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External Environment Tools

PESTEL Analysis

List of influences on the possible success or failure of strategies:

• Political Factors: Government policies, taxation changes, trade regulations. Zara's corporate social responsibility is transparent; Zara collaborates with communities in its areas of operation and has a code of conduct.
• Economic Factors: Business cycles, interest rates, GDP trends. Zara conducts deep consumer research and acts in a unique way. Export and import concerns affect performance.
• Social-Cultural Factors: Population changes, income distribution. Zara has a good image through donations and charity. Zara embraces diverse cultures, and its brand is known worldwide.
• Technological Factors: ICT innovations, new discoveries, and technological

General Research Questions

What is the relation between protocol and culture, political system, religion? Does it depend above all on culture, the political system or on religion?

How is the education in protocol organized in different cultures?

How does protocol affect social and political changes? How does protocol affect the gender relations?

Does protocol the protocol in the studied context still exist?

Definition culture

The way human beings give form to their environment and give meaning to their existence

Discussion culture

Elite culture / popular culture. Though the distinction is already discussed in the early modern period, nowadays this distinction disappears and is much more fluid.

Other oppositions, more or less apparent: countryside /... Continue reading "Italy in the 20th Century: Culture, Protocol, and Totalitarianism" »

Solid Bulk Terminals

As the name implies, solid bulk terminals handle bulk cargo and are typically located near port entrances.

Design

These terminals don't require a continuous berth. The current trend is to construct them with a light working platform.

Goods

Solid bulk terminals handle various goods, categorized as follows:

• Primary Bulk Cargo: Iron ore, cereals, coal, bauxite, and phosphates.
• Secondary Bulk Cargo: Metals, minerals for construction (coke, cast iron, cement, magnesium ore, scrap), and other agricultural products.

Storage

Storage methods depend on the cargo type:

• Clean Bulk: Products for human or animal consumption (cereals, flour, animal feed) require specific handling and storage facilities.
• Dirty Bulk: Materials from mining and steel

Port Realities and Potential

The port encompasses various aspects:

• Part of the coast
• An urban space
• An industrial zone
• An intermodal connection point
• A logistics and storage area
• A recreational space for citizens
• A commercial zone
• An element of the landscape
• An access point for berthing and unloading ships

The logistics function significantly impacts a country's foreign trade competitiveness. Modern ports should integrate into the production, transport, and distribution logistics chain, rather than operating as an independent link. Integration is achieved by offering a wide range of services, enhancing the capture and loyalty of the port's primary client: "the cargo." This underscores the importance of port specialization.

Economic Impact and the Logistics

The Money Multiplier

With just a little mathematical manipulation, we can express the real-world money multiplier (m) as a function of the required reserve ratio (RRR), the excess-reserves ratio (ER/D), and the currency-deposit ratio (C/D). To find m, all we need are the values of the C/D and ER/D ratios. (We already know that RRR = .10, or 10%.) Alternatively, we could compute m with values for C, D, and ER.

Studying the multiplier effect is crucial because, unlike what basic economics states, the money supply is not fully controlled by the Fed. Instead, the Fed does have access to the monetary base, but the multiplier effect will depend on the monetary decisions of financial institutions and the general public.

Factors Affecting the Money Multiplier

Several... Continue reading "The Money Multiplier: Factors and Effects" »

The seven principles stated on the article are:

1.)Price stability provides substantial benefits

Low and stable inflation prevents overinvestment in the financial sector which otherwise would be a way to escape the costs of inflation. It lowers uncertainty enabling businesses and individuals to make appropriate decisions, increasing economic efficiency and finally lowers distortions from interactions between the tax systems and inflation (Better employment of resources and increase economic growth).

2) Fiscal policy should be aligned with monetary policy;

Large government deficits place pressure on monetary authorities to monetize debt, producing rapid money growth and inflation.

3) Time inconsistency is a serious problem to be avoided;

Motivation... Continue reading "Principles of Monetary Policy and the Fed's Performance" »

Oceanography: Earth's Marine Realm

Ocean Coverage and Resources

Oceans cover 71% of Earth's surface and hold 97% of its water. They provide crucial resources, including one-third of natural gas and oil, 16% of protein, and 50% of our oxygen.

Maps and Projections

A map is a representation, usually on a flat surface, of a region of Earth or the heavens. A projection is the image of a geometric figure reproduced on a line, plane, or surface.

Types of Maps:

• Political
• Physiographic
• Geologic
• Topographic
• Bathymetric

Ocean Provinces

• Continental Margins: Shallow areas close to shore.
• Deep-Ocean Basins: Deep-water areas farther from land.
• Mid-Ocean Ridge: A submarine mountain range.

Geological Features

Hot spots are plumes originating from the core-mantle boundary.... Continue reading "Oceanography: Exploring Earth's Vast Marine Realm" »

Radioactive Decay: Principles and Equations

If the decay rate is equal to λ, the probability that a given nucleus will decay in a small time interval dt is λdt. Therefore, if at any time we have P parent nuclei, the number that decay in the next moment is P(λdt).

The rate of change of parent nuclei (dP/dt) is proportional to the number of parent nuclei present:

dP/dt = -λP

This differential equation can be solved as follows:

• Separate variables: dP/P = -λdt
• Integrate both sides: ∫(dP/P) = -λ∫dt
• Resulting in: ln(P) = -λt + C

The boundary condition is found because we know that when t = 0, P = P₀ (the initial number of parent nuclei). Therefore, C = ln(P₀), and we can write the equation as:

ln(P) = ln(P₀) - λt

Rearranging this equation:

• ln(P)

Grammar and Vocabulary

1. I have lost my pen. Can I borrow yours?
2. As soon as I have more information, I will call you.
3. Did you know she was pregnant?
4. We have had this can since last summer.
5. When I lived in Hungary, I had to take a bus to go to work.
6. Would you mind answering my questions?
7. 80% of our electronic components are produced in the Far East.
8. The manager and his staff usually meet once a week.
9. What are you responsible for?
10. When did you arrive at the hostel?
11. The way of managing companies in this country is very different from ours.
12. Has she answered your email yet?
13. You will have to work hard if you really want to pass the exam.
14. He never drinks any alcohol when he goes to parties.
15. Have you got something to declare?
16. The plane was four hours late.
17. Driving too