Economic Value Added (EVA) Essays

Economic Value Added (EVA) Essays Economic Value Added (EVA) Paper Economic Value Added (EVA) Paper Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Economic Value Added (EVA) EVA is the most successful performance metric used by their corporations as per a commercial perspective. Despite its popularity attributed to successful marketing by Stern Stewart Co, by financial theory has proven it. It is also consistent with various valuation principles, which is important to investors’ analyses. Today it is one of the most sought after financial tools. It is simple to understand why. Administrators have increased the value of their companies by simply following the rules of EVA. Similarly, equity investors who have used EVA and have identified which companies are using them have gained wealth. Therefore, the decision by leading corporations such as ATT to switch to EVA as a measure of performance is justified. From the article, EVA is simply a metric used to determine a corporation’s profitability relative to its capital cost. Capital cost refers to money used in the purchase of products necessary for the operation’s success. In short, EVA refers to after-tax-profits minus the sum of annual capital costs. As it turns out, most companies are not fully aware of their capital costs and thus they end up covering their costs and adding value to a firm. Despite EVA’s popularity today, it is not the newest idea in corporate finance. The oldest idea in business is earning more revenues than the cost of capital. In 1988, John Snow, CEO of CSX Corp, introduced EVA to his company. CSX deals with freighting goods using its enormous fleet of containers and railcars. On that particular year, the metric pointed at negative $70 million in its Intermodal business. The CEO, therefore, ordered the division to get the EVA up to breakeven point by 1993 or face sale. Since then, Intermodal’s freight volumes have been up while the capital costs have declined. Other major corporations have also embraced the metric with profound success. Briggs Stratton, for instance, has achieved profitability by enforcing EVA on its five divisions. The principle has also enabled Coca-Cola to achieve improved cash flow in its operations (Tully Hadjian 38). Job order costing is a method of allocating costs of manufacturing to individual products. When the manufacturing processes are different from each other, job-order costing is applied. Because of the significant differences in the manufacture of products, the job order costing system will develop a job cost record for every commodity. That record will show the materials used, labor utilized as well as manufacturing overheads spent in each activity. This way, the cost of capital can be determined as per EVA methodology. An instance of a company that utilized this was Briggs Stratton. Before its implementation of EVA, Briggs Stratton lacked a profit centre in the consumer engine business. The company also lacked knowledge of each division’s EVA thus; it suffered high capital costs without knowledge. With implementation, each division knows its EVA regardless of the product made; whether a lawn mower or pump. That knowledge has enabled the company to save a lot of money by outsourcing production of some expensive components. For instance, the company has phased out production of the largest engines for pumps and generators to Mitsubishi. Thus, capital that was previously tied to expensive processes has now been freed up for more profitable ventures by reduction of variable costs. Cost Volume Profit analysis (CVP analysis) is a powerful tool. This is because it enables managers to understand the relationships between cost, volume and profit in their enterprise. CVP takes place by focusing on various interactions. For instance; prices of products and per unit variable cost. Other interactions are; the level of activity, total fixed costs and the mix of sold products. Use of CVP analysis is essential in making of various decisions by managers such as what products to manufacture, pricing to apply and which strategies to implement in marketing. CVP concepts play a critical role in EVA. CVP concepts such as change in variable, fixed and sales costs enable managers to determine costs of capital. Since the application of EVA by CSX Corp, its Intermodal division has been able to track such costs efficiently. The number of containers and trailers used has dropped from 18,000 to 14,000. However, its freight volume has since increased by 25%. Initially, they used to delay at terminals. With EVA, managers at CSX were able to identify them as idle capital. They, therefore, developed means to take the containers to the rails in five days. CSX has also been able to reduce its fleet of locomotives from 150 to 100, representing a $70 million decrease in capital costs. By ensuring higher load capacities in its routes, train use reduced. Segment reporting is the provision of separate accounts of a public corporation’s different divisions. Its purpose is to provide shareholders proper knowledge of the company’s performance in each segment it carries out business. Managers use it to determine profitability and incomes for each division. This is very useful in EVA metrics. Initially, ATT Corporation only provided balance sheets for its six largest divisions. Most of the smaller business segments such as the toll-free number services were lumped together as a group. Therefore, managers were oblivious of which segment benefited ATT and which made losses. On adoption of EVA, however, matters have taken a turn. Robert Allen, CEO of ATT encouraged managers to sub-divide their profit centers into several semi-independent entities. As a result, the balance sheet contains all capital costs. Smaller divisions are now required to beat capital costs and contribute to the company’s earnings. Activity based costing (ABC) is useful in implementation of EVA. It enables managers to assign overhead costs in manufacture based on machine hours and returns on investment. The Coca-Cola Company has implemented EVA very successfully by carrying out activity based costing. The company consists of several divisions. However, its most profitable is the soft-drinks business. Under the leadership of Robert Goizueta, the company has focused manufacturing on soft drinks and is slowly moving away from instant tea and other businesses. This is because soft drinks earn 24.9% on capital while the other segments average around 7% returns on investment. With this, the company has averaged a 27% increase in EVA over 5 years EVA has also influenced capital budgeting decisions. Divisional spending is now under control. Useful investments are now been made. An instance of such impact is the Quaker corporation, which manufactures breakfast cereals and other snacks. Previously, the company operated slowly, only to accelerate beyond capacity as the end of a quarter approached. This filled 15 warehouses with finished goods. This practice is to aid the managers trying to load retailers with goods, therefore, improving quarterly results (and their bonuses). Such practices increased costs of operation in several ways. First, more warehouses had to be occupied, and laborers had to work overtime. However, EVA has brought such practices to light. Warehouses reduced to ten and inventories to $6 million. From the above, it is clear that EVA is an important tool in performance and wealth metrics in corporations. For instance, it has enabled identification of non-performing divisions. Therefore, improving profitability of various corporations has improved. In that way, it has also improved transparency in operations of public companies via segment reporting. EVA has influenced decision making in corporations. Investment centers now use differential analysis in the evaluation of business opportunities in order to come up with a solution holding the least capital cost. Tully, Shawn Hadjian, Ani. ‘The Real Key to Creating Wealth.’ Fortune. 20th September 1993: Page 38. Print.

The Complete ACT Instructions Expert Guide and Tips

The Complete ACT Instructions Expert Guide and Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What exactly are the instructions on the ACT? Do they really matter? We will go over the complete ACT directions, including the main directions and the specific directions for each section. We’ll show how they reveal tips for how to do well on the test. You may be surprised by how many hints there are in the ACT directions! Furthermore, knowing these directions before test day can save you time and stress – so you can just focus on the questions! So read on to be as prepared as possible for the ACT. Overall ACT Directions These are directions that appear on the front of your test booklet and apply to the entire test. Read the complete directions below, and then we’ll discuss the most important points. Directions and sample questions via ACT's Preparing for the ACT Guide. We'll break down our observations into categories for the main directions since they're pretty long! Calculators You can only use a calculator on the math section. While you likely won’t be tempted to pull out your calculator for English or Reading, some students get confused since the Science section also contains numbers, graphs and charts. However, you cannot use your calculator on the Science section. If you pull out your calculator for a non-calculator section, you can be disqualified and your scores invalidated. Make sure to only have the calculator out for math! Notice that the ACT lists this rule before the even more basic ones about how to fill in answers, meaning they’re very serious about it. Marking Answers The mechanism for marking your answers is pretty basic if you’re taken standardized tests before: â€Å"Decide which answer is best, locate on the answer document the number that matches the question you’re on, fill in the oval completely.† This seems basic, but you need to be careful to check your answers every few questions to make sure you didn’t start filling out the bubbles off by one. How awful would it be if you found most of the right answers but bubbled in your test incorrectly? Also, make sure to â€Å"Use soft lead and make your marks heavy and black.† That means no ink or mechanical pencil. Make sure you bring enough sharpened pencils with you so you don’t have to get up and sharpen your pencil during the test. We suggest bringing at least four, one for each section, plus one for the essay if you’re taking the ACT Plus Writing. One other caution the directions bring up: â€Å"Mark only one answer for each question†¦erase completely if you change your mind.† Basically, you want to make sure your answer key is as clear as possible. You might leave time in the last few minutes of the test to double check your answer key to make sure all answers are filled in and neatly marked. Finally, only responses marked on your answer document are scored. Your booklet is not scored in any way. If you’re marking your answers in the booklet and then transferring a few answers at a time to the answer sheet, be very careful to make sure you don’t run out of time. Remember, you can only get credit for an answer bubbled onto the answer sheet. Guessing You might think that the ACT doesn’t care one way or the other how well you do on the test. Think again. Notice that they say in all caps, bold, and italic that â€Å"IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO ANSWER EVERY QUESTION EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO GUESS† ! They’re right, of course – since there is no point deduction for wrong answers, you can pick up a few extra points by filling in all the bubbles on each section, even if you’ve run out of time and you have to guess. You can read more about smart guessing strategies over here. But as we learn in the next section, you can only guess or fill in random bubbles while a particular section is being tested – you can’t, for example, fill in random bubbles for Math questions when you’ve moved on to Reading. Only Work on the Section at Hand You can work on a section only after the proctor has told you do so. You cannot go ahead to a different section, and you cannot work on a previous section. You can get disqualified for doing this! When I took the ACT last June, that particular rule was repeated several times during testing, so you can bet it’s important. The reason for the rule is that they want to make sure students only use the allotted time to work on each section. This also means you have to lay down your pencil exactly when time is called. You can’t continue to fill in or erase bubbles. Be extra careful when you are in the last five minutes of the test! It’s not worth the risk of having your whole test thrown out just to bubble in one more question. Not all proctors are going to be super strict on this (they might give you a grace period of a few seconds after they call time), but some are – and you don’t want to risk your entire test being cancelled because you’re trying to sneak in a last answer. Also, do not, do not, do not bubble in more answers for a section after you’ve moved on to a new section! Proctors walk around and mark down the last answer you’ve filled in right after a section, so they’ll notice if more bubbles get filled in later in the test. Again, it's not worth getting your test thrown out. ACT English Instructions Here are the complete directions for the English section, followed by the some important points: The directions say â€Å"The test is broken into five passages, each with 15 questions.† This comes out to 75 questions, meaning you have just 36 seconds per question! You’ll have to keep your pacing up during this section to answer all the questions. (This is why we highly recommend you make carefully-timed practice tests an integral part of your ACT practice, by the way!) As to the format, the directions say â€Å"Certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered, the questions each present alternatives for the underlined portions.† The English test is designed to help you move quickly between the question and the part of the passage it’s asking about. Still, you should do practice sections to get used to this format. Check out some example questions below. The test is designed so it's easy to see the part of the passage each question is asking about. The directions also tell you what kind of answers you should be looking for. â€Å"You are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole.† So if you get stuck on an English question, choose the answer that seems the clearest to you. (Of course, you should read more about the grammar rules you need to know for English so you're not caught unprepared!) Also, for many questions, the wording in the passage is already correct. â€Å"If you think the original version is best, choose 'No Change.'"This can be more often than you think! Don’t be afraid to choose this answer. Some questions are about a paragraph or the passage as a whole, which is why it’s important to at least skim the whole passage. However, we disagree with this part of the directions: â€Å"Read each passage through once before you answer the questions that accompany it.† You don’t actually have to do this. It’s possible to attack the questions immediately and skim the passage for bigger-picture questions. Try a few practice sections using both methods and use the method that works best for you. Finally, keep in mind that â€Å"For many of the questions, you have to read several sentences beyond to answer it.† This is important to remember. Even if you attack the questions immediately, don’t just read the single sentence. Make sure you have enough context to answer with confidence. Remember, you’re looking for the answer choice that makes the passage as a whole as clear as possible! ACT Math Instructions Read the directions below, and we’ll go over the important points: These are the basics of the math section: â€Å"Solve each problem, choose the correct answer, and then fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document.† Again, this seems obvious, but it’s helpful to think of the math section in terms of solving problems. You’re not just finding the right answer, like on the English questions. Math is a bit more involved. The directions offer some very important advice on this, especially given that you’re solving 60 problems in 60 minutes: â€Å"Do not linger over problems that take too much time. Solve as many as you can; then return to the others in the time you have left for this test.† This is a very important strategy. You have approximately one minute per question on math. If you waste five minutes on one question, you lose the opportunity to work on four other questions. We recommend wearing a watch during the test so you can keep an eye on how long you’re taking on each question. Remember from the overall directions that Math is the only section you can use a calculator on. The directions have some good advice about how to use the calculator, as well: â€Å"You may use your calculator for any problems you choose, but some of the problems may best be done without using a calculator.† This is good advice. If you become over-reliant on your calculator you can waste a lot of time on the test or even make silly mistakes if you enter in a number incorrectly. Again, this is why practice is so important. Practice taking math sections with a calculator, and figure out where using a calculator saves you time – and where you tend to waste time. (Learn about the best calculator for the ACT.) Finally, the ACT lays out some ground rules about how the math problems are presented: â€Å"Unless otherwise stated, all of the following should be assumed. Illustrative figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Geometric figures lie in a plane. The word line indicates a straight line. The word average indicates arithmetic mean.† So what does all this mean? The first rule, â€Å"figures are not drawn to scale† means you can’t solve problems just by looking at the picture and estimating. Many pictures are actually deliberately not drawn to scale to prevent you from taking a shortcut. Remember: you can’t solve any problems by using your fingers to estimate length or an angle. You have to do the math to solve the problems! "Geometric figures lie in a plane"means you can assume that geometric figures are on a flat surface. â€Å"The word line indicates a straight line† is straightforward, and basically allows the test makers to save space when writing directions. â€Å"Arithmetic mean† is the more precise word for average. It just means the sum of all numbers in a set divided by how many numbers there are. The ACT probably specifies "average means arithmetic mean" just to save space when writing questions. ACT Reading Instructions Check out the complete directions below for ACT Reading: Notice the directions say, â€Å"There are several passages in this test.† Actually, there are exactly four! One each of Literature, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Science. Read more about ACT Reading passage types over here. Also, while the directions say â€Å"Each passage is accompanied by several questions,† there are precisely 10 per passage. In other words, every passage is exactly one-fourth of the Reading test. You can use this info to help budget your 35 minutes! ACT says to approach the reading section like this: â€Å"After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.† Our advice: You can actually decide if you want to read the questions or the passage first. For some people questions first is easier, others prefer to read the passage first. The best way to tell is to do a few practice sections, trying each method. Stick with the one that feels best to you. Also check out our article about different ways to read the passage for more advice on this. ACT Science Instructions The Science section’s directions are quite similar to reading. Check them out and read our advice below. Again, while the directions vaguely note that â€Å"There are several passages in this test,† actually there are seven! Again, use this to budget your time – you have approximately five minutes for each passage. Just like on the Reading section, the ACT advises you to read the passage first: â€Å"After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.† Again, you don’t have to read the passage first, you can jump straight to the questions – try it both ways and stick with the strategy that works best for you. (When I took the ACT last June, I found it was much more effective for me to read the questions first on Science and then turn to the section, even though my strategy on Reading was the opposite. Practice, practice, practice so you can develop the best possible strategies for you!) Finally, remember that â€Å"You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.† As we covered above, keep your calculator put away for every section except math! ACT Writing Instructions If you sign up for the ACT Plus Writing, after you complete all of the multiple choice sections you have to write an essay – in just 40 minutes. While you should prepare for the ACT by taking full practice tests so you can build up the stamina you need, you should also familiarize yourself with the essay directions so you waste no time on test day and get straight to your essay. That 40 minutes goes by fast. Check out the complete directions below. The basics are as follows: â€Å"You will have forty (40) minutes to read the prompt, plan your response, and write an essay in English.† Only essays in English will be graded, even if it’s not your first language. Also make sure you use that time wisely. It goes by fast. Practicing the essay is important so you can get quick at planning, drafting, and editing an essay within such a short period. (Read more about the essay over here. The directions say that â€Å"Before you begin working, read all material in this test booklet carefully to understand exactly what you’re being asked to do.†This is important! A big part of doing well on the ACT essay is responding specifically to the prompt and not getting off-topic. Taking an extra minute to fully digest the prompt is a better use of your time than an extra minute to scrawl down any idea that pops into your head. The directions also provide a good summary of how your essay will be graded: "Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue, state and develop your own perspective on the issue, explain and support your ideas with logical reasoning and detailed examples, clearly and logically organize your ideas in an essay, effectively communicate your ideas in standard written English." Translation? Take a stance on the position while acknowledging the other side, stay focused throughout your essay on your stance, use logical arguments and good examples to support your stance, use logical organization, and use clear language. In terms of the logistics, remember this: â€Å"You may use the unlined pages in this test booklet to plan your essay. These pages will not be scored.† Be careful not to spend too much time writing your essay outline – you will only be graded based on what makes it to the lined paper. Also, you might not need all the pages, but don’t skip lines when writing the essay! Even if you think writing every other line makes your essay look neater, this could cause you to run out of room. You can write corrections or additions neatly between the lines of the essay, but do not write in the margins. (These directions actually aren't stated, but they were on the previous year's ACT instructions and we think it makes sense to follow them!) Finally, keep in mind that illegible essays can’t be scored – remember the essay is graded by actual humans! So slow down if you notice your handwriting getting messy. That said, if your handwriting is messy but still readable, your score won’t be affected. This isn’t a penmanship test. So write as fast as you can while keeping your writing decently legible. Longer essays tend to be scored higher than short ones, so don’t sacrifice length for neat handwriting. If you finish early, you can review your essay. Put your pencil down as soon as time is called! Bottom Line The ACT reveals some test-taking strategy in the instructions – some helpful, some not so much. But remember the best way to develop a smart ACT strategy is to take complete practice tests. The more you practice before test day, the better prepared you'll be! Also, make sure you know these rules by heart on test day. You’ll save time if you don’t have to worry about the rules and can just dive into the questions. What’s Next? Looking for ACT practice tests? We’ve got ‘em! What else should you know about the ACT? Get a guide to ACT timing and ACT scoring. How can you prepare for the ACT? Start with our guide to ACT Science, a complete guide to grammar rules for English, and learn how to stop running out of time on Reading and Math. What’s a good ACT score? An amazing one? Find out here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Climate Change Effects on Operations of Saint Lucie Reactor Case Study

Climate Change Effects on Operations of Saint Lucie Reactor - Case Study Example From this paper it is clear that the recent accidents at Chernobyl, Three mile islands and Japan have opened the eyes of the global public and currently many studies are going on to assess the climate change effects on operations of nuclear reactors. â€Å"The threat of global climate change has pushed governments around the world to consider alternative energy sources, including nuclear energy. As the interest in nuclear power increases, serious discussions on safety must resume before moving forward†. St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power station located on St. Lucie County in Florida. It is a twin unit commissioned in 1976 and operating with pressurized water reactors. This nuclear power plant is located near the ocean and has two nuclear reactors. The current nuclear reactor accidents caused in Japan due to tsunami attack have raised many concerns about the effects of climate changes on Nuclear power plants such as St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant. This paper analy ses the possible climate change effects on St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant. From the above statistics, it is evident that St. Lucie nuclear power station consists of two pressurized water reactors each having electrical output of 839MWe. Pressurized water reactors are normally comes under the light water reactor (LWR) category. In all forms of pressurized water reactors, water is used as coolant which is pumped at a high pressure to the reactor’s core in order to convert it into heated water using the heat energy liberated by the fission reaction or chain reaction. It should be noted that the high pressure helps water prevents the water from becoming steam at this juncture.  

Communication skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication skills - Research Paper Example The media like television and newspaper has the ability to reach the public in a strong way and communication is the foundation to it. Good communicators are not born but they are made with the help of proper training and knowledge. It is not just easy to thrive in today’s a competitive and demanding world and communication is one factor which is under our control. If one can be best at its communication skill, then he can make things work at his will and favor. The importance of communication in this business world is so great that the success of a company and employee solely depend on it. To become a successful employee in any field, apt communication skill is of utmost importance. Good communication skill is immensely important to work jointly with employees of an organization. To be a good communicator one need to also be a good listener. In his books (Guffey,23)â€Å"Communication does not take place unless the sender encode meaningful message that can be decoded and und erstood by the receivers†. The Importance of Communication Skills The importance of communication skill is highest when it comes to any sphere of human life. When it comes to career, communication stands as a key factor in employee’s job placement, career advancement, performance and organizational success. In hiring a candidate, communication skill is considered as the most needed competency. ... It is very important for people to understand the skills and techniques required to communicate effectively to each other. According to (Wilhelm)â€Å"Communication has two parts. The first is the communicator and how effectively she can convey her message to the listener. The second is how well the listener of the communication receives the message. If there is misunderstanding, misinterpretation or confusion – then the communication is not successful†. The success can be achieved by the communicator only if he is well versed with communication skills and techniques. Communication skill is completely beneficial as it creates effective flow of thoughts and information from one party to another as well as minimizes the chances of confusion and misunderstanding. If a person lack in communication skill, then he cannot promote himself and also the organization he is working for. In communication there is exchange of information, thoughts and ideas with the help of dialogues and conversation. It is always a two way process which included gesticulation and vocalization. The importance and value of communication skill never can be disregarded. In all walks of life, good communication skill is extremely important. A poor communication skill can have a negative effect on both the professional and personal life of a person. A good communication skill is very essential in fields like medicine, teaching and media where in the main focus is on the understanding of patients, students and the mass population respectively. Even for a salesperson, communication is of key importance as his profession is entirely depended on his verbal skills. In the same way verbal communication is vital,

Human Resource Is the Most Important Assest in an Organization Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Is the Most Important Assest in an Organization Essay Human resources are the set of individuals who makes up the workforce of an organization, business sector or an economy. This resource resides in the skill, knowledge and motivation of people and under the right condition it improves in age and experience which no other resources can do. It is therefore considered the most productive resources that can create the longest advantages for an organization. For an organization to sustain and grow they do not only rely on advanced technology, good marketing strategy and other factors etc. In fact, they have to rely on their employee performance, contribution and image. As in most organization, they are mainly human orientated. Thus, without their support and contribution to the business operation, the organization daily business operation will not be functioning well. Christina. P (2009) mentioned that organizational psychology holds that successful organizations do not owe their success solely to market realities and sustainable competitive advantages. Actually, there is a lot more. Successful companies are those that consider their human capital as their most important asset. Facts and figures are the quantitative elements of successful management, yet the qualitative, i.e. the cognitive aspects, are those that actually make or break an organization Here are a few factors that explain how human resource can contribute to an organization to help them meet their future goals and expectations. Firstly, having strategic human resource planning. It is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an organization to achieve its goals. Reilly (2003) define human resource planning as: ‘A process in which an organization attempts to estimate the demand for labour and evaluate the size, nature and sources of supply which will be required to meet the demand.’ Without human resource planning, an organization may not be ready and well prepared for the future challenges ahead. Secondly, by having a positive working environment. In order to allow employees to contribute to the organization it is important to create a positive environment for the employees so as to ensure the smooth running of business of an organization. For instance, encouraging employee to go for lunch break on time, taking short breaks in between during working hours if there is too much stress, minimal overtime work. Such work practice will actually motivates employees to contributes more to the organization as they are not overwork or over stress. As mentioned by David.I (2009), â€Å"work environment, employee satisfaction and employee turnover are three distinct concepts that are inseparably linked; workplace environments greatly influence employee satisfaction, which in turn directly affects employee turnover rates. Knowing how to use a positive work environment to increase employee satisfaction and reduce turnover is a key to developing a high-performance workforce.† Thirdly, continuous learning within an organization. It is important for an organization to promote and send their employees of different level to attend workshops and courses. This is to allow employees to have an opportunity to learn new skills and to continue to upgrade themselves regardless of their age. Without the right knowledge or skill in a certain organization, employees may not be able to contribute to the organization more effectively. As mentioned by Robert J.V (2006), â€Å"a learning organization embraces a culture of lifelong learning, enabling all employees to continually acquire and share knowledge. Improvements in product or service quality do not stop when proper training is provided to the employees. Employees need to have the financial, time and content resources available to increase their knowledge.â€Å" Lastly, by having attractive benefits and compensation. Pay and benefits are the most important incentives that organization can offer to employees in exchange for a more productivity and quality contribution to the organization. Employees should also be rewarded when they have accomplished a big assignment for their hard work and efforts to the organization as this attractive benefits and compensation will also help booze the employee morale. At the same time, they will feel appreciated by the organization where they may contribute more to the organization in future. If employees are not satisfied with the level of compensation or benefit, they may not be motivated to work and the level of standard for quality and productivity will definitely be low. As mentioned by Rebecca. L (2012),† when your workers feel you’re looking out for them, they’ll look out for you, too, by producing higher quality work and staying in their jobs longer. Providing good benefits packages—which might include retirement, health care or dental plans—is a tangible way to show employees that you value them and their quality of life. Sure, the rising cost of benefits has made offering an attractive package more difficult for small businesses, but there are still ways to offer competitive packages to recruit and retain the best workers while staying within your budget.† In conclusion, â€Å"Human Resource† is the most important asset of an organization as it plays an important role in every aspect .It is the backbone of an organization, without human resource the organization will not be able to function well and may not succeed in the future challenges.

Timeline of American Literature and Events Essay -- english colonies,

King James I granted the Virginia Company of London a charter to create an English settlement in North America in June 1606. Their goals were to find gold and determine a waterway which would take them to the Orient. The Virginia Company set foot on Jamestown on May 14, 1607 to form the Virginia English Colony. Approximately one third of the colonists survived the winter of the â€Å"Starving Time† in 1609, and fifteen years later in 1624, Virginia became a crown colony when the king dismissed the Virginia Company Charter due to the Algonquians attack which killed over 300 settlers. Jamestown only survived because of a last minute warning but burned down in 1698. Many colonists that survived celebrated May Day on May 1, 1628 with Thomas Morton dancing around a maypole, but the Plymouth Pilgrims were against this display of celebration, and Captain Miles Standish sent Thomas Morton back to England. Intolerance continued when Anne Hutchinson was forced to leave Boston beca use of her religious beliefs and influence to help establish Rhode Island in 1638. Five years later, Native Americans murdered Anne and her family. Quakers were the next to be forced to leave during the time between 1655 and 1656. Those that refused to leave suffered by being whipped or imprisoned, and the legislature ruled against Quaker services two years later. Parliament ordered the suspension of Quaker corporal punishment in 1661 after three years of Quakers being hanged for refusing to leave Massachusetts. English law in the colonies also severely affected slaves. Those who converted to Christianity and became legal residents of Maryland were granted freedom—until 1664. It was then that Maryland passed a law dictating servitude of life for black slave... ...rr/social%20studies/05/0101firstwi.html Quidor, J. (2011). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Web. 14 Nov. 2015. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/487273/John-Quidor Starwinar. (2010. Herman or Henry. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. http://starwinar.wordpress.com/daily-short-story/herman-or-henry/ The Virtual Union. (2011). Scrape T.V. the world on your side. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Health/Pages/Doctor-pioneering-use-of-Comas-on- demand-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html Wikipedia. (2011). Mayflower compact. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact Wikispaces. (2011). The scarlet letter. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. http://amsu-english11-8.wikispaces.com/The+Scarlet+Letter WordPress. (2007). Young Goodman Brown. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. http://garble.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/young-goodman-brown/

Gender communication

For many years, society has influenced how humans act and communicate towards one another depending on the scenario and the sex that they are specified to. Social and cultural norms can significantly influence both the expression of gender identity, and the nature of the interactions between genders.Gender culture, the set of behaviors or practices associated with masculinity and femininity (Relish p 423), pay a huge contribution on how and why males and females communicate fervently with other genders. Researchers like Susan Relish believe that the differences start from childhood with the games they are influenced to play. The stereotypes the media portray nowadays also play a factor on the difference Of males and females. It ultimately affects the communication styles by the way they process information, the â€Å"leadership† role males tend to feel, and their talk time.Since childhood, little girls are influenced to play house, with no rules, obligations, or worries about anything because the â€Å"dad† is the one who should make the money while the â€Å"mom† stays home. While on the other hand, most if not all, boys are obligated to join sports teams, be competitive, and have goals and strategies. These differences as children cause women to operate from assumptions about communication, and use rules for communication that differ significantly from those endorsed by most men (Relish p 422).Little boys are told to â€Å"suck it up† if they get hurt during a game while the girls are tended to as quickly as possible which can explain why many men don't show as much emotion when they communicate. Aries' research shows that men aren't as open as women are with others: Men are more likely than women to emerge as leaders, to be directive and hierarchical, to dominate in groups by talking more and interrupting more and to be oriented toward solving problems. In contrast, women are found to be more expressive, supportive, facilitative, egalitarian and cooperative than men.In the movie, John Tucker Must Die, the star athlete portrays the typical stereotype male in which they have â€Å"locker room talk†. His friends make fun of him because he is â€Å"whipped† but he turns it around by saying that he only does It so that he can get laid. Reason he does that is because he doesn't ant to show weakness with other men and wants them to know that he is the hierarchy in the relationship. On the other hand, girls are more open and talk with each other for advice using every detail they can. Women are more expressive with each other rather than men who are better at keeping everything bottled in.According to Lewis and Miller, women communicate emotionally through facial expressions. When females communicate, they tend to use mostly their eyebrows to get their message across. The like to look at the person they are talking to, to make sure that they are listen inning and paying attention to them. Women at ofte n times do not care of the leadership role as long as they are listened to. At the University of Texas at San Antonio, a survey was within the students of the campus between the ages of 1 8 to 25 to see how they communicate differently depending on the people they are with.The table below shows the findings: Fig. 1 DUST communication difference between ages 18 to 25 Upon doing the survey, it is found that men tend to change the way they communicate with others because of social stereotypes while females do not change as much. After some more research, males communicate different tit other males and like to show aggressiveness and hierarchy to not show weakness even though it is not always the case unlike women who communicate almost the same with everyone as long as they get their point across to the other person. Attitude is a strategy both female and males do but differently.Carpi's research shows that men interrupt when they want to get their point across to show authority while Women tend to nod their head, wait and listen. When males communicate with each other, they tend to debate and disagree with each other and with not much eye contact while on the other hand , females re inclined to show support as their â€Å"motherly instincts† come out. When males and females get in a heated discussion, males are most likely to just storm off without wanting to talk about it to avoid having long talks and get aggressive rapidly while the females show much emotion and want to talk everything out.Rather than just talk everything out, men would much rather prefer doing some activities instead (Wright p 49). Fig 2. Females Fig. 3 Males The data below are the Wrights finding between males and females of ages 20 to 24. It is safe to with the data that women prefer to talk with friends than o activities while men want to beat around the bush and just take their mind of it. Women like to take their time talking about their issues and men just keep simple. Pond all this research, sex is the root source of differences of how males and females relate and communicate to others. Whether it is to show hierarchy or express their feelings, it is safe to say that both genders ultimately communicate different based on social norms and to get their point across.

Assignment: Petition Letter

March 15th, 2013 Dr. the Honourable Peter Phillips Minister of Finance and Planning The Ministry of Finance and Planning 30 National Heroes Circle Kingston 4 Jamaica Re: Appeal letter for intervention in the financial regulations Dear Sir: This is with reference to the new regulatory regime for financial institutions. The Laguna Group is a small collection of financial establishments that are not regulated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) and have been self-regulated for the past sixty years.However, with the implementation of the new financial regulations, it is of strong belief that this will greatly impair the operations of the group. It is with this effect that we are calling upon your high esteem to intervene in this urgent matter. The Laguna Group has been vigorous investors in the country’s financial sector and the collective strength of the industry. As a result, the group currently controls fifteen (15%) and eighteen (18%) percent of the country’s total deposits an d personal loans respectively.The unwillingness of the BOJ to enter into negotiations threatens the stability of the funds controlled by Laguna. Minister, this is of grave urgency, the members of the group are willing to meet with you and BOJ to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement to best serve the group’s existing one million working class clientele. The Laguna Group will seek to strengthen relationships with the government and the central bank; as such your collaboration would be vital in creating specific regulations that would serve the best interest of the group, the central bank, the government and the people of Jamaica.Again, with regards to the aforementioned, we are strongly beseeching your immediate intervention in the course of these regulations. The matter has already been discussed and deliberated among the group’s members; however it is your diplomacy that will yield absolution from this regime. We eagerly await your response. Thank you. Respectfull y, Frances Hibbert Frances Hibbert Group Corporate Executive Officer Laguna Group of Financial Institutions

Reynolds Surname Meaning and Origin

Reynolds Surname Meaning and Origin The common last name Reynolds is a patronymic surname meaning son of Reynold. The given name Reynold derives from the Germanic name Reginold composed of the elements ragin, meaning counsel, advice and wald, meaning rule. Mac Raghnaill is the Irish version of the Reynolds  surname, deriving  from the Old Norse  Rognvald  a Latin given name composed of  rogn for regal and vald, or valor. Surname Origin: English, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: REYNOLDSON, REYNOLD, MAC RAGHNAILL, MRAINELL, MRANALD, MRANDAL, MACRANNALL, MACRANALD, MACRANDELL, MACCRINDLE, MACREYNOLD, MACREYNOLDS, RANDALSON, RONALDSON, RANNALS, RANDALS, RANDLES, RANOLDS Famous People with the Surname REYNOLDS: Ryan Reynolds - Canadian actorGeneral John F. Reynolds -  Union leader during the U.S. Civil War Genealogy Resources for the Surname REYNOLDS: Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 250 common last names from the 2000 census? The Reynolds Family CircleA  non-profit organization open to any descendant of William Reynolds and Jane Milliken who were married on August 23, 1790 in Greene County, Tennessee. Reynolds Surname DNA ProjectThis FamilyTreeDNA hosted project has over 200 members with the Reynolds surname who have had their Y-DNA tested in an attempt to determine distant ancestral origins. Reynolds Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Reynolds surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or ask your own question about your Reynolds ancestors. FamilySearch - REYNOLDS GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Reynolds surname and its variations. REYNOLDS Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Reynolds surname. DistantCousin.com - REYNOLDS Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Reynolds. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

The Basics of Getting Started in Homeschooling

The Basics of Getting Started in Homeschooling When youre new to homeschooling, the logistics can seem overwhelming, but it doesnt have to be a stressful time. These homeschooling basics will help you have your homeschool up and running as stress-free as possible. 1. Make the Decision to Homeschool Making the decision to homeschool can be  difficult and is not one to be made lightly. As you are  deciding if homeschooling is right for you, consider factors such as: The time commitmentThe pros and cons of homeschooling based on your family’s needsYour spouse and child’s opinions about homeschooling There are many factors that go into deciding to homeschool and many are unique to your family’s specific needs. Talk to other homeschooling families in person or online. Consider attending a homeschool support group meeting or find out if the groups in your area offer  events for new homeschooling families. Some groups will pair families with an experienced mentor or host QA nights. 2. Understand  Homeschool Laws It is important to know and follow the homeschool laws and requirements of your state or region. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50  states, some  are more heavily regulated than others, particularly if your child is  a certain age (6 or 7 to 16 or 17  in most states) or has already been enrolled in public school. Make sure that you understand what is required of you to withdraw your child from school (if applicable) and  begin homeschooling. If your child has not been in school, make sure you know the age by which you must notify your state that you will be educating at home. 3.  Start  Strong Once you make the decision to homeschool, you’ll want to do all that you can to ensure that you start on a positive note.  If your student is transitioning from public school to homeschool, there are steps you can  take to smooth the transition. For example, you’ll want to allow time for everyone to make the adjustment. You don’t have to make every decision right away. You may find yourself in the position of wondering what to do if your child doesn’t want to homeschool. Sometimes that is simply part of the adjustment period. Other times, there are root causes that you will need to address. Be willing to learn from the mistakes of veteran homeschooling parents and to listen to your own instincts regarding your children. 4. Choose a Support Group Meeting together with other homeschoolers can be helpful, but finding a support group can sometimes be difficult. It often takes patience to find the right match for your family. Support groups can be a great source of encouragement. The leaders and members can often help with choosing curriculum, understanding whats required for record-keeping, understanding state homeschool laws, and providing opportunities and activities for your students. You can begin by searching for homeschool support groups by state or asking other homeschool families you may know. You may also find great support in online support groups. 5. Select  Curriculum Selecting your homeschool curriculum can be overwhelming. There is a dizzying array of options and it’s easy  to overspend and still not find the right curriculum for your student. You may not even need curriculum right away and can utilize free printables and your local library while you decide. Consider used curriculum or creating your own in order to save money on homeschool curriculum. 6. Learn the Basics  of Record Keeping It is very important to keep good records of your childs homeschool years. Your records can be as simple as a daily journal or as elaborate as a purchased computer program or notebook system. Your state may require that you write a homeschool progress report, keep a record of grades, or turn in a portfolio. Even if your state doesn’t require such reporting, many parents enjoy keeping portfolios, progress reports, or work samples as keepsakes of their children’s homeschooling years. 7. Learn the Basics of Scheduling Homeschoolers generally have a great deal of freedom and flexibility when it comes to  scheduling, but it sometimes takes a while to find  what works best for your family. Learning how to create a homeschool schedule doesnt have to be difficult when you break it down into manageable steps. It can be  helpful to ask other homeschooling families what a typical homeschool day looks like for them. A few tips to  consider: When your kids work best: Are they early birds or  night owls?Your spouse’s work scheduleOutside classes and commitments 8. Understand Homeschool Methods There are many methods  for homeschooling your children. Finding the right style for your family may take some trial and error. It’s  not uncommon to try a few different methods throughout your homeschooling years or to mix and match. You may find that some aspects of unschooling may work for your family or there may be some bits of the Charlotte Mason method or some unit study techniques you’d like to employ. The most important thing to remember is to be open to what works for your family rather than feeling that you have to make a lifetime commitment to a particular homeschooling method. 9. Attend a Homeschool Convention Homeschool conventions are much more than book sales. Most, particularly larger conventions, have vendor workshops and special speakers in addition to the vendor hall. The speakers can be a great source of inspiration and guidance. Homeschool conventions also provide a chance to talk to vendors who can answer your questions and help you determine which curriculum is right for your student. 10. Know What to Do If You Begin Homeschool  Mid-year Is it possible to begin homeschooling midyear? Yes! Just remember to check your state’s homeschool laws so that you know how to properly withdraw your children from school and begin homeschooling. Don’t feel that you have to jump into a homeschool curriculum right away. Utilize your library and online resources while you figure out the best homeschool curriculum choices for your student. Homeschooling is a big decision, but it doesnt have to be difficult or overwhelming to get started.

Balance Score Cards Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Balance Score Cards - Research Paper Example However, before certain innovative measures to assess performance were in vogue, there were some prevalent and commonly used performance measures. With advancement of knowledge in this area, it was evident that the prevalent measures of performance can lead to false and poor inferences due to loss of variance of the data that represent performance. With repeated use of certain quantitative measures or indicators that might measure performance, over time, they tend to fail to discriminate between bad and good performance. A change toward betterment often happens when people learn to deliver what is measured, and even when performance is sought but measured imperfectly would lead to deficient delivery (Kaplan and Norton 1996). In this assignment the four measures of the balanced score card approach in performance management and change agency will be discussed in detail. The balanced score card is a tool for the managers who desire to achieve competitive success in a future time. In the present context of complex organizational environments, this approach provides a strategy to attain goals following a complete understanding of these goals from different perspectives. In order to that this method delineates a comprehensive state of performance measures within the framework of the existing management system in line with the organizational strategy, mission, and stakes. This framework may this also provide a framework of strategic measurement, while also retains an emphasis on accomplishment of financial objectives of the firm. However, this also introduces the dimensions of measurement of performance drivers necessary to achieve the financial objectives. As indicated by Kaplan and Norton (2004), the strategy maps thus describe how an organization may create value by linking strategic objectives in explicit cause and effect relationships. They propose d four balanced score card objectives, namely, financial, customer, business process, and learning and growth. The ingenuity of this model lies in the fact that this not only formulates the strategy, it also incorporates a method to measure the achievement of the targets (Kaplan and Norton 2004). It has been stated that processes hold the central area of the balanced score card approach, since only processes can define the targets of the organization. Organizational processes are viewed in this approach to be central enablers for planning, acting, measuring, and evaluating work, and thus they provide some parameters to examine whether organizational targets are achieved or not. Financial Perspectives The balanced score card tends to replace the traditional financial only approach to business. Historically, the cost financial accounting model cannot build long-range competitive capabilities of an organization. The balanced score card approach, although synthesizes into a novel process oriented measurement system; it does not discard the traditional financial system of business. Current business is futuristic in the sense that there is a

Econmetrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Econmetrics - Essay Example For instance, when a property undergoes growth, the price of houses goes up. On the other hand, when a property undergoes decay, the price of houses goes down. Thus, these circumstances will affect the general value of houses severely. Demand for houses is a vital aspect in the model. In situations when the demand for houses exceeds the available houses in the market, the price of houses increases as people willingness to purchase also increase. As the demand for houses reduces, the price of houses also reduces since people will not have the will to purchase. Supply of houses has always surpassed its demand. For instance, when the supply of houses increases, the price of houses goes down since the property owners will need to off-load the houses in their possession. Thus, increase in supply will create or rather offer opportunities for the potential buyers in the real estate market. The regression principle in real estate refers to a high value property, in a location of low value property, being affected by the lower price of houses in the neighborhood. The real values of such houses are not always achieved. On the other hand, the progression principle refers to the increase in the general value of a low value house which is located among the houses of higher value. Thus, the low value houses are always priced relatively higher than their real prices. Therefore, the econometric model: House price= Demographic changes + Demand + Supply + Progression + Regression, is a statistical model. The dependent variable (House Price) on the left hand side is fully determined by the independent variables (Demographic changes, Demand, Supply, Progression, and Regression) on the right hand side. The independent variables are the factors that determine the value of houses in the real