Globalization and BTL Essay Example for Free

Globalization and BTL Essay The impact of globalization on BTL has been positive with increased indicators which show major progress in increasing levels and growth. The 1990s witnessed moderate economic growth for Belize which resulted in a record growth of telephone services with an average annual growth rate of ten percent. Also with the increase in teledensity, there have been improvements in network modernization (BTL, 2008). The efficiency of BTL has added to the benefits. The percentage of digital lines is reported to increase by the end of the decade. The number of lines per employee has also increased which points towards an increased growth path that tends to reach efficiency levels which are similar to developed countries. The objectives of the telecommunications reform in Belize have been mixed. The achievements in terms of penetration and access are uneven. There is an internal growth gap in urban areas with higher access as compared with lower telephone penetration levels in the rural areas. This limitation has been caused by the inequalities of the telecommunications infrastructure. Metropolitan areas tend to have most of the infrastructure concentrated while minimum services are offered in rural areas. Growth in the telecommunications sector has been slow in 2007 because of the high costs of installing the network and lack of profitability of the service in rural areas (BTL, 2008). Mobile telephone services together with changes in technology have begun to experience an accelerated process of growth in Belize. The mobile phone market in Belize enjoys less regulatory dependence and the need for survival of the dominant company. The overtaking of fixed telephone services by mobile services was driven by the introduction of pre-paid systems. The average growth in users of mobile telephony was thirty percent in Belize in 2007. BTL has entered into a consolidation process where mobile telephone services are becoming part of the picture. The level of dynamism and growth of the telecommunications sector has been spectacular especially for the mobile telephone services (BTL, 2008). This increases the access to telecommunication services. However the government continues to focus on promoting fixed line connectivity and internet access. BTL’s introduction of mobile phones has assisted in increasing the access to telecommunication services and closing the digital divide. The pre paid option has been attractive for Belizeans because of universal access and convenience for lower economic groups. Research also shows that Belizeans prefer mobile telephone services over traditional telecommunications access. One of the advantages has been that the lower activation cost for the user in the case of mobile services as compared with fixed telephone services. The pre paid option also offers attractive alternatives for people because it allows the user to control costs and avoid signing contracts. The operator also finds it cost effective because it does not have to send monthly account balances. BTL mobile telephone services have lower costs in terms of initial costs and usage costs. The cost of mobile telephone services is half that of fixed telephone services. The number of mobile phone subscribers has increased from nine percent to thirty percent in 2007 (BTL, 2008). BTL has improved its performance since the advent of globalization because of lower transaction costs and reduced uncertainty. This has increased the efficiency of markets and administrative organizations. The company has contributed in assisting agricultural companies in comparing prices in various markets. It allows them to obtain the highest prices for their produce and eliminate dependency on local middlemen. It also enables them to modify their products and respond to market demand (BTL, 2008). BTL has also helped to assist organizations in ordering spare parts and immediate contact with technicians which can reduce time lost due to broken machinery. Business organizations have also reduced their inventories because replacements can be ordered and delivered as needed. Contact between producers and shippers can be arranged on schedules for delivery of products to markets which reduces the risk of spoilage. It also has assisted in significant savings in personnel time and travel costs. BTL has also assisted in maximizing the efficiency of shipping so that trips are not wasted while consumption of fuel is minimized. Industries are also migrating to rural areas which allows for decentralization of economic activities. BTL’s mobile phone services have also increased as rural areas prefer them for their economic development. It allows rural areas to use them heavily and spend their income on mobile phone services (BTL, 2008). The demand for mobile phones is heavy in rural and remote areas because of the perceived contribution towards the rural economy. BTL has become highly popular because of its cheap services. The telecommunications sector in Belize is dominated by BTL which has a monopoly on telecommunication services in the country. The 1990s witnessed an annual growth of lines which averaged fifteen percent (BTL, 2008). Line installation has been focused in urban areas which account for sixty five percent of total lines (BTL, 2008). Despite the expansion in the number of fixed lines, the investment has not been sufficient to cover demand for the service. The cellular market has been one of the fastest growing in 2006 and 2007. Still BTL faces the challenge of meeting the growing demand of basic services and data communications. A fast growing internet market has also not satisfied the expectations of consumers. The liberalization of the market has brought benefits as the country uses resources to meet new demands. The mobile sector has the longest growth rate because of the rise in standards of living. The mobile sector is also attractive because of its reliability, efficiency, and low cost as compared with the fixed telephone services. Globalization has also helped BTL in digitizing the telecommunications system as the proportion has grown from thirty percent in 1998 to fifty percent in 2007 (BTL, 2008). BTL’s fiber optic network links several neighboring countries. The network allows connections to submarine cables and networks operated by other countries. BTL provides cellular services to a large number of subscribers. The cellular service has increased its coverage in the past years with services being moderately good for consumers. Liberalization has enhanced the ability of BTL to purchase and acquire cellular phone technology for consumers. Telecommunications reform has assisted BTL in improving its efficiency and meeting the demands of the changing environment. The government wants to give BTL complete administrative, technical, and financial independence with some functions controlled by the government. It also aims to allow for joint ventures and strategic alliances with other companies. Restrictions on foreign participation are also reputed to be removed by the government. It aims to state the public interest of modernizing and developing telecommunications through the process of liberalization of the market in order to allow market participation. A capital investment program to upgrade the country’s GSM cellular service and deploying wireless technologies in the rural areas was announced in 2007 (BTL, 2008). The company also increased funding for network development by investing an estimated forty three million dollars. It also installed eight hundred and fifty MHz frequency equipment to increase the coverage of cellular phone consumers. An updated prepaid intelligent billing system was launched in 2006 which would facilitate and provide user friendly services (BTL, 2008). This program was also reputed to stimulate demand for mobile phone services of the company. A new wireless network with a frequency of four hundred and fifty MHz has also been proposed which will provide telecommunications services for businessmen, professionals, government officials, security forces, fishermen, and other residents with mobile phone services (BTL, 2008). The company’s fixed line services have not been successful because of globalization. This is because of the unstable economy and low population in large parts of the country. Fixed lines are concentrated in the urban areas where they provide services for certain customer groups. BTL has reported losses in fixed line domestic services which include line access charges and per minute call traffic. BTL has also not increased customer rates from 2001 till 2007. It also implemented several reductions in price for various data communication and satellite services. Internet capacity tariff was reduced by a percentage of ninety percent. Tariff reductions have assisted in increasing the number of consumers. DigiCell prepaid customers were offered discounts of twenty five cents for calls. Other features were also introduced which included further discounts for consumers who call for more than five minutes. SMS to email was a service offered for prepaid customers which allowed them to send messages throughout the world. The number of DigiCell consumers rose from ninety three thousand to one hundred thousand in 2007 (BTL, 2008). The total number of cellular consumers has risen to one hundred and eighteen thousand in 2007 (BTL, 2008). Siemens has been providing technical assistance to BTL for the maintenance of the cellular network. The company has also aimed to create modern cellular equipment along with high speed internet services to consumers. Globalization has assisted the company in increasing its cellular business which now comprises a major portion of its net income. The rapid growth of BTL has allowed it to implement customer friendly billing and care systems. Outdated systems have been gradually phased out. Post paid customer and billing system will be implemented in various stages of 2008 (BTL, 2008). BTL will be able to access information of consumers which will help it to increase its reliability and effectiveness. Other major developments have been the use of information technology systems to enhance the administrative, technical, and financial functions of the organization.

Adam smith :: Essays Papers

Adam smith Adam Smith, (1776), of the division of labor According to Adam Smith, economic growth is rooted in the increasing division of labor and the specialization of the labor force by the breaking down of large jobs into many little ones. Under this regime, each worker becomes an expert in one area of production and workers do not have to switch tasks during the day. This will increase efficiency by saving time and money. Smith illustrates his theory very well with an example of the production pins. He says that an individual could not make as many pins as he or she could produce concentrating on a single operation of its manufacture. Smith tells us that there are three reasons for this: First, the individual has improved dexterity in concentrating on a single task; Second, there is a disadvantage of expanding time changing from one task to another and third, the machines used are designed in a way to perform their task quickly and efficiently for that particular function. Adam smith's division of labor theory was very useful and was introduced into the factories of the 19th century with the assembly line technology. Almost any factory in our days considers the division of labor as a key element for efficiency and for increasing productivity. In the assembly lines of car factories for example, one worker or robot is specialized in assembling the interior, another is responsible for placing the engine, and a third is specialized with the installation of the gear box. However, one should not ignore the disadvantages of this theory. Adam Smith's theory considers men as robots and expects them to do the same task for their whole life. Adam smith :: Essays Papers Adam smith Adam Smith, (1776), of the division of labor According to Adam Smith, economic growth is rooted in the increasing division of labor and the specialization of the labor force by the breaking down of large jobs into many little ones. Under this regime, each worker becomes an expert in one area of production and workers do not have to switch tasks during the day. This will increase efficiency by saving time and money. Smith illustrates his theory very well with an example of the production pins. He says that an individual could not make as many pins as he or she could produce concentrating on a single operation of its manufacture. Smith tells us that there are three reasons for this: First, the individual has improved dexterity in concentrating on a single task; Second, there is a disadvantage of expanding time changing from one task to another and third, the machines used are designed in a way to perform their task quickly and efficiently for that particular function. Adam smith's division of labor theory was very useful and was introduced into the factories of the 19th century with the assembly line technology. Almost any factory in our days considers the division of labor as a key element for efficiency and for increasing productivity. In the assembly lines of car factories for example, one worker or robot is specialized in assembling the interior, another is responsible for placing the engine, and a third is specialized with the installation of the gear box. However, one should not ignore the disadvantages of this theory. Adam Smith's theory considers men as robots and expects them to do the same task for their whole life.

Essay Courage

Courage is a highly acclaimed trait in a person. It is raised up in war and times of struggle, but sometimes the intentions behind these courageous actions are overlooked. The value of courage lies not in the act itself, but in the motivations and values behind it. Simple being brave does not constitute courage. If an act is performed that has no thought behind, it loses its value. In the words of orator and lawyer Robert Green Ingersoll, â€Å"Courage without conscience is a wild beast. One should give some thought to an action before acting upon it. Without thought, or â€Å"conscience†, the action can be untimely and uncontrolled as would a â€Å"wild beast. † In 1999, two young men went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School. This rash action, lacking conscience or concept of right and wrong, did not exhibit courage. Rather, good intentions and motivations should fuel courageous actions. As British author Samuel Johnson states, â€Å"Bravery has no place w here it can avail nothing. In other words, courage or bravery is worthless and unnecessary if the final outcome cannot be beneficial. For example, the terrorists involved with the September 11th tragedy were not considered to be courageous here in the United States. Their actions caused grief and sorrow. Nothing positive resulted from their actions, so the United States and her allies looked upon this as a cowardly action. Courage is defined by the motivations and thoughts that exist within the action.If these do not exist, the value of courage is lost. As with the terrorists and the two young men at Columbine, their actions did indeed require nerve. However, they cannot be seen as courageous because of the lack of good motivation and value behind them. Even if one's courageous action does not turn out to be effective, others will know that the right intentions existed. For that, they will recognize true courage.

Project Management And Construction Of The Project

All the financing, sourcing, bidding management and construction of the project are decided by MOR internally7. Eventually, the power centralized into three people – former Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun, former railway ministry chief engineer Zhang Shuguang and former China Railway Communication Group Corp. Chairman Ma Cheng. Liu Zhijun, who had the main leadership responsibility for the accident and acted as the executive sponsor, was sacked and detained in Feb, 2011, before it happened, being accused of corruption6, while Ma Cheng died of a heart attack in the following weeks of the accident. They were all accused of abuse of power and accepting bribes which somehow reduced the budget for the contractual supplier. As a result, corner cut on materials during the construction is common and poses a tremendous risk on riding the train. Cause of failure 3 – transparency and oversight: Transparency is always crucial in project management. However, it has been a problem in Chinese society for thousand years. For example, after the accident, the relevant authorities tried to bury the fallen carriages without thorough life inspection (one little girl was found alive after the carriage was half-buried) and cover up the fact from being exposed to the public8. Even though it is not clear what happened during the project, it is believed that serious transparency problems underlie the deadly accident. Who made the decision to award contracts? How decisions were made forShow MoreRelatedProject Management Of Construction Projects Essay3459 Words   |  14 PagesINTRODUCTION Construction projects can be extremely complex and fraught with uncertainty. Risk and uncertainty can potentially have damaging consequences for the construction projects. 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