How to Compete in India Essay Example for Free

How to Compete in India Essay 1. The political environment in India has proven to be critical to company performance for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. What specific aspects of the political environment have played key roles? Could these effects have been anticipated prior to market entry? If not, could developments in the political arena have been handled better by each company? 2. Timing of entry into the Indian market brought different results for PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. What benefits or disadvantages accrued as a result of earlier or later market entry? 3. The Indian market is enormous in terms of population and geography. How have the two companies responded to the sheer scale of operations in India in terms of product policies, promotional activities, pricing policies, and distribution arrangements? 4. â€Å"Global localization† (glocalization) is a policy that both companies have implemented successfully. Give examples for each company from the case. 5. How can Pepsi and Coke confront the issues of water use in the manufacture of their products? How can they defuse further boycotts or demonstrations against their products? How effective are activist groups like the one that launched the campaign in California? Should Coke address the group directly or just let the furor subside? 6. Which of the two companies do you think has better long term prospects for success in India? 7. What lessons can each company draw from its Indian experience as it contemplates entry into other Big Emerging Markets? 8. Comment on the decision of both Pepsi and Coke to enter the bottled water market instead of continuing to focus on their core products—carbonated beverages and cola-based drinks in particular.

Impacts Of Cruise Tourism

Impacts Of Cruise Tourism This business report addresses the impacts of cruise tourism offered by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. on the environment and its related issues. It aims to attend the necessity of Ecotourism as a sustainable business for the company. Although Royal Caribbean (the worlds second largest cruise with 23.8% of worlds market share) has contributed positively to regional growth by diversification, creating job opportunity, earning foreign reserves but it has diverse issues related to economic, socio cultural and the environment. However the main focus will be on environment which is strongly affected by the increase in cruise lines and there is a need to protect the ecosystem. The issues of cruise tourism pertaining to the environment arises because of three important reasons; lack of proper waste management, selection of improper tourists destinations, and lastly because cruises doesnt restrict to the number of visitor carrying capacity of the tourism destinations, resulting in site congestion, gathering of wastes, deterioration of archaeological and historical sites. Tourist destinations should be national parks, flora and fauna instead of fragile destinations. Due to ocean pollution the company has to pay penalty which raises its expenses, incur losses and also social impact. Even if cruise tourism is the fastest growing business of the travel industry however if the growth is not planned properly it may cause economic, environment and socio-cultural impacts on tourist destinations. Thus, the need for responsible tourism is highly recommended for the sustainability of the business, which can be achieved by ecotourism. Ecotourism is one form of tourism, which addresses the negative impacts associated with mass tourism through the implementation of sustainable practices. Its impacts and benefits are critically analysed and it was recommended for the company to implement it. Necessity of Ecotourism as a sustainable measure for Royal Caribbean 1. Introduction Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the worlds second largest cruise company founded in 1969 and it. The company is responsible for giving a new dimension to the cruise industry transforming a simple ocean carrier service into a mega vacation option. It sails in more than 160 destinations with a variety of travel options. The two brands are Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. It operates globally, however majority of its passengers are from North America. Main competitors are Carnival Corporation, NCL Corporation, and Star Cruises Ltd. (Royal Caribbean International, n.d.) The main objective of this report is to identify the issues, analyze the impacts of the issue on the sustainability, recommend a solution to fix the issue, find out its benefit, and its implementation by the company making it a sustainable business. The issues and challenges faced by Royal Caribbean cruises in terms of social, economical and environmental factors are discussed in this report. The problem that was identified with the cruise tourism of RCCL was the improper waste management which lead to ocean pollution thus affecting the marine as well as terrestrial environment. The poisonous oil leakage from the vessels killed people and also had harmful effects causing deadly diseases. This impacted the environment as well as society. The economy of the company was negatively impacted because Royal Caribbean had to pay heavy penalty for polluting the environment. This raises the issue of sustainability because for the companys long term business, it is essential to have a balance between these three factors. Ecotourism is suggested as a tool for sustainability. However it is important to critically analyze the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for development, evaluate the impacts and benefits of ecotourism, and the ways t o improve ecotourism practices and policies for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 2. Issues With the increase in popularity of leisure tourism, the company focuses on providing adventure, relaxation and entertainment to passengers from across the globe and tourist destinations as a part of the cruise package deals. However it is also necessary to maintain the glory of such destinations as it is linked to the environmental performance and the future of tourism also depends on it. Marine life should be protected which is the base of shipping industry. Cruises generate a high volume of wastes, pollutants into the water body which affects the marine environment. Royal Caribbean was found guilty of illegal waste-handling by disposing the toxic waste into the Alaskas Inland Passage waters thereby polluting the marine environment and for which it has to pay a fine of $18 M. But the company was convicted by the U.S Federal for 11 times in charge of ocean pollution. The $9M and $18M fines each were the highest record set for the largest pollution penalty for a cruise-ship company (F ishman, 2000). These pollution scandals not only increased the expenses but also affected the companys gracious public image. The socio- cultural issue in Haiti has also put Royal Caribbean under a heavy media fire. The company brings the vacationers to a private resort maintained by it in Labadee, Haiti, which is 60 miles away from the earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince (Bennett, 2010). Ms. Martinez, Manager Corporate Communications said, the company is very sensitive to the idea of delivering a vacation experience so close to the epicentre of the earthquake, but given the financial and social challenges the country is now facing, it needs the positive economic benefits Royal Caribbeans cruises provide. Despite Royal Caribbeans help to the Haiti relief effort, $1 M donation as relief fund, the company is charged for bringing cruisers to this place. It is criticized saying that the cruise line should never have tried to mix its commerce and humanitarian efforts in telling its side of the story (Bush, 2010). In a nutshell, the main issue figured out was cruise tourism which had the serious problems like lack of provision for waste disposal leading to environment and economic crisis, destination selection raising social issues. We will further analyse the effects of cruise tourism in this report. Impacts of Cruise Tourism on the Environment The cruise tourism is likely to have effects on various aspects of the maritime and terrestrial environments. There is always a high possibility of oil spills by the ships in the sea which is very difficult to clean up in the cold remote locations. The impact of vessel activity in the breeding ground and feeding areas of marine mammals risks the wild life and is an area of concern. Whereas the terrestrial environment is affected by the numerous passengers who often make shore visit to places of natural and historical interests as a part of their cruise holiday package, either by speed boats, zodiac or helicopters thereby creating noise pollution and destroying the archaeological sites. Another potential threat is there to the flora and fauna of the place because these species have low tolerance capacity which leads to the destruction of the ecosystem. Not only this, there is a social and cultural disruption among indigenous people whose communities play host to cruise visitors on an increasingly regular basis. While cruise tourism has the potential to disrupt local communities it also has the capacity to enrich them. It can contribute positively to the economies of remote communities and also can be viewed as an environmentally sustainable option. Aspects of global environmental change with relevance to cruise tourism The effects are on three sectors: Infrastructure, Access, and Attractions. Cruise tourism increases the open water which leads to storm surges and shoreline erosions. This creates structural damage and raises construction and engineering problems. An effect on Access is because of declination in sea-ice extent causing extended shipping season and melting of glaciers also causes iceberg hazards. Effect on the attractions is because environmental changes alter local activity possibilities, changes scenic values locally and variations in ecosystem lead to alterations in distribution and abundance of existing animal species (Gissling Hall, 2005, p. 44). 3. Recommendations Royal Caribbean should adapt Ecotourism business to address the sustainability dimensions which will provide a diversity of economic benefits to the company, environment and the community. The benefits of implementing this sustainability practice will reduce operating costs, protect the brand image, provide credible marketing advantage, increase client base, and improve the business efficiency. It is recommended for Royal Caribbean to discourage mass tourism because travelling in small groups helps to conserve energy and the waste needs of passengers are managed in a better way, thereby having low impact on the environment (Paul F. J. Eagles, 2002, p. 20). The travellers should be educated on practices respectful to the local environment and the benefits of small-group responsible tourism. So limit in cruisers number will help to protect the local tourism infrastructure for future generations. Cruise destination should be selected wisely because travel to unspoiled virgin areas is harmful and may damage areas of the environment that are exceedingly rare and fragile. It should sail to nature based places like national parks, areas of conservations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle should be the strategy for waste management. It should recycle all materials like glass, plastic, paper etc. Water bottles can be reused; special processing of wastes such as toner cartridges, wooden pallets and cooking oil should be done by approved shore side vendors. The outstanding garbage can be reused in some countries as road fill, or can be treated as special waste for further processing or disposed of in a landfill. The unconsumed foodstuffs by the guests can be sent to the crew galleys; remaining food scraps can be treated inside the vacuum system of the ship and can be discharged to the sea. Similarly water waste is filtered and purified into potable water. Tour can contribute financially toward the local economy and nature conservation (WTO UNEP, 2005, pp. 9-10). It should contact the local guides, local activity providers for the travel guide to the local places; the cruisers can purchase from the local buyers thereby promoting the local business, visit the national parks. Support the integrity of local cultures by integrating tours within the cultural fabric of the sites. The passengers should be encouraged to stay in local hotels, visit places, and participate in activities that foster meaningful interactions with them. It helps in providing employment, encourages cultural exchange and strengthening of intercultural understanding and tolerance for both guests and hosts. Ecotourism Martha Honey defines as Travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and (usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveller, provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights. (Honey, 1999, p. 25) Advantages of Ecotourism It can help in protecting the ecosystems, preserving natural areas and increase the tourism. Increase the awareness on environment; educate people about the consequences of exploiting natural resources. Help in providing employment to the local and regional people, e.g. selling of handicrafts, local food items etc.; this also creates some entrepreneurial skills (Leader-Williams, Hashimova, Guliyeva, 2004, p. 45). Increases foreign reserves of the region, enhances economic growth. Raises the warmth to multitude countrys political, environmental and social climate Cultivate a feeling of pride and community through a revival or safeguarding of customary beliefs, practices and enriching techniques. Untouched destinations and natural activities may become a craze for tourists creating scope for ecotourism. Diversifying the tourism package into interesting events such as halt in country boats, trail walks etc. will help retaining the revenue generated with the local people and promote local economy. Figure 1: Sustainable Development Triangle (World Conservation Union, 2003) Utilizing the above figure of sustainable development triangle we can say that ecotourism puts a balance between these three sides i.e. economy, environment, and the society. For the long term development of a company it is necessary to be sustainable; Ecotourism will bring future and current benefits as well as work as a form of sustainable development. SWOT Analysis of Ecotourism can be referred in the Appendix attached at the last. 4. Implementation The company should get the new criteria for selecting destinations in a cruise ship port of call from the tourism council. It should follow the guidelines on ecotourism destinations set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. After that a third party verification of its land excursions adhering to Global Sustainable Tourism Council-recognized standard by 2015 should be done. Once final GSTC Criteria for Destinations are in place, they will provide another standard by which Royal Caribbean can judge ports of call. (Wilkinson, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, 2012) Timeline: An approval from the CEO has to be obtained and then the company should follow GSTC for obtaining the criteria. This process of implementation will take around 3 years which is the timeline. Instead of activities like snorkelling, scuba diving etc. which has impact on the marine life there can be other attractions like visiting conservation area, Plantation house, lush forest trekking, catamaran ride to beaches where the guests can have beach barbeque. Maintaining the quality of these experiences means integrating the guidelines of sustainability, with the help of a GSTC consultant. Timeline: There should be an approval received from the strategic planning department and It can be implemented within 6 months from now. There should be proper waste disposal system in the cruises. Modern equipment like exhaust gas scrubbers should installed on smokestacks, superior wastewater purification should be on the vessels. RCCL can implement these systems on the newer ships as a measure to treat all kind of wastes like solid waste, water waste and air waste. It can also have highly developed systems like reverse Osmosis system that uses only 35 percent of the electricity consumed as compared to older units for converting sea water into drinkable ship water. Timeline: Approval from the corporate governance department should be obtained and this can be implemented within 6 months from now. In order to preserve the environment from dumping things overboard RCCL can initiate programs for educating the cruisers, travellers, crews for recycling all the wastes like aluminium canes, water bottles, food stuffs etc. It can also purchase more than one million pounds of recycled products each year. An approval from the CEO can be obtained for immediately implementing the plan and the sanction for purchasing recycled products can also be got from finance department. Timeline: This can be implemented within 2 month. 5. Conclusion Ecotourism is a win-win solution for destinations where the conservation efforts for the environment are also associated with the livelihood opportunities of the local people. For ecotourism to be effective in its true sense there is a need to develop a proper ecotourism package which should be different from the existing mass tourism packages. Royal Caribbeans plan to implement Ecotourism as a sustainability measure is indeed a commendable decision. The companys initiative to sponsor programs such as setting new criteria for selecting holiday destinations, running programs like Save the Waves with mission as reduce, reuse, recycle will certainly help it for a long term development and overcome the challenges to sustain its business. Although RCCLs investment will be more on these sustainable measures but it will not have a negative impact on the environment, social image and the economy as well because there will be no threat for hefty fines for creating pollution.

Hate Crimes in Canada Essay -- Racial Relations, Minority Victimizatio

According to Petrosino (2003: 10) hate crimes can be defined as "..the victimisation of minorities due to their racial or ethnic identity by members of the majority. " (p. 4) Hate crimes are also known as bias-motivated crimes because the crimes are motivated by a bias towards a person or persons including but not limited to those of a different gender, ethnic background, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes are quite serious and have severe and long lasting-effects for the targeted victims. Due to the severe nature of the crimes many countries have strict laws in place to punish offenders. Hate crime is not widely discussed in Canadian society because it has not been a prominent issue until now. â€Å"..The extent of the problem in Canada was limited to a small number of persons, such activity could create a climate of malice and destructiveness to the values of our society (Cohen Report, 1966:24). As a result of the committee’s efforts, Parliament amended the Crimin al Code in 1970, thus rendering hate propaganda as a punishable offence (Law Reform Commission of Canada, 1986:7) There are several reasons why offenders commit hate crimes, they vary from case to case, however, one key element is fear which is caused by ignorance. The offenders fear the unknown and the competition they feel that exists, them vs. the ‘others’. When fear is accompanied by other factors it could potentially lead to a violent crime. â€Å"The Desmond 2 economic or social success some minorities have attained may result in increased feelings of resentment by members of the larger population. As Levin & McDevitt (1993:48) argue, resentment can be found to some extent in the personality of most hate crime offenders. It may be directed toward a part... ..., or might serve as an entire defence.† and aggravating circumstance is defined as â€Å"Circumstances that make a crime more serious in the eyes if others; in hate crime, for example, racism makes an assault more serious, resulting in a harsher sentence.† (McCormick. Siegel, 2007, p.114) Involvement of organized hate groups or their members, absence of motive and existing patterns of similar incidents in a particular area are signs that a bias-motivated crime may have occurred, this warrants further investigation. Often times the individuals are unaware that they are victims of a hate crime. It is not uncommon to have victims and offenders be a part of the same gender, race, sexuality or religion, it is not always about the common differences but the perpetrator's perception of ‘difference’.

Fast Break Essay -- essays research papers

Fast Break   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most exciting play in basketball is the fast break. This poem outlines every detail of the fast break and does a great job using the words to create a fantastic visual for the reader. The title of the poem, â€Å"Fast Break,† is actually what the whole poem is describing. The visual that is created is one of the reasons this poem is so appealing. My love for the game of basketball, more specifically at the collegiate level is another reason why this poem catches my attention. The author, Edward Hirsch, is probably the speaker and also a coach or fan of the team that is playing. I would say that he was a player, but all five players of the team are outlined in the poem and it’s not written in the third person. The author might also be mistaken as the head coach of the team; however the poem is in memory of the late Dennis Turner, whom I believe to be the Head Coach. A fast break lasts approximately five seconds on the court and the poem outlines e very motion of both the offense and defense. The author puts the fast break in slow motion for the reader so that they can understand and re-live the play in their imagination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each stanza of the poem explains each step of how a fast break is preformed. The first three stanzas begin the fast break which usually starts off from a missed shot by the other team and a defensive rebound. The tall and thin center grabs the rebound and recognizes to immediately get the ba...

Skilled Labor Scarcity Essay -- Human Resource Management

Article Summary Skill shortage is a genuine lack of adequately skilled individuals available in the accessible labor market with the type of skill being sought and which leads to a difficulty in recruitment. A recent article by Ben Casselman in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the difficulties recruiters and employers (specifically manufacturers) facing are moderate to severe shortage of skilled labors to fill their well-paying positions that requires specialized skills. The shortages (due to weak labor market) are being felt in what have been heavy-duty blue-collar jobs in manufacturing and other industries that somewhat do not require a college degree. The demand for skilled workers has a significant negative impact on the manufacturing firms and the skills gap can thus lead to a ripple effect. Skills gap is used to describe the qualitative mismatch between the supply or availability of human resources and the requirements of the labor market. Skills gap exists where employers feel that their existing workforce have inadequate skill type or skill level to meet their business objectives; or where new entrants to the labor market are apparently trained and qualified for occupations but still lack a variety of the specific skills required. The shortage also affects the less-skilled workers who lose out on spin-off jobs to support the increased production. Because of skills shortages, employers are lowering their expectations when recruiting people and cutting back on capacity and quality level. The skilled worker gap is developing at large due to the significant decline in the manufacturing sector (aspects of globalization and off-shoring) that appear less stable and attractive now as large number of workers approach retireme... ...rker employed). And, businesses may decide to increase production by making greater use of capital inputs such as extra units of machinery. A growing economy creates jobs for people entering the labor market for the first time; and it provides employment opportunities for people unemployed and looking for work.† Article Source: â€Å"Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging,† by Ben Casselman, The Wall Street Journal, Column A1, November 26, 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577010080035955166.html Frederic S. Mishkin. Macroeconomics Policy and Practice. Pearson Education, Inc., Addison-Wesley 2012. Ronald G. Ehrenberg and Robert S. Smith. Modern Labor Economics Theory and Public Policy. Eleventh Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., Prentice Hall 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_unemployment

Principles of Economics Essay

Lets first start with a question that although is trivial, but will help us understand the answer to this question, a little better. What is economic growth? Economic growth is the increase in the inflow of money within the economy. In other words, it is also the increase in the government’s holding of money. Now, there are a lot of ways an economy can be boosted in order to make the country more efficient. Some people mistake the growth and the stimulation of the economy as the increase in taxes. It is not incorrect to say that the increase in the government’s revenue is highly based on the increase in the tax rate through out the country. This increase in the tax rate is not only on the products of the government-based organizations or factories, but even the private investors and the citizen-owned company’s products have to undergo the same tax rate. This increase in tax-rate, no doubt increases the government tax revenue, making them more capable of spending and investing more on the country’s infrastructure and to work on the areas that might boost the economy. But there is something very important that happens while they are at the point of increasing the tax rates. They overlook the fact that the increase in the tax rate reduces the consumer investments. This reduction in the consumer investments decreases the demand of the products. By this I mean that their purchasing power is decreased, not directly, that is their salary is not decreased, but the prices are increased due to the increase in the tax rates. This reduction in the consumer demand then allows the economic growth to go in the negative direction. This is just one approach that most people have about the economy. Some people mistake the economic growth’s key factor to be consumption. Well, they are highly incorrect. The economic growth of any country is not dependent upon how many products and goods have been consumed in the market. But, instead it is dependent on the production of those goods and services. It is the production that helps the economic growth. The manufacturing of the cars on the streets is not something made by nature and given to us to use. Instead it is the workings of both, the businesses and the individuals that is the production and then the consumption of the manufactured cars to make the transportation system of the country more efficient. Hence, by this we can conclude that, the economic growth of a country is not the consumption, but the result of the production that increases the consumption of the goods in the economy, thereby increasing the demand of the products and hence, boosting the economy. This misperception that has been described above is what is wrong in the economy. The Bush administration focuses more on the consumption landing it in spending deficit of over $ 100 billion. Although this can be looked over from a different perspective, for example, we talk about an unemployed man who spends and buys his household necessities by using credit cards. This does not allow the spending to increase, because the consumers are using their credit cards and not a liquid asset (money). The Bush administration as mentioned above focuses more on the consumption and not the spending, this in turn reduces the budget that is allocated for the production, if the government is interested more in how much is consumed in the market. Although this is the wrong approach, but is still being followed in the country. The production has been slowed and so has the consumption in the economy. Until and unless there is not enough production, there is no way that the consumption can increase. Sacks, 2001) Well, just like any other problem, there is a solution to this problem too. The government does not restrict the production directly by stopping the factories to produce more, instead, the raise in the taxes increases the prices of the raw materials, hence increases the prices of the raw materials, increases the prices of the goods. The then increased pric es of the goods reduces the purchasing power of the consumers, thereby reducing consumption. The increase in taxes is one way of how the production is reduced. The government needs to decrease the number of restrictions on the private / public owned organizations and liberate them. (Giplin, 1987) The private sectors not only have to go through these restrictions what to produce when, but they also have a lot of trade restrictions. For example, if a computer Software Company in a state in USA wants Indian programmers to help them out to design new software, they can not get them. The law restricts them to get people from abroad to help them out. The above mentioned are just few problems and misperceptions of the people of as to what really is economic growth. Also mentioned above are the things that hinder economic growth. Now, we will be talking about how the economy can be boosted. Following are just few ways of what the government can do to stimulate the economy. We will then be discussing what the individuals can do as citizens to help in the growth of the economy. There are a lot of things that the government can do to make the economic growth faster. But in every idea that will be laid down, we have to keep in mind that this is not a perfect world and we can not expect everything to work out in reality, the way we want it to. There is always a room for improvement. One of the options to boost the economy is to create more jobs. More people being employed would mean more production and more production allows the consumption to increase and ultimately the demand for consumer goods would also increase. The aggregate demand for goods when increased boosts the economy. It is an entire circle that goes clockwise that is boost the economy when there are more people hired and under stimulate it when there is a high unemployment rate in the country. This option can also be looked from a different perspective. A high unemployment rate of the country would mean that there are more people fired from work. This means that the people who are employed will only be the ones with good salary. This in turn means that they will be the only ones in the economy who can buy goods because their purchasing power is not affected. Now, because not a lot of people are employed, the rate at which the products were being consumed before the raise in the rate of unemployment would fall. This decrease in the rate of consumption allows the companies fire more workers in order to increase their revenues, that is, if the consumption is low, their revenues will be low and they would have to fire more people so that they do not end up in losses. Hence, the unemployment rate would be even higher. (Giplin, 1987) Hence if the government starts to spend more on the various projects and infrastructure, that is focus more on the production and not just the spending, then this would definitely allow more people to be hired and thereby reducing the rate of unemployment. These artificially produced jobs do not directly increase the consumption of the goods but increase the level of employment in the country, increases the purchasing power of the employees and make them more efficient to buy various goods and services. There is one more thing that can be done to boost the economy of the country. That is through reduction in the tax rates. This reduction in the taxes allows the increase of the purchasing power of the individuals allowing them to buy more. This increase in the consumption of the goods then helps the aggregate demand curve shift to the right that is increasing the demand of the goods and services. Let’s take an example. If the tax charges for a particular product is 80 cents and before the increase in the tax rate was 50 cents, then I am more likely to buy more of that product when the tax rate was 50 cents. This increase in the consumption would then increase the demand. Hence, boost the economy. The tax revenue which adds to the revenues of the government might not be really high if the tax rates are high, as much as if it were low. By this I mean that, when the tax rates are high, people tend to buy less of the products. This increase in the tax rate although allows a high revenue for the government, but that is the narrow outlook of this perspective. Because, if the taxes are high, the purchasing power of the people decreases and instead of maybe 5 pieces of the same product that they used to buy with lesser tax rate, they may now buy just one piece of the same product. Hence the increase in taxes might not increase the revenue as much as the decrease in the taxes would. (Sacks, 2001) While the economists are dealing with the country’s economy, as in how is the economy to be improved, there are a lot of things that they have to consider. It is not just the tax rate or just the employment rate that is to be considered. Hence, it is important to know the problem, the solution to the problem and the most important thing is the timing. When the decision that has been made is implemented is very important. Hence, by the time the decision has been made and the economists are ready to implement the new policy, the economic conditions by then would have changed dramatically. It is good to leave the economy the way it is, at times. Before we make matters even worse, we should take a break, leave the economic activities of the country alone for a while and let them be just the way they are. There is a growing inflation in the economy, and not a lot is being done to decrease the rate of inflation. The upper class people are not the ones that suffer and undergo spending money from mortgage. It is the middle class and the lower class people who have to go through all the agony to have means to earn more in order to cover up the loans they have been borrowing. Now, in this very scenario, there are two things that are to be considered. One is the interest rate and the other is the inflow of money in the wrong hands. (Richards, 2007) The inflow of money in the wrong hands means that, the rich keep on getting richer, and the poor get poorer. The rich already have jobs which allow them to own multi million dollar buildings, private jets, an 1890 model cars and a lot more. And with their current employment, they do not spend that money, it goes in their bank accounts not in their pockets to spend. The government should be more careful in where their money goes. Because if the upper class gets it, it is highly certain that they will not be spending it, rather saving it. This entire problem of not spending will decrease the consumption of goods that are being produced. Where as, if the money that goes in the hands of the middle and the lower class people will be spent as soon as they get it. This is because they are the ones who are suffering from the increase in inflation. They are the ones who are not able to pay the bills, their children’s school fee, transportation expenses etc. Hence money in their hands would be spent pretty quickly. (Cohn, 2007) Every time the economy slows down the middle class and the lower class people are the ones that are affected by it. The reduction in the economic growth of the country is usually followed by a rise in the unemployment rate. The middle class workers are the ones that are fired first and they are rehired after everyone else has been hired. And they are the ones that mostly undergo all the problems faced by people in the time of poverty. (Levine, 1982) The second problem is of the interest rates. The government has to lower the interest rates so that the individuals are more capable of investing and consuming more. With higher interest rates in the market the people can not invest in the infrastructure, the increase in the interest rates contributes to the increase in the prices of the infrastructure that is for sale. The decrease in the investment by the individuals would in turn reduce the demand for the available land and the buildings etc. (Richards, 2007) Apart from all this, it is highly important for the government to reduce the costs of housing in the country. If the costs are reduced, they will be better off and will be able to afford things that they could not earlier. Not only this, but the government should spend more on infrastructure and build more houses. This would create more jobs and would allow people to buy more affordable houses. Earlier, we discussed the rising rate of inflation and how it affects the lower and the middle class workers. There is one more thing that the government needs to work on considering the ever-growing inflation rate of the country. The minimum wage rate of the people through out the country should be increased. This was the plan of the Bush administration before the attack of the September 9, 2000. It was to be implemented, but then the attack on the world trade centre took place and the economic growth was decreased dramatically. Hence, the increase in the minimum wage rate never took place. This increase in the wages will ultimately allow people to buy more by having their purchasing power increased. (Levine, 1982) One of the key factors that help stimulate the economy is a highly educated workforce. This workforce will help boost the economy in several ways. The wages of the people will be higher once they are highly educated and this will in turn help the economy to stimulate itself. Apart from this, the government should invest more in the capital in the country. This will allow the government to employ more workers and will ultimately increase the demand for various consumer goods, thereby stimulating the economy. It is very important for a country to have a proper and a strong infrastructure; this certainly helps the government to boost the economy. This strong infrastructure can not be obtained in a day’s work; it takes a lot of years to reach a position where the economy is strong enough to withstand the problems that the government faces during recession if there is any in the future. The individuals can and will do what ever they can in order to make their country better off but the country is nothing without proper law enforcement forces that will make sure that they are on the right track. Not only that, but the government will have to make sure that the promised contracts by the individuals are being materialized. The government should offer people different saving accounts which will push the people to save more. This will help them learn the importance of saving. A lot of people in the country are known for living large. This term is used for them only because they spend their salaries as soon as they get them. Now, this expenditure of their salaries that they do as soon as it enters their bank accounts is not a think that they should be proud of. But if the government advertise their saving accounts more then there is a high possibility that the people will save and put their money in those bank accounts. The reason this is emphasized is that if the people are unemployed, they would not have to borrow a lot and then be in debt for years, with the debt’s interest increasing every year. Well, first of all the government will be sure of the fact that not a lot of money will be on loaned if there is a high unemployment rate, and even if it is, they will be sure that the money is returned, because not a lot of it would have been borrowed in the first place. The people will take out money first from their saving’s account. With an appropriate interest return rate of the saving’s accounts it will be even easier for the people to save a little every month without second guessing themselves that the money they are investing will not be in vain, and will help them in the future. It is very important for the government to allow an open market economy. This open market economy would then allow trade of goods and services from around the globe without any hindrances. Likewise it would not only boost the morale of the employees to work harder to produce more goods and services but also provide them with higher wages. This higher wage will be a result of the increase in trade which indirectly means increase in consumption of the goods and services. This increase in consumption will allow the aggregate demand curve to shift to the right that is, the demand for the consumer goods will increase. (Sacks, 2001) There is one more thing which is very important for a country to boost its economy, to make the most of what it has and to be efficient. Timing is the most important factor of all. To produce the right amount of goods at the appropriate time is highly essential. This efficiency can be obtained with the increase in the technological advancements taking place in the country. The technological advancements of the country would not only make the production of goods time-efficient, but the production of the goods itself will be cost effective. The term cost effective means that the products are produced with the minimum cost of the raw materials, allowing a high profit margin. This high profit margin helps various organizations to produce more, hence hire more workers, and pays them more if the sales are high. All this plays a huge role in boosting the economy. (Giplin, 1987)

Art Critique

Patricia Gelin I. DoctoleroMarch 6, 2013 E-1R Mater Dolorosa By Simon Dela Rosa Flores (Critique Paper) The artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa that is painted using oil by Simon Dela Rosa Flores on a canvas (104 x 73. 5 cm). Simon Flores is known for his religious paintings that were commissioned by wealthy families and parish churches. The date of the painting when it was created was not known. I. INTERPRETATION When I first saw the painting, I thought of a mother thinking about her son/daughter.The children behind the mother and staring at her were her guardian angels that help, comfort and guide her to pray for her son/daughter. I think that the son/daughter has been a problem to his/her mother and has been gone for a long time. As a result, she has been waiting for him/her to come back to her care and she has been grieving, longing for them to be with her. The guardian angels are staying by the side of mother to be calm and tell her trust God to do the rest for her. The painting giv es a feeling to me that are serene and sad, but full of hope and trust in God that He will help her to bring back her child. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not SalvationIn a way, I can also remember my own mother in the painting that always takes care of me and is always worried whenever I am not by her side. I chose this artwork because of all, I value most my family and God. This painting gives it all to me and reflects true emotions that a mother must feel whenever she is sad, longing for her child to come back to her. Many stories can be associated with this painting. Another story that I can also relate to the painting is the mother’s child has been dead and still the mother cannot accept the fact that her child was already gone.II. RESEARCH PART (Artwork Interpretation by Artist) The interpretation of Simon Dela Rosa Flores of his artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa was really what the painting wants to tell the viewers. He said that it was his own version of grieving mother with long wavy hair against a dark blue and white tunic that symbolizes the emotions that the mother feels like sad and anxious. The hands of the mother were clasped close to her heart to reflect grief. Her facial expressions were very passive and troubled.The children that are behind the mother were cherubs that are guiding the mother in times of he sorrow. III. ELEMENTS OF ART USED The elements of art that were used by Simon dela Rosa Flores were color and value. The colors that were used, symbolized the emotions and feelings that was felt by the mother in the painting like the dark blue for sorrow and the white tunic for hope and also for faith in God. The cherub’s color depicts guidance and also light from them. Value is also used in a way that the painting has its cultural value especially for Filipinos.It is also because of the deep meaning behind the painting of the grieving mother. IV. SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON ART AND SOCIETY Simon dela Rosa Flores is known in his time in devoting his art to religious views, wealthy and famous people. He likes making portraits of people and most of his paintings includes use of oil in a canvas. One of his religious paintings is the Mater Dolorosa which is close to his mother and child and San Roque but instead of the child there where cherubs. Mater Dolorosa means grieving mother in Spanish.Many versions of this painting were done specially on the Spanish times. Hs painting started in the 19th century where the illustrados saw the rise of art of painting. The illustrados contracted painters to make portrait of themselves to document and for others to see their new found wealth and social status. One of the painters who are appointed is no other than Simon Flores. He painted jewelry, fashion accessories, minuet details of embroidered clothes and religious patrons. From there, he started painting religious figures and even rich families became his focus. Art Critique Patricia Gelin I. DoctoleroMarch 6, 2013 E-1R Mater Dolorosa By Simon Dela Rosa Flores (Critique Paper) The artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa that is painted using oil by Simon Dela Rosa Flores on a canvas (104 x 73. 5 cm). Simon Flores is known for his religious paintings that were commissioned by wealthy families and parish churches. The date of the painting when it was created was not known. I. INTERPRETATION When I first saw the painting, I thought of a mother thinking about her son/daughter.The children behind the mother and staring at her were her guardian angels that help, comfort and guide her to pray for her son/daughter. I think that the son/daughter has been a problem to his/her mother and has been gone for a long time. As a result, she has been waiting for him/her to come back to her care and she has been grieving, longing for them to be with her. The guardian angels are staying by the side of mother to be calm and tell her trust God to do the rest for her. The painting giv es a feeling to me that are serene and sad, but full of hope and trust in God that He will help her to bring back her child. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not SalvationIn a way, I can also remember my own mother in the painting that always takes care of me and is always worried whenever I am not by her side. I chose this artwork because of all, I value most my family and God. This painting gives it all to me and reflects true emotions that a mother must feel whenever she is sad, longing for her child to come back to her. Many stories can be associated with this painting. Another story that I can also relate to the painting is the mother’s child has been dead and still the mother cannot accept the fact that her child was already gone.II. RESEARCH PART (Artwork Interpretation by Artist) The interpretation of Simon Dela Rosa Flores of his artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa was really what the painting wants to tell the viewers. He said that it was his own version of grieving mother with long wavy hair against a dark blue and white tunic that symbolizes the emotions that the mother feels like sad and anxious. The hands of the mother were clasped close to her heart to reflect grief. Her facial expressions were very passive and troubled.The children that are behind the mother were cherubs that are guiding the mother in times of he sorrow. III. ELEMENTS OF ART USED The elements of art that were used by Simon dela Rosa Flores were color and value. The colors that were used, symbolized the emotions and feelings that was felt by the mother in the painting like the dark blue for sorrow and the white tunic for hope and also for faith in God. The cherub’s color depicts guidance and also light from them. Value is also used in a way that the painting has its cultural value especially for Filipinos.It is also because of the deep meaning behind the painting of the grieving mother. IV. SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON ART AND SOCIETY Simon dela Rosa Flores is known in his time in devoting his art to religious views, wealthy and famous people. He likes making portraits of people and most of his paintings includes use of oil in a canvas. One of his religious paintings is the Mater Dolorosa which is close to his mother and child and San Roque but instead of the child there where cherubs. Mater Dolorosa means grieving mother in Spanish.Many versions of this painting were done specially on the Spanish times. Hs painting started in the 19th century where the illustrados saw the rise of art of painting. The illustrados contracted painters to make portrait of themselves to document and for others to see their new found wealth and social status. One of the painters who are appointed is no other than Simon Flores. He painted jewelry, fashion accessories, minuet details of embroidered clothes and religious patrons. From there, he started painting religious figures and even rich families became his focus.