Economic Performance Essays (Examples)

One of the other key measures of our economy is the unemployment rate. This measure provides something of a counterpoint to a growing GDP. The unemployment rate increased in October 2008 to 6.5%. The ability to find meaningful work is a key component of GPI, yet the GDP can grow even if unemployment is high. One of the reasons is that the GDP does not measure wealth distribution. The wealth gap has increased over the past eight years. Average household wealth has increased, but the rate of increase is faster in the top quartile of households. Real wealth in the lower quartiles has stagnated. Again, the GDP would measure the wealth as having grown nationally. But over the past eight years wealth distribution has worsened. hile this clearly constitutes economic success for some individuals, it does not constitute economic success for the majority.

The current account deficit has continued to…

U.S. ECONOMIC PEFOMANCES IN THE PAST 5 YEAS

U.S Economic Performance in the past 5 years

Major indicator of healthy state of an economy is the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate. The GDP growth rate reveals the performances of an economy. United States is one of the richest country in the world and "has the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world." (Jabir, 2009 P. 3171). The country total GDP in 2010 was $14.5 trillion. (World Bank, 2012). Since 2006, the U.S. GDP has continued to fluctuate. Between 2006 and 2007, the U.S. enjoyed the growth in the GDP. In 2006, the country recorded 2.70% point of annual rate in the GDP, and in 2007, the country GDP slightly declined to 1.9%. While the U.S. demonstrated health growth rate between 2006 and 2007, the country recorded negative growth in the GDP between 2008 and 2009. In 2008,…

Country Comparision

Assessing Economic Performance

The United States vs. China: An economic comparison

Increasingly, the threat of world dominance by China is used as a 'scare tactic' to raise alarm about the faltering place of the U.S. In the world economy. However, while the U.S. faces major challenges, China also faces considerable obstacles in its upward economic trajectory, particularly given its low levels of personal spending, dependence upon exports and with political concerns about its human rights record and government corruption.

The United States remains one of the most powerful nations in the developed world. Its per capita GDP is $49,800. However, this figure alone does not explain the entire 'picture' of the U.S. economy (USA, 2013, CIA Fact Book). There is a growing divide between the very poor and the very rich which could lead to problems such as political unrest, resentment, and insufficient demand for goods and services.…

Apple's economic performance, characterized by high growth, is not infinitely sustainable -- nothing is on a finite planet - but the company can sustain economic success for a very long time. The company's investment returns are very strong. The ROE is 45.58% and the ROA is 29.3%. Both of these figures are around the industry averages. Both of these figures are above the 5-year averages, indicating that Apple has been able to improve its operating performance in the past five years. The company, even over the five-year time horizon, performs roughly in line with its industry peers.

Over the past three years, Apple's performance has improved significantly, and this was on a base of very high performance. The company's income has increased from $42.9 billion in FY2009 to $108.2 billion in FY2011. The net income has increased from $8.2 billion to $25.9 billion in that same period of time. This…

Currency Exchange ates

The author of this brief report has been asked to look at the subject of currency exchange rates and what they mean in terms of fiscal policy and the overall economic health of a country. The questions that will be answered will include whether the currency exchange rates for a country are an economic barometer of a country, the identification of an exchange rate and the comparison of its rate to the United States dollar and the primary factors that lead to the rate of exchange when it comes to comparing one country to another. While the currency exchange rate is indeed a good overall metric to look at when it comes to economic health, there are other figures and milestones that should get just as much, if not more, weight when it comes to ascertaining the economic health of a country.

Analysis

As for whether currency…

Americans receive two to three weeks of paid vacation per year, while Europeans receive between 5 and 7 weeks. In addition, the U.S. has generally 8 paid holidays per year; the comparable figure for Europe is 12 to 18 days (holidays such as Easter and Christmas, plus national days and even the Queen's irthday in the Netherlands). As a result, Americans average only 10.2 vacation days per year (Zuckerman). Americans work on average nearly 2,000 hours a year, while Germans work about 1,500 hours. This significant difference in hours worked may help to account for a significant portion of the 43% difference in per capita GDP for the two countries.

Retirement Age and Associated Pension Costs third reason are the retirement ages and associated pension costs. Europeans retire at an earlier age than Americans: generally between 57 and 62, while Americans tend to retire between 62 and 65. This difference…

Economics

hile the U.S. is only showing the first signs of recovery from the global economic crisis, other nations such as Australia and China have recovered much more quickly. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the disparity in economic performance in the past three years in these different nations. In particular, three factors will be considered. The first is the situation in each country at the outset of the crisis. As the crisis was largely precipitated by a credit crunch, the differences between the structure and regulation of the banking sectors in each country will be given particular attention. The second factor will be the response on the part of each federal government to the crisis. The third factor will be the nature of the different economies -- the degree to which different structures have impacted the recovery process. Lastly, policy implications will be drawn for…

Economic Challenges Canada Faces

In recent years, the challenging economic condition in Canada has emerged as a concern for citizens, policy makers and the government alike. Canada faces challenges in terms of creating a more innovative society, as the country continues to experience a significant productivity gap compared to other advanced industrial economies. The Canadian industry appears to be slower in successfully developing, applying and marketing innovative products, processes and services than a majority of other nations. This lack of innovation is the cause of Canada's low productivity growth and competitiveness, and therefore must be addressed in order to increase employment growth, a higher standard of living and an improved quality of life for all Canadians.

Current research predicts that although Canada's economic performance will gradually strengthen out of the recent mild slowdown into a better pattern of growth in 2004, Canada's economy still faces the longer-term challenge of increasing…

(Buchanan, 72)

The economic policy tools that were employed just after the war subsequently underwent some changes. From 1947 to 1950 direct controls on wages and distribution were eliminated followed by removal of trade controls in 1958. However, the government continued to maintain its hold over prices and credit distribution which made it different from many of its neighboring states in the postwar period. The French Ministry of Finance exerted greater control over the economy than the Bank of France. This led to a greater predilection to resort to devaluation when external equilibrium resulted due to the state failure to control incomes. In France, the period between 1945 and 1975 was known as the "thirty glorious years" because of the phenomenal economic performance. During this period, the average growth rate of GDP was around 6.8% which was quite remarkable considering that Britain's average GDP growth rate was 2.4% and Germany's…

Economics

There are several factors that could contribute to increased demand for owner-occupied housing in the United Kingdom. Given that this demand is presently suppressed by a poor economy, most of the conditions under which demand would increase involve finding ways to boost overall economic performance. One normal policy prescription, lowering interest rates, is effectively off the table with the current rate at 0.5% and the Bank of England expected to maintain this rock bottom rate for the foreseeable future (Oxlade, 2013). Banks could lower lending rates to buyers, but these rates are usually based on spreads relative to the rate at which banks borrow, so there might not be much flexibility for banks to lower rates profitably.

One way would be to boost the economy through fiscal stimulus, government putting money into the economy instead of taking it out. This would create better demand conditions, and would also give…

Economic and Professional Performance

This is a paper that explores the economic and professional performance of Mexican-American and Chinese-Americans.

There are six references used for this paper.

The United States is a country rich in diversity. It is interesting to look at Chinese-Americans and Mexican-Americans and determined their professional performance, as well as their economic performance.

Mexican-Americans

Mexican-Americans are one of several groups which make up the Hispanic population in the United States, and are found mostly "in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. Although there may be cultural differences, most Hispanics share North American values, including a desire for upward mobility (Coates)."

Performance

Many Mexican-Americans find their efforts to improve their economic condition challenged by their language skills and education levels. The majority of Mexican-Americans speak Spanish and understand little or no English. Education "is a serious problem, partly because many Mexican-American families are migrant workers who move…

Economics - Country Analysis

Country Overview and Current Events (News)

Ethiopia, traditionally known as Abyssinia, is a landlocked Sub-Saharan country located at the Horn of Africa in East Africa, bordering Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, and the newly-created South Sudan. It covers approximately 1,126,829km2 of land; about the size of the state of Texas, and was, until the split of Sudan, the second-largest country in Africa. Being landlocked, Ethiopia largely relies on the port of Djibouti, to which it is connected by both rail and road. Economic elements such as this, together with the country's history, population, geography and economic performance have been explored in the subsequent sections of this text.

Population: the U.S. Census Bureau, in June 2013, estimated Ethiopia's population to be 93,877,025; a figure that makes the country the second-most populous in Africa, after Nigeria (orld Bank, Index Mundi). Ethiopia's population has been on a steady increase…

For the period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, West Germany strived to assist the dollar. The United States and many other nations pushed West Germany to reassess so as to make up for the dollar excess. (Germany in the World Economy)

At last, after escalating waves of conjectures, the retton Woods system had a collapse in August 1971. All through the post-retton Woods period, the deutsche mark stayed under pressure. In order to relieve strain within Europe, West Germany and other European states assented to peg their currencies to a special system of comparatively narrow exchange rate bands officially named the 'European narrow-margins agreement' but unofficially identified as the 'snake'. The United States and West Germany performed main roles in attempting to organize a new global monetary system. but, in spite of its willingness to make small exchange-rate alterations for the benefit of new currency arrangements, West Germany…

Shift from Central Planning to Market Economy

The Turkish economy is in what might be termed semi-precarious health. It could certainly be worse, but also certainly be better. Since its birth as a nation-state into its current shape in 1923 in the wake of World War I, Turkey has operated a mixed economy, in which both state and private enterprise have contributed to economic development. (Indeed, it is arguable that all country's in the world today have a mixed economy; the United States may be a bastion for private enterprise but many workers also benefit from government money, such as the money awarded by the federal government to private companies in the form of defense industry contracts.) Since the end of World War II, the economy has been transformed from a predominantly agricultural one to one in which industry and services are the most productive and rapidly expanding sectors even…

Economics of Southwest Airlines

A Brief Economic Analysis of Southwest Airlines Today

Southwest Airlines was incorporated in 1967 and has its headquarters in Dallas. It is a U.S. airline that offers domestic point-to-point service; as of December 31, 2004, the company operated 417 Boeing 737 aircraft, with service to 60 airports in 59 cities in 31 states (Southwest 2); the company also has at least another 261 Boeing 737-700s on order (Comerford 1). Today, Southwest has six reservations centers (one each in Albuquerque, Chicago, Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and San Antonio); in addition, the company sells credits to its business partners (these include credit card companies, hotels, telecommunications companies, and car rental agencies) (Southwest 3).

Economic Performance and Discussion

hile much of the aviation industry was devastated by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Southwest has managed to maintain an even keel due in large part to the progressive…

In fact, Brierly and Costello bring into the argument the three variables commonly associated with industry growth -- labor, Capital, and Technology. Brierly and Costello used time series regression to test each of these variables in order to determine which made the largest impact on state economic growth, while holding the caveat that states should be careful when considering these variables as they do not have much control over them. Brierly and Costello's results suggested that increasing labor had larger impacts on state economic development than increases in the other two variables. This conclusion is correct only for the short-term, however. In fact, Brierly and Costello's reasoning for their findings that neither increases in labor or technology result in economic growth for states because their investments are typically more "long-term" (Brierly and Costello).

Instead of simply relying on capital, however, ichard C. Feiock argues that non-traditional methods can be beneficial…

Kenyan reform policy Successful?

The need for reform in Kenya has been clearly demonstrated. But the question remains, has this reform been successful? The slogan of "Harambe" fueled the passions of the Kenyan people and drove them to strive as one nation to lift themselves up from poverty and oppression. It has been ten years since the last reform and it is now time to look back and see what has been accomplished.

To measure the success of the reforms we will consider several economic indicators both before the reform and after to see how they have changed. Then these factors will be considered as a whole to develop a better outlook on the entire picture. e will consider education, the performance of the industrial sector, the trade and tourism sector, the finance sector, rate of inflation, employment and wages, the agricultural sector, construction, social services and some comments on…

disrupting America's economic system is a fundamental objective of terrorists

Even as the world continues to struggle with the terrible shock from the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, one principle lesson has already become clear: disrupting our economic system is a fundamental objective of terrorists.

Prior to September 11, our economic environment was certainly not immune to terror, in comparison to many other nations; we lived relatively terror-free. Now, however, the aftermath of the terrorist attacks serves as a grim reminder that international relations and security developments can dramatically affect economic performance.

US History is replete with countless examples when macro fundamentals are overtaken by what economists refer to as, exogenous shocks -- surprise events that can profoundly and often unpredictably shift political and economic resources, and send even the most accurate forecasts astray. Commodity shocks, such as the two OPEC jolts in the 1970s, are classic…

economic analysis of the operating cost that are incurred in the running of a metro station. The paper also reveals the variables that are tied to the cost efficiency of the whole process of running a metro station. The cost of operating the stations is however grouped under the semi-fixed costs that are involved. This is because these costs do not vary proportionately with the output of the metro business. This paper seeks to shed light on some of the main factors that affect these costs. Empirical analysis reveals that very strong system specific factors influences costs but it is worth mentioning that there are other station specific details that also influences the costs. These include the number of platforms in the station, the length of the passageways, the interchange demand, availability of toilet facilities etc.We also discover that presence of air-conditioning has a great effect in the propulsion of…

marketing data collected to analyze the economic performance of the Hideaway Hotel. It consists of annual and monthly economic data, a forecast of next year's performance, and an interpretation of statistical data gathered from the hotel's guests. It also includes a break-even analysis and suggestions to the firm that will help to restore its profitability.

Collect data on the main macro indicators and assess current macroeconomic conditions. Describe briefly the expected impact of these on sales and costs of the business.

he Economist Intelligence Unit expects continued fiscal operating surpluses over the next several years, but also maintains that increases in government spending are not likely as the government focuses on building up the new pension fund. his fund should put more money in the hands of pensioners, who regularly go on seaside vacations. he Economist expects GDP growth to slow from 2.7% in 2003 to 2.5% in 2004, but…

Economics Course

Economics impacts on many areas of life subsequently it will impact on many areas of professional life. eflecting on the lessons learned, including the knowledge and skills gained, the real value is in the way that economics concepts can be applied to the real world; not only to explain event that are seen in the macro-environment, but to guide the way personal decisions will be made with that knowledge.

The first indicator of the lessons and concepts taught in the class being absorbed and developing into transferable knowledge has emerged with an increased understanding of the way that the economy operates and the influences which are present in the economy that are driving up prices.

There are many examples of the economic concepts; one example is the way that supply and demand has impacted on oil prices which has had a knock on effect in the economy as…

Economics

Total revenue represents all the company income. Total revenue is calculated by multiplying the price of products with the quantity sold. Typically, total revenue is calculated as follows:

Total revenue = price x quantity

Where price (P) and quantity (Q).

Total revenue=PxQ

As being revealed in Table 1, total revenue is calculated by multiplying price with quantity, when firm produces 2 quantities of goods, firm's total revenue is $10, however, when a firm produces 3 quantities of goods, its total revenue is $15.

Marginal revenue is an additional revenue that a firm generates when a firm sells additional unit of output. The marginal revenue plays an important role in the perfectly competitive firm where a perfectly competitive firm maximizes its profit when marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost. The formula used to calculate marginal revenue is:

Marginal revenue= Change in total revenue/Change quantity.

The average revenue is calculated…

Performance Measures

In this text, I concern myself with performance measurement. In addition to a performance measure of my choice, some of the other performance measures I will discuss include EVA, OI, and operating leverage. In so doing, I will not only compute the said performance measures but also reflect on their advantages and disadvantages. My companies of choice for this discussion are Apple Inc. And Google Inc.

Performance Measures: Computations

Formula

Apple

Google

Degree of Operating Leverage

% Change in EBIT/

%Change in Sales

eturn on Investment

Operating Profit / Total Assets

Economic Value Added

NOPAT -- (WACC * Investment)

Gross Profit Margin

Sales -- COGS / Sales

Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL)

Operating leverage in the words of Stickney and Weil (2007) "refers to the tendency of net income to rise at a faster rate than sales in the presence of fixed costs" (p. 792). In that regard…

Economic Value Added (EVA) Accounting Practice

Although Economic Value Added (EVA) is not a new concept in economics and financial theory and is based on the 19th century concept of "economic profit," it has only been widely adopted recently by business firms as an accounting practice. In this paper we shall describe what EVA is, and look at its pros and cons from the point-of-view of the company adopting the practice and the investors. We shall also discuss how EVA differs from some other emerging accounting practices and the major issues relating to EVA as compared to other commonly used accounting principles. Finally, the possible problems and opportunities that a company adopting EVA principles can face shall be examined.

What is Economic Value Added (EVA)?

Economic Value Added (EVA) is the after-tax cash flow generated by a business minus the cost of the capital it has invested to generate that…

Source: The Financial Forecast Center, 2009

Increases in unemployment rate mean that the gambling industry will be faced with fewer customers. This in turn will materialize in reduced sales and profits. If the situation continues to aggravate in the years to come, several players in the gambling industry might have to close their casinos. One must also notice the exceptional situations in which out of job individuals will gamble in the hope of winning some money. However, these instances are reduced and not able to modify the indirect relationship between the evolution of unemployment rate and demand for gambling services. Vice versa, when the unemployment rate decreases and the population enjoys more sources of revenues, the demand for the services of casino clubs increases.

2.3 Inflation rate (consumer price index)

The inflation rate represents the "percentage increase in the price of goods and services, usually annually" (Investor Words, 2009). Within…

Economic Events: 1980-1989

the decade of greed. The era of onald eagan when the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Despite this common wisdom, 1980 started off auspiciously. On May 8, 1980 the World Health Organization hailed "one of the century's greatest medical accomplishments," the final and total eradication of smallpox (Dickson 247). But how quickly times change - barely a quarter century has passed and this same disease is making headlines once again.

Attitudes change also. While many in this day and age would still agree that the 1980's was a selfish period in American history, a sea-change has occurred in the rhetoric issuing forth from Washington D.C. In a very fundamental way, party politics has been thrust aside as concerns for homeland security take precedence over petty partisanship. Michael Barone notes this in his analysis of a speech made by Democrat ichard Gephardt in the Summer…

Increases in manufacturing reveal benefits early, one can track the benefit at all stages and report the benefits to the public quickly. According to a statement released by the Center for American Progress, "solar panels don't install themselves. Wind turbines don't manufacture themselves. Homes and buildings don't retrofit or weatherize themselves. In our industrial society, trees don't even PLANT themselves, anymore. eal people must do all of that work." The public wants a quick fix, they want to start hearing that the economy is doing better and a focus on manufacturing will accomplish this. Additionally, there has been increasing pressure on the White House to focuses on alternative energy sources. Such a policy would gain favor with democratic and liberal environmentalists.

4. Do you consider your views to be more aligned with a classical or Keynesian approach to economic thinking? Explain. (There is no right or wrong answer). See module…

Economics

Governments influence the economy in many ways, but the two most often discussed in economics are fiscal policy and monetary policy (another might a trade policy, for example). Fiscal policy reflects the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy (eil, 2008). Thus, the level of spending, the amount of revenue collected, and how the money is spent are all things that must be taken into consideration in fiscal policy. Fiscal policy also frequently has an effect on the decisions that businesses and individuals make. Consider the debate about taxes and the "Buffet Rule" -- the tax polices we have now are designed to encourage specific behaviors. This is why capital gains are taxed at a different rate than dividends, and why dividends are taxed at a different rate than interest income. So fiscal policy does affect the way some people behave, as they attempt to maximize…

ECONOMICS

The industrial age was an age of giant, mega corporations that were often bogged down by inefficient and outdated distribution, innovation, and production techniques. y contrast, the information age of the past 20 years or so has brought forth a new business form, a fluid congregation of businesses, sometimes highly structured, sometimes amorphous, that come together on the internet to create value for customers and wealth for their shareholders. This phenomenon has been commonly referred to as "digital capital," "information technology revolution," or "new economy." However, as both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq soared to historic highs and record volatility in just a few short years, a widespread and quite fundamental disagreement emerged concerning whether or not the high-tech boom was nothing more than one huge bubble.

This paper analyzes and examines the present condition of the United States economy. Part II discusses what phase of…

Economics

Is the U.S. really recovering faster than the EEC and Japan-Asian trading partners?

The economic climate improved for all during the second half of 2003. owever, the U.S. recorded a more accelerated upturn during this period that many attribute to extensive tax cuts. Expansion in private consumption has been dramatic and business spending has also increased recently.

Japan's economy grew for a seventh quarter in Q3, 2003 the longest expansionary phase since 1997. Real growth came in at +.6% q/q, double the forecast. The economy expanded by 2.7%. In 2003, driven by exports and private capital investment. owever, deflation is set to continue, albeit at a lower pace, and the general government deficit is expected to exceed 7% of GDP for the next two years.

The performance of the Western European economy was weaker. After a prolonged phase of stagnation, signs of a gradual economic recovery became visible in…

Inevitably, the level of economic development has a direct contact with the marketing strategy of a company. Basically a company's marketing strategy is a mixture of three things which are distribution, promotion and pricing.

Companies usually make its marketing strategies according to the level of economic development in both the multinational and global context. For a developed country, the organizations have an idea that promotion and pricing strategies will be crucial for them merely to accelerate the level of their earnings. There can be a marginal difference between the standardized form of marketing and local method of marketing. Standardized form of marketing compel the organizations to facilitate the consumers in the same way as they wanted while the domestic marketing makes their own rules of entertaining the consumers, this is the main thing why the standardized form is more productive than the domestic form. Standardized form of marketing includes tailoring…

The process would take centuries, but by Elizabethan times it had surely begun. Serfdom had all but disappeared from England, and money rents and wages had largely replaced other forms of compensation and exchange. The new importance of trade contributed to a profound change in attitudes, one that was beginning to re-shape society itself. In 1579, Thomas Churchyard defined as nobles, "Merchauntes that sail forrain countreys," a statement that underscores the importance of generating wealth.

Though not legally noble, these individuals were already beginning to emerge as substantial players in English society.

Economic Expansion: The Manor as Productive Estate

The vast expansion of trade and commerce in Early Modern England found its fullest expression in the thirst for new outlets for national enterprise. England's growing collection of colonies represented an attempt to compete economically on a world stage. Rivalry with other European powers encouraged the discovery and settlement of the…

Bush implied unemployment figures were declining and Kerry touted very high unemployment figures. In hindsight, it appears that the labor department statistics concurred with the Kerry camp. When Bush still won, unemployment trend indicators seem to be coming true now and there seems to be more problems on the horizon for the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated recently that new jobs being created in the economy were the types of jobs that cannot fuel economic growth. Thus, the economy is and will continue to lose jobs to cheaper labor markets around the globe.

The Federal eserve has dictated the cost of capital for businesses to borrow. Trends show that cash shortages in corporate American are increasing and borrowing heavily will be a likely result. Therefore, future actions of the Federal eserve impacts a major aspect of America's future. Trends to observe by the Fed relate to consumer consumption…

Economics for Business

The company that I am studying is Apple. The company is a designer and marketer of consumer electronics, specifically computers, smartphones, tablets, mp3 players and software. The company has experienced a strong run of great performance in recent years, but it has not always been that way for Apple. The company struggled considerably, especially in the 1990s, before breaking loose. The key thing about Apple is that it has always sought to differentiate itself. Over the course of the past ten years, we have seen most of Apple's former competitors in the personal computer space leave the industry. The reason is that the computer industry is moving towards the strategic hell of perfect competition.

Strategy Hell

The term strategic hell reflects the condition of perfect competition. In the real world outside of economics textbooks, few markets can be truly understood to be perfectly competitive. Perhaps a vegetable…

(Jabal Omar Development Corporation 2010)

Kuwait

Since 2008, the real estate market in Kuwait has been continually declining. The reason why is because the economy was largely depending upon oil revenues. However, in 2010 the sector began witnessing an increase in prices. This is because of the Kuwaiti government was aggressively promoting the tourism industry. As developers are expecting a strong increase in foreign direct investment, due to the governments push to expand the sector. As a result, holiday and residential areas in Kuwait are continuing to boom. (Finkelstein)

In the housing industry, there are large numbers of shortages that are affecting prices. What has been happening is the residential sector has been facing restrictions over the last several years, surrounding building permits. As the government was slow to endorse them, which created a rush on new areas that were approved for development. At the same time, the government has…

The absence of these however does not detract from the general value of the article, or from the proof of the premise. Furthermore, it could also be acknowledged that the factors described, other than EVA, are already well-known in accounting, and do not need a clear explication of both strengths and weaknesses.

Another factor in favor of the article and its premise is the fact that the authors acknowledge the shortcomings of EVA itself. The article for example includes a "Limitations" section that address these limitations. EVA for example does not take into account the current market value of assets, which could be misleading. Hence, it is difficult for EVA to project the future success of strategic goals and plans. Other factors such as market share and sales growth could better determine such future success. Furthermore, EVA only provides a global, one-year view of the operational performance of a company,…

Economics

Growth The retailer sector was lately affected by the back-to-school shopping season, which did not start so well, as midprice department stores, discounters and specialty-apparel retailers announced disappointing sales results during August, which reinforced the already much debated concerns that consumers are not comfortable with the current state of the economy and are reluctant to consume, considering the shaky and uneven economic recovery.

However, luxury department-store chains managed to post significant earnings, as they benefited from the help of an important number of upscale shoppers. Still, the effects of higher gas prices and the rising value of grocery bills, combined with lackluster job growth were severely felt by moderate- and lower-income shoppers.

Michael Niemira, chief economist and director of research at the International Council of Shopping Centers feels that "There's weaker-than-expected performance," due to the fact that "there was a slowdown in spending, but some results are exaggerated by…

One can therefore expect that Israel will benefit from an increase in knowledge-based industry that will continue to power employment and GDP growth.

Investment

Investment is a triple indicator: relative attractiveness of the country, the type of investment being attracted, and political stability or instability. In comparison to the U.S., all countries save Saudi Arabia are attracting more investment. One would expect that the U.S., as a relatively mature first-world economy, would be at a relatively lower level. The surprise in this analysis exists in both extremes: Saudi Arabia on the low side, and Qatar, Kuwait and Dubai on the high side. Israel's relatively low investment can be explained by the type of knowledge-intensive industrial development it is experiencing now.

Qatar and Kuwait are experiencing resource-extraction investment at record levels. The primary driver is natural gas expansion. Unlike oil, natural gas must be processed extensively by capital-intensive facilities before it…

A survey will be developed as a part of implementation of the BSC system in this hospital to track customer satisfaction with the services that they receive here.

A positive image of the organization translates into repeat business and a more positive reputation in the neighborhood, Patient satisfaction translates into increased future revenues. It also has some positive impact on risk assessment as well. The more satisfied the customer is, the less likely they will file an adverse lawsuit against the hospital. Patient satisfaction has a direct impact on the profitability of the organization. The number of complains that the facility receives can also be an important measure of the overall customer satisfaction. However, this number alone may not tell the entire story. A customer survey is the best method for addressing overall satisfaction with the facility.

Patient involvement was another important indicator of BSC technologies. Patient involvement means providing…

Economics in the IT Industry -- Additional Four Pages for Your Essay

Making Information Technologies a Competitive Strength

The pace and depth of innovation continues to accelerate in all sectors of IT. Across all sectors, enterprise and organizations that choose to automate their core business processes using IT systems and platforms are gaining the greatest impact of all however. Manufacturing and services companies are adopting Enterprise esource Planning (EP) systems to streamline their supply chain, sourcing, procurement, production and service strategies (Sternad, Gradisar, Bobek, 1511). EP systems are proving to be extremely valuable for these organizations as they strive to create a more unified series of business strategies across all their divisions. IT has emerged as an agile platform to support business' growth over the long-term as a result.

IT investments are also now entirely tied to business objectives and strategies as well. This has made IT critical form any…

Together these metrics will help the firm understand where the project stands and how has it really impacted the performance of both the firm as a whole and the employees as part of its system. The firm is a major manufacturer of cosmetic products. It can measure its brand equity by comparing it with other brands in the same category. Higher sales on their own are important but when compared to rival's growth, they make more sense and can be explained more easily to senior management.

The impact of this performance improvement project

The impact can be assessed from the benefits that would accrue to the firm. Greater impact will be felt in employee efficiency and productivity. More coordinated research will bring about better results in all areas including marketing and sales.

Strategies and approaches could be used to "sell" the project to Management

The management may not understand the…

Performance

Given the need to improve organizational productivity through increasing employee performance, develop a performance management program that focuses on linking the organizations strategic objective with the individual effort outlining the benefits of improved performance, the consequences for lack of performance as well as the employee and managerial training that will be needed for implementation.

Purpose of the performance management program (PMP)

The purpose of the PMP is to align the motives of the employee with that of the organization so that the employee is encouraged to work for the good of the organization. Objectives are formulated that are in line with those of the employee, a system of rewards and consequences are established that attract the employee, and a system of monitoring and work appraisal, formalized together with employee, is established.

a. Strategic

The PMP is strategic so that the organization's goals are clearly aligned with that of the…

S. have tried to govern themselves. You can use the Internet, but don't use the Internet exclusively. Also, try to research different nations, not just the U.S. I've given a brief overview of the Bill of ights, one of the most important and contested aspects of the Constitution, but look into the British system of government as well (which influenced the creation of our own) and France. And ask why have some constitutions and nations failed, while the U.S. system has remained intact. Bring your research to class with you.

Step 3: Come to an agreement about what rights to include

On Wednesday, we'll have our own Constitutional Congress. I will observe the unstructured debate, which will revolve around how Freedonia will govern itself and what rights will be included in the new constitution and government. Some things you may want to think about: what rights don't Americans have? What…

Many businesses could no longer operate in this fashion and likely closed their doors leading to a rise in unemployment. This is an example of the rule that Hitler had on the Pre-World War II German economy. The people of the nation were completely subject to his policies and because the economy was in such a vulnerable position as a result of the First World War, that Hitler's policies were looked upon as providing assistance to the nation. The research indicates that Hitler's rule over Germany managed to counter the rise in unemployment with institution of the German Labor Service and other workforce and labor programs.

Pre-World War II Unemployment in Germany

etween January 1933 and July 1935 the number of employed Germans rose by a half, from 11.7 million to 16.9 million.

. Under the rule of Hitler, more than 5 million new jobs paying living wages were created.…

Economics

Studying in United States have always felt the need to challenge myself and learn from the situations that I have overcome in my life. These challenges and obstacles have provided me the opportunity to be more independent and responsible. I always hade passion for English and knew that learning it would always be a challenge for me. Therefore, just two-year ago, I decided to take up this challenge and went to study abroad in the United States to begin a new stage of my life.

I knew that studying in U.S. would give me a strong foundation and command over English language. Along with my brother studying in the United States, I had come to face the fact that I had left a comfortable life behind. With a sheltered and dedicated care from my parents in Hong Kong, now, living in the United States, without my parents, I realized…

We don't look at their psychological well-being. it's almost as though, psychologically, they're a blank. And we know very little about the differences among black women. Some cope better than others. We don't know who they are, why they cope better, what resources they have access to. If we can understand that, then we can understand the needs of those who cope less well. What I am finding so far is that almost all the mothers in my study, when asked whether they would prefer employment to public assistance, say they would rather have a job. However, having a job is very difficult for this group of mothers because it is difficult for them to find and keep jobs that support them and provide adequate benefits. And there's another consideration: When we say we're going to put these women to work, what is it going to mean in terms of…

99

Peer Avg: 12.99

Peer Avg: 12.66

EMC Corp. (MA)

11.6

11.6

12.15

Microsoft Corporation

15.42

15.42

13.51

Oracle Corp.

11.94

11.94

12.33

Fixed and Variable Cost Analysis

The following table defines the fixed and variable costs associated with the new venture. At a minimum to create an enterprise-wide content management system that has the ability to manage per-content transactions, it costs approximately $1.5M. SG&A at $200K and Marketing at $120K are all fixed as this is needed to launch the company. Variable costs are all defined on a per customer engagement model.

Next, benchmarks comparing the dominant competitors in the web content management arena who could easily move into the monetization market are analyzed in Table 2.

Table 2:

Financial Analysis of Enterprise Content Management Systems Competitors -- Industry benchmarks

Company Name

Operating Income - 2008

Net Income - 2008

Gross Margin % - 2008

Inventory Turnover - 2008…

economics pricing system that allows smaller practices and organizations to buy and sell affordable prices is a must today. The use of technology to determine pricing strategys is prevalent in todays times. This can be illustrated with the following examples where companies have used technology to formulate their pricing strategy.

The pricing model for MDoffice offers an affordable entry price for smaller, less-demanding medical offices such as solo practitioners. These practices can extend their investment in MDoffice by easily moving from standalone PC's or laptops, to peer-to-peer networks, to sophisticated client/server installations involving LANs (Local Area Networks) and perhaps ANs (ide Area Networks). This easy migration from platform to platform can be accomplished in affordable increments.

The overall objective in all our pricing decisions is to offer great products at a fair price allowing our clients to get an excellent return on their investment and to have an affordable growth…

However, EVA is neither as perfect as claimed by its advocates, nor is it the only performance measure that suggests a path to a superior stock return" (emphasis added) (p. 319).

More importantly, though, while the economic value added measurement approach to financial performance may not be without its detractors, the scholarly literature is consistent in emphasizing the need for such initiatives for companies to remain competitive in an increasingly globalized marketplace today. For instance, in his recent essay, "Profit-Increasing Strategies," Tracy (2006) reports that there are a number of ways for most companies to add value to their product or service. "There are many strategies for generating sales, profitability and wealth in every industry," he advises. "Your ability as an entrepreneur to create a profitable business where no business existed before is the key to your success. In every market, it's usually true that 20% of the businesses earn…

Based on the assessment of the sample features in terms of capital size and value of the property portfolio, an observation is made in the fact that a proportion is kept between the two. In other words, the property companies in Jordan, Egypt and Syria seem to be prudential and correlate their capital sizes with the values of their portfolios.

3. esults and analysis of the Jordanian property companies

The results of the implemented questionnaire are revealed throughout the table below:

a (%)

b

c d e f g

Total (%)

Q3.

30

70

x x x

Q4.

40

60

x x x

Q5.

60

20

15

5

x x x

Q6.

Portfolio diversification

10

10

60

13

7

x x

Shortage of commercial properties

5

50

15

20

10

x x

Availability and choice

10

60

10

10

10

x x

Strong performance

70

20

5

3

2

x…

Trees, plants, animals, wildlife all have benefitted from the clean air act (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008).

The nutrition and labeling act

Previously, a number of consumers had problems with incorrect information on the product packaging, as well as, advertising. The nutrition and labeling act passed by the American Congress and Senate benefits the American people immensely. It serves as an economic regulation for the food and nutrition producing companies and forces them to be honest about the ingredients inside the product. Today nutrition data about each and every product can be easily found in the department store. The format in which this information is presented is easy to read. The consumers are able to make decisions about their food choices more rapidly than they did before. The packaging contains data on the exact amount of saturated fat; dietary fiber; cholesterol; as well as other nutrients per serving. In addition,…

Workhorse consumers are also far more likely to buy in volume, so focusing on building a machine for this sector could yield substantial profits.

Travelers, on the other hand, are willing to pay a slightly higher price for slightly higher performance and greater ease in carrying the unit around. Salespeople and others that are often on the road for business need a machine that can keep up with them and all of their work but that isn't cumbersome in terms of size or budget. Though a significantly smaller portion of the industry's customers fall under this category when compared to the Workhorse category, there is still substantial profitability to be had with these consumers as well as potential technology spillovers from innovations made on Traveler-focused products.

Competition

Iconic, Inc. is entering the microcomputer field along with six other competitors, and though Iconic, Inc. is currently the overall market leader there…

, 1994).

In the final calculation therefore, the hospital will suffer the most, the MO next, and PHOs the least. The entire triad -- hospitals, physicians, and insurers -- is usually comprised of a power struggle revolving around which one ends up dominating a local market. In the Marcus-Welby case, insurers seems to have been the first to 'get its act together', but if a critical band of physicians band together, they could dictate the terms under which they will join the network, and thus preempt or overturn the high level of prices raised by the insurers.

Requirements for success

Clinical care seems to be the most significant variable (Burns et al., 1994; Zuckerman & Kaluzny, 1991). To the extent the more value the service can offer the greater its amount of success. Findings also demonstrate that the greater the degree of perceived physician-system integration, the greater the system's inpatient…

Mattel must not only have an adaptive management set up but they also must have introduced only those products in the market that ride well with their corporate values and culture.

Gilbert (1996) asserts that one of the responsibilities of the top management is to connect their aims and objectives with their corporate culture in such a way that both work hand-in-hand. Being in the top end of the hierarchy, the general managers are responsible and accounted for not only planning but also for controlling and coordinating the decisions they make with their entire workforce. Additionally, he points out that they emphasize some cultural factors, which favor transformation; at the same time as weeding out negative, as well as, conservative mindsets (Gilbert, 1996). The top management of Mattel must have been extremely selective in its strategies that it employed soon after the incident, since it was able to successfully sort…

Institutional Econ

A omparison of the Old and New Institutionalism: Perspectives on and Applications of Economic Theory

This essay will consist of a review of literature and scholarship regarding the various perspectives and perceived uses of certain social and economic institutions at various points throughout the historical development of the modern era. Through a comparison of what has been dubbed "Old" and "New" Institutionalism, a better and more comprehensive understanding of both large scale theoretical frameworks can be developed, leading in turn to more useful and applicable understandings of current economic mechanisms and situations. Such understandings will enable more accurate and beneficial practical applications of economic theory to be developed and implemented on national and global scales, and thus this research will contribute directly to efforts in economic scholarship and policy making that attempt to lead to greater economic stability and prosperity.

Extended Abstract

The main subject of this essay…

Fiscal and Monetary Issues in America

Economics

There are high tensions in the American economy today resulting from speculations whether the government will be able to hit the debt ceiling. Failure to hit the debt ceiling has serious economic effects to many sectors of the economy both in the United States and various countries of the world. Political disagreements regarding the budget delay decision-making process as the date ceiling draws closer each day. The government debt will cause disruption and failures in the U.S. market system and beyond because some rates will double while others will completely fall. The consequences of these are both the government and private sector failures and the economy will not be in a position to sustain itself. Government securities will lose market value and the cost of bonds will double because of the risk premiums. The result of this is government deficits, which will require…

rapid, post-orld ar II economic growth for the Japanese economy. A survey of the literature provides insights into management practices of Japanese firms, and offers direction for necessary changes that the American economy must make to successfully compete.

Because of the exceptional growth of East Asia in the 70s and 80s, a number of studies were conducted to determine the causes of economic development, particularly in Japan. Hayumi's article explored the question of whether there were lessons to be learned that would improve U.S. economic performance. Hayami argued that while the orld Bank study of the "East Asian Miracle" acknowledged successful cases of government planning and control in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, the report did not provide a unique model of economic development. Given the complexity of political and government interventions, Hayami argued that the success of the northern tier could not be duplicated. Moreover, countries in the southern tier…

Poverty & Economic Development

The link between poverty and economic development

The financial services sector and poverty alleviation

Infrastructure

Governance

Trade and Investment

Human Capital

Trade and investment

In this paper, we explore the importance of the poverty and economic development dimensions such as infrastructure, private sector development, entrepreneurship, trade and investment and human capital. This is done while keeping in mind the ethical and governance issues like accountability and fairness and their influence on economic development. The content is discussed within the context of a financial services institution operating within African countries. In this paper, we also discuss the steps that the board and senior management of a company can take to address these issues, and describe which steps you would regard as the most effective.

Introduction

The link between poverty and economic development has often been a subject of several discussions and studies (oemer & Gugerty,1997;Hull,2009; Loayza &…

Conclusion

Each of the four economies studied suffered somewhat from the economic downturn. The differences between the severity and length of recession in each country will inevitably be affected by the structure of that nation's economy and its relationship with the international monetary system. As such, it is important that we analyze the differences between these nations and the ways in which the current economic crisis impacts their economies. e can learn why some countries are comparatively successful at mitigating the impacts of recession, while others suffer more than they probably should given their links to the root of the problem. This insight can help the players in the international monetary system to develop a system in future that is better able to manage the downside impacts of recession.

orks Cited:

Zakaria, F. (2009) the Canadian Solution. Newsweek. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/183670

Flynn, D. (2008). Greece did too…

The article concedes, however, that declining business confidence is an absolute danger that must be dealt with and the government not being an active partner with businesses and in favor of the recovery will just make things worse (Pollin, 2010).

A similar point is made in a different article that states that the role of fiscal policy in pushing an economy towards recovery cannot be over-estimated or over-analyzed because of the vital role fiscal policy plays in said recovery. The article notes that the impact (or lack thereof) of programs like Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Medicare, tax credits, Social Security, direct subsidies, unemployment insurance and such are often included in any analysis of fiscal policy but it also noted that many parties that look at this topic glaringly omit are transfer payments and other assistance paid directly to financial institutions (Tcherneva, 2012).

This perhaps became a much less…