The Influence of English on My Writing Skills Essay Example for Free

The Influence of English on My Writing Skills Essay I started learning English when I was 10. I found learning foreign language very entertaining, useful and, funny. In a very short time period I learned to speak English quite good and I was able to understand American movies without subtitles. As time was passing, my English was gradually improving and after couple of years I was able to speak it fluently. When it comes to writing, however, I was struggling from the very beginning. Even though I could speak English fluently, I never was really able to print my thoughts on piece of paper. When I was in high school, the English teacher thought that level of my English was among the highest in a class. However, she would never understand my poor performance on written tasks. She was very surprised that I can speak English so well, but still perform poor on essays. In the beginning, the professor though it is due my poor writing skills in general. But, on the other side, my essay grades in Bosnian very excellent, and Bosnian teacher would speak in superlatives about me. So one day, Ana, the English teacher gave me a very interesting task. She first told me to write an essay in Bosnian, and then to use a same topic, and write it in English. I did so, and difference was massive. The Bosnian essay was excellent, and essay written in English not even close as good. We finally found out what was the problem. Although, I was speaking English very well, the most of the words I knew came from different movies and TV shows. The English I was using was mostly made of slang words an terms. It was very good for easy conversation, but not that good for writing. This was a problem that I never completely solved. Despite my writing skills were improving all the time, my English essays were never that good and far away from those written in Bosnian. When it comes to writing the language barrier was insurmountable. The great ideas and thoughts were always coming to my mind, but I was never really able to write them down in English. However, I am pretty sure that I am not the only one with this problem. I think that there are many kids, especially in non-English speaking countries, which have same problems with overcoming language barrier. They all probably have great imagination and great ideas but cannot express them on piece of paper. Overcoming this language barrier was very tough task for me, and I have not finished it yet. Never less, I will keep trying and practicing until my English becomes as good as my Bosnian. I would strongly encourage all other internationals, with same problem, to keep trying and never give up. Because, one day, when we write an English essay and our teacher cannot tell that it’s written by an international; I will know that we made it!

Death in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay -- William Shakespeare Ham

â€Å"So shall you hear of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,† (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2, Lines 381-384). So says Horatio, best friend of Prince Hamlet in the final few lines of the play. He speaks these words after the deaths of Hamlet, Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, and Laertes, son of Polonius. Also dead are Hamlet, King of Denmark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former friends of Hamlet, Polonius, councilor to the King, and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius. Death is an extremely prevalent theme in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, each death is unique in circumstances, causes, and effects. Three important deaths in Hamlet were the deaths of King Hamlet, Ophelia, and Prince Hamlet. The first, and probably most important death in Hamlet, is the death of Prince Hamlet’s father, Hamlet, King of Denmark. Even though this death is not portrayed in the play, it sets off a chain of events that comprise the plot of Hamlet. Hamlet, King of Denmark died recently before the play begins. Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother, succeeded him. This upset Prince Hamlet, who thought he should be the successor. Then, in the very first scene of the play, King Hamlet’s ghost appears to some soldiers and Hamlet’s friend Horatio. The ghost does not speak to them. Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost, and eventually the ghost appears to Hamlet and speaks with him. The ghost surprises Hamlet...

Taco Bell: Reengineering

| | |[pic] | |Taco Bell- A Reengineering Success Story | |A Reengineering Success Story | | | | | | | Contents 1. About Taco Bell3 2. The Problem Starts3 3. Reengineering to the Rescue3 4. The After Effects6 About Taco Bell The franchise, Taco Bell is an eatery that needs no introduction. Taco Bell Corp. based in Irvine, California is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. , and the United States’ leading Mexican style quick-service restaurant. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos signature Quesadillas, grilled stuft burritos, nachos, and other specialty items such as the Crunchwrap Supreme, in addition to a wide variety of Big Bell Value Menu items. Taco Bell serves more than 2 billion consumers each year in the more than 5,800 restaurants in the US. In 2005, Taco Bell generated sales of $1. 8 billion in company restaurants and $4. 4 billion in franchise restaurants. More than 80% of their restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees. There are currently more than 278 restaurants operating in Canada, Guam, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Asia, Europe and the Philippines. The Problem Starts In 1983, analysis showed that the Taco Bell’s total cumulative growth since 1978 was a shocking negative 16% compared to a positive 6% of the total industry. This prompted the management to pinpoint immediately what was going wrong and where. This led them to identify the following factors: †¢ Lack of business vision for the company †¢ Reliance on obsolete management and operational practices, which focused more upon the processes rather than the customers themselves †¢ Top-down structure with multiple levels of management †¢ Following traditional approaches, which assumed what customers wanted without even asking them All the above factors were resulting in slower and costlier service. Having identified some of the key areas that needed improvement, Taco Bell started reengineering itself out of troubled waters. The more they listened, the more they found out that what customers wanted was very simple- good food, served fast and hot, in a clean environment and at a price they could afford. Reengineering to the Rescue The old system of operations at Taco Bell was based upon traditional operational practices, which were grossly insufficient for the economic and business climate of the 21st Century. This entire set-up was based upon certain assumptions, which include the following: †¢ Assuming that the restaurant knew what the customer wanted without even asking them. This led them to falsely believe that the customer wanted fancier decor, broader menus, outdoor playground etc. , instead of quality food at affordable prices. Investing in large kitchen areas, which in some instances covered over 70% of the total area in the mistaken belief that it would improve customer satisfaction †¢ Operating the restaurant along the lines of a manufacturing company rather than a retail outlet. Doin g away with this concept led to the development of novel ideas like K-Minus and TACO. †¢ Believing that the only segment they could target was the one within the restaurant’s premises. This translated into $78 million, whereas outside the restaurant, the total market came to about $600 billion in the USA alone. †¢ Limiting themselves to the goal of becoming a value leader in the quick-service restaurant industry rather than the value leader for all foods for all occasions. Reengineering the setup at Taco Bell involved several steps, including: †¢ Complete reorganization of human resources †¢ Dramatic redesign of operational systems †¢ Doing away with entire levels of management †¢ Creation of jobs like â€Å"market manager† †¢ Replacing area supervisors with market managers and reducing their numbers †¢ Eliminating district managers and promoting restaurant managers †¢ Reduction in the costs of everything about the business except the cost of the food and its packaging The management process was completely and dramatically reengineered–three layers were eliminated, including the entire â€Å"district manager† supervisory level. Every job in the system was redefined. Restaurant managers were given greater latitude to run their own businesses, and ultimately became â€Å"Restaurant General Managers. † In short, Taco Bell followed only one rule during the entire process of reengineering- â€Å"Enhance those things that bring value to the customer and change or eliminate those that don’t. † With this motto their corporate vision became clearer, â€Å"We want to be number one in the share of stomach[1]. † This was a vision of the company becoming a leader in the restaurant business and not just the Mexican food business was articulated. They also changed their restaurant structure by: †¢ Limiting kitchen area from 70% to 30% †¢ Increasing the customer area from 30% to 70% †¢ Doubling the seating capacity in the area available Additionally, reengineering led Taco Bell to introduce two new methodologies, namely K-Minus and TACO (Total Automation of Company Operations). [pic] Figure 2 Taco Bell’s two new methodologies K-Minus means kitchen less restaurant, based on the nature of the company. All of their food was cooked outside the restaurant in central locations. This stemmed from the concept that food should be retailed instead of manufactured. TACO (Total Automation of Company Operations) provides each restaurant with a Marketing Information System (MIS) and empowered the employees with computer know-how. It eliminated paper-work and allowed more time to be spent on customers. It helped keep track of sales minute by minute. Such programs served as agents of change for more innovative ideas such as new and varied points of distribution (like street corners and concessions stands) etc. This case study brings forth the following conclusions: Reengineering businesses is very much a reality and is not limited to the confines of a textbook. If done properly, it can virtually turn around any business; be it consumer goods (Kodak), restaurants (Taco Bell) or financial institutions (IBM Credit). The customer must be the starting point for all reengineering methods, concepts, ideas and processes. Resistance to change must be anticipated and appropriate steps must be taken to deal with it. Every company that seeks to be reengineered should seek a motto that makes its corporate vision clear, like that of Taco Bell. The After Effects These changes have had a huge impact on the company. Taco Bell went from a failing regional Mexican -American fast food chain with $500 million in sales in 1982, to a $3 billion national company 10 years later, with a goal to expand further to $20 million. While the environment was not a factor in Taco Bell's reengineering, it has benefited through the reengineering process. For example the TACO program (Total Automation of Company Operations) provides sophisticated MIS technology for all employees, saving thousands of hours of paperwork — and thus paper — as well as promoting self-sufficiency and reducing time spent on administration. The K-Minus program, or kitchenless restaurant, established a system where the large majority of food preparation occurs at central commissaries rather than in the restaurant, pushing 15 hours of work a day out of the restaurant, improving quality control and employee morale, reducing employee accidents and injuries, and resulting in substantial savings on utilities. The K-Minus program saves Taco Bell about $7 million a year. ———————– [1] The company introduced a new performance measurement called â€Å"the total share of stomach. † Instead of measuring success as market share of the fast-food market, Taco Bell set the goal of becoming the value leader for all foods for all meal occasioned. That created a broader vision and stimulated the development of new innovations.

How should future generations contend with the French-English divide? Has this divide changed over the past 20 years, if yes how so? Essay

As a part of Quebec’s youth and up and coming younger generation I have witnessed the conflicts between the French- English divide since I could remember and it is important that the needs of both sides are full filled or at least compensated for, future generations need to focus on other issues and need to resolve the French-English divide in a fashionable matter so that both sides can work together and benefit from each other such as the increase of speaking French in schools and businesses. Cleavages are defined as â€Å"a politically significant distinction among identifiable groups in a given population† (L7, S5). Language is an important cleavage in Canadian society (L7, S6), Canada is known to being a diverse country the population consists of many different types of people, cultural backgrounds and value systems each of which should be respected and tolerated by every citizen of this country. The English-French divide has persisted over time as a result of events and decisions by governing bodies that have continued to fuel the divide (L7, S7). There are different solutions to the language issue among French and English speakers but it takes time and although the divide has changed a lot, the past 20 years we aren’t where we want to be just yet and it is up to future generations to solve this problem. Further issues such as the compact vs contract theory will be discussed and also in recent news the dispute over the Charter of values the Pauline Marois government seek to put in effect that has sprung up a dispute other issues that will be discussed are Bill 101 and the disputes over the equalization of payments that has become a major topic for discussion and a large part of the French-English division if future generations were to resolve these topics they would be one step closer to a neutral decision. The language divide has played a key part in intergovernmental policies  between the federal government and the provinces and is therefore an important part to understand. We’ve learnt throughout history that the English have often attempted to assimilate the French (L7, S8) you don’t often see the English trying to preserve the French language and this resulted in a heated battle among English and French especially in the late 1800’s and late 1900’s where the divide had intensified and almost seemed imminent. In a video demonstrated in the lecture slides (L7, S8) former premier of Quebec (2001-2003) Bernard Landry and former leader of the Parti Quà ©bà ©coise points out that 75% of Anglos in Quebec speak both French and English and almost all the younger generations speak both language and admits this is a great improvement. Part of Quebec’s problem is that you can become a citizen by speaking English or French this is a problem for the Quebecoise because people are coming from different countries with just an English background, if there was a divide they would make it so that if you were to become a Quebec resident speaking French would be mandatory. Preserving the French language has been a top priority for Quebec. The French lived in constant fear of losing their language (L7, S8) so in order to preserve the French language and culture the appropriate decision the Parti Quebecoise have decided to do is to promote separatism. There was talk of the separation of Quebec from Canada being more of a sovereignty-association, Quebec would separate but would retain a political and economic association with Canada. They would share the same currency and have some joint governments to oversee their relations. Quebec would not really be independent it would actually rely heavily on both Canada and the United States for trade. Quebec would then be able to change the language laws so that French would be the first language. This could be a good decision but there’s a large amount of English speaking Quebec citizens who disapprove. Bernard Landry points out that Quebec has improved over the years and that he has seen a lot more Anglo’s speaking French as well but he points out that it is a different issue in different provinces. Being an English speaker myself it is very encouraging and helpful that I am perfectly bilingual, being bilingual has helped me in the work force, in my studies and in my social life. These are some factors that have English speaking Quebecers  speak more French and really made an impact among English and French speakers of Quebec. In Bernard Landry’s video he talks about speaking to his cousins that live in British Columbia and displays how they have lost their French Background it is in the Parti Quebecoise best interest to prevent this from happening. As we have seen, la survivance was the notion that fuelled traditional Quebec nationalism. The Quiet Revolution gave rise to a new type of nationalism in Quebec which had a different vision of the state and its ability, through its institutions, to help the French survive (L7, S49). The French-English divide was further aggravated when the Quebec government decided to use its institutions to implement legislation to ensure the survival of the French language in Quebec. This caused a great deal of controversy in English .In an attempt to counter such nationalist language tactics and appease the French, the federal government also used its institutions to enact legislation related to language. There is no doubt that the French-English divide has been fuelled by these issues (L7, S58). After all these events had taken place the French took action into preserving the French language and culture and to implement it on all of Quebec. The Quebec Board of the French Language (OQLF) more popularly known as the ‘language police’ by the English media are probably the most feared people to business owners. In Quebec, Bill 101 implements that all visible form of writing must be in French, there are strict laws that indicate that the French words have to be visually larger than any other language as well as businesses more than 50 employees were going to have to adjust and use French as their language of business (L7, S59). Maintaining the two official languages is not cheap. Even Canada’s current Prime Minister Stephen Harper commented on the cost of bilingualism even before he was elected as the prime minister. These factors have played a major role in the changes Quebec has had over the years and I have noticed it myself. The divide has changed a lot of the years and with Pauline Marois and the Parti Quebecoise who knows what will happen next. The French and English divide is becoming less and less of a problem in Quebec although tensions have been rising lately with the PQ it is in their interest to keep the French population in Quebec happy and to keep pushing new legislations to enforce the speaking of the  French language. Although it is a great approach to preserve the language you could say that the language police have taken it a step too far at some points with disputes and attempted ban of these words in restaurants such as â€Å"pasta† and â€Å"fish n chips†. The Anglo’s have a hard time dealing with disputes such as these knowing our tax dollars are being spent on non-sense such as the banning of those words. In all I think it is important to implement that business owners change their signs and put in place a French first basis and plays a big factor in today’s language battle and it is a large reason why a lot of Quebecers are speaking French first. I myself walk in a place of business and speak French first to the clerk, when I am working myself I introduce myself in French first and I adapt to whomever I am talking too whether or not they are French or English it is important to respect the language of other people. In recent news a large dispute has sprung up with the â€Å"Charter or Values† Pauline Marois and the Parti Quebecois brought up the idea of banning religious symbols and dress codes when at work. This includes the Christian cross, Jewish and Muslim headwear, hijabs, turbans, etc. As the government expected, the plan to introduce the Chater of Value’s created street protests. Situations like these aren’t helping the French and English division it has strung up protests and aggravates the English speakers these aren’t ways to increase French speaking and culture in Quebec it had fuelled the fire in a way and bring us a step back from where we would like to be in the English – French division. The linguistic battle among French- English has improved in Quebec over the past 20 years with French being highly implemented in schools and businesses but I couldn’t say that for the rest of the provinces. These are ways to further increase the population of French speaking Canadians, future generations should focus on increasing French in schools and businesses rather than try to force the language on people with new legislations and fines. We have seen improvements over the past 20 years and that should continue if other provinces were to adapt more the French language in their place of business and in schools you would see a large increase in the population of Canada that speak French rather than just Quebec. Bibliography Bernard Landry, former Premier of Quebec (2001 – 2003) and leader of the Parti Quà ©bà ©cois (2001 – 2005 Brooks, Stephen (2004) â€Å"Canadian Democracy – An Introduction 6th edition† Oxford University Press: Toronto. PP.187-189 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/is-pasta-french-enough-for-quebec-1.1301918

Examining The Religious Background Of Islam Religion Essay Essays

Examining The Religious Background Of Islam Religion Essay Essays Examining The Religious Background Of Islam Religion Essay Essay Examining The Religious Background Of Islam Religion Essay Essay Islam is an Arabic word that means entry . Acquiesce to Allah ( God ) , and his orders. Islam besides comes from the Arabic word salam which means peace ( Islam City ) . Muslims believe in one God, in Angels ( Islam City ) , they believe in Mohammed as the prophesier, and one sanctum text ( Royesh ) . However after the decease of the Prophet Mohammed, Islam split into two. The Sunni, and the Shia. Sunni are considered as the Orthodox Islam ( Jabber Feed ) . They claim they follow the right way. Whereas Shia means party believing that they are the Party of Ali ( Thompson 14 ) . The split was caused over a political difference ( Jabber Feed ) . The argument was on who will take the Muslim state ( About.com ) . The leaders were known as Caliphs which mean replacements. They were considered themselves as swayer under God, instead than male monarchs and emperors ( Thompson 13 ) . Although there swayers were close friends of the prophesier, they were e lected by the people ( Thompson 13 ) . The first Caliph was voted to be Abu Bakr. This caused choler within some of the people, because they believed that Ali, Mohammad s cousin/son-in-law deserved to be the Caliph ( About.com ) . The Shia s believed that Mohammad owes Ali since his male parent ( Mohammad s uncle ) took attention of Mohammed, after his parents decease. Besides, Ali is considered to be the closest to the prophesier because he married Mohammad s girl ( Thompson13 ) . The Shia s were angry, although Ali became a Caliph, and was considered as one of the first four Caliph, he was a replacement after 24 twelvemonth, which cause the major split ( Thompson 13 ) . Shia/Sunni: The Similarities and Differences Moslems, all believe in one God, Mohammed as their prophesier, and the holy text. All Muslims worship together, and may intermarry ( Thompson 14 ) . However there are differences that occur. The Sunni s base their spiritual pattern on ahadith . Ahadith are narrated by the Prophets comrades, and depict the Prophetss life, and religious beliefs ( About.com ) . The Shia nevertheless base their faith on Ahadith that are narrated by Ali and Fatima, that are about relations of the prophesier. Therefore doing their religious beliefs to differ ( About.com ) . The Sunni and Shia carry through their wudu and supplication otherwise. Sunni pray five times a twenty-four hours, with specific timings, while Shia tend to diminish their supplication to three times a twenty-four hours, every bit good as uniting their supplications ( Amin ) . Besides Sunni and Shia complete their supplications otherwise. Sunni s pray and put their brow straight on a supplication mat, while Shia brows are placed on a hardened clay. ( Amin ) . The Caliphs after the Prophet, are non considered in the Shia group. Alternatively they have their ain line of Immam s ( Religious leaders ) . From that the Shias spilt into groups. Some Shia believe that there were 12 Immams, and others believe there were seven. These groups were known as the Twelver s and Sevener s ( Thompson14 ) . Although there are differences, Shia and Sunni have coexisted with each other. There have been little differences throughout history. But the struggles did non curtail the groups to populate individually. Shia and Sunni, have lived in the same states ( Royesh ) . Sunni being the bulk, holding 85 % of the universe Muslim population, and Shia have 15 % ( Jabber Feed ) . These two groups consider themselves both as Muslim, they do non separate themselves. ( About.com ) . The segregation that occur, is merely because of their religious beliefs. Nonetheless Sunni and Shia have cohabited since the beginning ( Royesh ) . Religions In Afghanistan In Afghanistan there are many minority faiths such as Sikh, Jewish, Christians. But the chief faith that coexists in this state is Islam ( Afghanistan Peace Organization ) . The other faiths, are scattered around the state, and have largely entered and left Afghanistan as bargainers. Other faiths have immigrated, and lived in urban Centres, but due to civil differences that have occurred during the twelvemonth of 1985, they have emigrated out of the state. Thus Islam in Afghanistan remains the dominant faith by far, and has no competitions ( Jabber Feed ) . Politicss and Islam Before 1979, the workss and policies of the monarchy system in Afghanistan, were relied on faith. The elites would sit beside the solon, and assist warrant the regulations ( Royesh ) . For societal influence these elites got political power backup and support. A societal rebellion occurred due to Communist Coup and rough behaviors of the Communist government. This gave the spiritual elites to name a Jihad. Therefore deriving the leading place ( Royesh ) . In 1992 Islamic parties entered Kabul, and the Communist government were destroyed. This created a bloody civil war that resulted in deceases, and a country-side lawlessness and anarchy. This was the start of the Taliban entrance ( Royesh ) . They forced Religious Torahs upon the people, and made the authorities pure Islamic. But after 2001 when the Taliban were overthrown, spiritual elites have reentered into the authorities ( Royesh ) . Work Cited Amin, Hussein. The Origins of the Sunni/Shia split in Islam. Islam For Today. Hussein Abdulwaheed Amin, 16/o8/2007. Web. 13 May 2010. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.islamfortoday.com/shia.htm gt ; . Cooley, John. Unholy Wars. Afghanistan, America and International Terrorism. 2nd Edition. London, UK: Pluto Imperativeness, 1999. 63. Print. Facts About Afghanistan. Afghanistan Peace Organization Afghanistan Peace Organization, 2010. Web. 11 May 2010. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.afghanistan.org/ gt ; . Religion in Afghanistan. Jabber Feed. Jabberfeed, 14/04/2010. Web. 11 May 2010. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //jabberfeed.com/2010/04/14/religion- in-afghanistan/ gt ; . Royesh, Aziz. Intervew by Eleni, Omar, Banan. 06/05/2010. 2. Print. Thompson, Jan. World Religions. Islam. 4th Edition. Vancouver, B.C: Whitecap Books, 2004. 13-14. Print. Understanding Islam and Muslims. Islam City. Islam City, 1989. Web. 13 May 2010. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.islamicity.com/mosque/uiatm/un_islam.htm gt ; . What s the Difference Between Shia and Sunni Moslems? . About.com. About.com, 2010. Web. 11 May 2010. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm gt ; .

Analysis of Argentina Balance of Payments

The economic situation of Argentina was interesting between 1998 and 2007. However, it can be assumed that the worst year of the Argentinean economy was 2002. Before 1998, some factors such as a huge debt reaching 55% of the GDP, a currency pegged to the US $, the â€Å"Tequila† crisis in 1995, the devaluation of Mexican and Brazilian currencies, were responsible of the crisis Firstly we compared trade and GDP, to obtain the trade openness ratio. It increased strongly in 2002, due to a high increase in trade (133% 2001 to 2002) compared to the GDP that declined 11bp. The relatively high level of trade openness registered in 2002: 10. 08%, is based on the steep drop in imports 56%, related to the peso devaluation. As the peso stabilized and GDP undertook an ascending trend trade openness bounced back to low level again. Secondly, the balance of payments of Argentina can be analyzed in order to compare the exports to the GDP. The trade index of the country is under 20% until 2005, which is lower than the Global Trade Index at this time (30%). Nevertheless, it increased to reach a better level in 2007 (25%). For the valuation of the liquidity level, we compared the reserves to the imports, in volume and number of days. Since 1998, it is decreasing, sharply in 2001 and 2002, then recovering a better level between 20% and 30%. Therefore we can not consider that 4 months of reserves to be sufficient for maintaining a good level of liquidity, it’s a bit lower than the 6 months objective. In 2006, reserves influenced by the crisis in Mexico, dropped to 10%. To assess the debt service, we assumed a 5% interest rate, applied to interest payments and exceptional financing. Debt declined in terms of export multiplies especially due to the rise in exports and not to reimbursements. The highly indebted Argentina actually resorted to IMF financing and additional loans in 2001, when confronted with $3bn capital flight. Fluctuating between 900% in 1998 and 380% in 2007, the debt service ratio, far away from the optimal level of 33% , clearly emphasizes the state’s debt burden. The interest ratio is high, but still decreasing jointly with the debt, reaching a sane level below 0,25 in 2006 and 2007. Still this figure is actually deceiving, the interest ratio plunging due to ascending exports and not decreasing debt service. All liquidity indicators point out to a disappointing position for Argentina, still the reimbursements made in the recent years and the IMF account clearing entice improvements at this level. We can notice a huge change, in the current account since 2002. The negative current account which lasted for several years, had been replaced by a positive one in 2002. This change was attributable to the big decision of switching from a pegged currency (to the US$), to a floating currency. Consequently, the Argentinean peso was devalued. On a current account view, this means less imports, and an increase of the exports. Actually the volume of the exports didn’t take off the day when the decision of devaluating the Argentinean peso, but 2 years after. This phenomenon could be explained by the J curve theory. 2001 was a turning point in the history of Argentina. Forecasting the devaluation of the peso, investors revised their position towards the Argentinean market, foreign direct investment dropping by 80% from 2000 and 2001. This way FDI decreased drastically its role as a financing source (before 2001, Argentina was financing between 5 and 10% of its debt by the Foreign Direct Investment). Faced with such a drastic cut in foreign direct investment and portfolio investment, Argentina issued additional debt worth $ 10 bn. Over the last ten years Argentina experienced serious turbulence in its financial position that has negatively impacted its state rating and fuelled even more financial distress. Still, in recent years, rescue came and it was in the form of economic growth. This restored investors’ confidence, translating into higher absolute FDI inflows, and allowed for debt restructuring. With an outstanding debt of $6 bn towards the Venezuelean government, obligations of $ 500 m in the international debt market and a state rating of B (Moody’s), any investment in the Argentinean market will carry high risk that might not necessarily be offset by a high return. For the time being, we recommend not investing in Argentina.

The Internship in Sitio So Jos Agronegcios Assignment

The Internship in Sitio So Jos Agronegcios - Assignment Example Throughout the internship, I engaged in various activities. The main activities included: Understanding the operations of the factory, identifying possible sources of risks and hazards, and examining how hazards are communicated and handled within the factory. In addition, based on the findings, I proposed several measures that can be used to address the safety issues identified in the factory. By undertaking this internship, I was able to accomplish several learning outcomes. First, this helped me understand how safety standards are applied in a real working environment. Secondly, I gained the necessary experience in working with different people from varying backgrounds. The internship gave me the work experience needed to succeed in the job market. The main challenge was that I found it difficult to communicate with some of the workers at the factory, mainly because most of them were too busy to give me an audience. The internship was undertaken in the above-named factory at the start of June 2014. This is mainly a coffee factory that also deals with the growth and processing of sugarcane. In addition, the factory also engages in the production of feedlot beef. As a result, it is a fairly busy factory in which different activities are performed. As a student in safety management, this factory provided me with the opportunity to study issues related to safety. This factory is purely owned and run by the family. My supervisor was Newton Junqueira Franco who introduced me to the company and briefed me about the activities. He is an experienced individual who has worked at the company for a long time. Being a safety management student, my activities at the factory during the internship period focused on the safety issues around the company. Throughout the internship, attention was given to the safety issues that relate to the various activities carried out at the factory.  Ã‚