Critical evalluation of the extent to which institutional factors Essay

Critical evalluation of the extent to which institutional factors influence inward and outward FDI - Essay Example However, it is difficult to measure the various institutional factors and therefore the extent to which it influences inward and outward FDI is a subjective issue. The issue of â€Å"institutional distance† has been found to have an influence on both the inward and the outward FDI. Institutional distance is the difference in the quality of institutions between two or more countries. Quere et al. (2007) studied the determinants of FDI and concluded that â€Å"raising the quality of institutions and making them converge towards those of source countries may help developing countries to receive more FDI, hence help them to catch up, independently of the indirect impact of higher GDP per capita†. It is widely known that good quality institutions have a positive impact on the inflow and outflow of FDI. Some scholars suggest that institutional differences may be a source of comparative advantages, some sectors being more ‘institution-intensive’ than others, and t hat this could be a source of more trade flows. To the extent that trade and FDI are complements, this could raise FDI too. Good governance is one of the institutional qualities which are thought to positively affect the flow of FDI. Globerman and Shapiro (2002) studied the impact of the main components of the governance indicators on both inflows and outflows of a country’s FDI. They concluded that good governance encouraged both FDI inflows and outflows; although the impact of good governance on the outflow of FDI only applies to relatively large and developed countries. However, measuring governance is a subjective task which varies from one research to another. Some studies concentrates on one country yet trade flow involves at least two countries. Since FDI flows can move on either direction, governance of all the countries involved should be scrutinized in order to determine the actual impact of governance on both in-flows and out-flows of FDI. The tax system of a host country is another determinant of FDI. If a tax system of a country is set in a manner that the products and services of foreign firms are more taxed than those of the local firms, the inward flow of FDI is likely to be reduced. This is because the foreign firms would have a challenge in setting the prices of their goods and services; in order to make profits, they might be forced to set their prices above those of the local firms thus leading to lower than expected sales. On the other hand, imposing heavy taxes on the products and services of the local firms may hamper their growth. For this reason, the local firms may not grow to become MNEs and thus affecting the outward FDI. However, heavy taxes on the local firms may lead to investment in other countries where the tax rates of taxation is relatively lower. This will lead to increased out-flow of FDI. Corruption is also another institutional factor which is known to determine the flow of FDI. Many researchers have found that cor ruption increases the cost of investment and lead to reduced expected revenues. Taking corruption to mean â€Å"paying certain individuals in order to get an investment opportunity in the host country†, it would negatively affect the inward flow of FDI. In addition, the misuse of public funds and resources by

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP PROJECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP PROJECT - Research Paper Example This prospect regards Christianity as everywhere presents and although we may not realize it, studies have indicated that this prospect is arguably not concise.(Adney, 2009) There are groups and communities that are unreached by Christianity and do not know anything concerning the same. They have adopted their own religion due to lack of knowledge of other alternative formative religion. Unreached people comprise of communities that have little or no access to the gospel. There are various reason that impede the spread of Christianity’ one is because some nations endorse laws that curtail Christian faith. Another impeding factor is geographical and cultural barrier. All men in nature desire to know and it is unfitting that man should be content with knowledge that is unsuited to him, yet after the acquisition of this knowledge in sense things must change in a way that is contrary to the original beliefs. The message of Christianity should in this regard be contextualized in the particular culture in order for it to be meaningful to them. (Crossman & Hoke, 1995) Using conservative estimates, unreached people compromise 70% of the global population. One eminent group in this category is the Chinese accounting for 150 million unreached Chinese in 900 groups. A particular group that has null knowledge about Christianity and is in dire need to hear of the gospel and salvation is the Hui from china. Although there are a meager number of scattered of believers, this group is most likely the largest group globally that has no record of the presence of a Christian fellowship group. Below is a map showing the location of the Hui communities in china. (Boling, 2012) The Hui are an official minority scattered all over china. Their populace is densely concentrated in some provinces such as the Ningxia also known as the â€Å"hometown of the Huis† which habits about 20% of the Hui population, Qinghai, and Gansu. They are about 10

Network Case Study Essay Example for Free

Network Case Study Essay 1. Which of the following is true about a TCP/IP network? A) The network uses only standards defined in TCP/IP RFCs. 2. Which of the following terms is not a common synonym for TCP/IP model? (Choose two answers.) D) TCP/IP mapping and C) Ethernet 3. Think generically about the idea of a networking standard, ignoring any particular standard or standards group. Which of the following is typically true of a standard? (Choose two answers.) B) It exists as a deployed network device, which people can visit on the Internet. C) It has been passed through some form of review and approval or certification process. 4. Contrast an international standard as compared to a de facto standard. (Choose two answers.) B) International standard documents have been reviewed more thoroughly. D) International standards typically mean that the standards group has been authorized by many countries to create standards that apply to multiple countries. 5. Which of the following are true about the commonly used version of the TCP/IP model as shown in this chapter? (Choose two answers.) C) The physical layer sits just below the data link layer. D). The network layer sits in the middle of the five layers. 6. The TCP/IP model refers to standards other than those the IETF defines in RFCs. Which of these standards groups is typically the source of external LAN standards? (Choose two answers.) A) ITU B) IEEE 7. Which of the following is not a typical reason for a group of ten companies to start a vendor group, for the purpose of pushing a new networking technology? C) To improve the chances that the technology will be standardized 8. The TCP/IP and OSI models have some obvious differences, like the number of layers. Think about the more commonly used version of the TCP/IP model discussed in this chapter, and then think about how to talk about TCP/IP using OSI terms. Which of the following is a correctly phrased statement for how to use OSI terminology? B) IP is a network layer protocol. 9. Historically, which of the following models were the earliest models used in corporate networks? A) Vendor models 10. Which of the following statements is true when comparing the OSI and the TCP/IP mode l as defined in RFC 1122? B) The lower four layers of TCP/IP define the same kinds of functions as the matching layer numbers from OSI. 11. A network engineer connects two PCs (PC1 and PC2) using Ethernet NICs and an Ethernet cable that has copper wires inside. The two PCs communicate successfully. Which of  the following happens when PC1 sends bits to PC2? D)PC1 converts the bits to sound waves, and the NIC uses an A/D converter to send the data over the cable. 12. A TCP/IP network includes an Ethernet LAN with 10 PCs uses a LAN switch. PC1 sends data intended for an app running on PC2. Which of the following mechanisms does Ethernet define so that PC2 receives and processes the data? A)The Ethernet header lists PC2’s MAC address so that PC2 will realize that the data is meant for PC2. 13. Two network pros are having a conversation about some issues in a network. They discuss some issues related to how PPP forwards data, so they happen to be discussing the data structure that includes the PPP header and trailer. Which of the following terms do they use? B) Packet 14. Which of the following are true facts about IP addresses? (Choose two answers.) C) Are listed in the data-link trailer D) Used by routers to make a forwarding decision 15. Which of the following answers is true about Ethernet MAC addresses? A) 48 bits in length C) Are listed in the data-link trailer 16. Which of the following statements is true comparing LANs and WANs? (Choose two answers.) A) LANs generally connect devices that are nearer to each other, compared to WANs. D) LANs are purchased, and WANs are leased. 17. Which of the following answers list true facts about the data link layer of TCP/IP? (Choose two answers.) B) Two TCP/IP data-link protocols are Ethernet and PPP. C) Data-link protocols define addresses that identify devices connected to the underlying physical link. 18. Which of the following answers list true facts about the network layer of TCP/IP? (Choose two answers.) B) The two primary protocols are TCP and IP. C) IP provides logical addressing and routing ser vices 19. Which of the following answers lists true facts about the transport layer of TCP/IP? B) The two primary protocol options are TCP and IP. C) TCP provides error recovery services to application layer protocols that use TCP. 20. A PC user opens a web browser and sends a request to a web server to load a new web page. Three routers forward the data as it passes from client to server. Consider the data plus all headers and trailers that go from the web client to the web server. Which of the following headers go all the way from the web client to the web server? (Choose three answers.) A)Data-link header B) Network layer header C) Transport layer header

A SWOT analysis of Netflix inc

A SWOT analysis of Netflix inc Netflix provides agricultural products for farmers in the United States and offers its subscribers access to a library of television, movie and other filmed. Nowdays,Netflix reinvented the home video rental model by employing innovative customer service and new technologies. And this gives the company a serious first mover advantage. The outlook of external market conditions is positive. If Netflix decides to stay and compete it needs to (1) keep innovating to maintain its advantage, (2) use subscriber acquisition momentum and build larger customer base and (3) move fast to plant roots into next-generation models of content delivery based on digital technologies. SWOT Analysis Strengths Relationships with studios. Netflix maintains strategic relationships with studios, which is the basis of its rich catalog. Deep and wide library. Netflix currently offers around 25,000 film titles, (arguably all feature films ever published on DVD) spread over 12+ Million disks. Average depth (number of copies of each film) is 480 copies. Recognizable brand. Netflix is the largest on-line subscription DVD rental service in the US. It has a well recognizable brand, which helps in marketing by decreasing customer acquisition costs. Logistical expertise. Launched in 1998, Netflix has developed and fine-tuned its logistical processes for 6 years with the help of internally developed logistical software. Widest delivery network. With 30+ distribution centers spread around the US, Netflix delivers DVDs to 85% of its subscribers the next day. Recommendation engine CineMatch. Netflix utilizes recommendation technology based on user ratings of individual titles. At the end of 2003 Netflix ratings database contained around 300 million ratings (around 15,000 ratings per title and 150 ratings per subscriber). Thus every customer can receive a personalized computer-generated recommendation for a film. Client acquisition momentum. Netflix has a critical mass of over 2 million customers, a number expected to grow in the next 2-3 years. Low price per title. Based on their reported annual subscription revenues for 2003 and reported monthly turnover of about 18 million disks, the average rental price per DVD comes at $1.50 $1.75. According to analysts reports, the average Netflix customer rents between 5 and 7 titles per month. At a monthly subscription price of $17.95, the result is $3.00, which is much closer to the market average of $3.15 $3.79 per title. Still, in the eyes of their customer the possibility to rent unlimited number of titles and thus have a home-made low price is clearly strength. Flat monthly fee, no late fees pricing model. This was a model pioneered by Netflix, which enjoyed enormous popularity among subscribers. Today this model is followed by a growing number of other rental businesses too. Weaknesses Strong suppliers. As discussed above Netflix sources its main inputs from a few and strong players. Films come from Hollywood distributors; all distribution is handled by one service provider USPS, and all payments and made online via credit card payments processed by the four major credit card companies. Volatility in performance. Netflix market performance depends on a number of variables (18 listed in 2003 Annual Report). Additionally demand for the product (films) depends on uncontrollable variables such as taste, recommendation. Finally economic success is very much related to customer loyalty because of the high acquisition costs. Studios define release. Netflix can rent out the DVDs once they are out in the market. This is a decision made by movie studios and their distributors and therefore outside the control of Netflix. As discussed above, the position along the window release continuum might affect the popularity of a title and change the competitive environment. Opportunities Digital delivery. Netflix can take advantage of their knowledge of the consumer tastes (300 million film ratings over a library of 25,000+ titles) and transfer this know-how towards digital delivery. The single most important factor in digital VOD models would be adequate recommendation (the modern version of traditional TV programming) and no other player in feature-film delivery has this expertise. DVD format dominant. Based on the analysis above and the opinion of industry experts and analysts, the DVD format will be the dominant video format in the next at least 10 years. This situation might be challenged by the new digital transmission and HD storage formats, however, this is an issue affecting the whole business model and departing from the physical nature of the medium. DVD installed base grows. With expected penetration of DVD players in 65% of US households, Netflix is positioned favourably to exploit this infrastructural given. Underutilized debt capacity. Netflix balance sheet as of 30 September 2004 is debt free. This gives the company an upside potential to borrow in order to finance its expansion. (Currently unit economics and cash generating potential are believed to be strong and there seems to be no short term need to finance operations.) The weighted average book-debt-to-capital ratios for the internet and movie rental industries range between 9% and 14.3%. Comparison universe WA book debt to capital ratio Movie rental industry peer group (Retail special lines, SIC: 5600) (4 companies) 14.3709% Internet industry (SIC: 7370) (164 companies) 9.0389% Threats Prices of key inputs. As mentioned earlier Netflix is exposed to fluctuations in supplier policies, and specifically prices. USPS, card payment processing companies and film studios can increase their prices, which will affect dramatically the unit economics of Netflix model. Studios may form alliances with bigger players. As competition in the rental segment intensifies, studios might deem it more beneficial to form alliances with bigger players, namely Blockbuster and Wal-Mart, manifested in more advantageous conditions. This will worsen the competitive advantage of Netflix. Studios might not renegotiate revenue sharing agreements. Revenue sharing agreements which shift costs towards the variable end of the continuum might not be renegotiated at less advantageous terms. Although this will not necessarily worsen the economics of the operation, it might significantly increase the working capital requirements (more cash trapped in DVD copies). Given the short time horizon, WCR will have to be financed by debt which will deplete the borrowing capacity at a critical moment when Netflix might need a financing cushion to ward off other adverse market developments. DVD retail prices fall. As discussed above diminishing retail prices of DVD titles might lure customers away from renting and into buying DVDs. A similar tendency was observed in the period 1999 2003 and must not be discounted lightly. New channels of filmed entertainment delivery. New technological solutions and digitalization of TV will enable consumers to get access to filmed entertainment over new channels such as VOD, pay-per-view and Video over IP. Although not expected to gain market importance before 2007, these channels already witness implementation which is well accepted by consumers. Additionally, the increasing popularity of video games also claims part of consumers leisure time. New entrants into the rental market. Already competitive, the rental market is about to see new entrants both from the lower end (copy-cat small-capital companies) and from the big players such as the film studios. Low entry barriers combined with the high stake for film studios (currently 45% of a films revenues come form home-video rentals and sales) will be the drivers for these shifts. Management of growth. Currently Netflix experiences growth which affects its business operations. Successful management of this growth is a critical factor for Netflixs continued competitiveness. I want to work in this company. Because I love movies and have a deep understanding of the film industry. I also love the rich pioneering and revolutionary new industry, NETLIX is a leading new movie rental company, and it is also my ideal place to work. I think NETFLIX suit my taste, I can play in the companys potential and at the same time realize my personal value. So I hope the NETFLIX work. Netflix will be a wise investment. This company created a new movie rental system, as the Internet advances and the development of home audio and video equipment, the cinema picture quality and sound advantages of greatly reduced. Many people began to be more willing to watch more easily at home the latest and most popular videos, add the price on the NETFLIX player has an advantage compare to cinema. This will be popular network industries. So the company is a wise investment. Team6 Tina 23/04/11

Solar Energy: The Ultimate Renewable Energy Resource Essays -- Argumen

The current use of fossil fuels as our main energy source has two drawbacks: their inevitable depletion and the pollution associated with combustion. These two drawbacks in addition to the growing concern of global warming has pushed for the development of more sustainable sources of energy, namely solar energy and its derivatives (i.e. wind power). Solar energy is appealing for its potential to meet all our demands, while proving to be a pollution free resource.(Bohn, 2009) Solar energy originates from the thermonuclear fusion reactions occurring in the sun. Leaving all the byproducts of the reactions behind in the sun, the energy that reaches the Earth is pure radiant energy. This energy represents the entire electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from x-rays to radio waves. Most of the sun’s energy, forty-three percent, is in the form of visible light, which can be harnessed for electrical production. The amount of energy hitting the Earth is incredibly large; by one calculation, a month of sunshine has the equivalent energy of all the planet’s used and unused fossil fuels.(Huang, 2007) However, the nature of solar energy has two disadvantages. The sun does not shine consistently throughout the day due to clouds and other atmospheric factors, which can be problem for constant electricity and heat production. Moreover, solar energy cannot be used for nighttime production. The other shortcoming is that the energy from the sun is a diff use source, that is, it falls over a wide area. In order to utilize this energy, it must be concentrated into a form and amount we can use, such as heat and electricity. These problems are addressed in the three steps used to harness the sun’s energy: collection, conversion, and stor... ... Need for Wind Power." International Journal of Heritage Studies 15.2/3 (2009): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. 5 Huang, Y.F., et al. "Mitigating Environmental Pollution and Impacts from Fossil Fuels: The Role of Alternative Fuels." Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization & Environmental Effects 29.12 (2007): 1069-1080. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. 6 Kolbert, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Acid Sea.† National Geographic April. 2011: 100-121. Print. 7 Thomas, Chacko, Philip Jennings, and Dilawar Singh. "New Markets for Solar Photovoltaic Power Systems." AIP Conference Proceedings 941.1 (2007): 142-153. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. 8 Luckerson, Victor. "Glaciers Are Crumbling in Southern Antarctica Faster Than Previously Thought" Time.com May 22, 2015 Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://time.com/tag/climate-change/

Agape Love Essay -- essays research papers fc

What is love? I remember a time when â€Å"I love you† was the hardest phrase to say to the person you really had feelings for because you knew when you said those words it would change the course of your relationship forever. But what is the true meaning of love? â€Å"The dictionary defines love as a feeling of strong personal attach-ment induced by sympathetic understanding or by ties of kindred; ardent affection for one’s children; man’s adoration for God; strong liking; fondness; good will, al love of learning; love of country.† (Bell, pg. 10) According to Bell all of these definitions convey the outward appearance of love. He says that when looking at love that we need to take an inventory of our feeling to find out if we are truly displaying the type of love that God calls agape love. Bell says we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Do I return love? In any relationship love is a two way street. A marriage or relationship will not last v ery long if only one person is showing love and the other is not responding in kind. As a matter of fact, a spiritual relationship works in pretty much the same way. The bible says that God first loved us, but if we do not return that love to Him the relationship may diminish. As a Christian we must first love the unsaved person just enough to go to them and share the good news of the gospel. Then after that person has received the gospel of Jesus it is then up to them to accept it and return the love by giving their life to Christ. â€Å"Ministry is the first stage of this exchange of love.† (Bell, Pg 11) The second question is: Do I try to force love? Since the beginning of time God has always given man a choice or free will. We have a free will to love Him. A free will to obey Him. And a free choice to do His will. As a matter of fact God does not even force His love upon us. Anytime love has to be forced you may as well just call it rape. Even in personal relationships love cannot be forced. If love is forced, it usually results in the person rejecting the love altogether. Christian love does not demand love in return, but it does open the pathway to receive love if love wants to be given. The next question is one that is very personal to me because it is something that I have to work on improving and that is: Do I express love regularly? Sometimes it is easy to take the people you love for granted. We sometimes assu... ... of justice and kindness and devotion; pray and fast without fainting, and spend all of our time in some form of religious worship; if the things that we do were such to get us a name throughout the world, and make us famous to all future generations, it would all be in vain without sincere love to God in the heart. Furthermore, we understand that it is not the external work done, or the suffering endured, that is worth anything but yet it is the extent of love that is displayed that means something in the sight of God. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bell, Donald A. In Christian Love. Convention Press Nashville, Tennessee (1968). Edwards, Jonathan. Charity and Its Fruits: Christian love as manifested in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  heart and life. The Banner of Truth Trust London (1969). Evans, Anthony T. Returning to Your First Love: Putting God Back in First Place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moody Press Chicago, Illinois (1995). Lea, Thomas D. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. Broadman &   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holman (1996). Ellsworth, Roy Mail Call: Prisoners Need Love Too. The Ellsworth Letters Christian   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Endeavors (2000).

Labor Movement Development in Chile: 1990 to Present

Chile underwent a change in 1990 to a democratic form of government.   As a result of this transformation to democracy, the labor movement within Chile has undergone massive development.   As developments have been undergone, several areas of the labor movement have especially experienced change, including collective bargaining, Under the prior authoritarian rule of Augusto Pinochet, collective bargaining negotiations by labor units was strictly limited to â€Å"initial wage readjustments, the time period for inflationary adjustments, and the levels of inflation adjustments†.   (Frank, 2002)   In his in-depth study of the labor movement in Chile, Professor Volker K. Frank explicitly states that â€Å"the most important of all changes concerns the new law on collective bargaining†. The reform that came about during the early 1990s involved a corporations last offer to a union and their rights to proceed with the business of their corporation based on the union reaction, as well as the rights of the union to strike based on a corporation following certain criteria. Because the first reforms that impacted the labor movement in the early 1990s fell short, more reforms were enacted in the middle 1990s.   Professor Frank explains that â€Å"This new legislation envisions major changes that would indeed limit the employers’ abusive powers, which a very flexible labor market has given them in the first place. In this sense, unlike the first reform of 1990–92, this second one does move much more toward a ‘protective’ labor market†.   (Frank, 2002) This major development in the labor movement is most key because of the enhanced protection afforded the laborer by a government becoming more democratic. The labor movement in Chile is far more complicated than reforms to collective bargaining laws or limitations on abusive powers.   By first analyzing those key changes, however, one can better understand the tremendous development Chile has indeed undergone. Reference Frank, V. K.   (2002)   The Labor Movement in Democratic Chile, 1990-2000.   University of Notre Dame: Helen Kellogg Institute for International studies.