The comparison of the Macroeconomic State of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Essay

The comparison of the Macroeconomic State of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for the years 2005 and 2011 - Essay Example Services include offshore banking, Islamic banking, insurance and tourism (CIA, Bahrain). Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia hosts one of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves with estimates ranging up to one fifth of all proven reserves on earth (EIA). The economy of Saudi Arabia depends in large part on oil processing and exports as well as goods derived from crude oil. Diversification is in the air but has yet to yield economically significant results. The major contributors to the GDP according to their value addition are listed in the table below (CIA, Saudi Arabia): 2005 2011 Agriculture 3.3% 2.1% Industry 74.7% 67.6% Services 21.9% 30.4% The major agricultural products of Saudi Arabia are wheat, dates, citrus fruits, barley, melons, dairy and poultry. The major industries in Saudi Arabia are crude oil production, oil refining, petrochemical industries such as fertilizers, ammonia production, caustic soda production, plastics, metal processing, aircraft and ship repair, constr uction etc. Comparison Bahrain’s GDP is markedly smaller than that of Saudi Arabia given the geographical size of both nations and the amount of oil and gas reserves. Saudi Arabia’s GDP displays more of agricultural input compared to Bahrain while it has a larger industrial sector. In comparison, Bahrain has a larger service sector when compared to Saudi Arabia. Services Bahrain’s service sector is composed primarily of financial organisations such as off shore banks, Islamic banks, insurance companies and the like. Oil production has supported the growth of such financial service sectors that link Bahrain to the rest of the region financially. In addition, Bahrain’s service sector displays public utility companies, telecommunications firms,...This paper seeks to compare the economies of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on a macroeconomic scale and to identify recent trends by performing comparisons for the years 2005 and 2011. Bahrain exhibits one of the highest GDP growth rates around the world given its small population and rich revenue streams. Mainly the economy depends on the export of processed oil and aluminium. Also, Bahrain exports finance services as well as construction materials. Saudi Arabia hosts one of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves with estimates ranging up to one fifth of all proven reserves on earth.. The economy of Saudi Arabia depends in large part on oil processing and exports as well as goods derived from crude oil. Diversification is in the air but has yet to yield economically significant results. Saudi Arabia’s GDP displays more of agricultural input compared to Bahrain while it has a larger industrial sector. In comparison, Bahrain has a larger service sector when compared to Saudi Arabia. For both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the major export item is essentially mineral products (crude oil, refined and processed oil etc.) contributing to around 90% of all exports for both nations. In addition, it is noticeable that the next largest export for both nations is chemical products In terms of the import structure, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are well differentiated since Bahrain imports crude oil in order to refine and process. Saudi Arabia major import items are machinery and transportation equipment. In terms of the larger picture, Bahrain shows greater GDP per capita compared to Saudi Arabia though its macroeconomic structure is more heavily government owned, regulated and controlled.

Internation Finance Essay Example for Free

Internation Finance Essay What was Nick Leeson’s strategy to earn trading profits on derivatives? Leeson was trading derivatives contracts on the two exchanges that were, in some cases, of different types and, in some cases, in mismatched amounts. He was hoping making profits by selling put and call options on the same underlying financial instrument, the Nikkei 225 Index. 2) What went wrong that caused his strategy to fail? He thought as the Nikkei was already low that it could not plummeted lower but due to among other reason, an earthquake and the volatility of the market it went even lower, at that time nick was already â€Å"all in â€Å" and could not correct his position. Also at a certain point he had contracted a lot of futures without enough options to hedge his position which put him or in this case the bank money at high risks. 3) Why did Nick Leeson establish a bogus error account (88888) when a legitimate account already existed? He created this account to be able to perform is unauthorized trading and hide his lost from Barings as this account was not shown on the statements transmitted to London. 4) Why did Barings and its auditors not discover that the error account was used by Leeson for unauthorised trading? The error account had been presenting by Leeson as a customer account, that’s why his activities were unknown for quite a long time. 5) Why did none of the regulatory authorities in Singapore, Japan, and the United kingdom discover the true use of the error account? Fist of all because Nick Leeson was in charge of the back office, letting him he possible to hide easily what he wanted. Also as we said above this account was represented as a customer account and differently to each group. 6) Why was Barings Bank willing to transfer large cash sums to Barings Futures Singapore? As Leeson lost money, he had to pay those losses to SIMEX in the form of margin. By falsifying accounts and making various misrepresentations, he was able to secure funding from various companies within the Barings organization and from client accounts. For example, he claimed that he needed funds to make margin payments on behalf of BSS clients. Therefore Barings believed that they were not exposed to any looses as Leeson claimed that he was executing purchase orders on behalf of clients 7) Why did the attempt by the bank of England to organize a bailout for Barings fail? No one wanted to assume to take the additional risk concerning the additional looses that were not yet determined. 8) Suggest regulatory and management reforms that might prevent a future debacle of the type that bankrupted Barings. -Separate trading, accounting and settlement activities. -More employees supervision -Clear reporting line -Consolidation of the activities of every branch.

Analysis of the Indian Chyawanprash manufacturer YuvAnaH

Analysis of the Indian Chyawanprash manufacturer YuvAnaH Company profile: YuvAnaH is an Indian company which manufactures Chyawanprash. It was established in 2004. It is positioned as a company which manufactures exclusively Chyawanprash. It is known to have provided good quality Chyawanprash for all age groups, across social boundaries. It has received various certificates over the years which include Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices to manufacture Ayurveda, HACCP and GMP Certification in compliance with the Food Drug Administration regulation. YuvAnaH is ISO 9002 certified. Vision: Focus on growing their core brands across categories, reaching out to new geographies, within and outside India. Mission Their mission goes beyond the mere provision to heal ailments and extends to helping people live long, healthy and productive lives. They seek to explore harness the tremendous potentials of Ayurveda offer the goodness for human welfare. Objectives: Products: YuvAnaH Chyawanprash: This is ordinary Chyawanprash. It contains all the basic ingredients of Chyawanprash and can be consumed by people belonging to all age groups. YuvAnaH Chocolate Chyawanprash: This is chocolate flavored Chyawanprash targeting children and people who favor chocolates. It will be marketed as a product with added benefits of chocolates. YuvAnaH Sugar-free Chyawanprash: This is targeted to diabetic patients since it does not contain artificial sweeteners. YuvAnaH Chyawanprash (for summer):This Chyawanprash is specially made for the summer season to provide protection against infections that are common during the season. YuvAnaH Diet Chyawanprash: This product is specially designed for the Diet conscious with particular ingredients. YuvAnaH Chyawanprash (for pregnant women): Pregnant women are advised not to have chyawanprash. This product will cater to the needs of a pregnant woman. YuvAnaH Chyawanprash (for Skin): This product contains added herbs which are beneficial for a glowing skin. According to Ayurveda, Chyawanprash comes under the category of Rasayana which aims at maintaining youthfulness, vigor, vitality of the body and keeping away aging process, senility and debility. It maintains the proper functioning of the cells and rejuvenates the cells. However, the main ingredient, regardless of the exact formula is always amla or amalaki, a tropical gooseberry that is the worlds richest source of vitamin C. It is, moreover, a source that remains stable in storage for years. Digestive and immune system: Chaywanprashs basic ingredient amla has 30 times more vitamin C than orange and helps in strengthening the immune system and expediting the healing process. Regular intake of chyawanprash strengthens digestion, absorption and assimilation of food and balances stomach acids. Heart and Brain The perfect blend of Ayurvedic herbs acts as a cardiac stimulant and nourishes the brain cells by supporting the nervous system and enhances co-ordination and memory power. The tonic is good for students as it increases retention and recall. Lung, Liver and Kidneys The smooth functioning of the lungs is facilitated by the regular intake of chyawanprash.Chyawanprash helps purify blood and invigorates the liver and helps to eliminate toxins. It helps the downward flow of energy in the body and eases constipation. Other Benefits The holistic traditional formula of chyawanprash improves skin complexion, glow and fights dermal bacterial infection. It promotes hair growth and helps absorption of calcium resulting in strong bones and teeth. It is especially good for alleviating cough and asthma. The anti-oxidant properties of the tonic act against the ageing process and maintain youthfulness. Canada Canada: Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the worlds second largest country by total area, and shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest. Demographics: Capital: Ottawa Largest City: Toronto Currency: Canadian Dollar Population of Canada: (2008  estimate) 33,157,200 (0.51% of World population) Population growth rate: 0.869% Birth Rate 10.75 births/1,000 population Density: 3.2/km ²Ã‚  (219th) It is the worlds second largest country by total area.(Area: 99884670 km^2 Even though the density is just 3 persons per square kilometer , a majority of population is concentrated in the narrow band along the U.S. border, leaving a major portion of the land mass unoccupied. Distribution of population: Population Distribution by Age Group 0-14 17.9% 15-64 69.1% 65+ 13.0% Population of Main Metro Areas: Toronto 5,203,571 Montreal 3,607,150 Vancouver 2,159,994 Ottawa-Gatineau (Capital) 1,142,708 Calgary 1,037,136 Edmonton 1,001,636 Quebec City 710,801 Hamilton 702,396 Winnipeg 698,210 London 459,697 Considering the fact that a majority of population lives in the metros mentioned above, majority of our marketing promotions will concentrated in those areas. Economic Environment: Gross National Product: $760 Purchasing power parity(per capita) $29,400 (According to the World Bank Economic Groups, Canada falls under the high per capita income category) Canada was the only country from G7 to record a surplus in 2006 and 2007. It was estimated to be the only country from G7 to record a surplus in 2008 as well. Canada is on track to eliminate its net debt by 2021. By doing so, Canada will be able to count itself among the very few OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries that are in a net asset position. The OECD forecasts Canadas surplus will be 0.8  per cent of GDP in 2008, compared to an expected average deficit of 2.7 per cent in the G7 countries. Trade and Economic Organization Memberships Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Commonwealth Group of Eight (G8) International Monetary Fund La Francophone North Atlantic Treaty Organization Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Organization of American States United Nations (and its subsidiary agencies) World Bank World Trade Organization Thus, the size of the market and the nature of the economy portray a positive economic environment of Canada and favor the establishment of business relations with it. Cultural environment: Established in 1867 as a nation without war or rebellion, Canadians are most likely to be described as friendly, peaceful, polite, modest. They have a unique culture and deeply rooted values and traditions and though they enjoy cordial relations with their neighbor; the United States; they are not Americans. They love to laugh , often at their own expense, since they dont always take themselves too seriously. Language: Unlike many countries Canada has 2 official languages; English and French. A majority of French speakers-called francophones-live in Quebec. Thus they have a bilingual culture. This fact will be kept in mind by resorting to bilingual labeling and advertising and bilingual press releases. Creativity: Canadians value creativity and support its nurturing in all walks of life. They are not resistant to change. Attitudes and Values: Canadians struggle with how to promote their image as Canadians and separate themselves from Americans. Our marketing strategies will take care of this cultural factor. Canadians are practical in their approach. They speak their minds and voice their opinions and are open to those of others. British novelist Douglas Adams said each country was like a particular type of person, and Canada is like an intelligent 35 year old woman. America, on the other hand, is a belligerent adolescent boy Canadians tend to dislike excessive promotion. It is favorable to skip the hype and focus on the facts. They also tend to dislike companies which make negative comparisons with Canadian products. Religion: Canada has a wide mix of religions and there is no official religion of Canada; though a majority of the population follows Christianity, followed by a large number of people who claimed to have no religious affiliation. Family structure: a typical family structure in Canada in 2005 was a spouse and no children below the age of 13; at least one child between the age of 13 and 24. Political Environment: Canada has a federal parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy. In general, Canadian politics have not operated through revolutionary, swift changes. Instead, change is typically slow and worked out through compromise between interest groups, regional consultations, and the government of the day. India and Canada have always had a healthy trade relationship. Thus , political environment is also favorable and there will not be any major issues as far as the government is concerned. Legal Environment: Canada can guarantee investors the overall lowest tax rate among developed countries. One important factor is the legal system in Canada is that although their criminal law system nationally and the civil law system in most of Canada is based on the English precedent-based system of common law, civil law in the Province of Quà ©bec is based on the French Code Napolà ©on. For this reason, we should ensure that our Canadian legal advisors are well versed in both systems. Few laws that are different to Quebec particularly are as follows: Generally speaking, a French firm name may be accompanied by its English version, provided that the French version appears at least as prominently; however, in  some cases, use of the English version of a firm name is only permitted if the French version is markedly predominant, meaning the French text must have a much greater visual impact than the text in another language. Product labelling:  Every inscription on a product,   its container or   wrapping, or on a leaflet, brochure or card supplied with it, including the directions for use and warranty certificate, must be drafted in French. Public signs, posters and commercial advertising:  Public signs, posters and commercial advertising may also be bilingual, provided that the French is markedly predominant. However, large billboards or signs that are visible from any part of a public highway must be exclusively in French, unless they are displayed on the firms premises. Likewise, signs on public transportation vehicles, such as buses and subways, must be exclusively in French, unless they are used regularly to transport passengers or merchandise both inside and outside Quà ©bec, in which case the signs may be bilingual. Any corporation that contravenes the Charter is liable for each offence to a fine of up to $1,400 and, for any subsequent conviction, to a fine of up to $7,000. All shipments to Canada are also subject to the 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST), a multi-stage sales tax. About Health Canada: The new face of the average Canadian health care consumer belongs to a well-educated, middle-income, middle-aged woman who is actively involved in her own well-being. She is very interested in diet and nutrition, longevity, alternative medical therapies, vitamins and antioxidants. And shes willing to pay: she spends between $500 and $1000 a year on health supplements. Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are the major reasons for hospitalization in Canada. Other reasons include digestive diseases, genitourinary diseases, poisoning, mental disorders etc. A chart showing leading causes of death in Canada is as under: . Canadians are health conscious and try to make healthy eating decisions. According to a new study conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of Sleeman Breweries, nine in ten (93%) Canadians say they try to be health conscious when making decisions about what to eat. The factors which play an important role in the eating habits of Canadians are as follows: Source: Tracking Nutrition Trends survey Key motivators to change/ improve eating habits Percentage To maintain personal health 58% To lose weight 22% To accommodate the needs of family members 10% To prevent disease 8% To look better 8% The relative importance of each of these factors, however, differed according to age, with responses related looking better being more prevalent among adults under the age of 25 (17%) and responses related to maintaining health and preventing disease being more prevalent among those over the age of 45. National Population Health Survey (NPHS) also indicated that the single biggest reason reported for avoiding or choosing certain foods for both women (80%) and men (63%) is maintaining or improving health. Diabetes: We all know that there is no quick fix for diabetes. More than 2 million Canadians have diabetes, over one third of them arent diagnosed. Forty percent of Canadians with diabetes develop long-term complications such as high blood pressure, vision loss and kidney disease. It is clear that diabetes has become a public health challenge of major proportions in Canada. Many cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by making healthier living choices. Childrens eating habits: Unhealthy eating habits during childhood can interfere with optimal growth and development Poor diet can predispose to a number of serious illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and lead to a poorer quality of life. Increases in other nutrition-related risk factors for chronic disease in children such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes have also been found. Poor diet has also been linked to low academic performance, classroom behaviour problems and low self-esteem among school-age children. The Canadian Community Health Survey found that seven out of 10 children aged four to eight, and half of adults, did not eat the recommended daily minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruit. Children age four to eight years consumed fewer vegetables and fruit on average than any age group, 4.18 servings per day. Among girls aged 10-16 years, 83% did not consume the recommended three daily servings of milk products. More than a fifth of total calories consumed by 4-18 year olds and 18.2% of calories consumed by four to eight year old children came from the other foods category. More than a third of these other foods were reported as soft drinks, sugars, fruit drinks, animal fats, chocolate bars and potato chips. Among youth aged 14-18, one quarter of all calories came from other foods. The growing number of older and longer living Canadians, faced with health problems and being more prone to illnesses and injuries, have supported sales of medications and healthcare services in the country. Recently, a research showed that many Canadians are increasingly turning to preventive care and self-medication, thereby increasing the scope of health products like Chyawanprash. Marketing Mix: Products: YuvAnaH Chyawanprash YuvAnaH Chocolate Chyawanprash. YuvAnaH Sugar-free Chyawanprash. YuvAnaH Chyawanprash ( for summer) YuvAnaH Diet Chyawanprash YuvAnaH Chyawanprash ( for pregnant women) YuvAnaH Chyawanprash ( for skin) All YuvAnaH products will be available in a standard size of 500 gms. Branding: All our products will be branded under the name of YuvAnaH which is Sanskrit for the youthful, thereby following Umbrella Branding. Ayurveda is native to the Indian Subcontinent. Thus, the Sanskrit name YuvAnaH implies a Made in India image which works favorably for the company. Packaging and labeling: Our product will be packed in HDPE plastic containers which will be sealed with a golden foil. The federal Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act require bilingual designation of the generic name on most prepackaged consumer products. Under this Act, the following information must appear on the package/label of a consumer good sold in Canada: Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM) This is to ensure the people about the safety of the product. Since Canadians tend to make healthy eating decisions; the package of the product will emphasize the nutrients and herbs it contains along with its benefits. Other relevant information includes Name of the product Brand name of the product ,Country of origin ,Name and address of the local importer, Date Marking, Manufacturing, Date ,Expiry Date , Storage Batch Number and Packaging Date(PKD, )Precautionary Message ,Bar Code, Dosage, Nutritional Value (different for various flavors,) Ingredients (different for various flavors). Promotion Mix: Analysis: Electronic Media: Television in Canada: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates both English-language and French-language national television networks. Both networks broadcast on two channels, one with regular programming and one with all-news programming. There are two private national television networks: CTV, broadcasting on two English-language channels (regular programming and all-news) and Global Television, broadcasting on a single English language channel. There are also 105 independent television stations in Canada. Over 98% of Canadian households own Television sets. 2 out of 3 households subscribe to Cable TV though over-the-air local television is free. 85% of Canadian consumers agree that they are too obsessed with images of youth. They feel alienated by advertisements that do not portray people like me. Government control: Quebec: Section 248 of the Consumer Protection Act 1980 provides that no person may make use of commercial advertising directed at persons less than thirteen years of age. Radio Canadians spend more time with radio compared to the US (22.2 hrs weekly) and radio enjoys a larger share of ad spending in Canada. Print Media: The newspaper with the highest circulation is the Toronto Star, and the newspaper with the highest readership per capita is the Windsor Star. Readership of community newspapers is strong despite the size of the market 70.4% of the ComBase sample read the most recent issue of their community newspaper. These readers are loyal; with most reading all 4 of the last 4 issues They read with attention reading most or all of each issue Community newspapers get high ratings from their readers. Community newspapers capture a very high proportion of exclusive readers. Point of Purchase advertising: 72% of big boxes were added in the previous nine years. 59% of all big box locations are on expressways. This gives a scope for sales through point of purchase advertising. Perception of Ayurvedic Medicines: In 2005, the Canadian government had banned the sale of Indian ayurvedic medicines in the country claiming that they contain high levels of metals like lead and mercury and arsenic, posing grave health risks. Improper manufacturing processes may result in dangerously high level of heavy metals remaining in the final product. However YuvAnaH Chyawanprash is not included in the products that are banned. Our company obtained the certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices in 2001 and also ISO 9002 certification in 1999. The products are manufactured as per Indian Standards. Authorized natural health products will either bear an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM). This authorization indicates that the product has been assessed by Health Canada for safety, efficacy and quality. All our promotion programmes will highlight the fact that our products are legal and completely safe for consumption. Place Mix: Entry Strategy: We intend to enter Canada by directly exporting our products. The company has two distributors in Canada; one in Toronto and one in Vancouver. As shown in the demographics, these are the most populated metros of Canada. They also happen to be the cities where most of the Canadians live. These distributors stock the products in their warehouses and regularly supply to retailers over there. They have major tie-ups with many super markets and these markets sell their products. We will follow 4 level channel of distribution involving our importer, distributers and retailers. Through our distributors YuvAnaH will reach out to all the major cities of Canada some of which are Toronto Montreal, Vancouver , Ottawa-Gatineau (Capital), Calgary , Edmonton, Quebec City, Hamilton, Winnipeg, London. Competitors: Dabur Chyawanprash: The biggest and major competitor for the company is the Dabur Chyawanprash. Dabur is already an established player in this country and has a wide range of products over here. The company has a major market share in Canada. Dabur is also a very famous brand in India and thus has the edge. Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash: There are other competitors such as the Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash. This company is also an established company in India and has a wide range of products in Canadian market. Its moisturizing cream Boroplus is huge success in Canada and thus has helped company strengthen its base in Canada. Tattvas Herbs Chyawanprash is also an exporter of Chyawanprash and is available in Canada. Since the major herbs required in Chywanprash are available only in India there no manufacturers of it in Canada. Competitive edge: The prices of Dabur, Himani, and Tattvas is very high .They cater only to the high spending class of people. This leaves YuvAnaH an opportunity to target the low-spending category. None of the competitors provide chocolate flavored Chyawanprash or sugar free chyawanprash in Canada. Here, YuvAnaH has an edge over the others. The only company which has franchises in Canada is Dabur . Since our company is also planning to introduce similar kind of stores where all our products would be available company hopes to face the competition fiercely.

Immoral or Unconstitutional Government Decrees :: Politics Political Essays

Immoral or Unconstitutional Government Decrees Imagine this scenario and let's do a thought experiment. I'm ordered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to perform, without compensation, cleaning services at a local senior citizen retirement home. I've not been found guilty in a court of law of a crime for which I'm being punished. I've simply been ordered by DHHS to work at the senior citizen home in the name of promoting the public welfare. Failure to comply means going to jail. I might seek a court injunction against DHHS's edit. But suppose the court ruled that DHHS had the authority to order me to perform cleaning services at senior citizen homes. I might take my complaint all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court only for the Court to rule: yes, under the U.S. Constitution's welfare clause, and the authority it gives Congress, I'm compelled as ordered by DHHS to perform cleaning services. My question to you is now that the courts have ruled, should I simply comply? You might rejoin by suggesting that the question cannot be answered unless additional information is supplied such as: Did Congress properly vote to authorize DHHS to order me to clean senior citizen homes? Did DHHS single me out or are other Americans assigned similar tasks? In other words, was there invidious discrimination? My response to your first set of questions is what does a vote have to do with the rightness or wrongness of the DHHS mandate? Would one determine the rightness or wrongness of rape, murder, theft and slavery by whether there was majority vote? To the second question, I would also ask does the rightness or wrongness of an act depend upon the number of people, a hundred people or millions of people, forcibly used to serve the purposes of another? Was slavery in our country okay because 4 million blacks were enslaved instead of just one? Does equality in servitude make servitude just? One might rejoin by saying, "All those arguments are neither here nor there; the law is the law and people should obey." I say balderdash! South Africa used to have apartheid laws that strictly controlled where blacks could live, work, and eat. Nazi Germany had anti-Semitic laws. In United States there was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Would you have obeyed those laws? Would you have approved of and sought prosecution of white employers who hired black workers in contravention of job reservation laws that were a part of South Africa's Civilized Labour Policy?

Against School: A Corrupted System

The educational systems purpose is to prepare people with the necessary skills and knowledge so that they can excel and function properly in today’s society. John T. Gatto challenges that idea and begs the question is 12 compulsory years of standard schooling consisting of six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year needed? Gatto refers to George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln as they were not formally schooled and yet were very successful. According to Gatto’s, there are three main purposes to formal schooling, â€Å"1) To make good people, 2) To make good citizens, and 3) to make each person his or her best. † (Gatto 3) Gatto believes that the current educational system actually contradicts these three ideals. He claims that there are six basic yet specific functions that intend to hold back and limit the progress and overall success of a student. Of the six functions there are three serve specifically to limit and hinder a students progress. The diagnostic and directive functions, the differentiating function, and the propaedeutic function all seemingly serve to cripple a students success but when analyzed some do hold some truth but in the end they are merely irrational and ridiculous accusations made by Gatto. The diagnostic and directive functions are defined as a litmus test to test where a particular student â€Å"fits† in society based on grade percentages. These percentages are logged and stored permanently in our student records which are then passed on the post secondary schools to place students in their â€Å"proper societal roles† (4). During my freshman and sophomore years in high school I can not help but remember teachers classifying â€Å"ap† students and high academic achievers as those who were going to be â€Å"successful†. My math teacher often referred to more difficult questions as the â€Å"doctor† or â€Å"lawyer† question in an attempt to scale the difficultly of the question. What if one can not do the question? Does that mean that person should be classified as remedial or can not attain the success of a doctor or lawyer? Of course not, the simple idea of that is completely irrational. However, once reassessing and making them less extreme, Gatto’s diagnostic and directive functions can be found anywhere in the academic system whether it be perquisite knowledge for grade twelve programs or university entrance. While this function may seem absurd, Gatto’s differentiating function is one that can be related to actual everyday life. The differentiating function is a more practical function. It states that, â€Å"once a student’s role has been â€Å"diagnosed† through standardized testing, they are to be sorted by role, and trained only so far as their destination in the social machine merits. † (5) The functions practical use is especially seen in post secondary schooling where a more refined and â€Å"specialized training† takes place. We see this in any standard entry test for a specific program such as the SAT, LSAT or MCAT. Based on a students performance on these forms of testing they are then place in their respective programs allow them to focus specifically on areas of study that are important to them. At my old high school there was a standard entry test, SSAT, that examined various categories of schooling (math, reading, writing etc†¦) Depending on how you did on the test would determine not only whether or not you are eligible for acceptance but whether or not you qualify to take ap courses, because if u do not posses the proper knowledge taking a more advanced course would be counter-productive and in fact hurt your academic career. Once one has analyzed the differentiating function there is some truth to it but when one looks at the propaedeutic function, it is completely incorrect. The propaedeutic function is completely incorrect and misleading. According to Gatto, the purpose of the propaedeutic is to create a class of â€Å"elite caretakers †¦ taught to manage this project, how to watch over and control a population deliberately dumbed down and declawed† (5) He’s saying that those who already control the population are going to educate children so that when they grow up they can control the population and train more children to do the same. At this point it seems like Gatto is trying to throw something that is completely and utterly irrational out there trying to catch people off guard and hope to attract some followers. The simple thought that people were training young children to know how to manipulate people in such a way that they simply do not challenge authority and do exactly as their told to is ridiculous. At no point in my life have I ever felt that someone or an organization is trying to limit my personal abilities to comply with this absurd function. Teachers constantly enthuse student to be all they can and achieve as high as they can, not that its ok if u cant because we already got it figured out. While other of Gatto’s functions may have held some truth this particular function is completely incorrect Gatto believes that those who control the way society runs are trying to create a norm in the educational system. That student’s are pre-destined before they are given the ample chance to excel and achieve. Gatto explains that schools traditionally have three purposes: 1) To make good people; 2) To make good citizens; 3) To make each student find some particular talents to develop as best they can. These are all fine standards but because of government schools have become prison like even in there cell block style construction. Gatto’s approach is very liberal and has opened my eyes to certain matters especially the way that educational system is poorly constructed (with it being bases on grades) and how it is mismanaged leading to sub-par performance and disappointing â€Å"success† rates. It is this poorly constructed system and a corrupted way of running it is what I think Gatto was truly trying to revile.

Littlefield Simulation Essay

Littlefield Technologies (LT) is a producer of newly developed Digital Satellite System (DSS) receivers. One contingency LT relies heavily on is their promise to ship a receiver with 24 hours of receiving the order. If they are late to this, the customer will receive a rebate based on the delay. As the simulation ran for 268 days there were various methods and decisions we made in the process. We knew in the initial months, demand was expected to grow at a linear rate, with stabilization in about five months (~180 days). After this, demand was said to be declined at a linear rate (remaining 88 days). Even with random orders here and there, demand followed the trends that were given. Future demand for forecast was based on the information given. We looked at the first 50 days of raw data and made a linear regression with assumed values. Those values were calculated using a moving average model. Below is a plot of the data over the 268-day period, which shows the patterns stated above. The main concern for LT management was the capacity in order to respond to the demand. If there was insufficient capacity LT would not be able to fulfill given lead times and would have to turn away orders. In order for capacity to be maximized, our group would ideally have had to have machines run at maximum utilization. Looking at the first 50 days of data we were able to see where more machines were needed in order to produce that 24-hour turnaround time. The original setup included one board stuffing machine (station 1), one tester (station 2) and one tuning machine (station 3). The way testing was scheduled was First-In-First-Out (FIFO). In our simulation, we were able to control the amount of machines and the way testing was scheduled in order to maximize the factory’s overall cash position. Below is a graph showing the utilization of the machines at station 1. Based on graph we were instantly able to see that at station 1 there was a massive bottleneck because utilization was over 100%. This made us decide to purchase an additional 3 machines to help reduce that. As shown, utilization was brought down and become helpful during the five-month demand hike. The mistake our group made was not selling off the machines when we noticed that the demand dropped. It is evident that during the last 88 days, the machines at station 1 were heavily underutilized. The purchasing decision was based off assumptions. We knew that demand would rise for another 130 days (since the simulation already ran for 50 days), so we decided to buy at day 51. We added three machines to station 1 and one machine to stations 2 and 3. Another key thing we changed instantly was the queue sequencing. We sold a total of one machine from station 1. The decision was based upon our demand. We saw demand decrease dramatically, which led to us selling the machine. Although it was made late, and we should have sold two machines from station 1 at day 180, we were keeping one in case demand suddenly changed. With these changes and decisions, our team (team 8) was able to be very successful. We presented growth within our company and increased capacity by adding and subtracting machines and changing the queue sequencing. We ended with more capital than we began with and finished third overall in the standings, as shown below.