Data analyse and Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Data analyse and Literature Review - Essay Example A more effective approach in understanding this pay should be based on considering it as an outcome of socially developed arrangements of corporate governance whereby the parties involved possess relative discretion to affect the outcomes. Including such a view in an attempt to understand executive pay tends to provide a much more conclusive explanation of the ongoing debate about executive pay both in practice and in theory (Hengartner, 2006). The issue of executive pay is one of the aspects of business that has been generating newspaper headlines quite often in the recent past. The media tends to regularly display the public outrage on the extreme highs that executive bonuses, financial gratuities and salaries have reached. In the middle of all this turmoil, many company directors have found it difficult to explain why and how much they pay their various executives as they do. The field of determining and explaining executive pay is dominated by the agency theory’s perfect contracting approach (Jensen & Meckling, 1976). This theory on executive pay explains that this is a key instrument used in alleviating agency problems. In order to ensure the separation between firm control and firm ownership is harmless, the theory states that executive pay is a key instrument used in aligning the interests between management and shareholders (Fried and Bebchuk, 2004). Pay setting is often seen as an issue of optimal pay design that is based on risk preferences and market forces. (Wiseman and Gomez-Mejia, 1997) Market forces contribute to optimal pay structures and levels that compensate the concerned executives for the various risks they took in managing the corporation in the shareholders’ best interests. This is the reason that most of the literature and studies conducted on executive pay structures tends to focus on the

Job Search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Search - Essay Example The aforementioned are just some of the reasons why I have studied linguistics. On the professional level, I want to apply my knowledge and skills in making communication even better for people. Culture is currently one of the interests of studies for objectives on globalization therefore, linguists are necessarily sought for. Aside from having helped some people in communicating with others, I have worked for â€Å"Cinescape†, a company in Kuwait which works on films, adding Arabic subtitles for English films intended for the Arab-speaking viewers. This is where I learned basic skills and techniques in performing the job. in addition, I worked for two years at Lohaibi Company translating interviews from Arabic to English and English to Arabic. Moreover, I also worked for a television network as an assistant translator after my contract with Lohaibi. Basically, my job was to translate conversations in the films from English to Arabic and vice versa as well as add subtitles to the films. I enjoyed my jobs because along the way, I have learned more than what I expected and my interest in language grew even stronger. The advertisement of Market Road Films has caught my attention initially because I know that I am qualified for it. I do not just have the interest for the job but I also possess knowledge and skills that are necessary in completing the task. ... I think such projects are necessary for the preservation of the parts of historical information so it should really be taken seriously. The job may be a pro bono but just the thought of working on a great project along with the director and editor of the film themselves, is simply overwhelming. I love to work with people and I believe that the job will not just be beneficial for me, giving me a sense of fulfillment and pride but it will also become my contribution to the Arab world in preserving an important part of their history. Abdulaziz Alwehaibi 588 Main St. Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-417-1147 aziz_92@student.fdu.edu Travis Ballenger Market Road Films 232 3rd St., Studio B401 Brooklyn, NY 11215 Dear Mr. Ballenger, This is in response to your advertisement on the need for a translator for â€Å"First to Fall†. I have degrees in Linguistics and Accounting, providing me with the communication and organizational skills. I have translated films from Arabic to English and English to Arabic for five years. In my work experience, I have gained the basic computer skills and experience needed for the job. I worked well with other employees and through the years, I have acquired not only knowledge but foreign friends as well who have been great contributors and influences in my career and decisions with my studies. In addition, I improved my English oral and written communication skills. I have come to appreciate the treasures found in languages which now drive me to learn more for me to be able to contribute more to my community. I believe my education on languages and work experiences where I applied most of what I learned in school qualifies me to the position being sought for. I understand that a lot of people are

Harsh Parenting during Adolescence Research Paper

Harsh Parenting during Adolescence - Research Paper Example More often than not these social constraints are enforced and reinforced by parents. (Choudhury, Blakemore and Charman) A variety of reasons are prescribed for parental control including (but not limited to) the rebellious attitude of teenagers, the parent’s desire to make the individual more conforming to their ideals and ideologies and the need to make the individual more compliant to social norms and values. These objectives are met by parents in a variety of ways. The relationship between teenagers and parents is generally a rocky one. In order to exert their influence, parents may resort to physical and emotional coercion. (Kelley) Such parental behaviour is seen to affect adolescent growth and their adult behaviour negatively. Most adolescents with coercive parents are known to develop aggressive symptoms later in life. This aggression may be emotional or physical and may continue throughout an adult’s life unabated. (Pedersen) Though the effects of parental contr ol on adolescent behaviour are well documented but the immediate outcomes have been historically overlooked. Parents exerting themselves on children encourage the growth of individuals who are seeking chances to overthrow the established regime of parental control. The results are often disastrous such as school shootouts such as the Columbine massacre. Moreover, teenagers may resort to joining gangs or resort to drug use in order to exert their independence. It remains notable here that all forms of parental control result in deviant social behaviour. Therefore it can be hypothesised that excessive parental control during adolescence can lead to an increase in deviant behaviour in society. This text attempts to analyse such a relationship through secondary research. Literature Review Numerous studies have been conducted in order to clarify the connection between parental exertion and resulting adolescent behaviour. Various perspectives and aspects have been covered through these st udies. This text was prepared by reviewing a few instrumental studies and their results which are discussed below. The distinction between physiological control and behavioural control for human beings has long been established firmly. (Baumrind) Baumrind’s study was conducted over a fourteen weeks period where he observed three different groups of children. The behaviour of each group was markedly different. One group was composed of energetic and friendly children while another group was composed of conflicted children who were irritable. The last group was composed of impulsive and aggressive children. The parents of these children were interviewed to discern the distinct patterns of parenting. There is an overwhelming tendency to combine these two aspects of human control and to study their effects together. Such an approach is hardly considered feasible as it tends to coalesce related aspects so that they are not distinctly recognisable anymore. For example the psycholog ical effects of beatings on a child who is being cajoled psychologically as well cannot be distinctly related. The typological approach developed by Baumrind is highly helpful in this regard as it delineates categorical distinctions to psychologically and behaviourally controlling parents. For example, authoritative parents are represented as being warm and accepting. Such parents tend to establish strict behavioural guidelines but promote psychological

Uni 220 Syllabus Essay Example for Free

Uni 220 Syllabus Essay UNI220: Academic Refresher is a one-credit hour course designed to assist students in creating strategies for success in their academic lives. The unique course employs dynamic in-class activities, collaborative learning, supplemental instruction (SI), and journal writing which requires consistent re? ection and participation. The course is taught from an â€Å"organic perspective,† which is student/content centered. Students are the most important contributors to the educational environment. To enable the students and the instructor to have frequent and meaningful interaction with each other and with the group, class size is limited to 20 students per section. You will receive a letter grade for UNI 220, but no +/- will be granted JAMES LEWIS: E-mail: James. Lewis. [emailprotected] edu O? ce: UASB 127A O? ce Hours: Blackboard REQUIRED MATERIAL: †¢ eBook: †¢ Downing, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. 6th Ed. Boston: Houghton Mi? in Company, 2011. †¢ IMPORTANT: The textbook required for this class is o? ered as a rentable eBook from www.CengageBrain. com. The On Course eBook includes features like highlighting, note taking, searching, printing, and mobile access. To purchase or rent the book: †¢ A. Copy and paste the following URL in your web browser: http://www. cengagebrain. com/shop/isbn/9781439082171 †¢ B. Make sure you are purchasing the eBook On Course (6th ed. ) written by Skip Downing. †¢ C. Add the digital eBook to your shopping cart and follow the purchase instructions. †¢ D. If you have any questions related to the eBook go to the Cengage support page: http://www. cengagebrain.com/shop/ Support. html †¢ A planner or personal calendar in paper form †¢ An ASU e-mail account and reliable internet access †¢ A 3-ring binder (1-1-1/2†) for all your course materials COURSE OBJECTIVES: Through their participation in this course, students will: †¢ Explore personal and academic strengths and barriers that impact success †¢ Identify and utilize university resources available to support success at ASU. †¢ Acquire and enhance academic skills necessary for success in the university. †¢ Discover ways to stay on course to meet academic goals. TOPICS COVERED: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Responsibility and choice/self-management Self-assessment Academic success strategies Mindset connections Procrastination Diagnosing barriers Creating networks Identifying patterns Embracing change UNI 220 Academic Refresher UNI 220: Academic Refresher ATTENDANCE: Because much of the learning in UNI 220 takes place via classroom activities and group interaction, attendance is taken at the beginning of every class and is an integral part of your UNI 220 grade. If you are not on time to class, you may be marked absent. Consistent with University standards, more than two absences may result in an ‘E’ (failing the course) on your transcript. At some point, if you choose to discontinue the course, you must drop the course o? cially. The instructor will not drop you. If your name appears on the roster at the end of the semester, but you have stopped coming to class, you will receive a grade that re? ects all missed work. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: †¢ Participate throughout every class meeting. †¢ Discussion is not only encouraged but necessary to facilitate a ful? lling classroom experience. Your active participation in classroom discussions is an integral part of your ? nal grade. Because engagement with campus resources is also a critical part of academics, students are able to earn up to half of their participation points (50 points) for completing one or more of the following: †¢ Attend the PASS program (10 points, freshmen only). †¢ Utilize a campus resource, provide proof of attendance, and complete the â€Å"Campus Resource Usage Form† found on the Blackboard. Examples of appropriate campus resources would be the Writing Center, tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI), the Financial Aid o? ce, the Career Services o? ce, etc. If you have questions about resources, please contact your instructor (10 points each). †¢ Attend meetings with the Success Team Leaders available through the Student Success Center. For more information about Success Team Leaders and/or to make an appointment, call (480) 965-9072 (5 points each). †¢ Turn in all out of class assignments at the beginning of class. †¢ No late assignments will be accepted; no exceptions. Plan ahead for last-minute emergencies, including printer and computer issues. Please note: all journal entries must be present in your ?nal portfolio in order for you to pass this course. †¢ Complete all in-class exercises in full and to the best of your ability. †¢ All activities and exercises will be graded on both e? ort and accuracy. †¢ Attend class. †¢ Notify the instructor before the class meets if you will be arriving late or leaving early, either of which may result in a deduction of points from your ? nal grade. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain any missed information, assignments and handouts from BlackBoard or from another student. †¢ Turn o? and put away all electronic devices. †¢ Unless otherwise instructed, you will not need any electronics for this course. All iPods, MP3 players, cell phones, mobile devices, and laptops should be turned o? and put away before class begins. Students who choose to use electronics during class will be asked to leave and will be marked absent for that class period. †¢ Regularly check email and Blackboard and participate fully in Facebook discussions. †¢ Please note: The syllabus and course outline are subject to change. You will need to regularly check your ASU email and/or Blackboard for updates and announcements. UNI 220: Academic Refresher. UNI 220: Academic Refresher †¢ Join the Facebook Group †¢ Students are required to join the course Facebook Group Page. †¢ It is a private group, so only members will be able to read posts and comments. †¢ Also, members of the group will not be able to see each others Facebook info, wall posts, etc. unless a â€Å"friend request† is accepted. †¢ First and foremost, this is a social space, but it’s also a great class resource. †¢ Students will often be able to answer your questions more quickly than I will, so use this group to socialize and ask general or speci? c questions relating to homework or lecture notes. †¢ Read and understand this entire syllabus. †¢ Students will be held responsible for knowing the information contained in this syllabus whether they have read it or not. FINAL LEARNING PORTFOLIO: You will keep all notes, invention work, homework, drafts, handouts, your journal, and anything else you produce for this class in a three-ring binder. This binder, along with a re? ective essay, will help demonstrate your understanding of the material, ability to apply material, and active engagement in your own learning process. Keep everything you produce throughout the semester for this course. JOURNAL GUIDELINES: †¢ All entries must be submitted on Blackboard †¢ Answer all questions/prompts thoroughly and thoughtfully. †¢ Copy the directions (the bold part) for each journal prompt. †¢ Be honest with yourself †¢ Be spontaneous and creative †¢ Most importantly, DIG DEEP and expand on your ideas †¢ Entries must be turned in on time for credit †¢ In order to pass this class, you must have all journal entries completed and printed for your portfolio on the day it is due__________. ASSIGNED WORK OUTSIDE OF CLASS: Additional work will be required outside of class. These assignments are due at the beginning of the assigned due date, no exceptions. Please plan ahead for any last minute emergencies (i. e. printer and computer issues). Late work will not be accepted, no exceptions. DISCUSSION/DEBATE GUIDELINES: Throughout the semester we will be discussing sensitive and controversial issues. Our discussions and debates will be conducted in a polite, civil, and respectful manner. While it is ? ne to disagree, do so in a respectful, polite manner. Any perceived attacks will not be tolerated. Failure to abide by these policies will result in a severe loss of points and a possible  withdrawal from the course. ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS: If you need academic accommodations or special consideration of any kind to get the most out of this class, please let me know at the beginning of the course. If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education at ASU, please call Disability Resources for Students. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is located in Matthews Center at the Tempe campus. Phone : (480) 9651234 or TDD : (480) 965-9000 E-mail : [emailprotected] edu. UNI 220: Academic Refresher UNI 220: Academic Refresher ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: You are expected to uphold the principles of academic integrity in all the work you do in this course. Students who engage in academic dishonesty (i. e. cheating, plagiarism, etc. ) will be withdrawn from the course and receive a failing grade. Plagiarism (the use of other peoples ideas or words without attribution) whether intentional or not, is immediate grounds for failure. Academic integrity is expected of every individual in the University. Students are responsible for all policies included in the college and student handbook, as well as this syllabus. See http://www. asu.edu/vpsa/studentlife/ for more information. Academic Integrity – It Matters! GRADING PROCEDURE: STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES Participation Quizzes, Homework Journal Group Project Portfolio TOTAL PERCENT PERCENT 20% 15% 20% 25% 20% 100% 90-100 80-89. 99 70-79. 99 60-69. 99 0-59. 99 = = = = = A B C D F NOTE: IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CHANGE ALL OR PART OF THIS SYLLABUS DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEMESTER. If one advances con? dently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to the live the life of which he imagines, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau UNI 220: Academic Refresher.

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies Consumers are unorganized and therefore exploited by traders in price, quality and weight. Consumer co-operatives protects the interests of consumers against artificial scarcity, over charging of prices, supply of sub standard goods and the unfair trade practices distorted by private traders. Definition: Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, defines consumer co-operative society as a society, the object of which is: The procurement, production or processing and the distribution of goods to or, the performance of other services for its members as also other consumers, The distribution among its members and customers, of the profit occurring from such procurement, production, processing and distribution are in proportion as prescribed by rules or bye-laws of the society. A consumer co-operative society is basically formed for the promotion of the interests of the consumers. Composition of consumer co-operative societies: National Co-operative Consumers Federation (1) State Co-operative Consumers Federation (28) Departmental Stores (Apna Bazaar) Wholesale / Central Stores (681) Primary Consumer Co-operative Stores (26469) University College Consumers Stores Consumers Stores of Industrial Workers Consumers Stores for Rural Population Objectives of consumer co-operatives: To educate the consumers to keep their needs within the income limit. Stabilization of market rates. To supply the goods and services regularly at reasonable costs. To protect the consumers from black marketing, increase in market rates, scarcity, cheating and adulteration. To supply proper unadulterated goods and to use proper measurement (weighing scales). To inculcate the habit of savings and economy among the consumers. To control the profit-making tendency Need and importance of consumer co-operatives: Supply of things and services as per needs- The consumer co-operative societies are formed to satisfy the needs goods and services as demanded by the consumers. There are directly contracts with producers and manufacturers of things and required goods are purchased directly from them, thereby the consumers can be supplied with the goods as demanded. Eradication of malpractices of traders- It is found that there are many malpractices in trading like black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, hoarding, etc. proper measurements are not used whereby the consumer becomes ultimate victim of all these malpractices by the traders. There is no place for all these things in co-operative consumer societies and so the consumers are attracted towards them. Necessity of time: India has adopted financial planning and there is importance for public distribution of essentialities of life. The consumer co-operative societies help the government in distributing these essentialities to rural and urban areas of our country. These societies have become very important day by day. Since these societies have been entrusted the job distribution, the consumers are saved from financial exploitation and hardship. Establishment of proper trading system: The consumer co-operative societies supply good quality of things at reasonable cost by using right measurement and pure things. Hence from the viewpoint of customers these societies are very important. Eradication of traders chain: There is long chain in between the producers and consumers. The things are sold at higher cost to consumers because the middlemen add their own profit and expenses. The consumer co-operative societies directly purchase the goods from the producers and chain of middleman can be avoided. Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar is probably the oldest and largest consumer co-operative multi-state society with a customer base of over 12 lakhs. The Rs 140-crore retail chain, that, for over 55 years remained largely middle-class, Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. It recorded a turnover of Rs 127 crore for the year 2003-04. Apna Bazar, the synonym for the basic needs, Brand name of Mumbai Kamgar Madhyavarti Grahak Sahakari Mandal Ltd Date of Incorporation 9th May 1948 Constitution Multi State Co-operative Society Sector Private Industry Retailing Registered Office 106-A, Govingi Keni Road, Naigaon, Dadar [East], Mumbai 400014 Role of Apna Bazaar: Apna bazaar plays a vital role by market intervention during the shortages of essential commodities. The distribution of these items is taken up by the Apna Bazaar at a loss to fulfill its social commitments. At times of need, Apna Bazaar has diverted its manpower and resources, even at the cost of its own commercial interest, for the public good. Objectives of Apna Bazaar: To undertake wholesale and retail distribution of consumer goods and essential commodities; and to establish department stores; To foster the growth products and new manufacturing units through market support and management advice To lower distribution costs and to introduce fair and better trading practices such as fixed prices etc; and Eradication of malpractices of traders black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, adulteration, etc. Necessity of time public distribution of essential commodities in rural and urban areas. Elimination of middlemen. Management and Organization: Apna Bazaar is headed by a management team comprising a chairman, vice chairman and Hon secretaries. The team largely provides direction to the organization and is not involved in the day-to-day affairs. The day-to-day affairs are managed by an executive team, which consists of a general manager, additional general manager and office bearers of the organization. Outlet Apna Bazaar has a customer base of over 12 lakhs. Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa.The break up of the stores is: Items Sold By Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar has the following three main categories of items: Agro products Branded products Rural products Apna Bazaar sells an immense variety of items through its various departments/retail outlets. These are described below: Furniture: All type of wooden furniture, steel furniture library furniture, hospital furniture, revolving chairs, computer furniture, mattresses, pillows, sofa cushion. Household: Steel utensils, aluminum utensils, non stock, gas stoves, locks, mixer-grinder, juice-cum-mixer grinder, hot-cases, room heater, room convector, geysers, all type of fans, electrical goods, washing machine, air-conditioners, water cooler, voltage stabilizer, generator set, crockery, flasks, plastic items, electrical bulb/tubes and tube fittings, table lamp, emergency light, cell, torch, electric wire, desert cooler, exhaust fans. Footwear: Shoes, sandals, ladies purse, belt, umbrella, school, bag, suit cases, brief cases, file box, file bag, luggage bag. Textile: Woolen suiting, tericot suiting and shirting, blanket, blazer, bed-sheets, pillow cover, dress material, all types of sarees, markein cloth, long cloth, voil, mulmul khadi etc. Handloom: Towels, dusters, curtain cloth, bed-covers, carpets, quilt, durries, jute matting, blankets, pillow covers, door-mats, PVC flooring. Ready Made Garments: Pants, shirts, undergarments, socks, sweaters, leather jackets, ladies suits, petticoats, children garments, rain coats, over-coats, mosquito mat, curtain tapes, machine oil, raxine. Stationery: All types of duplicating, typing, photocopies paper, printing paper, all types of rules registers in different sizes peon books, dak pads, pens, pencils, pen stands, eraser, markers, sign pens, gum-bottles scales, colours, art material, sealing wax, white fluid, sutle, stencil and carbon paper, all type of computer stationery, butter paper, crepe paper, glaze paper, graph paper, file covers, log books, all type of printed forms (Govt. offices), PVC sheet for binding purposes, transparency sheets, ledgers, cash books calculators, computer floppy, fax roll, typewriting ribbon, ammonia paper rolls. Watches: Watches of reputed companies like Titan. Grocery Toiletries: Pulses, spices, atta, rice, oils, tea leaves, and various other edible items, insecticides, disinfectants, phenyle, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, tissue rolls and napkins etc. Medical Surgical Equipment: All types of medicines, medical surgical equipment etc. Members Benefits: Dividend on shares at 12% to individuals, society and government. Purchase rebate on share amount 10% each year. Attractive rate of interest up to 9% on fixed deposit by the members. Facilities Offered By Apna Bazaar to Consumers: Apna Bazaar provides the following facilities to consumers: Quality products at reasonable prices. Variety of items under one roof. 24 hours drugs outlets. Self-service counters Items of high quality tested by its quality- testing laboratory. Display boards and price lists at various counters to enable the customer to make his/her choice. Home delivery, but this facility is only available for purchase from branches. Discount sales periodically on various items Location: The location for the store is selected taking in consideration the residential population in the area, the standard of living of the people, the amount of business the other shops are doing and also future development that are likely to take place in that area in future. Area covered: Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. However the density of Apna Bazaar is high in Naigoan and Chembur Space required: The minimum requirement of area for setting up Apna Bazaar is1000 sq.feet. The biggest store is at Vashi, which is spread across 27000 sq.feet. Target segments: The store was started keeping in mind the lower middle class section of the society. But gradually it has moved up the consumer ladder with the inclusion of the middle class as its target consumer. Now slowly it is drawing the upper class towards it. It now caters to almost all the segments of the society depending on the location. In order to attract the upper class to combat growing competition in the retail industry it is making changes in its product-mix. Change in product Mix: The above table indicates decline in the sales of Rice, Wheat, Pulses etc which shows the change in the food culture/consumption pattern of the consumer. It indicates that the consumers inclination towards ready-to-eat food is increasing. Taking this into consideration Apna Bazaar had made has made appropriate changes in its Product Mix. Slowly the Percentage of food grains, pulses has declined and that of FMCG products has increased. In a couple of years the percentage of poultry products in the product mix would increase whereas that of food grains pluses etc. would decline. This would further change the product -mix of Apna Bazaar. Store Layout: Layout of shop Apna Bazaar does not have any specific layout of shop. But in most of outlet the 1st division you would come out is Vegetable, Fruit, Medical product, food grains, and FMCG product. The only think that is kept under consideration that Heavy Product like 5kg. Sugar, 10kg. Wheat, 5 ltr. Oil is near cash counter for convenience of customer. In case of display they see to it that display at entrance is very colorful attractive. Hence they display cosmetics FMCG product. Besides product, which is new to the market, are also displayed to grab attention of consumer Product Display: The brands are displayed in a very attractive manner .The decision to place a Brand on a particular shall depends upon the Market share enjoyed by the company /Brand. Usually there are 5 Shelves. Out of which 2nd, 3rd 4th shelves are most important ones on which the brand with high market share or high brand equity are placed. These products are always in demand by the customers. Footfalls: In big stores, like the departmental store at Andheri, there are 2000 to 3000 footfalls in a day (on weekdays) on weekends there are around 3000 to 3500 footfalls. In small outlets there are around 100 footfalls on regular days .On weekends there are 200 to 250 footfalls. The footfalls are more especially on Sunday. The footfalls are more in evening between 6.30pm. 8.30pm .Whereas the footfalls are comparatively low during the afternoon slot of 1.30-3.30 pm. Keeping this in mind stores are closed down during this time. In this time the staff are rearrange the merchandise in the store. Sources of Income: Retailing is their core activity and a major part of their income come from the various retail outlets. They supply commodities like Dal, Pulses, Food grains, Cereals to Govt. Institutions, Hospitals for their Canteens. A 30 Days credit is given to them. They also earn income from the company racks that they display in their outlets. These racks contain the products of the particular company and the in turn pays Apna Bazaar for displaying these racks. E.g. Maggie, Colgate, Pepsodent, Vicks, Nescafe etc. They provide space to companies e.g. MEPL (Electronic goods) in order to display and sell their goods by charging rent for space provided. They have 37 Franchise outlets, which act as a source of income for Apna Bazaar as Apna Bazaar supplies 70% of goods. Provide place to banks for opening ATM center by charging rent since almost all the outlets are owned by Apna bazaar. MetLife India signed an agreement with Apna Bazaar Co-operative for selling life insurance policies. Based on the agreement, Apna Bazaar Co-operative shall become corporate agents for MetLife India and offer MetLife India products to its huge customer base. Henceforth Apna Bazaar will enable its customers to build financial freedom through MetLife India products based on need analysis. Apna Bazaar will receive a commission of 35% on Premium amount. Exports: Apna Bazaar is a 55 year old co-operative organization with US $ 37 million annual turnover through 07 departmental stores, 06 super markets 65 retail outlets. Apna bazaar used to export commodities like fish and grapes to Europe. In spite of good earnings on exports they have discontinued the exports from this year .Thus the reasons for the discontinuation were due to: The goods were seasonal in nature. In case of grapes the Jalgoan region in which grapes where cultivated was hit by drought, thereby by affecting the production of grapes. Besides the grapes were sprayed with certain chemicals which were banned in the European countries, thereby further affecting the exports. Besides exports is not Apna Bazaars core activity therefore the decision to discontinue exports was taken. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Goodwill- Apna Bazaar has built its image over the years as a value for money store, which supplies good quality goods at economical price. Number of Outlets- Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets spread all over Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region, Lanza (Bombay-Goa road), among other places in Maharashtra. All these areas are easily accessible as public transportation is available. Hence providing easy accessibility to the customers. Team work- Although there is no training imparted to the employees at the outlets, there is co-ordination and understanding between them due to which the work goes on smoothly creating a win-win situation for both, the management and the employees. Modernization- Apna Bazaar makes use of modern technology to maintain correct supplier bills and giving accurate bills to customers giving details of each purchase and most importantly showing him the savings he has made while purchasing from Apna Bazaar. They also possess total details of their sales and the percentage of sales in each category so they know where the sales are high and where they are lagging behind. Genuine Products- The products of Apna Bazaar are genuine as they purchase it directly from the companies. Lots of imitations of consumables such as honey, oil, etc. are available in many stores. People get cheated, as it is not easy to identify them. CRM- Apna Bazaar organizes a customer meet for their regular customers called MELAVDA at their anniversary to build stronger relations with their customers. On this day, the customers are offered purchase discounts which show that they have taken corrective steps towards customer satisfaction. Weaknesses Capital- Raising capital for expansion and improvement is also a constraint. Apna Bazaar is bounded by the laws of consumer co-operatives due to which they cannot raise funds from open market. There is also limit prescribed by the consumer co-operatives for number of shares issued by Apna Bazaar. This is a major drawback for Apna Bazaar. Ageing society- Apna Bazar started after World War 2 when there was need of essential commodities at lower prices. But, after liberalization many super markets and hypermarkets have opened up due to which there is explosion of choices. Moreover, people today have the money to go for convenience shopping, and hence, the purpose for opening the co-operative is defeated. Obstacles in recruitment: Apna Bazar does not have the budget to recruit skilled staff. The employees are not well educated and hence, they are not aware of the management practices. A qualified employee demands higher salary, which cannot be given by Apna Bazaar due to their constraints. Hence they cannot appoint a MBA a managerial job. No online retailing: Apna Bazar does not have information about its products online. They should have their own website as it is very important in todays world. They could even learn about customer grievances by the feedback. Price fluctuation: Price Fluctuation is a major threat to Apna Bazar. If the product is bought at a higher price is has to be sold at that price only so as not to incur losses. For example, the price of oil fluctuates a lot. So if the price for oil is Rs. 820 for a can when it is purchased, it will be sold at Rs 820 per can even if the price falls to Rs. 800 per can. In this case the oil available from other shops will be cheaper. Opportunities Brand building: Apna Bazaar can take efforts to build its brand image. For this purpose, a marketing firm can he hired. This will attract more and more people to its outlets. Also, they have upgraded their outlets. This can be the base for attracting more customers as they will soon have all air conditioned stores. Expansion: Apna Bazaar can expand its outlets to other states. At present, they have discovered interests from Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The initiation is on the anvil. Development in suburbs: People are now moving in the suburbs; infrastructure is developing due to which there is huge potential to attract more customers. Retailing boom: Retailing today is not only about selling at the shop, but also about surveying the market, offering choice and experience to consumers, competitive prices and retaining consumers as well. The establishment of supermarkets and convenience stores has been a great effort to communicate the advantages of organized retailing to customers. Threats: Malls- There are a large number of malls that offer discounts the discounts offered by them are as good as those offered by Apna Bazaar because the malls purchase in bulk and can hence afford to give heavy discounts to the customers. The customer has an explosion of choices and will prefer shopping at these big malls because of the ambience. They get the complete shopping experience at malls. Hence, malls are a major threat for Apna Bazaar. Competition from other stores in terms of- Customer Centric Approach: Most other stores take feedback from the customers in form of grievances, opinions and suggestions. They can find out customer needs and ways to satisfy them. Image: Image of a private retailer is more modern and advanced compared to that of Apna Bazaar. The display is also more attractive in other super markets and hypermarkets compared to Apna Bazaar. Future Plans: Apna Bazaar plans to open outlets in the new housing colonies coming up in the interior suburbs like Kandivli and Thane. Increasing the distribution reach is a strategy to counter competition the co-operative plans to increase its outlets from 80 at present to about 100 by next year. This would comprise department stores, super markets, franchisee outlets and medical stores, both in Maharashtra as well as rest of the country. Apart from that, it has money transfer facility under an arrangement with Western Union money transfer. On the tie-up with HPCL for having Apna Bazaar outlets at the petrol pumps, so far three HPCL pumps have Apna Bazaar outlets and the results are still being analyzed. Apna Bazaar Co-operative has embarked on a restructuring exercise and has appointed Darashaw and Company as strategic consultants. The restructuring involves exiting certain business while adding more services, to be provided under its umbrella. The restructuring plan involves exiting out of businesses like export of fish and grapes, milk processing, manufacturing bakery products like biscuits and also pickles papads and spices. Online booking for provisions through the Net and a centralized system to control inventory are also on the anvil. To begin with the co-operative plans to have a dedicated call center for customers to phone in their requirements, which would then be delivered from the nearest Apna Bazaar outlet. An online presence, on the lines of Sangam Direct-the online initiative of HLL-is under consideration. To ensure minimum inventory and maximum rotation, the co-operative is planning to centralize its supply chain management. It is talking to FMCG majors like Tata, Nestle, HLL and PG to ensure rotation without building up much inventory. While the super markets would be serviced directly by the companies, the requirements of franchisee outlets would be met by Apna Bazaar to ensure better co-ordination. Apna Bazaar operates the Akshay Labh Yojana scheme wherein the customers can deposit Rs. 10,000 at any point of time in the year and get items worth Rs. 100 per month free. They also have term deposit schemes. Apna Bazaar has also entered into an eCRM tie-up with Venture Infotek, the e-infrastructure solutions provider, whereby Venture Infotek provides the integrated end-to-end solutions, with the shared infrastructure and payment-as-you-use payment mechanism, without investment in infrastructure. The first thing on Apna Bazaars plans is to work on all 365 days like other big players. Upgrading the skills of their manpower and create vehicle parking facility are also in their agenda. They plan to have a tie-up with Citibank on co-branding. Regarding credit card, they are on the verge of signing a MoU with SBI. As visual merchandising, a new way for presenting the products will be introduced. The National Consumers Co-Operative Federation has approached Apna Bazaar and enquired about the possibility of running department stores under the brand name Apna Bazaar in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Apna Bazaar is planning to open another outlet in Goa as they have got a good response from the supermarket. Recommendations: Government interference has had a major effect on the democratic setup of Apna Bazaar. Therefore, lesser dependence on government should be opted for. Government should help stores like Apna Bazaar with credit at cheaper interest rates. Apna Bazaar should improve their capital assets by enrolling more members and also introduce more product varieties. In the coming years, the economy will be dominated by the retailing sector. Times are changing, organizations are changing. Changing according to times is inevitable. Apna Bazaar has to change its traditional viewpoints. It should adopt new techniques and accept change wholeheartedly. Bringing qualitative changes in their skill and especially mindset will help it to survive competition. Apna Bazaar can open one outlet offering all the products it sells in the 80 outlets so that people get all products offered by Apna Bazaar under one roof. Other activities: Healthy child competition for member children. Ayurvedic camp conducted by apna bazaar every year in November. Consumer bulletins are printed and distributed to consumers, which gives them information about various products stored by them.

Stomach Stapling: Surgical Treatment For Obesity Essay -- Research Med

Stomach Stapling: Surgical Treatment For Obesity In today's society there is an increasing number of obese people despite the growing concerns about leading a healthy lifestyle. There are numerous programs, diets, medications, etc. that have been developed to aid weight loss efforts and weight maintenance. One field that is being rapidly explored is methods of surgical treatment for obesity. This paper will explore these surgical methods. In doing so it is important to also discuss the definition and measurement of obesity, programs that have been established and claim to aid weight loss efforts, candidates for this type of treatment, medical research that has been conducted and the risks involved in this type of treatment for obesity. The purpose of this paper is to correctly inform the reader about the claims of surgical treatment and the risks that are actually involved. Obesity: Definition and Measurement The term obesity is quite difficult to define for the mere fact that humans are highly individualistic and vary in weight and height. Therefore, a standardized definition of obesity is not inclusive. One definition of obesity is "a clinical term for excess body weight generally applied to persons who are 20% or more above a desired weight for height" (Williams, 1992, p.221). Another way to define obesity is simply as an "excess accumulation of body fat" (Perri, Nezu and Viegener, 1992, p.23); however, this definition seems to be simplistic because it does not explicitly determine what the percentage overweight should be in order to define a person as obese. Because there is no standard body weight, overweight is often measured by body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is calculated as follows: BMI=weight(in k... ...H Consensus Statement 1991, March 25-27; 9(1):1-20. Mason, E.E., Doherty, C., Maher, J.W., Scott, D.H., Rodriguez, E.M. and Blommers, T.J. (1987). Super obesity and gastric reduction procedures. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, 16, 495-502. Perri, Michael G., Nezu, A.M., and Viegener, B.J. (1992). Improving the Long Term Management of Obesity. New York: Wiley. Wadden, T.A. and VanItallie, T.B. (1992). Treatment of the Seriously Obese Patient. New York: Guilford Press. Williams, Sue R. (1992). Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy. St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book, Inc. http://www.commpro.com/thin/obesity.html http://www.commpro.com/thin/surgery.html http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/backissues/lapband.html http://www-surgery.med.ohio-state.edu/divisions/genr/obesity.htm http://text.nlm.nih...ww/84txt.

Financial Analysis of Microsoft Corp. Essay

This report is issued in order to inform the public about Microsoft Corporation. We analyzed the profitability and liquidity of this company. In addition, we were able to provide recommendations for investments or credits in Microsoft for the best interest of the public. Profitability ratios refer to the relative measure to what an actual created profit. Through these ratios the company is allowed to see how profitable the company. In addition it can serve as an examination of the overall performance of the company’s operations and how do these compare to past performances or other companies. The ratios in which accounting measures the profitability of a company are Profit Margin, Price over Earnings, Return on Equity and Return on Assets. In terms of Profit Margin it has a high ratio, which means that our company is turning 76.3% more of each dollar that we sell. The results of this could be the increase in the quantity sold, increase in the price, and decrease in costs. Compared to Apple, whose profit margin ratio is 46.2%, Microsoft is able to be more profitable in terms of profit margin. The Price over Earnings ratio helps to determine how much does a share cost is compare to how much the company is earning and it is interpreted as how long it will take you to earn back what you invested in a company. In this case for someone who invests in Microsoft it will take them approximately 15.3 years, compare to Apple’s 13.5 years, to earn back the amount that they will invest. The Return on Equity ratio helps to measure the profitability of a company for the investor and how it manages its equity. In this case, Microsoft experiences a 10.3% of Return on Equity. Ideally, a company would like to have a higher Price over Earnings ratio; compared to Apple’s 51.5% Return o n Equity, Microsoft stands at a lower percentage which might not attract others to invest in the company. Return on Assets ratio evaluates how a company is able to produce a profit before being on debt; it reflects on the efficiency of the management. In this case Microsoft’s 5.9% was again below Apple’s 33.4% in its ratio. Cash Flows are the inflows and outflows of cash in a company, which are directly related to the revenues and expenses in Microsoft’s income statement. The Net Income that Microsoft recorded for 2012 was $16,978.00 and its Cash Flows from Operating Activities equaled to 31,626.00. In this case the company recorded higher cash flows from operating activities compared to its net income. This was a result of the company’s management on its current liabilities and its current assets. Also, the addition in depreciation and amortization, goodwill, and stock-based compensation; these accounts are not part of the cash flows yet they still make an impact on the income of the company. Liquidity being, that which represents how fast the company is able to convert its assets into cash, is denoted with various ratios. The current ratio (D) takes the current assets of a firm and divides them by the firm’s current liabilities. Currently Microsoft’s current ratio is 2.9, showing that its current assets exceeds its current liabilities. Apple Inc., which is Microsoft’s contender, has 1.6 for its current ratio indicating that it’s not as quick in converting its assets into cash. Another liquidity ratio is the quick ratio (E); this ratio is calculated by subtracting inventory from current assets and dividing that difference by the firm’s current liabilities. Microsoft’s quick ratio is 2.6, showing that the company is still doing well in converting its assets into cash even after removing its most liquid asset –inventory. Apple’s quick ratio is 1.1, which shows how much inventory constructs the company’s current assets. Microsoft has been doing very well within its liquidity measures and meets its obligations as they become due. When discussing solvency, we analyze ratios that measure the long-term liability of a business to pay off its debts. The times interest earned ratio (H) is a solvency ratio; taking earnings before interest and tax, and dividing that total by the interest expense. Microsoft’s times interest earned ratio is 87.7, showing that this firm is very successful especially before any interest or tax is deducted from its overall earnings. Apple’s times interest earned ratio could not be calculated due to the fact that their data didn’t indicate a specific interest expense to complete the equation. Another solvency ratio is the debt to equity ratio (I); taking the firms total liabilities and dividing that total by owners’ equity. Currently Microsoft’s debt to equity ratio is 0.8, showing that there is less risk among the firm’s financials. This also means that the company doesn’t rely too much on external lenders. Apple’s debt to equity ratio seems to also be within good standing because it is .5, so it doesn’t rely too much on external lenders either. Overall, both liquidity and solvency ratios represent how financially stable this company is within converting its current debt into cash as well as its long-term debt. In most cases Apple Inc. falls behind Microsoft Corp. within its short and long term debt solvency. When analyzing Microsoft’s capital structure the percentage of liabilities that construct the firm’s total assets is 42.87%. Showing that less than half of the firm’s total assets are represented by liabilities. Now the percentage of the total assets that are represented by stockholders’ equity is 57.12%. Showing that stockholder’s equity represents slightly more than half of Microsoft’s total assets. When analyzing the capital structure of Microsoft’s competitor Apple, there are distinct differences. The percentage of liabilities that construct the firm’s total assets is 36.06%. Showing that unlike Microsoft’s percentage of liabilities to assets, there are a lot fewer liabilities representing the total assets of the firm. Now the percentage of stockholders’ equity that constructs the total assets of the firm is 64.93%. Showing that more than half of the firm’s total assets are constructed out of its stockholders’ equity. Apple seems to have fewer liabilities supporting its total assets and a higher percentage of stockholders’ equity. Overall, it seems that Microsoft Corp. has a significantly different capital structure than that of its competitor Apple Inc.. IFRS refers to the International Financial Reporting Standards; it is a set of accounting standards constructed by an independent, not-for-profit organization called the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). IFRS provides regulation for the company to prepare its financial statements off of, rather than setting rules for industry-specific reporting. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is an independent, private-sector body based in London that currently develops and approves International Financial Reporting Standards. The IASB is thoroughly responsible for all technical matters of the IFRS Foundation including, the full discretion in developing and pursuing its agenda, subject to certain consultation requirements with the Trustees and the public, and exposure drafts, following the approval and issuing of Interpretations developed by the IFRS Interpretations Committee. Some of the differences between IFRS and GAAP is that IFRS is considered to be more of a principles based accounting standard whereas in contrast the U.S. GAAP is considered more of a rule based accounting standard. Under IFRS, the LIFO method for accounting for inventory costs is not allowed. Under U.S. GAAP, either LIFO or FIFO inventory can be used. The move to a single method of inventory costing could potentially enhanced similarities between countries, and removes the need for analysts to adjust LIFO inventories in their comparison analysis. The reporting for each would differ. For instance the treatment of intangible under U.S. GAAP is recognized at fair value, while under IFRS, it is only recognized if the asset will have a future economic benefit and has measured reliability. Under IFRS, if inventory is written down, the write down can be reversed in future periods if specific criteria are met. Under U.S. GAAP, once inventory has been written down, any reversal is prohibited. The potential adoption of IFRS is likely to impact not only reporting structures but also how individual transactions are captured and processed. In many cases, operating leases under GAAP could become finance leases under IFRS. Impacts could be mostly identified on taxes and balance sheet ratios. IFRS may generate running obligations sooner than under GAAP due to the â€Å"more likely than not† principle. Contracts would need to be evaluated carefully under GAAP. Based on the previous analyses of the company’s data I can say I would definitely loan money to Microsoft Corp. short-term and long-term. The liquidity of the company calculated using current ratio and quick ratio represents how fast the company is able to convert its assets into cash. Seeing that the firm showed signs of quick asset to cash turnover within both current and quick ratio, shows that they are able to pay off any loans they might incur. In contrast to Apple its contender, which had low ratios depicting negative signs of asset to cash turnover. When looking at the solvency measures, we can see the long-term viability of a business to pay off its debts. We used the times interest earned ratio and the debt to equity ratio to depict what trend this firm had with balancing debt. Microsoft seemed to show very high earnings before interest and taxes, which resulted in a high times interest earned ratio overall. This high ratio means that this firm has great ability in paying off its interest and debt; this serves to be another viable reason for Microsoft to be approved for a loan. Another solvency measure that was taken was through the debt to equity ratio, which represents the degree to which the assets of the business are financed by the debts and the shareholders’ equity of a business. This ratio showed that Microsoft’s overall business doesn’t rely too much on the external lenders of the company. It shows it can attain profit through its own activities, and therefore has overall less risk. Overall, due to the fact that Microsoft has quick asset to cash turnover, increasingly high earnings before interest and tax, and a low debt to equity ratio; Microsoft would be an ideal candidate for short and long term loans. When discussing whether an individual should buy, sell, or hold on the stock of this company, I would recommend the hold on stocks. Based on the profitability ratios, which help us calculate how a firm is performing, Microsoft, compared to its competition Apple, is behind in terms of profitability. Microsoft has a higher profit margin then Apple does; however, its price over earnings, returns on equity and returns on assets fall below its competition. This can be a discouragement for anyone who is interested in the company. Yet, even though Microsoft’s overall profitability is not as good as Apple’s profitability, there could be still a chance in which the company can provide investors with more profitable income since the company is not at risk. Thus, this could take longer then expected, that is why it is better to hold on the stocks of this company. So, I recommend this individual hold on their stocks and see how the turnout ends for the most recent advancements Microsoft has made as a company, and from those figures on either decide to sell or buy more stocks.