Texts for Additional Reading

Ukraine’s Economy

Ukraine is rich in mineral resources. It completely satisfies its needs in iron, manganese and titanium ores, as well as in rock salt, cement, gypsum, mineral paints, heat resistant clays, bromine, graphite mercury and uranium.

Steppes and plaints compose the most part of the territory of Ukraine (95%). The top-soils are mainly black. They are the biggest treasures of the Ukrainian land. 25% of the world’s black rich soils are in Ukraine. Together with the fact that Ukraine’s climate is mainly moderately continental, and the sediments are 300-600 millimeters, it allows for considerable progress in agricultural production after the village is reoriented towards the market economy.

Because of its potential Ukraine is an industrial-agricultural country. Its machine-building potential includes tractors, agricultural machine building, production of diesel locomotives and rail-road cars, automobiles, rockets, sea and river vessels, refrigerators, TV-sets, washing machines, electric motors, industrial robots, motor-cycles, equipment for metallurgic, chemical, mine and textile appliances and many other complicated products. Well-developed are black and colored metallurgy, chemical, oil and wood processing, and the cellulose-paper industries.

Since its independence Ukraine has confronted problems. The situation today is better in one important respect than it was in the preceding years: inflation, which was running at 330% a year in 1993 has been reduced.

The American Economic System: What are its Goals?

Society has goals that it tries to fulfill through its public policies. While some controversy exists, most Americans are likely to agree that a list of the nation’s economic goals should include the following.

Full employment. There should be a job for everyone ready, willing and able to work.

Economic growth. Increasing the output of goods and services. With more and better goods and services available, everyone’s living standard is likely to improve.

Price stability. There have been times when prices in general increased or decreased at a rapid rate. Such times of inflation and deflation are likely to create hardships for many sectors of the economy. Price stability refers to times during which prices remain constant.

Economic freedom. We should all have a high degree of freedom to choose how we will earn our livings and how we will spend our money.

Economic security. Foe whatever reason, physical handicaps, old age, accidental injury, or the like. There are those among us who are unable to earn their own way. Economic security means that somehow those who are unable to care for themselves fully will be proved for.

Equity. It is the quality of being fair or impartial. As an economic goal, it means that the economic system ought to offer all its citizens equal opportunities to achieve their ambitions.

Efficiency. It is a measure of how much we get for what we use. As a national goal, economic efficiency refers to the entire economy’s ability to get the most out of its limited resources.

Some more Information about Marketing

Marketing means finding out what people want, than producing it and offering it to them. It is both a specific activity which needs to be carried out as a vital stage in the development of a new product, and a continuous process that is an integral part of everyday management activity.

In a manufacturing company, the marketing department pinpoints a new product that could be successfully developed and introduced. The research and development department designs it, then the production departments makes it, the publicity department promotes it, and the sales department sells it.

In reality, you know probably all of these departments, and several others too. This is good you can bypass all the problems of communication between the different departments. At the same time, it may be helpful to think consciously which hat you are wearing at any one moment, so as not to confuse marketing with other related activities.

What marketing is:

- being customer-oriented, taking the market as the starting point;

- integrating a number of different functions, such as planning which courses other services to market, designing and packaging them, deciding on the price structure, promoting and presenting them in various ways, following up;

- developing a strategy that concentrates effort on meeting the stated aims of the organization, so that effort is focused and not wasted.

What marketing is not:

- getting your name known (this is publicity);

- preparing specific courses on demand (course design);

- getting people to buy your courses (sales);

- going to nice places in the hope of making useful contacts (junketing).

Marks & Spencer

Britain’s favourite store

Marks & Spencer (or M&S) is Britain’s favourite store. Tourists love it too. It attracts a great variety of customers, from housewives to millionaires. Dustin Hoffman and the British Prime Minister are just a few of its famous customers. Last year it made a profit of $529 million, which is more than $10 million a week.

How did it all begin?

It started 105 years ago, when a young Polish immigrant, Michael Marks, had a stall in Leeds market. He didn’t have many things to sell: some cotton, a little wool, lots of buttons, and a few shoelaces. Above his stall he put the new famous notice: Don’t ask how much – it’s a penny. Ten years later, he met Tom Spencer and together they started Penny Stalls in many towns in the north of England. Today there are 564 branches of M&S all over the world – in America, Canada, Spain, France, Belgium and Hungary.

What are the best sellers?

Surprisingly, tastes in food and clothes are international. What ells well in Paris sells just as well in Newcastle. Their best-selling clothes are:

* For women: jumpers, bras, and knickers (M&S is famous for its knickers!).

* For men: shirts, socks, pyjamas, dressing gowns, and suits.

* For children: underwear and socks.

Best-sellers in food include: fresh chickens, bread, vegetables, and sandwiches. Chicken Kyiv is internationally the most popular convenience food.

Why is M&S so successful?

The store bases its business on three principles: good value, good quality and good service. Also, it changes with the times – once it was all jumpers and knickers. Now it’s food, furniture and flowers as well. Top fashion designers advise on styles of clothes. But perhaps the most important key to its success is its happy, well-trained staff. Conditions of work are excellent. There are company doctors, dentists, hairdressers, and even chiropodists to look after staff, and the staff can have lunch for under 40p!

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29