Coca Colas Human Resources Essay -- GCSE Business Personnel Coursewor

I need to produce an analytical report on how a medium-sized or large business manages human resources. I should show the importance of the human resources management to the business, providing a comprehensive overview of all four of the following functions and focussing in depth on one of the functions: * Human resources planning * Recruitment and selection * Training and development * Performance management I am going to relate my human resource coursework to UK Coca Cola London-Edmonton branch and explain in depth how human resource is managed there. A Little History about Coca Cola Coca Cola was invented on 8th May 1886 by Dr John S Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia – USA. The name Coca Cola was suggested by Dr Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca Cola was first sold at the soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta. During the first year, sales of Coca Cola averaged nine drinks a day, adding up to total sales for that year of  £50. Today, products of the Coca Cola Company are consumed at the rate of more than one billion drinks per day in around 200 countries. Human Resource management is workers within a team that contributes towards the business's objectives. Human Resources Management department incorporates the Personnel department functions and develops them. The role of HRM is to enable workers to contribute to their maximum efficiency towards the objectives of the business. Human Resource management is needed for every business small or large and it is so resourceful to have a human resource department in the business which will make the employees to achieve company objectives on time well organised. Human Resource is mainly about how employees get managed in the business, main parts of human resource are recruitment and selection, performance management and finally training and development. The business should not do mistakes in recruiting and selecting a wrong new employee because that can result with reputation of company going down, company’s money and time are being wasted plus stock losses or sale level going down. For these reasons the human resource department should choose the right person who can offer the right skills to help the team of workers to meet the company objectives. When setting up the busine... ...d self-fulfilment. Payment is usually linked with motivation where it is related with performance. An extreme case is piece-work where there is no basic pay and payment is totally based on output. Home-workers in the rag trade or casual agricultural workers such as fruit-pickers are often paid in this way and also in several poor countries managers sometime delay wages time because of less outcome. More usually, basic pay is supplemented by performance-related pay in the form of a bonus or commission for excellent results. In general it has become accepted that, although a workforce that is not motivated will work, the quality and efficiency of work improves with motivation. It is therefore the role of human resources management to understand what motivates employees. Over the years numbers of management theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain the nature of motivation and suggest ways in which it may be improved. In Coca Cola factory which is in Edmonton-London pay is the main motivator and second motivator is increasing experienced worker responsibility so the worker learns new skills and the job becomes more interesting for him or her.

Working Paper

The term module means that the questionnaire can be used as part of a larger Research experience has shown that the answers to the 24 content questions are influenced by the nationality of the respondents. This is not to say that every respondent of nationality A gives one answer and everyone of a nationality B another, but one can expect systematic differences between the average answers from a sample with nationality A and a comparable sample from nationality B (in statistical terms, an analysis of variance on the answer scores shows a significant country effect).As the relationship is statistical, the samples per country should be of sufficient size. An ideal size for a homogeneous sample is 50 respondents. Sample sizes smaller than 20 should not be used, as outlying answers by single respondents will unduly affect the results. If samples are heterogeneous (composed of unequal sub-samples) these numbers apply to the sub-samples. Next to nationality, answers to the 24 content quest ions will also reflect other characteristics of the respondents, such as their gender, age, level of education, occupation, kind of work and the point in time when they answered the questions.Therefore comparisons of countries should be based on samples of respondents who re matched on all criteria other than nationality that could systematically affect the answers. The content questions attributed to a dimension were selected because in comparisons of matched samples from ten or more countries, the mean country scores on the four questions belonging to the same dimension usually vary together (if one is high, the other is high, or low if it is a reversely formulated question; if one is low, the other is low, etc. ). In statistical terms, the mean country scores are significantly correlated.The mean country scores on questions belonging to different emissions usually do not vary together (are uncorrelated). Therefore, the 24 questions form 6 clusters of 4 questions each. As mentione d above, the dimensions measured by the VS.. Are based on country- level correlations, between mean scores of country samples. For the same two questions, country-level correlations can be very different from individual-level correlations, between the answers by the individuals within the country samples (for a clear explanation see e. G. Klein, Danseuses & Hall, 1994).Individual-level correlations produce dimensions of personality; country-level correlations produce emissions of national culture. For research results about the relationship between personality and culture see Hefted & McCrae (2004). The study of national culture dimensions belongs to anthropology, the study of individual personality belongs to psychology. The first is to the second as studying forests is to studying trees. Forests cannot be described with the same dimensions as trees, nor can they be understood as bunches of trees.What should be added to the animals, organisms and climate factors, together described by the term epitome. In reverse, trees cannot be described with the same dimensions as forests. At best one can ask in what kind of forest this tree would be most likely found, and how well it would do there. A common misunderstanding about dimensions of national culture is that they are personality types. People want to score themselves on a dimension, or worse, try to score someone else. This is called stereotyping, which is not what the dimensions are for.They do not refer to individuals, but to national societies. What a person can do is find out how the values prevailing in his or her national society differ from those in another society. As an individual, a person can express how he or she feels about the values in a particular national society, but that would still be a function of his/her personality and not necessarily show his or her national culture. Because of this, the VS.. 2013 cannot be scored at the individual level. It is not a psychological test.The tendency to as k for individual scoring of the VS.. Is stronger in some national cultures than in others. Especially in very individualist cultures, the request for individual scoring is frequent: the concept of my society (a forest) is weaker that the concept of me myself (a tree). The VS.. Should only be used by researchers who subscribe to the concept of a society differing from other societies. The six dimensions on which the VS.. 2013 is based were found in research across more than 40 countries.In a research project across 20 different organizations within the same two countries, answers to the questions that made up the cross-national dimensions did not correlate in the same way (Hefted, Enquire, Omaha' & Sanders, 1990 and Hefted, Hefted & Moving, 2010: 341-368). So the cross-national dimensions do not apply to organizational (or corporate) cultures. The answers to the VS.. Questions (dealing with values and sentiments) varied less across organizations within a country than across countries .Instead, organizational cultures differed primarily on the basis of perceptions of practices, and the organizations in the study could be compared on six dimensions of perceived practices. While the study of national culture dimensions belongs to anthropology and the study of individual personality belongs to psychology, the study of organizational cultures belongs to sociology. The dimensions of perceived practices in the Hefted et al. 1990) study relate to known distinctions from organizational sociology. A similar concern prohibits the use of the VS.. Dimensions for comparing occupations (Hefted, Hefted & Moving, 2010: 368-369).In some cases, VS.. Dimension scores can be meaningfully computed and compared for the genders (female versus male) and for successive generations (grandparents country or across countries, but in this case we recommend extending the questionnaire with locally relevant items (Hefted, Garibaldi, Melville, Tenure & evokes, 2010). 4. VS.. 2013 scores are not comparable to published scores Some enthusiastic amateurs have used the VS.. With a sample of respondents from one country and tried to draw conclusions comparing the scores they found with those in Hypotheses books (1980, 1991 , 2001 , 2005, 2010).But essential to the use of the VS.. Is that comparisons should be based on matched samples of respondents: people similar on all criteria other than nationality that could systematically affect the answers. All scores in the first two Hefted books were based on carefully matched IBM subsidiary populations. A new sample, to be comparable to these, should be a attach for the original IBM populations on all relevant criteria. Such a match is virtually impossible to make, if only because the IBM studies were done around 1970 and the point in time of the survey is one of the matching characteristics.Hypotheses books since 2001 contain scores for a number of countries not in the original IBM set, based on extensions of the research outside MO M, or in a few cases on informed estimates. Extensions of the research to countries and regions not in the original set have to be based, like any VS.. Application, on matched samples across two or more countries. These should always include one or, if possible, more of the countries from the IBM set, so that the new data can be anchored to the existing framework. Anchoring' means that the scores from the extension research should be shifted by the difference of the old and new scores for the common country (or by the mean difference in the case of more common countries). The main problem of extension research is finding matched samples across new and old countries. Examples of successful extensions are described in Hefted (2001:464-465). The VS.. 2013 has been designed for research purposes. In the classroom it has poor ace validity, as it is based on the logic of national cultures which differs from the logic of individual students. Cultures are not king-size individuals: They are wholes, and their internal logic cannot be understood in the terms used for the personality dynamics of individuals. Echo-logic differs from individual logic† (Hefted, 2001 :17; the term ecological in cross-cultural studies is used for any analysis at the societal level; it does not only refer to the natural environment). To students or audiences without a professional training in anthropology or cross-cultural research the VS.. Is to the proper tool for explaining the essence of the dimensions.In this case trainers should rather develop teaching tools using the tables of differences between societies scoring high and low on each dimension, which are based on significant Hefted & Moving, 2010: Chapters 3-8). The twenty-four content questions allow index scores to be calculated on six dimensions of national value systems as components of national cultures: Power Distance (large vs†¦ Small), Individualism vs†¦ Collectivism, Masculinity vs†¦ Femininity, Uncertaint y Avoidance (strong vs†¦ Weak), Long- vs†¦ Short-Term Orientation, and Indulgence vs†¦ Restraint.All content questions are scored on five-point scales (1-2-3-4-5). Any standard statistical computer program will calculate mean scores on five-point scales, but the calculation can also be done simply by hand. For example, suppose a group of 57 respondents from Country C produces the following scores on question 04 (importance of security of employment): 10 x answer 24 x answer 2 14 x answer 3 5 x answer 4 1 x answer 5 42 20 54 valid answers totaling 125 Three of the 57 respondents gave an invalid answer: either blank (no answer) or multiple (more than one answer).Invalid answers should be excluded from the calculation (treated as missing). The mean score in our case is: 125/54 = 2. 31. Mean scores on five-point scales should preferably be presented in two decimals. More accuracy is unrealistic (survey data are imprecise measures). Power Distance Index (PDP) Power Distanc e is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. The index formula is PDP = 35(mom – mom) + 25(mom – mom) + QPS) in which mom is the mean score for question 02, etc.The index normally has a range of about 100 points between very small Power Distance and very large Power Distance countries. C(PDP) is a constant (positive or negative) that depends on the nature of the samples; it does not affect the comparison between countries. It can be chosen by the user to shift her/his PDP scores to values between O and 100. Individualism Index (DIVIDE) Individualism is the opposite of Collectivism. Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose: a person is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family only.Collectivism stands for a roofs, which continue to protect them throughout their lifetime in exc hange for unquestioning loyalty. DIVIDE = 35(mom – mol) + 35(mom – mom) + C(ICC) in which mol is the mean score for question 01, etc. The index normally has a range of about 100 points between strongly collectivist and strongly individualist countries. C(ICC) is a constant (positive or negative) that depends on the nature of the samples; it does not affect the comparison between countries. It can be chosen by the user to shift his/her DIVIDE scores to values between O and 100.Masculinity Index (MASS) Masculinity is the opposite of Femininity. Masculinity stands for a society in which social gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success; women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. Femininity stands for a society in which social gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. MASS = 35(mom – mom ) + 35(mom – mom) + corn) in which mom is the mean score for question 05, etc.The index normally has a range of about 100 points between strongly feminine and strongly masculine countries. C(MFC) is a constant (positive or negative) that depends can be chosen by the user to shift her/his MASS scores to values between O and 100. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (AJAX) Uncertainty Avoidance is defined as the extent to which the members of institutions and organizations within a society feel threatened by uncertain, unknown, ambiguous, or unstructured situations. AU' = 4001118 – mom)+ 25(mom – mom) + qua) in which mom is the mean score for question 18, etc.The index normally has a range of about 100 points between weak Uncertainty Avoidance and strong Uncertainty Avoidance countries. C(AU) is a constant (positive r negative) that depends on the nature of the samples; it does not affect the comparison between countries. It can be chosen by the user to shift his/her I-JAG scores to values between O and 100. Long Term Orientation is the opposite of Short Term Orientation. Long Term Orientation stands for a society which fosters virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular adaptation, perseverance and thrift.Short Term orientation stands for a society which fosters virtues related to the past and present, in particular respect for tradition, preservation of â€Å"face†, and fulfilling social obligations. LTO = – mom) + 25(mom – mom) + C(IS) n which mom is the mean score for question 13, etc. The index normally has a range of about 100 points between very short term oriented and very long term oriented countries. C(l's) is a constant (positive or negative) that depends on the nature of the samples; it does not affect the comparison between countries. It can be chosen by the user to shift her/his L TO scores to values between O and 100.Indulgence versus Restraint Index (IVR) Indulgence stands for a society which allows rel atively free gratification of some desires and feelings, especially those that have to do with leisure, merrymaking with rinds, spending, consumption and sex. Its opposite pole, Restraint, stands for a society which controls such gratification, and where people feel less able to enjoy their lives. The index formula is IVR = – ml 1) + – mom) + COO in which ml is the mean score for question 11, etc. The index normally has a range of about 100 points between high indulgence and high restraint.C(IR) is a constant (positive or negative) that depends on the nature of the samples; it does not affect the comparison between countries. It can be chosen by the user to shift her/his IVR scores to values between O and 100. As country-level correlations differ from individual-level correlations, answers on questions used to measure a country-level dimension do not necessarily correlate across individuals. A reliability test like Cockroach's alpha should in this case not be based on individual scores but on country mean scores. Obviously this presupposes data from a sufficient number of countries, in practice at least ten.For comparison across fewer countries the reliability of the VS.. At the country level has to be taken for granted; it can indirectly be shown through the validity of the scores in predicting dependent variables. The IBM database (Hefted, 1980) allows to compute Cockroach alphas for the first four dimensions across 40 countries (39 for AAU, 33 for PDP because of missing data). Power Distance Index (3 items): Alpha = . 842 Individualism Index (6 items): Alpha = . 770 Masculinity Index (8 items): Alpha = . 760 Uncertainty Avoidance Index (3 items) Alpha = . 15 The rule of thumb for test reliability is a value over . 700. The new items in the new version were chosen because of their similarity to items in reliable other studies, but the reliability of the new dimension scores cannot be proven a prior'. The VS.. 2013 is copyrighted, but may be fre ely used for academic research projects. Consultants who want to use the VS.. 2013 periodically should pay a license fee based on the number of copies administered per year. The same holds for use by companies in employee surveys. Information on rates is available from the copyright holder ([email  protected] L) 9. History of the VS.. 2013 The original questions from the 1966-1973 Hermes (MOM) attitude survey questionnaires used for the international comparison of work-related values were listed in Hefted (1980, Appendix 1). Appendix 4 of the same book presented the iris Values Survey Module for future cross-cultural studies. It contained 27 content questions and 6 demographic questions. This VS.. 80 was a selection from the IBM questionnaires, with a few questions added from other sources about issues missing in the IBM list and Judged by the author to be of potential importance.In the 1984 abridged paperback edition of Hefted (1980) the original IBM questions were not included, but the VS.. 80 was. A weakness of the VS.. 80 was its dependence on the more or less accidental set of questions used in the IBM surveys. The IBM survey questionnaire had not really been imposed for the purpose of reflecting international differences in value patterns. However, the IBM questions could only be replaced by other questions after these had been validated across countries; and to be validated, they had to be used in a large number of countries first.Therefore in 1981 Hefted through the newly- founded Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IIRC) issued an experimental extended version of the VS.. (VS.. 81). On the basis of an analysis of its first results, a new version was issued in 1982, the VS.. 82. This was widely used for the next twelve years. 3 of the questions were needed to compute scores on the four dimensions identified by Hefted. The other questions were included for experimental use. Some questions in the VS.. 82 were only applicable to employe d respondents.Thus the instrument could not be used for entrepreneurs, students, and respondents without a paid Job. The number of replications using the VS.. 82 in Iris's files increased, but, unfortunately, it turned out that the samples from different researchers were insufficiently matched for producing a reliable new VS†¦ This changed when Michael Hope published his Ph. D. Hess on a survey study of elites (Syllabus Seminar Alumni) from 19 countries, using among other instruments the VS.. 82 (Hope, 1990). Eighteen of these countries were part of the IBM set, but besides USA all of them were from Europe.Hope's data base was therefore extended by adding results from replications in six countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that could be considered somewhat matched with the Hope set. In the meantime, the research of Michael Harris Bond from Hong Kong, using the Chinese Value Survey (Chinese Culture Connection, 1987), had led to the identification f a fifth dimension: Lon g-Term versus Short-Term Orientation (Hefted & Bond, 1988; Hefted, 2001: Chapter 7). In the new version of the VS.. Published in 1994 (the VS.. 94), this dimension appeared for the first time together with the other four.The questionnaire was also adapted to respondents without a paid Job. Accumulated experience with the use of the VS.. 94 in the next 14 years led to the publication of an updated VS.. 08. In the meantime, many new sources of cross- cultural survey information became available. One was an unpublished Master's Thesis (Van Bug, 2006) reporting on the Internet administration of the VS.. 94 among active members of the student association EASIES in 41 countries, collecting some 2,200 valid answers, a response rate of 24%.We also looked for questions correlated with the IBM dimensions in the newly available sources, including the huge World Values Survey database freely accessible on Internet (Ingather and associates, 1998, 2004, 2007). In 2007, Michael Moving published a book integrating all available old and new databases, and we invited him to Join the VS.. Team. Moving (2007) proposed three new dimensions: Exclusion versus Universalism, Indulgence versus Restraint, and Monumentality versus Flexibility (flexibility plus nullity).From these, Exclusion versus Universalism across 41 countries was strongly correlated with Power Distance and Collectivism (both r = . 74), so we did not treat it as a new dimension. Indulgence versus Restraint was uncorrelated with any of the five dimensions in the VS.. 94 and it added new insights into national cultural differences, so we accepted it as a new and sixth dimension. Monumentality versus Flexibility was significantly correlated with Short Term Orientation (r = . 68 across 16 overlapping countries) and less strongly with Power

First World War Essay

Map of the  participants in World War I:  Allied Powers  in green,  Central Powersin orange, and neutral countries in grey In the 19th Century, the major European powers had gone to great lengths to maintain a  balance of power  throughout Europe, resulting by 1900 in a complex network of political and military alliances throughout the continent. These had started in 1815, with the  Holy Alliance  between  Prussia, Russia, and Austria. Then, in October 1873, German Chancellor  Bismarck  negotiated theLeague of the Three Emperors  (German:  Dreikaiserbund) between the monarchs of Austria–Hungary, Russia and Germany. This agreement failed because Austria–Hungary and Russia could not agree over Balkan policy, leaving Germany and Austria–Hungary in an alliance formed in 1879, called the  Dual Alliance. This was seen as a method of countering Russian influence in the  Balkans  as theOttoman Empire  continued to weaken. In 1882, this alliance was expanded to include Italy in what became the  Triple Alliance. After 1870, European conflict was averted largely through a carefully planned network of treaties between the German Empire and the remainder of Europe orchestrated by Chancellor Bismarck. He especially worked to hold Russia at Germany’s side to avoid a two-front war with France and Russia. When  Wilhelm II  ascended to the throne as  German Emperor  (Kaiser), Bismarck’s alliances were gradually de-emphasised. For example, the Kaiser refused to renew the  Reinsurance Treaty  with Russia in 1890. Two years later, the  Franco-Russian Alliance  was signed to counteract the force of the Triple Alliance. In 1904, the United Kingdom sealed an alliance with France, the  Entente cordiale  and in 1907, the United Kingdom and Russia signed the  Anglo-Russian Convention. This system of interlocking bilateral agreements formed the  Triple Entente. HMS Dreadnought. A naval  arms raceexisted between the United Kingdom and Germany. German industrial and economic power had grown greatly after  unification and the foundation of the Empire  in 1870. From the mid-1890s on, the government of Wilhelm II used this base to devote significant economic resources to building up the  Kaiserliche Marine  (Imperial German Navy), established by Admiral  Alfred von Tirpitz, in rivalry with the British  Royal Navy  for world naval supremacy. As a result, both nations strove to out-build each other in terms of  capital ships. With the launch of  HMS  Dreadnought  in 1906, the British Empire expanded on its significant advantage over its German rivals. [21]  The arms race between Britain and Germany eventually extended to the rest of Europe, with all the major powers devoting their industrial base to producing the equipment and weapons necessary for a pan-European conflict. Between 1908 and 1913, the military spending of the European powers increased by 50  percent. Austria-Hungary precipitated the  Bosnian crisis  of 1908–1909 by officially annexing the former Ottoman territory of  Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it had occupied since 1878. This angered theKingdom of Serbia  and its patron, the  Pan-Slavic  and  Orthodox  Russian Empire. Russian political manoeuvring in the region destabilised peace accords that were already fracturing in what was known as â€Å"the  Powder keg of Europe†. Ethno-linguistic map of Austria–Hungary, 1910 In 1912 and 1913, the  First Balkan War  was fought between the  Balkan League  and the fracturing Ottoman Empire. The resulting  Treaty of London  further shrank the Ottoman Empire, creating an independent  Albanian State  while enlarging the territorial holdings of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece. When Bulgaria attacked both Serbia and Greece on 16 June 1913, it lost most of Macedonia to Serbia and Greece and  Southern Dobruja  to Romania in the 33-day  Second Balkan War, further destabilising the region. Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian-Serb student, was arrested immediately after he assassinated  Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaOn 28 June 1914,  Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian-Serb student and member ofYoung Bosnia, assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne,  Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria  in  Sarajevo, Bosnia. This began a period of diplomatic maneuvering among Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, France, and Britain called the  July Crisis. Wanting to finally end Serbian interference in Bosnia, Austria-Hungary delivered the July Ultimatum to Serbia, a series of ten demands intentionally made unacceptable, intending to provoke a war with Serbia. When Serbia agreed to only eight of the ten demands, Austria-Hungary declared war on 28 July 1914. Strachan  argues, â€Å"Whether an equivocal and early response by Serbia would have made any difference to Austria-Hungary’s behavior must be doubtful. Franz Ferdinand was not the sort of personality who commanded popularity, and his demise did not cast the empire into deepest mourning†. The Russian Empire, unwilling to allow Austria–Hungary to eliminate its influence in the Balkans, and in support of its longtime Serb proteges, ordered a partial mobilization one day later. When the German Empire began to mobilise on 30 July 1914, France, angry about the German conquest of  Alsace-Lorraine  during the  Franco-Prussian War, ordered French mobilisation on 1 August. Germany declared war on Russia on the same day.

Astral Records Ltd Case Report

————————————————- ————————————————- KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY ————————————————- Financial Statement Analysis ————————————————- ————————————————- Critical Review ————————————————- ————————————————- Astral Records Ltd â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Ewelina Laguna 23200 ————————————————- Joanna Czechowicz 23155 ————————————————-Yue Jingtong 23275 ————————————————- ————————————————- April 15, 2012 ————————————————- Academic Year 2012/2013 ——————————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- I hereby certify that this paper is the result of my own work and that all sources I used have been reported. ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————– Signature ————————————————- Kozminski University 2010 1. Please assess the current financial health and recent financial performance of the company. What strengths and/or weaknesses would you highlight to Sarah Conner? The group managed to pick out a few factors to check the current financial health and recent financial performance of the company but they did not point out the total sales from income statement are increase. The thing we did not like was from the presentation point of view the group didn’t show us the good assessment of the situation like their report, and during the presentation it is so hard to catch the point of the question.The group gives us impressive numbers which we thought is from evaluating the financial situation but from the case exhibits. They didn’t mention the situation of the company (CEO been killed) they only talking about the numbers, in this point of view the group focus on numbers too much on this question. And in our opinion it will be better if they put some graph to show the trend. The trend can show us the financial health. The confuse part is they didn’t go to the point of the question directly. They didn’t give us the certain answer in the firs t part of question one.The good part is from the report; we can see the group was really focus on this question compare rest of the questions, besides the answer of first question is much better comparing the presentation. It will be good if they are not only showing the numbers but also available to explain the numbers. From the report we can see clearly about the EBITDA ratio however we cannot find anything from the presentation. Here is the copy from the report: â€Å"In operating management we used gross profit and EBITDA ratios (Table 2. ,). We use EBITDA ratio to better evaluate Astral financial condition- companies have different distribution and pricing policies which lead to different cost structure. † The ratios showed really clear in the report, and they think it is the most important ratio to see the financial health however they did not show anything during the presentation. 2. Please forecast the financial statements of the firm for 1994 and 1995. What will be t he external financing requirements of the firm in those years? Can the firm repay its loan within a reasonable period?The purpose of this question was to detect the skills of preparing financial forecast. However, during the presentation the group did not show us how to forecast but only numbers again. Audience may lose interest to follow. And it is also to catch the point during the presentation. Besides the group’s answer to this question, in the presentation and report, assume too much as they just mentioned; â€Å"Sales growth: 15%, Dividends, Fixed-assets, Interest expense , Production cost & expense and Admin & selling expense† In our point of view here is no need to assume too many unchanged numbers.And more assumption means more incorrect of the result. For example here is no need to assume stable interest expensive. During the presentation, when people asking why using the numbers they said just because of assumption. The growth rate they were using is 15% and they give no reason, however the 15% is from the expected growth rate not only from the assumption. Considering all the previous calculation is from assumptions and we must agree but if they do it more careful and using less assumption it will be much better compare the thing they have now. 3.What are the key driver assumptions of the firm’s future financial performance? * What are the managerial implications of those key drivers? * That is, what aspects of the firm’s activities should Conner especially focus on? Question 3 is not clear during the presentation however they showed everything in their report. 4. What is Astral’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC)? * What methods did you use to estimate the WACC? * What key assumptions especially influenced the WACC? Question 4 looks correct, but they didn’t show us numbers and we feel like the result is from the heaven.After checking the report we found out they use the wrong data. What they wrote in their report: ‘‘WACC was calculated using the following inputs; Using information from the comparables, Haris-Bershel and Donaldson, Inc E = Equity = average outstanding shares of the two comparables used multiplied by their average book value per share D = Debt= long-term debt E(re )= cost of equity = Gordon growth model= average comparable dividend, 10% growth, average comparable share price D(re) = cost of debt= libor + 1%† They have to tell us the number they were using whatever during the presentation or in the report.The most confusing part is cost of equity. There are 2 ways to calculate the cost of equity: And they were choosing the first way. They were using the different dividend and we even cannot find out the number they use. And they feel the number incorrect so they even divided by 2 to make the number similar as what we usually use during the lecture. In our case we got all the numbers to evaluate the cost of equity and the different ways should show the similar numbers of cost of equity. So our calculation of the cost of equity=risk-free return (6%)+beta(1. 45)*(average stock return(0. 8)-risk free return)=8. 9% And the WACC=5. 1. This part of the present is the worst and people cannot understand the point during the presentation. The report is not enough explanations. As you can see the group’s method would be not only confusing themself but provided them with the wrong answer. 5. What are the free cash flows of the packaging machine investment? Should Conner approve the investment? The Group did not answer to this question at all. It was not clear where there it actually is better to buy a machine later or not. They did not compare the two situations, just put not clear assumption.Therefore here is a proposition of alternative approach that in our opinion makes it clearer. * The discount rate used for calculation is the WACC from previous question. If you look at the totals and the differences between them it becomes quite clear that buying the machine now will result cost only 718,401 in terms of all cost for 10 years projection. At the same time the present value of all sawing to be made is higher by 280,028 if the machine is to be bought now. Evidently looking at this numbers will make you conclude that it is in fact worth to but the new equipment now.However it is important to look at general condition of the company. Keeping that in mind we must say that even thou the calculation would suggest to buy it now the company would have to finance it with a loan. It already has a lack of cash so making it even worst by investing another million is not a best idea. Especially that they can buy it any time in the future I would first deal with their shortage of cash and excess of account receivables and inventories. Then it will be a time to think about new investment in the equipment.

Leadership diary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Leadership diary - Assignment Example The children stopped playing and ran for shelter as the noisy crows flew low, away from the nest bumping into each other. As the chaos cleared up and the gardener shook the bush in order to check if all the crows had left, all but one crow stood close to the nest. The constant shaking was only able to budge him a little but he was back at the nest almost instantly. He kept on screaming as if calling out to the scattered flock of crows which had left. To my surprise, the scattered crows responded to his calling and started to come back towards the nest which held the crow’s young. They began to sit at the top of the bush and when the gardener shook the bush once again, the resilient crow flew towards the gardener with all the crows behind him as if they were all charging at him. The gardener ran for his life at this sight and refused to come back for quite a while until all the noise had died down. He did not touch the bush again even once. The crows are collectively called a flock or poetically a ‘murder’ (Word Detective). Now I know why. Today, I saw for myself that a brave leader can lead the smallest of armies against the largest of enemies and yet

Legalize marijuana for medicine purposes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legalize marijuana for medicine purposes - Essay Example When marijuana is legalized, there will be increased institutional contributions towards ensuring that the use of the drug is not abused in any manner (Mathre, 57). For instance, several policies as well as regulations would be established to ensure that the drug is safely used. It is important to note that such regulations will be necessary in defining the age limit that one may be allowed to use marijuana. The policies will also state the penalties that offenders are likely to face in case they fail to comply with the set regulations. In order to verify the age of the individual before engaging in the transactions, some documents including the national identification card may be required by the authorities concerned. This is important in determining whether the individual has attained the legal age to use marijuana. Education as well as awareness creation to the public would also follow the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Moreover, several regulations would be est ablished that define the minimum age at which one may be allowed to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Besides the above, it is critical to note that compared to other already legalized drugs, overdose of marijuana has never been associated with any documented cases of death. Overdose of marijuana does not kill as opposed to other drugs. However, it is important to note that there are several cases of deaths that have always been noted emanating from excessive use of legalized drugs.

3M COMPANY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

3M COMPANY - Coursework Example A unique accounting standard is used across the world to deliver a unique and global standard high quality accounting and reporting of financial statements. The main purpose is to convey the economic condition of an organisation in the most fair and unbiased manner. The shareholders would make use of such information to make decision whether to invest in a company or not. Evaluation of the purpose and context of International Financial Reporting Standards The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS) is an autonomous, non –profit organisation that works for the interest of the public. It is devised as a universal global language that is used for business dealings so that the accounts of a company are comprehendible and comparable across boundaries of nations and continents. The main purpose of this accounting standard is to overcome the cross country barriers in today’s time when many companies have their operations overseas and hence have to account for their businesses in different business languages (Bragg, 2010, p.172). The European Union was the first to abide by the IFRS. However, it was later adopted by the other countries across the globe considering the benefits it provided. Prior to the implementation of the IFRS, the International Accounting Standards was used which operated between the years 1973 and 2001 and was controlled by International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). The prime objectives of the IFRS include: Development of a distinct set of premium, comprehendible, imposable and internationally accepted IFRS through its regulatory and supervisory body. Promotion of such standards and ensuring that it is properly implemented. Providing with assistance to the developing countries in their financial reporting needs. Promotion and adoption of an improved IFRS through the union of IFRS and the National Accounting standards. The IFRS is used across the world by the different companies. Regulatory bodies, analy sts and accounting professionals with an aim to reduce costs for comparing financial statements that otherwise would have arisen due to use of various accounting standards. Most of the MNC’s have cross country operations and they would benefit most from this IFRS as it is a unique standard of accounting. However it had been argued by several experts that the IFRS may not provide with a fair valuation of the companies residing in different countries because the local laws of countries may vary and thus losses or profit may not be accounted for in a proper manner (Kirk, 2006. p.306). The foundation ensures accountability to the public through the pathway of keeping their work transparent and consulting with any party who is interested in this process of setting a standard. They also link to the public in a formal way. There is a monitoring board that is linked to the public for all their accounting questions. The trusties review the constitution once in every five years. The pu blic can also access their proposals through their website and provide recommendations. All their meetings are open to the public and the notes are also disclosed to the public. 3M communicates with its shareholders and sends out the detailed financial performance in the Annual General Meeting through the Publication of the annual report (Needles, 2013, p.714). The main objective of 3M is to impart an unbiased awareness among the investors of the company and encouraging them to hold on with such investments. The company is accountable to the shareholders because they are the ultimate owners of the company. There is a problem with disclosing all the information in