Crude Oil Alternatives and The Future of the Transportation industry Research Paper

Crude Oil Alternatives and The Future of the Transportation industry (Trucking, Rail and Air) - Research Paper Example Historically transport has depended on animal power and then fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels has been the human tradition for more than a century and a half now so there is little surprise that calls for change are gathering lingering discontent. The move to alternative energy systems may be slow but it is certainly steady. A number of avenues have been explored in regards to generating energy for the transportation industry. Ideas have ranged from the use of solar panels to the use of batteries in vehicles to power motion. These technologies can be seen as replacing the current transportation infrastructure altogether. However, certain other technologies such as the use of hydrogen will mean that the transportation infrastructure and principles will change but will not be replaced altogether. Another option is the merger between existing systems and newly introduced alternative technologies to create hybrid systems. These hybrid systems are currently the most viable option for changes in the transport industry. At this point in time, the transportation industry depends on one thing – an engine. All kinds of vehicles possess an engine to provide driving energy whether you talk of road vehicles, aquatic vehicles, air vehicles or space vehicles. The engine is fundamentally driven using materials that combust and in doing so provide energy. This applies equally across the board to all forms of conventionally powered vehicles. As far as changes to road vehicles are concerned, the industry has taken a large shift. In the early years of alternative energy development, the center focus remained the development of vehicles that utilized hydrogen as a fuel. This move was widely researched by leading manufacturers such as General Motors (GM), Ford, Honda, Toyota and BMW but a sustainable solution could not be found (BMW). One primary cause for the failure of this system was the need to replace the existing apparatus for fuelling while keeping costs to a mini mum. The oil based road vehicle took decades to come to a discernible form. Furthermore, a number of auxiliaries supports the oil based road vehicle in its operation. These include things such as manufacturing expertise, fuelling systems, maintenance systems etc. It was never practicable enough to realize a change in a few short years that would somehow replace the existing setup (Ghirardi, Togasaki and Seibert). Instead, the industry looked to other alternatives such as using the current hybrid systems. A hybrid system is essentially a combination of a conventional gasoline engine with a battery powered motor. The motor tends to operate in the lower driving speeds while the gasoline engine kicks in when more power is required. The road to change for road vehicles is expected to be the optimal path followed by other modes of transportation such as rail and air travel. Current attempts at alternative energy in air travel are looking at liquid hydrogen as the fuel of choice (Robertson ). However, rail transport alternative energy development is more advanced as hybrid solutions are being looked into. The rising costs of oil around the world are forcing manufacturers, retailers and operators to look for alternatives although the changes are not highly radical. In a few short years the price of crude oil has increased many fold. This trend is expected to continue as oil rich countries will control production

Is it Fair for Universities to Consider Race or Ethnicity as a Factor Essay - 1

Is it Fair for Universities to Consider Race or Ethnicity as a Factor in Admission - Essay Example The utilitarianism point of view and John Rawls’ perspective has been touched upon here to give an incisive look at the topic at hand. Race and ethnicity debates bring bias and prejudice to the fore within college and universities, thus committing to an unfair agenda and a feeling of being left out from gaining admission on the part of the students. One would seem to agree with the premise that race and ethnicity talks bring more negativity within the equation and are bound to pose a serious problem than anything else. This is because race and ethnicity marginally divide the people, which is an area of concern as it does not treat people on the same footing as they should be in day to day lives. It makes them feel inferior, which is not the task of a college or a university before it grants admission to the ones who are applying within its realms. Merit must always remain supreme and there cannot be any divided opinions under such a dictum. It is true that race and ethnicity bring about a general bias within the discussions of the students, and hence it would be better to understand that such colleges and universities would not be able to impart the kind of education that is remarked as a hallmark of them. One would agree that this is unfair because one cannot disallow students from gaining education based on their race and ethnicity tangents. This is a heinous act which needs to be condemned as much as possible. It will make students feel bad with regards to their race and ethnic settings and ask them to protest against the college and university realms. From the utilitarianism theory, it can be deduced that properly providing each and every student the right to secure admission is a normative activity and thus should be exercised in essence. It will maximize happiness and reduce the racial and ethnic divide which has been getting the importance unnecessarily over the years.

Unit 3 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Unit 3 Discussion Board - Essay Example The performance measurement systems therefore within nursing homes relied more on the assumption that the â€Å"facility performance contribute heavily towards individual’s performance†. (Phillips, Shen, Chen, & Sherman, 2007) However, there are various indicators which contribute towards the overall performance of the nursing homes. Many researchers believe that the key indicator of the performance of the homes is residents’ outcomes. (IOM, 1986). Apart from that the facility’s compliance with the regulations such as compliance with standards, conditions of participation etc are other standards which are considered as key behind the measurement of the performance of the nursing facilities. However, there is other general criterion also which are typically being used to measure the performance of the health care services. Specifically consumer satisfaction is considered as the main driver of the value for health care services because it is believed that consumer satisfaction derives the administrative efficiencies of these facilities and both the variables have strong correlation between them however, generally, the characteristics of providers and hospitals, the interaction between the patients and the providers as well as the overall outcome of that process are the basics of evaluating the overall performance of the nursing care homes. One of the most important barriers in performance evaluation of those nursing homes is the fact evaluating the performance is multidimensional in nature and there is no single measure of the performance evaluation. Further these homes are also under the regulation of the government which may force them to maintain quality standards which may not directly relate to the value generating capabilities of the homes. This therefore diverts the resources of those homes to activities which could otherwise have been used in improving the performance standards. Phillips, C. D., Hawes, C., Lieberman, T., &

Insuring Green Buildings Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Insuring Green Buildings - Research Paper Example In most occasions, it is easy for the insurance companies to accept, underwrite and process the loss handling for the homeowner by automating or simplifying the damage. The focus here is usually to get the sum insured and process the policies effectively (Yudelson, 2006). Most the time those selling the homeowner policies, they insurer do not necessarily look at the different building material for construction in the building, the construction classes or the ecological standard of the building. This is because, in case of a loss or damage, there may occur a dispute between the insured and the insurer regarding the extent in which the damage must be indemnified (Glavinich, 2008). If there is a need for more specification concerning the building construction, the insurance company sends their agents to ask more specifications of the construction process. Although the insurance companies have their agents who researches on the construction process, the agents are advised not verify certain details which may lead the insured to decline the policy and sign the policy with other competitors that ask few questions. Up to now, no study has provided statistical evidence supporting the stance that â€Å"green buildings† have a higher probability and severity of losses. Perhaps the effort to analyze green buildings in detail is not yet justified, given the actual number of owners of green buildings; however, the green buildings are more risky and carry higher claim expectancy (Glavinich, 2008). Residential building insurance mainly provides insurance cover for losses arising from fire, supply water and storm/hail events. Loss experiences, and consequently exposure evaluation and rating of homeowner risks are based on conventionally built houses, concrete, brick, steel and wood (Spiegel & Meadows, 2012). For example, in houses with thatched reed roofs, the probability of a

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Statement - Essay Example Immediately, I went back to China to try and help him and on arriving, the doctor told me that the hepatic cancer was already in the late stages, hence there was no much hope. In fact, the doctor told me that my grandfather had no more than six months left to live. Due to work related issues, my parents had to leave me with my grandparents at a very young age, which made me get strongly attached to my grandparents. I couldn’t believe that my grandfather would leave me in a few months time and so I tried my very best to save him. Everyone in my family was searching everywhere for possible treatments for hepatic cancer. One day, my friend advised me to look for an acupuncturist, and told me that he had successfully saved a patient who had a very similar condition as my grandfather. My grandmother was very enlightened with hope after he heard this. I still remember the first time when I met the acupuncturist, who introduced himself as Dr. Li. He was in his sixties at that time, a nd looked very kind and patient. He carefully applied about one hour of acupuncture therapy to my grandfather. During the entire therapy, I starred at Dr. Li’s fingers and the long and thin needles he was using. I kept imagining the magic of these needles and thinking how could these little needles save my grandfather’s life. ... We still take my grandfather to see Dr. Li every three months. Although my grandfather’s cancer did not go away completely, it has been well controlled by Dr. Li and this has kept my grandfather’s life much longer than we expected. With the years long experience with Dr. Li, I started to consider becoming an acupuncturist, who is able to reduce patients’ pain and save people’s lives. I now clearly understand that patience and care are the two of the most important characteristics for doctors; therefore, I’m trying my best to develop my skills and build up my personality. I worked as a kindergarten teacher at the Bright Seeds Academy, which helped me reduce my temper and boosted my willpower. For the two years I spend teaching children, I became more and more patient with children, and learned how to deal with them amicably. I will complete my AA degree with communication major by this summer. I believe effective communication skills and critical thi nking are also essential skills for acupuncturist. I’m sure this background can help me reach my goal, of becoming an easy going and a persuasive acupuncturist. Last year, I injured my arm accidently and went to see an Acupuncturist- Dr. Zhu. After expressing my background experiences and my goal to become an acupuncturist, Dr. Zhu offered me an opportunity to become a volunteer in his acupuncture and herbal clinic. This was my very first time to have a close distance to my goal. From this opportunity, I learned how an acupuncture clinic runs, and the essential skills and personalities that an acupuncturist must have. One day, an old Chinese woman came into the Clinic, and she couldn’t speak English or Mandarin (Both Dr. Zhu and I only speak these two languages). She could only speak Cantonese and we

Operations Process Design Essay Example for Free

Operations Process Design Essay Operations process design 1. Introduction The assignment will be on the manufacturing of concrete stone paving. This product has been chosen because its demand is growing rapidly as most people are concerned about the need for decorating their homes, businesses, municipalities are involved in small town regeneration programmes and there is growth in development buildings and malls in the Eastern Cape. Concrete stone paving is preferred instead of other forms because it is versatile, aesthetically attractive, functional, cost effective and requires little or no maintenance if correctly manufactured and laid. Sellers of concrete stone paving in East London are sourcing it from other provinces or countries, there are very few manufacturers and yet the demand is high. The company which will be started for the manufacturing of stone paving will develop a business strategy and mission and the operations mission and objectives will be aligned to them. The operations’ mission will be to provide quality and value for money stone paving in an effective and efficient way. The distinctive competence is the fact the local manufacturing that will offer customer opportunity to order desired designs instead of choosing from the available designs. The company will also capitalise short lead times as the product is locally manufactured and has highly skilled and experienced cross functional team that is innovative. 2. Product/service design In designing the product the company will adopt an inter-functional view, meaning that a product must meet the market needs and also have a technical advantage. This will be easily accomplished by the company as it possess a team of highly experienced specialists. Strategy for the stone paving is to differentiation and a product in which a customer finds value for money. In designing that product a cross functional team will be formed as this will benefit the organisation to make  the product a success. The team will be composed of all relevant representatives who have expertise in different fields like marketing, operations, engineering and supply chain management. Suppliers and customers will be included in the design phase of the product. Similar criteria will be used for selection of suppliers that will be involved in the project. The criteria to be used will be technical expertise, capability, capacity and low risk, thus only suppliers who demonstrate these attributes will be considered. Shruder, et al. (2013) suggests that collaboration with customers in the design process is essential as it results in a smooth running of the processes. The collaboration with customers will be considered for the development of the stone paving and different methods will be used to encourage participation like aligning incentives for customers to share knowledge and including them as advisors in the design team. While the stone paving is developed the manufacturability and value engineering activities which are concerned with improvement of design and specification at the research, development, design and production stages of product development will be considered. The foreseen benefits of implementing manufacturability and value engineering are cost reduction, reduced complexity of the paving, reduction of environmental impact and additional standardisation amongst others (Heizer and Render, 2011). Literature suggests different techniques that can be used in the design of products throughout the product life cycle, for the stone paving product techniques that will be used are: o robust design – this will allow small variations in the production of the paving to be done without affecting the product. o computer aided design – the computer will be used to develop and document the different types of paving. o value analysis successful products will be reviewed during the production process to ensure improvements. The aspects of design for paving that will be considered include the sizes, types and colours of paving to be manufactured. Further consideration will  be how the product must be manufactured, its quality and market acceptance. The specifications of the product will be meticulous in order to ensure efficient production. Heizer and Render (2011) states that it is vital to define, design and document a product as it determines the equipment, the layout and human resources required. Engineering drawings will be prepared for the stone paving to show dimensions tolerances, materials and finishes of components. Then a bill of material will list the components, their description and the quantity to make one unit of each type of stone paving. The assembly drawings, assembly charts, route sheets and work orders will be used to assist in the actual production of the paving. The laws and industry standards applicable to the product will be adhered and the product will be produced and delivered in an ethical and environmentally sound and sustainable way. 3. Process design According to Schroeder, et al. (2013) there are different types of processes (batch, assembly line, continuous, job shop, and project) each being suitable for a specific product produced. The concrete paving slabs are a low to moderate volume and will be produced in different types, sizes and colours, therefore the batch process will be more suitable. The factory layout will be designed such that it increases the efficiency and reduces the bottlenecks in the process. As different types of paving will be manufactured, e.g. budget manufactured stone, standard manufactured stone, premium manufactured stone and premium natural stone amongst others, the type of order fulfilment which will be appropriate is the make to order so as to reduce the costs of inventory, storage and damage. The suppliers will also be arranged such that the orders for supply like concrete and aggregates are delivered just in time for manufacturing. The process for the manufacturing of paving will be according to the stages detailed below. 3.1 Batching Aggregates will be used for making the various types of paving. The different aggregate types will be stored separately and so that they are well drained at all times. They will be protected from rain so as to stay dry before being mixed with the cement, thus ensuring that the optimum moisture content is not exceeded. The cement will be weighed to an accuracy of 1% except when batched by whole bags. Aggregates will be weighed to an accuracy of 2%. The weight of the aggregate batched will be adjusted in order to make allowance for moisture contained in the aggregates. 3.2 Mixing After batching, the aggregates and binder will be discharged separately or simultaneously, together with pigment if required, into the mixer and thoroughly mixed before any additional water is added. If a mix has high fines contents it may require longer mixing. Based on measurement of the variable moisture content of the aggregates or visual assessment by operators, water must be added to the mixture to bring it to optimum moisture content. Uniformity is important because differences in water content from batch to batch will result in differences in quality. After mixing, the mixture is stored in hoppers ready for dispensing into the moulds. 3.3 Filling of moulds Two basic principles will be applied for the production machines. The first method takes an amount of mixture and progressively compacts it under vibration until a predetermined height has been reached. In the second method, a gauged quantity of mixture is compacted for a set period. Care has to be taken for variations in density which may result if the gauged quantities are not consistent or the mixture is not uniformly distributed within the mould. Previbration is often used to facilitate filling and any gaps in moulds are thereafter topped up with a second filling of mixture. 3.4 Compaction The standard optimum period of vibration is 3 to 12 seconds and the same standard will be applied when compacting. Concrete pavers with a thickness greater than 80 mm will not be manufactured. Frequency and amplitude of vibration will be optimised for the specific materials being used and the number of blocks being moulded per cycle. 3.5 Curing The quality of concrete pavers is improved by water curing. Curing can be effected in one of three ways: moisture retention, steam curing and thermal insulation. The methods that will be used are detailed below: Moisture retention This is the least sophisticated method, is effective for blocks that are less dense and thus tend to lose moisture rapidly. Loss of moisture from newly made blocks is prevented by wrapping them in plastic sheeting. Thermal curing Newly moulded paving blocks are placed in an insulated chamber for a period of 24 hours. Temperature is increased by the heat of hydration of the cement and no additional heat is provided. The method is therefore inexpensive. 3.6 Quality control Control measures will be implemented at various critical points during the process and specific tests will be undertaken so as to ensure that the end product is of high quality. 4. Layout The company will have a layout strategy that will support its differentiation and value for money strategy. The layout strategy is aimed at developing an effective and efficient layout that will meet the organisation’s competitive requirements. According to (Slack, et al., 1998)  the layout design must consider the achievement of the following:- o maximum utilisation of space, equipment and people o improved flow of information, people or material o improved employee morale and safer working conditions o improved customer interaction, and o flexibility to accommodate changes and innovation 4.1 Manufacturing equipment Batching equipment Weight batching will be performed to ensure that a uniform product is obtained and for smaller projects, whole bags of cement will be used if the sizes of batch and mixer are compatible. Mixer Because a semi-dry mixture is used to mould concrete paving blocks, effective mixing will be done with pan and trough mixers. The size of the pan mixer will be related to production so that batches are used up within a reasonable time. Moulding machine Paving blocks must have fullest possible compaction achieved therefore the equipment must be capable of a high degree of compaction and satisfactory output. Stationary plants using the pallet system will be used as they provide the necessary high levels of vibration and pressure. LINE 1LINE 2LINE 3 5. Staffing If an organisation is to achieve it’s corporate as well as operations strategy and objectives, machines and equipment are not enough. People are needed to perform the operations of the business so that ultimately a product is produced and sold to the customers, thereby making money for the business. Important decisions have to be made regarding the jobs to be performed and the type of skills and competencies people who perform those  jobs should have. The development of the organizational structure should follow after the development of the strategy and the Human Resource department in collaboration with other departments should ensure that the right people are employed and retained for the productivity and sustainability of the business. This business‘s structure will be composed of the core business functions which are engineering, operations/manufacturing, marketing and sales, finance, human resources and administration as well as information communication technology. Below is a typical organizational structure that will ensure that the organization fully functions and cross functional teams will be used to ensure utilization of skills and contribution by many towards achievement of the organizational goals. Organisational Structure 6. Capacity planning Capacity refers to the number of units that the organisation can hold, receive store or produce in a period of time, this assist in assessing whether the demand will be satisfied or whether facilities will be idle. It is critical to determine the size of the business with the aim of achieving high levels of utilisation and high return on investment. The choice of equipment and the capacity decisions must be aligned to the organisation’s mission and strategy. Nigel, et al. (1998) suggests that the following factors be considered in order to obtain good capacity planning, o accurately forecasting the demand,  o understanding the equipment, processes and capacity increments, o finding the optimum operating size, and  o ensuring the flexibility needed for adjustments in technology, product features and mix as well as volumes. A number of techniques are available and useful for making capacity decisions and those are bottleneck analysis, good forecasting, breakeven analysis, cashflow and net present value amongst others. Currently the trends show that in East London in the Eastern Cape, the demand for the paving tiles exceeds the supply as a result the prices charged are very high compared to other cities or to other provinces. The places that are selling the tiles only buy them from other provinces or countries there is only one manufacturer. Therefore by maximising on the location economies and focusing at the Eastern Cape market, one could be able to have the desired market share. A risk management plan has to be in place and an aggressive marketing strategy will be designed to ensure customers become aware of our products and the value that can be derived from sourcing paving locally. Bottleneck management will be paid attention to by the Operations Manager as this will impact on the efficiency of the system and utilisation of resources. The four principles of bottleneck management will be taken cognisance of, the principles are: o release work order to the system at the pace set by the bottleneck’s capacity. o the bottlenecks should always be kept busy with work. o Non-bottlenecks should have planned idle time, as increasing their capacity has no impact on the system’s overall capacity. o Increasing capacity of the bottleneck increases capacity for the whole system. Illustration of capacity analysis with parallel processes 30 min60 min60 min60 min 28days 1 day Break –even analysis The break-even analysis will be calculated to determine how many products must be produced before profit can be made. Efforts to reduce the variable costs will be undertaken so that production can be maximised. 7. Location choice Location is the geographical positioning of an operation relative to the input resources, other operations or the customers with which it interacts (Slack, et al., 1998). The objective of a location strategy is to maximise the benefits of location of the organisation. The strategies used can either be location and costs or location and innovation, for this paving manufacturing company the location and costs strategy will be the focus, innovation will be a long-term factor to be considered. The manufacturing of concrete paving slabs requires cement, aggregates, water chemical admixtures, pigments and people amongst other factors. The company will have to identify all the necessary factors that may impact on the business financially and otherwise in order to select the location for manufacturing. A number of methods of evaluating location alternatives can be used to reach an informed decision, the table below shows the factor rating method used to select an appropriate site. Based on the scoring for factors considered important for the site, site A will be the best choice. Factor rating method for two sites |Key success factor |Weight |Site |Site | | | |A |B | |Proximity to suppliers |0.3 |60 |50 | |Proximity to customers |0.3 |65 |70 | |Labour pool |0.2 |45 |52 | |Climate |0.05 |60 |45 | |Wage rates |0.05 |73 |66 | |Community factors |0.1 |50 |30 | |TOTAL | |58.2 |54.9 | The optimum choice will have to be a balance of supply side and demand site factors that are considered important by the organisation for it to maximise its profits. The centre-of gravity method, locational break-even analysis which is a cost-volume analysis to make economic comparison of location alternatives and transportation model can also be used to assist in the choice of location (Heizer and Render, 2011). The company will be located in South Africa and within the Eastern Cape and the above analysis will assist with choosing the specific site. 8. Supply chain design According to Heizer and Render (2011) competition is no longer between companies but with supply chains. A range of suppliers will be interacted with in the manufacturing and marketing of the product and therefore an integrated approach to supply chain management must be used. Supply chain is determining factor of the product’s product costs, quality, responsiveness and differentiation. A number of supply chain strategies can be used like many or few suppliers, joint ventures, vertical integration, virtual companies amongst others. The company must should strategies that will support its objectives, provide competitive advantage and ensure satisfaction of its customers. 9. Quality management In order to offer quality products to the customers thereby improve revenues and reduce costs, the organization will ensure that quality is managed and continuous improvement efforts are implemented. A variety of techniques can be used to ensure quality is managed, this will start with ensuring that suppliers provide products that meet required standard e.g. cement should comply with SABS EN 197-1 . This will be the norm for other products as well in order minimise the risk of a poor end product. The ISO 9000 process certification, inspections and statistical process control will be implemented. The Operators and Quality Assurers will have to be trained on quality standards and methods for checking. The company like other companies will adopt the both the lean and six sigma process improvement approaches as  these have proved to assist most organizations. Quality control Quality control is defined as the stabilisation and maintenance of a process to produce consistent output (Schroeder, et al, 2013, p210). Throughout the processes critical control points will be defined to control and improve the processes. Control measures will be implemented to:- o Monitor changes in materials so that timely changes can be implemented in manufacture. The control measure will be regularly monitoring of changes in grading and moisture content of aggregates, monitoring mix consistence and measuring wet density of blocks. The causes for a change in density will be investigated in order to ensure correction of the root cause. o Routinely monitor the quality of the product for compliance with the specification. The more routine quality and compliance tests will be the checking on dimensions of blocks, testing strength of blocks and carrying out abrasion tests at an appropriate age. 10. Conclusion The company will achieve its business strategy and maximise profits if it has a clear and well defined operations strategy that is aligned to the business strategy. The use of cross-functional teams and supply chain strategy will assist it to gain competitive advantage and continuous improvement. The product design, process design, layout and supply chain should also support the operations of the company and lead to maximisation of profits. Quality must be managed throughout the processes and risks should be mitigated as the environment internally and externally is rapidly changing and technological advancement results in introduction of new products. 11. References Heizer, J. and Render, B., 2011. Operations Management. 10th Ed. London: Prentice Hall. Schoeder, R.G., Goldstein, S., and Rungtusanatham, M.J., Operations Management in Supply Chain. 2013. 6th Ed. New York: MacGraw-Hill. Slack, N., Chambers, S., Harland, C., Harrison, A., and Johnston, R., 1998. Operations Management. 2nd Ed. London: Pitman Publishing. Samples of products to be manufactured [pic][pic] START BATCHING MIXING MOULDING COMPACTION CURING PACKAGING CEO Marketing and Sales Specialist Human Resource and Administration Specialist Financial Specialist Operations Specialist Engineering Specialist Sales representatives x 2 Engineering Technician Supervisors x 2 Packers/ Loaders x 4 Quality Assurers x 3 ICT Technician Machine Operators x 4 Maintenance x 2 Drivers x 2 Packagingg Curing Compaction Moulding Mixing Batching Storage Order Packaging Curing Compactionnnn Mixing Moulding Batching STORAGE Administrator

The Consequences Of Sri Lankas Civil War

The Consequences Of Sri Lankas Civil War The small island of Sri Lanka is a country rich with agricultural treasures from bountiful tea leaves to lush paddy fields. However, this country has a bloody past that still haunts its present economic and political state. As a Tamil Sri Lankan, I feel it is important that the future of Sri Lanka be analyzed to determine whether it can compete in the globalized world because of its choices with regards to the civil war. As a result of colonization, Sri Lanka was torn apart by two races which ultimately caused a civil war that lasted many years. In this essay, the effects of Sri Lankas civil war will be analyzed from an economic and political standpoint. Viewed from a modernization theory perspective, Sri Lankas costly civil war has caused much damage to the countrys economy and has hindered its progress in terms of its future development projects. This conflict has also created difficulties for Sri Lanka to develop when compared to first world countries because of the macroeconomic implications such as the repercussions of its military spending, its rising international debt, lack of investment, and the weaknesses seen in its political structure (BBC, n.d.). This topic is relevant because in the evolving world, Sri Lanka will find it very difficult to succeed in the international economy because of the choices implemented by the government during the civil war. This essay will argue that the Sri Lankan civil war, brought about by colonization, has diminished the countrys growth prospects and thrown the government into political instability resulting in a current futile attempt at modernization. Theoretical Framework The concept of modernization where third world countries follow the path of first world countries in order to reach their level of development is directly tied to the development theory postulated by Walt Rowle. Therefore, the main theory that will be discussed in this essay is the modernization theory of development. However, this theory will be critiqued as a development theory that cannot be used as a guideline for countries to follow because there is no mention of colonization (Chirot Hall, 1982, p. 84). Despite this, Sri Lanka still pursues this development theory because it desperately wants to adopt Western ideals of development. Because Sri Lanka wants to establish close relationships with the Western world, they are willing to put the impact colonization inflicted on the countrys two major races aside, and continue with their goals of development, ultimately leading to a civil war. Instead of attempting to fix the politics within the country, Sri Lanka continues to follow t he developed countries to an unreachable epitome of development. This theory holds that development is evolutionary and intervention from developed countries is acceptable in order to direct change; therefore, interference from the Western world in matters of the state is not criticized (So, 1990, p. 18). Rostows evolutionary ladder of development, which is composed of a traditional society, pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, the drive to maturity, and the age of high mass consumption, are deeply flawed (Rostow, 1964, p. 4). He does not take into consideration the effect colonization has had on the country because not only does it leave an impact on the colonized countrys economic and political situation, but it also leaves the colonizing country in a very advantaged position. While Sri Lanka hopes to achieve the ideal form of development from a modernization perspective, it will suffer greatly if it does not undergo an economic reform and change its political policies. Historical Context Since 150 B.C., the island of Ceylonrenamed Sri Lanka after gaining independence from the Britishhas had tension between the two largest ethnic groups in the country: the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 396). However, even though there was miscommunication from both parts for many years, they still lived in peace. Because of British intervention in the colonial period, an open conflict commenced in the 1980s between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebellion. One of the reasons for the conflict was identified before independence: the British introduced the idea of territorial representation as opposed to communal representation to the Singhalese people, who agreed to it because they would have more influence in government being the majority, while keeping the Tamil people as a minority in government (Managoran, 1987, p. 7). Because of the countrys poor choices in developing their government after independence, the minorities within the country had to suffer. The war lasted almost 30 years and finally ended in 2009 killing more than 70,000 people, damaged the economy and harmed tourism in one of South Asias potentially prosperous societies (BBC, n.d.). When granted independence from the British in 1948 (Tambiah, 1986, p.68), Sri Lanka was more prosperous than most of its Asian neighbours; it had a well developed infrastructure and a well functioning judiciary and democratic political system that was both efficient and productive. However, the decolonization process played a part in the civil war because although the British colonial power left the developing country with minimal economic damage and a fairly stable infrastructure, the ideology they professed continued in Sri Lankan tradition which proved disastrous because the citizens developed a superiority complex. Colonization had its both positive and negative effects within the country. For example, the economy was strengthening because colonization increased paddy production, and even afterwards, the country utilized most of their raw materials, such as tea (Peebles, 1990, p. 37). However, a negative effect of colonization was that ethnic politics and conflicts were beginning to emerge because the Tamil population believed they were being treated unfairly after the British left. During the British colonial rule (1796-1948), Tamil people received nepotism over the Sinhalese people because they were more willing to cooperate with the British (Peebles, 1990, p. 32). Because of this, Tamils had a greater advantage of the colonial dispensation, with its connections to the Western world of commerce, professional opportunity and governmental service (Rotberg, 1999, p. 5) leaving the Sinhalese people poor and neglected. This fuelled the aggravation between the Tamils and Sinhalese because the Tamil s, being the minority, were receiving better education and employment opportunities than the Sinhalese people. The Sinhalese believed that the opportunities provided by the state should be represented by the population. The Sinhalese people were not used to being subordinate to the Tamils in terms of their level of education and financial stability. As a result, the Singhalese people subordinated the Tamils and the Tamils eventually fought back. Once the war was in full force, the country was left in economic ruin because the government began spending increasing amounts of money on the military thereby diminishing future growth prospects (Grobar, Gnanaselvam 1993, p. 396). Macroeconomic Effects: Market Mechanisms The bleak future in the business sector of Sri Lanka is due to the development policy mistakes and social exclusion of the new generation (Abeyratne, 2004, p. 1300). Some of these poor development policy mistakes include the lack of consideration in long term investments, and growth in tourism. Because of the lack of worthwhile investments in the technological sector, Sri Lanka has nothing to put forth in the industrialized market which poses a problem when Sri Lanka looks toward a modernization development scheme. In order for countries to follow Rostows ladder of development, they must begin to expand their technological sector (Rostow, 1964, p. 9). As for the exclusion of the younger generation in the business world, a brain drain phenomenon has been a crucial problem because the war has caused educated citizens to leave Sri Lanka, resulting in the country having a weak base of skilled workers. Moreover, the war has killed more than 70,000 people, many of which were young adults, thereby slashing the working force and leaving a large displaced population of children and seniors (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). However, there is still hope for the country because the Sri Lankan rupee, its national currency, which has been gradually decreasing over the years due to changing commodity prices, has experienced a boost due to hopes of a post-war strengthened economy (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). However, the tourism industry, which once brought great profit to the country because it provided an important source of foreign exchange, has been largely affected by the conflict. This sector has suffered an 11.7% drop in tourists in 2007, compared with the previous year. The violence also caused a 31.4% year-on-year plunge in visitors for August 2008 and the country expected tourism to fall a further 10% in 2009 (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Because of the means the country deployed for the civil war, they lost the advantage in the global economy and are now left in a vulnerable situation. International Debt and Stalled Development Projects Economic growth in Sri Lanka is stifled because long term investment opportunities were not given money since government funding was fuelling the costly war effort. Sri Lanka has been heavily dependent on foreign savings to finance investment projects, and the availability of foreign savings have been a major constraint on Sri Lankas total level of investment (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 401). Whereas in 1982 government spending has increased in health, education and welfare, the spending on economic services that had the potential to make profit in future years have significantly decreased since 1986 (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 399). Sri Lanka is also sinking deeper into international debt and the large cuts in economic services ensure that projects such as the Mahaweli Dam will not be finished or maintained, resulting in a major opportunity cost to the country (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p.400). This Mahaweli Dam project is one of many examples of the investments Sri Lanka had to forsake to fund the war. According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lankas widening current-account deficit, a dependence on foreign borrowings and an overvalued currency pose a serious risk to the nations economic stability (Yong, 2008). The island also adopted a course of structural adjustment because the government found it necessary to develop close ties with Western countries and nongovernmental organizations (DeVotta, 1998, p. 458). Because of these policies, it will be doubly difficult for the Sri Lankan government to intervene in business matters because it follows a neoliberalism philosophy (The Social Consequences, 2005). As a result, the country will be taken advantage of by external sources because Sri Lanka will be unable to develop a technological sector due to their increasing debt and structural adjustment policies, and must constantly be relying on their raw materials for export (DeVotta, 1998, p. 461). Sri Lanka also lacks efficient capital markets to ef fectively progress in the business sector. The government has rationed investment resources; therefore due to low domestic savings, Sri Lanka has paid for its civil war by cutbacks in nonmilitary government spending and large reductions in investment. However, because of this, the long term economic implications of the war are very significant since there is no money being generated from any sources within the country and from external sources. Foreign investors were hesitant to dole money in a country with an unstable political makeup (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 404). Since Sri Lanka has no efficient capital flowing in from other countries, in order to progress, it must now rely on its own economic strength to alleviate its international debt. Military Expenses and Growth Prospects Currently, Sri Lanka hopes to put the civil war past them and continue in their hopes of achieving Western ideals of development. However, this will most surely not be the case when the country comes to terms with the amount of spending they have allocated for the cause. The cost of the long run civil war has significantly slowed down Sri Lankas economy and left it in a vulnerable position. For example in 2007, the government borrowed $181,449 worth of defense loans from international financial markets, which was double the amount from the year before (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Also, in 2008, the Sinhalese government designated $1.5 billion for the defence sector to strengthen the military, which was also a 20% increase from the budget in 2007. Finally, in 2009, Sri Lanka designated $1.64 billion to  the war effort, making it a 6.4% year-on-year increase (Asia Economic Institute, 2011).  These war costs have consumed approximately 30% of the governments budget, and has been estimated to have cost the country over $200 billion over the years (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). That money could have been used to fund businesses, build infrastructure, and even decrease the poverty rate in Sri Lanka. At one point, Sri Lanka was a nation that had a great advantage over other South Asian countries, but now it is delving deeper into a debt that will be very difficult for the country to repay. Political Instability: Intergovernmental Power Struggles The political instability of Sri Lanka is an important factor when determining whether the country can be a competitor in the global market. Although it is a nation that is filled with beautiful, tropical landscape, the political infrastructure within is composed of a clashing of views from government officials and separatists. The civil war was not a linear historical process where one event led to another (Perera, 1999, p.1), instead it was a civil war fuelled by competing conceptions of nationalism (Rotberg, 1999, p. 7). Neelan Tiruchelvam, who was a leading Sri Lankan constitutional thinker and Member of Parliament until his assassination in 1999, believed one of the major problems with Sri Lanka since 1948 was the definition of the state (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). The Sinhalese majority had always assumed a unitary entity, but something other than a unitary state truly matches the plural nature of the contemporary nation (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). Tiruchelvam states that Sri Lankans m ust recognize Sri Lankan Tamils as a distinct nationality, acknowledge and give lasting territorial integrity to a Tamil homelandand enshrine into law the right of Tamils to full citizenship and all democratic rights (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). It will be impossible for the Sri Lankan community to move on in peace for future generations if the government of Sri Lanka does not represent the Tamil population in government. Tamils hopelessly pushed for a federal government as opposed to a unitary government, so that there would be a decentralization of power and a better representation of minorities in government, but failed and resorted to violent means to make their voice heard (Background Notes, 2001). For Sri Lanka to progress in the developing world, it must first establish a stable government so as to avoid further conflict in the future, and then it can take control of the nation so it can prosper in the business sector. Future for Sri Lankas Government The only path Sri Lanka must take to strengthen its government and in turn regain financial vigour is to comply with some of the needs from the Tamil population. Political solutions to the Tamil situation must be devised immediately because the Tamils are not content with the outcome of the war. The governments concentration purely on trying to set the economy on track, and its failure to consider any long-term reconciliation with the Tamil minority will ultimately result in long-term grievances within the countrys society. Even though the Sinhalese population is dominant on the island, 15% of the population are Tamil and 5% are not ethnically Sinhalese (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). After almost 30 years of this ethnic conflict, the nation lies divided as racism and mistrust takes over the population, hindering any hopes of unification (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). This is sadly the case since nothing was truly gained from the war. There was no economic gain and the Tamils have lost their last hope. However, if political solutions are not being implemented, there is a great chance of a Tamil guerrilla style uprising. Not only would this disturb the peace of the Sri Lankan civilians, analysts suggest that the Tamil minority will show their dissatisfaction by hitting economic and political targets, inflicting great damage in the countrys prospects of long-term stability (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Before the war ended, Tamils who fled Sri Lanka during the war banded together to protest in major cities of many countries including Canada, the United States and Australia to request that the government of these countries help stop the Tamil genocide (Blanchfield, 2009). But since the war is now over, Tamils must now take action within the country in a peaceful manner and hope their voice will finally be heard. Conclusion Sri Lanka is a beautiful country that is scarred by a bloody 30 year war between the two largest ethnic groups in the country: the Tamils and the Singhalese. Unfortunately, because of this civil war, Sri Lanka is left in a vulnerable position in the global market. This essay proved that Sri Lankas gradual slide into international debt, its exclusion of the younger generation and poor development choices with managing investments and the tourism sector, create many problems for the country to progress economically. The political situation in Sri Lanka is also a hindrance to its growth because it needs to change its policies in order to represent the minorities or risk another uprising. This essay shows that development needs to come from within the country; Sri Lanka needs to completely solve its political differences before it can focus on economic expansion. However, is it possible to satisfy both ethnic groups when there is still animosity between them after the war? Ultimately, th e wider economic issue that this paper addresses is the pressure placed on third world countries to try to achieve Western ideals of development. By following a modernization perspective, this cannot be done. Sri Lanka needs to take charge of its own future and unify the country to make it a stronger force in the globalized world.