Monday, September 30, 2019

Hrm Change Model

Understanding this model and Its underlying concepts therefore helps us understand why the other change models are effective in overcoming resistance to change, and in creating an environment that is conducive to permanent change. The refreezing process happens once the desired state has been reached. When the desired state Is reached, the forces that are holding this new state In equilibrium are again identified, and now reinforced or â€Å"frozen† into place through a variety of actions. 2) Action Research Model The Action Research Model has two major phases.A preliminary or preparatory phase, and then a cycle phase. * In the preliminary phase, the problem Is first Identified. It refers to the fact that something which needs to be changed, Is identified. * Consultation is then held with a behavioral science expert, for example an ODD consultant, an organizational psychologist, or someone similar who can shed light on typical causes and solutions for such a problem, based on certain existing models. This consultation leads to the planning of a method for diagnosis. Data is then gathered and analyzed, and a preliminary diagnosis is done.Therefore it does not need a 1 OFF expectation that things could be better. * The first step is therefore simply initiating an enquiry. Often, this enquiry will not be very specific. It could be a team wanting to improve in some area, or it could be an organization identifying that it needs to improve something, e. G. Profitability or market share – but it might not be sure what to change. * The services of an expert, together with research of the organization and other organizations are utilized to identify the things that the organization has done really well, in the past.It could be compared to a story telling process where organization members tell stories of the things they'd done really well. * These success stories are then analyzed to identify the organization's major strengths. Themes of strengths are then discovered. * Based on these strengths, the organization designs for itself an ideal future. The organization then designs ways to achieve that future, and implements those plans 4) General Model of Planned Change a) Entering and Contracting: The first set of activities in planned change concerns entering and contracting.Those events help managers decide whether they want to engage further in a planned change program and to commit resources to such a process. Entering an organization involves gathering initial data to understand the problems facing the organization or the positive opportunities for inquiry. Once this information is collected, the problems or opportunities are discussed with managers and other organization members to develop a contract or agreement to engage in planned change.The contract spells out future change activities, the resources that will be committed to the process, and how ODD practitioners and organization members will be involved. B) Diagnosing: In thi s stage of planned change, the client system is carefully studied. Diagnoses can . Focus on understanding organizational problems, including their causes and consequences, or on identifying the organization's positive attributes. The diagnostic process is one of the most important activities in ODD. C) Planning and Implementing Change:

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Research Outline Gay Marriage

Introduction The Controversy â€Å"Same-sex marriage permits couples of the same gender to enter legally-recognized marriages and provides them with the same legal rights as couples in heterosexual relationships† (Same-Sex Marriage). â€Å"Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that the institution of marriage should apply to only unions between one man and one woman. Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, they say, undermines the institution of marriage† (Same-Sex Marriage). Where the Issue Stands Today â€Å"In America, six states plus D.C. allow same-sex couples to marry, three more respect marriages of same-sex couples validly preformed in other states, eight provide civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships, and three more have limited domestic partnership systems. That’s twenty states plus D. C. that provide some significant state-level relationship protections, and those states are home to 130 million people† (LGBT Relationships).  " Unmarried couples who live together can now tell their Facebook friends they’re more than just â€Å"in a relationship†.The social networking service added â€Å"in a civil union† and â€Å"in a domestic partnership† to possible relationship status options in its user’s profiles in Canada, the U. S. , the U. K. , France, and Australia (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Thesis: Same-sex couples deserve the same full marriage rights and benefits given to heterosexual couples; marriage is one of the basic civil rights and denying any American that right is unconstitutional. Issue 1: Legislative History First Push For Marriage Rights â€Å"In 1942 the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in Skinner v. Oklahoma that marriage is â€Å"one of the basic civil rights. Loving v. Virginia, decided by the Supreme Court in 1967, ended race discrimination in marriage and also affirmed: â€Å"The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free me. † These decisions paved the way for same-sex couples to demand equal marriage rights† (Same-Sex Marriage). â€Å"The tide began to turn in 1933, when 3 same sex couples in Hawaii sued the state for marriage licenses. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the state was required to demonstrate sufficient reason for denying the licenses, or stop discriminating.In the 1996 trial decision, Judge Kevin Chang ruled that there is no good reason to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Despite this clear ruling to end discrimination in marriage, Hawaii amended its constitution to block same-sex marriages† (Same-Sex Marriage). â€Å"In 2001, the same year the Netherlands became the first country to to give same-sex couples full marriage rights, seven same-sex couples in Massachusetts who had been denied marriage licenses sued the state. Their case was bolstered by a U. S. Supreme Court decision in 2003, L awrence v.Texas, which struck down sodomy laws and stated that the â€Å"moral disapproval† of voters or government is not a valid basis for discrimination in marriage. In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state constitution mandates equality in marriage for same-sex and heterosexual couples. Three months later the court specified that civil unions did not meet this requirement, and on May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. † (Same-Sex Marriage). Defense of Marriage Act The word marriage means only a legal union between 1 man and 1 woman as husband and wife† (United States Cong. ). â€Å"No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or including Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or right or claim arising from such relationship† ((United States Cong. . â€Å"Obama said he would indeed work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, calling it â€Å"discriminatory†Ã¢â‚¬  (Zeleny). Federal Marriage Amendment â€Å"Since 2002 opponents of same-sex marriage have worked to pass a Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) to the U. S. Constitution. This amendment would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It has been introduced to the U. S. Congress in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008 but has failed to gain enough support to pass† (Same-Sex Marriage) Proposition 8 On June 16, 2008, California began allowing same-sex couples to receive marriage licenses. But on November 4 of that year, Proposition 8 passed, again banning same-sex marriage† (Same-Sex Marriage). â€Å"California's Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage, is an attempt to suppress personal rights and force religious beliefs and codes of behavior on everyone, including non-believers. Narrow-minded interpretations of faith often have led to self-righteousness and oppression of others, and they are again on the rise† (Stone). One might argue that Proposition 8 discriminates against gays and lesbians in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. One might argue that Proposition 8 unconstitutionally limits the fundamental right to marry. One might argue that Proposition 8 violates the separation of church and state† (Stone). Issue 2: Domestic Partnership and Civil Unions v. Marriage Difference in Rights â€Å"The right to marry is not just about the actual legal ceremony, but an equal right to the extensive list of legal protections awarded to married couples.These benefits given to legally married couples range from tax relief to medical decision making. Civil unions and domestic partnerships may seem like equal unions, but the protections they give to registered couples is often far less than that of marriage† (Johnson). Specific Differences in Benefits: â€Å"Marriage: Over 1,049 federal and state level benefits, Civil Unions: Over 300 state level benefits† (Johnson) â€Å"Tax Relief. Marriage: Couples can file both federal and state tax returns jointly.Civil Unions: Couples can only file jointly in the state of civil registration† (Johnson). â€Å"Medical Decisions. Marriage: Partners can make emergency medical decisions. Civil Unions: Partners can only make medical decisions in the registered state. Partners may not be able to make decisions out of state† (Johnson). â€Å"Death Benefits. Marriage: In the case of a partner's death, the spouse receives any earned Social Security or veteran benefits. Civil Unions: Partners do not receive Social Security or any other government benefits in case of death† (Johnson). Child/Spousal Support. Marriage: In case of divorce, individuals may have a lega lly-binding financial obligation to spouses and children. Civil Unions: In the case of dissolution , no such spousal or child benefits are guaranteed or required out of state† (Johnson). â€Å"Immigration Rights. Marriage: U. S. citizens and legal residents can sponsor their spouses and family members for immigration. Civil Unions: U. S. citizens and legal residents cannot sponsor non-legal spouses or family members† (Johnson).Public and Political Opinions â€Å"According to a Pew Research Center report in 2009, 53% of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, but 57% support civil unions for same sex couples† (Same-Sex Marriage). â€Å" In 1996 when Obama was running for the Illinois Senate, Barack Obama stated, â€Å" I favor legalized same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages. † But during his presidential campaign in 2008 Obama shifted his views, stating his support for civil unions† (Same-Sex Marriage). Political ActionJu ne 17th 2009 â€Å"The package of domestic partnership benefits that President Obama established for federal workers on Wednesday drew the loudest protests from some of those it was intended to help, gay men and lesbians who criticized the move as too timid. The administrative memorandum extending some partnership rights to federal workers in same-sex relationships allows administration personnel to take leave to care for sick partners and requires the government to recognize their partners as household members when determining overseas housing allocations for State Department employees, among other things† (Zeleny).But several of the nation's most prominent gay and lesbian political leaders quickly attacked the president for failing to extend full health care benefits to the same-sex partners of federal workers, questioning the administration's explanation that it is precluded from doing so by the Defense of Marriage Act, which Mr. Obama had vowed to repeal during his presid ential campaign† (Zeleny). â€Å"†I think it's insulting,† David Mixner, a prominent gay rights advocate, said of the new benefits plan. ‘Without minimizing how it will improve lives to some extent, what they said to us today is we will give you family leave, some things like that, but the most important thing, health care, we're not giving you† (Zeleny). Issue 3: Race and Religion’s Influence African American Resistance â€Å"In our world there are divisions and even tensions among minority groups, and the quest to legalize same-sex marriage has met particular resistance from African-Americans. This isn't a topic that advocates for gay rights or their many black supporters relish discussing, because it focuses on a wedge where they wish there was a tighter bond.But polls indicate that support for same-sex marriage lags among black Americans† (Bruni). â€Å"In 2008 Californians passed Proposition 8, which prohibited state recognition of same-sex marriage, with a 52 percent majority. Voting analyses suggest that between 58 and 70 percent of black voters backed the prohibition† (Bruni). â€Å"Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, noted the existence of phrases like †gay is the new black† and said that attempts to equate the persecution of gay and black Americans can be †deeply offensive. †African-Americans were enslaved.And during their brutal struggle for justice, they couldn't make a secret of what set them apart from others, Henderson said during a phone interview Friday† (Bruni). â€Å"Two weeks ago the Human Rights Campaign inaugurated a new effort to move public opinion nationwide by unveiling a video testimonial, being distributed on the Internet for now, in which Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, speaks up for same-sex marriage, not yet legal in New Jersey. In its infancy the H. R. C. effort, called Americans for Marriage Eq uality, has showcased three prominent black Americans in a row.That's no accident† (Bruni). Religious Reasons for Opposition â€Å"Much of the debate on same-sex marriage stems from religious teachings on marriage and on homosexuality. Islam, for example, officially prohibits same-sex marriage, whereas Reform Judaism has long permitted same-sex couples to celebrate their commitment. The Roman Catholic church opposes same-sex marriage, and American bishops, stating that â€Å"marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman,† strongly support the FMA† (Same-Sex Marriage). The first is that the Church does not recognize an ontological distinction between a homosexual and a heterosexual, whereas modern society, in creating the concept of â€Å"sexual orientation,† insists there is such a distinction. If the Church rejects â€Å"orientation,† how does it deal with the fact that some men are sexually attracted to other m en, but not to women? Isn't it fundamentally discriminatory and unequal to allow heterosexuals a sexual outlet, but not homosexuals? The Church answers this very simply. Homosexual temptation, just like any other illicit sexual temptation, should not be acted upon. (Williams). â€Å"In the Church's eyes, every act of sexual relations must [be] open to procreation. The Church believes human life is always a good thing, and that God wants people to â€Å"be fruitful and multiply. † It also teaches that the procreative act is the way God brings life into the world—remembering that, according to Christianity, human life is more than just the physical body. According to the Church, a married couple participates in God's creation of new life, but God himself is seen as the Creator of new life.Shutting the sexual act off to procreation is literally shutting out God† (Williams). Why Basing Law on Religion is Unconstitutional â€Å"Proposition 8 was enacted by a vote of 52% to 48%. Those identifying themselves as Evangelicals, however, supported Proposition 8 by a margin of 81% to 19%, and those who say they attend church services weekly supported Proposition 8 by a vote of 84% to 16%. Non-Christians, by the way, opposed Proposition 8 by a margin 85% to 15% and those who do not attend church regularly opposed Proposition 8 by a vote of 83% to 17%.What this tells us, quite strikingly, is that Proposition 8 was a highly successful effort of a particular religious group to conscript the power of the state to impose their religious beliefs on their fellow citizens, whether or not those citizens share those beliefs. This is a serious threat to a free society committed to the principle of separation of church and state† (Stone). â€Å"The Framers of the American Constitution knew that throughout human history religious self-righteousness has caused intolerance, discrimination and injustice.It was for that reason that they embedded in our Constitu tion a fundamental commitment to the separation of church and state. The Framers were not anti-religion. They understood that religion could help to nurture the public morality necessary to a self-governing society. But religion was to be fundamentally private. It was for the individual. It was not to intrude unduly into the political sphere† (Stone). â€Å"While religious faiths differ in their definition of marriage, the government has an obligation not to engage in unconstitutional discrimination against gay and lesbian couples.The concept of equal protection under the law, enshrined in the constitution, requires that fundamental rights like the right to marry be made available equally to same-sex couples† (LGBT Relationships). Issue 4: Common Misconceptions â€Å"Gay Marriage is Wrong Because the Bible Says So† A few months back I found myself debating a lady from the General Synod. The presence of a verse in the book of Leviticus was her justification for ar guing against any rights for gays. ‘What about the imprecations against all sorts of dietary laws in the same book? ‘ I asked her. ‘What of the warning against the mixing of fabrics?What about that verse in Exodus, â€Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live? â€Å"‘ ‘Well, I don't know anything about that,' she said†(Murray). â€Å"Gay Marriage is Wrong Because Same-Sex Couples Can’t Have Children† â€Å"The idea that marriage is solely for the procreation of children is equally dismissible. Plenty of straight couples, particularly older ones, do not marry to have children. † (Murray). â€Å"There are many gay couples that are in committed and happy relationships. These relationships are often long lasting and sometimes involve adopted or naturally born children† (Johnson). Same-sex couples are raising hundreds of thousands of children in the United States. And, according to a long-term study, those kids are competen t and well-adjusted. The study followed about 80 children conceived by lesbian moms using donor insemination in the mid 1980s. By the age of 17, the kids rated better in academic and social competence and had fewer behavior problems than a nationally representative sample† (Kids Thrive With Two Moms). â€Å"The LGBT Community is More Promiscuous† â€Å"Often, people associate gay men with sexual addiction. However, the majority of gay individuals are no more sexually active than heterosexuals.Many gay men visit bars, clubs or the internet in an effort to find sexual partners, however just as many seek long term relationships in the same places â€Å"(Johnson). â€Å"An aspect of male ‘gay life' some heterosexuals claim to have a problem with is the perceived promiscuity. Whether this is in reality any more distinctive than among straight people, gay marriage offers a remedy, giving gays, like straights, a public and private path towards commitment. At a time wh en many heterosexuals are spurning the idea of marriage, here is a section of society positively lobbying for the right to respect and continue the institution.Perhaps gay marriage will encourage more straight people back on to the marital path? † (Murray). â€Å"AIDS is a Gay Disease† â€Å"Many rumors about AIDS still linger from the 80's. Those misconceptions were based on a lack of understanding and fear. Though the source of the deadly disease hasn't been traced to it's root, AIDS is not just a gay disease† (Johnson). Conclusion Restatement of Thesis: Denying equal marriage rights to same-sex couples is unconstitutional, and currant legislation that denies these rights should be removed. Why must things change now.Not allowing same-sex marriage denying gay and lesbian couples there constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness. The basis for many arguments opposing gay marriage are on religious grounds, and it is unconstitutional to create laws based on a religious view not held by all American citizens. â€Å"Despite arguments that so called â€Å"same-sex marriage† seeks to redefine â€Å"traditional marriage†, allowing committed gay and lesbian couples to marry does not change the meaning of marriage. Gay and lesbian couples want to get married and make a lifetime commitment to the person they love and to protect their families† (LGBT Relationships).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Case Study Example Created in the contract were a series of award fees eligible to Textron at the end of each of the performance period based on its performance during that period. However, the decision as to the amount that Textron would receive and if so how much was left to the discretion of the Fee Determining Official ("FDO") based on the FDOs assessment of Textrons performance in several specified areas. It was a struggle funding the project, since from summer of 1985 up to the end of 1987 Textrons expenditures under the contract exceeded the allocated funding. Even before the award of the contract, the contracting officer made it clear to Textron that there was a possibility of the SDI[O] stopping the funding of EMRLD. The problem became worse in 1987 when both SDIO and Air Force stopped funding the project. After completing its close up work, Textron on December 19, 1990 submitted a termination settlement proposal to the government requesting $13,428,348 over and above the $113,479,301 paid to date under the contract. The CPAF contract called for a zero base fee and an as award fee not subject to the Termination or disputes clauses as to the payment and amount of the award fee. During the course of the contract, the contracting officer repeatedly reminded Textron that the LOF clause in the contract remained in effect. The language of the contract did not allow Textron to receive any extra amount after the termination b of the contract. According to the court’s rationale, Textron failed to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that it was in deed eligible for the extra payment. According to the language of the contract, the court ruled in favor of the government. Since Textron was aware of the likelihood of the government stopping the funding of the project, and as expressed in the contract that there would be no award of the termination fee, then the court ruled in

Friday, September 27, 2019

Background on the Controversy Surrounding Freedom of Choice versus Essay

Background on the Controversy Surrounding Freedom of Choice versus Smoking Ban - Essay Example VII. Smoking publicly is another major issue because smokers are not only hurting themselves as they smoke in public places but also damaging the health of other surrounding non-smokers. A. Statistics on Passive Smoker Deaths B. Chronic health problems traced to passive smoking. VIII. Smoking is uncontrollable and is spreading at an extremely fast rate, due to both peer pressure and advertising. A. Teen smoking statistics B. Causes and consequences of underage smoking. IX. Advertisement is another factor which has greatly contributed to the fast growing rate of smoking among teens. A. Economics of tobacco advertisement B. Proliferation of tobacco ads. C. Consequence of tobacco advertisements X. The harms of smoking are such that it is imperative to pass a ban on public smoking as a means of discouraging the habit and limiting its harms, irrespective of arguments claiming that doing so would be a violation of inalienable human freedoms. In social, political and legal environments which uphold freedom of choice and personal liberty, the decision of some governments and local authorities to ban smoking in public places has been a subject of controversy and debate. In reaction to Scotland's decision to ban smoking in public places, Gillian Bowditch expressed concern over the way that governments are increasingly using the health concern and public welfare argument as an "excuse to invade personal freedom, reduce freedom of choice and create an artificially homogenous society." This is not an isolated reaction as in response to the Minnesotan federal government's proposal to ban smoking in public areas, Craig Westover argues that this is contrary to the US Constitution and against the very principles that the United States was...In reaction to Scotland's decision to ban smoking in public places, Gillian Bowditch expressed concern over the way that governments are increasingly using the health concern and public welfare argument as an "excuse to invade personal freedom, reduce freedom of choice and create an artificially homogenous society." This is not an isolated reaction as in response to the Minnesotan federal government's proposal to ban smoking in public areas, Craig Westover argues that this is contrary to the US Constitution and against the very principles that the United States was founded upon. The US Constitution and the country's founding principles emphasise the inalienable right to individual liberty and freedom of choice, with the implication being that the government, whether local, national or federal, does not possess the right to prohibit smoking in publicly owned properties (Westover). It is therefore apparent that the ban on smoking has been interpreted by some as a dangerous transgression against individual liberty and freedom of choice.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The effect of feedback on learners of a Foreign Language in the Dissertation

The effect of feedback on learners of a Foreign Language in the development of the writing skill - Dissertation Example Although writing is one of the most important aspects of language learning, it has been observed that when learning second language much emphasis is on the fluency of speech and error free writing is neglected. A written piece of work with grammatical and other errors is a real eyesore and shows poor command over the language. Writing in a second language is difficult for students mostly because they do not have sufficient working knowledge of the target language. The biggest challenge the students of second language face is writing an error free composition. Error free composition in second language is possible through practice and through the guidance of the teacher in the form of feedback. Research shows that feedback plays an important role in language learning as it not only helps in the development of writing skills of the students but it also improves the general language learning (Hyland 2011). Teachers give different type of feedback in different situations; usually errors i n speech are corrected on the spot while errors in writing are corrected after some time. Teachers either simply point out the errors or sometimes write comments. Self-correction and peer correction are common techniques for error correction but learners have little confidence in these techniques and prefer their teachers’ remarks. ... Written comments from the teachers, on the other hand, are not easy to ignore and cannot be forgotten and are thus the most preferred form of feedback used in teaching. Though written feedback is very useful in helping students develop their writing skills while learning a foreign language, empirical evidence gleaned from experience of teaching written French language skills to undergraduate students, shows that there is a lack of engagement with written feedback on their written language assignments. This impedes student progress in target language acquisition. This research study aims to identify how students engage with written feedback provided by their teachers and while focusing on undergraduate French students aims to explore the level of engagement of students with different forms of responses in the area of language learning. This qualitative research project that started from the premise that students may be unaware of the ways in which feedback can be exploited as a valuab le learning tool, progressed to identify the ways in which students currently respond to feedback from their tutors and how and why they feel a certain form of feedback is more effective. Based on the findings, this study also suggest new ways of delivering feedback in different formats and how the written feedback can be improved further in ways that are considered more effective by the students.   1.1 Background and Context Despite the paramount importance of written feedback on the assignments of students learning foreign language, less emphasis is placed on research in this area. There has been research on what students perceive about writing in a second language (Ismail 2011); also teaching writing to students of foreign language (Gaudiani 1981; Caywood & Gillian

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Essay

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - Essay Example The mandate of CESCR allows it to consider the traditional, as well as emerging conceptions regarding people’s legal rights. With the appreciation of these legal rights comes the implementation of practical actions, which are conceived within a model, which has been created in the milieu of private claims against other people or public claims against the state (Pogge, Rimmer & Rubenstein 2010, p. 360). Through this knowledge, the UN CESCR attempts to make all legal rights related to people’s social, cultural and economic rights public rights rather than private rights. This is primarily because the private law model consists of three distinctive features, which comingle to attempt to displace the legal significance of people’s inherent right to health. The first feature deals primarily with theorizing that social and economic rights are positive rights and those positive rights are generally considered as non-justifiable. Rights, which require the input rather th an non-interference of government, are typically unsuited to litigation, but rather belong in the branches of government that are considered as democratic, where they are open to contestation (Dowell-Jones 2004, p. 201). Secondly, legal rights are considered as coterminous with remedies; this means that relief will only contingent on the harm caused by a breach of duty, from the duty holder to the rights holder. Therefore, successful implementations of rights are considered by the nature of relief given to the claimant.... The first feature deals primarily with theorizing that social and economic rights are positive rights and those positive rights are generally considered as non-justifiable. Rights, which require the input rather than non-interference of government, are typically unsuited to litigation, but rather belong in the branches of government that are considered as democratic, where they are open to contestation (Dowell-Jones 2004, p. 201). Secondly, legal rights are considered as coterminous with remedies; this means that relief will only contingent on the harm caused by a breach of duty, from the duty holder to the rights holder. Therefore, successful implementations of rights are considered by the nature of relief given to the claimant (Dennis & Stewart 2004, p. 467). As a consequence, when the claimants are multiple (as in the case of a state’s citizens) appropriate remedies become elusive or unattainable. Lastly, Pogge, Rimmer & Rubenstein (2010, p. 361) consider the conception of citizens’ legal rights as private to be detrimental to a government’s fulfilment of the requirements of the CESCR because such a legal system conciders health as a private good. This private good is consumed, in the form of healthcare via market-based mechanism and defended by criminal and tort law. The CESCR, therefore, deters the consideration of health as a private good in order to deter the aforementioned implications. When health is accessed collectively, in the form of a public good, it becomes protected by occupational, environmental and public health laws. In essence, the CESCR helps state parties appreciate that, outside the regimes

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Economy - Essay Example In 1930 the Smoot-Hawley act was enacted to prevent U.S owners of factors of production from being threatened by the Great Depression at the time. The rates were set high to cushion them from incurring losses. On the other hand, the trading partners responded promptly by taking similar measures a move which worsened the economic condition that was prevailing. The congress was forced to act very fast in order to control the situation that was deteriorating and consequently the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act was implemented in 1934.The act gave the president the powers allow for tariffs that met the thresholds that had been agreed jointly by the trading partners (Cooper, 2014,pgs 2-3). Political institutions play a major role in coming up with trade tariffs and trade policies. Their main purpose is to protect the interests of traders from being exploited by their trading partners. When they participate in coming up with the tariffs such as having bilateral and multilateral agreements, a lot of opportunities are opened up for the citizens of the country and businesses operate in an efficient manner. The decisions made in coming up with these trade tariffs and policies has political consequences for the government in power because producers are most likely to support regimes that come up with policies that favor them. On the other hand, producers are likely to disregard regimes that come up with unfavorable policies according to them because they seem to be undermining their operations (World Trade Report, 2007, Pg 55). The Great Depression in the 1930s forced the U.S to review its trade policies and tariffs. The country was forced to bend low the trade barriers so as to forge economic cooperation with other countries. Trade became liberalized although the move was seen to have some political agenda. The U.S congress was adamant to give the president freedom

Monday, September 23, 2019

International finance case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International finance case study - Essay Example The will help the company gain competitive advantage over the global competitors. Though these benefits will exist but the company will face some financial issues that will be discussed in this report. Ruritania is a politically stable and economically developing country, but the currency of the country is not very stable. Four years ago, when the Crown, Ruritania’s currency, was allowed to float freely by the government, there was a large drop in its value. In the past, the Crown had a centrally managed exchange rate. This caused the currency to have a fixed rate against the foreign currencies. The value of the currency dropped sharply when it was allowed to float freely in the foreign market. This is the evidence that a very low demand for the Crown existed in the foreign market. A floating exchange rate is self-correcting, as it fixes the exchange rate according to its demand. Although the currency has shown stability now, but there is a risk of a drop in currency value in the future. This would cause the imports for the company to get expensive. If the company decides to purchase anything from foreign market, it will have to pay higher costs. If the company is importing raw material from another country, the price of the raw material will go up and the company will lose out. The final product of the company will also be priced higher because of the higher cost of raw material. This will cause the local competitors to gain a higher market share because they will be offering lower prices. The Crown faces risk in the international market right now because only one and a half year has passed since it has been stable against the major international currencies. Eighteen months is not a very long period to determine the stability of currency of a country. Therefore this lack of a hard currency will restrict the ability of the company to import raw material from the headquarters in UK. The country

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ancient Egypt Essay Example for Free

Ancient Egypt Essay Egypt is a country that is situated within the North Africa mainly. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Sudan to the south, Israel and Gaza strip to the northeast and Libya to the west and red Sea to the east. It is one among the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The best monuments in Egypt are the Giza pyramid complex and it Great Sphinx were built by the ancient civilization of Egypt. The best tourism spot in Egypt is the Red Sea Riviera. When talking about the economy, it has one among the most diversified in the Middle East. To have a better understanding of Egypt, we shall go into the history of Egypt. Around 3150 BC, a unified kingdom was formed by King Menes that led to a series of empire that ruled Egypt for about the next three millennia. The Egyptian culture was flourished during this period and it remained distinct in all aspects like religion, arts, customs and language. The first two dynasties constituted the Old kingdom and they have constructed most of the pyramids in Egypt. The daily life in Egypt revolved around the river Nile and due to the yearly flooding, it several rulers. There was the Roman and Ptolemaic Egypt and the last ruler of that era were enriched the land and thus made it very fertile for cultivation and this bought good wealth to the land. The heights of prosperity were during the reign of the Pharaoh Amenemhat III. A Pharaoh is considered as the most powerful person who was both a political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. Before being a republic, Egypt was ruled by the Cleopatra VII. Then there was the Arab and Ottoman Egypt where Egypt was conquered by the Arabs and Muslims and they ruled for another six centuries in Egypt bringing Muslim religion in the country. In 1517, the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt which leads a major devastation of the country. With the French invasion by the Napoleon and later Commander of the Albanian regiment, Muhammad Ali, the Ottoman reign came to an end and it led to the British rule. By 1953, the Egyptian Republic was declared with General Muhammad Naguib being the first President. Later by the year 2011, revolutions took place in Egypt and the Mubarak government was stepped down and the first parliamentary elections were conducted. The economy of Egypt mainly depends on agriculture, petroleum exports, media, tourism, and exports of natural gas. Egypt has developed an energy market based on oil, coal, hydro power and natural gas. The FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) have risen considerably in Egypt over the last few years. When being in Egypt, there are tourist locations that should never be missed. A few places are listed here: In Cairo – Pyramids of Giza, Pyramids of Sakkara, Ancient Memphis, The Egyptian Museum, The hanging Church, Santa Barbara are a few to name here. In Luxor – Luxor temple, Valley of the Kings, Ramses III, are a few to mention. At the Red Sea Coast – Red Sea Coast, Marsa Alam, Monastry of St.Paul, are a few to be mentioned. The pyramids are the well known trade marks in Egypt. The culture allowed them to burry bodies of their pharaohs in great tombs called as pyramids and Egypt is ‘The Country’ that has great number of Pyramids which is great to see in this modern era. Egypt celebrates many festivals and carnivals, which is also known as mulid. Ramadan has a great flavour in Egypt and is celebrated with lights and music. An ancient spring festival of Egypt known as the Sham en Nisim has  been celebrated for more than thousand of years. The culture of Egypt dates back to about six thousand years which is a recorded history. Egypt maintained a striking complex that influenced the later cultures of Middle East, Europe and African Countries. Egypt is also recognized as a cultural trend setter of the Arab-speaking world. A beautiful country with a great civilization and a great place to be visited with its beauty and to be seen and understood in all aspects.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An analysis of the influence of technology on contemporary interior architecture Essay Example for Free

An analysis of the influence of technology on contemporary interior architecture Essay The analysis of the articles is based on the influence of technology on interior architecture education and of employer’s expectations in the interior design industry. This also addresses the issues faced by interior designers in today’s world and how technology is hindering/fostering their creativity. Talking about the article on â€Å"Technology Changing the Face of the Modern Fit out†, it addresses a strong point of how the interior design industry was never considered as a crucial part of the industry and was dealt with a stereotype attitude that interior designers dealt only withthe part of â€Å"decorating† the space until technology gained importance. Technology has now given a 180-degree turn to the industry because of which the industry has finally started gaining the deserved recognition. The underlying point in the article â€Å" is technology hindering or fostering the creativity in interior design†, although is on similar lines like the above mentioned article about the positive aspects of technology, it also talks about the pitfall side of technology on the industry. Their argument is supported with an example cited of a professor from a state university of how although he accepts that the technology has given the students, the most innovative platform to communicate their design ideas, somewhere down the lane, the students who are the prospective interior designers are lacking the basic creative skills and hand drafting techniques. â€Å"Interior Designers’ Perceptions of the Influence †¨of Technology on Workplace Performance† article gives us a different perspective of the influence of technology and how it caters to the interior designers. The statement is supported by examples cited by employees from the industry who have been interviewed of how 2D and 3D software have enabled the designers to get their work done in reduced time in comparison to how it was in the past. It also talks about what the expectations of the employers from new hires are, which includes being efficient in 2D and 3D software which will enable them to be proficient in expressing their design ideas. The other side of the coin is that it is hindering the employers in certain ways. This point is well supported by examples they cite of how in case if the computer crashes the students are unable to come up with a hand made drawing ready for a meeting. The over dependence on the computer has led to this state where the new graduates are finding it tough to inculcate sketching and hand drafting although their competent computer skills enable them to complete a design project in no time. The articles that we have looked at firmly state that the influence of technology has its pros and cons. The use of technology has catered to designers in various ways in terms of the time factor, design output etc. But the basic thing we have to understand is every opportunity has both sides. So technology is definitely fostering the designers but having said that it is better that we don’t become over dependent on it that it hinders our creative and innovative skills of designing.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model INTRODUCTION This is an essay to identify CIPLA a generic Pharmaceutical companys business model and to explain the reasons why the company has to change its existing business model. This is done by first identifying the term business model and then using the definition to explain the business model adopted by the company, also determining the inherent changes in world policies and economic environment that prompt the change of the present business model. The second part of the essay addresses the issue of the conflict between the big ethical pharmaceutical companies and the relatively smaller generic pharmaceutical companies business models. This is addressed by highlighting the big pharmaceutical companies business model and comparing the two models (which will reveal the nature of their competitive relationship) thereby identifying if there seems to be a convergence in their models and they are both becoming competitors in the same market or companies producing the same products but competing in different markets or companies where a symbiotic relationship has become inevitable for their survival in this present economic situation. Conceptualization of a Business Model. A definition of a business model is required to highlight the context to which CIPLAs (a generic pharmaceutical company) business model can be identified. Chesbrough and Rosenbloom (2002) describe a business model to be a concept where technology and potentials are changed into economic output through the market and customers, comparatively, Rayport and Jaworski (2001 cited in Wimmer 2004) defined a business model as the four choices of (1) a value proposition or a value cluster for targeted customers (2) a market space offering which could be products, services, information or all three (3) a unique dependable resource system and (4) a financial model. However Shafer, Smith et al (2005) suggests that a representation of a firms underlying core logic and strategic choices for creating and capturing value (p.202); is a design or creation, not an accident; what structures are in place to ensure firms capture value. Also Brink Holmà ©n (2009, p.109 cited in Lambert n. d.) explains tha t The business model concerns how a firm creates value, the internal source of the firms advantage and how the firm will capture value. Factually no sole definition can adequately cover all aspects of the term business model; however a combination of all the stated business model definitions will give a better explanation for the Generic pharmaceutical company business model. Firstly the focus will be on the definition of this model since most generic companies including CIPLA initially followed this business model before the need for change in 2005. The focus on India is also due to the fact that CIPLA originated from that country. The Basic Business Model of Generic Pharmaceutical Companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Company (GPC) business model in India is characterised by the production and selling of copy cat pharmaceutical drugs discovered and developed by the Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies (BEPC) such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), this was achieve through the reverse engineering of the drugs invented by the BEPC and sold at lower costs. This was made possible in India due to the availability of cheap labour in the country and the favourable environment encouraged by the Indian government at the time, which allowed low restriction on process patents, limited multinational companies having equity share in pharmaceutical companies in India and imposed price ceilings on some bulk and formulation drugs. (Greene 2007) Financial evaluation of CIPLAs business model Using the Profit and loss account for 2000-2010, sales turnover steadily increases from 2000-2004 but in 2005 there is a decline of about 10% which can be attributed to the implementation of the WTO law that affected the number of drugs available for replication. This also affected the earnings per share which dropped from about 51 to about 13 in 2005. Investment and debt also showed a steep decline of over 100% from 2004 2005; this corresponds to the change in business environment which can infer a reduction of debt incurred for drug production. However the excise duty showed steady increase from 2000-2005 indicating company focus on domestic market but in 2006 there is a steady decline in excise duties paid and this can be as a result of increased exportation of drugs following a change in business model. Change in CIPLAs Business Model The era of this type of business model however draws to an end as various changes in the economic situation and world policy will threaten the very successful model in which the generics pharmaceutical companies in India have been thriving. In 2005 Indian government changed its law concerning patent drugs and fell in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Related Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPs) this limited the production of certain drugs that was filed as a patent from January 1, 1995(Greene 2007). Another important point is that the rate at which ethical pharmaceutical companies come up with new blockbuster drugs is declining, as the well known procedure for creating chemicals to treat ailments is not as productive as in times past (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). With a shift of investment from Research and development (RD) to marketing this trend will continue in the nearest future. This can be as a result of the immense cost to deliver a new drug to the market; costs can range from 802million 1billion over a period of 10-15 years (Mogalian, Myrdal 2004). Yusuf Hamied (CEO of CIPLA) stated in an interview that it was his belief that since the implementation of the law in 2005 their businesses where at risk of being taken over by multinational drug companies. Most generic companies in India adapted to this setback in their business model by transferring focus from domestic market in India and increase export of copy cat drugs to Western Europe and the United States, also entering into RD agreements, mergers and acquisitions of foreign drug companies and developing alliances with foreign pharmaceutical firms. CIPLA however chose a slightly different approach than most generic pharmaceutical companies in India by focusing on organic growth in India and only seldom indulging in strategic business alliances, technological services (such as knowhow transfer, plant supply etc) and in licensing with big pharmaceuticals. CIPLA however increased the exportation of generic drugs to countries like United States and Western Europe. Some points in CIPLAs corporate presentation in August 2009 highlight the companys focus: Business model based on international strategic alliances- Business focuses on organic growth and leads to reduced capital commitment and regulatory/litigation risks. RD targeted at ensuring efficient utilization of resources and focused at developing and launching niche products. The graph below shows a steady increase in the value of Indias pharmaceutical RD expenditure from 2001-2006 as a result of a shift in business model. Exhibit 1 Source: William Greene, US Trade Commission (2007) The emergence of Indias pharmaceutical industry and implications for the US generic drug market, US Office of Economics Working Paper 2007-05-A The graph above shows the increase in RD expenditure in the generics companies in India where they now focus on creating their own branded drugs. This approach was also used by CIPLA to better compete in the changing business environment. They boasted of new drugs like Imidara, Lopimune, Bifilin and many more (CIPLA seventieth annual report 2005-2006) Business models of Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies and rational for changes in the model. The big pharmaceutical company business model is the traditional pharmaceuticals company business model which comprises of large scale Research and Development departments which discover new drugs for diseases and the sale of those drugs to consumers .This is a rudimentary definition of their business model as it also entails many more components than those mentioned above for instance in recent times we see a shift of emphasis from the research and development to sales and marketing campaigns due to the competitive nature of the environment. Mogalinan and Myrdal (2004) describe the process of bringing out a new drug to entail the discovery of a new branded drug for which the company has to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by handing in a new drug application containing a report on the drugs efficacy and safety. The document also highlights dosage, strength and dissolvability of the drug. Once approved the company sells the drug exclusively under the brand name for as long as it is under patent protection. However a new external threat has evolved apart from the usual competition of rival companies in the form of Generics pharmaceutical companies. These companies as mentioned in prior section of the essay have used the process of reverse engineering to create cheaper replicas of the drugs produced by these big pharmaceutical companies and selling the drugs at cheaper costs to consumers. This has been of great profit to the generics companies as they had to indulge in little or no cost consuming research for the development of new drugs in the first place and the availability of low cost of production was just an added advantage to their business model. Martinez and Goldstein (2007) noted however the treat of the generic pharmaceutical wont be a problem if the big pharmaceutical companies were creating new block buster drugs, but that is not the case. Exhibit 2: The decline in RD productivity Though the industry doubled its investment from 2002 till 2006 in RD it yielded 43% less than it had in five years during the 1990s of chemical-based drugs. There is a change in the business environment for generic companies in India however with the 2005 adherence to WTO laws. They generics companies are focused on RD to produce their own patent drugs and generic drugs have become more accepted in Western countries over the years, with the rising costs of healthcare these governments are looking to cut costs and are therefore encouraging the adoption generic drug prescriptions to patients. Another major factor affecting the big pharmaceutical companies is the problem of expired patents. Companies like Pfizer that had a blockbuster drug called Lipitor a cholesterol lowering drug will be coming off patent in 2010 and this will allow the generics companies to bring in a cheaper replica of the drug which will reduce the sales of the company drastically. Similarly Martinez and Goldstein (2007) explain that the expiration of patent will affect big pharmaceutical profits adversely, where a drug formally grossing 90% 95% profit under patent protection will fall in profit when its goes off patent and generic companies offer the drug at a reduced price (sometimes the cost of production). Furthermore drugs meant to be under patent protection for 20years will fail to get to the market before 10years have already elapsed. *Sales data is from IMS World Review (except for China and Poland) ** Patented/generic split is from ESPICOM. Generic defined as a drug whose patent has expired ***2001 values for China; 2000 values for Poland; 2003 values for Brazil reflects patented/unpatented (unpatented includes branded unpatented, generics, similar) Sources: IMS; ESPICOM; Factiva; EGA; Mckinsey team Analysis This development will result in the increased encroachment on the market share of the big pharmaceutical companies, though we can see from the chart that countries like China, Brazil, India and Poland have higher percentage of generic drug usage than US, Japan, Germany, France and UK the problem of the global recession may cause an increase in the use of the generic drugs in these countries as well since developed countries like UK are hoping to cut costs on public expenditure like healthcare costs. Definition of relationships Based on these new developments in the business environment of pharmaceuticals companies and my research I begin to recognize a trend where big pharmaceuticals and generics have increasingly instances of working together in order to thrive in the new environment. This aids me in my definition of in tension asked in the question, I identify this as the type of relationship generating between the big pharmaceutical and the generics companies and we can see that it if morphing from a completely competitive one to a more competitive-collaborative relationship, where we can even see a convergence in their business models in some cases. We see the return of big pharmaceutical companies to India after the 2005 law passed by the government protecting their drugs, so they can benefit from the availability of cheap labor and low cost of innovative talent, they are even cooperating with the generics companies for Research and Development, in licensing and use of their distribution lines to transport their drugs to underdeveloped countries formally catered to by mainly generics companies. Companies such as AstraZeneca, Bristol-Meyers and GlaxoSmithKline have announced their intention to outsource a portion of manufacturing to countries such as India ,Eastern Europe and China since they believe it is of the same quality and at a cheaper cost to them (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). However though we see them working together big ethical pharmaceuticals companies still have some strategies to compete with generics pharmaceutical companies. Some defensive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies are to develop new generic subsidiaries of their organization so as to be able to better compete with generics companies. By having their own licensed generic companies, they are able to limit the rate at which generics encroach on their market share for drugs that are off patents, they accomplish this by allowing their licensed patents to release generic copies of their blockbuster drugs into the market just before they are off patent thereby gaining market share before the other generic companies release theirs. Novartis CEO Dr. Vasella foresees bountiful opportunities for quick growth in generics as a result of impressive performance of its generic unit Sandoz which accounted for 20% of its overall revenue and grew about three times as fast as its initial operati on (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). Competitive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies include investment in biotechnology and diversification. Biotechnology is of great appeal because of the inability for generics companies to create copies of the drugs as of now. Diversification on the other hand will allow the company to expand the range of services it offers its customers and allow it to get alternative sources of income. CONCLUSION In conclusion we make-out CIPLA business model to be the production of copycat drugs by reverse engineering of branded drugs and the sale of the generic drugs at cheaper prices to the Indian economy and any other country where the big pharmaceutical drugs do not have patent rights, however a change in the business model became inevitable in 2005 because of the Indian government adoption of WTO laws and caused a shift of the business model of CIPLA to focus more on RD for the production of its own Branded drugs and strategic alliances which entail cooperation with Big Ethical pharmaceutical companies through in-licensing and know how transfer. Another point to note is the change in relationship between the generic company and the big pharmaceutical where we see a competitive symbiotic relationship brewing, with increased dealings between the two types of firms where big pharmaceutical companies benefit from the cheaper cost of production and access to generic companies distribution pi pelines and generics gain from the in licensing agreements where they share profits with the bug pharmaceutical companies. However big pharmaceutical companies still maintain development of competitive strategies to combat the generic companies by creation of their own generic companies and increased investment in both diversification and biotechnology. Biblography Brink, J., Holmà ©n, M. (2009). Capabilities and radical changes of the business models of new bioscience firms: Changing Business Models of New Bioscience Firm., 18(2), 109-120. Chesbrough, H., Rosebloom R.S. (2002). The role of the business model in capturing value from innovation: evidence from XEROX Corporations technology spinoff companies. Boston Massachusetts. Harvard Business School. CIPLA Corporate presentation August 2009 Lambert, S.(n. d.) Business Models available from http://www.audiencedialogue.net/documents/Businessmodels_Lambert_000.pdf (accessed 15 December 2010) Martinez, B., Goldstein, J. (2007) Big Pharma Faces Grim Prognosis Industry Fails to Find New Drugs to Replace Wonders like Lipitor Mogalian, E., Myrdal, P. (2004) Whats the difference between brand-name and generic prescription drugs? USA.   The University of Arizonas College Rayport, J.F. , Jaworski, B.J. (2001). e-commerce. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Shafer, S.M. Smith, J.H. Linder, J.C. (2005) The power of business models. In: business horizons. 48(3), 199-207 William, G. (2007) The Emergence of Indias Pharmaceutical Industry and Implications for the U.S. Generic Drug Market .U.S. international trade commission 05-A, 1-36. Wimmer, M.A. (2004) Knowledge management in electronic governance. 5th ed. IFIP International Working Congress. (2009) CIPLA Pharmaceuticals Yusuf Hamied: I Am Not Against Patents I Am against Monopolies. India [emailprotected], May 07 available from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4374 (accessed 10 December 2010)

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Francisco Franco Essay -- essays research papers

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco was the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975, including the time of WW2. Perhaps he was better known as â€Å"El Caudillo,† translated into English as The Leader. He was born and raised in Spain. He was a very brilliant military general who led Nationalist rebels in defeating the Spanish government during the Spanish Civil War. Although he was viewed as a Fascist Dictator, he strongly opposed communism. He was an extremely important figure in the course of world history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teodulo Franco Bahamonde, Francisco Franco as he was known, was born on December 4, 1892 at the coastal city of El Ferrel in the region known as Galicia in Northwestern Spain. He was close to his mother during his childhood. His father, older brother, and the four generations before him were naval officers. However, the Naval Academy was full so Franco went into the Army. He enrolled into Infantry Academy at Toledo when he was 14 and graduated three years later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Franco quickly climbed the ranks of the Spanish Army. He gained a reputation of being a disciplined, honest, and dedicated soldier who was strictly professional. He was promoted to first lieutenant of an elite regiment when he was only 20 years old. He became the youngest captain in the Spanish Army in 1915 at the unprecedented age of 22. He then became second in command to General Jose Millan Astray of the Spanish Foreign Legion in ...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay example --

Chile is a very dynamic country with many interesting features that have shaped their aviation industry to be one of the most unique in the world. Apart from having a very unique shape, it also has many land features that set it apart from other countries. These features have affected the international aviation industry in Chile and made it very distinctive. Before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, Chile was home to the Inca tribe in the north and the Mapuche ruled central and southern Chile. Overtime the Spanish began to take over and drive out the native people. The Spanish ruled Chile until they were driven out in the War of The Pacific in the early 1800’s. Over the next few centuries Chile's governance was very unstable, changing rulers and governments every few decades. Things began to settle down starting in 1990 when Chile inaugurated a freely elected president. With this new government system Chile saw steady economic growth, the poverty rate was cut in half, and it began to establish itself as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile acquired a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2014-2015 term (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). The Chilean economy is market oriented meaning that it has a lot of foreign trade and has also established itself as a home for strong financial institutions earning it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). Exporting goods and natural resources accounts for approximately one third of Chile’s Gross Domestic Product and copper provides 19 percent of the government’s revenue, making it the world’s leading producer of copper (Heritage Foundation, 2014). Chile’s other export... ...tion, 2013). Another issue that Chile has to face is the possibility of volcanic eruptions and subsequent ash clouds. If a major eruption occurs in Chile it could greatly affect the air travel in and out of Chile for a long time. The last major eruption occurred in 2011 and not only grounded flights in Chile but also Australia and New Zealand as the ash cloud was blown a great distance (Williams, 2011). Chile has a very strong and stable aviation industry today. Since the government stabilized and remained consistent over the past years the focus of the government was clearly on enhancing the aviation industry in Chile. From airline giants like LAN to some of the most treacherous, mountainous regions in the world, it is amazing that the aviation industry has been able to thrive as much as it has. Chile truly has one of the best aviation industries in the world.