Financial Systems and Microfinance in Developing Economies
Financial System and Economic Development
The Role of Financial Systems
- Demand for financial services: Driven by the activities of non-financial firms in the real sector.
- Monetary policy in development: Regulates economic activity and inflation. An increase in money supply leads to an increase in loanable funds, fostering investment and lowering interest rates.
Characteristics of Developed vs. Developing Markets
- Developed economies feature highly organized, interdependent, and efficient money and credit
Strategic Operations and Supply Chain Management Principles
Operations and Supply Chain Management Fundamentals
Chapter 1: COVID-19 Supply Chain Disruptions
The pandemic caused significant factory shutdowns, labor shortages, and demand fluctuations. Other impacts included port congestion, air freight reduction, border restrictions, and supplier disruptions. These events highlighted Just-In-Time (JIT) production vulnerability and raw material shortages (critical material bottlenecks), leading to a massive shift toward e-commerce and increased online shopping.
Read MoreGlobal Marketing Strategies: Core Concepts and Frameworks
Chapter 1: Introduction to Global Marketing
Key Concepts & Details
- We live in a global marketplace (e.g., Apple, McDonald’s, Samsung) but also local markets (e.g., top smartphones in China are domestic: Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi).
- Companies go global for survival as competitors enter home markets with lower costs and better products.
- Product/Market Growth Matrix (Ansoff) for global expansion:
- Market Penetration: Increase sales of existing products in existing markets (e.g., Starbucks loyalty app)
Hardin vs Ostrom: Tragedy of the Commons & CHANS
Garrett Hardin (1968) and Elinor Ostrom (1990) both try to explain how to prevent the tragedy of the commons, especially in coupled human and natural systems (CHANS), where human actions and ecological systems interact. However, they propose very different solutions because they have different views about human behavior and governance.
Hardin’s perspective on open resources
Hardin argues that when a resource is shared and open to everyone, individuals will overuse it. He assumes that people act as
Read MoreOperations Management and Forecasting Essentials
1. Forecasting Definitions
Forecast: Estimate of future demand using past data and judgment.
Independent demand: External demand that must be forecasted.
Dependent demand: Derived from BOM; handled by MRP.
Time Series: Data over time with components: Trend (T), Seasonality (S), Cyclical (C), and Random (R).
Stationary series: Mean and variance are constant; no trend or seasonality.
Error (eₜ): Aₜ − Fₜ.
Forecast characteristics: Unbiased, low error, and stable.
Horizons: Short term (days/weeks) vs.
Abraca ABC: Sustainable Business Growth and E-Waste
Paper 1: Predicted Questions for Abraca (ABC)
1. Defining Carbon-Intensive Production
Answer: Carbon-intensive production refers to production processes that release large amounts of carbon dioxide due to high energy consumption, usually from burning fossil fuels. Such processes contribute significantly to climate change and environmental damage.
2. Defining Market Orientation
Answer: Market orientation is a business approach that focuses on identifying and responding to customer needs and wants through
Read More