolic rate (aquacult.htp).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the following experiment, we will attempt to examine the relationship between metabolic rate and environmental temperature in both an ectoderm and an endotherm. I predict that for the ectotherm, the metabolic rate will increase as the outside environment temperature will increase. I also predict that the metabolic rate in the endotherm will remain relatively the same as the outside environment temperature changes. I also make the prediction that the ectotherm will have much lower metabolic rates than the endotherm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The procedures for this experiment are those that are referred to in Duncan and Townsend, 1996 p9-7. In our experiment however, each student group chose a temperature of either 5 C, 10 C, 15 C, or 20 C. Each group selected a crayfish, and placed it in an erlenmeyer flask filled with distilled water. The flask’s O2 levels had already been measured. the flask was then placed in a water bath of the selected temperature for thirty minutes, and then the O2 levels were measured again. Each group shared their findings with the class. The metabolic rates of the mouse were conducted by the instructor and distributed. We also did not use the Winkler method to measure the O2 levels. We used a measuring device instead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The results of this experiment are shown in the compiled student data in Table 1 below.

Critical Analysis of Edvard Munchs The Scream Essay -- Visual Arts Pa

Critical Analysis of Edvard Munch's The Scream "The Scream", sometimes known as "The Cry" was painted by Edvard Munch in 1893. Some say Munch played a role in the development of German Expressionism, though the Norwegian painter turned down two offers to join the group, and preferred not to be classified, or 'put' into a category. This painting was part of Munch's "The Frieze of Life", a series of paintings each portraying a phase of life - as defined by Munch: Birth of Love, Blossoming and Dissolution of Love, Anguish of Life, and Death. The eleven paintings - "The Kiss", "Madonna", "Ashes", "Dance of Life", "Melancholy", "Red Virginia Creeper", "The Scream", "Death in the Sick-Room", "Puberty", "Moonlight", and "The Sick Child" - are as moving today as they were a hundred years ago when the motifs were first conceived. Munch finished "The Scream" in 1893. It was a work of great personal meaning to him. The painting was like the culmination of all the tragic and harrowing events in his life. When Munch was aged only five years old, his Mother died from Tuberculosis. Nine years later, his favourite sister Sophie dies from tuberculosis also, at the age of 15. Frequent illnesses prevent him from attending Technical college in Christiania (Oslo). In 1889, he is hit with perhaps the biggest blow so far: his beloved father dies. Munch wrote: "And I live with the dead ones; my mother, my sister, my grandfather, my father- he, especially. Every memory, every little thing, they all come back to me in flocks. I can see him again as I saw him for the last time four months ago, when he told me goodbye on the bench; we were a little bit shy, we didn't want to betray the pain that this separation was causing to us. How much we loved each other in spite of everything, how much he worried at night for me, for my life - because I couldn't share his faith" Therefore, it is not surprising that the mood of the painting is so haunting. Munch painted it surrounded by morbidity. The point in the painting where we see the figures, was a road on top of a hill looking over Christiania and the harbour. On one side of the hill was a psychiatric hospital where one of his sisters had been sent, and on the other side, an abattoir. Munch described the feeling he experienced in a diary entry in his literary diary in Nice, on the 22nd January 18... ...e influenced two German expressionist groups, Die Brà ¼ke and Die Blaue Reiter. He had two offers from Die Blaue Reiter to join them, but he turned both down. Painting was for Munch a personal experience, and he did not like to share it, or put his works into any grouping. The painting itself looks quite 'slapdash', as though it was rushed. The thick streaks of oil paint give the effect of a movement blur, like the world was swirling around the figure. It is hard to distinguish between the water and the land, difficult to recognize where the hills in the background stop and the sunset begins. "The Scream" is a painting full of emotion, full of character not understood at the time of its birth. It reflects Munch's life at that time, all the Death and anxiety that makes the painting so mysterious and haunting, whilst also lively. When I look at it, I feel I can hear the scream echoing from it. The screaming figure draws the attention of the onlooker, but other aspects of the painting are just as interesting. Whilst we cannot know what was going through Munch's mind when he painted"The Scream", we can guess that the painting evokes all the pain he was feeling.

Globalization Test Questions

Chapter 1 Expanding abroad: Motivations, means, and mentalities True/False 1. The largest MNEs are equivalent in their economic importance to less developed economies such as Tanzania, Estonia or Sri Lanka. Answer: False (Sales of the largest MNEs exceed the GDPs of less developed countries. ) Difficulty: Easy Page: 4 and Table 1-1 on page 3 Topic: MNE scope and influence 2. The process of internationalization followed by most firms is usually well-thought out in advance and typically builds on a combination of rational analysis, planning and implementation.Answer: False (It is more likely a combination of rational analysis, opportunism, and luck. In regards to opportunism, several studies have found that most firms begin exporting due to an unsolicited export order. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 9 Topic: Internationalization process3. A joint venture is a contractual mode of foreign entry involving a high level of resource commitment by all partners. Answer: False (A JV will not typically require as high a resource commitment as we would see in wholly owned subsidiaries. In addition, there is significant variability in the level of resources contributed by partners. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 10 Topic: Foreign entry mode4. Emerging motivations for internationalization include the desire to enhance the firm’s competitive position and the desir e to develop global scanning capabilities. Answer: True Difficulty: Easy Page: 6-7 and ppt slide 1-6 Topic: Motivations for internationalization5. For an MNE to exist, first foreign countries must provide location-specific advantages to attract the company to invest there, second the company must have ownership-specific advantages that counteract its liability of foreignness, third the company must have the organizational capability to leverage its strategic advantages more effectively internally than externally. Answer: True Difficulty: Moderate Page: 7-8 Topic: Prerequisites for internationalization6. An MNE with a ‘multinational perspective’ will typically be managed as a coordinated federation. Answer: False (It will typically be managed as a decentralized federation. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 11-12 and ppt slide 1-13 Topic: The evolving mentality: international to transnational7. An MNE with a ‘global perspective’ will typically manage its operation s centrally. Answer: True Difficulty: Moderate Page: 12-13 and ppt slide 1-13 Topic: The evolving mentality: international to transnational8. An MNE with a ‘transnational perspective’ will typically be managed as an integrated network. Answer: True Difficulty: Moderate Page: 13-14 and ppt slide 1-13 Topic: The evolving mentality: international to transnationalMultiple Choice9. Which of the following correctly describes the sequential evolution in management thinking with respect to the strategic role of foreign operations in emerging MNEs? a. global mentality, multinational mentality, international mentality, transnational mentality. b. international mentality, global mentality, transnational mentality, multinational mentality. c. multinational mentality, global mentality, international mentality, transnational mentality. d. international mentality, multinational mentality, global mentality, transnational mentality.Answer: d (a, b, and c are incorrect because, although they describe the different ways of management thinking regarding the strategic role of foreign operations in emerging MNEs, they do not describe the evolution of this thinking in the correct sequence. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 11-14 Topic: Evolving mentality toward strategic role of foreign operations10. A franchise, such as McDonald’s, is a _________ mode of foreign entry. a. low commitment, low control b. low commitment, moderate control c. low commitment, high control d. moderate commitment, moderate controlAnswer: b (a, c, and d would describe indirect export, contract manufacturing, and joint venture foreign modes of entry respectively. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 10 (figure 1-2) Topic: Foreign entry mode11. A joint venture is a _________ mode of foreign entry. a. low commitment, low control b. low commitment, moderate control c. low commitment, high control d. moderate commitment, moderate control Answer: d (a, b, and c would describe indirect export, franchise, an d contract manufacturing foreign modes of entry respectively. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 10 (figure 1-2)Topic: Foreign entry mode12. Pashpa Co. is a new manufacturer of home appliances. Pashpa wants to go international. Some of the traditional motivations for pursuing internationalization include: a. securing key supplies, seeking new markets, and raising global scanning and learning capabilities b. securing key supplies, seeking new markets, and improving competitive positioning c. securing key supplies, seeking new markets and accessing low-cost factors of production d. securing key supplies, improving competitive positioning, and accessing low-cost factors of productionAnswer: c (a, b, and d are incorrect because ‘raising global scanning and learning capabilities’ and ‘improving competitive positioning’ are not traditional motivations for pursuing internationalization, they are emerging motivations. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 4-6 Topic: Motivations f or internationalization13. One motivation behind internationalization is to sustain the firm’s competitive position. To pursue a sustainable competitive position relative to its rivals in the athletic clothing industry, Nike attempts to: a. reempt markets, capture global scale, and secure raw materials b. capture global scale, access scarce knowledge, and match competitors c. match competitors, capture global scale, and preempt markets d. exploit factor cost differences, preempt markets, and match competitors Answer: c (a, b, and d are incorrect because ‘securing raw materials’, ‘accessing scarce knowledge’, and ‘exploiting factor cost differences’ may give a company a temporary competitive advantage but not a sustainable competitive advantage. ) Difficulty: Hard Page: 4-7Topic: Motivations for internationalization14. _________ suggests that in the first stage innovations are produced in the home developed country; in the second stage th ey are exported to other similarly developed countries; in the third stage, they start being produced in these developed countries; in the fourth stage they start being produced in low-wage developing countries. a. Vernon’s product cycle theory b. Johanson and Vahlne’s stages theory c. Dunning’s eclectic theory d. Levitt’s globalization theory Answer: a Difficulty: Moderate Page: 5-6, 8 Topic: Motivations for internationalization15. Which of the following constitutes a list of foreign entry modes that involve the MNE to make a foreign investment a. Greenfield, acquisition, joint venture and capital participation b. Greenfield, acquisition, joint venture and license c. Franchising, acquisition, joint venture and capital participation d. Greenfield, acquisition, cooperation agreements and capital participation Answer: a (Licensing, franchising, and many forms of cooperation may not entail an MNE making an investment. Difficulty: Easy Page: 9-10 Topic: Forei gn entry modes16. OfficeWare Corp. is an MNE that produces and sells office equipment. If the company’s CEO employs a ‘global mentality’ toward the strategic role of the company’s foreign operations, then we would expect that OfficeWare: a. regards its overseas markets as a portfolio of local opportunities. b. leverages its domestic capabilities worldwide. c. regards the world as a single unit of analysis. d. simultaneously responds to local needs, global demands and cross-border learning opportunities.Answer: c (a, b, and d would represent multinational, international, and transnational mentalities respectively. ) Difficulty: Moderate Page: 11-14 Topic: The evolving mentality: international to transnational Essay17. The CEO of Paragon Ltd. wants to take his company international. What are the three big questions he must answer before expanding abroad? Answer: The three questions this CEO must answer before expanding abroad are: a. What market opportunitie s, sourcing advantages or strategic imperatives will drive the company’s international expansion? . How will the company expand its foreign presence – through exports, licensing, joint ventures, wholly owned subsidiaries or some other means? c. How will the attitudes, assumptions and beliefs of Paragon’s employees impact the probability of the company succeeding in its efforts to internationalize? Difficulty: Moderate Page: 1 (box insert) Topic: Internationalization18. Rana manages an Italian fashion design company. What would motivate Rana’s company to internationalize? Answer: i) Traditional motivations might include: securing key supplies, seeking new markets and accessing low-cost factors of production (e. g. labor, capital, etc. ); (ii) Emerging motivations might include: increasing scale economies to offset significant R&D investments, shortening product life cycles, improving a company’s competitive position and enhancing a company’s global scanning and learning capabilities. Difficulty: Easy Page: 4-7 Topic: Motivations behind internationalization19. Briefly explain the product cycle of personal computers using Raymond Vernon’s product cycle theory. Answer:This theory suggests that early in a product’s life-cycle, all the parts and labor needed to manufacture the product will be sourced from the locale in which the product was invented. As the product is increasingly adopted and distributed in global markets, production gradually shifts away from the point of origin. In some cases, the product ultimately becomes a good that is imported into the country in which it was originally invented. For example, in the case of personal computers, during the new product stage, the computer was produced and purchased by consumers in the United States and little export trade occurred.During the maturing product stage, mass-production techniques were developed and foreign demand (in developed countries) expanded . At this point, the U. S. began to export the product to other developed countries. In the standardized product stage, production moved to developing countries, which then export the product to developed countries. Difficulty: Moderate Page: 5-6 Topic: Product cycle theory20. Briefly compare and contrast the Uppsala Internationalization Model and the Born Global Model. Under what circumstances is each model most applicable?Give examples to support your arguments. Answer: According to the Uppsala Model, companies internationalize in an incremental fashion. Typically, they start by utilizing foreign entry modes that require low levels of resource commitment and low levels of control over foreign activities (e. g. exporting). The model conceptualizes subsequent stages in the internationalization process as requiring higher levels of resource commitment and providing higher levels of control over foreign activities (e. g. wholly owned subsidiary). The experience of Toyota is consistent with the Uppsala Model.According to the Born Global Model, some companies are born global, establishing significant international operations immediately or shortly after the company is launched. These firms do not employ an incremental approach. Instead, these firms aggressively pursue internationalization due to their internal orientation or the need to move quickly due to the nature of their products or services. The experience of many internet companies is consistent with the Born Global Model. Difficulty: Moderate Page: 9-10 Topic: Process of internationalization21.Roy is the CEO of a multinational apparel company. How would he conceptualize the strategic role of his firm’s foreign operations if he possessed a ‘global mentality’? If he possessed a ‘multinational mentality’? Answer: If Roy possessed a global mentality, he would view the world as a single unit of analysis and he would centralize the management of the firm’s foreign operatio ns. Thus, he would drive the firm to create products for a world market and manufacture them on a global scale in a few highly efficient plants, often located at the corporate center.However, if Roy possessed a multinational mentality, he would regard foreign markets as a portfolio of local opportunities and manage his company as a decentralized federation. Thus, he would recognize and emphasize the differences between national markets and operating environments and modify his products, strategies and management practices on a country-by-country basis. Difficulty: Moderate Page: 11-13 Topic: Mentalities toward internationalization22. What is an MNE? Give examples to explain the difference between companies that are considered MNEs and those that are not. Answer:An MNE is a company that engages in the active management of substantial direct investment in one or more foreign countries and that considers those investments/operations as integral parts of the company, both strategically and organizationally. Thus, companies that solely rely on import-export business are not considered MNEs. They may be considered international companies but not multi-national enterprises (MNEs). Moreover, companies that passively manage an investment portfolio (as opposed to those that actively manage foreign assets) are not considered MNEs. Difficulty: Easy Page: 2 Topic: MNE definition23.Briefly compare and contrast the four mentalities toward internationalization. Answer: Companies that have an international mentality produce products for the domestic market and only subsequently sell these products overseas. They transfer innovation and knowledge from the parent company to the foreign operators. These companies view themselves essentially as domestic with some foreign appendages. Companies that have a multinational mentality modify their products, strategies, and management practices country by country. These companies view themselves as nationally sensitive and responsive, thu s the term multinational.Companies that have a global mentality create products for a world market and manufacture them on a global level in a few highly efficient plants. These companies view the world, not just individual national markets, as their unit of analysis. Companies that have a transnational mentality are responsive to country-level operations; however, they coordinate these operations to sustain competitive effectiveness and economic efficiency. These companies view themselves as an integrated network. Difficulty: Moderate Page: 11-14 Topic: Mentalities toward internationalization

Child Hunger

Ending Child Hunger in America Studies prove that children that do not have enough food to eat do not do as well in school, they are likely to be sick more often, they are less likely to graduate high school – which in turn will keep them from going to college and in turn will have a negative Impact on their economic future. If these things happen then In the future that child will have a harder time providing for their children, thus causing a cycle In the effects of hunger.For this reason, It Is our duty as a society to do everything we an to ensure that these children have the resources available to them so that they can have the tools they need to prepare themselves to be functioning members of society In adulthood. There are currently more than sixteen million children In America whose families struggle to put food on the table – that's one In five children In America. That number is astonishing. Millions of children In America are on free or reduced lunch plans at their schools; this allows them to have nutritious meal while at school.But what happens when they go home? What happens during the summer when kids are out of school for several months? Only one in seven children on free or reduced lunch plans receives summer meals. What happens to those other six children – who ensures that they have enough food to eat? The solution is simple – we need to end child hunger in America. There are many ways to do this. First, there are church programs locally that offer summer and weekend home meal plans to children that are on free and reduced lunch plans.One such church is Midtown Church in Benton, Arkansas. They're program, known as the â€Å"Backpack Ministry† helps to provide weekend meals and snacks to children throughout the community who otherwise would not have anything to eat. Secondly, these types of programs should be better advertised and more easily accessible to those who need them. Access to programs is of utmost importance when ending child hunger. Next, education is vital – the parent's of these children must learn and understand the effects that hunger can have on their children.They must be educated on good food hoicks for their children and what the best things they can give them are. They need to know where to go to get connected to the right people that can help them find access to these programs that are designed to end child hunger. Spreading awareness of child hunger can ago long way. If the public has knowledge of what the numbers look like in the world of child hunger, they would be more likely to take action. The public has a greater power than they realize – people have the power to promote change.

Exam 2

BIOS102- 250  Fall  2012  Sample  Second  Exam MULTIPLE  CHOICE. Choose  the  one  alternative  that  best  completes  the  statement  or  answers  the  question. 1) Which  of  the  following  statements  describes  NAD + ? A) In  the  absence  of  NAD + ,  glycolysis  can  still  function. B) NAD+   is  reduced  to  NADH  during  glycolysis,  pyruvate  oxidation,  and  the  citric  acid  cycle. C) NAD+   can  donate  electrons  for  use  in  oxidative  phosphorylation. D) NAD+   has  more  chemical  energy  than  NADH. E) NAD+   is  oxidized  by  the  action  of  hydrogenases. ) During  glycolysis,  when  each  molecule  of  glucose  is  catabolized  to  two  molecules  of  pyruvate,  most  of  the potential  energy  contained  in  glucose  is A) stored  in  the  NADH  produced. B) transferred  directl y  to  ATP. C) transferred  to  ADP,  forming  ATP. D) retained  in  the  two  pyruvates. E) used  to  phosphorylate  fructose  to  form  fructose  6 – phosphate. 3) Starting  with  one  molecule  of  glucose,  the  energy – containing  products  of  glycolysis  are A) 6  CO2 ,  30  ATP,  and  2  pyruvate. B) 2  NAD+ ,  2  pyruvate,  and  2  ATP. C) 6  CO2 ,  2  ATP,  and  2  pyruvate. D) 2  FADH2 ,  2  pyruvate,  and  4  ATP. E) 2  NADH,  2  pyruvate,  and  2  ATP. ) Why  is  glycolysis  described  as  having  an  investment  phase  and  a  payoff  phase? A) It  uses  stored  ATP  and  then  forms  a  net  increase  in  ATP. B) It  both  splits  molecules  and  assembles  molecules. C) It  uses  glucose  and  generates  pyruvate. D) It  attaches  and  detaches  phosphate  group s. E) It  shifts  molecules  from  cytosol  to  mitochondrion. 5) The  primary  role  of  oxygen  in  cellular  respiration  is  to A) combine  with  lactate,  forming  pyruvate. B) yield  energy  in  the  form  of  ATP  as  it  is  passed  down  the  respiratory  chain. C) act  as  an  acceptor  for  electrons  and  hydrogen,  forming  water. D) combine  with  carbon,  forming  CO 2 .E) catalyze  the  reactions  of  glycolysis. 6) In  liver  cells,  the  inner  mitochondrial  membranes  are  about  five  times  the  area  of  the  outer  mitochondrial membranes. What  purpose  must  this  serve? A) It  increases  the  surface  for  oxidative  phosphorylation. B) It  allows  for  an  increased  rate  of  glycolysis. C) It  increases  the  surface  for  substrate – level  phosphorylation. D) It  allo ws  the  liver  cell  to  have  fewer  mitochondria. E) It  allows  for  an  increased  rate  of  the  citric  acid  cycle. 1 7) In  the  absence  of  oxygen,  yeast  cells  can  obtain  energy  by  fermentation,  resulting  in  the  production  of A) ATP,  pyruvate,  and  acetyl  CoA.B) ATP,  CO2 ,  and  lactate. C) ATP,  NADH,  and  pyruvate. D) ATP,  pyruvate,  and  oxygen. E) ATP,  CO2 ,  and  ethanol  (ethyl  alcohol). 8) Phosphofructokinase  is  an  allosteric  enzyme  that  catalyzes  the  conversion  of  fructose  6 – phosphate  to  fructose 1,6- bisphosphate,  an  early  step  of  glycolysis. In  the  presence  of  oxygen,  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  ATP  in  a cell  would  be  expected  to A) inhibit  the  enzyme  and  thus  increase  the  rates  of  glycolysis  and   the  citric  acid  cycle. B) activate  the  enzyme  and  thus  slow  the  rates  of  glycolysis  and  the  citric  acid  cycle. C) inhibit  the  enzyme  and  thus  slow  the  rates  of  glycolysis  and  the  citric  acid  cycle.D) inhibit  the  enzyme  and  thus  increase  the  rate  of  glycolysis  and  the  concentra tion  of  citrate. E) activate  the  enzyme  and  increase  the  rates  of  glycolysis  and  the  citric  acid  cycle. 9) Which  of  the  events  listed  below  occurs  in  the  light  reactions  of  photosynthesis? A) Carbon  dioxide  is  incorporated  into  PGA. B) NADP  is  produced. C) Light  is  absorbed  and  funneled  to  reaction – center  chlorophyll  a. D) ATP  is  phosphorylated  to  yield  ADP. E) NADPH  is  reduced  to  NADP + . 10) Which  of  the  following   statements  best  describes  the  relationship  between  photosynthesis  and  respiration?A) Respiration  is  anabolic  and  photosynthesis  is  catabolic. B) ATP  molecules  are  produced  in  photosynthesis  and  used  up  in  respiration. C) Photosynthesis  stores  energy  in  complex  organic  molecules,  whereas  respiration  releases  it. D) Photosynthesis  occurs  only  in  plants  and  respiration  occurs  only  in  animals. E) Respiration  runs  the  biochemical  pathways  of  photosynthesis  in  reverse. 11) In  thylakoids,  protons  travel  through  ATP  synthase  from  the  thylakoid  space  to  the  stroma. Therefore,  the catalytic  ? knobs? of  ATP  synthase  would  be  located A) on  the  ATP  molecules  themselves.B) built  into  the  center  of  the  thylakoid  stack  (granum). C) on  the  pi gment  molecules  of  photosystem  I  and  photosystem  II. D) on  the  stromal  side  of  the  membrane. E) on  the  side  facing  the  thylakoid  space. 12) What  is  the  primary  function  of  the  Calvin  cycle? A) use  ATP  to  release  carbon  dioxide B) use  NADPH  to  release  carbon  dioxide C) synthesize  simple  sugars  from  carbon  dioxide D) split  water  and  release  oxygen E) transport  RuBP  out  of  the  chloroplast 2 13) Photorespiration  occurs  when  rubisco  reacts  RuBP  with A) 3 – phosphoglycerate. B) CO 2 . C) O2 . D) glyceraldehyde  3 – phosphate. E) NADPH. 4) Compared  to  C 3   plants,  C 4   plants A) make  a  four- carbon  compound,  oxaloacetate,  which  is  then  delivered  to  the  citric  acid  cycle  in mitochondria. B) have  higher  rates  of  photorespiration. C) can   continue  to  fix  CO 2   even  at  relatively  low  CO2 concentrations  and  high  oxygen  concentrations. D) grow  better  under  cool,  moist  conditions. E) do  not  use  rubisco  for  carbon  fixation. 15) Taxol  is  an  anticancer  drug  extracted  from  the  Pacific  yew  tree. In  animal  cells,  Taxol  disrupts  microtubule formation  by  binding  to  microtubules  and  accelerating  their  assembly  from  the  protein  precursor,  tubulin. Surprisingly,  this  stops  mitosis.Specifically,  Taxol  must  affect A) the  formation  of  the  mitotic  spindle. B) the  S  phase  of  the  cell  cycle. C) formation  of  the  centrioles. D) chromatid  assembly. E) anaphase. 16) Measurements  of  the  amount  of  DNA  per  nucleus  were  taken  on  a  large  number  of  cells  from  a  growing fungus. The  measured  DNA  levels  ranged  from  3  to  6  picograms  per  nucleus. In  which  stage  of  the  cell  cycle did  the  nucleus  contain  6  picograms  of  DNA? A) G1 B) G0 C) M D) S E) G2 17) What  is  a  cleavage  furrow? A) a  ring  of  vesicles  forming  a  cell  plate B) the  metaphase  plate  where  chromosomes  attach  to  the  spindle C) the  separation  of  divided  prokaryotesD) the  space  that  is  created  between  two  chromatids  during  anaphase E) a  groove  in  the  plasma  membrane  between  daughter  nuclei 18) Which  of  the  following  describe(s)  cyclin- dependent  kinase  (Cdk)? A) Cdk  is  present  throughout  the  cell  cycle  and  is  an  enzyme  that  attaches  phosphate  groups  to  other proteins. B) Cdk  is  inactive,  or  ? turned  off,? in  the  presence  of   cyclin. C) Cdk  is  an  enzyme  that  attaches  phosphate  groups  to  other  proteins. D) Cdk  is  inactive,  or  ? turned  off,? in  the  presence  of  cyclin  and  it  is  present  throughout  the  cell  cycle.E) Cdk  is  present  throughout  the  cell  cycle. 3 19) Why  do  neurons  and  some  other  specialized  cells  divide  infrequently? A) They  no  longer  carry  receptors  for  signal  molecules. B) They  no  longer  have  active  nuclei. C) They  have  been  shunted  into  G 0 . D) They  can  no  longer  bind  Cdk  to  cyclin. E) They  show  a  drop  in  MPF  concentration. 20) For  a  chemotherapeutic  drug  to  be  useful  for  treating  cancer  cells,  which  of  the  following  is  most  desirable? A) It  only  attacks  cells  that  are  density  dependent. B) It  interferes  with  cells  entering  G0 . C) It  interferes  with  rapidly  dividing  cells. Exam 2