Questions

Q1. Briefly discuss the factors of production and their roles in economic systems.   

Q2. Based on your knowledge of the staffing and Leading process, discuss in 500 words some amendments could be applied to improve the performance within Coast Coffee.

Costa Coffee

Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by two Brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Acquired by Whitbread in 1995, it was sold in 2019 to The Coca-Cola Company in a deal worth £3.9bn and has grown to 3,401 stores across 31 countries and 18,412 employees. The business has 2,121 UK restaurants, over 6,000 Costa Express vending facilities and a further 1,280 outlets overseas (460 in China). The Coca-Cola Company announced its intention of acquiring Costa Limited from parent company Whitbread PLC for $5.1 billion. The deal, which closed on 3 January 2019, gives the cola giant a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. It is the second largest coffeehouse chain in the world, and the largest in the UK.

Costa Coffee operates 2,467 outlets in the United Kingdom as of October 2019. Overseas, it operates 1,413 stores in 32 countries. The first Costa store outside the UK opened in the UAE in 1999 and, in September 2017, was the first coffee shop worldwide to start delivering coffee via drones to customers sunbathing on Dubai's beaches. Following Whitbread's £59.5m acquisition of Coffee Nation, a chain of coffee machines, the machines were re-branded as Costa Express. The company plans to expand to target hospitals, universities and transport interchanges. In Denmark, Costa Express machines are located in Shell stations. In the UK, grocery store chain SPAR has become a major operator of petrol station stores, most of which have Costa Express machines installed

On 19 August 2019 Costa Coffee attracted media attention due to claims of unfair deductions from the pay of its employees. Reports stated that current and former employees had £200 deducted from their pay for training as well as additional deductions for till discrepancies and running costs. Claims of unfair deductions were triggered by a Twitter post suggesting that staff at a Costa store were forced to reimburse money lost to scammers who came into the store. Trying to distance themselves from the controversy, Costa said contracts for franchise stores are managed by partners and that some staff contracts did have "clauses relating to deductions".

On 23 August additional claims appeared in the media that Costa Coffee franchise workers are "not treated like humans". The report included managers' alleged refusal to pay for sickness or annual leave, working outside of contracted hours and the retention of tips. It cited an anonymous former employee at a store under Goldex Essex Investments Ltd who claimed they had almost £1,000 of their holiday pay deducted from their salary, despite being contracted to work 48 hours a week. The report went on to say that baristas and employees at managerial level have complained about the numerous deductions outlined in Costa Coffee contracts written by franchise partners. A former manager is quoted as saying she had £150 deducted from her wages because she was five minutes late opening the store. Other fines outlined in the contracts were for used uniform that was damaged when returned to the employer, excessive waste and till discrepancies. In response to this article a Costa Coffee spokesperson said an independent audit has been launched.

Nearly a decade-and-a-half ago The Economist magazine noted (“Pop, Crackle, Snap,” April 3, 2004), “Even desperate job-seekers think twice about accepting hazardous work such as coal-mining, cow slaughtering or cleaning up asbestos sites.” Oh, really?!? Suppose different types of people have different tastes for wages and safety. Specifically, Type 1 people are very safety-oriented while Type 2 will do “anything” for money. Suppose employers are able to provide different combinations of wages and safety. Specifically, for Type A employers safety is relatively easy/inexpensive to provide. For Type B employers safety is relatively difficult/expensive to provide.

A. Draw and identify the different workers’ indifference curves for wages and safety. Explain which curve(s) represents which type of worker.

B. Draw and identify the different firms’ isoprofit curves for wages and safety. Explain which curve(s) represents which firm.

C. Given your answers in Parts A and B above, use suitable economic analysis to demonstrate whether or not people can be persuaded to do dangerous work.

Develop a 5 year Financial Forecast

show graphically and explain how the x-intercept, the y-intercept and the slope of the budget line changes for each of the following scenarios
a. The price of X changes
b. the price of y changes
c. Money income changes

Please answer this chart for me. Thanks.

Consider the following scenario.

(1) France and Italy only trade with each other;
(2) each country is only capable of producing 2 goods, Wine and Bread;
(3) the production of Bread is relatively capital intensive, and the production of Wine is relatively labor intensive, and
(4) France is relatively abundant in capital, while Italy is relatively abundant in labor. All assumptions from our class about the Heckscher-Ohlin model hold, in particular the fact that both countries have identical homothetic preferences, constant returns to scale in production, the countries are the same size, etc...

For the sake of consistency, put BREAD on the X-axis of any PPF graphs you might be inclined to draw.

a. Compare the relative prices of Wine and Bread in each country under autarky. Be sure to thoroughly explain your answer, possibly using a graph(s) for a visual aid. (Answer should be at least one paragraph in length. Quality of your answer determines grade.)
b. Sketch excess demand/excess supply curves for Bread consistent with the scenario when the countries open for free trade. Be sure to carefully draw your graph and identify all relevant parts.
c. Describe what happens to factor payments in France with trade. Be sure to thoroughly explain your answer using what you have learned from the class. (Answer should be at least one paragraph in length.
d. Academic research on alcoholism induces a change in preferences for the goods. In both countries, Wine becomes less desirable relative to Bread. In words and possibly with pictures, describe the impact of this change in preferences on the two economies. You should be sure to include a discussion on the changes in the prices of goods and production factors.

For much of the past century, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has
been a defining feature of the Middle East. Despite billions of dollars expended to
support, oppose, or seek to resolve it, the conflict has endured for decades, with
periodic violent eruptions, of which the Israel-Gaza confrontation in the summer of
2014 is only the most recent.
This executive summary highlights findings from a study by a team of RAND
researchers that estimates the net costs and benefits over the next ten years of five
alternative trajectories — a two-state solution, coordinated unilateral withdrawal,
uncoordinated unilateral withdrawal, nonviolent resistance, and violent uprising —
compared with the costs and benefits of a continuing impasse that evolves in
accordance with present trends. The analysis focuses on economic costs related to
the conflict, including the economic costs of security. In addition, intangible costs
are briefly examined, and the costs of each scenario to the international community
have been calculated.
The economy of the Palestinian Territory was a viable and thriving one before the
occupation in June 1967. It generated significant production and income that
sustained a growing population of 1 million people and generated a gross domestic
product (GDP) per capita of about $1,349 in 2004 prices, which was sufficient for it
to be considered a lower-middle-income economy at that time. Tragically, it has
become a land on the verge of economic and humanitarian collapse.
In 2014, the GDP growth rate in the Palestinian Territory turned negative, for the
first time since 2006. The Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly unliveable and could
become totally unliveable by 2020. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics, the unemployment rate in Gaza was 45 per cent in 2014, with over 63
per cent of Gaza’s young people unemployed, which is the highest rate in the world.
Female unemployment in the Palestinian Territory was around 40 per cent and
more than 60 per cent in Gaza. Nearly 40 per cent of Palestinians live below the
poverty line. Clean water is a rarity, with at least 90 per cent of Gaza’s water supply
unfit for human consumption. Electricity in Gaza is also sporadic and unreliable,
available only four to six hours a day, and a properly functioning sewage treatment
system no longer exists.
Seven key findings were identified (1): A two-state solution provides by far the best
economic outcomes for both Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis would gain over two
times more than the Palestinians in absolute terms — $123 billion versus $50
billion over ten years. But the Palestinians would gain more proportionately, with
average per capita income increasing by approximately 36 percent over what it
would have been in 2024, versus 5 percent for the average Israeli. A return to
violence would have profoundly negative economic consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis; per capita gross domestic product would fall by 46
percent in the West Bank and Gaza and by 10 percent in Israel by 2024. In most
scenarios, the value of economic opportunities gained or lost by both parties is
much larger than expected changes in direct costs. Unilateral withdrawal by Israel
from the West Bank would impose large economic costs on Israelis unless the
international community shoulders a substantial portion of the costs of relocating
settlers. Intangible factors, such as each party's security and sovereignty
aspirations, are critical considerations in understanding and resolving the impasse.
Taking advantage of the economic opportunities of a two-state solution would
require substantial investments from the public and private sectors of the
international community and from both parties.

9. What was the approximate gross domestic production (in RS.) in year 2004? (1$ =
73.25 INR)
(a) 877078.50 (b) 988142.5 (c) 978650.25 (d) 967892.5
10.The total population of the Palestinian Territory increased by 20% over a decade
from 2004, out of which 75% of the people lived in Gaza. Also, if 60% of Gaza’s
population is considered to be young then the total number of persons who are not
young but are still unemployed are: (Consider all the people who live outside Gaza
as employed)
(a) 65000
(b) 64000
(c) 64800
(d) None of these

During 2019 ROD Company has the following changes in its ordinary outstanding: Dates Shares changes Number of shares January 1 Beginning balance 280000 February 28 Issued 20000 May 31 Acquisition of share for treasury 50000 August 1 20% share dividends Oct 1 shares issued for cash 120000 Nov. 1 Sold treasury shares 30000 Dec1 Share split 1to3 after treasury Dec1 After split issued 150,000 Other information: 1- Company has 2% convertible bonds (every $10 bonds can be convert for one ordinary share) at $5000000, interest paid seminally June 30and December 31 2- Share options for the manager was outstanding during the period, the option was rights to manager to purchase 10000 shares at $8, the share par value was $5 and the market price $16. 3- 5% cumulative preference share (10000 shares at $40), there isn’t dividend in arrears can be convert to 100,000 ordinary shares. 4- The beginning balance for retained earnings 1,200,000. Sales revenues 1000000, Operating expenses was 640,0000 including cost of goods sold 400,000, the interest for the years was just for bonds, other losses or gains credit 40,000, the rate of income tax was 20%. Required According to above information compute basic and diluted earning per share and represented in the income statement for the year ended 31, December 2019?

How might temperature related changes in protein structure explain changes in nerve conduction velocity under different temperature conditions?