Saturday, January 25, 2020

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China Over the next twenty years, what is the likelihood that India will overtake China in terms of the size of its economy? Evaluate each economy using Khans economic rent analysis and one other analytical framework. Identity the factors driving economic growth in recent years and the social and political bases of these factors. Will they sustain themselves over the next several decades? China and India are the two largest developing countries in the world and have both been experiencing rapid economic growth since the 1980s. With similar development strategies, the two economies have both insulated themselves from the world economy before eventually making the move to reform/liberalise (Srinivasan, 2002). Although, from similar economic backgrounds, the political environments of the two economies couldnt be more different and could be argued as affecting particular drivers of economic growth. FDI levels are seen as an important determinant of both the growth and size of an economy and there are notable differences between the two and thus it is around this topic the analysis will focus (Wei, 2005). FDI has been shown to greatly contribute to Chinas economic growth, in particular through a broad range of manufacturing activities. In comparison, India has attracted very little manufacturing FDI and instead any inward FDI has largely gone to services, electronic and co mputing industries (Huang and Khanna, 2003). This essay will argue that India is likely to overtake China in terms of the size of its economy in several decades and that India does not need to try to match Chinas levels of FDI due to the structure and composition of the economy, which reflect what it is, an international market niche (Balasubramanyam, Sapsford, 2007). In particular, the essay will begin by using Khans economic rents analysis to evaluate each economy before exploring the determinants of difference between China and India in market performance, including a look at the similarities and differences of both, and the advantages and disadvantages of investing in each in relation to the firm before drawing conclusions as to the future of these two emerging economies in the world market. Rent is defined as the portion of earnings in excess of the minimum amount needed to attract a worker to accept a particular job or a firm to enter a particular industry (Milgrom and Roberts, 1992, p.269). The existence of rent in capital employed to a particular activity implies inefficiency in the processes of that activity however not in some cases where their existence is necessary. Rent may sometimes indeed be efficient and even essential in promoting economic growth and development. These complexities were not duly explored in older rents analysiss such as: the competitive market model where no distinction was made between the minimum income that would be accepted (in terms of alternative comparison) and the minimum amount that would be realistically accepted before reciprocating with the goods service (Khan, 2000). Ultimately, previous models were unable to compare and explain the large differences in performance of countries. Firstly, this essay will explore corruption as a rent and its consequential effect as a driver of economic growth. Corruption is defined as when public officials break the law in pursuit of their private interest (Khan, 2006 p.1), ultimately allowing the creation of rents. Several economists have stated a link between corruption and economic performance (Knack and Keefer, 1997) and this will be explored in the case of China and India. Often the powers given to public officials enable the ability or someone to bargain for bribes in exchange for allocating rents to those who can pay for them (Khan, 2006, p.5). The bribes in such a situation are illegal; however, the creation of such rents is seen as worth the risk, thus the incentive outweighs the risk. There are two drivers of corruption; the first is the need for a formal state so that the government can create legal rents, and secondly, is the formation of obstacles which results in people willing to pay money to access certain rent s. Evidence suggests that corruption has a negative effect on society and in particular, China has a long history of corruption. Most recently, in 2000, Margolis noted that corruption in china has rarely been worse or reached higher (Margolis, 2000 p.1). Corruption in China is in many economists minds aiding the growth of such a large economy, and, due to its sheer size is difficult to regulate, however, measures are being taken to crack down on corruption due to increased tension between the state and the public. India reflects a similar story as with most developing nations that corruption is indeed widespread. However, corruption in India is lower than China and for many offers a more attractive host environment for international firms. Indias government have active responses to corruption and the results of such have seen India go down in rankings. Thus, using the rent of corruption, Indias economy could be said as being in a more politically stable mindset. Furthermore, other rents as highlighted by Khan can be applied to provide a deeper analysis of both economies. Monopoly rents are dependent on the level of market competition and barriers to entry. Freedom of entry and exit would ensure no rents as if any player was gaining rents then other competitors would enter the fray thus driving down prices. Therefore net-social benefit would reach an optimal level, as would economic growth and efficiency. However, certain common phenomena such as economies of scale will always create the possibility for reduced cost structures and therefore a cost/price advantage for larger competitors who can resultantly monopolize markets and gain considerable rents. Although this is less prevalent in developing countries such as India and China with massive fragmentation of their markets due to disparity of consumer demographic types between geographic regions, it is more prevalent in China than in India since China have an emphasis on mass production thus supporting our conclusion. Conversely, the existence of natural resources rents signals efficiency and therefore their maximization would optimize net social benefit. This is because increased use and hence depletion of natural resources (for example: numbers of fish) would increase the difficulty and costs of tapping those resources. This would eventually reach a point where the cost is only exactly covered by the price due to the greater interest phenomena. Finally, rents based on transfers, in developed countries income from production is often lost through transfers, however, in developing countries these transfers can become the source of additional income and the basis for asset accumulation. As it is rarely the case that both parties in a transfer value the item equally the social welfare effect of this would be typically positive. Schumpteranian rents are particularly salient as they regard the level of innovation within an economy, which has been pointed out by many scholars as a source of competitive advantage (Porter). Although innovations are economically beneficial they create rents for the entrepreneur who has created a massive competitive advantage. The optimal social benefit can therefore be reached through most rapid competitor innovation imitation. This is what would put India ahead of China as India has been shown to be seven years ahead of China in its ability to imitate new technologies (Huang and Khanna, 2003), and this is resultantly the main factor in the conclusion that can be made from the consultation of Khans economic rents analysis. This essay will now move on to present the advantages of investing in both countries. The two emerging economies do share similarities which has lead to increased comparison, for example; both have large markets of one billion plus, and both have achieved high levels of growth in a short amount of time. On the basis of economic determinants China does better than India, but is this all that really matters? Chinas total and per capita GDP are higher and thus this makes it a more attractive location for market seeking FDI. Alongside this China reports higher levels of literacy compared to India, and thus is viewed as being able to provide a more skilled workforce and in turn this is attractive to efficiency seeking investors. However, there are advantages which cross between the two emerging economies. China has large natural resource endowments, in particular Chinas infrastructure makes it a more competitive place, particularly in richer parts of China on the coast. On the other hand, although China may have the advantage of natural resources and thus a greater potential for net social beneit in terms of natural resources rents (Khan, 2000), India is able to have an advantage over technical manpower in particular, in its skilled area of IT, India is able to provide the cheapest technically qualified manpower in the West however, a weakness arises in that India is yet to adopt a system of bulk production similar to China and therefore Chinas large domestic market with a system of mass production is attractive to multinationals. Compared to China, India has become known for its heterogeneity, it is diverse in culture, religions and language. Although this may pose a problem for multinational firms, we now live in a world where firms are increasingly adapting to local environments and thus in order to be successful in the Indian market it is necessary to locally adapt. However saying this despite an emphasis on local culture many Indians are fluent in English and this greatly enables Indian firms to do business in the West, unlike many Chinese firms where often language barriers arise. The Indian market does hold great benefits to a firm willing to overcome any problems associated with heterogeneity and in particular, India could provide a niche market for international investors. As well as its highly skilled technological staff, India has a democratic political system and western style financial systems. As noted in an article in economic and political weekly, Indias financial systems are more developed tha n China and this provides an advantage for firms investing in India over China. Indias ability to attract R and D centres, also provides India with the capability of absorbing industry know how quicker than China, India is likely to become more technologically superior as it continues to absorb information from firms investing. Chinas economy in its very nature requires high levels of FDI due to labour intensive technologies and therefore is attracting knowledge along the lines of management styles. In order to assess the strength of India, one particular aspect of Dunnings eclectic paradigm has been applied (Dunning, 1981). It is clear that China is the worlds global factory with high levels of FDI and an emphasis on manufacturing. However, to show that perhaps FDI figures are not the only economic factor such a theory will be applied to show other factors need to be considered and how such factors relate to India. Dunning (1988) related three factors to FDI, location, ownership and internationalisation factors. This essay will look at the first location factors to assess how they apply to India, such a theory may provide further understanding as to why, even though India has attracted considerably less FDI than China it is in good stead to compete and even overtake China in years to come. Dunning defined location-specific advantages as those advantages that a firm benefits from by choosing a particular location, as shown, India possesses communication facilities which enable i t to effectively communicate with the rest of the world. In particular, many call centres are in India and thus many time constraints are being over come through 24hour international call centres. India is pioneering new technologies and it is shown to be 6-7 years ahead of China in terms of its superiority (Srinivasan, 2004). It is Indias IT sector which has outstripped China and the widespread of the English language has allowed Indian companies to deal with Western companies. Secondly, Indian government policies are also allowing foreign firms to benefit from lower levels of corporate tax. Thirdly, infrastructure in India is good, particularly in areas which are considered technology hubs, more specifically areas such as Bangalore in India which is often referred to as the Indian Silicon Valley, offer great location specific advantages. Bangalore, is an organic phenomenon (Huang and Khanna, 2003) and is based on knowledge, education, ambition and intangible assets. The advantage gained here comes from the concentration of computer software and IT industries and arises from a network of firms which allows each firm to benefit from technological spillovers (Hill, 2009). This advantage is perhaps the most important advantage firms look to gain when investing in India. According to the BRICS study, the world economy is set to show dramatic changes over the next fifty years. If we look at the data from this study we can predict the future activities of China and India in order to further conclude the likely future of these two economies. In the study it was predicted that both India and China will overtake the likes of America, Japan and Germany in terms of GDP. Ultimately, the study shows that both India and China will be key players in the economy come 2050. More specifically, India is shown to have the most potential to show the fastest growth over the next fifty years, more specifically it is predicted that as India is less reliant on exports it is less sensitive to changes in the world economy and due to its organic progression many economists are tipping India to overtake China in the long run. What is particularly interesting to note is that India is following a strategy of that seen in developed countries by investing in IT and services unli ke most developing countries which follow Chinas strategy by offering a manufacturing base complete with cheap labour. In conclusion, the two emerging economies have very different strategies and this is reflected in the difference in their economic forecast. China has a strategy of labour intensive export led growth compared to India whom provides a more international niche, stepping away from the mass production market and moving towards providing a technologically superior nation focusing largely on IT and services. China has experienced great levels of growth and according to the predictions of the BRICS study is set to dominate the world economy by 2050. As it stands India is more technologically advanced Ultimately, however India holds great advantage over China as concluded in Khans analysis and referring to its developed private sector, stable democracy, and skilled workforce. As a final note as Huang and Khanna (2003 p.78) notes; China may have won the race to be the worlds factorywith the help of its diaspora, India could become the worlds technology lab.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Pelican Instruments Inc Essay

1. Prepare the Report that you feel Amy Shultz should present to Mr.Park. 2. Put yourself in the position of the following six managers: general manager(EM); marketing manager (EM); manufacturing manager (EM); general manager (EI); marketing manager (EI); manufacturing manager (EI). These six managers compete for a share in the company’s bonus pool. For each of the six, how would you make a case for your obtaining a share of the bonus pool? Six managers, three from the EM division and three from the EI division compete for a share in the company’s bonus pool. For the purpose of this analysis, we take into account different variances within each division, From the EM side, the General Manager could argue that his business unit must without a doubt follow the strategy of low cost, as he is dealing with a mature product. Because of this, he lowered his selling price compared to his competition by $ 10, resulting in a $ 1.4MM profit loss. However, he can strengthen his position by saying that thanks to his lower price, he was able to penetrate the market even more, achieving an additional $ 2.6MM in profit from changes in market share. Furthermore, he can argue that the lower price also got him an increase in volume, which earned him $ 679k more in profits. Clearly, the general manager’s decision to lower his selling price was more than beneficial for his business unit. The Marketing Manager would argue that thanks to his efforts, he was able to go from a 10% market share to a 16% market share, becoming partially responsible for the additional $ 2.6MM in profits. Although industry demand affected the division negatively, losing the division $ 724k, the positive effects of the increased sales were advantageous for the division. Furthermore, the Marketing Manager can say he is partially responsible for the savings in marketing fixed costs for the company, amounting to $ 416k. The Manufacturing Manager for the division must defend his increase in cost from $ 20 to $ 21. His argument can be perhaps that he was focusing more on quality of product, and that because his product was now of better quality he also is partially responsible for the increase in sales volume. He can  also say that he is partially responsible for saving the company $ 342k in fixed manufacturing costs. From the EI General Manager’s point of view, the fact was that he was able to sell his product at a much higher price, earning his division an additional $ 1.6MM in profits. Although unfortunately he lost $ 689k from a lower sales volume, he clearly made it up to his division by earning them $ 6.9MM from market share changes, and an extra $ 4.9MM from changes in industry demand. As opposed to the EM division, the EI Division strategy must be one that follows differentiation and that focuses on building and penetrating market share in a fast growing industry. EI’s Marketing Manager can argue that thanks to his efforts, he was able to end the year with a 9% market share. Despite the fact that this is a lower percentage than what was budgeted, the Marketing Manager can argue that the size of the market is growing by the minute, therefore defending his 9% and proving that he earned $ 6.9MM from being able to own a larger piece of the pie (or the market). Because industry demand for the product is also increasing, the product is hot, a factor that also allowed his division to sell above standard prices. Like the EM Marketing Manager, he can finally also argue he is partially responsible for the important savings in fixed marketing expenses. The Manufacturing Manager for the EI division can claim that like the EM manager, he was also partially responsible for the savings in fixed manufacturing costs. Because his division is focusing on a differentiation strategy, he could claim that the increase in variable cost per unit comes from value-added features that will allow the company to have a better product than its competitors. 3. As Mr. Park, how would you feel about the 1997 performance of each of the six managers who are competing for a share of the bonus pool? Taking into account the fact that the EM business is a â€Å"Harvest† business dealing with a mature product, Mr. Park should seriously consider getting rid of the division by slowly discontinuing the product, as it is performing worse than  budget and losing $ 4MM in profits for the company as a whole. If Mr. Park decides to maintain the division, the best way for it to compete will be by following a low cost strategy. Based on the characteristics of a â€Å"Harvest† business, EM managers should be strictly held to budget, and total compensation should be based more on base salary and less on performance measures. In analyzing each manager’s performance, Mr. Park should feel positively about granting the bonuses to both the Marketing Manager and the General Manager, but not the Manufacturing Manager, as his variable costs per product increased, going against the low cost strategy discussed. In terms of the EI division, this is a high potential market segment that is growing exponentially and the company is doing well in this business. This division follows a â€Å"Build† strategy and therefore he should be more flexible with his managers, acknowledging that their strategy of differentiation and growth is risky. These managers should be evaluated less according to budget and more according to long term criteria such as R&D spending, product development, and market development. Manager salaries should be more based on performance bonuses and less on base pay so they are more willing to take risks in their strategy. In analyzing each manager’s performance, Mr. Park should feel positively about granting the bonuses to the Marketing Manager, who had a positive variance for the department in terms of market share (aside from industry demand factors). Similarly, the Manufacturing Manager increased his variable costs by a large percent, but this could be defendable from the point of view of creating a better and more differentiated product. However, Mr. Park should feel negatively about the General Manager, since he could have offered the product at a slightly lower price and attained more sales volume and advantages from product mix as well.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Winter Olympics vs The Summer Olympics - 1169 Words

Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Every two years the Olympic games come around. For three weeks we watch as the nation’s finest compete against other nations for the chance to have a medal draped around their necks. There are two types of Olympics: the summer and winter games, but only one could be the better of the two. As a viewer of the events, the answer to that question is easy; the better of the two is the winter games because of the time of year, the athletic events, and the moments to remember. In order to evaluate the Summer and Winter Olympics, I considered several criteria. The first criterion I used was time of year. The weather and temperature play a big part in every aspect of all Olympic games. Another criterion I considered was the athletic events. The Olympic games are not worth watching if there is no thrill in watching it. The last criterion I used in my evaluation was memorable moments. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Definition and Examples of Progymnasmata in Rhetoric

The progymnasmata are  handbooks of preliminary rhetorical exercises that introduce students to basic rhetorical concepts and strategies. Also called the  gymnasma. In classical rhetorical training, the progymnasmata were structured so that the student moved from strict imitation to a more artistic melding of the often disparate concerns of speaker, subject, and audience (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition, 1996). Etymology From the Greek, before exercises The Exercises This list of 14 exercises is drawn from the progymnasmata handbook written by Aphthonius of Antioch, a fourth-century rhetorician. fablenarrativeanecdote (chreia)proverb (maxim)refutationconfirmationcommonplaceencomiuminvectivecomparison (syncrisis)characterization (impersonation or ethopoeia)description (ekphrasis)thesis (theme)defend/attack a law (deliberation) Observations The Enduring Value of the ProgymnasmataThe handbooks of progymnasmata may . . . interest modern teachers of composition, for they present a sequence of assignments in reading, writing, and speaking which gradually increase in difficulty and in maturity of thought from simple story-telling to argumentation, combined with study of literary models. As such, the exercises were certainly effective in providing students for centuries with verbal skills that many students in our time seem less often to develop. Because the exercises were so completely structured, furnishing the student with lists of things to say on many subjects, they are open to the criticism that they tended to indoctrinate students in traditional values and inhibit individual creativity. Only Theon, among writers on progymnasmata, suggests that students might be asked to write about their own experiences—something that did not again become a subject of elementary composition until the romantic period. Nevertheles s, it would be unfair to characterize the traditional exercises as inhibiting all criticism of traditional values. Indeed, a major feature of the exercises was stress on learning refutation or rebuttal: how to take a traditional tale, narrative, or thesis and argue against it. If anything, the exercises may have tended to encourage the idea that there was an equal amount to be said on two sides of any issue, a skill practiced at a later stage of education in dialectical debate.(George A. Kennedy, Progymnasmata: Greek Textbooks of Prose Composition and Rhetoric. Brill, 2003)Sequenced ExercisesThe progymnasmata remained popular for so long because they are carefully sequenced: they begin with simple paraphrases . . . and end with sophisticated exercises in deliberative and forensic [also known as judicial] rhetoric. Each successive exercise uses a skill practiced in the preceding one, but each adds some new and more difficult composing task. Ancient teachers were fond of comparing the graded difficulty of the progymnasmata to the exercise used by Milo of Croton to gradually increase his strength: Milo lifted a calf each day. Each day the calf grew heavier, and each day his strength grew. He continued to lift the calf until it became a bull.(S. Crowley and D. Hawhee, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. Pearson, 2004)The Progymnasmata and the Rhetorical SituationThe progymnasmata progresses from concrete, narrative tasks to abstract, persuasive ones; from addressing the class and teacher to addressing a public audience such as the law court; from developing a single prescribed point of view to examining several and arguing for a self-determined thesis. The elements of a rhetorical situation--audience, speaker, and appropriate language--are included and vary from one exercise to another. Within exercises subordinate topics or topoi are called for, such as exemplification, definition, and comparison. Yet students have freedom to select their subjects, expan d them, and assume a role or persona as they see fit.(John Hagaman, Modern Use of the Progymnasmata in Teaching Rhetorical Invention. Rhetoric Review, Fall 1986)Method and ContentThe progymnasmata . . . offered Roman teachers a systematic yet flexible tool for incremental development of student abilities. The young writer/speaker is led step-by-step into increasingly complex compositional tasks, his freedom of expression depending, almost paradoxically, on his ability to follow the form or pattern set by his master. At the same time he absorbs ideas of morality and virtuous public service from the subjects discussed, and from their recommended amplifications on themes of justice, expediency, and the like. By the time he reaches the exercise of Laws, he has long since learned to see both sides of a question. He has also amassed a store of examples, aphorisms, narratives, and historical incidents which he can use later outside the school.(James J. Murphy, Habit in Roman Writing Instru ction. A Short History of Writing Instruction: From Ancient Greece to Modern America, ed. by James J. Murphy. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2001)Decline of the Progymnasmata[W]hen, in the late seventeenth century, training in the three classical genera began to lose relevance and the systematic development of Latin themes through imitation and amplification began to lose favor, the progymnasmata fell into sharp decline. Nonetheless, the training afforded by the progymnasmata has left a strong impression on Western literature and oratory.(Sean Patrick ORourke, Progymnasmata. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication From Ancient Times to the Information Age, ed. by Theresa Enos. Taylor Francis, 1996) Pronunciation: pro gim NAHS ma ta