Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Economy

Overview: P&C - Property & Casualty

Portfolio of Leading Businesses: Commercial

• Global leader in P&C coverage for businesses of all sizes
• #1 commercial lines insurer in the U.S.

Portfolio of Leading Businesses: Consumer

• Global leader in personal accident and health insurance
• Large personal lines provider globally
• International life insurer focused on Asia

Exceptional Service

• Renowned for service excellence
• Recognized and admired brand

Local Presence Globally

• Operations in 54 countries and territories
• 31,000 employees
• Help clients manage their risks anywhere in the world

Product and Distribution

• Industry-leading P&C products for consumers/businesses

Financial Strength

• Financial strength – AA (S&P) and A++ (Rating Agencies)
• $199.1 billion

Comprar por Internet: Ventajas

No need to queue to buy.

Access to stores and products in remote locations.

It is possible to offer and find a lot of options.

Online stores are available every day at all hours.

Reduction of personnel expenses.

No need to handle cash.

Desventajas

Lack of communication and personal relationship.

Impossibility to try the product before buying it.

It is necessary to have a secure Internet connection.

It is essential to have a device from which to connect to the Internet.

Fear of fraudulent payments, scams, and theft of personal information (hackers).

Difficulty or even inability to detect scams and scammers.

Absolute dependence on the Internet.

Discomfort for returns.

Conclusion

The advantages of buying online outweigh the disadvantages,... Continue reading "Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping" »

Functions of Money

1. Store of value

2. Medium of exchange

3. Unit of account

Changes in banking laws

Transactions demand to money is closely related to money functioning as medium of exchange

Primary purpose of the legal reserve ratio: provide a means by which the monetary authorities can influence the lending ability of commercial banks.

Money is destroyed when loans are paid off

Securities held as assets by the Federal Reserve Bank consist mainly of Treasury bills and Treasury bonds

What happens when FRB buys bonds from public in open market and amount held by the public doesn't change: Commercial bank reserves will increase

When central bank borrows from FRB, the commercial bank's lending ability is increased.

The simple multiplier 1/mps

Reserve ratio... Continue reading "Functions of Money and Monetary Policy: A Comprehensive Overview" »

Concept of Business

Business refers to those economic activities involving the purchase, production, and/or sale of goods and services with a motive of earning profit by satisfying human needs in society.

Characteristics of Business

• An Economic Activity: Business is considered an economic activity as it is undertaken with the objective of earning money.
• Production or Procurement of Goods and Services: Business includes all the activities concerned with the production or procurement of goods and services for sales. Services include transportation, banking, insurance, etc.
• Sale or Exchange of Goods and Services: There should be a sale or exchange of goods and services between the seller and the buyer.
• Dealing in Goods and Services on a Regular Basis:

Introduction

Capitalism, when faced with a crisis, tends to restructure itself. New technologies, organizational forms, modes of exploitation, types of jobs, and markets emerge to create new ways of accumulating capital.

The Rise of the Cognitive Economy

The dominant narrative in advanced capitalist countries has been one of change, particularly focusing on the rise of technology: automation, the sharing economy, and the internet of things. Theorists argue that these changes have led to a cognitive, informational, or knowledge economy.

Data as the New Raw Material

A key argument of this chapter is that in the twenty-first century, advanced capitalism has come to be centered upon extracting and using a particular kind of raw material: data. Data... Continue reading "Data Capitalism: The Extraction and Exploitation of Raw Data in the 21st Century" »

Classical Management Theory

Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management

Key Principles of Taylorism:

• Scientific Study of Work: Tasks should be scientifically studied to identify the most efficient methods for performing them. This involves breaking down complex tasks into smaller, simpler steps and analyzing each step.
• Division of Labor: Dividing work between management and workers. Managers are responsible for the planning and scientific analysis of work processes, while workers are tasked with executing the standardized methods.
• Standardization of Tools and Techniques: Taylor emphasized the use of standardized tools and techniques to minimize variability and optimize efficiency.
• Time and Motion Studies: Taylor conducted time and motion studies to

Have you ever come across a food product at the supermarket with a label saying Fair Trade? You may have wondered what exactly that means. Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in growing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships.

Fair trade has two main objectives. On the one hand, the development of peoples. On the other hand, the fight against poverty.

The objectives are based on several pillars: Firstly, producers must have a minimum wage. Secondly, workers should not be children. Finally, the products shall be environmentally friendly.

Consumers pay more attention to the origin of the products they consume. They take into account, for example, how it has been obtained and they are willing to pay more... Continue reading "The Impact of Fair Trade and Ethics on Modern Society" »

Sensitivity Analysis

2 Members of the Restrictions:

Sensitivity analysis is important because it allows us to determine the opportunity cost of resources.

Obtain Efficient Solutions

By optimizing one objective and considering the other as a parametric constraint, we can obtain an efficient solution for each value between its ideal and anti-ideal points of the objectives included as parametric constraints in the model.

Difference in Pairwise Comparisons in AHP and PROMETHEE

There are two types of pairwise comparisons in AHP: between criteria in the same level with respect to a criterion in the next higher level and between alternatives with respect to a criterion in the next upper level of the hierarchy. PROMETHEE is only based on pairwise comparisons... Continue reading "Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Key Concepts and Techniques" »

Tax Deductions: An International Comparison

Income Tax Imposition

Income tax is imposed on gross income minus deductible expenditures. Generally, you cannot use expenses from one category of income to offset profits belonging to another. Expenses related to business activity may have specific deductions, while employment income often has standard deductions. Personal expenditures are generally not deductible. Mixed business and personal expenses are generally not deductible unless specific rules apply. For example, the UK does not allow deductions for mixed expenses. However, some countries like Australia, Sweden, and France allow deductions upon apportionment.

Specific Deductible Expenses

Commuting Expenses

Travel from and to work is generally... Continue reading "Tax Deductions and Capitalization: International Comparison" »

7) Describe the Ways in which database technologies could be used by an office stationery Supply company to achieve low-cost leadership.

Answer: Sales databases Could be used to make the supply chain more efficient and minimize warehousing And transportation costs. You can also use sales databases, as well as text Mining and sentiment analysis, to determine what supplies are in demand by Which customers and whether needs are different in different geographical Areas. Business intelligence databases could be used to predict future trends In office supply needs, to help anticipate demand, and to determine the most Efficient methods of transportation and delivery.

8) Describe the Ways in which database technologies could be used by a toy manufacturer