Managing Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Managing Homeland Security - Essay Example Emergency managers, in their pursuit of tackling critical problems, need to make the best use of available resources, and act efficiently during disaster situations. Although the role of an emergency manager is magnified only during problematic conditions, his work is nevertheless an on-going process. The department of emergency management is required to prepare in advance for potential disasters, respond effectively during disasters, and ensure the well-being and settlement of residents after the disasters are over. Emergency Management departments try their best to make sure that the opportunity cost of emergency management actions such as emergency preparedness and hazard are less than the long-term losses incurred from maximum credible disasters. As the Emergency Management Coordinator, it is my job to have proper hazard and vulnerability analysis of the city conducted frequently, and facilitate training to task-forces, as well as citizens to ensure that the city is prepared to handle catastrophic situations at all times. These trainings can be done in the form physical exercises and drills, or dissemination of safety information. Also included as part of my duty is the creation of new positions and policies for the innovative and initiated minds, redefining responsibilities and considering budget requirements. Moreover, I shall endeavour to form coalitions with banks, insurance companies, local government agencies, and other forms of community groups so as to reduce disaster losses to the city and its residents. When a situation arises, it is important that emergency managers work in collaboration with other public service and safety departments like the police force, fire department and paramedics. To achieve unanimity of purpose, an emergency manager can work towards ensuring that public safety departments are in frequent contact with each other, and information flows through them without barriers of

Tour Operations Essay Example for Free

Tour Operations Essay Aim and purpose The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ understanding of the dynamic and challenging world of tour operations and for them to appreciate the variety of tour operators’ products and services. Learners will gain knowledge of how tour operators plan, sell and administer a package holiday programme and will also develop practical skills to plan and cost a package holiday. Unit introduction Every year millions of people turn to tour operators to provide them with holidays to all corners of the world. In this unit learners will explore how tour operators link with different types of travel and tourism organisations to provide a wide range of holiday experiences. They will see that tour operators must respond to legislation and external influences, and also face many challenges in the constantly changing travel and tourism sector. Learners will investigate these challenges and the ways in which tour operators respond to them. Tour operators are at the forefront of the travel and tourism sector, constantly seeking out new destinations and holiday experiences to satisfy the ever-demanding and ever-changing needs of today’s holidaymakers. Different types of tour operators will be identified and learners will examine how they develop an extensive portfolio of products and services to meet differing customer needs. Whatever their size, tour operators must work through the same processes when planning, developing, selling and operating their holiday programmes. These different functions will be examined and time scales identified. Learners will find that tour operators compete in a commercially sensitive environment and they will identify how commercial considerations inform many of the business practices. Practical skills will be developed in the planning and costing of a tour operator’s package holiday, allowing learners to appreciate some of the commercial decisions to be made in this competitive industry. Learning outcomes On completion of this unit a learner should: Understand the tour operations environment Know the range of products and services offered by tour operators for different target markets Know how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme Be able to plan and cost a package holiday. Unit content 1 Understand the tour operations environment Links with other component industries: travel agents; transport providers; accommodation providers; providers of ancillary products and services eg insurance, car hire; horizontal and vertical integration Links with trade and regulatory bodies: The Travel Association (ABTA); Federation of Tour Operators (FTO); Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO); UKInbound; Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Legal framework: EU Package Travel Regulations; consumer protection eg Trades Description Act, Consumer Protection Act, Disability Discrimination Act; contract law; licensing eg Air Transport Operators Licence (ATOL) External influences: environmental eg hurricanes, floods; political eg terrorism, strikes. taxes; economic eg currency fluctuations, price of oil; social eg UK demographics, exploitation in host country; technological eg internet, computerised reservation systems Challenges: eg dynamic packaging, distribution channels, integration, budget airlines, maintaining market share, trend towards independent travel, responsible tourism 2 Know the range of products and services offered by tour operators for different target markets Tour operator categories: outbound; inbound; domestic; specialist; mass market Products and services: components of standard package; tailor made; range of destinations; accommodation choices; transport options; ancillary products and services Target market: eg families, couples, solo travellers, specific age groups, special interests, people with specific needs 3 Know how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme Planning: research; forecasting; product development; methods of contracting; costing the package; data input; timescales Sell: brochure production; pricing strategies; distribution eg travel agents, internet, direct sell; promotions eg advertising, sales promotions, sponsorship; reservations; commission; late sales Administer: confirmations; rooming lists; passenger manifests; errata; cancellations; amendments; travel itineraries; ticketing Operations: consolidations; load factors; over-bookings; transport operations; duty office; UK and overseas resort liaison; health and safety; emergency situations; crisis management; quality control; customer service (pre-, during and post-holiday); excursion sales Commercial considerations: maximising profitability; links to different planning, selling, administrative and operational functions 4 Be able to plan and cost a package holiday Plan: destination; transport; accommodation; excursions (included, optional); activities; additional services Cost a package holiday: using load factors; mark-up or profit margin; currency conversions; fixed costs; variable costs Assessment and grading criteria In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit. Assessment and grading criteria To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to: To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to: M1 discuss the impact of challenges facing tour operators To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to: D1 evaluate the effectiveness of tour operators in responding to challenges facing the sector recommend, with justification, how a selected tour operator could expand its range of products and services for its current target market or adapt its range of products and services to appeal to a new market. P1 explain the tour operations environment and the challenges it faces P2 describe the products and M2 analyse how a selected services provided by different tour operator’s portfolio categories of tour operator of products and services for different target markets meets the needs of its target market(s) D2 P3 outline how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme, identifying commercial considerations plan and cost a package holiday for inclusion in a tour operator’s programme [CT 1, CT 2, CT 3, CT 4, CT 5, CT 6]. M3 explain ways of maximising profitability during the different stages of planning, selling, administering and operating a package holiday. P4 PLTS: This summary references where applicable, in the square brackets, the elements of the personal, learning and thinking skills applicable in the pass criteria. It identifies opportunities for learners to demonstrate effective application of the referenced elements of the skills. Key IE – independent enquirers CT – creative thinkers RL – reflective learners TW – team workers SM – self-managers EP – effective participators Essential guidance for tutors Delivery It is likely that learners will have already identified the role of tour operators when examining the structure of the UK travel and tourism sector in Unit 1: Investigating the Travel and Tourism Sector. A simple recap would be useful and this could be achieved by asking learners to produce their own definition of tour operators and a summary of their role within the sector, perhaps producing a diagram that highlights their position within the  structure. Holiday brochures will help learners to identify how tour operators link with other component industries when providing and selling holiday packages. Links with trade and regulatory bodies and the legal framework could be researched in small groups, culminating in short, informal presentations. Vertical and horizontal integration can be a difficult concept for some learners and they will benefit from being given simple definitions, followed by practical tasks using the internet and holiday brochures to research one of the large in tegrated organisations. Findings could be presented in the form of a diagram and could then be compared with one of the integration charts that are produced from time to time by the trade press. Tutors will need to explain how the travel and tourism sector is constantly changing (which is why textbook models of integration are likely to be out of date). Learners will need to read the trade press regularly in order to keep abreast of changes of ownership and takeovers. Tutors could initiate a debate or discussion on the impact of integration to determine whether integration is a good or bad force within the sector, and about the challenges integration creates. Research activities could be developed to examine external influences including environmental, political, economic, social and technological influences. Hurricanes, the credit crunch, unemployment and terrorist activities are just a few occurrences that can present significant challenges for tour operators. A noticeboard could be created in the classroom to display any topical events or issues. Learners need to appreciate that there are hundreds of different tour operators, falling broadly into the categories of outbound, inbound, domestic, mass market and specialist. Learners, in pairs or small groups, could research to identify tour operators within each of the categories, and the range of products and services they offer. The internet is an excellent source of information, as are holiday brochures; however, tutors should discourage indiscriminate collection of holiday brochures. Learners will find that most tour operators have products and services that target different market segments and this will be reflected in some of the accommodation, travel, destination and ancillary services choices provided. Learners need to understand that all tour operators, whether large or small, carry out the same functions when planning, selling, administering and operating the holiday package. Larger tour operators may  have separate departments to carry out a particular function whereas a very small tour operator might have just one person responsible for a range of functions. A practical task could involve learners organising a college trip and relating the activities they carry out to the functions of tour operating. A visit to a large- or mediumsized tour operator would be very beneficial so that learners can see how tour operators work and how the different functions are carried out. Additional tutor input on planning, selling, administration and operations will be required. Activities using case studies can reinforce understanding of aspects such as different methods of contracting, currency considerations and pricing strategies. It is essential that learners develop a sound understanding of all functional areas. Discussions are to be encouraged to help learners appreciate commercial considerations, the difficulties tour operators have in making a profit and to identify ways in which profit can be maximised within the planning, selling, administrative and operational functions. In preparation for assessment, learners will need to practise designing and planning a package. Working in groups to a specific brief, they could practise by planning a college trip. As part of the planning, they would need to consider transport options, type of accommodation and board basis, excursions and activities. Each group could present their proposals to the class and vote on the most interesting proposals. Tutors should explain the terms ‘load factor’, ‘mark up’, ‘profit margin’, ‘fixed costs’ and ‘variable costs’ and then work through simple costing exercises to show how these terms are used. When learners have understood the process for costing a package, exercises should be designed to put this into practice. Tutors may need to devise additional exercises before learners become confident in working with these calculations.

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In the past, people have always tried their own ways of using daily measurements. It was needed and used for daily trade as well as further businesses. These things could only have been made if the people knew they were being fair and honest; hence, the reason that different measurements needed to exist. Many short distance measurements were based on the lengths of the human body. The width of a thumb was used to resemble the inch, which we used today in the English System of Measurements. The foot, which is twelve inches, was compared to the length of the human foot; however, today it is derived to be longer than most people’s feet. The yard, which is equal to three feet, was inferred to be the length from the tip of the nose, to the end of the middle finger when the arm and hand are extended. The Anglo Saxons of England measured these short differences in their own ways too. The length of three barleycorns was their length of the inch (it was very close to the modern length) . Then in 1066, the Normans conquered England and brought back to England the Roman tradition of the twelve inch foot. During the reign of Henry I the foot became official and was engraved on the base of a column of St. Peter’s church in London (Rowlett, R. (2001). A dictionary of units of measurement. English customary weights and measures). He also arranged the yard to be established in England as well. Although, inches, feet, yards etc. measured shorter distances, miles were used to measure much longer distances. This mile was a Roman unit, which was primarily the length of 1,000 paces of a Roman legion. The â€Å"pace† was meant to be two steps, about five feet, which measured the mile to be roughly about 5,000 feet. The basic unit that was used for weight ... .... Origin of the metric system). Currently, people of many countries use this SI unit for measurements. The meter is used for measuring length (it can be converted to millimeters, centimeters, decimeters, kilometers, decameters, and hectometers). The liter is used to measure volume and its conversions are similar to the meter conversions. The gram is used to measure mass and its conversions follow the meter’s conversions as well. Scientists from all over the world make sure of they use this metric system in order to communicate data and make all calculations simpler. Although a vast majority of world uses the metric system in daily activities, the United States, UK, and other countries decide to still use English units daily. And even though everyone in the world may use different measurements daily, it was all created to make our lives a little simpler each day.

Mexican Folk Music: El Corrido Essay -- Music, Oral Folk History

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, a form of Mexican folk music called the corrido gained popularity along the Mexico-Texan border (Saldà ­var). Growing from the Spanish romance tradition, the corrido is a border ballad â€Å"that arose chronicling the history of border conflicts and its effects on Mexican-Mexican culture† (Saldà ­var). A sort of â€Å"oral folk history,† the corrido was studied intensely by Amà ©rico Paredes, who then constructed his masterpiece, George Washington Gomez, around the â€Å"context and theme† of the corrido (Mendoza 146). But the novel is not a traditional corrido, in which the legendary hero defends his people and dies for his honor. Instead, through its plot, characterization, and rhetorical devices, George Washington Gomez is an anti-corrido. The corrido has been identified as having distinctive characteristics that make up its theme and plot. First, the corrido has a â€Å"context of hostile relations between Anglos and Mexicans along the border and the establishment of a scenic structure, geographical locale, and opposing social forces† (Mendoza 146). The corrido’s hero â€Å"is a hard-working, peace-loving Mexican, who, when goaded by Anglos, outrages into violence, causing him to defend his rights and those of others of his community against the rinches, the Rangers† (Saldà ­var). This hero â€Å"is quickly introduced in legendary proportions and defiant stature† and many people must die before the hero reaches his triumphant, but tragic, demise (Mendoza 146). The Anglos in the corrido, meanwhile, are not one-dimensional villains but â€Å"complex figures who contain positive as well as negative qualities† (Mendoza 146). These distinctive traits of a corrido – setting, confli ct, and characterization, among others – ... ...l. â€Å"Ge-or-ge,’ she called in an exaggerated Gringo accent. He looked back. Tears were running down her rigid, expressionless face. ‘Cabron!’ she said. ‘Vendido sanavabiche!’† (Paredes 294) In this way, George – no longer Guà ¡nlito – has politically and culturally betrayed his people, and â€Å"is not is not the tragic hero who has died in defense of his people† (Mendoza 148). In conclusion, through its plot, characterization, and rhetorical devices such as tone, George Washington Gomez is an anti-corrido. However, it must be said that perhaps in its purpose as an anti-corrido, the novel is a corrido. In telling the story of Guà ¡nlito, the anti-hero of the Mexicotexans, perhaps Paredes is singing the readers his own border ballad, an ironic, cautionary tale to the Chicanos to remember who they are and where they came from and to resist, always, as a corrido hero would.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 25

Excitement coursed through my veins as I stole out of the house, across the dew-dropped lawn, and toward the carriage house. I slid past Emily, who held the door open for me, and bounded up the stairs. I no longer needed the candle to find my way to Katherine. There, in the bedroom, she was wearing her simple cotton nightdress and absentmindedly swinging a crystal necklace that sparkled in the moonlight. â€Å"I think Father may be persuaded to call off the siege. At least he's willing to talk. I know I'll be able to change his mind,† I exclaimed, twirling her around the room. I expected her to clap with glee, for her smile to mirror my own. But instead Katherine disengaged herself from my grip and placed the crystal on her nightstand. â€Å"I knew you were the man for the job,† she said, not looking at me. â€Å"Better than Damon?† I asked, unable to resist. Finally Katherine smiled. â€Å"Y need to stop ou comparing yourself to Damon.† She stepped closer to me and grazed my cheek with her lips. I shivered with pleasure as Katherine pulled my body toward hers. I held her tightly, feeling her back through the thin cotton of her nightdress. She kissed my lips, then my jaw, running her lips, feather light, down the curve of my neck. I moaned and pulled her even closer, needing to feel all of her against all of me. Then she plunged her teeth into my neck. I let out a strangled gasp of pain and ecstasy as I felt her teeth inside my skin, felt her draw blood from me. It felt as though a thousand knives were piercing my neck. Still I held her more tightly, wanting to feel her mouth on my skin, wanting to fully submit myself to the pain that fed her. Just as suddenly as she bit me, Katherine broke away, her dark eyes on fire, agony etched on her face. A small stream of blood trickled from the corner of her lip, and her mouth twisted in excruciating pain. â€Å"Vervain,† she gasped, stepping backward until she collapsed on the bed in pain. â€Å"What have you done?† â€Å"Katherine!† I put my hands to her chest, my lips to her mouth, trying desperately to heal her the way she had healed me back in the forest. But she pushed me away, writhing on the bed, clutching her hands to her mouth. It was as if she were being tortured by an unseen hand. Tears of agony spilled from her eyes. â€Å"Why did you do this?† Katherine clutched her throat and closed her eyes, her breath slowing into guttural gasps. Every anguished cry from Katherine felt like a small stake in my own heart. â€Å"I didn't! Father!† I shouted as the dizzying events of that evening occurred to me. My brandy. Father. He knew . There was a clatter from downstairs, and then Father burst in. â€Å"Vampire!† he roared, holding up a crudely made stake. Katherine writhed on the floor in pain, shrieking in a high-pitched tone I'd never heard before. â€Å"Father!† I shouted, holding my hands up as he used his boot to prod Katherine. She moaned, her arms and legs kicking in opposite directions. â€Å"Katherine!† I fell to my knees and held Katherine's body close in my arms. She shrieked, her eyes rolling back so all I could see was white. Foam appeared at the corner of her blood-caked lips, as though she were a rabid animal. I gaped in horror and let go, her body falling to the floor with a sickening thud. I inched back, sitting on my heels and gazing at the ceiling as if in prayer. I couldn't face Katherine, and I couldn't face Father. Katherine let out another high-pitched wail as Father prodded her with his stake. She reared up –foaming at the mouth, her fangs bared, her eyes wild and unseeing–before falling back in a writhing pile. Bile rose in my throat. Who was this monster? â€Å"Get up.† Father dragged me to my feet. â€Å"Don't you see, Stefan? Don't you see her true nature?† I gazed down at Katherine. Her dark curls were matted to her forehead by sweat, her dark eyes were wide and bloodshot, her teeth were covered with foam, and her entire body was shaking. I didn't recognize any part of her. â€Å"Go get Sheriff Forbes. Tell him we have a vampire.† I stood transfixed in horror, unable to take a step in any direction. My head pounded, my thoughts whirled in a confused tangle. I loved Katherine. Loved her. Right? So why now did this †¦ creature disgust me? â€Å"I did not raise my sons to be weak,† Father roared, shoving a bundle of vervain in my shirt pocket. â€Å"Now go!† My breath came in deep rasps. The heat was suddenly stifling, unbearable. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything. All I knew was that I couldn't stand being in that room for one second longer. Without a backward glance at my father or at the vampire writhing on the floor, I rushed out of the house, taking the steps three at a time, and raced for the road.

Buddhism Essays (1386 words) - Yogacara, Buddhist Practices

Buddhism Essays (1386 words) - Yogacara, Buddhist Practices Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world, was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Conze 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell- beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however, specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanence, and no- self, or anatman. Individuals not only suffer in a constantly changing world, but what appears to be the self, the soul, has no independent reality apart from its many separable elements (Davids 17). The second Noble Truth is that suffering itself has a cause. At the simplest level, this may be said to be desire; but the theory was fully worked out in the complex doctrine of "dependent origination," or pratityasamutpada, which explains the interrelationship of all reality in terms of an unbroken chain of causation (Conze 48). The third Noble Truth, however, is that this chain can be broken, that suffering can cease. The Buddhists called this end of suffering nirvana and conceived of it as a cessation of rebirth, an escape from samsara. Finally, the fourth Noble Truth is that a way exists through which this cessation can be brought about: the practice of the noble Eightfold Path. This combines ethical and disciplinary practices, training in concentration and meditation, and the development of enlightened wisdom, all thought to be necessary. For the monks, the notion of offering extends also to the giving of the dharma in the form of sermons, to the chanting of scriptures in rituals (which may also be thought of as magically protective and salutary), and to the recitation of sutras for the dead (Corless 57). All of these acts of offering are intimately involved in the concept of merit-making. By performing them, individuals, through the working of karma, can seek to assure themselves rebirth in one of the heavens or a better station in life, from which they may be able to attain the goal of enlightenment. Zen Buddhism Zen or Chan Buddhism represents a movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. Zen and Chan are, respectively, Japanese and Chinese attempts to render the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana (Coomaraswamy 94). Zen's roots may be traced to India, but it was in East Asia that the movement became distinct and flourished. Like other Chinese Buddhist sects, Chan first established itself as a lineage of masters emphasizing the teachings of a particular text, in this

Investing in Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Investing in Chinese Manufacturing Industry Free Online Research Papers ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank our lecturer, Mr. A.B Teoh for the great help and support he has given me. He was always ready to help me whenever I had a problem. I would also like to thank my senior mates who helped me when I didn’t understand some areas. Lastly, I shouldn’t forget God, who has given me the strength in completing this assignment without any major problems. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This assignment is about an official working in a firm in Tanzania known as Global Connection offering advice and recommendation to SMEs that are looking to invest in China in the sector of manufacturing industry. This document will present a PEST analysis (Political, Economical, Social and Technological environment) that will affect Small Media Enterprises (SMEs) that want to invest in China. This document will specify which industry SMEs are looking forward to invest in. Benefits of investing in China will also be seen so that SMEs know what they planning on doing in long term. Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 05 2.0 PEST ANALYSIS 06 2.1 POLITICAL 06 2.1.1 GOVERNMENT TYPE AND POLITICAL STABILITY 06 2.1.2 RULES AND REGULATIONS DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA 06 2.1.2.1 STARTING A BUSINESS IN CHINA 06 2.1.3 FORMS OF INVESTMENT IN CHINA 07 2.1.3.1 EQUITY JOINT VENTURE. 07 2.1.3.2 CONTRACTUAL JOINT VENTURE. 07 2.1.3.3 WHOLLY FOREIGN-OWNED ENTERPRISE. 07 2.1.4 TAXES 08 2.2 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 09 2.2.1 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) 09 2.2.2 CURRENCY AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE 09 2.2.3 LEADING INDUSTRIES 09 2.3 SOCIAL AND CUTURAL ENVIRONMENT 13 2.3.1 DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION GROWTH 13 2.3.2 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. 14 2.3.3 LANGUAGE 14 2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 15 2.4.1 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. 15 2.4.2 INTERNET USAGE 15 2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS 16 2.5.1 MODE OF ENTRY 16 2.5.2 BENEFITS 16 3.0 REFERENCES 17 3.1 BOOKS 17 3.2 WEBSITES 17 4.0 APPENDIX 21 1.0 INTRODUCTION China is a market oriented country located in Asia with a population of 1.3 billion people. It is a country with a mixture of many cultures and religions. China is country that booming up in modern technology. Even though the country’s population is of great number but the people are very hard working. China has its own languages as any other country but English is well spoken now in the country so as to ease communication with foreign people mostly tourists and foreign business people that visit China. China has many industries such as tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, technology industries. So if SMEs are looking to invest in foreign countries than China is the right place to do so. The future of the country is determined by decisions made by the Communist Party of China (CPC). SMEs in China are estimated that they are responsible for 60% of the country’s industrial output and should employ 75% of the workforce in the country’s cities and towns. SMEs are suppose to create urban jobs since the Chinese government is aware that SMEs are job creators. â€Å"Flexible SMEs are generally well positioned to take advantage of opportunities created by Chinas entry to the WTO†. (Embassy of the United States united states of Beijing. China, 2002) 2.0 PEST ANALYSIS 2.1 POLITICAL Political environment includes factors in government, level of political stability, the law and regulatory system that affects an organization when operating. 2.1.1 GOVERNMENT TYPE AND POLITICAL STABILITY Even if China has changed from a planned economy to a market oriented country the political economy stays the same. The CPC (Communist Party of China) take the decision which determines the future of the country. The power centers in China are: i. Conservatives ii. Liberals iii. President Hu Jintao iv. Former president Jiang Zemin v. Military 2.1.2 RULES AND REGULATIONS DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA 2.1.2.1 STARTING A BUSINESS IN CHINA A permit is needed so as to do business in China, so your agent or distributor will put all documents needed together and provide them to Chinese custom agents. â€Å"Documents that may be required include import permits and Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine inspection (AQSIQ) clearance. Most imports to China do not need an import license if they are registered with Chinas Ministry of Commerce (New Zealand Trade Enterprise, 2008). Just few items come across licensing or permit procedures, such as drugs, chemicals, weapons. If a local agent is being used then it is important to make sure they have an import license. If not, the importer will have to look for links which will lead to higher costs in delivery. So as for the case of shoe manufacturing in China a license or permit is needed so as to start the business. By having connections before starting the business than it is made a lot easier and less expensive. 2.1.3 FORMS OF INVESTMENT IN CHINA Investment is divided to direct investment and indirect investment. In China there are three main types of direct investment: 2.1.3.1 EQUITY JOINT VENTURE. Equity joint venture refers to working together between two individuals a local individual and a foreign individual in other words a Chinese and an overseas individual, they share mutual rewards and risks. Here is where the Chinese government and businesses are concerned. â€Å"Overseas parties are only allowed to invest at most 25% of the entire registered capital in the form of cash or trade property rights etc. The parties to the joint venture shall share the rewards, risks and losses according to the ratio of investment.† ( Starmass International, 2001) 2.1.3.2 CONTRACTUAL JOINT VENTURE. Rights and responsibilities and all liabilities are agreed on a contract before joint venture. This is when the parties will agree on the form of administration and profit division. â€Å"The major difference between an equity joint venture and a contractual joint venture as means in China market entry is that the latter neither necessarily calculates the shares in the form of currency nor distributes profit in proportion to their share, but share profit according to the form of investment and the ration of profit sharing as per the contract.† (Starmass International, 2001) 2.1.3.3 WHOLLY FOREIGN-OWNED ENTERPRISE. This refers to the established enterprises by foreign investors with their own capital according to the law of China. Since China offers joint ventures with other countries than SMEs should use this chance to enter in the manufacturing industry in China due to reasons such as: ? Cheap labour ? Availability of raw materials ? High technology 2.1.4 TAXES There are different kinds of taxes in China which SMEs have to know. The kinds of taxes available are as follows: KINDS OF TAX DESCRIPTION Business tax This is a tax payable against turnover by all enterprises and individuals doing business of construction, finance and insurance, selling immovable properties. It varies from 3% to 20% of the sales turnover Value added tax(VAT) VAT is applied if your company is selling, manufacturing, processing or repairing tangible goods. VAT Rate for â€Å"General Taxpayers† is 17%, or 13% for some goods. â€Å"small scale tax payers get lower rates of about 4% for Trading enterprises and 6% for other production and other enterprises Foreign enterprise income tax EIT is calculated against the net income in a financial year after deducting reasonable business costs and losses; i.e. profits. Withholding tax: Withholding Tax is a PRC tax levied on overseas companies providing services to China based business. If you are based outside the PRC but are supplying services to clients in China, your invoices are in effect. Individual income tax If you are sent to China and your salary is being paid elsewhere not in China and spend more than 183 days in China then you would have to pay IIT in China based on the number of days you effectively spent in The country. (Source from: agn.org/regions/ap/MainlandChinaTaxationOverview.pdf) 2.2 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 2.2.1 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) Gross Domestic Product is an essential part of Gross National Income. It is the total value of goods and services produced within the country in one year. GDP is used to access countries whose multinational sector is significant share of activity. During the reform period China’s GDP has risen from Rmb 362.4 billion in the year 1978 to Rmb13.7 trillion in 2004. â€Å"The share of primary industry in GDP has fallen from 28% in 1978, at the beginning of the reform period, to 15% in 2004. This fall occurred because agricultural output grew more slowly than output of other economic sectors.† (China Statistical Yearbook, 2004) Manufacturing industry grew faster than the GDP over that period from 48% to 53% during the manufacturing boom. â€Å"Individuals have also become richer, with annual GDP per head rising during that time from Rmb379 to Rmb10,502† (China Statistical Yearbook, 2004) â€Å"Chinas phenomenal economic growth in recent years was primarily due to growth in the secondary and tertiary sector of the economy.†( Heilig, 2009) Agriculture in China which is the primary sector only grew a little since 1996. Fig1 China’s GDP by sector, 1978 2003 (Heilig, 2009) [Accessed on 03 August 2009] 2.2.2 CURRENCY AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE The currency of China is known as Renminbi which means people’s money. China’s monetary authority issues the money in China. â€Å"During the previous decade, Mainland Chinas Currency was pegged to the U.S. dollar at 8.28 RMB. On July 21, 2005, it was revalued to 8.11 per U.S. dollar, following the removal of the peg to the U.S. dollar. The revaluation resulted from pressure from the United Stated and the World Economic Council.† (Danwei 2002) In 2003 the value of dollar dropped causing value of Renminbi to fall also making exports more competitive in China mainland. â€Å"This led to some pressure on the PRC from the United States to increase the value of the RMB in order to encourage imports and decrease exports.† (Danwei 2002) 2.2.3 LEADING INDUSTRIES China is a fast growing country and the industries have changed the economic status in the country especially Foreign Direct Investment. Manufacturing industry is the leading industry in China as stated in the diagram below. So SMEs can consider investing in manufacturing industry by choosing to joint venture with local investors in the country. Fig 2 Almanac of China (Emerald Group Publishing Limited) [Accessed on 04 August 2009] 2.3 SOCIAL AND CUTURAL ENVIRONMENT TANZANIA CHINA Culture Tanzania is a nation with a mix of races, traditions and cultures. Religions found in Tanzania are Christianity, Islam, and Hindu. Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, popular folk religion (village religion). Population â€Å"The population of Tanzania in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 36,977,000† (Advameg, 2009) â€Å"1.3 billion people (1,330,044,605 as of mid-2008)† (About.com 2009) 2.3.1 DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION GROWTH â€Å"The decline of dependency ratio has created a productive population age structure with an affluent supply of labour force. Empirical results illustrate that the Chinese demographic transition has contributed to 15-25% of economic growth and 5-21% of savings rate in the reform era. With the acceleration of population aging, demographic dividend will be depleted at the end of 2013.† ( Fang Dewen,) Since mid 1960s China has been able to harvest its demographic dividend due to changes in population age structure. So the reduction of working age population will cause rise in wages. The Chinese are hard working people and are very healthy. So if wanting to join ventures with China to start a manufacturing company then China is the right place to do so. China has a population that exceeds 1.25 billion people in the country and it increases approximately 12-13 million people each year. 2.3.2 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. The Chinese are not very religious people. â€Å"Chinese culture was perhaps the first to develop an intellectual skepticism concerning the gods.†( SACU, 2001) Religions practiced in China include: Daoism (Taoism) Islam Buddhism Christianity Popular folk religion (village religion) Spirituality 2.3.3 LANGUAGE Every country has its own language, so does China. Mandarin Chinese is the official language and is difficult for foreginers to learn and understand. â€Å"As one of the six official languages used by UN (United Nations), Chinese now has earned itself greater status in the World.† (TravelChinaGuide, 2009). Many Chinese speak basic English especially the youth which makes more better for SMEs to start a business in that certain country because communication won’t be a problem when working together. But it is still a problem in certain areas in China where language is a barrier in communication, so it gets difficult for foreigners to communicate with the locals. Even though China is growing fast in technology language is still a problem in some areas. 2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 2.4.1 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. China is in the middle of a massive upgrade of its transportation. China has realised so as to keep their economy growing they are going to need efficient system so as to move goods and people around the country. â€Å"According to World Bank statistics, goods lost due to poor or obsolete transportation infrastructure amounted to one percent of Chinas GDP† (US commercial service, 2001-2009) Ports are being improved for more use of the country’s waterways and even airports. China is about to open a 36km six lane highway across Hazngzhou Bay which will reduce travel time between the two busiest ports in China in about two hours. So transportation is being made easier for doing business in China. 2.4.2 INTERNET USAGE Internet in China is growing fast according to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) the country’s online population has grown 41.9% in 2008 to 298 million users. Even though China’s internet penetration is still fairly low even if it exceeds the world’s average. Access of internet through mobile phones is very popular, it is said that the number of internet users through mobile phones in China went up to 133% from 2007. 2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS According to the PEST analysis in China technology industry, tourism industry, manufacturing industry and agriculture industry are the fast growing industries in China. SMEs are recommended to enter into manufacturing industry because it is the leading sector of industries in China. SMEs should invest since there is availability of cheap labour, raw materials and modern technology. 2.5.1 MODE OF ENTRY When starting a new business large capital is needed, since SMEs have limited capital so it is suggested mode of entry is to joint venture with local manufacturing industries. Joint-venture has medium control as it have more than two companies involve in management (Daniels et al, 2007, p470). SMEs benefit in this country through joint-venture method whereby they don’t have to start a company from the bottom, the company’s image is established by current companies in the country. 2.5.2 BENEFITS China is now given the title â€Å"end of cheap China† because many have started business in China due to cheap labour and availability of resources. SMEs benefit from China because of: Currency Quality Natural resources VAT rebate cuts 3.0 REFERENCES 3.1 BOOKS Ball, D, A, McCulloch, V, H, Geringer, J, M, Minor, M, S McNett, J, M 2008, International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Daniels, J, D, Radebaugh, L, H Sullivan, D, P 2007, International Business, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Hill, C 2007, International Business: Competing in the global marketplace, 6th ed, McGraw-Hill, Boston. 3.2 WEBSITES About.com 2009, China Population, viewed on 31 August 2009, http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/chinapopulation.htm>. Advameg, Inc, 2009, Encyclopedia of the Nations, viewed on 27 July 2009, . Asia for Educators, Columbia University 2008, Population in China, viewed n 05 August 2009, . Case Studies in Business Management 2009, Center For Management Research, viewed on 02 August 2009, . Chan, K 2009, China Finance Accounting, viewed on 29 July 2009, . China Statistical Yearbook 2004, China’s economy and business climate, viewed on 30 July 2009, . Danwei 2002, Danwei Chinese Media, Advertising, And Urban Life, viewed on 31 July 2009, . Embassy of the united states of Beijing.china 2002, Embassy highlights, viewed on 29 July 2009, Fang, C Dewen, W 2001, Demographic Transition and Economic Growth in China, viewed on 03 August 2009, . Glencoe 2004, Marketing Essentials, viewed on 01 August 2009, . Heilig, G, K 2006, GDP By Sector, viewed on 30 July 2009, . New Zealand Trade Enterprise 2008, Sales and Marketing, viewed on 03 August 2009, . Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, SACU 2001, Religion in China, viewed on 27 July 2009, . Starmass International 2001, Investment In China, viewed on 01 August 2009, . TechCrunch 2009, internet usage in China, viewed on 04 August 2009, TravelChinaGuide.com 1998, Language, viewed on 04 August 2009, . The World Bank Group 2009, Doing Business Measuring Business Regulations, viewed on 28 July 2009, . Urban Insight 2000, Infrastructure on the Rise in China, viewed on 01 August 2009, . US commercial service 2001, Transportation, viewed on 29 July 2009, . 4.0 APPENDIX (Source fromdoingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/StartingBusiness/Details.aspx?economyid=185) TANZANIA CHINA List of procedures List of procedures Apply for VAT certificate with the Tanzania Revenue Authority Obtain a notice of pre-approval of the company name Apply for clearance of the proposed company name at the Registrar of Companies Obtain capital verification report from an auditing firm Apply for taxpayer identification number (TIN) with the Tanzania Revenue Authority Obtain the approval to make a company seal from the police department Revive VAT/stamp duty inspection Register with Social Welfare Insurance Center Register for the workmen’s compensation insurance at the National Insurance Corporation or other alternative insurance policy Register for both state and local tax with the tax bureau (Source from: httpwww.freshfields.compublicationspdfs200614675.pdf) DIRECT INVESTMENT Direct investment is done through joint venture with domestic investors and domestic owned companies in a country by investing its invested capital and participating in investment activities. INDIRECT INVESTMENT Indirect investment is the type of investment through purchase of shares, bonds, share certificates, security investment fund. Investors do not directly participate in management of investment activity. Research Papers on Investing in Chinese Manufacturing IndustryDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and CanadaTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice