1. How does the balance of trade differ from the balance of payments?

The balance of trade is the total economic value of all products that a country imports minus the total economic value of all products it exports. The balance of payments is the flow of money into or out of a country.

2. What are the three possible levels of involvement in international business? Give examples of each.

The three levels are importing/exporting, international business, international business. Examples will vary.

3. How does a country’s the economic system affect the decisions of outside firms interested in doing business there?

In dealing with mixed and planned economies, firms must be aware of when and to what extent the government is involved in a given industry.

4. What aspects of the culture in your state or region would be of particular interest to a foreign firm thinking about locating there?

Many foreign firms will likely consider the diversity and subcultures among the citizens of a particular state or region, and the willingness of those citizens to work for or buy from a foreign company. However, aspects may vary depending on whether the firm plans to set up a production facility in the area or whether it is looking to increase its customer base.

5. Suppose that you are the manager of a small firm seeking to enter the international arena. What basic information would you need about the market that you are thinking of entering?

The manager of the small firm will likely be interested in the economic system of the potential market and thus the ease with which the firm could enter the market. Also important will be the nature of the customer base and whether those new customers possess the same buying characteristics as the firm’s current customers. In addition the small firm may need to modify the product and/or the promotional strategy based on any cultural or social differences.

1. Why are small businesses important to the U.S. economy? 

1. What basic factors should be considered in any ethical decision ?

Rights, Caring, Justice, and Utility

2. Who are an organization’s stakeholders? Who are the major stakeholders with which most businesses must be concerned?

Stakeholders include customers, employees, investors, suppliers, and local communities in which the firm operates. Most businesses will need to consider all these.

3. What are the major areas of social responsibility with which business should be concerned?

The environment, customers, employees, and investors.

4. What are the four basic approaches to social responsibility?

Obstructionist (firm does as little as possible to solve social or environmental problems), Defensive (company meets only minimum legal requirements in its commitments to stakeholders)

Accommodative (firm exceeds legal minimum if specifically asked to do so), and

Proactive (firm actively seeks opportunities to contribute to the well-being of groups and individuals in its social environment.

5. In what ways do you think your personal code of ethics might clash with the operations of some companies? How might you try to resolve those differences?

Trying to increase the employer’s sense of social responsibility to quitting the company to work elsewhere.

1. What is GDP? Real GDP? What does each measure? 

GDP is gross domestic product, and it measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a year by a nation’s economy through domestic factors of production. Real GDP is GDP adjusted for inflation. Both measure annual performance of a given economy.

2. Why is inflation both good and bad? How does the government try to control it? 

Inflation is both good and bad because it can lead to a spiral of rising wages chasing rising prices, which decreases the standard of living. It is good because at moderate levels, it can signal the beginning of a period of growth for the economy. Monetary policy, particularly the ability to adjust interest rates, is government’s most powerful tool to control inflation.

3. What is technology? How does it affect organizations?

Technology has more meanings in this world, in dictionary or public meanings it can we interpretation “ product used and produced to facilitate and enhance performance”. But, in business we can interpretation “ the all the ways firms create value for constituents”

The advantages is improve a firm’s performance of internal operation such as managing informations, accounting, creating activity reports, promotions, and the important is to help create better relationship with external constituents, such as supplier and consumer.

4. What is outsourcing? What are its benefits and risk?

The strategy of paying suppliers and distributors to perform certain business processes or to provide needed materials or resources.

When we talk that are benefits or not, we should have a viewpoint whether of the company or the worker (labours).

Benefits :

- Lower cost (absolutely)

- Focus on core competencies

- Increased productivity and efficiency

- Improving customer service

- Better people management

- Skilled expertise

Risk :

- Lost control

- Culture adaptation

- Data security/ protection maybe loss

- Process dicipline

- Loss business knowledge

5. Why is it important for managers to understand the environment in which their businesses operate?

Help managers to put practice the principles the process of management which inturn help him to see the interrelationship between particular theories of management & actual practice. To forge startegies, schedule resources, assess capacity, improve production (performance), be competitive, anticipate and handle problems

6. Explain how current economic indicators such as inflation and unemployeement affect your personally. Explain how they will effect you as a manager.

There is no choice, we cant do anything if we are the victims of inflation. We must doing the activity (ofcourse in economics) limited, because of the bad economic condition. The inflation effects, one of them is unemployment. If I am being on of them is not government mistakes, because I get a position in a firm that doesn’t meet the requirements, so I fired.

When I as a manager, I wil :

- Doing the market intervention

- Decrease the import product. It will effects on maintaining the stability of the exchange rate

-etc

1. What are the five factors of production? Is one factor more important than the others? If so, which one? Why?

The five factors of production are labor, capital, entrepreneurs, physical resources, and information resources. All five factors are crucial. However, their relative importance depends on the product and the industry. In the software development business, for example, skilled labor and information resources are especially important, but the business couldn’t survive without capital and physical resources (computers), and it wouldn’t have been launched without an entrepreneur. 

2. What are input and output markets? How are they related?

Input market: Market in which resources flow to firms from supplier households. Resources include labor, capital (e.g. some households invest in mutual funds, which in turn purchase stock, which in turn provide capital for companies), entrepreneurs, information (e.g. consumer buying patterns). Output market: Market in which firms supply goods and services in response to demand from households. 

3. What is a demand curve? A supply curve? What is the term for the point at which they intersect?

The curve that describes the range of possible prices that a buyer will pay for a range of possible quantities demanded by a buyer is the demand curve. The curve that describes the range of price that a seller can charge for a range of quantities supplied by the seller is called the supply curve. The point where the demand curve and the supply curve intersect is the point at which the intentions of buyers and sellers coincide. The price at this point is known as the equilibrium price.

4. Explain the differences between the four degrees of competition and give an example of each. (Do not use the examples given in the text.)

· Pure competition: many competitors, easy entry into the industry, identical or commodity goods, no control over price on the part of individual firms. Examples: steel, grain, nails.

· Monopolistic competition: many competitors (but fewer than pure competition), limited barriers to entry, similar goods and services, some control over price on the part of individual firms. Examples: cosmetics, fast food.

· Oligopoly: few competitors, high barriers to entry, similar or different goods and services, some control over price on the part of individual firms. Examples: personal computers, movie studios.

· Monopoly: no competitors, entry controlled by government, no directly competing goods and services, considerable control over price. Examples: mail delivery, national defense.

5. In recent years, many countries have moved from planned economies to market economies. Why do you think this has occurred? Can you envision a situation that would cause a resurgence of planned economies? 

The failure of communism—both politically and economically—has led to an increase in the number of mixed and market economies. Answers will vary as to what would cause a resurgence of planned economies, but the factors might include a failure of capitalism to effectively distribute society’s resources, or an unbearable level of crime and corruption.

Oke, kali ini gue mau share tugas kuliah gue yang lama membahas tentang seni berbicara karya dari Mr. Larry King. Judul asli buku ini adalah "How to talk to Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime" yang oleh Marcus Prihmonto Wididodo diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia. Sehingga, pada tahun 2003, Gramedia pustaka utama menerbitkan Karya Larry King ini dalam versi Indonesia setebal 184 halaman. 

Buku ini mengulas secara luas dan padat persoalan komunikasi. Hambatan sesorang dalam berbicara, apa kebiasaan yang sering dilakukan, bagaimana mengatasi rasa gugup ketika berpidato, mempengaruhi pendengar dengan insting humor dan hal lainnya yang bisa mengantarkan kita menjadi pembicara yang hebat dalam segala kondisi.

Larry King, membuka tulisannya dalam buku ini dengan sebuah pengalamannya yang menuai kegagalan, saat dia memulai karir di sebuah industri penyiaran radio. Ia menyampaikan bahwa kegalalan adalah bagian dari proses yang harus ditempuh oleh setiap orang. Dalam kisahnya, ketika sudah berada di ruang penyiaran, suhu ruangan yang dingin, dan diiringi alunan musik, ternyata membuat dia gugup dan tidak bisa mengucapkan satu kata pun.

Nah, tugas gue yang ini sih gampang. Cuma baca bukunya trus resume atau bikin ringkasan per-bab. Buat yang mau liat-liat intisari per-bab nya bisa download di bawah sini :

Sumber :

Wikipedia. 2014. 'Andorra'. id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra. Diakses 13 Juni 2014.

Liputan Khusus Kompas. Andorra, Korban Turisme. Diakses 13 Juni 2014.

Tingkat pengangguran di Zimbabwe diperkirakan mencapai 95 persen pada tahun 2009. Jumlah ini menempatkan Zimbabwe sebagai negara dengan tingkat pengangguran tertinggi di dunia. Tempat yang memiliki tingkat pengangguran yang sangat tinggi juga otomatis memiliki pilihan kerja yang sempit. Satu-satunya cara bertahan hidup adalah dengan melanggar hukum seperti melakukan tindakan kejahatan dan prostitusi. Itulah sebabnya mengapa kota Harare Epworth di Zimbabwe terkenal dengan tingkat kejahatannya yang tinggi. Pandangan negatif yang melekat pada wilayah itu menyebabkan kota tersebut dihindari oleh banyak orang.

Inflasi di Zimbabwe pernah menyentuh 231 juta persen. Kondisi inflasi ini membuat warga Zimbabwe yang bekerja tidak bisa merasakan gaji mereka. Karena harga-harga sangat tinggi dan stok barang di toko-toko sangat langka. Tingginya inflasi di Zimbabwe membuat negara ini pernah melakukan redenominasi mata uang, dengan menyederhanakan uang 10 miliar dolar Zimbabwe menjadi 1 dolar Zimbabwe atau menghilangkan 10 angka nol.

Sumber :

http://finance.detik.com

www.wikipedia.com

http://www.kaskus.co.id

Kalau kita lihat lagi negara-negara di Benua Afrika mayoritas kondisi tanahnya tidaklah begitu baik untuk ditanami tumbuh-tumbuhan untuk pangan. Tetapi negara-negara tersebut tetap bisa bertahan dengan kondisinya tersebut, tidak separah Zimbabwe. Lihat tuh Saudi Arabia sebagai 'negara terkaya' di dunia, gimana negara lain gak ngiler coba?

Gue pernah membaca, Negara Zimbabwe memiliki tingkat pertumbuhan penduduk yang superduper tidak terkendali. Sementara itu perkembangan usaha sangat lambat disana. Hal ini dikarenakan kondisi geografis dan struktur tanah yang tandus (walaupun tidak semua). Sangat sulit disana untuk mencari penghidupan walaupun negara ini memiliki suimber daya alam tambang seperti emas, tembaga, bijih besi, nikel, platinum, lithium, batubara, kromium, dan asbes. Mungkin ini karena pengelolaan yang belum bener, ditambah keadaan ekonomi yang buruk dibawa turun-temurun. Kita doa kan saja, semoga saudara kita di Zimbabwe dapat memperbaiki keadaan ekonomi negara nya, aamiin.

Bagi teman-teman pecinta kucing, sepertinya harus mengunjungi sebuah pulau di Jepang, Pulau Tashirojima. Pulau kecil ini terletak di Kota Ishinomaki, Prefektur Miyagi-Jepang. Nah, pulau ini dinamakan Pulau Kucing karena populasi kucing lebih banyak dibandingkan manusia. Penduduk disana percaya kalau memberi makan kucing akan membawa keberuntungan dan kekayaan. Maka dari itu lah pertumbuhan kucing disana sangat pesat, disamping penduduk lokal memperlakukan kucing dengan istimewa. Sebuah artikel yang ditulis oleh Sankei News (2009) bahwa anjing dilarang masuk ke pulau ini, karena anjing dianggap sebagai musuh kucing.

Bagaimana awal ceritanya?

Dahulu di pulau ini sebelum ada tradisi memelihara kucing, wanita lokal sering membuat kain sutra. Namun pada waktu itu ulat sutra sering dimakan oleh tikus-tikus sehingga penduduk lokal mencari cara untuk memberantasnya. Maka dari itulah penduduk lokal memelihara kucing secara besar-besaran, efektif sekali cara ini bukan?

Pernah ada sebuah cerita, suatu hari seorang nelayan sedang mengumpulkan batu yang digunakannya untuk menepu, batu itu menyasar dan jatuh mengenai seekor kucing hingga mati. Dengan sangat menyesal si nelayan menguburkan jasad kucing tersebut dan membuatkannya sebuah monumen/ tugu. Ada sekitar 51 monumen/ tugu yang terbuat dari batu berbentuk kucing berdiri di Pulau Tashirojima.

Sebelumnya, Pulau Kucing ini tidak pernah dilirik sebagai sebuah destinasi wisata oleh masyarakat Jepang maupun wisatawan asing. Tapi Fubirai, seorang fotografer, mengunggah foto-foto aktivitas kucing di pulau tersebut. Foto tersebut ia dokumentasikan selama lima tahun. Blog Fubirai menjadi terkenal saat itu seiring dengan meningkatnya jumlah wisatawan yagn tertarik dengan Pulau Tashirojima. Ini foto dari Fubirai, klik disini.

Untuk sampai ke Pulau Tashirojima ini cukup mudah, dengan menggunakan akses kapal feri dari Ishinomaki, kota tetangganya. Wisatawan biasanya hanya melakukan perjalanan satu hari, mereka  bermain seharian dengan kucing-kucing tsb.

Sayangnya kini populasi di Pulau Tashirojima terancam punah dari kehidupan manusia, hal tersebut dikarenakan populasi penduduk menurun setiap tahunnya. Para pemuda enggan untuk tinggal disana, mereka kebanyakan pergi merantau ke kota lain. Warga setempat selalu berharap ada orang yang bersedia untuk menetap disana untuk meneruskan tradisi tersebut, bila mau penduduk lokal pun bersedia mengajarkan untuk membuat kain sutra dan menangkap ikan. Ada yang mau? hehehe

Ini beberapa fotonya, dapat dari google :

Oiya, mungkin teman-teman yang pernah nonton anime Fairy Tail liat episode dimana Guild Fairy Tail tersedot oleh anima. Nah disana ada Negeri Edolas, pulau yang mengambang di angkasa berpopulasi kucing (exceed) semua. Mungkin dapat inspirasi dari situ kali ya walaupun gak sama hehehe

Referensi :

http://sukajepang.com/tashirojima-pulau-kucing-di-jepang/

http://www.cafeberita.com/serba-serbi/serba-unik/2012/10/03/pulau-tashirojima-pulau-kucing-di-jepang/19976