Premium Essay

Bottom Billion

In: Computers and Technology

Submitted By manticam
Words 1689
Pages 7
The Bottom Billion
The development of the poor countries has been a challenge during the past decades. The world consists of one billion rich people and five billion poor people. Most of five billion live in countries that are developing. However, there are one billion people that live in countries that are falling behind and even apart. These countries are facing a bigger problem that one can imagine. The world is becoming globalized. Countries are reducing import quotas and export fees facilitating trade with each other. Also, countries are starting to provide resources, materials and technology to each other allowing them to develop at amazing speed. On the other hand, the bottom billion countries are diverging from this economy, since they are stuck in one of the four traps. The four traps are the conflict trap, the natural resource trap, the trap of being landlocked and the trap of bad governance in a small country. These traps will not allow billion bottom countries to become globalized; however, it can be argued that some of these traps can facilitate the incorporation of a country to world’s economy. Currently, most of the bottom billion people live in African countries. The major problem with these countries is not that they are poor, but that they are not developing. In fact, most of the bottom billion countries are experiencing negative growth and the living standards are lowering each year. These countries are declining on average 0.5 percent per year. Furthermore, the living conditions are horrible and people are dying at a very early age. The life expectancy in these countries is fifty years while in a developing country is sixty-seven years. These lowering standard of living and negative growth are mainly because the country is in one of the four traps. The first trap which is civil war will definitely not allow a bottom billion country to become

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Bottom of the Pyramid

...CANSU DALKILIC MGMT 311 RESPONSE PAPER 2 32936 There is an ongoing debate on if it is possible to integrate dominant economies with the bottom of the pyramid which are the 4 billion people who have less than 2$ per day. It occurs questions like if it is possible for companies to compete by serving people who counted as bottom pyramid? Is it possible for those poor people to survive by being consumers of MNCs? Prahalad believes that it is a win win for both MNCs and tier 4 (bottom of the pyramid). In other words, he believes that it is possible to sell high quality products to mass number of poor people. Both Prahalad and Karnani want to find solution to alleviate poverty, but they have different approaches to this issue. Prahalad states that we should consider poors as consumers. In contrast to Prahalad, Karnani thinks that rather than viewing the poor primarily as consumers, an alternative approach is to focus on the poor as producers and to emphasize buying from the poor. The only way to alleviate poverty is to raise real income of the poor. Karnani quotes the example of Nirma, a demonstrably inferior product to some of the alternative detergents on the market, such as Surf. It was hard on the skin, and could sometimes cause blisters. And yet it retailed at a third of the price of its competitors, and achieved majority market share from consumers for whom the trade off between price and quality was one that they were happy to make. He concludes: "Insisting on not lowering...

Words: 1147 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Current Business Issues

...Companies can Make Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid Rajesh N. Kumar James Cook University Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Background 4 Introduction 4 What is the BoP Strategy 6 What is the Driver for MNCs to Focus on BoP Market 9 Is There a Buying Potential at the BoP 9 Behavior of Consumers in Asian Market 10 Sector With Highest Potential of Business in BoP Market 11 Recommendation 12 How to Approach the BoP Community - Innovation 14 Implement Innovative Approach to tap BoP Market 15 References 16 Appendix A 17 Appendix B 18 Executive Summary This report explores published journals, blogs and books around The Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) being the breakthrough in the Strategy for businesses across segment and analyse what steps would lead to success through the journey of business around the 4 billion population existing in the bottom of the pyramid layer. Methods of analysis include statistical and market trend, and ratios of performance. Main area of focus is Asian market through the report as they account to 3/4th of the population residing in the bottom of the Pyramid, given the uniqueness of this region around culture, market behavior, people mentality and social dynamics. Gaining that knowledge would become important to have a break through into this market and ensure it’s a sustainable business...

Words: 4255 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Bop Concepr

...jennilyn_phan@hotmail.com The Fortune at the bottom of pyramid Procter & Gamble Company The Fortune at the bottom of pyramid Procter & Gamble Company According to Pervez, Maritz and Waal (2013), recently when poverty continues to be one of the global key issues and also one of the biggest challenges facing the society at large, the solutions to alleviate the continuing economic misery have become increasingly popular. The release of new theory called “Bottom of the Pyramid”, which is also known as “base of the pyramid”, by Prahalad and Hart has helped figure a new way of thinking about the intersection of business strategy and poverty alleviation (London & Anupindi, 2012). However, it does not seem like the business will always be profitable when doing the expansion to the low-income market, the challenges facing to the businesses also arise. This paper is to describe and discuss in-depth the Bottom of the Pyramid concept and also to go through the approach to the BoP venture that the selected company, Procter & Gamble, has undertaken in their business strategy in the Chinese market. Dinica & Motteau (2012) stated that: "The distribution of money in the world looks like a pyramid". The “bottom of the pyramid” concept mentions that not too many people could earn a lot at the top of the pyramid but a big amount of people who are poor at the bottom of the pyramid. It is estimated that approximately four billion people that make up two-third of the world’s...

Words: 2363 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Hair Cut Stage 1

...Improving WRTG 393 Technical Writing An Outsiders Perspective Looking In In my line of work we often find that Government Officials (workers) like to use political speak when they either don’t know the answer or are afraid of telling it like it is. My choice is to tell it like it is.. Just as Guy, he has heard me on many occasion giving the bottom line up front message, because time is money (tax payer money)! Let’s look at the positives: The class was extremely challenging and although frustrating at times, I believe that challenging is what college is all about. The class material and timeline was packed full of diverse work assignments taking me out of my comfort zone on many occasions. Additionally I will say that the Instructor always had a positive attitude, a dedicated Faculty Member to say the least, but this attribute was overshadowed by the confusion of the class during the first few weeks that may have set the tone for the remaining semester. Now let’s look at hurdles that this particular course must overcome in order to improve: Confusion or perceived confusion is one in the same. The students although initially excited about the opportunity to write about a topic that interest them, received a big wakeup call on the first night and were faced with something that may have felt like more of a punishment. This set the tone for the first few weeks, and may have put this course into a tailspin from the very beginning. Real world examples would have been a...

Words: 436 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Titanic Essay

...My name is Elizabeth. I am 25 now and it has been 10 years since the horrendous night when the Titanic sunk. I stepped out of my car to a sunny spring day. The sky was a clear crystal blue and there were no clouds to be seen. I looked ahead and there it was, ‘the Ship of Dreams’- as they called it. I always heard that it was big but I wasn’t expecting it to be that big! All I could hear were little children screaming with excitement: and all I could see were the thousands of people saying (what they didn’t yet know) their last goodbyes. I walked slowly and anxiously to the ship. A sudden chill of anticipation washed over me as I became just a few steps away from entering the ship. I was going to New York to visit my older sister who was soon to be married. The next thing I heard was my mother calling for me to hurry up onto the ship. I didn’t realise that I had stopped half way up the stairs daydreaming, and was holding up all the contented passengers. I was inside now and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was incredible, like something I’ve never seen before! Everything was so clean and tidy. I could even see my own reflection in the floor! I looked up and it seemed as if there was no ending to the ceiling. The bellboy escorted us up to our deluxe suite, shortly along with our luggage. The room was astounding, far beyond anything I’d ever expected. My four-poster bed sat in the middle of my room with the bathroom and living room on each side. As my mother turned...

Words: 1990 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Structures Lab

...Simple Bicycle Frame (3D Representation) As you can see below, the bicycle can be easily represented using 2D truss elements. Figure 2: 2D Truss Representation with Applied Load (F) Length values of each frame are listed below: Frame | Length (in) | Top Tube | 22.0 | Down Tube | 26.5 | Seat Tube | 17.5 | Chain Stays | 17.0 | Seat Stays | 19.5 | Table 1: Frame Length Values The eight strain gauges were analyzed, four on the down tube and four on the top tube, all centered on the tube and oriented: Strain # | Location on Bicycle | 0 | down tube, top of frame, axial | 1 | down tube, top of frame, hoop | 2 | down tube, bottom of frame, axial | 3 | down tube, bottom of frame, hoop | 4 | top tube, top of frame, axial | 5 | top tube, top of frame, hoop | 6 | top tube, bottom of frame, axial | 7 | top tube, bottom of frame, hoop | Table 2: Strain Position on the...

Words: 961 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Cemex Case

...These international acquisitions had a few objectives that they were obligated to meet. At first, if CEMEX was not able to integrate the acquisitions to meet the requirements of their own structure, then they would not buy the acquisition. After the first requirement, the interest expense ratio should be maintained below 4.5 per cent and the ratio of net debt to net earnings should be kept below 2.7 per cent. Finally, the acquisitions needs to achieve the same effectiveness and performance of the other CEMEX companies. CEMEX shows one of the six biases identified in Ghemawat and Ghadar’s article. CEMEX shows the ‘’Top Line Obsession’’. The Top Line Obsession means that senior managers are more focused on the top line, rather than the bottom line a an accounting statement. In the article of Ghemawat and Ghadar are also seven strategies that a senior manager can pursue. The strategies that CEMEX uses are the ‘’Pick Up the Scraps’’, ‘’Keep Your Eye on the Ball’’, Make Friends’’ and ‘’Sell Out’’. The Pick Up the Scraps strategy means that a company buys another company when a profitable opportunity reveals itself. CEMEX bought companies which were facing an economic crisis in their country and really needed to sell. The second strategy is the Keep Your Eye on the Ball strategy. This means that companies keep using their FSAs to integrate the acquisitions. CEMEX used this because in every company they bought, they directly implemented their ICT system. CEMEX...

Words: 383 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

A Midsummer Nights Dream

...own characteristics that no other character can interfere with or take away from. As a director I want the audience to instantly recognise that Shakespeare’s portrayal of Nick Bottom’s character as hilariously overt. In Act 1 scene 2 I will take Bottoms line ‘ An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. Ill speak in a monstrous little voice: ‘Thisne,Thisne!’ ‘Ah ,Pyramus,my lover dear; thy Thisbe dear and lady dear.’ I will have Bottom interrupt Peter Quince before as he says ‘An I may hide my face’ . I will do this because it will already show how humours Bottom is in a very eager way as he cannot wait to interrupt to let out how eager he is to play all characters. When Nick Bottom says this first word I will have him burst out quickly into the centre with his arms open. I will do this because having him walk in the middle will show the audience that he is purposely taking the centre stage because he wants all the attention, as he is this type of character. Thus, by having Bottom open his arms will also show that he is blocking the audience from seeing the rest of the characters – showing us how he doesn’t care how ridiculous he looks when he’s trying to be really hilarious. With this first a couple of words I will have Bottom facing the audience and making eye contact with the audience; this will...

Words: 2510 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Assignment 1

...constructed product that both performed well and looked nice. 2. What kind of entrepreneurial venture is Nau? A team of entrepreneurs that are in it to win it. 3. a: How do you feel about the management's decision to give a percentage of the company's profits to charity? b: Describe the pros and cons of such a decision a: I think it is a great idea to give a percentage to charity. What is not discussed is the percentage. If the percentage is too high, profits will suffer to a point where profitability is not attainable and the bottom line suffers too greatly. As it seems, the management needed to insure their security as a company first, then worry about "giving back" or "public opinion". b: Pros: Giving to a charity is a great idea for a company. It puts the company in the face of the public with a positive light. Positive publicity is always paramount for a developing company. Cons: Starting businesses should chiefly be concerned with the bottom dollar. Profits are the fledgling company's mantra. If profits are too low, sustainability is unobtainable and growth is impossible. You are giving away hard earned revenue. 4. Nau's owner's think of their clothing as part Patagonia and part Prada. Review the websites of these two companies. What do you believe Nau's owners saw in Patagonia and Prada that was relevant to their idea for startup? Patagonia brings style, comfort, functionality, and durability together into one product. Prada is the pinnacle of high status-quo...

Words: 580 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Veterinary Assistant Role Analysis

...co-worker get bitten by an aggressive dog because the veterinarian decided that the pet’s stress level and safety was more important than the staff’s. If safety precautions were enforced and followed, my co-worker would not have been hospitalized and we would not have to hire and train a new veterinary assistant to replace him. Every job has its own risks but we can always try to make the workplace as safe as possible. I am interested in George Washington University’s MPH program not only because it is ranked among the top MPH programs in the country, the university itself is known for its diverse curriculum and for its well-connected and experienced faculty. My husband and I were visiting Washington D.C. in 2015 and stayed in the Foggy Bottom area where the GW campus is located. The students we met were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the overall student atmosphere on campus that I know I would enjoy going to GW if I were to take the traditional route. I especially like that GW offers an online program that makes it convenient for me to complete my degree anywhere. I like knowing that there will be guidance in preparing for the practicum experience and that GW has placement sites all over the country. With my husband being an active duty service member, it is difficult to complete a traditional academic program when your family moves every two to three years. Obtaining an MPH from a prestigious university, like GW, and gaining experience in the field will help me create an...

Words: 721 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Business

...MrBlume said he would not rely on it to boost earnings from its domestic operations in the new financial year. "I will not sit here and wait for Australian consumers to do more domestic travel." Wotif, whose sites include lastminute.com and latestays.com, is focused on selling accommodation to consumers in Australia. Almost one in 10 room nights in Australia is booked on Wotif's sites, while its online service for flights remains in its infancy. Wotif's Asian business continued to underperform, with travel bookings to the region declining for the fourth consecutive year. Travel to Asia totalled 6 per cent of Wotif's total bookings. Despite the poor performance, MrBlume said he was optimistic the Asian business was close to reaching the bottom. The travel company has not given guidance for the new financial year, although MrBlume conceded the "Australian retail environment continues to be problematic". He indicated Wotif was more focused on growing its existing business than pursuing acquisitions. "We haven't got any...

Words: 461 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Population Ecology of Some Warblers of Northeastern Coniferous Forests.

...Marine Litter Distribution and Density in European Seas, from the Shelves to Deep Basins Christopher K. Pham1,2*, Eva Ramirez-Llodra3,4, Claudia H. S. Alt5, Teresa Amaro6, Melanie Bergmann7, ¸ Miquel Canals8, Joan B. Company3, Jaime Davies9, Gerard Duineveld10, Francois Galgani11, 9 12 1,2 Kerry L. Howell , Veerle A. I. Huvenne , Eduardo Isidro , Daniel O. B. Jones12, Galderic Lastras8, ´ ˆ Telmo Morato1,2, Jose Nuno Gomes-Pereira1,2, Autun Purser13, Heather Stewart14, Ines Tojeira15, 8 16 5 Xavier Tubau , David Van Rooij , Paul A. Tyler 1 Center of the Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal, 2 Laboratory of Robotics `ncies del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain, 4 Norwegian Institute for Water Research and Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS), Lisbon, Portugal, 3 Institut de Cie (NIVA), Marine Biology section, Oslo, Norway, 5 Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom, ¨ 6 Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Bergen, Norway, 7 Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany, 8 GRC `ncies Marines, Departament d9Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geocie `ncies Marines, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Campus de Pedralbes, Barcelona, Geocie Spain, 9 Marine Biology & Ecology Research Centre, Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom, 10 Netherlands...

Words: 10668 - Pages: 43

Premium Essay

Fashion During The 60's

...stated in mainstream culture after “Summer of Love” which took place in 1967. This fashion became a symbol of rebelling against consumerism. The clothes and accessories for this trend were not expensive at all. They were either handmade or purchased at flea markets. This particular style included bell bottom jeans, flowing fabric tops, maxi skirts, bright tie-dyes, motifs such as Eastern, Native American, Indian, and African. It also featured prints such as paisley’s and florals. Sandals were worn by both men and women, and long hair was also a part of this movement. Women allowed them self to not wear any make up, and rejected any garments such as girdles and padded bras. This trend was a very natural look, it had mainstream culture questioning their own rules on fashion. The 70’s was the year of “Anything goes fashion” and self-expression. Nobody cared about fitting in or dressing for other people, everyone dressed for themselves and to please themselves. Though consumers did not care to think of how others looked at them through the way they dressed, they still very much valued high fashion. Some of the well-known trending fashions during this time were overalls, tunics, bell bottoms were still in, and pant sets. Bright colors, corduroy, exotic prints, embroidery, satin, checks, and more were also very popular during this decade. Money had nothing to do with during this time. Self-expression and individualism were too important to consumers. The biggest difference that came between...

Words: 1370 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Triple Bottom Line

...Triple Bottom Line Andrea Ciuffoli Brandman University Financial Reporting and Analysis ACCU 602 Charmaine Felder, Ph.D, CPA June 5, 2015 Triple Bottom Line Introduction On October 22nd 2013, Apple unveiled thinner iPads and faster Mac computers ahead of a competitive holiday shopping season (Gupta & Chan, 2013). The invitation to this unveiling event sent to major members of the press was teasing: "We still have a lot to cover." While millions of people were tuned in to watch Apple’s press release in order to learn about the additional features of the new products that Santa could deliver this holiday season, exactly at the same time, about one million of young people were working under awful conditions such as long hours, low wages and abusive and military-style management, in order to assemble with the highest productivity rate these exciting new devices. This is happening every day at the Foxconn plant in China. Foxconn, a Taiwanese company founded in 1974, in the past decade has gone from being one of many invisible firms in the electronics supply chain to the world champion of flexible manufacturing. Foxconn, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer with ‘annual revenue of $131.6 billion in 2013’ ("Foxconn Hon Hai Income Statement," 2015). It is most widely known as Apple’s largest supplier. Figure 1. Foxconn Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Income Statement Although the company had an...

Words: 1927 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Home Depot

...for Language and Mathematics February 27, 2014 Home Depot Foundation's Sustainability Obama stated that “It is not a choice between our environment and our economy; it is a choice between prosperity and decline” (“Sustainable Development Strategies”, 2009). Sustainability means the balance of three things which are steady business, society and friendly environment. In other words, businesses must show crucial responsibility in terms of environmental impacts and social responsibilities. Consequently, businesses must utilize natural resources carefully, and the economic growth and employment rate of businesses must be increased (“Understanding Sustainability”, n.d.). Therefore, sustainability is an aim of businesses. The Triple Bottom Line or TBL is a significant tool advocating sustainability goals. The concept of TBL emphasizes three things, which are healthy communities (people), clean environment (planet) and stable profitability (profit) (“Slaper & Hall”, n.d.). In contrast with the past, many businesses, nonprofit organizations and government entities tend to follow this guideline. Home Depot is one of the best examples of companies which are following the TBL standard. Home Depot is the world biggest home improvement retailer (“​Did You Know”, n.d.). The company was established by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank in 1978. The first two stores opened on June 22, 1979, in Atlanta, Georgia. Today, Home Depot has approximately 2,200 branches around the United States...

Words: 1929 - Pages: 8