Refutation To A Bias Suggestion :: essays research papers

Refutation to a Bias Suggestion "Some people suggest that the Bible, being a collection of texts written long ago by persons much different from ourselves, does not have much (or any) significance for modern people." The suggestion that the Bible is invalid simply due to its authors and era is absurd and bias. This statement is supported by God and all modern day believers. Almost any Christian you confront with this statement would most likely give you a blank stare. However, it is mainly non- Christians who would make such a slanted view of the Bible. I am an American. The authors of the Bible were not. Why should this influence my opinion in the least amount? Simply because the texts of the Bible are old does not void their validity. Although we may not share the same nationality with the authors of the Bible, we do share common beliefs and faiths. Taken from a different perspective, non-Christians do not share the same beliefs, obviously, or they would not make such statements. Another question one may ask themselves is exactly how different are the authors of the Biblical texts from ourselves. Is it their lifestyle or career that makes them so exotic in relation to us? Is it just because they spoke another language? They are children of God, just as we are. Science today is still discovering new evidence that proves the existence of a "mother of all humanity." We all share a common gene pool, we are all descendants of Adam and Eve. Since the beginning of recorded history, religion has had a profound impact on the present society. Romans, Greeks, Hindus, and Catholics have all molded their societies and laws around religion. As far as impact goes, look at the Spanish Inquisition. It is difficult for one to refute that Catholicism had little or no impact on the Aztecs of modern day Mexico. Even our laws today reflect the ten commandments given to Moses by God himself. We are forbidden by present day law in the United States of America to either steal or murder. Religion has powerful influence concerning the outcome of a child. The values and beliefs of religions are impressed upon youths. Some may be different from others, but most parents bring up their children into the same faith as themselves. Concerning the teachings of Christianity, the Bible is probably the most commonly used tool. Therefore, children raised in Christian homes will most likely be taught the values and teachings of the Bible, influencing them dramatically. Christianity is the most commonly practiced

Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye essay Essay

The novels ‘The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ are both set in times where the expectations of society differed from the ones of today. Huckleberry Finn is set in the late 1800s, pre USA civil war and in a time where slavery was an accepted occurrence and the escape of a slave was seen as legally and morally wrong. This was also a time in which church attendance and education were seen as tokens of respectability. A young boy, the eponymous character, Huck, seeks to reject all that he regards as oppressive and cruel in order to establish an alternative life as a wanderer, far from adult control. The Catcher in the Rye’, on the other hand, was set in the late 1940s, a time when teenagers were just beginning to gain their own lives and being allowed more freedom than ever before. The picaresque novel gives the reader an insight into middleclass life in New York in the 50s and how one boy felt trapped by the expectations of his parents and school. His period of comparative freedom leads to unexpected consequences as he falls victim to depression and eventual supervision in an institution, putting paid forever to his dreams of freedom. Both novels present the themes of freedom and escape and the selected extracts portray incidents in the characters’ lives which focus on this theme. In both of the extracts, the characters are pretending to be someone else, Huckleberry Finn a young girl and Holden Caulfield taking a false identity. The reader may infer from this that by assuming a different and fake identity, the two boys can escape from their own lives; ones that are full of problems and worries. Escaping their lives allows them both to live a little more freely, even if just for a little while. However, Huckleberry Finn and Holden take on their new identities for different reasons. For instance, Huckleberry Finn assumes the alternative identity in order to travel across town without being recognised by anybody, as he was supposed to have died not long before. Another reason he had to pretend to be a girl is to protect his and Jim’s safety. Holden on the other hand, assumes the alternative identity in order to befriend people he meets on his journey without the people realising that he should still be at school. Various audiences of the two novels would interpret and receive the occurrences in the extracts very differently. For example, the audience of Huckleberry Finn would be shocked at Huck escaping, living with a slave and then dressing as a girl. This is because the changes in society since Huckleberry Finn was written are significant. In the late 1800s, young boys were to be well educated and then sent off to be a successful businessman, not to escape and run amok. Slaves were also seen as inferior and a possession and anybody helping them was breaking the law. Another thing that the different audiences would feel differently about is the fact that Jim gets called a ‘nigger’ quite often. An audience of the 1880s would accept that as normal as they were used to hearing it, whereas an audience of the 2000s would be shocked by this, as the word nigger has a very malicious meaning nowadays and is considered a racist insult due to the equality rights now instilled in the majority of society, due to the word undergoing perjoration. The audience of Catcher in the Rye would probably not be surprised at the behaviour that Holden employs, as teenagers in the late 1940s were gaining a new sense of freedom and the dangers of letting your children out into the world unsupervised had not yet been considered. They also would accept that he might befriend any stranger that he comes across. However in the 40s there still existed traditional views about respect for authority although they were gradually evaded. His parents however do not approve of him staying in the hotel by himself. In the 2000s however, we would frown upon a young teenager travelling around alone, talking to strangers and booking a hotel room in a large city. The maturity of the two different characters is also very different. Although Holden wants and tries to be mature, the reader very quickly sees that he is in actual fact very childish and naive. This could be so that he can escape the realities of adult life, and stay in his idealistic child’s world forever. Despite this, he does attempt to seem more of an adult by using more taboo language and more complicated language around people who he would like to impress, like the females in the Lavender Room. For example, he says; ‘I’m twelve, for Chrissake. I’m big for my age. ’ Although the word Chrissake, which is the words ‘Christ’s sake’ after undergoing elision and with Holden’s idiolect, is not considered taboo now, it was still frowned upon in the 1940s, as some sectors of society were still highly religious. Another taboo word he used a lot is ‘Goddamn’. Again this word, which is the words ‘God damn’ that have also undergone elision and are with Holden’s idiolect, is no longer considered taboo or offensive, due to the change in society over time. This language choice illustrates Holden’s immaturity as it shows that he believes that using taboo words and more complicated language will make him look more grown up, when in actual fact it simply makes him seem barbaric and pretentious. Huck, on the other hand seems quite comfortable with his maturity level, which is one that seems to fluctuate. For instance, he seems to treat the whole journey in the novel as an adventure, one that fuels his child-like imagination; as is shown when Huck plays a prank on Jim. He says; ‘I went to the cavern to get some, and found a rattlesnake in there. I killed him, and curled him up at the foot of Jim’s blanket, ever so natural, thinking there’d be some fun when Jim found him there’. This illustrates his immature side as children are more likely to play pranks and find them amusing. Another way that Twain shows Huck’s immaturity and failed education is through his speech, as Twain uses elision in depicting Huck’s speech and gives him a very strong idiolect and dialect. One instance of this is; ‘Who done it? we’ve heard considerable about these goings on, down in Hookerville, but we don’t know who t’was that killed Huck Finn. Huck uses the word ‘t’was’ instead of saying ‘it was’. Using elision as strong as this also shows us how badly educated Huck is, despite the attempts of Widow Douglas to correct this. However, you do get to see the more mature side of Huck. One example of this is when he makes plans for his escape from his father. He makes a list of the things he needs and even fakes his own death so that he can never be found. This shows his maturity because he has the initiative to put the plans into place and fool the people he is escaping from. Another example would be when he treats and considers Jim to be his friend, as it is obvious that he has to ignore society and make his own decision to befriend someone who could potentially get him into trouble with the law. Also, he has to overcome a moral dilemma when deciding whether to escape with Jim, or hand him over to Widow Douglas, to whom Jim rightfully belongs. The fact that Jim is a possession of someone else would shock modern audiences as they are not used to this due to the change in society. This particularly shows his maturity because he was making a decision about somebody else’s life as well, as Jim would have been sold on if returned to Widow Douglas, therefore thwarting his plan to find his family. The decision that Huck had to make had consequences beyond his control and Huck was fully and completely aware of this whilst making the choice. The central characters in the two novels respond to the theme of escape in different but not quite contrasting ways. For Huckleberry Finn, the journey he goes on allows him to grow up and realise what he wants for himself in the future. Huck’s resolution to embrace traditional societal values by resuming his studies shows he has come to a positive decision about his future. On the other hand, for Holden the journey is a reality check, as it shows him that he is not ready for the outside and adult world because he hadn’t even got the simple child’s world right. He saw life as a game, and was stubbornly naive. His loss of autonomy at the end of the novel shows loss of dreams of freedom and little hope of escape from the downward spiral he has found himself in along the way.

Articles of Confederation : an Ineffective Government

Articles of Confederation : An Ineffective Government Whoever said that the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government was completely incorrect. The United States were not united under this government. The United States could not stand up for itself against other countries. Also, the United States were not stable economically under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation did not provide a good government for America. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States were not united at all.The Articles of Confederation created a central government that was not strong at all. The government established a tax quota for each of the states and asked them please to contribute their share on a voluntary basis. They were lucky if the states paid one-fourth of the requested amount. America had just gotten away from England and all of its taxes, so there was no reason to let their own government do the same. In John Jay’s letter to George Washington in 1786, he says that he is more worried about impending crisis caused by the Articles of Confederation than he was about the Revolutionary War.He was thinking that some people were not in agreement with the government and wanted it to be completely gone. He was worried for a good reason because three years earlier there was an attempt by a group of farmers from Pennsylvania to run the government out of Philadelphia. Also, the states acted like their own countries and only looked out for themselves. Rhode Island is a good example of this because they rejected a request by Congress to put a tax on imported goods. They ignored the fact that America was in a massive amount of debt to the Spanish, French and Dutch.They chose to better themselves rather than to better the country. They said that the tax would be hard on their state and would go against the constitution of their state. Rhode Island denied a tax that was suggested by the country’s central government because it conflicted with their own government. Also, based on the map of WESTERN LANDS CEDED BY THE STATES, the states were claiming territories as their own and not as a whole nation. Virginia claimed more than two-thirds of the Northwest Territory from the other states. There were also disputes over boundaries and taxes put on goods from state to state.New York taxed firewood from Connecticut and cabbage from New Jersey at one time. Also, there were a few rebellions. A noticeable one was Shay’s Rebellion, which had debt-ridden farmers tried to free themselves from the demands of the government. All these different conflicts and incidents point to the nation being not united due to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. While under the Articles of Confederation, the United States could not stand up for itself. The Articles of Confederation stopped the country from successfully raising an army.To do so, the government had to ask the state to meet their t roop quotas, which usually did not happen. The government had no power to enforce this. The weak central government also did not have the power to back its foreign policies with military strength. John Jay had experienced other nations not taking the United States seriously. When Jay negotiated with the Spanish Minister de Gardoqui, he attempted to regain use of the Mississippi, which had been closed to American Commerce in 1784. Jay said that the Spanish should be careful because the American population was growing rapidly and de Gardoqui denied him.The minister of Spain said that the Americans should relinquish their right to navigate the Mississippi. Despite Jay’s warning, the Spanish Minister refused to take the United States seriously. Since the Articles of Confederation would not allow the government to raise an army effectively, Spain had no reason to take the United States seriously. The country had no way of standing up for itself. England felt that America stabbed t hem in the back and for that, did not send a minister to the capital for eight years.England poked fun at how little unity the states had by saying that if they sent one minister, they might as well send thirteen. John Jay gave specific instructions to the United States Minister to England. He wanted the minister to be very respectful and make the United States look better. Since the United States could not actually stand up for itself under the Articles of Confederation, Jay wanted it to look like they did. Also, Spain gave the United States trouble. Spain took Florida which had been given to the United States by England in 1783.No country took the United States seriously and would continue to walk all over them until the United States could stand up for itself. The United States were not economically stable while under the Articles of Confederation. One main reason for economic struggle was that there were so many types of currency being used that trade with other states was near impossible. There were fourteen total types of currency, one from each state and the rarely used Continental. The Articles of Confederation did not allow the government to control commerce.This left states free to make different, often contradicting, laws of navigation and trading. With all of this conflict, making money was very difficult because one state always had to pay another for some navigation law to do any trading at all. The Articles of Confederation also left the government unable to levy taxes. The government could ask the states nicely, but couldn’t actually enforce the payment. Another economic struggle was caused by European countries such as England and Spain. England declined to make a commercial treaty and also would not remove its old navigation laws.England was just trying to be a â€Å"thorn in the side† of the United States. If the United States were under a better government, they could make up for the monetary losses to England by levying taxes of their own. Based on the chart showing the United States’ value of exports to England and population, it seems like the numbers are all over the place. The export profits are never constantly increasing even though the population is increasing. Usually, if the population goes up, so do the number of goods exported and prices will go down.That is true for this time period, however, England is not buying all that the United States have to export. The central government of the United States cannot regulate trade at all and it is deeply affecting the profits. Also, Spain closing the Mississippi River does not help the American trade. The entire western part of the United States uses that river for exporting. That cut off a large amount of profit for Americans. None of that would have happened if the United States were under a stronger government than the Articles of Confederation provided.The Articles of Confederation did not help American trade. Some people may have thought t hat the Articles of Confederation provided an effective government, but they did not. The United States were not united at all under the Articles of Confederation. The United States could not stand up for itself and be taken seriously under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation caused the United States to be economically unstable. The Articles of Confederation never provided the United States with an effective government.

Healthy Living Essay

Why is a healthy lifestyle so important for us? It is important because it can help us to avoid the disease and illnesses such as hypertension and cancer. Having a healthy lifestyle also makes the life become more enjoyable and the most important thing is a way to keep our body in good condition in order to accomplish day-to-day tasks. When you’re living a healthy lifestyle in your future, it will make all of us have a healthy body and mind. It is also very important to have a healthy lifestyle because it will save your life in the future. By living a healthy lifestyle you will be fit and you’re able to do things that you have never done before, or even thought about. In addition, there are several ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle that is exercise, eating healthy and reducing stress. Exercising regularly is very important because through exercise it can boost the metabolism in our body. It also can help us burn off the excess calories in body and increase the mobility in our muscle and joints. Next, eating healthy is also a very important way. Eating healthy does not mean eating expensive food with little waste. We should choose to eat the food that contain minimal amount of unhealthy fats. We must also choose to eat a variety of different whole foods instead of eating processed foods. Last but not the least, healthy lifestyle can bring us lots of benefits that we can’t be expecting. Managing your weight is the key to obtaining all of the health benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle. A weight reduction of just 10% will significantly reduce risk of heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses. The other benefits are reduced tension and blood pressure. There are so many ways to having a healthy lifestyle and we can take more benefits from having a healthy life. So, let’s practice this healthy lifestyle by doing exercise regularly, have enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and stay away from unhealthy habits such as consume junk food, and don’t ever having a lot of stress. Be healthy, be happy. Sources: www.health.com www.wholeliving.com www.healthylivingforlife.com www.shape.com

Characteristics of Research Essay

The methodology that is utilized should be applicable for the problem that guides the research, The methodology yields the outcomes of the study, which in turn produces the support required to facilitate the findings (Ellis & Levy, 2008). The purpose of this paper Is to examine the characteristics of a research problem. The focus is on the elements of what constitutes a researchable problem, the components of a well formed Statement of Research Problem, as well as what constitutes a reasonable theoretical framework for the need of the study. As stated by Leedy and Ormrod, (2005) â€Å"The research problem is the axis around which the whole research effort revolves (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005, p. 49). † Viable research cannot be deemed Important without a well-denned understanding of why the research has been performed. There are several components that make research of noteworthy importance, such as the research needs to be researchable and manageable In size. Other characteristics Include the degree of how the research will influence future research and other researchers by whether or not the findings wlll make a contrlDutlon to tne Doay 0T Knowledge, tne explanatlon 0T tne data ana make a difference for others (Dissertation101 Mentoring Services, 2013). Influence of the research. Good research should advance the field in which it is geared toward as well as build on the current body of available research. The impact does not have to be huge, but it must be identifiable. The study should reveal how the researcher intends to take a different viewpoint and or direction. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2010) the research should direct the philosophy in different perceptions, as well as inspire further research to be conducted as it relates to the topic (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). The advancement should reflect how the new methodologies will be used, along with the other current work, to help to better come to a conclusion in order to solve the problem (Brewer & Hunter, 2006). The problem is researchable nd manageable in size. It is imperative to select a topic that is doable and that will allow many opportunities to conduct adequate primary research. Limitations such as the availability of answers should also be considered when thinking of a research problem. Additionally, time and expenses are of concern. Considering how long it will take to conduct the research is important as is whether or not the researcher has enough background knowledge to carry out the research, which may cause delays. The budget is a major factor and taking into consideration the kinds of tasks that will e needed, any paid assistants, specialized equipment, or software that needs to be created and/or acquired will help in estimating the amount of funds that will be needed to conduct the research. Explanation of the data Since research requires data, it is important during the planning that the researcher analyzes beforehand whether or not any data related to the research problem can be produced. If not, then the research problem and the question may need to be changed. The decision of whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is important and based on the type of research. Once the data has been collected, the researcher must have a way to communicate the results. The data must be organized in a way that it merges the existing data with the new data to determine the quality based on the guidelines for collecting the data. Components of a Statement of Research Problem Essentially, the problem statement provides the basis for the research. The statement of the research problem reflects the general concern that leads to the specific problem and must be factual and clearly stated. Accordingly, it must be a brief precise description, which sets the premise for the problem to be studied. It distinguishes and states the underlying problems, if any and outlines the hypotheses, along with the research questions (Dissertation101 Mentoring Services, 2013). Precise, factual and clearly stated. Researcher seek to answer a question or to find a solution to a problem. Providing factual information to introduce the problem will change the perspective of what people think or know about the problem. As well the research should speak to the literature that is prevalent and to what is missing from this literature. Therefore, a statement of the problem needs to be precisely tated in one or two sentences that outlines the problem of the research. The statement of the problem should also address the question (Lew & Ellis, 2008). As stated by Levy and Ellis, (2008) â€Å"The problem statement is the statement of the problem and the argumentation for its viability. It should address all six questions, what, how, where, when, why, and who (Levy & Ellis, 2008, p. 27)†. Underlying sub- proDlems. 0Tten times, researcn proDlems are too slgnlTlcant or very compllcatea De solved without breaking them down into smaller parts. The parts of the big problem re known as the sub-problems. The sub-problems make up a researchable component that will form together to equal the summation of the main problem. Division of the main problem is the fourth characteristic of formal research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). Presenting a hypothesis or research questions. The researcher must prepare a hypothesis related to the expectations what will be true of the results and conclusions of the study. The research problem, the goals, and the associated research questions and/or hypotheses are entwined in that a research goal is the ain focus of the research that will be used to speak to the problem.

Market Entry Plan Essay

The Aluminum market in Europe does not have a good prospect to be expanded. Alcoa claimed that it will shut down the factory in Portovesme, Italy, and reduce the output of the factory in Spain. This is because Alcoa and European commission have argued for the power supply contract for a long time. Moreover, the European debt crisis led to a depressed economy. Thus, Alcoa decided to turn its market out of Europe and then start to look for other oversea markets. Although, Africa is one of the poorest continents of the world, in some countries, such as Mozambique, the economy has been growing steadily. From this prospective, we recommend Alcoa to open up the market in Mozambique, South Africa. We conducted the research based on sources from on-line resources. Our proposal focuses on analyzing the operation of Alcoa and the opportunity of a new market. 2. About Alcoa Alcoa is the world’s most famous producer of aluminum and fabricated aluminum, and it is the biggest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. Alcoa has over 61,000 employees and over 200 locations in 31 countries. Alcoa not only provides hard alloy extrusions, forgings, Alcoa ® wheels, but also has its expertise in other light metals. The sales of Alcoa were $25 billion in 2011. 2. 1 Brief History Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa Inc. ) has 120-years’ history. During the 1920’s, Alcoa monopolized aluminum production in North America and produced more than 63 percent of the world output. At the end of World War I, Alcoa produced excessive capacity, especially for civilian uses. However, the war made Alcoa realize that it was very important to improve the quality of product, and Alcoa invested more money in research and development. In 1925, Alcoa entered the first external market, Canada, and it held over half the rimary aluminum in the world. In 1958, Alcoa started the first major overseas mine-to-metal venture in Suriname. After the successful venture in Suriname, Alcoa decided to expand the offshore ventures. In 1960s, Alcoa developed operations in Australia and Brazil. At the same time, Alcoa drove the strategy to focus on commercial real estate construction and fabricated products. The Easy-Ope n aluminum technology made Alcoa hold a large percentage of the canned beer market. In the 1970’s, Alcoa continuously expanded the overseas market and used mathematic modeling to control the production. In the 1980’s and the 1990’s, Alcoa focused on producing non-aluminum products and was concerned about safety. From 2000 to present, Alcoa has made strategic mergers and acquisitions, such as Alumax, Reynolds. 2. 2 Business Operation Alcoa Business System (ABS) is the core used to manage Alcoa businesses. Here are its three principles: ?Make to Use The first principle is based on customers’ will and demand, such as single-piece production, on demand; defect free, at the lowest possible cost, made safely. ?Eliminate Waste The second principle aims at exposing and solving problems and focuses on cost cutting and cost saving during all their manufacturing and business processes. ?The People Linchpin the System The third principle is concerned with creating on environment which satisfies people. Also, Alcoa tries to identify and solve problems, and link to their transition from â€Å"make to inventory† to â€Å"make to use†. 2. 3 Product Scope Alcoa produces various products, such as flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings; as well as Alcoa ® wheels, fastening systems, and precision. Here are some important products of Alcoa: ?Aerospace Alcoa is the world leader in single-crystal technology for advanced castings that withstand the extreme temperatures of clean-burning aero engines. ?Automotive Alcoa builds a better car, truck, trailer or vessel. The reason for this is using more aluminum to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. ?Building & Construction Alcoa has always offered unique advantages for designing the shape, appearance and sustainability of modern buildings. These new aluminum components can achieve green building standards. Alcoa also provides high-performance glass, which allows for efficient light control, lower energy consumption, corrosion-resistance and immunity from the harmful effects of UV rays. ?Packaging Aluminum packaging solutions deliver freshness, convenience, and security for food, beverages and other products. For example, the aluminum bottle offers premium, high-end packaging options. 2. 4 Targeted Market According to the statistics, Asia, North America and Western Europe are the top three aluminum consumption areas in the world. In Asian region, such as China, Korea and India, these developing countries have an increasing demand for aluminum. However, the total amount of aluminum consumed in America, Canada and Japan experienced a downward trend. At this point, Alcoa’s target market should pay more attention to China and India. Besides, although Africa is endowed with natural resources, aluminum resources have no commercially exploited value. Therefore, all the producing raw materials are dependent on imports from foreign countries in South Africa. In other words, Africa is mainly producing primary and secondary aluminum products. As a result, if Alcoa exports other forms of aluminum products to Africa, Alcoa will gain a huge profit. Figure 1: Target Market of Alcoa 2. 5 Strength and Weakness Alcoa is the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. Also, it has a long history started in 1888 so the company is an expert in administration and producing. In addition, Alcoa is the leading producer of primary aluminum and fabricated aluminum all over the world. Alcoa has received many records and good will, such as 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2012—Corporate Responsibility Magazine. What is more, advanced techniques and unremitting effort in innovation make its products and services play an important role in the aluminum market. However, Alcoa is faced with the problem of pollution. For example, Alcoa’s pollutions made the residents who lived six kilometers away from the factories get sick. As a result, Alcoa was punished by the government in Australia. 3. New Oversea Market: Mozambique Located in Southeast Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world. Mozambique is abundant in rich and extensive natural resources, and its economy is based largely on agriculture. Today, the economy is growing very fast in Mozambique, and the developed legal system makes Mozambique become a hope in this poor continent. We recommend Alcoa to enter this market, because of the prosperous development of Mozambique. 3. 1 Economy in Mozambique Mozambique is in the poorest region in the poorest continent of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa. Besides, it was considered as the second poorest country, with a per capita GDP below the African average. 4 percent of the population of Mozambique was below the poverty line in 2008. But, economic growth in Mozambique has been strong since the country’s civil war ended in 1992, and it has emerged as one of the fasted growing economies. Since 1996, economic growth has been stable; the economic growth rate was around 6. 2 percent in 2009. The inflation rate has been around its lowest level in a decade. Also, the rea l income grew rapidly, and it tripled in the same decade. Moreover, the real income has grown by 14 percent in 2001 and 11 percent in 2002. However, Zimbabwe, a neighboring country, has declined 8 percent in 2001 and 6 percent in 2002. Currently, more foreign firms have invested in Mozambique, and these firms are mostly in the aluminum industry and mining industry. The foreign enterprises can enjoy tax privileges in Mozambique. In 2010, UK exported around 112 million pounds to Mozambique with imports at almost 78 million pounds. A British mining group has invested 1. 3 billion dollars in the country, which covered aluminum industry, tourism, and it leads to much foreign exchange. The large towns and cities have been promoted by the influence of foreign investment; however, the influence does not apply to the rural area in Mozambique. We can infer that the economy in Mozambique is the hope of this region, comparing to other country in Sub-Saharan Africa. 3. 2 Political System in Mozambique During the civil war, the politics and economy were disrupted. Since the end of the civil war, the political situation in Mozambique has been stable. The government is determined to maintain national unity, and implements appropriate and pragmatic politic policy. Mozambique held the first democratic elections on October 1994, under international scrutiny. Although some limitation exists, for example, the electoral process was boycotted in municipal elections in 1998; this election system can help the electorate to express their will. Mozambique now has developed an elected democracy, which gives rise to a strong legal system. Moreover, a good legal system protects private property and provides incentive to people to invest and produce by both domestic and foreign investors. 3. 3 International Relationship Mozambique has very close relations with its formerly British-ruled neighbours in Africa, because these countries shared experience that fought against white rule. This led to Mozambique joining the Commonwealth in 1995. Mozambique also dispatched troops to contribute to the United Nations, helping them in peacekeeping affairs in Burundi, and participated in South African Development Community peacekeeping training and planning. 3. 4 Aluminum industry in Mozambique 3. 4. 1 Brief Introduction of the Market Alcoa is located in 31 countries all over the world. However, it is only located in two countries in Africa: Morocco and Guinea. To start up a new business in Africa is a brand new challenge for Alcoa. Mozambique is growing rapidly in recent years. The Aluminum industry has a very significant impact on this country’s economy. In order to attract foreign investment and capital, Mozambique’s government takes special policy. The country is not the producer of minerals, but the overseer and promoter of mining activities. This is good news and a great chance for Alcoa to enter the aluminum market in Mozambique. The development of Mozambique’s economy urges big companies’ entry like Alcoa to provide funds and advanced technique. The labor wage is low there, which is also a benefit for Alcoa. Aluminum is a key element in Mozambique’s economic growth. The export of aluminum accounts for nearly 60% of the country’s total export amount. The strongest rival is Mozal, which is the largest company among the country. However, the potential market is still huge. The construction of buildings and machines for production are all relative with aluminum. The fast growth of economy in Mozambique will drive the demand of aluminum. The domestic market can not satisfy the demand and will turn to foreign companies or investment. It provides a great opportunity for Alcoa to gain a sizable market share in this new market. 3. 4. 2 Operation in Mozambique ?Geography Mozambique lies beside the Indian Ocean in southern Africa, and this convenient location is good for delivering goods or trading with others through marine transportation. Besides, it is relatively easier to generate electricity here by taking advantage of sea water at a coastal position. ?Natural Resources Mozambique is well endowed with natural resources, such as coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, and graphite. However, the country’s natural resources are not fully exploited. Mineral resources such as gold, gemstones and bauxite have not been mined yet. Mozambique’s natural wealth can satisfy Alcoa’s demand for natural resources. ?Transportation Under great efforts, Mozambique’s transportation infrastructure has been improved in recent years. The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD) aimed at improving current infrastructure conditions in Africa. The first phase of the AICD focused on 24 countries that together account for 85 percent of the gross domestic product, population, and infrastructure aid flow in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mozambique was included in these 24 countries. Transportation plays an essential role in a company’s business plan to purchase raw materials or deliveries of finished goods to customers. ?Local Government Policy Since its first trade policy review in 2001, Mozambique has taken actions to liberalize its trade regime. Its tariff was reduced in 2002 and again in 2007, with maximum rates lowered from 30% to 20%. Therefore, it is a piece of good news for foreign companies to directly invest in this market. ?Workforce Mozambique is a developing country. Compared to developed countries, Mozambique’s labor cost is relatively low. As a result, it helps Alcoa reduce costs and increase revenue. Take the minimum wage for a 19-year old worker or an apprentice for an example: in Mozambique, the wage is 80. 5 US dollars per month, Australia is 1597. 1 US dollars per month, Brazil is 299. 6 US dollars per month, Jamaica is 215. 0 US per month, and China is 182. 5 US dollars per month. ?Economic Condition The economy was boosted in many aspects, such as mining, financial service and construction, which helped to push GDP real growth rate to 7. 2 percent in 2011. Moreover, the consistence of high foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, along with strong agricultural growth and infrastructure investment will drive growth to 7. 5 percent and 7. 9 percent in 2012 and 2013. Good economic conditions indicate Alcoa can gain huge potential profits. Figure 2: Real GDP growth of South Africa ?Advanced Technology Alcoa is the world’s third largest producer of aluminum so it implies that Alcoa has advanced technology and equipment. It well known that Mozambique has abundant resources, but aluminum firms in Mozambique can only produce limited types of aluminum products out of technology problems. Under this situation, with its advanced technology, Alcoa can produce aluminum products which are extremely demanded by Mozambique’s market. 3. 5 Competitors: Mozal: Mozal, an aluminum smelter is belong to BHP Billiton, is located in the Maputo province of southern Mozambique. Mozal was the first major project for BHP Billiton in Mozambique and it was Mozambique’s largest private investment in the past 30 years. BHP Billiton is a leading global resources company and one of the world’s largest producers of major commodities. Mozal is one of the largest smelters in Mozambique; the output of Mozal is more than 500,000 tones of aluminum per year. In the two construction phases, the project of Mozal contributed more than 160 million to the local economy. Especially the employment of Mozambican, which make good use of the local labor and stimulate the local’s contractors and suppliers’ profit. The local government and the Mozal’s operations teams have created a great achievement by cooperation. Harmonious industrial relations were created during the construction period; no days were lost because of any industrial action. The local government and the Mozal have benefited a lot from needs-based infrastructure, social and community development projects. It’s a kind of win-win cooperation. 4. Evaluation Alcoa’s expansion in to Mozambique is a bold attempt as Alcoa does not have much experience of open up a new business in Africa. However, as one of the most famous companies in aluminum industry, it can provide adequate funds and mature management to support the operation in Mozambique. This country’s development relies greatly on foreign companies’ investment. Government in Mozambique will provide preferential policy to Alcoa. Besides, the low labor cost in Mozambique helps Alcoa to save operation cost. Although Mozal, the strongest competitor, has taken the largest project in Mozambique, the potential for Alcoa to enter this market is strong. Alcoa has built up a good reputation, with a long history and rich experience in aluminum industry, and this cannot be competed by Mozal. We recommend that Alcoa should seize this opportunity to enter the aluminum market in Mozambique with its advanced technology and experienced management.

Rural Telecom Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rural Telecom Industry - Essay Example Cities, towns, villages, remote interiors across the globe, are all getting connected through fixed landlines or GSMs. In this context, besides the basic issue of connectivity, network management has become a challenge. A few years ago, getting connectivity to rural areas was a huge task. Today, it is the management of data, which has taken precedence in the area. Here, we review the challenges faced by the rural telecom industry worldwide and the shifts that have taken place in the past few years. "Network managers tasked with managing their company's telecom budget are familiar with the fact that their bills are often incorrect. From charges for circuits that should have been disconnected years ago to using old, higher rates for current data lines, errors are not uncommon." Other companies, which outsource the software solutions, are also offering bill auditing and TEM services. As telecom companies grow to cater to the needs of the rural populance, the same business users may just find an increased need for TEM products or services. According to C. Jagadish*,,1, Vinod Kumar Jammula1 and Timothy A. Gonsalves2 in the paper Low-cost data communication network for rural telecom network management "the backbone networking infrastructure of rural telecom networks is often costly and is of limited bandwidth. ... According to C. Jagadish*,,1, Vinod Kumar Jammula1 and Timothy A. Gonsalves2 in the paper Low-cost data communication network for rural telecom network management "the backbone networking infrastructure of rural telecom networks is often costly and is of limited bandwidth. The availability of connectivity such as DSL or leased lines is scarce. In order to keep operational costs low, these rural telecom networks are often kept unmanned and are managed from a centralized network management station (NMS). This often requires a low-cost, efficient and reliable data communication network (DCN) between the rural telecom equipment and the central NMS. The conventional DCN used for telecom management consists either of leased lines or Internet connectivity. These are often costly and not freely available in rural areas." The researchers developed a new DCN model, based on dial-up, which is easily available. This DCN has been implemented in corDECT networks, which is currently in use in India and Tunisia, and is under implementation in other countries. It has been shown that this DCN meets the QoS requirements of a telecom network at an affordable cost. Today in India and other developing countries the telecom network is fast growing and considered to be critical for technological development. But the growth rate in urban and rural areas is asymmetrical. Telecom operators often neglect deployment in rural/undeveloped areas. The major discouraging factors are low population density, low affordability and lack of skilled personnel. Thus factors absolutely necessary for a rural telecom solution are low cost infrastructure and low operational costs. A centralized network management system (NMS) will ensure low infrastructure cost . A centralized NMS will