International and National Relief Efforts - BHS412 Module 4 - SLP Essay

International and National Relief Efforts - BHS412 Module 4 - SLP - Essay Example For this particular Catastrophic Disaster Response Plan, the idea was to keep all databases and information updated on an ongoing basis. What this translates to is that all maintenance and training will have to be constantly updated and modified to adapt to the situation at hand as well as predicted future incidents. For example, it could be the case that one particular disaster relief scenario takes place in an area in which there is very little or no water available to disaster affected people, and in another situation there would be an abundance of water. Given the former scenario, staff involved would have to have special training as to steps that can be taken to ensure that water arrives as fast as possible to affected people wherein in the later scenario (Assuming available water is not polluted) acquisition of water could take a back seat to more important products and or services. In effect all training will have to be undertaken on an ongoing basis and will be based upon new developments in technology. The possible strengths of the CDRP are fairly obvious insofar as all people contributing to various disaster relief efforts would have already received training on numerous scenarios and would have effectively had exposure with all of the latest technologies.

Purposes of Criminal Sentencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Purposes of Criminal Sentencing - Essay Example Moral philosophers take into consideration the goals of punishment, the values promoted, and its purpose (Purpose of, 2004). While sociologists are concerned with â€Å"what punishment is actually intended for, and the nature of penal systems† (Hudson, 1996, as cited in Purpose of, 2004, p. 105), criminologists concentrate on the penalties for offenses and the policy measures pertinent to the punishment (Purpose of, 2004). Previous penal theories leaned more on retribution that put the moral blame on the offender without regard to future reformation of conduct of the offender (Hudson 1996, as cited in Purpose of, 2004). While punishment may be to prevent crime to some and to punish for others (Hudson, 1963, as cited in Purpose of, 2004), the court balances these factors in imposing a punishment (Purpose of, 2004). ... Although the present system in the US has shifted to reformation of the convict, the justification for sanction based on vengeance still remains (Barnes, 1999). The incarcerated convict can also be deterred from the commission of the same act or any other crime if rehabilitated or incapacitated (Barnes, 1999). The two primary theories that dominate criminal punishment are utilitarianism and retribution (Purpose of, 2004). Utilitarianism expounds that laws should provide maximum happiness for society, and since crime and punishment are not consistent with happiness, they should be placed at the minimum level (Punishment, 2011). Thus, under this theory, the infliction of punishment is only that which can prevent commission of crimes in the future (Punishment, 2011). The traditional model in criminal theory is that of deterrence, which is considered a sub-category (Barnes, 1999) or a derivative (Purpose of, 2004) of the utilitarian theory. According to the utilitarian view, punishment i s justifiable if it promotes the interest of society, and maintains social order (Rawls, 1955, as cited in Barnes, 1999). The concept of deterrence posits that apprehension and punishment of a criminal informs society that an act is punishable, and thus deters members of society from committing it (Barnes, 1999). General deterrence focuses on the total criminal behavior, as opposed to specific deterrence which targets individual criminals (Barnes, 1999). As a general deterrent, there must be an existing crime and punishment in order to deter others from committing the same (Barnes, 1999). This follows the view that a threat of being punished would deter individuals

Framework for K-12 Science Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Framework for K-12 Science Education - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that professional development opportunities are being offered with a view to equipping the teachers with the resources required to implement the NGSS in their classrooms. Not all teachers, however, have been able to successfully incorporate NGSS practices in their respective classrooms. It can be said that standards and performance expectations aligned with the framework should consider that students cannot completely comprehend scientific and engineering concepts without being involved in the inquiry practices and the discourses that lead to the development and modification of such ideas. This is suggestive of the state and significance of science today in the K-12 educational curriculum.Teachers should have a vast knowledge of and expertise in research methodology and must be skilled in scientific research to pave the way for authentic scientific inquiries in the classroom. The National Science Teachers Association recommends the teachers o f science to demonstrate their comprehension and understanding of the tenets, process, and assumptions underlying the different methods of inquiry related to scientific knowledge and also to encourage students’ participation in inquiries that are developmentally appropriate and that impact the need for the students to scientifically develop relationships and concepts using data, inferences and personal observations. A potential way in which teachers can acquire such knowledge and understanding is through participation in the Research Experience for Teacher (RET) programs. The purpose of RET programs is to equip the teachers with fundamental knowledge in the conduct of practical research for ongoing application in their daily experiences in the class.

How unemployment is individual and social problem Essay Example for Free

How unemployment is individual and social problem Essay In this essay I will discuss how unemployment is an individual and a social problem and how Max Weber distinguished power, authority and coercion and how the functionalist, conflict theorist and symbolic interaction theory view the economy and by the mid century how they have evolved and the role of these theories to explain social and economic phenomenon. How unemployment is individual and social problem Unemployment is caused by many factors in a modern market economy. It can be caused by rapid technological change, business cycle or recessions, seasonal factors in some industries particularly such as changes in tastes and climatic conditions which affects demand for certain products and services, individual perceptions and willingness to work and search for jobs, their values and attitudes towards some jobs and about employers, accessibility for retraining and acquisition of work skills, willingness and perception of unemployed of the benefits of training and the possibility for them to get a job after the training even though they have a chance to get a job, discrimination in the workplace based on race, color. religion, ethnicity, age and class. It can be seen from the above causes unemployment in a particular period can be a combination of caused by social factors and how the economy as a whole works and also due to the subjective individual factors. In a sociological point of view according to functionalist and conflict theorists the unemployment is caused primarily by the social factors than by the individual factors. However according to Max Weber and symbolic interaction theories individuals construct their own social constructs and perception and they can be subjective in their behavior and there fore can become unemployed even though the actual condition they can get a job in the job market. In summary applying the sociological and the primary causes of unemployment unemployment is individual as well as a social problem in a market economy. As discussed above it is caused by the society as well as by individuals. Even the economy or societal factors are not present unemployment can be caused by individual perception and their own subjective behavior. . Max Weber’s distinction among power, authority and coercion Power can be defined as one person’s ability to influence others does what ever they want even though they don’t like to do what is demanded and they resist doing what is demanded. For example a professor can influence the students to assign work and demand them to do to satisfy some criteria. As well a dictator like Hitler can control all aspects of life because of this ability to impose his will on majority of people. In other words a person or group on other person or other groups can use power legitimately or illegitimately. That is power need not come from proper authority or legitimate authority. That is power and authority can be different in this respect. According to Max Weber authority can arise from tradition, charisma of certain powerful people or from legal-rational. That is authority need not come from any logical reason but likely to come from respect for the past. For example a monarchy in Western Europe can get authority because they ruled the populace over a long period of time. Even the traditional authority can exist in modern democracies because the people respect the monarchy or authority of monarchy at least in a limited symbolic head of states in Western Europe. Authority also can arise from charisma of some powerful people. They have authority because of their charisma. This arises because they have the ability to lead a vast number of people for a particular cause using their powerful charm and influence over ordinary people. For example Martin Luther King, Gandhi. Nelson Mandela is the modern examples of charismatic authority they had because of their ability to charm and influence a vast majority of people for a particular cause. Authority also can arise from legal-rational. That is in society authority is given to individuals and organization based on rationally enacted laws and regulations. This authority is impersonal and differs from charismatic authority because the legal-rational authority is impersonal and the charismatic authority is personal and admired by the people who accept that authority. In modern societies the authority is derived from the legal-rational compared to charismatic and traditional in varying degrees in industrialized societies in particular. Coercion is the extreme manifestation of power in a way threatens the person to complete obedience because it threatens the person coerced physically, financially and socially. This results in persons following the authority of another because of fear rather than will. Coercion is mostly linked with abuse and conflict. Coercion exists in many dictatorships in the past as well as in the present world in many parts of the world where citizens are forced to follow the regime of dictatorship. The view of the economy in the perspectives of functionalist, conflict theorists and symbolic interaction theory Functionalist perspective of the economy In the perspective of functionalist sociological theorist social systems including economy works like a biological organism where every part of the system work in a united manner so that smooth functioning is maintained and so that society builds consensus between different parts of the system.. In this change is evolutionary and the changes take place to minimize dysfunction and to enhance the stability and its survival in the future. In this respect Capitalism will not collapse and will endure in the future as the functions of the system will adjust and evolve so that it maintains the social order and stability without any radical overhaul of the economic system. In addition the social, legal, political, religious systems will not be in conflict with the economic system and work in unison with the economic system so the whole social organism survive and social order is maintained and their functions and their purpose even though different work as a unified system. As discussed above this is the functionalist view of the economy. Conflict theorist view of the economy In contrast conflict theorist believe society do not work as a unified system. Conflict and struggle take place as different groups work to maximize their benefit in the same time other groups loose. Functionalist view conflict in a negative manner. However the conflict theorist see the conflict to some extent is beneficial as it forces the parties to come to a common ground and make the economic system or the social system to change for the better and minimize the losers and maximizing the benefits for a greater number of groups as well make the power system in check so that abuse of power is minimized. In this context the economic system and social order changes continually and changes take place and shaped by different interest groups in varying degrees in a market economy. However Marxism as a conflict theory predicts radical change to the economic system to move towards a socialist system it has not eventuated. However Max Weber as a conflict theory predicts the viability of the market economy with some reform to minimize the negative aspects of capitalism like alienation and the negative impact of bureaucracy in capitalist economies and more democracy in society and continuous reform of the economic system to make it work efficiently but also effectively by legal, social and political reform appropriate to a countries historical, cultural, political and social context.

Rogers Communications Analysis

Rogers Communications Analysis Currently Rogers has competition with companies like Bell Canada, TELUS and Shaw Communications. There are also new providers in the industry that are offering products and services at low prices. Rogers is a company that has the best technology in comparison of other providers. It is the only company that operates on both GSM and HSPA technology. 1Rogers operates in three areas. The first one is Wireless, which includes wireless voice and data communications services. Rogers is Canadas largest wireless provider. The second one is Cable. Rogers is one of Canadas largest providers of cable television services as well as high-speed Internet access, telephony services and video retailing. The third and the last one is media, which includes radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. Its backbone is its distribution channels, which includes 3,600 Rogers-owned, dealers and retail outlets. Rogers provides valuable customer services to its customers. Its goal is to maximize its subscribers and become the best communication and media provider. There are 70 subscribers out of 100 (2010) in comparison of 25 per 100 (2000). Furthermore,  [2]  in the time of recession, Telecom industry is one of the industries that have been able to survive and make profit margins. Thus, Telecom industry is an industry where consumers go first which means that consumers would reduce their spending on other goods and services in comparison of telecom services. Therefore, if Rogers has brand image and the market is full of opportunities then why let new entrants capture the market share. The second issue that Rogers face is regarding its financial position. If we see the table below, companys sales growth in 2007 was 14.54% and cost of goods sold was $961 million. In 2008, sales growth reduced to 11.97% but cost of goods sold was more ($1303 million). If we see the last year that is 2009, sales growth was just 3.49% and cost of goods sold was $1380 million. This concludes that, if sales growth has been decreasing every year, cost of goods sold has not been decreasing with proportionate to sales growth. In other words, profit margin has been decreasing and companys operation is not able to increase its sales growth and minimize its cost of goods sold. Morever, if we see the debt to equity ratio, it is increasing every year. In 2007, it was 1:2.3. In 2008, it was 1:2.61 and in 2009 it was 1:2.98. This concludes that Rogers is using a lot of debt to finance its operations. But on the other side, Rogers has good return on assets of 8.67% in 2009 in comparison of 6.18% in 2008, which means Rogers is earning more money on less investment this year. In order to overcome current challenges, Rogers should use overall low cost provider strategy. Rogers should apply this strategy to solve its business and financial issues. The advantages of this strategy are customer satisfaction, moving towards its rivals, prevail market conditions and strengthen its market position. What else can Rogers do to maintain its market share and presence? Rogers can include features and services in packages that are essential to its consumers. It can find ways to achieve competitive advantage that would be hard for the current rivals and new entrants to match. Though the industry did have the slowest growth in 2009 from 2000, the analysis shows that there is a lot of room to grow. When Rogers would use lower pricing for its products and services then there would be less competition and more accessibility to local market that would increase its sales and revenues. By doing this, Rogers is completing its mission strategy, which is to add great value to its customers lives by offering new and reachable products and services. When companies raise prices of their products and services, they dont realize that by doing this they are far away from their customers but new entrants are putting themselves in their customers shoes. In other words, they are thinking like their customers. This is what Rogerss strategy should be, to think like its customers and add value to their lives. If Rogers would think like its customers then there would be brand loyalty and there is less risk of loosing its market share and presence. If customers would feel that Rogers has understood them, then they would definitely contract with Rogers. This would lead to Rogers implementing its financial strategy, which is to maximize profit and return on investments. In regards to reducing Rogerss cost of goods sold, Rogers should invest more money on new technologies to improve its companys operations. This would decrease its cost of goods sold and increase business efficiency. In addition, Rogers can outsource some of its operations as it has been doing with its physical IT infrastructure. Rogers has been outsourcing its physical IT infrastructure to IBM to make capital expenditure efficiencies. Rogers can do the same with some of its operations but one thing to consider is that Rogers should have strict quality standards for its products and services while outsourcing. Furthermore, cost of goods sold increases when there are high designs or services that is neither seen nor valued by customers. Rogers can simplify its products and services and reduce cost of goods sold. In conclusion, Rogers, to become the best telecom company in Canada should apply all the recommendations above. This would help Rogers to increase its subscribers and reduce its cost of goods sold. A) INDUSTRY INFORMATION: 1. What are the Industrys Dominant Economic Features? Market Size   [3]  In 2010, there are 70 wireless subscriptions for every 100 Canadians in comparison of 25 wireless subscriptions per 100 in 2000. Market Growth Rate (Product Life Cycle) Maturity. There is competition between different companies. Growth Cycle   [4]  Real gross domestic production increased from $25,559 million in 2007 to 26,775 million in 2009.   [5]  2009 and 2010 are the slowest years of production growth in two decades. Scope of Rivalry   [6]  Low barriers of entry. New entrants are providing same services that big players do at low prices. Type of Distribution Channels   [7]  Dealers, retail outlets and advertisement. Pace of technological change   [8]  Internet connection giving access to television entertainment. Level of Product Differentiation -Low. All companies offer same products or services. Ease of Entry Exit   [9]  Low barriers of entry due to deregulation of telecommunications service providers and advancement in telecommunication system. Industry Profitability   [10]  Profit margin has decreased to 12.8% in 2009 from 13 % in 2007. Summary- Telecommunication Industrys market size and real gross domestic production has increased but profit margin has decreased. There are low barriers of entry but competition is high. 2. Competitive Analysis Summary The 5 Forces Model The Rivalry among competing sellers in the Industry Intense. Companies try to attract customers with more discounts, promotions and benefits in comparison of their competitors. Firms in other industries offering substitute products Weak. Customers have no option or substitute for services offered by companies in telecommunication industry. The potential entry of new competitors -Weak. Low barriers of entry  [11]  due to deregulation of telecommunications service providers and advance in telecommunication system. Entrants enter the market but do not survive unless they offer low prices because companies ruling in telecommunication industry have brand equity and customer loyalty. The bargaining power of suppliers   [12]  Weak. Small Internet resellers get a very small share of the market, and their share has been declining in recent years. The bargaining power of buyers -Moderate. There are not many companies that offer all the products and services but still customers switch to rivals when they offer huge discounts and promotions. Summary- Suppliers share has been decreasing. There are no substitutes and buyers have very less options. There are low barriers of entry but competition is high too. 3.Drivers of Change Industry Growth Rate   [13]  Real gross domestic production increased from $25,559 million in 2007 to 26,775 million in 2009. Product Innovation   [14]  Smartphone, high speed Internet and digital TV. Technology Change   [15]  Fiber optics, improved computer technology and the Internet. Regulatory/Government Influence   [16]  Business rules are regularly changing which is giving small Internet providers access to the large companies networks. Summary- The main driver of change is the new technology introduced every time that excites customer to purchase products and services. 4.Competitive Position Quality of Services and Network Less More Few Many Coverage Who is favorably/ unfavorably positioned why? -Bell Canada occupies the most favorable position among the rivals because of being first Canadian telecom company and occupying more coverage. The closest competitor to Bell Canada is Rogers that offers large variety of products and services and has a wide geographical presence in the market of telecommunication industry.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   5.Key Success Factors Technology Related   [17]  HSPA+ 21 Mbps wireless network and DOCSIS-3.0 50 Mbps high-speed Internet service. Organizational Capability   [18]  Knowledgeable staff that would develop newer, better, and faster ways to deliver what customers want, while also delivering attractive returns for shareholders. Distribution Channel   [19]  Diversified distribution channels such as dealers, retail outlets and advertisement. Other -Brand image. Widely recognized and accepted by customers. Summary- Key success factors in telecommunication industry are technology, well-trained staff, distribution channels and brand image. 6.Industry Attractiveness -The industry is at maturity level. There is a lot of room to grow and profits are high. Whenever, new technology is introduced, customer demand increases. Low barriers of entry makes it easy for new entrants to enter the industry but it is hard to survive unless they offer low prices because there are big players in the industry. There are no substitutes. Competition is intense as companies try to attract customers with more discounts, promotions and benefits in comparison of their competitors. B) COMPANY RESOURCES: AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT 1. The Strategic-Making Process Vision Statement stated/implied   [20]  To grow in the business while taking care of corporate social responsibility. Mission Statement   [21]  To add great value to customers lives by offering new and reachable products and services. Strategic Objectives Business Maximize the number of subscribers and become Canadas best communication and media provider. Organizational   [22]  Achieve highest standards of business conduct among all employees. Financial Maximize profit and return on investments. Current Strategy-  [23]  Launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) so that customers can anywhere, anytime access to information, communications and entertainment. Strategic Performance Indicators Qualitative Measures-   [24]  High-quality network coverage. -Customer satisfaction. HSPA+ 21 Mbps wireless network and DOCSIS-3.0 50 Mbps high-speed Internet service. Quantitative Measures-   [25]  7% growth rate in Wireless Network and Cable Operations businesses in 2009.   [26]  1.5 million Smartphone customers in 2009. 2. Financial Analysis Conclusion- The Company has issue with its cost of goods sold. Comparing all years, sales growth is decreasing but cost of goods sold is increasing .If this continues then soon the company would loose its financial well -being. Therefore, the company should increase its sales growth but decrease its cost of goods sold. High debt to equity ratio indicates that the company is using a lot of debt to finance operations, which might be reason for company to have more earnings than it would have without debt. Rogers have 1: 2.98 in 2009.  [27]  Rogers has also generated a 29% increase in free cash flow growth in 2009. Return on assets provides information on how effectively company is utilizing its money to convert it into sales. Rogers has good return on assets of 8.67% in 2009 in comparison of 6.18% in 2008, which means Rogers is earning more money on less investment this year. In total asset turnover, the figure indicates how much is generated in sales from every dollar worth of assets. Rogers has 68.80% in 2009 in comparison of 69.9% in 2008.This means that Rogers has been less efficient at using its assets in generating sales this year. In current ratio, the conclusions cannot be drawn before considering other factors. However, when the current ratio is higher than 1, it is normally considered acceptable. It indicates how quickly current assets can be turned into cash. Rogers is in less good position by having 1:0.80 in 2009 in comparison of 1:0.84 last year. 3. The Company Value Chain Operations   [28]  Rogers is the only one operating on both GSM and HSPA technology.   [29]  Outsources its physical IT infrastructure to IBM to make capital expenditure efficiencies. Distribution   [30]  Powerful national product distribution network consisting of more than 3,600 Rogers-owned, dealer and retail outlets. Sales and Marketing   [31]  Activated 1.5 million Smartphone customers. Service   [32]  Created a dedicated team who would engage with customers looking for help in online forums and micro blogs.   [33]  Created the Rogers Customer Commitment to help customers understand what they can expect when they contract with Rogers. Summary- Rogers have the best technology, outsource, distribution network and customer service that makes its way to success. 4.Competitive Strength Assessment Model 5-8 KSFs weighted Conclusion- Bell and Rogers have close competition. TELUS and Shaw are behind Rogers. Bell has 10 rating for reputation image because of being the oldest and trusted company in Canada. Rogers is trying its best to grab Bells market presence and has been successful in doing that. In terms of technology, Rogers has 10 rating because it is the only one operating on both GSM and HSPA technology. 5. SWOT Analysis Internal (S)trengths -Brand recognition.   [34]  Powerful national product distribution network.   [35]  Dedicated team for customers. (W)eaknesses -Internal inefficiency that increased cost of goods sold. -Dependent on debt. External (T)hreats -Bell, TELUS and Shaw Communications.   [36]  New entrants are entering the market. (O)pportunities   [37]  Attract new clients.   [38]  $900 million total principal amount of 4.70% Senior Notes due in 2020. Summary- Rogers has internal strength in its brand recognition and distribution channels. Its weakness lies on increased cost of goods sold and debt. Competition is intense with current rivals and new entrants. Opportunities are bright with new and existing customers. 6. Strategic Issues that merit Managerial Attention Business Issue   [39]  Would it be a good strategy by Rogers to lower price of its products and services due to high competition from new entrants? Financial Issue -How should Rogers decrease their rising costs? 7. Criteria for Strategic Solution(s) Able to maintain high quality network coverage, HSPA+ 21 Mbps wireless network and DOCSIS-3.0 50 Mbps high-speed Internet service, 7 % growth rate in Wireless Network and Cable Operations businesses, 1.5 million Smartphone customers and reduce cost of goods sold. Work Cited Canadian Industrial Outlook. (Autumn 2010). Canadas Telecommunications Industry. The Conference Board of Canada Retrieved from http://www.conferenceboard.ca.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/temp/f191b447-0cc1-43f8-89cd-a7d54518d917/11-146_CIOS-Telecom_Autumn10_WEB.pdf. Investor Relations. Rogers. Retrieved from http://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true_pageLabel=IR_LANDING Corporate Social Responsibility. Rogers. Retrieved from http://your.rogers.com/aboutrogers/csr/overview.asp About Rogers. Rogers. Retrieved from https://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true_pageLabel=about_landing PRNewswire. (October 6, 2010). Rogers Announces First Lte Technical Trial in Canada. Yahoo finance. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Rogers-Announces-First-Lte-prnews-2287777662.html?x=0.v=62 Guides to Occupations. Working in the Telecommunication Workers Industry. Skilled Immigrant Infocentre. Retrieved from http://skilledimmigrants.vpl.ca/index.php/guides/industry/telecommunication_workers Defining Next. ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC. 2009 ANNUAL REPORT. Rogers. Retrieved from http://www.rogers.com/cms/investor_relations/pdfs/2009_Annual-Report.pdf Bringing Your World Together. ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC. 2008 ANNUAL REPORT. Rogers. Retrieved from http://www.rogers.com/cms/investor_relations/annual_html/2008/html/HTML2/default.htm The Americas Intelligence Wire. (Sep 22,2010). Rogers Communications Prices $900 Million Senior Notes Offering. Ryerson. Retrieved from http://galenet.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/servlet/BCRC?rsic=PKrcp=COvrsn=unknownlocID=rpu_mainsrchtp=cmpcc=1c=136mode=cste=72tbst=tsCMtab=2ccmp=Rogers+Communications+Inc.tcp=rogersn=25docNum=A237731531bConts=13119

human nature Essay -- essays research papers

What is human nature? It is very simple. Human nature refers to the patterns of behavior that are typical of our species or our kind. Human undergoes change as all humans grow up they nature seems to change; the environment someone grow up in effects that persons nature. To fully understand human nature Dr. Marvin Harris takes us on trip to time, which makes sense because if we better understand our past and our origin we will better understand our very existence and our nature. We will know more about who we are where we are from and such other questions that puzzle the human mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I mentioned before our environment has a great effect on our nature. For example a theory claimed that, the first humans were originated in Africa in the time frame of 115,00...

Economic Freedom

Part I. Introduction It has become apparent in recent years that the issue of vast globalization, economic development and its impact on various aspects of state wellbeing is the one that needs to be looked at very carefully. Moreover, direct investments into the country’s development and as a result improved quality of life are an additional incentive to increase the economic freedom level.Throughout the centuries scholars and economists have argued on whether economic freedom based on private property and free markets is the only beneficial and effective form of economy formation or centralized system of governing is better. Myriad researches have been brought to public, however, our group believes economic freedom is currently in increasing phase of its development, and thus should be thoroughly examined and reviewed basing on country background and scores obtained.This, in our view, will help to accelerate the wellbeing of Kazakhstan and possibly attract additional cash in flows from external market players. The paper will examine the issue of economic freedom and indices it defines in more details, will cover all the aspects included in consideration of the latter concept and will try to assess the relationship between economic freedom and potential investments rise. Brief definition of basic concepts In order to be in line with the topic and understand it deeply, below we present some underlying definitions of basic concepts that will be used throughout the paper.The classic definition of economic freedom and its index is outlined below: â€Å"Individuals have economic freedom when property they acquire without the use of force, fraud, or theft is protected from physical invasions by others and they are free to use, exchange, or give their property as long as their actions do not violate the identical rights of others† James Gwartney and Robert Lawson Economic Freedom of the World: 1996 Annual Report As obtained from www. economicfreedom. org , â€Å"economic freedom is the key to greater opportunity and an improved quality of life.It’s the freedom to choose how to produce, sell, and use your own resources, while respecting others’ rights to do the same. While a simple concept, economic freedom is an engine that drives prosperity in the world and is the difference between why some societies thrive while others do not. † Considering economic freedom is the issue of highest importance as it deals with each and every aspect of our life. Having greater economic freedom, the society ensures higher income levels, decreased poverty, less unemployment percentages and overall healthier state position in terms of economical, financial and political development.Economic freedom index (EFI) is defined as â€Å"a ranking of countries based on the number and intensity of government regulations on wealth-creating activity. Metrics that an economic freedom index evaluates include international trade restrictions, g overnment spending relative to GDP, occupational licensing requirements, private property rights, minimum wage laws and other government-controlled factors that affect people's ability to earn a living and keep what they earn. † (Extracted from www. investopedia. com).For all over the years, The Heritage Foundation in partnership with The Wall Street Journal has tracked the trends in economic freedom around the world and assigned indices to each country. It is a valuable source to gather information from, and the current paper is mostly based on the latter findings. The key factors influencing the level of economic freedom are the personal choice, voluntary exchange coordinated by markets, freedom to enter and compete in markets and protection of individual property from aggression of other including the government intervention.This implies that in economically free society government protects the individuals and their property, maintain stable monetary environment, refrain fr om creating barriers to trade and fairly allocate benefits; however, in case a government substitutes taxes, government expenditures, and regulations for personal choice, voluntary exchange, and market coordination, it may reduce economic freedom and thus diminish quality of life of the whole state.Five broad areas are considered when summarizing and stating the index for a country: * Size of the government: meaning sound taxing (low marginal tax rates) and wise spendings from the side of the government. * Legal Structure and Security of Property Rights: this indicates the consistence of a state’s legal framework with property protection and application of the laws in various spheres of business conducting and everyday life. * Access to sound money: the essence of this concept is whether a government is able not to abuse its monopolistic power. To get high ratings here, a country’s inflation must be low and stable, and the government must permit people to own currencie s of other nations† (Lawson, Robert A. , Economic Freedom, Library of Economics and Liberty) * Freedom to Trade Internationally: the core idea here is the presence of any barriers to free trade (quotas, restrictions or tariffs). * Regulation of Credit, Labor and Business: such concepts as minimum wages for workers, price controls, business licensing ; potential barriers to entry the business might be reviewed at this stage.Having examined the surface of the issue to be researched, we formulated the research question we are going to obtain the answer to at the end of the paper. Research question: Do countries that exhibit greater degrees of economic freedom perform better than those that do not and will the latter help Kazakhstan to attract more potential investments? Part II. Economic Freedom: Kazakhstani case In 2012 Kazakhstan scored 63. 6 in terms of economic freedom level, and thus ensuring Kazakhstani economy to be number 65th in the world list.As per the Heritage Foundat ion Report as of 2012, current country score is 1. 5 points higher in comparison with last year index. This amount represents slight improvements in property rights freedom, freedom from corruption and public spendings. Figure 1. 1 represents the history of indices obtained by the state in the last 5 years. Country| Year| Overall Freedom| Business Freedom| Financial Freedom| Kazakhstan| 2008| 61. 10| 56. 80| 60| Kazakhstan| 2009| 60. 10| 57. 90| 60| Kazakhstan| 2010| 61| 73. 50| 50| Kazakhstan| 2011| 62. 10| 74. 30| 50| Figure 1. 1 Figure 1. shows the overall trends of economic freedom indices throughout the time. It is clearly seen than in 2009 Kazakhstan scored the lowest, and the backup for this might be the substantial rise of global economic crisis. At that time the state encountered myriad barriers to healthy economic, financial and political environments, as it should have sustained positive financial balances all over the country, diminished bankruptcy potential, saved money of its citizens and remained attractive for the external investments. From that time on Kazakhstan tend to increase its economic reedom index and the line of indicating the latter steadily goes up throughout the years 2010-2012, and the last Heritage Foundation Report proves the fact that the country continues its positive trend of advancing economic freedom and ensuring constant development. As presented in the graph on Figure 1. 2, the state has become one of the first to turn back to the expansion and recovery from the global crisis. This is ensured by the enhanced regulation efficiency (at least endeavors towards that) and constant policy reforms in various areas of country wellbeing.Figure 1. 2 The country also scores higher results if compared to the world and regional averages. As according to The Heritage Foundation, Kazakhstan ranks 11th out of 41 countries in Asia-Pacific region, and it is recorded one of the 20 largest score improvements in the 2012 Index considerations. Figure 1. 3 summarizes the above stated information and graphically represents Kazakhstani standpoint in comparison with global and regional averages indices. Figure 1. 3The government of Kazakhstan being aware of the increased significance of economic freedom stability makes efforts in order to continue its positive index rising over time trend and adapts vast amount of laws, amendments and promotes individual’s freedom protection. â€Å"The link between economic freedom and prosperity is undeniable: the countries that score highly in terms of economic freedom also offer their people the best quality of life† (Azis Isa, Central Asian Free Market Institute Policy Analyst).Many empirical studies using the Economic Freedom Index reveal that a country’s economic freedom is highly correlated with its level of capital investment and the rate of economic growth (Gwartney and Lawson ; Holcombe, 2006). Non-monetary measures such as social welfare and peaceful and healt hy state environment also directly correlate with EFI. Scully (2002) has found that economic freedom is correlated with more equal distributions of income across countries. Rise of GDP per capita levels, promotion of decreased poverty percentages in a given country are also affected by the economic freedom situation of the country.Below is the session of graphs analyzing the correlation of economic freedom levels with various aspects of a state development. Countries with more economic freedom have substantially higher per-capita incomes ans thus more stable economic wellbeing of the society. Figure 1. 4. As seen from the graphical representation, those states that fall into â€Å"most free† group tend to have more vast growth rates and as a result higher level of economic growth throughout the country.The difference between the first and the last groups is rather big, and that proves the above stated assumption. Figure 1. 6 represents the correlation between economic growth and income per capita among the poorest strata of the society. As per the graph, we can suppose there is a direct positive relationship between the variables. Figure 1. 6 Kazakhstan has mostly faced economic freedom challenges throughout its history. Being a young state, it had no solid experience to rely upon rather than remaining habits and regimes obtained during Soviet Union times of ruling.Kazakhstani people do not have much influence over the government and its regulations and laws and majority of them encounter many difficulties in business sphere entry levels, further conducting and maintaining of the latter as well as improving their own individual micro economy. However, there are some positive trends in formation of economic freedom in Kazakhstan, and year to year steady development as shown in the Heritage Foundation Report proves that same fact.As according to the Heritage Foundation Report, â€Å"excessive dependence on raw commodity exports makes the economy particul arly vulnerable to global price changes. Rising commodity prices and improved domestic conditions encouraged substantial economic growth in 2010 and 2011†. The organization in partnership with the World Bank states Kazakhstan has an ambitious economic development program, which is planned to be outperformed in the nearest years, and outlines some problematic zones government of the country should pay intent attention to.The further section of the paper discusses the inefficient potential risk spheres the state should work on in order to relieve the situation in the future and continue its positive trend in developing economic freedom. Economic Freedom in Kazakhstan: Challenging restrictions Once the Annual 2012 Report is over and the country obtained its rating results, we recommend the government to consider the following currently inefficient spheres of the state wellbeing.Kazakhstan still faces many challenges on the way of improving its economic freedom level. * Rule of La w As stated in the Heritage Foundation Report, legal framework is currently very inefficient and actually does not cover some spheres of the freedom the way it should. For instance, intellectual property rights are still in a very shaky position and there is no clearly stated and stable position on that sophisticated issue from the side of the government.Although in the beginning of the current 2012 year there were some endeavors made in order to improve intellectual property rights in the country (banning some Internet resources sites, increased fines and jurisdiction cases), this particular policy just raised a new set of problems and questions and was vastly criticized from the side of the business owners as well as general public, because the new Law on Intellectual Property Rights interfered with basic Constitutional rights of every citizen to express the opinion and thoughts.In addition, the court system lacks the capacity to prove its stability and honesty – this year there were many cases of court system failure: judges were taken with bribes, inefficient cases regulations and many more. Recent changes in anti-corruption law only deepened the definition and presence of the latter in the society as it implies indirect potential involvement from the side of the governmental bodies. * Limited governmentOverall tax burden that exist in the country amounts in 21. 5 % of total domestic income. Government spendings are equivalent to 23. 5 percent of total domestic output. The difference between the two variables kept the substantially large oil revenues, thus relieving the whole situation and leaving public state debt standing at less than 15% of GDP. (as per the Heritage Foundation Annual 2012 report). * Regulatory efficiency ; Open marketsBusiness freedom, labor freedom, monetary freedom inefficiencies cases could be considered in that particular section. They in overall have many problems, bureaucratic barriers and lack of regulation from the side o f the government. Business freedom in Kazakhstan, for instance, lack the easy entry possibilities for the individuals, as it is very costly and takes much more time than it is expected to, moreover, increased level of governmental taxes, quotas and tariffs are also barriers to free trade between people and states.However, there are some positive sides in that area – potential WTO entry, expansion of Customs Union are the positive measures Kazakhstan is undertaking in this regard. As for the labor freedom, there is a tendency to think only about employers, leaving the employees aside. Thus, it is very cheap for a company to hire new employee, and it costs nothing to fire him/her. Moreover, in many national companies and even governmental bodies working day are non-scheduled and overtimes are not paid at all.This is a large problem for the whole country. Child labor issue should also be considered attentively when pondering about economic freedom rise. Monetary freedom could be interfered by the government as it may tend to distort domestic prices and try to influence many industries in a row. Inflation rate is also increasing from year to year. This year it tends to be fluctuating thus leaving the individual suffer from potential commodity prices rise. Below is the summary of inflation rates statistics.