Business finance and legal service coursework(Write a report on the Essay

Business finance and legal service coursework(Write a report on the financial performance of a company in a particular sector) - Essay Example As a cascading effect the production activities suffered. There were reports of spare capacity which in turn resulted into massive employment cut during 2012. New exports reduced considerably. As a result the growth in the manufacturing sector or FMCG sector has fallen steeply during 2011 to 2012 (Chartered Institute Of Purchasing and Supply, 2 April, 2013). Manufacturing activities lifted a bit higher towards the end of 2012 but rate of expansion was marginal and weak. The reasons behind it were cost inflation acceleration in Eurozone and rise in average input price hitting an eight month high (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, January 2013). The downturn UK economy was suffering came to an end during December 2012 with level of production and new orders rising at a faster rates. Reportedly highest gains were made by Britain’s consumer goods producer. It has been predicted if the recoveries in the overseas market continue to build during then Britain exporters are expected to make out huge profit out of it (Chartered Institute of Purchasing And Supply, December 2012). ... The Company believes in growth through organic and international expansion. The company has grown so much in the short span due to great strategic planning. â€Å"Their ambition is to grow their group together EBIT margin by an average of 50bps per annum from2009-2013† (Britvic plc, n.d.). They follow an expansion of 2-3% every year. The company gives prime focus in closing distribution gaps in all routes to market. Britvic started acquiring independent still business since 2010.They acquired Friute business in France with leading brand such as Teissiere and Pressade. This was followed by the prime acquisition of A.G. Barr during September 2012. The company’s excellent performance during this short span demonstrates their ability to grow in business and create shareholders wealth (Britvic plc, n.d.). An Overview of Financial Performance Data and Ratios: SNAPSHOT OF FINANCIAL POSITION OF BRITVIC PLC NAME FORMULA CALCULATION 2012 2011 Net Profit Ratio (Net Profit/ Net Sal es) 0.061703822 0.061937984 Return On Capital Invested (Adjusted Net Profit/Capital Employed) 0.118501529 0.118545994 Price Earnings Ratio (Market Value Of Share/ Earning Per Share) 15.2941176 Data Insufficient Current Ratio (Current Asset/Current Liability) 1.02425876 0.984615385 Capital Gearing Ratio (Equity Share Capital/ Fixed Interest Bearing Funds) 0.327546089 0.327983252 Debt Equity Ratio or Long Term Borrowing Ratio (Total Long Term Debts/ Shareholders Fund) 8.439577039 9.055292259 (Tracy, 2012) The above table gives a snapshot of the company’s financial position during the two fiscal years. The net profit ratio didn’t suffer any change within the two fiscal years. But the revenue had

Voting Age Essay Example for Free

Voting Age Essay Democracy is an egalitarian form of government in which all the citizens of a nation together determine public policy, the laws and the actions of their state, requiring that all citizens (meeting certain qualifications) have an equal opportunity to express their opinion. And that opinion is expressed by the simple act of voting which is one of the most important human rights . In lebanon , we get introduced to that concept at a young age in school when kids get to vote for their class president for instance, then we develop a better understand of its political aspect at university. During the 19th century , the most common age at which the citizens acquired the right to vote was 21 or higher . However , by the end of the 20th century the voting age has become 18 in almost all countries with the exception of Lebanon and a few others. Some people believe that Lebanon should lower its voting age from 21 to 18 and many proposals were made regarding that , but are 18 years old here mature enough to make such decisions? Does the Lebanese history allow them to vote independently despite their parents cival war grudges? And finally are we ready to disturb our sectarian balance with the deluge of new voters? In most western countries , when you reach adulthood you become on your own . You move out of your parents house , get a job to pay for your own education and move on from there . Whereas that’s not the case in Lebanon . Rare are the people that leave home at 18 here due to many traditional beliefs youth usually stay with their parents till their married. Thus we don’t learn responsibility at this young age like adults in other countries. It might be true that giving younger people voting rights will force politicians to take them seriously but its also very dangerous 18 year olds although in adult bodies, still have the mind of children that have to be protected . At 21 , their political views are likely to be more thoughtful than at 18 who are just going to copy their parents opinions or adopt silly ideas for the sake of rebellion such as voting for legalizing drugs .. In addition , Lebanon has suffered from a 16 –year civil war. Even though it ended 22 years a go we are still enduring its consequences til this day. So arguments and rules that apply to other countries cant be applied here. The Youth campaign and the Civil one that proposed the lowering of the voting age should reconsider the fact that youth here are very much influenced by their parents who  faught in the civil war and still hold family grudges against each other. They are not independent with their political thoughts , they seek vengeance for their parents instead of making conscious decisions based on knowledge and education after the university experience . Furthermore, university elections have clearly shown over the years that Lebanese youth are not ready or mature enough for this kind of responsibility with all the clashes that has been happening between youth that follow different political parties like the fight between supporters of the Future Movement and Haraket Amal at the Lebanese American University in November 2011 that led to many injuries or even different clashes at Notre Dame University, Lebanese university and others†¦ Last but not least , the main reason why the Lebanese Parliament has rejected the bill to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 is the fact that it led to a sharp division between Muslim and Christian politicians. Lebanon has 18 different sects, that function according to a sectarian law . it seems amending the voting age would add far more Muslims than Christians to voter rolls . Rabih Haber, president of the research company Statistics Lebanon, have done an approximate study and got his numbers from the Interior Ministry . It says that with the new voters, it would add nearly 175,000 Muslims and around 58,000 Christians to the roles with Shia Muslims being the sect with the most potential new voters. To change the voting age , lawmakers must amend the constitution which requires the support of two-thirds of both the cabinet and Parliament which will not happen because different Political Parties have different benefits and this law is only beneficial for Huzballah and Amal and disturbing the sectarian balance in a country like Lebanon can’t be healthy . In Conclusion , I think the perfect age for voting in Lebanon is 21 since at that age the youth have enough maturity and independence to make their own decisions without basing it on history feuds and parental brainwashing. Plus I don’t think Lebanon can afford an instability in its sectarian system just yet . Maybe if we were more politically stable , that change would have been possible but with these conditions I think giving 18 year olds the right to vote can be very dangerous and they might use it in foolish ways . References: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=142180 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_age http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-01/152795-student-supporters-of-hariri-berri-fight-at-beirut-university.ashx#axzz1qUe64XuF http://www.euromedp.org/testimonies/lebanon/

Factors Affecting The Successful Implementation Of Balanced Scorecard Accounting Essay

Factors Affecting The Successful Implementation Of Balanced Scorecard Accounting Essay Aim- The objective of this paper is to exhibit the factors affecting the sucessful implementation of a Balance scorecard. Introduction- A brief idea about balanced scorecard,definition operation. Literature Review and and Analytical framework- Detailed Analytical review of the researchers , on the factors affecting sucessful implementation of BSC. Conclusion A summary of the above topic and recommendations . BSC INTRODUCTION Balance scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in business and industry, government, and non profit organization worldwide to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. The first balance scorecard was invented by Art Schneiderman(an independent consultant on the management of processes) in 1987 at analog devices, a mid sized semi conductor company Later on it was restructured by Robert Kaplan and David P. Norton in the use of balance scorecard in their 1992 article on balanaced scorecard.(The balance scorcard) The balance scorecard was made for the improvement in organizational performance and competitiveness. (Arthur M schneiderman) Traditional performance measures are inadequate to measure performance and guide organizations in rapidly changing, complex economic environment. Organizations need to link performance measurement to strategy, and must measure performance in ways that both encourage positive future results and replicate past performance. Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, among the proponents of these strategic concepts, give a better definition: Balanced scorecard provides managers with the instrumentation they need to navigate to future competitive success. Today, organizations are competing in complex environments so that an accurate understanding of their goals and the methods for attaining those goals is vital. Balance scorecard translates an organizations mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides the framework for a strategic measurement and management system. It retains an emphasis on achieving financial objective but also includes the performance drivers of these financial objectives, (The Balanced Score Card: Translating Strategy into Action, pp. 1-3) The introduction undertaken discusses first of all how the BSC evaluated with the course of time the need for the same. Then in the literature review a thorough discussion and viewpoint of the authors of articles are taken into consideration followed by a criticism. In the conclusion a proper summary and what the research has produced will be discussed highlighting the importance, need and factors affecting the successful implementation of BSC would be discussed. In the last eleven years, balance scorecard has play an vital role for implementing strategy and monitoring performance. Creating a strategy focused organization (the phrase coined by the founders of the Balanced Scorecard methodology) is a significant, challenging culture change for many organizations. Success in achieving this change requires: Regular executive support and involvement. Education, communication, and visibility of the strategy and measurements of its effectiveness throughout the organization. To review the stragy so that constant feedback is obtained. Tools to enable non-technical users to understand the key drivers of the measures. Translation of the strategy to operational terms so that alignment to strategy and implementation of it occur at all levels of an organization. Process of BSC We have to view the organization from four perspectives in order to relate strategy to achieve organizational goals : Financial perspective Organisations objective will be to earn higher profits by applying all the resources . Kaplan and Norton regards traditional need for financial data. Customer perspective In any business, importance on customer focus is relevant for organizational growth if the customers are not satisfied the revenues will be lowered and as a result return on investment will decrese. Internal business perspective The internal process refers to quality production , timely delivery wich will retain the existing customers and also will improve to find new customers Learning and growth perspective Here employee is trained and motivated ,and improved learning skills are provided To improve the work process, which will improve the quality of the product and alsoTimely delivery. The four perspectives is shown below in form of chart : Literature Review: Factors affecting successful implementation of Balanced Scorecard: Strategy Implementation and control: Here author has stressed the importance about formulation and implementation . Once the strategy has been devised, major problem Is to implement the BSC Scorecard. The most frequent problem include underestimating the time needed for implementation and uncontrollable factors in the external environment.( Helen Atkinson pp.1443,1444) Another author (Ulf johanson et. Al) also argued about idea of BSC implementation.The concept does not allow for an open invitation to participate in learning and development process.Trying to force the objectives on another is risky. Senior management style, is another factor author has bought to the notice . Here he argues that without proper senior management support and delegation it is difficult to properly implement balanced scorecard. Strategic control systems : Strategic control system provides the short term targets that deliver long term goals. Strategic control are required to provide a balance between long term organizational goals and short term operational demands. (Helen Atkinson pp.1446). Thus he sees that there is a need to establish co-ordinated strategic and management control objectives. Furthere more, he points that issues relating to employee and suppliers are not co-related to performance management. Translating vision into strategy,is difficult process as its time consuming focuses on much wider change in the organization.(Helen Atkinson pp.1449) Organizations that have successfully implemented the Balanced Scorecard have achieved remarkable transformations in their financial performance, in many cases vaulting to the top ranks in their industry groups. Many aspects of Balanced Scorecard development and deployment depend on effective use of technology to be successful. Numerous software packages have been developed to help automate the Balanced Scorecard, but it is very difficult to deliver the needed capabilities in a single software package. Therefore, the Microsoft Balanced Scorecard Framework has been developed to allow organizations to: Develop and deploy a scorecard economically using an existing infrastructure. Manage and display the data and knowledge pertinent to Balanced Scorecards. Facilitate analysis of measures so that prompt corrective action can take place. The framework provides a comprehensive, flexible, cost-effective way to deploy the Balanced Scorecard and deliver superior returns on people, processes, customers, and technologies. Management involvement and endorsement- Without the full personal support and endorsement of the executive team the transformation would be impossible. Communication of Balanced scorecard needs to be focused as ,it delivers top management ideas, views on strategy to lower level( Anthony A. Atkinson et al.) Floor level employees are the ones who will achieve the targets, so they should be aware of the objectives and targets provided to them.(Meena Chavan) Scorecard is prepared as one time event .In most cases, Top executive team spends much more time in designing and launching the BSC, as a result there lacks some missing measures at the time of start of project and launch time. Here BSC implementation fails which lacks in considering the review of BSC. (Anthony A. Atkinson et al.) Critical Analysis of the Literature: Referring to Helen Atkinson on strategy implementation and control it is backed up in the sense that without proper implementation of the project, objectives will not drive further. Once the vision is set clear , proper strategy should be chalked out so that Objectives will be achieved without any hindrance. As Atkinson said full involvement of top management is essential in order to achieve organizational goals with the help of balanced scorecard by adopting four perspectives. Morever, internal process plays a vital role in increasing return on investments if, it is properly backed up by employee training and growth. Employees should be provided adequate training to do the job. Many, consultants criticizes that it does not provide a final score or view with proper recommendations or suggestions. It is a simply list of metrics. For Example employees cannot view their score with respective to their objectives. Most of the organisations follows the four perspectives and doesnt allow scope for external perspectives. They should take into consideration external factors according to the needs of the situation and change. Various researchers and authors have critically bought most important issues that will affect the implementation of BSC. We should take their consideration as a review so that BSC will run smoothly in achieving organisational objective In balance between Goals and accountability- I agree with meena chavan, in the sense that all the people should take responsibility of the goals they are given. Unless they take accountability and responsibility goals will not be achieved There are certainly all elements which forms the basis for a good scorecard , however it is important to add some extra detail to the perceptions. The quick consideration of the scorecard should lead to a very specific understanding of the strategy of the organisation . Furthermore, it should not be over financial. Financials are usually,though not always,the measure of success or failure. The balanced scorecard is treated as a consultancy project. It is implemented as a consultancy project rather than management project. By treating it as a consultancy project , time is spent and also cost is increased. In addition, the senior management team will be overpassed , to whom their will be no idea about strategies, objectives of the organization. BSC viewed as short term project No organisation likes to deviate from the objectives and run the same for short period. They insists that whatever strategy they developed should work for long term. This is baseless factors. BSC should be developed as an instrument for change.To grasp the importance of intangible resources in the value creation process and mobilize the attention and action of middle management , BSC should be developed with its emphasis on management control and non-financial indicators. Conclusion: Balanced scorecard was designed to measure organizations performance against strategic goals. It use has been made by most of the fortune 500 companies. For designing of BSC four perspectives are important . Various researches have indicated that BSC should also include others factors in the perspectives such as environment, Job security. Focusing on one measurement of business success can lead to hazardous. In the Literature and books that I have reviewed, while designing the major factors that are responsible for implementation are , formulating strategy,setting up of proper perspectives, formulation of team, communication of the Strategy and objectives and poor score card designs. Furtheremore, balanced scorecard approach requires some major changes in culture within the organization. The balanced scorecard requires understanding commitment and support from the top executive level. Different organizations have different needs, markets, products and services For which balanced scorecard will differ. It has also to consider the various perspectives. Properly designed Balanced scorecard, will address the key problems with strategy implementation, the performance of the organization ,the communication, the role of middle management and existing control systems. Balanced scorecards have been implemented in corporations, government organizations ,non profit organizations and schools. In conclusion , balanced scorecard is a management system , which has overcome the traditional measurement system enables the organization to illuminate their vision and strategy and interpret into action..It provides feedback internal business external business process in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results.

Feudalism in Form :: Economics Economy Essays

Feudalism in Form Environmental enslavement? Governmental capitalism? Working-class feudalism? In a complex world it is often impossible to label any one system with certainty, economic or otherwise. So the question arises of how does one explain past events and phenomenon without getting bogged down in the ensuing details? It becomes a matter of perspective- acknowledging that each individual or group sees certain events in a specific way, and that it takes multiple versions of a story to build a picture that might more fully represent the "bigger" picture. This explains how one film describing the economic events in a small town in Virginia in the 1920's can be riddled with questions and able to ignite explosive debates. Matewan was a small town in the hills of Virginia. The town itself was composed largely of native-born citizens, immigrant groups and racial groups from varied backgrounds. However, one thing common to most all citizens was the fact that their survival depended on the Stone Mountain Coal Company for which the men worked. From the first day of employment these individuals and families became dependent upon the company with no other possible alternatives. The first step the company took to ensure the economic feudalism of its workers was to indebt these workers to the company from the start. The workers were charged for all of their tools (picks, axes, head lamps, etc.) as well as any goods they might have needed for immediate survival (food, clothing) and long-term survival (shelter). This list of goods most likely carried exorbitant price tags, making it virtually impossible to ever 'own' any of the goods loaned from the company and therefore accumulate any type of capital. This indebtedness also maintained employment, despite hazardous conditions (collapsing mines, coal dust in one's lungs) that could lead to premature death. One could hardly "quit" from Stone Mountain Coal, for all the resources necessary for one's survival would be taken back, and all debts to the company would have to be repaid- an impossibility due to the extremely low wages paid. If one tried to run away then one would be considered a criminal and a warrant fo r one's arrest could be issued. Also the remoteness of the town made this an unlikely senario, where would one run to considering they had more than likely come by train? Lastly without the knowledge of how to survive by oneself in the woods one could not join the people who lived off the land in the woods.

Heart Functions Essay

1.What do you notice about the sizes of the four chambers? Annotate the measurements you have recorded onto your drawing. The ventricles are much bigger than the atria and the left ventricle is bigger than the right ventricle. Left atrium wall: 0.4cm Left ventricle wall: 1.4 cm Right atrium wall: 0.2 cm Right ventricle wall: 0.6 cm 2.The left ventricle has a much thinker wall than the right ventricle; explain why this is. The left ventricle has a much thicker wall than the right ventricle because the left ventricle has to pump blood to the whole body while the right ventricle only has to pump blood to the lungs. 3.What is the function of the tendinous cords attached to the bicuspid and tricuspid valves? The tendinous cords attached to the bicuspid and tricuspid valves hold the valves in place and prevent them from turning inside out. 4.Explain how blood flow in the heart moves in one direction only and trace the movement of a single red blood cell through the heart. The valves in the heart prevent the back flow of blood on the heart because they close shut whenever the blood starts flowing in the wrong direction. A deoxygenated red blood cell coming from the body would enter the heart from the vena cava into the right atrium. It would then go into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve. From the right ventricle, it would be pumped to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. The red blood cell would be oxygenated in the lungs and would return to the left atrium through the pulmonary vein. From the pulmonary vein, it would go through the bicuspid valves into the left ventricle and the left ventricle would pump it through the aorta to the rest of the body. 5.What is the function of the coronary arteries? The coronary arteries supply the cardiac muscle with the blood and in turn oxygen they need to contract.

The History of Bodybuilding

The History of Bodybuilding Among the obscure sports to choose from, one that the public have the least amount of knowledge about is the sport of bodybuilding. That is the competition with the guys in the little Speedo and enough instant bronze tan lotion to kill a horse. But Speedos and bronze tanner aside, the men and women who participate in this sport are in peak physical condition, training year round to maintain a physique that ancient Greeks attributed only to the gods. When it comes down to it, bodybuilding has a lot of similarities to other more recognized sports. They require hard work, much practice, and a relentless dedication to their sport. Bodybuilding certainly covers all of these areas and is a truly competitive sport.Bodybuilding is defined as the process of developing musculature of the body through specific types of diet and physical exercise, such as weightlifting, for competitive exhibition. From 1890 to 1929 was the first time period when bodybuilding became a commercially recognized spor t and gained great popularity from the general public.Ronnie Coleman 8 x Mr Olympia 2009 Melbourne, VIC,...The first famous bodybuilder was Eugen Sandow, who became known as "The Father of Modern Bodybuilding." On March 28th 1891, the first World Bodybuilding Championship was held in London. Five years later, in 1896, the first European Bodybuilding Championship took place. This was also the year in which the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens with weightlifting as one of the events.The 1940's to the 1970's were known as the "Golden Age of Bodybuilding." Training techniques were advancing along with the equipment used. During this period, bodybuilding enjoyed more commercial success. Movies such as Hercules, Tarzan, and Superman featured bodybuilders-turned-actors. The manufacturing of exercise equipment was at an all-time high, and pros were endorsing specialized nutrition supplements that were specifically geared toward the bodybuilding community.