SWOT Analysis of Chile: Business and economic trends

SWOT Analysis of Chile: Business and economic trends Country Profile – Chile 2014 2014 LATIN AMERICAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT REPORT INTRODUCTION In 2014 the business environment in Latin America did not live up to expectations, and seems that it will not deliver significant results for 2014.Growth rate dropped again, down in 13 of the 18 countries covered in the LABER analysis. Lower commodity prices and financial market volatility in Latin America Governments struggled to cope with growing economic imbalances and rising social discontent. The 14 countries adhering to the centrist social-market paradigm, in spite of these pressures, did not deviate from its more business-friendly policies. Should the economic slump deepen in 2014, it was not unreasonable to expect pressures for change to deepen. Country Profile –Chile Political Factors: SWOT Analysis of Chile: Strengths Chile experiences open economy and the bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements led to a increase in foreign trade International competitiveness has faced an increased growth rate due to the trade agreements Chile offers foreign investors some of the world’s most competitive business costs Privatization and deregulation have created public utility and telecommunications industries Corporate taxes and labor costs are relatively low No evidence of active terrorism in Chile Occurrence of serious offences remains relatively low, despite reports of increased crime levels Chile capital, Santiago is considered one of the safest countries in Latin America Enjoys a stable democratic political system, with strong institutions Comprehensive legal framework and independent judiciary Weaknesses Binomial electoral system is ripe for reform Chile is vulnerable to external shocks due to overdependence on primary export industries Supply shortages and potential power stoppages due to heavy dependence on imported sources of energy Reforms of Chile’s institutions and labor market remain unlikely. Absence of reform exacerbate structural imbalances in the economy Absence drags on economic growth Opportunities Foreign investors are supported by the Government through three investment mechanisms The mechanisms offer the rights of both the state and the investor throughout the implementation of project Significant opportunities for inbound investment in areas of power generation and transportation, as well as copper production Since 1990, Chile has enjoyed an uninterrupted period of stable democracy Voting is compulsory for all voters older than 18. Government took important measures to increase efficiency of public administration by 2003 and ensuring a transparent government Congress also approved a law to regulate the financing of political parties and election campaigns Threats Growing public protests among the poorer sections of society High levels of income inequality and discontent with the cost of education Weakening government’s popularity Chile’s major ports and industrial mines suffer growing labour unrest Business environment in the country: BMI Business Environment Risk Ratings Chile ranks 28th out of 191 countries in business environment rankings and scoring around 64.0. This makes Chile the outperformer of the neighboring countries by some distance and places it higher than several developed industrial economies. In terms of ‘market orientation’, it ranks well ahead of many developed states including the US and the UK. Nonetheless, causes for concern remain. The country has a sizeable infrastructure deficit, reflected in our relatively weak score for Chile’s business infrastructure, a category in which Chile ranks just 55th globally. Chile is an open economy and practices bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. This has led to a steady increase in foreign trade and the country’s international competitiveness. Chile offers foreign investors some of the world’s most competitive business costs. Privatization and deregulation have created sophisticated telecommunications, healthcare and public utility industries. Chile at the same time has maintained a moderately low corporate taxes and labor costs. Environmental factors: Chile is a highly Election dominated environment. It possesses the following features with regard to the environment: Solid economic performance Throughout the region of Latin America growth softened, but the drop was not steep in Chile and the outlook was encouraging with average annual growth rates for the period 2004-12. The causes of slower economic growth were lower export earnings, weaker investment and slower growth in the domestic demand. The local stock market has downgraded by 15% in dollar terms for the year, making it the worst performing of the major exchanges. This fall in the exchange rates made the economic scenario quite unfavorable for the foreign investment. The depreciating peso was accounted for the major fall in the economic performance. (upto 521 to the dollar) Exports softened but FDI surged Chile is the world’s largest producers of copper. Being in its maximum height of production, the decline in world copper prices affected Chile’s market negatively. Copper accounts for 60% of exports and 20% of GDP. Chile drew its attention away from copper due to the long-term need to diversify the economy and such heavy dependence on a single commodity. As the Chinese economy relaxed, copper prices fell down by 12% in November affecting Chile’s trade and exports, resulting in a fall in 2012. The CAD (current account deficit) and debt increased due to the exports slump. Chile has favorable access to bond markets and foreign investors due to its best managed economy and the highest credit rating in Latin America, and hence its environment remains very investor friendly. Resulting in a Net FDI tripled in 2012. Public protests broke out again Chile was recognized as a world leader in the implementation of the market reforms that was responsible for the generation of growth and rising standards of living. Chile has proven unemployment rate that fell to a historical low of 5.7% in October. Despite the growth, Chile was the first country to face rising citizen discontent in the form of the street demonstrations, which are now common throughout Latin America. Chile experienced for the first time in 2013 students, unions and Mapuche Indians all conducted disruptive demonstrations. Election returned center-left coalition to power As expected, former President Michelle Bachelet easily defeated Alianza por Chile, the candidate of the governing party, and her New Majority coalition won a majority in Congress. In many respects, the outcome was disappointing for Bachelet and her supporters. The disappointing fact was the low turnout , with voting was no longer mandatory, especially among first-time voters who were expected to deliver an easy first-round victory. Central Bank lowered interest rates to stimulate growth In order to stimulate the growth in the face of weak domestic demand, the Central Bank cut interest rates. This will further enhance the growth of the economy and productivity. National strategies and public policies: Chile follows the strategies to raise taxes, reform education and providing free tuition for university students. These reforms were mainly targeted in reducing inequality, thereby reducing the protests. Keys: Progress on reform agenda; price of copper Industry structure and competitive dynamics in terms of Infrastructure Labor: Infrastructure: Chile has a well developed and efficient infrastructure network, which contributes to the governments export-driven development strategy. Since the adoption of build-operate transfer concessions the countrys physical infrastructure has improved substantially. Though considerable damage was done to the existing countrys infrastructure network by the devastating 2010 earthquake, the ongoing focus of government attention ensure the rebuilding of Chiles infrastructure. The Pan-American Highway is considered to be high international standards and backbone of Chiles road system. Chile also has world-class airport and seaport infrastructure. Chile is working to develop a network of transport corridors across the region, using rail and road infrastructure. This will uplift the Chiles exports to Argentina and Brazil, and also facilitate the use of Chilean ports for exports to Asia. Energy: Energy supply in Chile is considered the Achilles heel. With its limited domestic energy supply, the country heavily relies on the bulk of its energy resources on Imports. It has to maintain sound relations with its neighbors to realize the valuable energy supply. The reliance on energy imports, particularly on natural gas from Argentina (where 80% of gas imports originate), is a growing problem. The Chilean government has prioritized addressing the electricity issue. Intellectual Property Rights In the International Property Rights Index of 2013, Chile comes in 28th place out of 130 countries. This places Chile the highest ranked of all emerging markets. Chile approved legislation to bring the country into compliance with the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) signatory obligations .As per the TRIPS signatory, Chile must meet the agreed standards pertaining to copyrights, including producer rights, industrial designs, patents and trademarks. The area in which Chile was most scrutinized is IPR in pharmaceutical products. This is due to the fact that Chile lacks a transparent system for protecting pharmaceutical patents. In 2005, the MOP established a system in protecting data related to pharmaceutical products. Business-government relations: Chile is positioned with a stable political outlook and sound economic fundamentals for steady, albeit slower, economic progress. Due to its high reliance on copper exports and oil imports, Chile is posed to a high risk to economic progress. Diversification of the countrys economic drivers will be essential to ensuring sustainable growth to remove the high dependence on the copper exports and oil imports. But this diversification may drag the GDP of the country leading to a more consumer-driven economy. Moreover, the GDP per capita is envisioned to nearly double between 2013 and 2022, in line with President Sebastià ¡n Pià ±eras goal of at least US$25,000 GDP per capita by 2020. This would give Chile de facto developed country status. Nevertheless, we will face two obstacles that would hamper Chiles economic growth over the upcoming years: Despite the countrys vast reserves of hydroelectric power, periods of drought have exposed Chiles dependence on energy imports; modernizing power generation and transmission will be highly essential to continued growth. Potentials Risks and bottlenecks faced by Chile Government: Chile faces few terrorist activity and regional security threats in comparison with neighboring countries. Other Potential risks are in the field of labor, education, healthcare, communication and transportation facilities. Strikes and public protests present a significant risk to business in Chile. In recent years these events have been concentrated in the areas of health, education, transportation, communication and civil service sectors. The real wages are slowly increasing in a less alarming way and high corporate profits have led to greater worker resentment. Strike action is becoming more widespread. It is not totally uncommon for labor tensions to develop into full-blown conflict. These labor conflicts largely affect the copper mines functioning. This leads to a significant amount of delays in certain large mining and energy projects. Mapuche political activists pose a growing threat to the foreign investments due to hindrances in the domestic security and the countrys business climate. These conflicts lead to a significant drag on the Chilean business environment if left unresolved. According to government statistics, crime rates are falling. Chile OUTLOOK in the face of Attractive Business Environments In the business environment analysis conducted by Business Monitor, only 9 nine countries emerged with the most business attractive environments in the Latin America region. Although there are differences among them, they all share significant positive strengths: Sustained growth with moderate inflation Favorable external profiles Declining poverty and growing middle classes; Stable, multiparty, centrist politics; Social-market economic policies; Slowly improving legal systems Seven of the nine ranked highest of the 18 LABER environments on the 2013 World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness score as given below. Chile government supports business and related investments with its strong and efficient legal framework Most accommodative in the region Government continues to place attracting foreign investment high on its priority list Infrastructure network is a major asset to the Chilean business climate Open foreign trade regime, helps to maintain the countrys reputation as an attractive foreign direct investment (FDI) destination Corruption and criminal activity remains a nuisance Pià ±era government has struggled to produce results on these fronts

The Elements of Success: Self Motivation and Self Determination Essays

Self motivation and self determination are the most important ways to succeed. In this essay I will use, â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Fredrick Douglass, â€Å"The Lonely, Good Company of Books† by Richard Rodriguez, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and an interview of Patti Read to argue that self motivation and self determination are the most important elements to becoming successful. First, I will frame my argument, and then I will incorporate my first source, followed by my second source, and then I will have a paragraph that will deal with the opposition, followed up with my final piece of evidence. In this essay I will be identifying the most important ways of thinking about oneself in relationship to the world that can help lead a person toward success. I will first be using Fredrick Douglass, an American abolitionist, orator, and journalist, to show how his self motivation led to his success. Then, I will use Richard Rodriguez, an American writer, to give an example of how the determination to succeed is an important mindset for somebody who wants to live a fulfilling life. Followed up by a paragraph about Malcolm Gladwell, a journalist, author, and pop sociologist, stating the opposite point of view, that success is influenced by culture. Finally, I will use an interview done on Patti Read, a teacher, to give examples of how self determination, self motivation, and hard work have put her in the very successful position she is currently living in. Being self motivated is an important part to becoming a successful person, as it is shown by Fredrick Douglass through his personal experiences. Douglass, being a young black slave, was not allowed to go to school, but his mistress educated him nonetheless. He states in this arti... ...ple, such as Malcolm Gladwell, accept the point of view claiming that success is influenced by culture. Gladwell uses evidence such as plane crashes that occurred in Korean Airlines and how the culture of the pilots of the planes influenced the crashes. Gladwell claims that â€Å"Each of us has his or her own distinct personality. But overlaid on top of that are tendancies and assumptions and reflexes handed down to us by the history of the community we grew up in, and those differences are extraordinarily specific† (Gladwell 202). The co-pilot on Avianca 052, for example, did not know how to communicate with the tower in the urgent matter that was needed to tell them that the plane was out of fuel and the need to land immediately. Because the co-pilot did not make clear the urgency of landing the tower did not let them land, resulting in the crashing of the Avianca.

Directions for “Cognitive Development” Essay

1. Access the textbook website: http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myers7e/default.asp?uid=0&rau=0 2. Click on the PsychSim Tutorials link 3. In the left column, find Chapter 04 â€Å"Psychsim5: Cognitive Development† and click on this link. Click on â€Å"Cognitive Development† and begin the tutorial. Answer the questions and attach to the email in IT’S LEARNING. This is due no later than midnight Tuesday, September 22. Late submissions will be deducted 20 pts per school day late. PsychSim 5: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Name: Faye Simshauser This activity describes Piaget’s theory of the growth of intelligence and simulates the performance of three children of different ages on some of Piaget’s tasks. Schemas 1. What are schemas? -A schema is the way we make sense of the world by organizing what we know into a mental framework. 2. Explain the difference between assimilation and accommodation. -Assimilation means incorporating new experiences into our existing framework or understanding. When we encounter a new situation, we first try to apply your existing schemas, and then we see what happens. If it fits well into our old schemas, we are satisfied. But if the new experience  doesn’t fit, we need to modify our schemas. This process of adjusting our old frameworks is called accommodation. Sometimes we only need to make slight modifications in our schemas. In other situations we may need to make major changes, or even create new schemas. 3. Suppose that a 15-month-old toddler has learned to call the four-legged house pet a â€Å"doggie.† What do you think would happen if the child sees a horse for the first time? Is the child likely to call the horse a â€Å"horsie† or a â€Å"doggie† or a â€Å"doggie-horse† or some other term? Write your best guess in the space below, and add a sentence explaining why you think the child would use that term to refer to the horse. -The child after seeing a horse for the first time will call it a â€Å"doggie† because of its existing schema with associating four-legged animals with dogs. Stages of Development 4. What are some characteristics of a child in the sensorimotor stage of development? -In the sensorimotor stage of development, the child’s intelligence is consumed with mostly sensations and motor skills. The child’s thoughts are limited to the sensations being experience and the objects being acted upon that moment. 5. What is object permanence? -Object permanence is the awareness that things continue to exist even when out of sight. 6. What are some cognitive limitations of preschoolers? -Although able to think symbolically and gain memory and language developments, preschoolers still lack certain mental operations that form the basis of adult logic. The children make errors on problems that involve changes in the appearance of objects. 7. What is egocentrism? -Egocentrism is the inability to take another’s perspective or point of view into account. Egocentrism is the reason why children stand in front of the television sometimes when others are watching behind them; they think that  everyone can see what they see.

How Not to Be an Outcast in College

How Not to Be an Outcast in College Being an outcast, or socially inept in college is rather costly. It translates into a less productive and memorable college experience. Whatever, but if that’s something you would rather learn to avoid, then this article is for you. Though it’s a subjective topic, here’s a step by step breakdown of your typical anti-outcast college strategy. 1. Work on You First The only thing that separates you from anything, any goal or objective, is you. Within reason of course. But there are no real walls between you and a robust social life in college. The only thing in your way is your unique â€Å"narrative† that you define yourself with. Change that first. Work on you first. If your attitude is horrible, nothing else you do will help all that much anyway. 2. Read Some Dale Carnegie If you’re a college student today, chances are good ol’ Dale is a bit before your time. Whether you buy it as an eBook or paperback, read this: How to Win Friends and Influence People. If this were the only book you ever read for personal gain, it’s the perfect choice. Odds are just like the countless millions before you, you’ll not only read it again, but take notes and memorize his simple concepts as well. If readin Dale Carnegie is too much for you at the moment, at least read our article on how to deal with having no friends in college. 3. Be the Good Servant At all times be looking for ways to be of service to people without causing them to lose face in any way, or put yourself in a position where you end up getting taken advantage of. When you do get the chance to be of service, go above and beyond 100% of the time. Both Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill are big fans of the parable (New Testament). Seriously: If you develop this practice into a habit and stick to it, you will undoubtedly live a prosperous life and make many friends throughout your life. Though many people think that making friends after college is a struggle it is not really so. No matter what it is, go above and beyond without asking for extra pay or recognition. 4. Grow Up â€Å"Grow up† could mean all kinds of things. In this context, we’re referring to how you choose to project yourself to other people via your outward appearance. It doesn’t mean caving in completely, or totally selling out. It just means telling the world around you that you respect yourself. By all means sport some personality in your style, but make sure it’s clean. If you don’t take yourself seriously, hardly anyone else will. 5. Say These Two Things All the Time Let’s be clear, these are affirmations and there’s absolutely no question that they work miracles. Successful and worldly well-connected people use them every day of their lives. However, when you say these two things to yourself on a consistent basis (10 times a day in the beginning) embody them. Get into it! Make it real! Every day I meet the perfect people for me. No matter what I choose to do or say, the right people see and hear me. 6. Remember This Statement Check this out, and no, we haven’t the slightest clue who the quote originates from: â€Å"I am not what I think I am, and I am not what they think I am. I am what I think that they think I am.† Once the depth of that statement hits you and you really get it, you’ll never be the same. What you think people think about you (if they think about you at all) is almost complete rubbish. Yet, how much of what we say, do and think every day is influenced by this self-imposed illusion? Get it straight because this is reality: people really care about just one thing (themselves) no matter how you slice it. Regardless of how noble or righteous, at the end of the day all we really experience in this life is ourselves and no one else. 7. Play to Your Strengths In light of the last statement, you should obviously play to your own unique traits (strengths). You’re the only thing that sets you apart from everyone else, so express you and be unafraid. If it’s respect you want, this is the most direct route. When you play to your strengths and stand as yourself, unafraid before the insecure eyes of your peers, they will not only be drawn to you but regard you as a â€Å"really cool person† in that neutral sense that appeals to everyone. 8. Understand the 6 Human Needs The more you know about what every human being needs, the more equipped you are to use this knowledge to your benefit (and theirs). Comfort Uncertainty/Variety Love Growth Contribution Love/Connection As you can see, 99% of what it takes to avoid being an outcast in college is psychological in nature. And no, that doesn’t mean we think you should be a psych-major. What do you think, did we nail it? Tell us in the comments!

Annunciation Essay Example

Annunciation Essay Example Annunciation Paper Annunciation Paper I didnt think another visit to the Cloisters would mean much to me.In previous visits, I had noticed the picture on the wall or the sculpture in the corner, glanced quickly at a date or name, and moved on. This time, however, something compelled me to take a closer look, to try to understand the form and context of the works, to see into the artists mind. I thoroughly enjoyed observing the works themselves and watching others reactions to those works. Once there, I chose a particular object to write about, considering the formal elements and the effect on the viewer. This sharpened my visual analysis, along with my understanding of the importance of historical context. I was attracted to the stained glass because of the beauty and emotions it portrayed.It gives an accurate feel for the attitude of someone who was passionate about the craft. The panels once initiated a cycle dedicated to the Life of Christ installed in the Altenberg convent church. An unknown artist completed this G erman glass painting, created in Altenberg-an-der-Lahn, in 1290. It is a scene of the Annunciation, describing when the angel Gabriel is informing the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant with Jesus Christ. The Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that she is to give birth to the Son of God. Calmness, order and simplicity are the outstanding features of this painting. Mary bows her head as she humbly accepts Gabriels message. The painting style, with its bold slashing strokes, combined with the strong colors, makes it one of the most exceptional of the panels.It includes a sense of perception because of its three dimensional characteristics. The face of Gabriel is gentle and soft, with squinted eyes and closed lips. Mary, however, seems more intense because of the lowely-tilted position of her head.Both of the emotions portrayed show the realistic intentions of the artist. Gabriels hands extend toward Mary, while hers rest humbly at

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Economic - Essay Example The following table and chart can help us get an idea: â€Å"The main engine of growth is the accumulation of human capital† and â€Å"the main source of differences in living standards among nations is the difference in human capital. Physical capital plays an essential but decidedly subsidiary role† (Bardhan and Udry, 2008, p.266). Human capital has several aspects, including education, training and health. Human capital is considered to be a key determination of economic growth. Investment in human capital benefits individuals and society as a whole. Countries with skilled people grew faster. While develop economics have always emphasized the importance of education in the develop process. Better education generates private gains to the individual and public benefits to society. By the expansion of knowledge it can enable the people to overcome ignorance and superstitions. Without literacy or, to be more precise, perfect education, economic growth in any country is impossible. It can become only lopsided and flawed unless corrective reassures are taken. Jobless growth implies situation where the overall economic growth but does not expand sufficient employment opportunities. ‘Futureless growth’ implies a situation where growth occurs but its effect is not positive on future generation and is adverse. According to Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"education, which does not teach us to discriminate between good or bad, to assimilate the one and eschew the other, is a misnomer† (Rao, 1991, p.2). The purpose of literacy and education is not only to make our children literate and merely develop individual skills but also to make them appropriate human being with positive and integrated elements of their respective societies. Education means drawing out the best of the body, mind and spirit in man. He believed learning by doing and was of the opinion that the knowledge through education, subjects

E portfolio assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E portfolio assignment - Essay Example Accordingly, skulls are divided into three categories. The mammals like sheep, pigs, cows and horses have non-primate skulls. Baboon, Gorilla and Chimpanzee belongs to non-human primate skulls. The third category, called hominid skulls details the shape, size and other known parameters of human skulls.(NS 201, p87) The study of historical components of life within the scope of Biology relates to biodiversity. In addition, the recent space research results have aroused the interest of many scientists to study the possibility of existence of life, in planets beyond earth, like Mars, Saturn or some moons of Jupiter. Such studies are called â€Å"exo-biology†.(NS 201, p34) Many species of animals and human beings have common characteristics in their structures that show the similarities of their organisms. Accordingly, Homology relates to studies in this direction. For example, many similarities are found in the structure of human skeleton and that of a chimpanzee. Many animals from a common ancessetor inherit the basic vertebrate â€Å"body plan†, although they may have distantly related organisms. Such animals have homologous skeleton structures.(NS 201, p51) According to Darwin, natural selections are slow and dependant on the environmental changes. Hence, these may not be observable during the lifetime of any scientist. Accordingly, these mechanisms are studied with the help of simulations, using different methods like directional, stabilizing and disruptive selection models.(NS 201,