Business Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Strategic Management - Essay Example Strategic fit characterizes the degree of matching the capabilities and resources of an organization to the opportunities prevailing in the external environment. The matching takes place through strategy so the company is required to have its actual capabilities and resources for supporting and executing the strategy Strategic fit can be actively used for evaluating the current strategic situation of a company along with the opportunities of divestitures and mergers and acquisitions of divisions of organization. Strategic fit is also viewed on the basis of resources of the firm suggesting that industry selection and positioning is not only the key to profitability rather an internal focus utilising the unique characteristics of the resource portfolio of the company and its capabilities is the key to profitability. ... Operational fit arises when different businesses work along for exploring opportunities of skill transfer and cost sharing. Management fit revolves among both the businesses in terms of some comparable units like operating problems, administration and various administrative activities. It also allows accumulated managerial know how in one business to be used in managing other business. It is necessary that the management of business should take actions to capture benefit (Armstrong, 2003, pp.116-117). Benefits with sharing potential must be recognized so that the activities to be shared are coordinated and merged. When skill transfer takes place, a means must be found to make it effective. It is required for the medium sized business to achieve strategic fit as it provides consistency between customer priorities of competitive strategy and capabilities of supply chain as specified by the strategy of supply chain (Dessler, 2010, p.51). The strategies of supply chain and competitive st rategy have the same goal. Due to lack of strategic fit, a company may fail. Achievement of strategic fit involves three steps. These involves the understanding the uncertainty in supply chain and customer, understanding the capabilities of supply chain and achieving strategic fit (Armstrong, 2008, p.38). Strategic fit has a central role for playing in strategic management. While the external strategic fit is relevant to formulate strategy, the internal strategic fit is critical to the implementation of strategy (Gabriel, 2008, p.133). A high strategic fit is important as it enables the scope of learning new skill sets, timely and appropriate response, resource commitment from top management, better

Trends Now Shaping the Future of Hospitality and Travel Essay Example for Free

Trends Now Shaping the Future of Hospitality and Travel Essay Early versions of this report predicted that the world’s population would double by 2050, and population growth has proceeded almost exactly on schedule. However, even this estimate may be too low. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, most official projections underestimate both fertility and future gains in longevity. Unfortunately, the greatest fertility is found in those countries least able to support their existing people. Populations will triple in the Palestinian Territories and Niger between 2000 and 2050 and will more than double in Yemen, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. In contrast, populations in most developed countries are stable or declining. The United States is a prominent exception. Assessment: Demographic trends such as this are among the easiest to recognize and most difficult to derail. Barring a global plague or nuclear war—wildcard possibilities that cannot be predicted with any validity—there is little chance that the population forecast for 2050 will err on the low side. Implications: Rapid population growth in the United States compared with its industrialized competitors will reinforce American domination of the global economy, as the European Union falls to third place behind the United States and China. To meet human nutritional needs over the next forty years, global agriculture will have to supply as much food as has been produced during all of human history. Unless fertility in the developed lands climbs dramatically, either would-be retirees will have to remain on the job, or the industrialized nations will have to encourage even more immigration from the developing world. The third alternative is a sharp economic contraction and lower living standards. A fourth alternative is the widespread automation of service jobs as well as manufacturing, to accomplish the work needed to support accustomed living standards. However, this requires development of a means other than wages to distribute wealth and to provide both a living income and a fulfilling  occupation for workers and would-be workers displaced by machines and software. Barring enforcement of strict immigration controls, rapid migration will continue from the Southern Hemisphere to the North, and especially from former colonies to Europe. A growing percentage of job applicants in the United States and Europe will be recent immigrants from developing countries. Implications for Hospitality and Travel: Rapid population growth, compared with other developed lands, will preserve America’s place at the top of the global economy, with China taking second place from the European Union. This will help to keep the hospitality and travel industries growing rapidly. 2. Population of the developed world is living longer. Each generation lives longer and remains healthier than the last. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, every generation in the United States has lived three years longer than the previous one. An 80-year-old in 1950 could expect 6.5 more years of life; todays 80-year-olds are likely to survive 8.5 more years. Life expectancy in Australia, Japan, and Switzerland is now over 75 years for males and over 80 for females. A major reason for this improvement is the development of new pharmaceuticals and medical technologies that are making it possible to prevent or cure diseases that would have been fatal to earlier generations. Medical advances that slow the fundamental process of aging now seem to be within reach. (This is a controversial issue within the medical community, but the evidence appears quite strong.) Such treatments could well help today’s younger generations live routinely beyond the century mark. Assessment: See the Assessment: for Trend 1.

Emergence Of Neoliberal Development Theory Economics Essay

Emergence Of Neoliberal Development Theory Economics Essay Introduction This essay aims to justify the emergence of neoliberal development theory by analysing the historical, political and economic backgrounds in the second half of the twentieth century and identify the key features of its success. Also, the essay aims to establish the reasons behind the failure of the Keynesian model that was dominant prior to the neoliberal theory. Firstly, it will define development, outline its origins and goals and look back at the history of development to identify major theories prevailing in global economics. Secondly, it will account for the transition from the Keynesianism to neoliberal theory and argue that the main drawback of the former extensive state intervention in economics was the reason behind the rise of the latter. Finally, it will analyse the neoliberal development theory in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and conclude with suggesting perspectives of the theory in the future. What is development? Development presents an elusive concept to define. As the term itself is incredibly broad, the simplest definition of Good Change (Chambers 1997) will not suffice: factors such as time, perspective and focus should be considered to encompass the term (Thomas 2000). Development does not happen overnight, therefore, to understand it we need to look at a series of changes throughout history and the inevitable processes which accompany it. Secondly, understanding of development shifts depending on the vision or perspective of what development aims to achieve (modern society, maximum use of human potential or fixing the faults of progress). Finally, development could be seen as a focused effort to eradicate a problem (i.e. poverty, hunger, AIDS, etc.). Generally, development is summarised as a process of developing countries trying to catch up with developed countries (Kiely 2007). If we look at the current goals in development outlined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), we can see that in developing countries by 2015: Extreme poverty should be reduced by one half. Universal primary education should be ensured and gender disparity in education eliminated. Infant/child mortality should be reduced by two thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters. National strategies for sustainable development should be implemented (OECD 1996). On the surface these goals appear to tackle social problems (quality of life and education) but they are deeply intertwined with both politics and economics. In order to achieve those state leaders need to work along with international organisations whose economic expertise can help to shape needed policies. No matter how noble these aspirations sound, it is the question whether they are realistic enough to implement that we should ask ourselves. It is possible to assess the chances of success better by looking back at the history of development and its former achievements. The modern history of development begins with the end of the Second World War in 1945 when new states emerged and the old international order was reshaped. The key theme in development was expanding the economic growth through industrialisation. The unique position of the USA after the war (minimal losses) facilitated its becoming a super power. Not only did it have an exceptional political influence in the international affairs but it also helped to promote capitalism and democratic values in Europe as well as the developing countries. The USA did this not only through foreign aid and direct investment but creating such international organisations as the UN, the IMF and the World Bank. The Cold War split the world into two camps: capitalist and communist. While the superpowers were trying to win more political influence, they also helped to modernise developing countries by boosting their economies. Of course, it came with a price joining a camp of the donors. The USA supported national liberation of the colonies and promoted development of anti-communist ex-colonies. This period from 1950s to 1970s is also known as the golden age of capitalism. High rates of profit facilitated high rates of capital accumulation and unprecedented economic growth, high productivity, high wages, expanding demand (Kiely 2007). Such growth resulted in full employment, creation of welfare system and a spread of globalisation. However, by the 1970s problems with the system became obvious: states had monopolized important industries (coal, steel) which limited the capacity of economic growth, thus investment was dominated by political not economic reasons. Preston argues that there was an assumption that states have the right to intervene directly in production and distribution (Preston 1996: p. 154-156). This resulted in capital not being allowed to cross borders without government approval, so states could set domestic interest rates, fix the exchange rate, tax and spend as they wanted to secure national economic objectives, moreover, the divide between developed and developing countries remained high (Leys 1996). The decline in profit rates recorded in the developed countries at the end of the 1960s deepened and in the 1970s spread into an open capitalist crisis, characterized by a swing of the whole system into monetary-financial chaos, exploding inequalities, and mass unemployment (Herrera 2006). The Keynesian model The golden age of capitalism was dominated by the Keynesian development model, which maintains that the level of economic activity is determined by the level of aggregate demand (Palley 2004). John Maynard Keynes, the forefather of modern macroeconomics, argued that if markets were depoliticised, completely free from the intervention of governments, it would cause a period of economic depression and financial crisis. In order to prevent such a downfall he suggested that governments should control fiscal and monetary policies. Within this theory unemployment could be explained through weakness in the aggregate demand generation process that capitalist economies are subject to. In the aftermath of the post war period it was this particular model that allowed states to rebuild and boost economies. A weak point, however, was the so-called spending ratchet governments provided additional support for workers during hard times but it was politically difficult to take them away during a booming economy. Therefore, the rate of economic growth slowed down and the risk of inflation rose. This was not the only problem with the Keynesianism. According to Palley (2004) there existed two sub-theories about income distribution: one originating in the USA, the other in the UK. American Keynesians advocated the neoliberal paid what you are worth theory of income distribution, while British Keynesians argue that income distribution depends significantly on institutional factors. Palley then explains it in detail: It meant that not only do a factors relative scarcity and productivity matter, but so too does its bargaining power, which is impacted by institutional arrangements. This explains the significance of trade unions, laws governing minimum wages, employee rights at work, and systems of social protection such as unemployment insurance. Finally, public understandings of the economy also matter, since a public that views the economy through a bargaining power lens will have greater political sympathies for trade unions and institutions of social protection (Palley 2004: 2 ). In essence the two schools differed in their understanding of the factors involved in (simply put) wages and income. For example an American Keynesian, would view an employees bargaining power in wage negotiations as entirely dependent on demand for the employees skills, its relative scarcity and the employers ability to pay. The British view in however would encompass such additional factors as unions (in the case of employment) enforcing collective bargaining or national minimum wage structures. The British view therefore contained a more realistic accounting of income distribution versus a more pure capitalist view. One of the major factors of the transition from the Keynesianism to neoliberalism was the unstable prices for petrol in the OPEC in the 1970s. Another factor is of social nature the USA has promoted individualism that rejected the communist collective economic approach and kindled the debates in favour of free markets not controlled by the government. Combined with the divide between the train of Keynesian thought in the UK and the USA the theory slowly started to be replaced with neoliberalism. What is neoliberal development theory? Like development neoliberalism is a disputed notion. This term could be attributed to describe a theory of International Relations, an ideology, a development theory or economic theory. To avoid confusion we suggest a definition by Harvey: Neoliberalism  is  a  theory  of  political  economic  practices that proposes that human well being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong property rights, free markets and free trade. The role of the state is to create and preserve an institutional framework  appropriate to such practices (Harvey, 2005: 2). Neoliberal development theory has emerged in 1970s with the end of the golden age of capitalism. As the world economy was entering a recession, old strategies ceased to work and neoliberalism claimed to provide tools to overcome the financial crisis. The core of the theory lied in an assumption that bad policies were rooted in extensive governmental intervention in economics. Economic growth could be restored by policies ensuring competitiveness in the world economy. Neoliberal development theory aimed to enhance growth, create free markets, replace the Keynesianism that proved to be weak, and eliminate the intervention of the state in the economy that resulted in poor economic performance in many countries (Harrison, 2005). This approach was adopted by major international organisations such as the IMF and the World Bank which made the transition faster. This theory accumulated popularity as the USSR economic growth began to slow down in the 1980s and with the collapse of the Soviet Union, capitalism had proven to be a superior political-economic system to those that had  been its alternatives (Flew 2012). In order to understand what neoliberalism could offer that the Keynesianism could not Herrera (2006) splits the neoliberal strategies into domestic and international ones. They are both aimed at ensuring that the USA sustains and develops its hegemony. Firstly, at the national level, implementing the government control free economy by: (1) deforming the structure of capital ownership to the benefit of the private sector, (2) reducing public spending for social purposes, and (3) imposing wage austerity as a key priority in fighting inflation. Then, to internationally maintain the dominance of the American dollar with the help of the major international organisations and to promote free trade. This argument is in line with the Washington Consensus development strategies which included fiscal discipline, keeping inflation under control, welcoming foreign trade and investment, reducing the role of the government in general, and promoting new exports (Skidmore and Smith, 2005: 59). As com plementary to these goals, the Consensus also advocated tax reform including cutting marginal tax rates (reducing taxes for the rich), creating a unified and competitive exchange rate, and securing property rights (particularly for foreigners in developing countries) (Todaro and Smith, 2006: 538). During the last 30 years this objective has resulted in the proliferation of neoliberal policies of deregulation, privatisation and marketisation (Cahill 2010). When portraying neoliberalism it is paramount to mention the basic principle of individualism. Neoliberalism implies that at the very heart of the concept lies the uniqueness of an individual that leads to subjective and self-centred preferences. Cahill (2010) argues that neoliberals base the defence of free markets on this: liberty is depicted as a core aim of society in which markets represent spheres of voluntary exchanges between individuals. Based on the assumption that from rational point of view individuals would only engage in an exchange that was beneficial for them, markets allow them to satisfy preferences free from external interference or coercion. This way markets represent an excellent platform for spreading liberty. From the economic point of view free markets, with voluntary exchange at their core, let the preferences of rational self interested utility maximisers to be expressed and satisfied. In this case prices represent markers of such preferences and along with the freedom of choice ensure that resource allocation is subject to the preferences. Such system leads to the claim of neoliberals that are not only moral but efficient means for producing and distributing goods and services. Freed from governmental involvement markets produce better results unlike when being under state control with politicians inevitably choosing one industry over another. It appears that better results could be achieved with a shift from the public to the private sector. Strengths/weaknesses In order to establish if the transition to the neoliberal development theory was successful it is necessary to go back to the goals that the theory proponents wanted to achieve: free trade, economic growth, liberalisation, depoliticising of economics and privatisation. While there is evidence that free trade facilitated economic growth it has been slower than expected and still connected with state intervention: there is a positive correlation between an economys exposure to international trade and the size of its government in the years from the 1960s to the 1990s (Rodrik 1998) and similarly whereas levels of trade and levels of government expenditure are positively correlated, countries in which trade has increased more quickly in recent decades have experienced slower growth in government spending (Garett 2001). At the same time free trade and liberalisation has facilitated the emergence and development of globalisation opening new prospects of integration in the international economics and society. On the other hand, globalisation has its own drawbacks, especially in regards to developing countries they still have to catch up with more advanced states but the competition is a lot higher. Without modern technologies which are too expensive, tight budgets and a lack of mass production capability the developing countries, for example in sub-Saharan Africa, remain behind the western states or BRIC countries. Moreover, they have not achieved political freedom either the international organizations call on national governments to adopt neoliberal economic policies imposed from without while the globalized financial markets dispossess these states of their sovereignty and foreign core capital insinuates itself into the periphery countries capitalist ownership structure (Herrera 2006: 5). Promoting democracy and liberalisation could mask more egoistic than altruistic reasons. Neoliberal reforms concentrate on achieving them at the expense of other important factors of development, such as environmental protection, human rights and most important elimination of global absolute poverty (Todaro and Smith, 2006: 548). Conclusions and considerations Summing up the explanation of the emergence of the neoliberal development theory we argue that although the theory has proven to be flawed, nevertheless, its world domination is justified and it is likely to continue its course in the future. While the Keynesian model was efficient during the post-war period and helped to rebuild the economy, it could not provide the international community with the tools they needed to overcome the financial recession in the 1970s. The state-controlled economics framework could not accept and embrace the free market and privatisation because it would mean losing a substantial part of political influence for the governments. Therefore, neoliberalism was the rational choice to adopt in order to revive the economy. As the major superpower (and after the end of the Cold War the unitary) the USA hegemony started to spread further the IMF, the World Bank and other international institutions promoted the development of neoliberalism in both developed and developing countries. Neoliberals believed that markets are able to manage and distribute capital better than states. For the developing countries it also meant more options for employment by expanding the output of exports. Conversely, the emergence, development and finally establishment of the neoliberal development theory as the dominant one has created a number of issues that are complicated to resolve: the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the slowdown of the economic growth and the recession. Promoting democracy and liberal values often hide states own interest, i.e. the war in Iraq in 2003, recent interventions in Syria and Libya. Although economy has become less state-oriented the goals of multinational corporations do not comprise of reducing poverty and inequality as their primary objective. In order to sustain the neoliberal model, it should be re-developed to provide better social security, lessen inequality and poverty, pay greater attention to human rights and create truly independent and unbiased institutions. Only then the 2015 goals of development could be achieved.

Sir. Baldric and The Evil Threshmit :: essays research papers

Sir. Baldric and The Evil Threshmit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a frigid night at Rockland Palace. The wind blew hard, and howled out of the night, as the rain beat down on Sir. Morgan as he stood outside the castle walls. He had just returned with the news from King Crenshaw. Suddenly from the dark of the night came Threshmite, the great enemy of man. The description of the beast given by the churl , who stood witness to Sir Morgan's dismemberment, was that of a giant, man eating firs snorting, three headed savage warthog gargoyle. As the lightening flashed, and the thunder clapped, the it reared it's center head up, and gave a fell glare into the eyes of the helpless peasant, who was frozen in a horrified Position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It took nearly five hours, and the help of the resident magician to get that out of him. He is as skittish as a hind , afraid to venture out of the castle walls, or even let down the drawbridge, for fear of becoming Threashmis' next meal. King Lenson grieved deeply over his departed friend. He then asked for volunteers to hunt down the scatheful beast. The reaction to his request was pathetic, not a man stood. It seemed as though King Lenson's valiant knights were nothing more than a flock of recreants. At last Sir. Baldric stepped forward, he had risen to the occasion, proving true to his troth. He was truly a stalwart knight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Early the next morning Baldric awakened, in preparation for his endeavor. He dressed himself with care, methodically arranging his raiment. As he pulled his hauberk over his head, and sweeping shoulders the lady of the castle mad her way gently into the room. She helped him finish dressing, and when he went to leave the room she made a tryst between herself and Sir Baldric. They would meet in the church before he left. She softly kissed his cheek, and departed. He went to the arms room, and took down his sword from it's place on the wall. It shone bright in the morning bask. It was whet after every use and now ready for action. He saddled his horse, and went to go meet with lady Lenson in the church. He found her in the last pew, dolorous and weeping. She begged him not to go, so he pledged his mission in her honor. He was bound by heart, and soul to seek and destroy Threshmiter. The king sent him out on his way, and told Sir Baldric he would return victorious.

Using The Mythology of Love to Analyze Amy Foster Essay -- Amy Foster

Using The Mythology of Love to Analyze Amy Foster In Amy Foster, Joseph Conrad has written a great story that shows the different types of love felt between Amy and Yanko as described by Joseph Campbell in his essay on The Mythology of Love. The relationship of Yanko and Amy is dynamic and changes as the story progresses. At first, Amy feels compassion for Yanko; she does not see the differences between him and the English people as the others of Brenzett do. However, later in the story, compassion turns to passion. Amy's son is then born; distinctions appear and she is either no longer able to love Yanko or she loves Yanko to such an extent that she finds she is incapable of joining Yanko on an earthly plane as Joseph Campbell describes (page 159). Whatever the reasons may be, Amy refuses to aid Yanko in his time of need, resulting in Yanko's death. There is a great change of heart from Amy's first compassion for Yanko to her nonchalance of his death. However, the results may have only been a product of the different levels of love felt by Amy for Yanko. The general population of Brenzett treats Yanko an escaped lunatic when he is first spotted in the seaside town. He is whipped, stoned and beaten by many of the residents. In addition, he was captured and caged like a wild animal. He is described as a "drunk", "tramp", and "creature". He is very different from the usual Englishman and is treated as such. He is segregated and is forced to work for Mr. Swaffer. However, one person sees through the differences. Amy, perhaps because of her stupidity or an ability to feel for Yanko, does not see a wild foreigner that screams at night and dances strangely. She saw only the similariti... ... an alien and does not aid him, while she has lost all love for him. It is unclear to the reader whether it is great love that Amy experiences - so great, she cannot bear the pain - or it is an inability to love Yanko anymore that causes her stay motionless as Yanko calls for her help as he dies in front of her. The story of Amy Foster presents an incredible mystery about the love between a dull woman and a foreign man. Even with the aid of an extremely helpful analysis of love by Joseph Campbell, it remains unclear why Amy acts the way she does as Yanko lies on his deathbed. Does Amy feel an immense love for Yanko or does she fail to love him at all? Whatever the reason may be, it is clear that she expresses throughout the story many of the differing types of love along with their implications discussed in Campbell's essay, The Mythology of Love.

Ineffective and Effective Leadership Styles :: Leadership

Countless books and articles have been written about leaders, who made decisions that played significant effects on our country and the world. Leaders from the military, business world and sports have all played crucial impacts on the way we live our lives. Their legacy’s live on in giving others the inspirational and motivational drive to become great leaders. One of the most influential and highly regarded leaders during World War II (WWII) and the Korean War was General Matthew Bunker Ridgway. Ridgway was a man who made countless sacrifices in order to prevent future impeding conditions. In 1928 he anticipated being on the Army’s pentathlon team to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam, but decided it was more important to prepare himself in becoming a better leader. "I could not reject so bright an opportunity to prepare myself for any military-diplomatic role that the future might offer," according to Patterson (2006). By the time WWII had begun Ridgway was a Brigadier General in command of the, newly developed, 82ND Airborne Division. He did a combat jump, jumping out of a plane by parachute, with his troops into battle on June 6, 1944, which happened to be Normandy according to Patterson (2006). Afterwards, he was awarded his second Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. According to Headquarters, First U.S. Army (1944) the citation states â€Å"Major General Ridgway jumped by parachute at approximately 0200 prior to the dawn of "D" Day and landed about 3/4 mile northeast of *****, France, to spearhead the parachute landing assault of his Airborne Division on the ****. Throughout "D" Day, he visited every point in the then surrounded area in order to evaluate the opposition and to encourage his men. He penetrated to the front of every active sector without thought of the personal danger involved. He exposed himself continuously to small arms, mortar and artillery fire; as, by his presence and through words of encouragement, he greatly assisted and personally directed the operations of one of his battalions in the important task of securing the bridgehead across the ***** River, which required a frontal assault against strongly entrenched enemy positions. His persona l bravery and his heroism were deciding factors in the success of his unit in France. Major General Ridgway's gallant leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.

Political and Economic Environment Comparison Essay

The political and economic environments between Costa Rica and Mexico have similarities as well as differences. There are strong values and ethical views from both cultures that need to be compared and respected before there is complete understanding. The ability to understand each culture’s description and detailed information will determine how both cultures are able to understand each other and other surrounding cultures with similar views. The political views are discussed from both countries, Mexico and Costa Rica, and the economy is compared and contrasted to show overall cultural develop and growth. Political and Economic Environments of Costa Rica Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing nations right now, it’s government is one that is known as one of the oldest democracies in Central America, often looked upon by other countries as a model of success when discussing Latin American governments. However unlike most of their neighbors, Costa Rica has not suffered through the usual dictatorships or civil wars since their current system was implemented in 1948. In Costa Rica Presidential elections take place every four years and the president is elected by popular vote just as the American vote. The rule of thumb is that the president is elected with at minimum 40 percent of the popular vote or a runoff election will need to be held to make the final decision. The judicial branch has the final say in terms of administering justice in Costa Rica, this branch of government is made up of the Supreme Court, appellate courts and trial courts. Costa Rica’s governing body includes 22 magistrates, which are selected by the legislative assembly that takes place every eight years. The current President of Costa Rica is Laura Chinchilla, although the current President is a woman, Costa Rica has been ran by very strong male leaders in the past, a few notable politicians in Costa Rica are: Oscar Arias Sanchez, who was also a Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987) and also the President of the Republic (1986–1990, 2006-current). Another past president of Costa Rica was Juan Primitivo Prospero Fernandez Oreamuno from 1882 to 1885. He fought in the war of 1856-1857 against William Walker and participated in the military coup that overthrew Jesus Jimenez in 1870. Economic Factors of Costa Rica Costa Rica like many other countries uses trade to level economy. Trade brings in the income and a variety of food and merchandise. Here are a few countries Costa Rica is in trades with. The United States, Netherlands, China (including the special region of Hong Kong, Japan, Venezuela, Mexico, and Brazil (2005) (Foley, 2008). A few other countries that Costa Rica has signed trade agreements with include, Canada, Chile, The Dominican Republic, Panama, and several Caribbean Community countries. The total value of exports is $2. 9 billion (1996); partners with Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France. Total value of imports was at $3. 4 billion in (1996); partners with the United States, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala. In 2000 trade was $6. 1 billion. In 2009 there was a two-way trade between the United States and Costa Rica exceeding $9. 6 billion. One major industry includes â€Å"The Intel Corporation,† which opened a chip-manufacturing plant in 1998. The garment assembly and tuna processing industries are important. The industrial production growth rate in 1992 was at 10. 5%. Costa Rica use these main industries, food processing textiles, clothing, construction materials, fertilizers, and plastic products. Others include aluminum processing, a petrochemical plant at Moin, a tuna-processing plant at Golfito, and an oil refinery at Puerto Limon. According to the Infocostarica staff, tourism is another major industry. Some 400,000 foreign tourists spent United States $164 million in 1998. In 1992 more than half a million foreigners visited Costa Rica, and spent an estimated $20 million, 15,000 jobs sites were also created within the first six months of that year. Costa Rica has been listed the lowest unemployment in all Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2001 the unemployment rate was at 6. %. In 2010 the unemployment rate was 6. 7%. The Cost Rican Union of Private Business Chambers and Associations (Uccaep) reported 15,000 lost jobs in the month of December 2008. The unemployment level was set a t 4. 9 in 2008, whereas it was expecting to rise 6% in 2009. The Nations International Labor Organization (OIT) listed Costa Rica as the lowest employment rate. The report also noted that more than half the new jobs generated in 2007 in the entire region are considered to be low-paying; jobs such as mine, construction and factory workers, transportation, and warehouse workers. Women in Costa Rica continue to be a disadvantage even though women have a higher level of education than men; the average salary paid to women is 26% lower. Costa Rica is known to use what they call currency as colon (CRC). Notes of 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000 colon, coins 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, cemtimos, one USD – 517 (CRC) in 2007 (Foley, 2008). Currency is subdivided into 100 centimos. The Costaricans have slang terms for the currency, one example is for the colon bill of 100 called – â€Å"teja. † In recent times the colon has tended to depreciate against the dollar by about 10% annually. Political and Economic Environments of Mexico Mexico has a federation of about 31 states including the Federal District or (Mexico City, DF). [pic] There are three branches within the Federal Government in Mexico such as: Executive, Legislative and Judicial but all are very centralized in practice and most of the power with the executive branch. This branch includes the [pic]President, whom is elected to a 6 year term, called a sexenio. The President in Mexico can not be re-elected. [pic] The President is able to appoint closest collaborators which are referred to as the government’s Department Secretaries/Ministers (Politics of [pic] Mexico 2006). The Legislative Branch (Congreso de la Union has two parts; Senate and Congress. There are 128 Senators in the Senate and 500 Congressmen in Congress. The Senators have 96 members which are directly elelcted by simple [pic] votes within districts, 32 are allocated by proportional [pic] bases [pic]on the party’s popular vote. All senators serve a 6 year term. The Congressmen, have 300 member which are directly elected by the majority of the votes within districts [pic] while the rest of the 200 member are picked by popular vote from each party. All Congress members serve a 3 year term. Both the Senate and Congress’ members cannot be re-elected. Below is a list of today’s current Government Officials since 2006. Here are a few examples of current politicians in Mexico starting with the President being Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, the Foreign Secretary is Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, the Ambassador to the U. S. is Arturo Sarukhan Casmitjana, and the Ambassador to the United Nations is Claude Heller Rouassant. Mexico also has its share of [pic]famous politicians and holds large pride in each person’s success representing the country. Such great people are Robert Madrazo Pintado, Rosario Robles, and Moctezuma Ilhuicamina. Roberto Madrazo Pintado, a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was the candidate of the alliance between the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) and his party during the 2006 Presidential Election. Another famous person was Rosario Robles. She was born in 1956 and a left-wing Mexican politician who was appointed substitutes Head of Government of the Federal District or Mayor of Mexico City. Lastly, a famous earlier century (1398-1469) politician Moctezuma or Motecuhzoma Illhuicamina was the fifth Aztec emperor before Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas (wikipedia. org). Economic Factors of Mexico Mexico has several major industries which include vehicles, machinery, cement, pottery, iron and steel, mining, agriculture, oil and natural gas production, and aluminum refining. (Altepedia, 2009). Mexico’s official currency is the Mexican Peso, and one hundred centavos (Mexican cents) are equal to one peso. Like the American dollar, the symbol for a Mexican peso is the dollar sign. However, the symbol is displayed slightly differently to help one distinguish between the two. For example, sometimes peso amounts will be shown with the letters MX in front of the dollar sign (MX$). Other times the amount will have the letters MN after the amount ($500 MN). The letters MN stand for â€Å"Moneda Nacional,† in English translation it means â€Å"National Currency. † Similar to other currencies, the Mexican peso’s value fluctuates daily because this currency is â€Å"free floating† (Mexperience, 2010). The country has three main trading partners including the USA, European Union, and Japan. In 1986, Mexico joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades (GATT). After this exports to all countries began to rise. Between the years 1985 and 1993, exports went up 80 percent. In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) began. This agreement removed most of the barriers to trade between the countries in North America (United States, Mexico, and Canada) (Williams, 2004). Once the implementation of NAFTA took place, Mexico’s exports growth nearly doubled. The countries major exports include â€Å"Chemicals, Coffee, Cotton, Fruit and Vegetables, Machinery and Industrial Goods, Oil and Gas, Shrimps† (Altepedia, 2009, p. 1). Unfortunately, during recent years the Mexican Economy began to change. During the last few years, Mexico has experienced a downturn in the economy. As a result employment levels began to drop. The economic downturn along with a recent increase in violence on the United States – Mexico border has damaged many of the country’s manufacturing plants. Several of the country’s Industria Manufacturera, Maquildora y de Servicios de Exportacion (IMMEX) plants shut down. In Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua employment levels â€Å"decreased from 214,272 in July 2007 to 168,011 in December 2009† (Angeles Villarreal, 2010, p. 11). During this period, 46,261 jobs were lost. In Tijuana, Baja California, during the same period 37, 148 jobs were lost. These cities had the largest number of jobs in export assembly plants, but many more people were affected. The entire country’s export employment rate decreased from 1,910,112 to 1,641,465. The country’s total number of jobs lost between July 2007 and December 2009 was 268, 647 (Angeles Villarreal, 2010). Conclusion We have read about politics in Costa Rica and Mexico. How the government handles the absolute. Although each country has a president, the politicians can easily overrule democracy. Costa Rica and Mexico’s major industries are somewhat similar in content, although Mexico beats Costa Rica by one essence, pottery, while Costa Rica sky rockets with its tourism. The unemployment rate in both countries is at an ultimate low. That gives us clarity on why so many Latinos flee to the U. S. Many believe there is more to opportunity. Is that the only way out? Will Costa Rica and Mexico beat the odds?