Capital budgeting Essay

A – Capital budgeting is an analysis of potential additions to fixed assets, it is part of the long term decisions taken by the top management and involve large expenditures. The capital budgeting is very important to firm’s future. The difference between capital budgeting and individual’s investment decisions are in the estimation of cash flows, risk, and determination of the appropriate discount. B – The difference between interdependent and mutually exclusive projects is that the independent project’s cash flows are not affected by the acceptance of the other, although the mutually exclusive can be adversely impacted by the acceptance of the other. the difference between normal and no normal cash flow stream projects occurs in the signs since for the normal cash flows if the cost ( negative CF) followed by a series of positive cash flows will lead to one change of sign. On the other hand the non-normal project cash flows have two or more changes of sign C – 1 NPV: is the sum of all cash inflows and outflows of a project C – 2 – The rationale behind the NPV method is that it is equal to PV of inflows minus the cost which is the net gain in wealth. If the projects are mutually exclusive we will choose the project with the highest NPV and here in our case we will choose project S since it has a greater NPV compared to project S (19.98>18.79). If the projects are independent we will choose both. C – 3 The NPV will change if the WACC change; if the WACC increases the NPV will decrease on the other hand if the WACC decreases the NPV will increase. D – 1 Internal rate of return (IRR) is the discount rate that forces PV inflows equal to cost, and the NPV = 0. IRR using excel for project L: IRR 18.13% For project S: IRR 23.6% D – 2 A project IRR is the same as a bond’s YTM. The YTM on the bond would be  the IRR of the â€Å"bond† project. D – 3 If IRR > WACC, the project’s return exceeds its costs and there is some return left over to boost stockholders returns. If IRR > WACC, the project is accepted and if IRR < WACC, the project is reject. If projects are independent, we accept both of them, as both IRR > WACC. If projects are mutually exclusive, we accept the one with the highest IRR. D – 4 IRR do not depend on the WACC, so if the WACC changes, the IRR for both projects will remain the same. E – 1 Excel=NPV(rate,CF1:CFn) + CF 0 WACC NPV L NPV S 0% $50.00 $40.00 5% $33.05 $29.29 10% $18.78 $19.98 15% $6.67 $11.83 20% ($3.70) $4.63 Cross over rate is equal to 8.7%. CF Differences 0 -60 10 60 IRR = 8.7% E – 2 For independent projects, both IRR and NPV will lead to the same decision. If projects are mutually exclusive, there is a conflict between the IRR and the NPV. Since we said that NPV is the best method to use in case of conflict, project L will be selected based on this method. F – 1 The slope of the NPV profile depends entirely on the timing of the cash flows; long-term projects have excessive NPV profiles than short-term projects. We conclude that NPV profiles can cross in two situations, first when mutually exclusive projects differ in size: the smaller project frees up funds at t = 0 for investment. The higher the opportunity cost, the more valuable these funds, so a high WACC favors small projects, and second when the projects cash flows differ in terms of the timing pattern of their cash flows: the project with faster payback provides more CF in early years for reinvestment. If WACC is high, early CF especially good, NPVs > NPV L (projects studied in class). F – 2 The reinvestment rate assumptions: -NPV method assumes Cfs are reinvested at the WACC. -IRR method assumes CFs are reinvested at the IRR. -Assuming Cfs are reinvested at the opportunity cost of capital is more realistic, so NPV method is the best. NPV method should be used to choose between mutually exclusive projects. -Perhaps a hybrid of the IRR that assumes cost of capital reinvestment is needed. F – 3 Some projects will result in different IRR and NPV. The NPV will be selected to decide if the project is going to be accepted or not. We do not use the IRR first because it does not take into account changing discount rates, so it is j not adequate for longer-term projects with discount rates that are will probably vary. Second, the IRR ineffective is a project with a non-normal cash flow streams (mixture of positive and negative cash flows). G – 1 MIRR assumes reinvestment at the opportunity cost =WACC. MIRR also avoids the multiple IRR problem. G – 2 MIRR does not always lead to the same decision as NPV when mutually exclusive projects are being considered. In particular, small projects often have a higher MIRR, but a lower NPV, than larger projects. Thus, MIRR is not a perfect substitute for NPV, and NPV remains the single best decision rule. H – 1 Payback period is the number of years required to recover a project’s cost, or â€Å"how long does it take to get our money back?† H – 2 The payback period tells us when the project will break even in a cash flow sense. With a required payback of 2 years, Project S is acceptable, but Project L is not. Whether the two projects are independent or mutually exclusive makes no difference in this case. H – 3 Discounted payback is similar to payback except that discounted rather than raw cash flows are used. H – 4 Discounted payback still fails to consider cash flows after the payback period and it gives us no specific decision rule for acceptance. However, payback is not generally used as the primary decision tool. Rather, it is used as a rough measure of a project’s liquidity and riskiness. I – 1 2 3 CF -800000 5000000 -5000000 WACC 0,1 To find NPV we used excel: Excel: =NPV(rate,CF1:CFn)+CFO NPV (386 776,86 DT) Excel: =IRR(CF0:CFn,Rate) IRR 25% Excel: =MIRR(CF0:CFN,Rate) MIRR 5,6% 7

Poetry Essay: ”Peaches and cream” by Mudrooroo Essay

In this poem I shall compare and analysis two poems †peaches and cream† by mudrooroo and †last of his tribe † by oodgeroo noonuccal. The need for analyzing both poems is that they are dedicated to people who fought for the Aboriginals; only an in-depth analysis can give a clear understanding of their poems. Analysis The Last of His Tribe by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is a true example of the period of Australian poetry it consist of the paternalistic manner that is was commonly found in the Australian colonists of the 19th century , Oodgeroo Noonuccal gives emphasizes to the loneliness of an Aboriginal tribe ‘s last member. The poet’s complete focus is on the individual’s ambiguity, his suffering and his abhorrent fate. He detailed dramatization the of the thoughts which the tribe men had, he further dramatizes the memories of hunts of yore and of fights he fought. The poem carries a elegiac mood as the poet invokes a sad and bleak image of Willie Mackenzie, who is the last existing member of his tribe he pictures him as if someone were re kindling the fire of memory in the poet . The poet uses Willie Mackenzie as a symbol of the tribes that disappeared ad the culture and times that are disappearing with them (Derek p24). The poet emphasizes on elements of fauna as well as the tribe’s cultural artefact such as â€Å"boomerangs, nullah, sling as well as spear† abide with wallaroos, rocks as well as thunder. Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s memory of is the most wonderful part about the poem as it helps the poet in describing the past quite clearly: the poet gives an clear illustration of the happy hunts that this tribe experienced prior to the invasion of the white in the twentieth century era. The poem consists of thirty five lines. It is divided into seven formal verses and consists of ababb rhyming. Oodgeroo Noonuccal was expressive and assertive so much so that she was successful in drawing the reader to her persona. Due to this the reader sympathizes for Willie, exactly like the poet is particular in the line â€Å"All gone, all gone. And I feel The sudden sting of tears†. The kind of verse the poet has made use of is a formal  verse. The poet tries to give a clear picture of the Australian landscape in verse is exemplified here. Due to her tone and emotions she is successful in portraying the unique proceedings of the Australian scenery as well as their history in a regretful and sympathetic manner. Noonuccal presents, the environmental destruction which we can imagine just by reading the poem and by using the twentieth century style she shows the sad irony of their circumstances. Whereas Mudrooroo in his poems peaches and cream seems to be talking about a time when the Aboriginal people were fighting for their freedom. His tone is very a strong sad tone, a tone full of hopelessness. His poem is based a on a person who fought for their freedom, till he feel sick and his people did not support him. The way the poet highlights the likes and dislikes of this person symbolizes that he was an ordinary person who just wanted freedom for his people. The reason behind him naming the poem peaches and cream is that’s what this mans; intentions were as sweet and good as peaches and cream is. The ending of the poem is, similarly to the beginning, ambiguous. It is unclear whom the poet is referring to when he states in the first verse you like peaches and cream, And white bodies made urgent â€Å", also following with the conversional tone established in the last line. One interpretation of this is that he is expressing the realization that if things are going to progress then there is a definite need for greater unity and understanding among all Australian people, without racial division. The utilization of unique kind of rhyming makes the it a wonderful poem. The poem highlights the fact that there were people who were fighting for them so that Aborigines could also be known as â€Å"Australian† as White Australians, and the likelihood to unite the two cultures as one so that they might progress together. The use of the following lines:Perhaps one day I’ll understand,Though many didn’t and called you hypocrite;But they didn’t knowThat even Christian peaches and creamMay be sweet with a taste of injustice,And try to sweeten it more with you. (www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/assessment/see_english_sub_notice_mar_08.)The above mentioned verse illustrates the fact that the composer is experiencing an inner journey as he is experiencing an internal battle. The poem consists of the poet’s strong emotional feelings for the cause which this person was fighting for, and his control to suppress this anger does not actually diminish the anger. These lines also exhibit the anger he has for people who called this freedom fighter a hypocrite; he further uses the peaches and cream as symbols of sweetness and richness that he brought to his people. The line in the last stanza shows confusion:Last night I saw you on the telly,Projecting Jesus and his message,Perhaps one day I’ll understand(www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/assessment/see_english_sub_notice_mar_08.)At the beginning he states that the person he is referring to was a religious person and fought for their freedom while keeping Jesus’s message in mind. But the fact that he says that perhaps one day he will understand could mean that he does not understand the message given by the person who he is referring to , which seems very strange since throughout the poem he is clearly describing his likes and dislikes., and praising him and his efforts. Conclusion Undoubtedly then these poems clearly illustrate the eras in which they were written. Themes, craft as well as points of view reflect diverse periods the history of Australia. The enjoyable part of these poems is that they express different emotions and approach so efficiently to us nowadays when we need personal faithfulness, tribal unity and economic certainty. Work Cited: Derek Lewis; Poetry Workbook, Pascal press 2006 p24www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/assessment/see_english_sub_notice_mar_08.pdf retrieved on 13 July 2008

Bis Case Study

com) was taking another crack at replacing its legacy business systems. The Oakland, New Jersey–based distributor of toys and gifts ? nalized plans to roll out J. D. Edwards Co. ’s OneWorld Xe suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management, and ? nancial applications. The multimillion-dollar project was scheduled to be done in phases over the next 18 months. Russ Berrie CIO Michael Saunders said that the company, which had sales of $225 million during the ? rst nine months of 2001, hoped the OneWorld System would help it reach $1 billion in annual revenue in the coming years. Within the next 12 months, he said, Russ Berrie planned to begin installing the applications one department at a time, starting with a stand-alone implementation in purchasing. â€Å"We’re not going big bang,† Saunders said. â€Å"We’re mitigating implementation risks by taking a phased-in approach. The company had reason to be cautious. Three years before, a Y2K-related migration from its homegrown distribution, ? nancial, and customer service systems to packaged ERP applications experienced major system failures. Saunders said the problems were severe enough for Russ Berrie to take many of the new applications off-line and return to their old systems. Saunders wouldn’t identify the software vendors that were involved in the failed impl ementation, but sources said that SAP AG’s applications were part of the 1999 project. A spokesman at SAP con? rmed that Russ Berrie was one of its customers, but he declined to offer further details because of pending litigation between the two companies. Joshua Greenbaum of Enterprise Applications Consulting said it appeared that Russ Berrie â€Å"bit off more than they could chew† on the 1999 project. Companywide rollouts are especially risky for midsize businesses like Russ Berrie, Greenbaum said. T he good news is that Agilent Technologies Inc. (www. agilent. com) says its enterprise resource planning applications are stable. The bad news is they got that way only after a rocky ERP migration project that cost the company $105 million in revenue and $70 million in pro? ts. In mid-August 2002, the multinational communications and life sciences company, formerly a part of HewlettPackard Co. , said problems with the ERP components in Oracle’s e-Business Suite 11e software froze production for the equivalent of a week, leading to the massive losses. The Oracle system handles about half of the company’s worldwide production of test, measurement, and monitoring products and almost all of its ? ancial operations, as well as functions such as order handling and shipping. Agilent was in the process of migrating as many as 2,200 legacy applications that it inherited from HP to Oracle. As part of the switchover, approximately 6,000 orders in the internally developed legacy systems had to be converted to an Oracle-friendly format, an Agilent spokeswoman said from company headquarters in Palo Alto, Califo rnia. She said the con? guration process had problems requiring correction. In a statement last week, Agilent President and CEO Ned Barnholt said the disruptions to the business after implementing the ERP system were â€Å"more extensive than we expected. † An Agilent spokeswoman said the issue wasn’t the quality of the Oracle application, but rather the â€Å"very complex nature of the enterprise resource planning implementation. † For its part, Oracle Corp. said it’s working closely with Agilent. â€Å"At Oracle, we are fully committed to all of our customers for the long haul and support them in any way necessary,† the company said in a statement. We have a strong relationship with Agilent, and both companies believe the implementation is stable. † Agilent also had a takeaway lesson: â€Å"Enterprise resource planning implementations are a lot more than software packages,† the company said in a statement. â€Å"They are a fundamental transformation of a company’s business processes. People, processes , policies, the company’s culture are all factors that should be taken into consideration when implementing a major enterprise system. † According to one analyst, ERP disasters are often caused by the user company itself. Joshua Greenbaum, an analyst at Enterprise Applications Consulting, said 99 percent of such rollout ? ascoes are caused by â€Å"management’s inability to spec out their own requirements and the implementer’s inability to implement those specs. † Russ Berrie and Co. After a three-year saga that included a $10. 3 million ? nancial hit from the failed installation of packaged applications, teddy bear maker Russ Berrie and Case Study Questions 1. What are the main reasons companies experience failures in implementing ERP systems? 2. What are several key things companies should do to avoid ERP systems failures? Explain the reasons for your proposals. 3. Why do you think ERP systems in particular are often cited as examples of failures in IT systems development, implementation, or management? Source: Adapted from Marc Songini, â€Å"ERP Effort Sinks Agilent Revenue,† Computerworld, August 26, 2002, pp. 1, 12; and Marc Songini, â€Å"Teddy Bear Maker Prepares for Second Attempt at ERP Rollout,† Computerworld, February 4, 2002, p. 16. Reprinted with permission from Computerworld. Bis Case Study com) was taking another crack at replacing its legacy business systems. The Oakland, New Jersey–based distributor of toys and gifts ? nalized plans to roll out J. D. Edwards Co. ’s OneWorld Xe suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management, and ? nancial applications. The multimillion-dollar project was scheduled to be done in phases over the next 18 months. Russ Berrie CIO Michael Saunders said that the company, which had sales of $225 million during the ? rst nine months of 2001, hoped the OneWorld System would help it reach $1 billion in annual revenue in the coming years. Within the next 12 months, he said, Russ Berrie planned to begin installing the applications one department at a time, starting with a stand-alone implementation in purchasing. â€Å"We’re not going big bang,† Saunders said. â€Å"We’re mitigating implementation risks by taking a phased-in approach. The company had reason to be cautious. Three years before, a Y2K-related migration from its homegrown distribution, ? nancial, and customer service systems to packaged ERP applications experienced major system failures. Saunders said the problems were severe enough for Russ Berrie to take many of the new applications off-line and return to their old systems. Saunders wouldn’t identify the software vendors that were involved in the failed impl ementation, but sources said that SAP AG’s applications were part of the 1999 project. A spokesman at SAP con? rmed that Russ Berrie was one of its customers, but he declined to offer further details because of pending litigation between the two companies. Joshua Greenbaum of Enterprise Applications Consulting said it appeared that Russ Berrie â€Å"bit off more than they could chew† on the 1999 project. Companywide rollouts are especially risky for midsize businesses like Russ Berrie, Greenbaum said. T he good news is that Agilent Technologies Inc. (www. agilent. com) says its enterprise resource planning applications are stable. The bad news is they got that way only after a rocky ERP migration project that cost the company $105 million in revenue and $70 million in pro? ts. In mid-August 2002, the multinational communications and life sciences company, formerly a part of HewlettPackard Co. , said problems with the ERP components in Oracle’s e-Business Suite 11e software froze production for the equivalent of a week, leading to the massive losses. The Oracle system handles about half of the company’s worldwide production of test, measurement, and monitoring products and almost all of its ? ancial operations, as well as functions such as order handling and shipping. Agilent was in the process of migrating as many as 2,200 legacy applications that it inherited from HP to Oracle. As part of the switchover, approximately 6,000 orders in the internally developed legacy systems had to be converted to an Oracle-friendly format, an Agilent spokeswoman said from company headquarters in Palo Alto, Califo rnia. She said the con? guration process had problems requiring correction. In a statement last week, Agilent President and CEO Ned Barnholt said the disruptions to the business after implementing the ERP system were â€Å"more extensive than we expected. † An Agilent spokeswoman said the issue wasn’t the quality of the Oracle application, but rather the â€Å"very complex nature of the enterprise resource planning implementation. † For its part, Oracle Corp. said it’s working closely with Agilent. â€Å"At Oracle, we are fully committed to all of our customers for the long haul and support them in any way necessary,† the company said in a statement. We have a strong relationship with Agilent, and both companies believe the implementation is stable. † Agilent also had a takeaway lesson: â€Å"Enterprise resource planning implementations are a lot more than software packages,† the company said in a statement. â€Å"They are a fundamental transformation of a company’s business processes. People, processes , policies, the company’s culture are all factors that should be taken into consideration when implementing a major enterprise system. † According to one analyst, ERP disasters are often caused by the user company itself. Joshua Greenbaum, an analyst at Enterprise Applications Consulting, said 99 percent of such rollout ? ascoes are caused by â€Å"management’s inability to spec out their own requirements and the implementer’s inability to implement those specs. † Russ Berrie and Co. After a three-year saga that included a $10. 3 million ? nancial hit from the failed installation of packaged applications, teddy bear maker Russ Berrie and Case Study Questions 1. What are the main reasons companies experience failures in implementing ERP systems? 2. What are several key things companies should do to avoid ERP systems failures? Explain the reasons for your proposals. 3. Why do you think ERP systems in particular are often cited as examples of failures in IT systems development, implementation, or management? Source: Adapted from Marc Songini, â€Å"ERP Effort Sinks Agilent Revenue,† Computerworld, August 26, 2002, pp. 1, 12; and Marc Songini, â€Å"Teddy Bear Maker Prepares for Second Attempt at ERP Rollout,† Computerworld, February 4, 2002, p. 16. Reprinted with permission from Computerworld.

Private Schoolls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Private Schoolls - Essay Example For as many wonderful public schools that exist, there are also those that perform under the bar. Unfortunately for most families, children must go to the public school that their home is zoned in. Usually there is a perceived or statistically supported issue with a public school's academic record that flags a parent's concern and willingness to move their child into a private school. Private schools usually have a more rigorous academic reputation. But within the public school system, Charter Schools and Magnet schools both blur the distinction between public and private schools. Related to the academic reputation is the focus of the school on college preparation. Within the public school system, the percent of children that go on to college differs depending on the location of the school. You can't lump all the schools together. However, you can look at the school's overall focus and whether it is on college preparation or not (and whether that is your shared focus). School Size and Class Size can be correlated to a school's ability to execute on its academic goals. Basically, when a school gets too big, it can become burdensome to administer. Students and programs may fall into the cracks. But a school that is too small may not have enough money to support specialized programs. Class size is another factor that parents will look into when considering private or public school. How many children will the classroom teacher be responsible What is the overall student to teacher ratio Usually, the smaller the class size, the more attention each individual student will receive. Safety at school and the general school environment is another factor that parents use to decide whether or not to keep their children in public school or move them into private school. Many public schools have perfectly safe environments, yet in some school districts, children may be safer in private schools. Some of this may have to do with the fact that private schools may pick and choose who they enroll, therefore keeping their classroom milieu safer. Special programs impact parents in two different ways when considering private versus public schooling. Because public schools have a responsibility to teach all students, public schools often have in place special programs for children with special needs (whether it is academically or mentally). Private schools, while they may have special programs for gifted students, will rarely have programs for children with special needs unless that is what the private school specializes in. There are also other kinds of special programs, for example, ones that specialize in the arts. Military, boarding, and single-sex programs are usually only found in a private setting. Cost is another important factor that impacts the private school versus public school decision. Simply put, private schools charge tuition whereas public schools are

Accident Victim Interview Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accident Victim Interview Report - Assignment Example He has an excellent safety record with the injury I interviewed him about being the only injury he has received in the past ten years. One of the tasks that many people in the kitchen have to perform is porting heavy sheet trays to and from the dish pit downstairs. On one especially busy service on the seventeenth of October 2009, the sous-chef took it upon himself to deliver them downstairs because everyone else in the kitchen was incredibly busy and he had a free moment and wanted to clear the space to (somewhat ironically) avoid injury from the clutter. As he was approaching the staircase down to the dishpit, he slipped on a puddle on the floor and fell, hitting the back of his head on a table in the narrow space and twisting his ankle significantly. His head bled somewhat, but the major injury was in his ankle. He was a bit dazed by the blow to his head but remained conscious with no serious cognitive symptoms; however, he could not stand on his ankle. He was taken by a co-worker to the emergency room immediately, where he was diagnosed as probably not having any concussion (he had no post-concussion symptoms e ven in the days that followed) but did have a break in his ankle from rolling it as he slipped. The immediate treatment was to cast his ankle, but because of the type of injury he was unable to be put in a walking cast. It is impossible for him to complete his job duties whilst in a cast and unable to walk, so Ted was forced to miss nearly a month of work. The injury, however, had very little ligament damage and ted was able to make do with only very basic physical therapy once he got his cast off for the duration of just under a month, meaning that he was back to essentially full capabilities two months after the injury, though he could perform all work related and most personal tasks fine immediately after the cast was taken off. The physical therapy was simple elastic band strengthening of his ligaments to ensure no

Analysis of Research Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Research Articles - Essay Example The use of likert scale response questions makes it easier for the respondents to answer the questions in addition to improving the questionnaire response rate (Crotty 1998). The researcher employed the use of questionnaire in this study in that, respondents respond according to their own opinions and are not controlled as in interviews and observations. The researcher had the questionnaire tested for reliability and validity. According to Greenfield (2002), for any research findings to gain the required scientific rigor, the research tool should be test-retested through a pilot study or through an expert’s forum to harmonize issues. This practice is done to ensure that the results from the tool can be generalized to fit the whole population. However, in terms of sampling, the researcher failed in that, different companies’ employees should have participated in the study to ensure non-biasness and rigidity in the generalization of the survey findings. Further, the researcher should have allowed the staff members to make an informed decision on whether to participate or not according to Denzin’s (1997) arguments. This practice is highly recommended in research ethics as it protects the participant from coercion and ensures justice of the participants. Another important aspect left out in the methodology is the fact that the participants had to be informed that the data collected from them was to be used confidentially and for the sole purpose of the study. This would ensure tangible, valid and reliable data is collected since if assured of confidentiality, then they may be biased to avoid victimization by the company. Further, a lesser sample would have been more economical in terms of time and resource requirements (Kaplan 2004). In this case, an un-biased sample would have resulted into the same kind of results as a complete count. Further, the sample should have had the same or nearly the same number of males as females. In the

Nike Just Do it advertising campaign analysis Essay

Nike Just Do it advertising campaign analysis - Essay Example Major trends in marketing Global marketing has witnessed several trends that have revolutionized the ways companies inform and persuade customers to start using their products and services. One of the trends is the shift from mass media advertising to specialized media that caters for personalized consumption patterns and segmentation of the market in terms of income levels, tastes and preferences (Batra, Myers and Aaker, 2009). In this case, Just Do it campaign initially focused on the mass market through appealing to target audience regardless of income, age, and sporting activities. However, Nike shifted the campaign to niche markets such as athletics sports, football and young generation who prefer fitness through seeking celebrity endorsements (Batra, Myers and Aaker, 2009). Another trend is the use of data-based marketing as opposed to focus marketing thus Nike has shifted its efforts to market research activities that aim at identifying the consumer incomes changes, changes in tastes and preferences (Shah, K & D’Souza, 2009). Accordingly, the internet and new media channels like YouTube, direct marketing through e-mails and digital platforms like twitter and online discussion forums have enabled Nike to cut its advertising costs on traditional media and focus on new media channels that elicit high feedback and interest among consumers. Web-based marketing has enabled companies to reach the global market due to instance response and its ability to elicit responses. Another major trend in marketing is the event marketing that entails face-to-face conversations via trade shows, live events and corporate meetings (Carbasho, 2010). Nike uses several sporting events to... This essay " Nike ‘Just Do it† advertising campaign" analyze Nike's commercial and why it become so successful. Nike aimed at attaining several objectives with the ad campaign. First, the company wanted to gain brand awareness and recognition during the fitness craze in order to gain market share in the American market. Accordingly, the company aspired to create good relations with potential consumers through providing inspiring messages and encouraging consumers to pursue their dreams. At the same time, Nike was geared at informing the consumers of the benefits of fitness, sports and benefits that could be derived from purchasing Nike’s athletic shoes and sporting apparel. Accordingly, the use of the slogan in merchandise such as school bags and jumpers was geared at creating primary demand for the non-sport and Nike-related commodity market through demonstrating the value of Nike products. Advertising aims at positioning the product in order to create a distincti ve impression on the minds of the consumers and assign an intangible value to the brand. Accordingly, Just Do It ad aimed at linking the social lifestyle in America with the brand’s image through making consumers understand Nike cares for their health and wellbeing. In addition, Nike aimed at winning back the previous customers who had shifted to competitors like Adidas and minimise the existing negative attitudes towards Nike products). Nike sought to build brand loyalty in a friendly manner and increase sales among the existing consumers.

Fecal Incontinence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Fecal Incontinence - Essay Example They become housebound and prefer to pass the day very close to the toilet to avoid losing feces. The exact incidence of FI is uncertain because of patients' hesitation to seek help from their physicians. Women seem to be at higher risk, mostly due to obstetric damage to the anal sphincters; however, during the last decade, an increasing interest has been dedicated to those forms of FI related to nontraumatic factors, which reach a relevant incidence (Bharucha, 2003). Older subjects are at very high risk, especially those with disabilities and those who are institutionalized. Moreover, young people are often affected. These factors create a significant economic impact for society, not only due to direct and indirect costs, but also due to intangible costs. FI may result from a variety of pathophysiological situations, and various risk factors can cause a wide range of inability to control feces passage. Therefore, an accurate diagnostic workup of each patient is fundamental. Although not fully agreed upon by all physicians, a multimodal diagnosis, using a multiparametric evaluation, seems to allow the most thorough understanding of FI pathophysiology and to indicate optimal treatment. These are really the most important and challenging aspects of FI management. Indeed, a wide range of therapeutic options is available, including conservative, rehabilitative, and surgical procedures. Highly variable rates of defecatory dysfunction and fecal incontinence have been reported, which most likely reflects the heterogeneity of the populations studied, the use of non-standardized questionnaires, a variety of definitions in terms of frequency of defecation or fecal loss, and patient reluctance to disclose these potentially embarrassing problems. Aging has been consistently identified as a major risk factor for the development of fecal incontinence, and the prevalence has been reported to approach 50% in nursing home residents (Cook and Mortensen 2002). A recent study of m ore than 3,000 community-dwelling women found a population-adjusted prevalence of 7.7% when fecal incontinence was defined as loss of liquid or solid stool at least monthly. The prevalence of fecal incontinence increased linearly with age (Melville et al., 2005). Many patients are reluctant to seek medical attention for bowel disorders because of embarrassment and social stigma. Primary care providers, including obstetricians and gynecologists, are therefore integral to the successful disclosure of such problems by routinely inquiring about bowel function during periodic health care visits. The Research Problem The problem with fecal incontinence is that it often goes undiagnosed and untreated in elderly patients mainly due to the social stigma attached to it. Not only are the patients reluctant to admit the problem, the physicians often fail to ask about the problem due to similar embarrassment that the patients feel or due to the fact that they think the problem to be insignificant. In the older age groups this is particularly significant since it is common in them. Large population surveys have revealed that above age 65, the prevalence is 3% to 7%. Many elderly people are forced to get admitted into nursing homes due to this problem so much so that the prevalence is as high as 50% (Perry et al., 2002). As highlighted by Bharucha et al. (2005), the financial

Bad New Message Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bad New Message Memo - Case Study Example Workers fully understand that they are supposed to respond to customers email as soon as they receive them. It does not imply that they must respond with a solution, but rather show concern about the issues with promise of action. Thus, it would not be appropriate to designate specific time for responding to emails. According to Kolin (2014), email communication forms an easy avenue for correspondence between a business and its customers. Equally important, customers expect to receive a quick response. It follows that workers can differentiate urgent and non-agent emails automatically. It does not require special training to help workers understand the aspects that define the urgency of an email. The workers are professional and qualified in their fields to identify all details and respond to the customer appropriately. Customer satisfaction is enhanced when they receive a prompt response acknowledging the receipt of their email. In fact, some of the confirmation messages are drafted already and require a short response time. The proposal explains that there is a trend of using laptops in meetings. However, there exists no clear link to show that workers use the laptops to respond to emails. There are several reasons for using laptops in meetings, one of them being responding to emails. Other reasons may include referencing notes and note-taking. In this regard, the use of laptops in meetings cannot be attributed to email communication alone. Having a program on email etiquette may not eliminate the problem, since other reasons for using laptops may remain. There are also other gadgets for responding to emails such as mobile phones. Another reason concerning etiquette is use of emoticons. The increasing technological advancement has led to the emergence of many modes of summarizing messages. Customers often send messages laden with emoticons that serve to summarize their message. The emoticons are often unofficial and not

Business and Research Project Essay Example for Free

Business and Research Project Essay JC Penny has been running successfully for close to 90 years. Most entrepreneurs and managers face the same dilemmas at times. The choices one makes are the basis for his or her company success. The CEO of JC Penny Ron Johnson was faced with many management dilemmas. The first of many dilemmas that Ron Johnson was faced with was to innovate or conserve JC Penny. Innovation is important, but one should also focus on new applications and new markets as well. However, the revenues of innovations are in the future. One needs also to get the maximum out of one’s current business. According an article published by Forbes â€Å"Ron Johnson did not try and solving the real problem with JC Penny. Sales fell some 25%. The stock dropped 50% He spent lavishly trying to remake the brand. He modernized the logo, upped the TV ad spend, spruced up stores and implemented a more consistent pricing strategy. But that all was designed to help JC Penney competes in traditional brick-and-mortar retail. Against traditional companies like Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Sears, etc† (Hartung, 2014). If the leader or manager does not invest there comes a time when the current business declines without new innovation to take over JC Penny revenues. If a manager invests too much, it may end up endangering the continuity of the current business. According to Joshua Kennon â€Å"J.C. Penney saw sales fall from $19.903 billion in 2007 to $12.985 billion in 2013. This caused the firm to go from a pre-tax profit of $1.792 billion to pre-tax losses of $1.536 billion, a staggering swing of $3.328 billion. Dividends were slashed, book value destroyed. There were rumors the company was surviving by pushing payable bills and hoarding cash† (Kennon, 2013). The purpose of learning team C’s research is to identify the most important factors to customers that are considering shopping at J.C. Penney. This statement speaks to the researcher’s attention and states goal or objective of the research. This statement will evaluate errors that were made J.C.  Penny’s top management, putting the company into a very vulnerable predicament with the core customers. The factors that will be considered are directly associated with management errors such as: †¢Misreading what shoppers want- coupons, sales price/clearance items †¢Not testing the ideas in advance- assuming the culture was the same as other companies †¢Alienated the core customers †¢Misreading the JC Penney brand †¢Not respecting the JC Penney company overall From these errors the team will provide research questions to include in the paper, gather the information the is related to the customer most recent shopping experience with the company to develop a proposed research plan to address the most management dilemmas. Draft of Research Questions Learning team C intends to research the reasons J.C. Penney had a decline in customer core base and sales which almost led to the demise of the company. This research will be conducted via survey with the intent of possibly salvaging the creditability of the company. Our learning will provide surveys to adults that have shopped J.C. Penny either online or in the store within the last two years. The survey questions used would supply management with opportunities to test potential marketing strategies to revive sales and retain the company’s initial core customer base. LTC will provide the following questions to gather data for research in the survey: †¢What is the age group/gender of the participant †¢How far from home will he or she be willing to drive to the store †¢What is the importance of coupons and sales price/clearance items †¢How frequent does the participant shop online or in the store †¢How important is the brand name that is provided by the company †¢How important is the atmosphere of the store (i.e. Arizona, IZOD, Dockers, etc) †¢How important is the culture of store (i.e. is food courts or specialty boutiques important) After compiling a more precise list of question to provide for the survey, we will rank the factors from least to greatest importance to determine the  decision making process for J.C. Penney current dilemma. Conclusion Eventually, JC Penny did fire Ron Johnson and rehired the previous CEO Mike Ullman, who stills faces big challenges. JC Penny has posted sales drops and losses in its first three quarters. As JC Penny attempts to recover from its dilemmas from the period in which it alienated consumers, and infuriated its employees, its new CEO Mike Ullman, is making headway in trying to purge corporate ranks and bring the customers back to shopping at JC Penny. In business leaders or managers all face some challenges that if left unaddressed such as JC Penny dilemma can massively affect the business. The good news is that there is now a solution in place to help JC Penny return to being successful. References Hartung, A. (2014). Two Wrongs Wont Fix JC Penney. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cwe/citation_generator/web_01_01.asp Kennon, J. (2013). The Collapse of J.C. Penney – What Caused It and Can It Be Fixed?. Retrieved from http://www.joshuakennon.com/the-collapse-of-jc-penney-what-caused-it-and-can-it-be-fixed/

Features of a Professional Assessment

Features of a Professional Assessment This assignment will focus on addressing the distinctive features of a professional assessment in social work. It will look into the importance of assessment, the assessment process and law and policy which relates to assessment. Finally it will address assessment in practice with regards to two service user groups namely older people and mental health. Assessment is part of the foundation of social work practice, the better the quality of assessment the more effective it would be (McDonald, 2006). Coulshed (1991) describes assessment as analysing process of selecting, organising and synthesising information. McDonald (2006) describes it as an intellectual process, it is a tool used to make sense of information relevant to issues examined. Assessment is used in many different forms and with different service user groups, some forms of assessment include; risk assessment, the single assessment processes and mental health assessments. Assessment is essentially identifying the needs and risks in an individual situation to judge which intervention, services and resources would be most appropriate (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 2009). The 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act placed the assessment of community care services as statutory work. This enabled social workers to justifiably claim to be doing statutory work, which n eeded extensive knowledge and to be done quickly (McDonald, 2006). Community care assessment can be a gateway to other services, depending on the level of the patients need. The assessment process varies between social workers because of their social work experience, theoretical orientation of the social worker, the social workers values and the relationship between service user and social worker (McDonald, 2006). Social workers also need certain skills to be able to achieve an effective assessment these include listening and communicating skills, being able to counsel and understand a service users problem, have an insight of other services available to the service user and be able to weigh the risks the service user may face daily against the resources that may be available to the service user (McDonald, 2010) (Harding and Beresford, 1996). The Victoria Climbà © inquiry stressed the importance of assessment (Laming, 2003). If assessment is done properly and as a cycle constantly evaluating Laming (2003) predicts that social work practice and the help given to the family would be more effective. Parker and Bradley (2005) understand that assessment is a continual process and use the ASPIRE model to show how assessment should work. The ASPIRE model stands for assessment, planning, intervention and review and evaluation (Sutton, 1999). This model shows assessment as a process that never stops because service users situations change over time, reviewing and evaluating the situation and continually reassessing helps to discover if the approach taken is effective or if the service user needs a different one in place. Milner and OByrne (2002) have similar recommendations to Laming (2003) they conclude that intervention is more likely to succeed when assessment is effective (Parker and Bradley, 2005). Within any setting assessment involves a number of features according to Milner and OByrne (2002) these include preparation, planning and engagement. The first step involves identifying the main people surrounding the case and then establishing a deadline under which information has to be collected. The next step involves the collection of information. This includes what the individual wants, their problems and information from other sources for example professional statements. The next part of the assessment process involves looking at the data and assessing their needs, by taking into account how they are currently functioning and weighing the risks. The last step involves producing an action plan. This concludes what help is needed, what resources are available and when reviews will take place (Milner et al, 2002). There are a number of policies and guidance which highlight the importance of assessment and the need for them to be used by social workers. The National Health Service Community Care Act, 1990 section 47: Assessment of Needs for Community Care Services is an essential part of the legislation when assessing an individuals needs. Under this section when it appears that any persons for whom the local authority may provide community care or services or may be in need of any other such services the local authority should carry out an assessment of their needs for those services. Upon receiving assessment results the local authority can then decide whether their needs are great enough to be given provision of services. Fair Access to Care Services (2003) guidance understands that consistent access to services should be across the country but provision is prioritised into set criteria according to risk and independence. All local authorities have the same eligibility criteria. However they can come to different decisions. This is guidance not law, so any local authority can decide on the scale the individual would be on before services can be given (Clements, 2004). Features of assessment in relation to older people The NHS plan (Department of Health, 2000) and the National Service Framework for Older people (2001) introduced the single assessment process (SAP). The aim of this process is to provide person centred care to service users and also their carers. Parker and Bradley (2003) concluded that the government produced this new process because historically there were a number of criticisms involving team working within different disciplines. The SAP was produced to prevent questions being needlessly duplicated by different disciplines and to share the information between all and to ensure person centred care. The National Service Framework for Older People was the first wide-ranging strategy that focused on fair, quality health and social care for older people (National Service Framework for Older People, 2001). The aim of person centred care is to ensure all older people are treated individually, that they receive care appropriate to them. Social workers must also take into account anti disc riminatory practice when involved in assessing any individual, the service users decisions must lead the process. Social workers will have previous experience of the assessment process, and possibly of older people in similar situations, its imperative that the service user is safeguarded against direction from the social worker to ensure that the social worker does not lead the assessment. The process must focus on the service users views and perspectives throughout. The SAP involves three broad levels (McDonald, 2010). Contact assessment, which includes individuals who may need support from different services. Overview assessment involves mental, physical and social needs including the impact of their needs on the family and carers this level supports multi disciplinary teams. The last level is a specialist assessment, taken when more understanding is needed regarding an individuals need and how they can meet it. Another assessment available is a comprehensive assessment. This is offered when the older person needs intensive and long term treatment. A comprehensive assessment involves basic details, the category of need, the support network the individual has, current problems, carers views, a risk assessment of their current lifestyle, the individuals current strengths, social network and living situation as well as more extensive information. Assessment uses theory and practice to understand the situations of an older person. It involves problems, risks, needs and resources of the older person. It requires professional judgement to take into account all information to give an opinion, whether the older person needs services and resources to be available for them (McDonald, 2010). When processing an assessment with older people there are key elements the professional must consider. McDonald (2010) suggests that good quality assessments of older people involve specific components. These include using a strengths perspective, the older person still has the ability to know where their problems lie and how they would deal with them using this throughout the assessment identifies their strengths. Another component includes coping skills, as they grow older they focus more on what they can do and less on what they have difficulties with. Focusing on their strengths rather than problems ensures a positive approach to the assessment process. Social workers must ensure anti discriminatory practice takes place, an important component of this is citizenship, it involves the service user participating in decision making. When moving to a care home for example the older persons care plan should involve advocacy so they can continue to make decisions regarding their health and social care, societal changes and their living environment within the care home. Respecting their decisions is a value social workers should have in practice. Social workers need to understand that family and carers needs may be different to that of the older person and these may need to be a priority. The social worker must also tell the older person about the assessment process giving information about why its being conducted and what the aim of the process is. Although the SAP was produced to bring all information together there were criticisms of working with different disciplines. A literature review by Challis, Clarkson, Williamson, Venables, Hughes, Burns and Weinburg (2004) found that there was a lack of trust between disciplines when implementing the SAP. The SAP is a long process and each level takes time that some professionals dont have. Also if the older person is having difficulty they may need to make provisions to enable them to continue with tasks they find difficult until a decision is made regarding resources available to them. However they may not be given the amount of resources and services that the service user expects. Those who are not eligible have needs but are concluded to have not sufficient needs to receive help. These older people are expected to use provisions around them, for example family and friends to help with the problems they face (Henwood and Hudson, 2008). Henwood and Hudson (2008) found that those ol der people who had sufficient money to fund their services felt that they had to discover their own way to find the right services available, having not received the advice and information that other older people going through the assessment process would get. Following from the assessment process the older person then receives an individual care plan. This care plan shows the objectives and outcomes from the support provided. The individual care plan builds on the older persons strengths, how they can address their needs, the older person should also agree to the care plan being implemented. Personalisation is now being introduced in the UK. This new method of assessment involves a self assessment of needs. A Personal budget questionnaire is then completed. This questionnaire is simple and designed to help the older person give information about their needs. The social worker will complete it with the service user and family member. The decision of eligibility is then decided. If they are eligible they will be allocated a sum of money through a personal budget, further assessments would be completed to calculate how much the service user would have to contribute. Once the budget is agreed upon the service user can plan where they want to spend their allocated money on the support they want. Features of assessment in relation to mental health There are a number of different assessments which are involved in the mental health services. Depending upon the individuals circumstances specific assessments would take place. Section 47 of the National Health and Community Care Act (1990) states that any individual who has needs of services under a local authority the local authority must carry out an assessment. A decision then follows this assessment. Depending on the mental health of an individual the assessment would focus on their problems and needs and how they could achieve the best outcomes. Standard 2 of the National Service Framework for Mental Health (1999) specifies that any service user that has contacted their primary health care team with a common mental health problem should have their needs identified and assessed. Previously the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Common law of necessity have been used to assess the needs of individual with mental health problems. Recently the common law has been replaced by the Mental Capacity Act. Assessors within this service now use a broader approach to include the criteria of both the Mental Health Act, 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (Barber, Brown and Martin, 2009). Mental health assessment involves a broad scope of information to collect. The Mental Health Act considers the mental disorder, the nature of the disorder, whether the person or others are at risk, the type of treatment necessary for example if the individual needs hospitalisation or if its possible to use community based mental health services and if its possible to give services without the individual being hospitalised (Barber et al, 2009). Its much less intrusive to the individual if it is appropriate for them to receive care in their community rather than going into hospital and because of the stigma attached to using a section 2 or 3 of the Mental Health Act any social worker or professional in this setting would chose community care if they could. Assessment with regard to the Mental Capacity Act draws upon information involving the impairment of the individual, the age of the individual, the individuals capacity of making decisions and if the care they would receive would be a deprivation of liberty (Barber et al, 2009). An assessment under the Mental Health Act can be done compulsorily when there is a mental disorder, or if it is in the patients safety or health and to protect others. Before the assessment takes place the social worker should look into previous history and liaise with other professionals involved in the case. Depending on whether you use a section 2 which last 28 days or a section 3 which lasts up to 6 months a team is needed to admit the individual. When assessing under these sections the social worker must ask questions regarding evidence of mental illness and the risk towards the individual or others, if the patient consents to informal admission or if there are alternatives to hospitalisation. A Care programme approach assessment may be offered when an individual leaves an inpatient psychiatric unit or uses a community mental health team. This assessment is encouraged as all aspects of care are co-ordinated by one person. The assessment involves personal history, social situation, description of the illness and symptoms and length of treatment and what the individuals needs are. The care programme approach incorporates four specific elements, as defined in Building Bridges: a guide to arrangements for inter-agency working for the care and protection of severely mentally ill people (DOH, 1995). These elements include the assessment of health care and social needs. The formed care plan, the appointment of a key worker who has a responsibility to monitor the care of the service user and the last element includes regular reviews of the care given and if needed how to adapt the care because of changes of need. Mental health assessments are complicated because of individuals complex situations assessing risk and needs as well as resources available. Social work practice must encompass a number of strategies when undertaking assessment for it to be effective. The care programme approach enables social workers to focus on the individual directing through all aspects of care and co-ordinating their care when the assessment process is finished. The social worker is constantly receiving information including guidance from governments, evidence from research and literature. There is only vague guidance on how to undertake the assessment of the individual, even though assessment is so important because the results will undeniably affect the individuals life for the upcoming future for a substantial amount of time. Social workers must balance risk, resources and the individuals needs whilst undertaking the assessment, a process which can be very intricate and complicated when an individual has diverse needs and their risks are so great. However as social workers reflect on their previous assessments they will take away a strong idea of what works and this over time will help make assessments more effective. Assessment is vital within social work and the features of assessment differ depending on the type of service the social worker is within. However within any service the assessment process still requires similar techniques including individualisation and citizenship and being open and honest. Many reports and papers have shown that when assessment is done correctly and uses an ecological approach which covers society and familial relationships as well as at an individual level then the assessment process will be more effective.