Term Paper Guidelines Economics 335 Essays - Economy, Economics

Term Paper Guidelines : Economics 335 Purpose The purpose of the term paper is to give you an opportunity to apply the economic concepts, principles, tools, and models that we have and will examine in this course to interpret current macro economic events. You may decide the exact topic of the paper, so this paper provides you with an opportunity to study something that you are interested in and connect your interests to what you have and will learn in this course. Choosing a Topic The topic of the term paper must be related to international economics . Feasible choices of topics could include: -Current events: news articles on Titanium have highlighted current and recent events relevant to the course that you could explain using the models and tools from the course. For example, the article "Krugman, Trade Theory, and Apples Chip Problems with TSMCs Earthquake Damage" from chapter 6 explores how Apple's iPhone relies on computer chips made in Taiwan. There is a significant industrial cluster of semiconductor and computer chip production in Taiwan . You could explore the history of Taiwan's sem iconductor production, how the industrial cluster was formed, and the potential disadvantages of worldwide production of a certain product being concentrated in just a few places. -An analysis of the top imports and exports of a country : you could use the MIT Trade A tlas to find the top 5 imports and exports for a country. Then, using the Heckscher -Ohlin trade theory, New Trade Theory, and the concepts of comparative advantage, you could discuss if the top imports and exports from the country are consistent with the idea of those theories. I expect that you will use the economic logic and models that we've developed in the course to guide your analysis , so please choose a topic that is compatible with the tools that we have developed and will develop in this course. Please email me or talk to me if you have any questions about whether your topic is appropriate for the course. Suggested Format Your paper could be organized in the following way : Introduction: Here, you introduce the topic of your paper, and summarize briefly the conclusions of your paper. Summary of recent events or news articles on your topic: Here, you should examine recent events related to your topic in a way that wo uld interest the average reader, who is someone who is taking the course with you . Economic analysis using the tools or principles developed in this course: I expect that the economic analysis will make up at least 50% of your paper. Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your paper and leave an interesting question or result for your reader to ponder for the future. Rough Draft : Submitting a rough draft is optional . To ensure that you receive comments on your rough draft with enough time to perform some revisions, please submit it on or before Friday, April 28 th . Final Draft : The final draft is due on the Friday of finals week 11:59 PM. Please submit it through the Titanium dropbox . Late Assignment Policy for the Term Paper For every day that the final draft is late, I will deduct 25% off of the final grade up to a maximum of 75%. Technical Format Length: 3-5 pages writtendiagrams and graphs, which may be necessary for your analysis, do not count towards the page count. References and a title page do not count towards the page count either. Font: Times New Roman, 12 point Spacing: Double-spaced Page Margins: 1" left and right, 1" top and bottom Citations may be in any format style so long as you are consistent about the way that you format the citations. Please remember that the purpose of citations is to provide enough information to find the source of a fact , so you should include enough information to allow someone to easily trace back any information that you use to its source. Common citation formats include MLA and APA styles.

Business in Ghana

Business in Ghana Introduction In justification of the case for Global Ventures PLC business idea on production and processing of Cocoa, the company has focused on Ghana as the country of choice for the business idea.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Business in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, Ghana is the second leading African country in the world cocoa production after Ivory Coast with an 11% market share in cocoa production (2011 Investment Climate Statement). Many large companies, which produce cocoa such as Nestle and Cadbury, focus on Ghana as the country of choice. Though traditionally the country was involved in farming cocoa and then exporting it as beans. In the recent past, it has strived for increasing its earnings from the export by setting up facilities for processing the cocoa beans. While Ivory Coast is the leading world producer of cocoa, the preference for Ghana over Ivory Coast was due to the constant political instability associated with Ivory Coast. Justification As stated in part 2, lack of corruption was key to choosing the country of choice for setting up the new business. While no case can be made for an African cocoa producing country that is free of corruption, there is clearly a case to make on the level of corruption in Ghana being minimal as compared to other African countries involved in cocoa production and manufacture such as Ivory Coast or Nigeria. Therefore, it is important to investigate the situation on the ground while establishing the base for conducting such a business. One significant milestone occurred when Ghana achieved success in fighting corruption, which resulted in the establishment of the Serious Crime Office in 1999; thereafter, it has been involved in investigating corruption. In addition, though the country has not signed a treaty for its commitment with OECD Countries for fighting bribery, the law on procurement laws of 2004 helped in co nformance with the World Trade Organization principles.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Professional marketers; Marketing was clearly a key ingredient of success of any company In Ghana, The Cocoa Marketing Company is owned by the Government and responsible for marketing and selling a significant portion of cocoa in Ghana. This was a justification for the establishment of the company in Ghana due to the availability of professional marketers. As such, this ensured marketing for the company not only at the national boundaries, but also at a global level. In addition, the company was impressed by the efforts by the chartered institute of marketing, Ghana (CIMG) (2011 Investment Climate Statement). Having a strong base in the country since 1991, and having been certified by Board on National accrediting, the company has help in nurturing strong base in Ghana. Gen uine Reforms The ability to uphold genuine reforms is one of the most outstanding characteristics of Ghana as a country, such as strong leadership, local ownership and political will within the country. Ghana upholds democracy more than any other African country, and is considered to be mother to key leaders within the African continent. For instance, key Ghanaian personalities, such as the retired President Kuffuor and retired UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, gained credits for restoring peace in Kenya after the 2007 post election violence. Moreover, the country has been the leading one in initiating education and health reforms while, at the same time, using soccer to promote peace. Observance of labor laws Labor laws have been highly violated in some cocoa producing countries; in fact, many countries violate children rights by employing children in cocoa farms, as well as processing industries. In addition, many of the cocoa producing countries have highly violated human rights through noncompliance to labor laws such as minimal wages (2011 Investment Climate Statement). In Ghana, there is moderate observance of labor laws with few cases of children labor being reported and being compared to Ivory Coast whose poverty level is much higher hence motivating the violation of labor laws. Many organizations and trade unions in the country are responsible for ensuring that labor laws are observed.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Business in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fighting child labor in Ghana, organization such as ILO/IPEC, the government, the media, international organizations have helped in achieving the proposal of 2001-2002 â€Å"National Plan of Action for the elimination of Child labor in Ghana† through campaigns education programs and involvement of inspectors and the police. Organization in Sacco Schemes Ghanaian farmers are not left behind when it comes to forming groups that enhance their collective decision to being heard and implemented. In the pilot study to justify the establishment of the company in Ghana, the company was impressed by the presence of the international NGO Technoserve that has played a remarkable role in helping cocoa farmers obtain greater results from their crops. Instead of selling cocoa immediately after it is harvested, the organization helps farmers to store it in a warehouses managed by the cooperation. In exchange, the farmers are able to obtain loan depending on the amount of cocoa that they have stored. Sacco’s such as Kuapa Kokoo Limited and Farmer Organization Network have been particularly prominent in some areas of Ghana. These are prominent in mobilizing farmers and in fighting child labor among cocoa farming and production industry. Infrastructure/Logistics In justifying the case for the establishment of the company in Ghana, a strong analysis of the transport sector was necessary. As state d in part two, this would ensure efficiency and presence of movement and infrastructure facilities to transport beans from producers to the processing factory and from the finished goods to global consumers. Many African countries are lagging behind in terms of the transport sector, and Ghana has never been an exception. In an effort to improve the sector, the Ministry of Transport in the country has been on the forefront in implementing projects to enhance the transport sector of the country. In 2009, there was established a project that has been active in enhancing mobility of goods and services and in reducing the cost of production. The first role of the 2009 project was directed at the road sector and engaged in vigorous feasibility studies coming up with a geographical system.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Open market system In the modern society, many nations that have achieved a mileage in their economic systems have embraced the private sector and have strived to eliminate government system in the financial control system. In the recent past, Ghana has drastically grown in terms of the freedom of its economic system especially in terms of labor freedom and money freedom. This year the country has climbed to number 9 of the 46 Sub-Saharan African countries with a 60.7% score in economic freedom. With a 6% annual growing economy, the country is number 84 in the world in terms of a free market (â€Å"Global Research Report†). Cocoa supply in Ghana As it has been stated earlier, Ghana is the second supplier of cocoa in the world. With over 90 years in cocoa production, the supply of cocoa by the six areas of Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Volta, Central and western region the supply of cocoa are highly guaranteed. Though many of the farmers of cocoa are small holders with 4-5 ac res, there is a guarantee of production of cocoa since it is a main source of livelihood in the country. Regulatory framework The regulatory framework in Ghana is effective in promoting new investment and competitiveness of a new company. The Global forum on transparency and exchange of information is the guiding tool for Ghana’s legal framework, it has been effective in promoting new investment companies. Industry policy Industry policies include the principles, policies, rules, regulations and procedures that regulate industrial enterprises within the nation; hence, determine the direction of key development. In June 2011, Ghana trade and industry Minister, Ms Hanna Tetteh launched the industrial policy for the country to be implemented within the period of the subsequent five years. Key issued the policy that justified the establishment of Global Ventures PLC in Ghana included the increase of industrious employment in the production sector and marketing of Agriculture base d industries (â€Å"Ghana launches Industrial Policy† 3). Export policy According to the ministry of Trade and Industry which is in charge of all the export policies in Ghana, the sector is geared to ensure the implementation of a self-fulfilling export sector. The country is improving its international presence so as to improve the export value of its goods, which are mainly the Agriculture processed or partially processed export goods. The country is likely to gain stable and fair prices for its exports by increasing its multilateral presence with other countries. In addition, Ghana has a positive image when it comes to the quality of its cocoa. Since 1947, Ghana has been the sole nation with the government established institution (Ghana Cocoa Board) among all cocoa producing countries in West Africa (â€Å"Ghana launches Industrial Policy† 2). Alliance, trade, navigation, and taxation agreements are mainly concerned with offering security for trading rights, as well as eliminate situations of double taxation. In Ghana, there is a fair business environment where all competing companies are treated equally without discrimination in the enforcement of laws and regulations. This was a key justification for the establishment of the country in Ghana as it was not exposed to unnecessary discrimination because it was a foreign company (â€Å"Global Research Report† 7). We identified the country because the pricing of cocoa beans was left to the market determinants of supply and demand, but not controlled by the government. Though several economies are not isolated from the world market fluctuations, in economically powerful countries such as the US as well, the floating exchange system in Ghana was a justification for the establishment of the company in Ghana. Monetary Policy This refers to all those activities and interventions that aim at establishing an even supply of credit for business and advancement of trade, as well as industry. The eff ectiveness of a monetary system is based on a thorough investigation on how the policy will affect and diffuse into other factors of the economy of the country (â€Å"Heritage Research Institute: Global Research Report† 5). In Ghana, the monetary system has been remarkably effective with the Bank of Ghana keeping a thorough check to ensure intervention in the monetary system is on time. Social or cultural factors Culture is a combination of the tangible and intangible factors which influence how a certain group makes its decision (2011 Investment Climate Statement). In justification of the company establishment within the country, it was adequately necessary to investigate the social norms that influenced consumer behavior. Since Ghana is an African country, the consumer behavior was highly influenced by what family and friends thought about the product; hence, it was necessary to use this as a key strategy for marketing the company. Individual purchasing decision was influen ced by what their friends and relatives thought about the product. An Integrated supply chain was necessary so that the product could be produced and sold to the relevant markets; in choosing Ghana, the presence of ports, malls and mass retail outlets were a key justification in the choice for the establishment of the company. Unlike a country which is landlocked, the presence of ports exporting the goods to the outside and enabled a fast reach of the global market (â€Å"Heritage Research Institute: Global Research Report† 7). The mass retail outlets established over the years were also a key justification for the choice. Government contracts and large corporate orders Since 1947, the government of Ghana has been in the forefront in promoting cocoa farming in the country. The country has a Board dealing with cocoa that is responsible for making purchases and then selling it internationally. With the government involvement in Ghana, the company will be assured of the governme nt assistance in the sale of its products. Niche market This refers to a selected group or class that the company wants to concentrate on selling its products. Cocoa farming and production will not be something new in Ghana and subset group will be easy to form. Forming a niche market will be remarkably easy since the company is dealing with a product that the local people already know (â€Å"Heritage Research Institute: Global Research Report† 7). At a global level, forming a niche market will be quite easy since Ghana cocoa products are distinct, as well as famous for their outstanding quality. Potential global market size It is no doubt that Ghana is well known all around the world for cocoa production. Establishing a global market will become easy. While the quantifiable characteristics such as the population size and GDP per head might have been hard to estimate, other characteristics such as, cheap labor and semi-skilled labor for farming and skilled labor for processin g justify the case for Ghana as the country of choice. In conclusion, when it comes to the country of choice in Cocoa farming, Ghana outdoes all other countries. The respect for democracy, peace and its record in stability, favorable legal framework, as well as outstanding economic growth and production of cocoa makes it the best country for making key investments. 2011 Investment Climate Statement South Africa. Bureau of economics energy and business affairs. March, 2011, Web. https://www.state.gov/. Ghana launches Industrial Policy, 2011. Government of Ghana, Web. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/. Global Research Report 2012. Heritage Research Institute. Web. https://www.heritage.org/index/country/ghana.

The battle between emotion and reason Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The battle between emotion and reason - Essay Example Personally, emotional intelligence is the most significant tool for ethics and has been used to understand one’s reasoning and logical behavior by conducting various self-assessments both scientific and based on emotional self-control. Ethical living involves ensuring adherence to relevant laws designed to protect the safety and well-being of others. Ethical living is also recognizing that one’s behaviors have a direct impact on the environment and on the attitudes of others in the broader social network and then attempting to conduct oneself according to the standards and principles. Emotional intelligence is the tool for ethical living that is personally considered the most important as it allows an individual to proverbially step out of their own shoes and consider how one would feel if they were exposed to non-ethical behaviors that could serve to strip others of their dignity or sense of social belonging. It is not hard to live ethically, so long as others in society follow similar codes and principles and do not engage in hypocritical behaviors that are detrimental to the emotional or physical health of others. Reason is necessary for making ethical decisions as it is founded on logic and allows the individual considering how to behave in a situation requiring ethics to be aware of the damage that non-moral behaviors can cause. Intuition involves an inherent self-awareness and instinct that alters one’s perceptions, a sort of sixth sense, that is proactive in guiding one’s ethical or non-ethical behaviors. As it has already been established that emotional intelligence is paramount to ensure ethical behavior, emotion such as sentiment and passion is important in guiding ethical conduct and attitude. It allows an individual to have genuine feeling for others to ensure that psychological harm is not caused against others. A