Motivate or influence behavior Essay

Communication is defined by the text as the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behavior. ____ is necessary for communication to be considered two-way. Feedback Which of the following, in the communication process, has the responsibility to decode the symbols and interpret the meaning of the message? Receiver ____ and ____ are potential sources for communication errors, because knowledge, attitudes, and background act as filters. Decoding, encoding Channel richness refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode. Which communication channel would be most successful to inform managers of impending company-wide layoff? Face-to-face contact When an electronic mail system is installed as part of the communication system, what element of the communication process is changed? Channel ____ does not focus on a single receiver, uses limited information cues, and does not permit feedback. Bulletins Compared to men, women tend to use their unique conversational style to show involvement. Which of the following is the most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication? Downward communication ____ refers to messages designed to motivate employees to adopt the company’s mission and cultural values and to participate in special ceremonies. Indoctrination Many organizations use suggestion boxes, open door policies, and surveys to facilitate centralized Which of the following links employees in all directions, ranging from the president through middle management, support staff, and line employees? The grapevine What percent of the details passed through a grapevine is accurate? 70 to 90 percent According to the text, all of the following are ways managers can improve their writing skills EXCEPT: Write lengthy explanations One of the most important things that a manager can do for the organization, according to the text, is to create a climate of trust and openness. Managers’ communication is _______-directed, in that it directs everyone’s attention toward the vision, values, and desired goals of the team or organization and influences people to act in a way to achieve the goals. purpose Which of the following is the best advice for written communication that is highly important? Get a second opinion To be effective communicators, managers should: Encourage the use of multiple channels of communication

Surah Al Fatina Guide

INTRODUCTION OF SURAH AL FATIHAThe word â€Å"Fatiha† comes from the verb â€Å"Fataha†, which means in this text â€Å"to open†. â€Å"Al† is a defined article and Fatiha means the opening Surah, which opens the Quran. Some Muslims interpret it as this surah has ability to open a person's faith in Allah. It is the Mecci Surah of the Holy Quran, which means that it was discovered on the Prophet of God while He was in Makah, It also has the honor of being the very first Surah that is made known completely. Although it consists of 7 Ayahsonly, but it still explains the Veneration of the Almighty in a very comprehensive fashion and also is a great means of supplication of asking Allah for keeping one on the right path. It is also named Umm al-Qur'an, the Mother of the Qur'an, and Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book because it summarizes the meaning of whole Quran. It is also named Sab'ul-Mathani, (the Seven Often Repeated Verses), Al-Hamd, (the Praise), Al-Shifa (The Cure) and Ar-Ruqya, the Spiritual Cure. Its recitation is a condition for the effectiveness of the prayer.VIRTUES OF SURAH FATIHASurah Al Fatiha has many virtues. Some of them are briefly defined here:It is cure of diseases such as Snake sting, Epilepsy or any otherillness. A companion once recited Al-Fatihah over a scorpion bite, to which the Prophet commanded him saying:†How did you know it was a Ruqyah (cure)?†(Sahih Al Bukhari)It is the greatest chapter of Quran.It is pillar of the prayer as Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) said: â€Å"Whoever does not recite SurahAl Fatihah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid†.†(Sahih Al Bukhari)It is the seven oft-repeated verses because it is repeated in everyunit of prayer.It is mother of Quran.It was sent from Heaven as a light. An Angel addressed the Prophet(SAW) saying:â€Å"Rejoice in two lights brought to you which have not been brought to any prophet before you, Al-Fatihah and the last verses of Al- Baqarah†It is cure for heart as it protects heart from offensive motives.THEME OF SURAH FATIHAIt declares that God alone is the maintainer of all the known and the unknown worlds, ultimate source of mercy, justice and guidance for mankind. Only He can guide man to the way of life acceptable to him though he doesn't compel anyone to follow that way. Instead, in the words of the Quran, it is man's duty to beg before Him for guidance: Allah said in Quran that: call on Me,I shall answer your supplication† (40:60). He also tells man the consequences of following this code of conduct or going astray. Therefore, man needs to praise and worship him and resort to him alone. AsHe is the supreme justice and everybody will have to answer Him on the day of Judgement for his worldly deeds.TAFSEER OF SURAH ALFATIHA1. In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.This statement is also known as the basmala.Baa means In the name of Allah or seeking help or blessing with the name of ALLAH.As in Arabic language it has three different meanings.The Meaning of al-Rahman and al-Raheem:Both these names are derived from the same root letters: raa, haa, meem; which means to have mercy. They are thus similar in meaning and both are connected to Allah's (SWT) Mercy. Allah has started the first surah with his names of mercy rather than might and power that shows that how important this characteristic is.And there also exist a difference between Al Rahman and AL Raheem. Al-RahmanIt is Allah's mercy to all the creation as in one of hadith it is mentioned that Allah has divided his mercy into 100 parts and only one part is sent down to this dunia.It is from this one part of His Mercy that animals show mercy to their offspring (Sahih Muslim)Allah says in QURAN: My Mercy encompasses all things. (Al-A'raf: 156) Al-RaheemAl-Raheem indicated the Mercy of Allah which is specific for the believers. It indicated the doing of action that only those people have mercy who believes in Allah.Allah says in Quran: He is full of mercy to the believers (Al-Ahzab:43)2. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worldsAccording to scholarsHamd and shukar has same meaning i.e.Thankfulness or gratitude. But in actual they have some difference i.e.Hamd is something which must be done with love and reverence, but shukr does not need this. Shukr is done in response to a favour which is done to a person but hamd is done simply because the one being praised and thanked is wor thy of that.Rabb:Rabb comes from the root letter Raa; Baa, Baa means one having control over something. SoRaab means one who controls or cherishes everything and is the king and master of everything. In case of ALLAH; He is alone the master whole universe and cherishes it.Aa'lameen means everything that exists other than ALLAH TALA which includes those things which have an intellect, and they are four i.e. mankind, Jins, angels and devils. It also includes those things which have souls. But it is believed that the view about everything that exists other than Allah is best because of proofs being ayah 23 and 24 of Surah Shu'ara.Said Pharaoh, â€Å"And what is the Lord of the worlds?† (23)[Moses] said, â€Å"The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced.†(24)3. The Entirely Merciful, and beneficial Here these two names are repeated to again emphasis on two important attributes of Allah that is mercy. When something is repeated in Quran pak we see ayah before it and after it to see how they are related. Here the previous ayah told the power of Allah that He has the control over everything yet again here Allah defined Himself as the most merciful as well and tells that His taking of and sustaining and providing for us is all part of his mercy towards us. 4. Master of the Day of Judgment The first word of this ayah can be recited in two ways: either as â€Å"Maalik† (with a madd after the meem) or as â€Å"Malik† (without the madd). Maalik means master, and it refers to â€Å"milk† – the ownership of something. Malik means king, and it refers to â€Å"mulk† – the dominion of a person. It is the Day of Recompense for deeds. Everyone will be gathered on this day. Some will be rewarded through His Mercy while others punished through His Justice. Allah specifically mentions His sovereignty alone on the Day of Judgment in this verse because no one will claim anything on that day and no one will be allowed to speak except by His permission. For some scholars it is the most alarming ayah of Quran whereas some scholars says it's the most calmest ayah of Quran which gives ry of hope to people that there would be day of justice. 5. It is You we worship and You we ask for help.At this point, there is a shift in the Surah from informing us about Allah (SWT) and praising Him, to addressing Him.â€Å"We worship† means we obey. Worship is obedience and self-abasement. It means to humble yourself before Allah (SWT) and to submit to His Will. Outwardly it is self-abasement, but in reality, it is glory and beautification. The ayah affirms the Lordship of Allah and affirms that worship is due to Him.â€Å"Iyyaakanasta'een† means we seek help, support and success.It also refers the status of the slave and his worship which is lower so it will come after mentioning the Lord, Allah (SWT).This verse is a proof that the slave is not allowed to divert any type of worship to other than Allah. The verse also contains remedy for the hearts from the illness of being attached to other than Allah. There is also a cure in it against spiritual diseases of showing off, self-admiration, and arrogance. 6. Guide us to the straight pathThis part of Surah Al-Fatiha is dua in which we asks ALLAH to show us right path so that we do good deeds to get closer to Allah. We need to struggle towards Allah (SWT) by doing good deeds and by staying away from all bad deeds which will distance us from Him.The word â€Å"siraat† in ayah means path. But it is not any other ordinary path rather it has certain conditions which has to be fullfilled.Theseconditions are that it must be straight path. It must reach the goal and it must be shortest route to achieve the goal. Otherwise it would be called something else such as tareeq or sabeel.The word â€Å"Mustaqeem† in ayah is derived from istaqaama, which means to be straight, upright, and correct. We already said that for a road to be a sirat it must be straight, so this adjective of mustaqeem again emphasis the straightness of this Path. Another meaning of mustaqeem is to remain firm or to stand firm without tilting. For example, a tree that is firmly grounded when the wind blows it is not affected by it. So, the Straight Path is a path on which people are firmly grounded.7. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray. Who are the people who have been blessed by Allah (SWT) and whose Path we ask to guide to? This is explained by Allah (SWT) in another ayah where He says: † Whosoever obeys Allah, and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs and the righteous, and these are the best company. â€Å"(Al-Nisa': 69) So, the favored and blessed people are the Prophets, the righteous, the martyrs and the pious. And who are the people with anger on them and those who are astray? This is explained by the Prophet. ‘AdiibnHatim (RA) asked him about those with anger on them and he replied that it refers to the Jews. He then asked him about those who are astray and he replied that it refers to the Christians. This is reported by al-Tirmidhi and is authentic.IMPACT OF SURAH AL FATIHA ON MUSLIMSSurah Fatiha has great impact on Muslims. According to some scholars this surah opens the faith of people. And repeatedly recitation of Surah Fatiha brin gs one closer to Allah. It drive us to ensure that we are sincere to the meaning of words that You alone we worship and to You alone we ask for help. This Surah gives Muslims ray of hope that they will have justice on the day of judgment as ALLAH has said He is the Master of the day ofjudgement.And this Surah helps us to seek guidance from Allah and thank Allah always when we have something from all. Muslims have great belief that by reciting Surah Fatiha they can cure diseases. Apart of that, This Surah always remind us through reciting that all praises belongs to ALLAH and He is the only one who worth worshiping. And it reminds Muslims that they have to return back to Allah one day and He will ask about their worldly deeds so they try not to commit bad deeds and act upon the commands of Allah.

Personal Budgeting Assignment

PERSONAL BUDGETING PROJECT You are to imagine that you are 21 years of age and have decided to make it on your own. You earn $606 a week and are looking for an apartment/unit/house to rent. Your parents have generously given you $2,000 to help pay for furniture and the bond on your new residence. You will need to calculate your weekly repayments and cost of living arrangements. Remember you cannot spend more than you have and you cannot borrow money. TASK ONE: As it dawned upon me that $606 was quite limiting I realised that I would have to find a job that would not be an option for my life.I was lucky enough to find a job that’s interesting as a hairdresser in Melbourne City. The qualifications needed are experience and reliability; fortunately both of which I already posses. I earn the exact minimum wage of $31,512 per year. TASK TWO, TASK THREE & TASK SEVEN: When searching for an abode, with my new-found job wage burning away in my back pocket, I again contemplated the obvi ous. It wasn’t much! As I searched and searched I came across a god-send in disguise as an apartment. At just $60 per week it barely scraped away at my weekly wage, leaving me after paying the initial bond and $546 for the weeks after.With the extremely cheap price I was blown away when I saw that it was in the same suburb (Melbourne) as my previously stated job- could this 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment get any better? Apparently it could. As I looked up pictures of my abode I saw it was very modern looking; with sleek, homely wooden floorboards, white painted walls and skirtings and stainless steel taps. All of these traits contribute to why I chose to ‘move in to’ apartment number 15; 22-24 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne. http://www. realestate. com. au/rent/between-50-100-in-melbourne/list-1? source=location-search TASK FOUR:There are many things to keep in mind when renting a property, especially if you are renting at the same time. 1. Lease Agreements: Are list ed in contract signed by both parties, they are terms of agreements. 2. Time Period: The time period of which the tenant signs the lease stating how long they will be occupying the property for. Either party can terminate the lease if they have a suitable reason. 3. Right of Entry: The landlord is given permission to enter the premises during normal business hours regarding maintenance issues. However the tenant should know 24 hours beforehand. 4.Rent: The tenant must pay the amount listed on the lease agreement. 5. Pets, Maintenance and Discrimination: When leasing the land lord is legally not allowed to reject someone on the basis of age, gender or sexual orientation. There may be pet policies either allowing or not allowing. 6. Insurance: The tenant is responsible in case of fire, theft and flood insurance yet the landlord is responsible for insurance of the tenants belongings. TASK FIVE: PICTURE| DETAILS| WHERE PURCHASED| WHY I BOUGHT IT| | | GUMTREE| To store my books and other trinket items in. | | | GUMTREE| To store my clothing and put my television on. | | GUMTREE| To sit on while I’m at the desk. To do my work at. | | | GUMTREE| To put things on in the lounge room. | | | GUMTREE| To sleep on. | | | GUMTREE| To cook food in. | | | GUMTREE| To sit on in the lounge room. | | | GUMTREE| To sit and eat at. | | | GUMTREE| To watch television on. | | | GUMTREE| To wash my cloths in. | TASK SIX: item| Price and why I need it| | To cook toast| | To cook toast| | To blend| | To beat food| | | | Price- $35. 45To clean. | | To clean. | | To clean. | TASK EIGHT: UTILITIES| SUMMER| AUTUMN| WINTER| SPRING| TOTAL| WEEKLY COST| COMBINED WEEKLY COST| ELECTRICTY| $181| $174| $180| $172| $707| $13. 9| $47. 06| WATER| $150| $138| $164| $270| $722| $13. 88| GAS| $122| $150| $251| $172| $659| $12. 67| PHONE| $90| $90| $90| $90| $360| $6. 92| Bills are a part of life in the adult world; everybody gets and needs to pay them. After paying my rent and then my utility bi lls, each week I am left with $498. 94 for other everyday expenses such as food and transport. I am left, out of the total $31,512 a year, $25,944. 88. INCOME ($606) – RENT ($60) – UTILITIES ($47. 06) = $498. 94 TASK NINE: When travelling to work most people use some form of transportation.Walking or riding a bike isn’t always appropriate; after taking into consideration the pros and cons of owning a car and taking public transport, I have opted to use public transport to get to and fro. A car is very expensive as you have to pay petrol, insurance, registration and maintenance! Taking into consideration the fact that I live in the inner city, traffic at peak hours (the times I would most likely be on the road heading to or from work) would be ghastly! Not to mention parking. The less costly alternative of travelling trams and trains allows me to always be on the go, with no traffic!The general pricing is listed in the below table, though I would spend $32. 80 on weekdays and if I go out on both days on the weekend $6. 60 (total of $39. 40) Public transport is also very eco-friendly. INCOME ($606) – RENT ($60) – UTILITIES ($47. 06) – TRANSPORT ($39. 40) = $459. 54 TRIP| FARES| Daily Zone 1+2 Full Fare (weekday)| $6. 56| Daily Zone 1+2 Full Fare (weekend)| $3. 30| TASK TEN: FOOD & PRICE| QUANTITY| TOTAL COST| | 1| | | 3| | 1| | 3| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 500g| | 6| | 1| | 3| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| 1| | 2| | 4| | 4| | 5| | 5| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| | 1| INCOME ($606) – RENT ($60) – UTILITIES ($47. 06) – TRANSPORT ($39. 40) –SHOPPING ($221. 61) = $237. 93 TASK ELEVEN: I am finally free to live the way I please and do the things I like! Out of the $2,000 given to me from my loving, caring parents I have $1,225 much money left and I am choosing to save it so I can go on holidays in the future, or in case of an emergency. Out f my weekly wage after paying everything I need to I have $237. 3 left, which I am also saving. I believe it will be good for me to have that money left over in the bank, it also proves to my parents or any other people whom have doubts of young people making it on their own! TASK TWELVE: The real world can be a hard, gruelling place- especially if you go at it on your own! In this budget review I will talk about what I expected, how I mad our decisions, problems and difficulties, things I have learned, influencial changes and some advice to those starting out. This project has given me a right taste of that world, and let me tell you it was not what I expected.I always thought it wasn’t that hard to find a job or a house- but it sure is. After hours of looking I found my job and house, both in the approp riate area. It was hard finding food and understanding the terms of leasing a property but I managed to get through it all. I did not expect that I would have budgeted so well though! The amount of money I have left shocked me to the core as I am usually I am an extremely rapid spender, yet this project has taught me that you can’t go spending all your money on silly little things and that money doesn’t grow on trees.Those learning curves influenced my decisions throughout the project greatly. If I were to give advice to anyone starting out, I would let them know that yes it is a hard place; but once you’ve got it all sorted you feel so proud. Don’t ever give up! Also, buy stuff from gumtree. com. au- massive bargains! I am so looking forward to moving out of home an putting to use the lessons I have learned in the past weeks.

Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is Essay

Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is in the detail - Essay Example Continuous review and critical analysis of the organization at timely intervals cater in pointing out to the loop holes that exist in the current setting posing a potential risk for the organization which has to be mitigated in the interest of its continuity. It helps establish and instill a safety culture within your workplace by identifying and eliminating or controlling hazards in a timely manner. The workplace design to be reviewed and updated should be analyzed on the basis of the volume and the variety of the product the organization offers, type of processes, Layout, Flow, Flexibility, compliance to laws and regulations etc. The organization should critically review these factors and revise them making necessary changes where ever required dropping a few and taking up on some new policies and procedures along the way. Altering and disturbing the status quo during this process is what might cause resistance among the people within the organization. For this purpose effective ch ange management policies should be kept into place to counteract such problems and to educate the employees by gaining their full involvement while the organization transits from current to desired settings.

Current Health Care Economic issue - Prescription drugs Essay

Current Health Care Economic issue - Prescription drugs - Essay Example The paradox is that though there are more quality drugs produced and life expectancy prolonged, the results are that the government spends billions of dollars annually to keep the pharmaceutical sector thriving. This is occasioned by the fact that the patients need more of these prescription drugs year in year out creating a dependency chain. So, the question is: who actually pays for this medical progress? Economists argue that despite Americans willingness to pay for health insurance premiums and the government doing its part by sinking the tax payers’ money into more research and innovation, the overall results are inversely related to the efforts in the long run. Drugs that derail hospital admissions, curtail proposed surgical operations signify pharmaceutical are an economical success in the short run (Mark, 2006). When these procedures are to take place later, however, these prescription drugs are purely a waste of resources due to the added overheads. Regardless of the medical care inflation costs, pharmaceutical care economics is therefore a broad area with different approaches as per the diverse areas. For example, chronic illnesses will have different costs as compared to other

Two short answer comments to a posting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Two short answer comments to a posting - Essay Example There is almost this tendency to actually want Korea to remain reclusive. A reservation that their silence, coupled with high hopes that they will not cause harm, is a better situation for the whole of the world. These inconsistencies may be perceived as nothing less than provocation and quite considerable, in parallel to the comment which delves in overanalyzing a hypothetical that leads to rhetoric. Nothing is really accomplished. It is nothing more than redundant exercise of foreseeable prospective. The recent development of a probable change in leadership serves as a trigger to renewed talks on what could happen. As Andrei Lankov was quoted saying â€Å"He will be a dictator, but merely a rubber-stamping dictator. This is what the people in the positions of power want† (McDonald 2010). If this were to happen, then nothing really changes and U.S., China and all other countries may just again fall to its habit of waiting, as it had done up to this point. 2. The second commen t is, in a manner of speaking, the other side of the coin. It recognizes what North Korea has been irked about for a long time, that the United States does not take it seriously. A recognition even Iran had been given.

Write a report that encourages a IT company(your own company) to adopt Essay

Write a report that encourages a IT company(your own company) to adopt a policy that prevent internet misuse at workplace - Essay Example The result is that information that employees might prefer to keep confidential may be exchanged over the employers network. Answers to these questions are, obviously, well beyond the scope of this article, but the questions do serve to highlight some of the issues that may concern employees about having their online activities monitored at work, and give some insight into the kind of interests for which employees might believe that they are entitled to legal protection of their privacy. In May of 2001 one group of employees, after discovering that their e-mail and Internet use was being monitored, even ordered staff to disable the monitoring software. (Bassett, 2002, para. 8) I think they were right, because the employer did not let them know about the monitoring software, and there wasn’t any Internet use policy in the company. Also reputation of the company may suffer from thoughtless employees’ activities. Hines and Cramer consider reputation as a key component of any organization’s intellectual asset portfolio. Damage to reputation can mean huge differences in customer allegiance, shareholder confidence, sales and the bottom line. (Hines and Cramer, 2003, p.1) Really, employees can use Internet to disparage their existing or former employer. Internet chat rooms, bulletin boards, live journals and other Web sites can be used for this. They provide opportunity to communicate anonymously, at no cost and to an unlimited audience. Hines and Cramer note that technical and financial risk management tools are relatively ineffective for protecting reputation, and corporate defamation is frequently caused by existing or former employees, and that’s why organizations should focus more on protecting valuable reputation assets through the normative control – specifically, improved employment practices and education of employees. (Hines and Cramer, 2003, p.2) In a recent survey of 224 firms that utilized monitoring

Do we have a fair taxation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Do we have a fair taxation system - Essay Example Nevertheless, the main system used in most nations is the progressive tax which emphasizes on paying as one earns (Christia, 2006). Each system of taxation is fair and unfair in its own way. Progressive, regressive, and lump-sum taxation systems are unfair while proportional taxation system is very fair when applied in obtaining revenue. Progressive tax system is where the effective tax rate increases as the amount affected by the rate increases. In most cases progressive tax system is known as the PAYE (Pay as you earn). This means that the more a person earns the more tax he or she pays (Hatzipanayotou, 2004). With progressive tax system those who work hard to earn more are likely to be charged more in terms of tax and this is unfair. Progressive tax rate encourages laziness and discourages hard work. On a different perspective regressive tax system is the opposite of progressive. In this regards with decreases effective rate the amount affected increases on the other hand (Christia, 2006). This is also an unfair system of taxation as those who have will pay less as compared to the poor. In addition, this means that the more a person earns the less he or she pays in form of tax and the less a person earns the more he or she pays in form of tax (Freedman & Chamberlain, 2007). Lump-sum tax system on the other hand d oes not give priority on the efforts placed by individuals in developing their nations. Therefore, these three systems of taxation are unfair. Proportional taxation system emphasizes on the effort placed by individual citizens in trying to build their countries. In this taxation system, the effective tax rate is fixed irrespective of the amount being taxed (Slemrod, 2000). Therefore, the more a person earns the more he or she takes home with the tax rate being the same. Schmidt (2000) points out that when one is lazy hence

Eiffel Tower or the Lady of Iron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eiffel Tower or the Lady of Iron - Essay Example In 1909, it was decided to dismantle the tower however the process never took place because the tower was being used for Radio transmission. The government of France decided to hold a monument contest. It was intended that the best monument will be displayed in the World Fair of 1889. The design for the Eiffel Tower by Gustave was unanimously selected out of 700 monument designs received. The construction on the Tower began in 1887, at first Parisians did not like the Eiffel Tower and considered it to be an eyesore. Most of them wanted the Tower to be dismantled, however, when the construction was completed, the tower became a prominent French symbol. French structural Engineer Gustave received the assistance of two other engineers Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin during the construction. The architect who assisted Gustave in the construction was Stephen Sauvestre. The Tower was constructed by three hundred workers who joined 18,038 pieces of pure structural iron known as the ‘puddled iron’. During the construction, 2.5 million rivets were used to join the pieces of puddled iron together. The Eiffel Tower has an open frame supported by two platforms, thus during its construction, there was a danger of losing human lives. To minimize the danger level, Gustave ordered the use of movable staging, screens as well as guard-rails. Due to the precautionary measures were taken during the entire period of construction, only one man lost his life. The construction of the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 and the inauguration ceremony was held on 31st March 1889. The Tower was officially opened on 9th May 1889. In 1889, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in France. However, now the tallest structure in France is Millau Viaduct and Eiffel Tower is the second tallest structure. The Tower has three floors and has a height of 324 meters or 1,063 feet. The heights of the three floors are 57 m, 115 m and276 m respectively. Eiffel Tower was not loved by all Parisians and it received much criticism during the time of its opening.

Article Rebuttal Essay Example for Free

Article Rebuttal Essay For the past 17 months, shown on every television news channel across the United States. The case of George Zimmerman, and the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Like every year, the media will take a case and publicly turn the story into a circus. The rebuttal article for this paper is a story written by Oliver Knox of Yahoo.com titled, Obama: Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. Further discussion will analyze the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used by Oliver Knox, and identify any logical fallacies in the argument. The article is about President Barack Obama making his first public comments on the George Zimmerman acquittal. The president stated that many African Americans believe the outcome and aftermath of the trial would have been different if Trayvon Martin had been white. The president later stated that when he first heard about this story, his thoughts said this could have been his son (Obama, 2013). Then getting more personal by saying this could have been me 35 years ago (Obama, 2013). By using personal experiences, the president discussed his life as a young African American dealing with racism in the United States. I find that the reliability, credibility, and validity of this article and author Oliver Knox highly trusted, convincing, and believable. News articles written and posted by Yahoo.com reports a straightforward message to their audience. Reporting stories down the middle, never too left or right with the occasional bias author either for or against a particular topic. Keeping political views down to a minimal. This particular article matches other similar articles written on the same news story. Second, Oliver Knox wrote the story on the statements and words of the president as he addresses the American public. Third, the genuine author of this story is President Barack Obama himself, Oliver Knox just wrote his statement. The audience that the president focused on in his address is the African American people. Using his own personal experiences, the president can relate to the ongoing outrage of the African American  public. President Obama feels the pain and disappointments of the outcome of the case. Because of this story first came out 17 months ago, many logical fallacies surfaced about this case. First, the media leaned toward a killing of an innocent young 17-year-old boy, minding his own business. Then showing a photo of this boy at the age of 12. Then here comes George Zimmerman, looking for trouble and looking for a fight by picking on a young African American boy. Would the story stay the same if George Zimmerman was African American with the same outcome, the public will never know what happened that night. Meanwhile, the story set the tone for future stories about this case. Raising the question about race possess anything to do with the incident between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. The logical fallacies of this article happened when President Obama expressed his concerns and personal experiences with the American people. This incident could easily be him 35 years ago as a young person dealing with racism in America. Concern that African Americans think that this case developed on race. A belief in the legal system would have a different outcome if Trayvon were white. Even after juror number B37 came out stating that race had no issue to the outcome of the case. Both the jury and legal experts stated that Zimmerman and Trayvon made poor judgment the night, which led to the death of Trayvon. Statements by the jury referring the only reason for Zimmermans acquittal because the way the stand your ground law is written. This article also provided some good highlighted points. The president encouraged his audience to support and encourage the young people of this country by helping them achieve and succeed in life. To be more influential and guide them on the right track. If the young people do not have the support from family, friends, neighbors, and the community, who will help them stay on the righteous path (Obama, 2013). This news article written by Oliver Knox and other journalists in this country, reporting the feelings and concerns addressed by this nations leader. Stating the issue of racism still lives in the lives of some American people. Relating to his own personal feelings on racism and demanding change to overcome these barriers. So the people, as a nation will never see another George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case again. References Knox, O. (2013). Obama: Trayvon Martin ‘could have been me 35 years ago’. Yahoo New.com. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/-obamatrayvon-martin-%E2%80%98could-have-been-me-35-years-ago%E2%80%99180734663.html Millstone, K. (2013). Obama: Trayvon Martin could have been me. MSN News. Retrieved from http://news.msn.com/us/obama-trayvon-martin-could-have-been-me

Ratio Analysis Sainsburys Vs Morrisons Finance Essay

Ratio Analysis Sainsburys Vs Morrisons Finance Essay When considered as a whole, the grocery market in the UK has  steadily growing  in size, being about 4  bigger  today than it has been  a year ago;   August 2012 update: 12 weeks ending July 8, 2012 growth rate slows from 4.2% to 2.1% due mostly to a drop in price inflation: 6.2% to 3.8%.  Morrisons is growing more slowly then Sainsburys; the company is on track to add approx. 20 new stores  in 2012  with most of those locations featuring a  larger selection of produce. The UK grocery market was worth  £163.2 billion in 2012, an increase of 3.8% on 2011, IGD forecast that the UK grocery market value will be worth  £192.6bn in 2017, an 18.0% increase on 2012. The grocery markets share accounts for 54.3p in every  £1 of UK retail spending. What is the size of the UK grocery market Source: IGD UK channel forecasts 2012 1.2 The Companies 1.2.1 Sainsburys J Sainsbury plc. is the parent company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsburys, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%. The group also has interests in property and banking. It was founded in 1869 and today operates over 1,000 supermarkets and convenience stores and employs around 150,000 colleagues. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. 1.2.2 Morrisons The supermarket, which generated sales of  £18.1 billion in the year, said it had not done enough to communicate its promotions and suffered because it still lacked a meaningful presence in the two fastest growing sectors of the market. Morrisons is the UKs fourth largest food retailer with over 400 stores. The super market is mainly food and grocery weekly shop. Morrisons employs 129,000 staff at 498 stores. Their reports show that like-for-like sales dropped 2.1% in the year, while the average of 11.4 million customers in its stores each week was down on the prior year. 2. Gearing Ratio Analysis 2.1 Gearing Ratios Gearing Ratios (%) Company/Year 2012 2011 Sainsbury 31.73 30.13 Morrison 22.86 16.25 Source : Appendix 1 Sainsburys A gearing between 25% 50% is generally considered nominal for an established business. It implies that Sainsbury is happy to finance its activities using borrowing. Sainsbury focuses more on investment in revenue growth rather than profit as the company increased sales revenue and non-current assets but suffered a loss in 2012. Morrisons The business is considered low gearing as its gearing is less than 25%. The business is growing through reinvestment of profits and minimizing risk. However, in 2012, there is an increase in gearing from 16.25% in 2011 to 22.86% and this is mainly because the business increased long-term borrowings by  £548m and reduced retained earnings and shared capital. 2.2 Interest Cover Ratio Interest Cover Ratio Company/Year 2012 2011 Sainsbury 6.04 7.40 Morrsion 20.59 20.62 Source : Appendix 2 Sainsburys The ratio indicates that the borrowing capital is used effectively to generate profits and that the business is able to meet its short-term interest obligations from its earnings. Sainsbury is growing, making worthwhile investments to continue to expand. Morrisons The ratio suggests that Morrison is generating enough income to cover its interest obligations and is thus financially stable. However, such a high ratio also suggests that Morrison is neglecting opportunities to magnify profits through leverage. 3. LIQUIDITY RATIO ANALYSIS 3.1 CURRENT RATIO COMPANY/YEAR 2011 2012 SAINSBURY .580 .647 MORRISON .545 .574 Source : Appendix 3 Sainsburys Sainsburys current assets are considerably less than the current liabilities in both the years as Sainsbury has invested a lot in fixed assets as well as in subsidiaries and joint ventures. Sainsbury is obliged to pay a lot of money as a part of tax and also in generating its assets so the liability is therefore more than the assets. For every 1pound liability they have only 64.7 pence worth of asset to cover it. Morrisons Morrison current ratio is smaller than the current ratio of Sainsbury which indicates that Sainsbury is doing slightly better than Morrison in the market. Morrison current liabilities is more than the current assets due to more of borrowing that involves short term loans, investment in fixed assets and payment of tax. For every 1pound liability they have only 57.4 worth of asset to cover it. 3.2 ACID TEST RATIO COMPANY/YEAR 2011 2012 SAINSBURY .304 .348 MORRISON .239 .247 Source : Appendix 4 Sainsburys The acid test ratio is very less as Sainsbury, being a retail store, is highly dependent on sale of inventory. As acid test ratio of Sainsbury is .348 that is less than 1 it means that Sainsbury cannot pay their current liabilities. Morrisons Like Sainsburys, Morrison also being highly dependent on inventories, acid ratio is expected to be less. Morrisons acid ratio is .247, which is less than 1, meaning Morrison cannot pay their current liabilities. It would be only able to generate 24.7 % cash of its current liabilities. Both the companies fails in extinguishing its current liabilities but this is not due to their market position or growth but just due to the nature of the business (retail). 4. PROFITABILITY RATIO ANALYSIS 4.1 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Return on Capital Employed Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 10.11 % 11.06 % Morrisons 13.83 % 13.70 % (Source : Appendix 5 ) Sainsburys ROCE growth in 2012 was lower than last year partly due to the cumulative effect of Sainsburys accelerated investment in space growth since 2009 (Sainsburys, 2011). This initially shrank profits whilst increasing the value of capital employed. Morrisons Morrisons delivered improved returns to its shareholders. For every  £1 capital invested in the business, the annual return is 13.83 pence in 2012 and was 13.70 pence in 2011. This profitability ratio of Morrison is moderately higher than Sainsburys, hence Morrisons is able to gain more profit on average capital employed. 4.2 Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 10.62 % 11.79 % Morrisons 12.78 % 11.66 % (Source : Appendix 6) Sainsburys Sainsburys Return on Equity in 2012 has decreased by 1.17 % compared to 2011 due to decline in shareholder funds. In 2011, they performed slightly better than Morrisons as they had better reserves and share capital and the Profit after Tax (PAT) was significantly lower than Morrisons. Morrisons Morrisons ROE has significantly improved over d last few years and continue to reach high values. In 2012, they showed a 1.12% increase in ROE compared to 2011 and had a 12.78 % shareholder equity. The shareholders invested a lot which resulted in higher returns. 4.3 Gross Profit Margin Gross Profit Margin Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 5.43 % 5.49 % Morrisons 6.89 % 6.96 % (Source : Appendix 7) Sainsburys A moderate decline in the ratio between 2011 and 2012 explains the fact that the gross profit was lower in relation to sales revenue. This means that cost of sales was higher relative to sales revenue within the period. Morrisons Morrisons Gross Profit Margin is higher than Sainsburys as they had a lower sales revenue and moderate gross profit compared to the latter. In 2012, 6.89 % of the net sales are available to pay off all the operating expenses. 4.4 Net/Operating Profit Margin Net/Operating Profit Margin Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 3.74 % 4.07 % Morrisons 5.48 % 5.38 % (Source : Appendix 8) Sainsburys Sainsbury accounted to lower Net Profit Margin than Morrisons because of falling sales and rising costs. The market has a lot of competition where small groceries and convenience stores capture quite a bit of total UK food retail. Morrisons Morrisons performed fairly well and showed significant increase in the operating profits from Sainsburys over the past year. It accounted 5.48 % Net Profit Margin in the current financial year (Sales Revenue:  £17663m). It is a result of superior execution and induction of higher margin products in their sales mix. Morrisons seems to be more profitable than Sainsburys across all available profitability measures. 5.0 Efficiency Ratios (Source of Data, Apendix 9, Financial Reports of Sainsburys and Morrisons) 5.1 Fixed Assets Turnover This ratio shows how efficiently the company is using fixed assets to generate sales. Low ratios indicate the company is capital intensive or that company requires a lot of fixed assets to generate a given amount of sales. (Gildersleeve, R. (1999) p.136). Efficiency Ratios Year/Comp. Sainsburys Morrisons 2011 2.40 times 2.18 times 2012 2.39 times 2.22 times Sainsburys In 2012 Sainsburys shows an increase in Sales Revenue for approx 1,100  £m, which made its ratio slightly lower comparing to 2011. The ratio remained fairly similar because the value of fixed assets at net book value increased as well. The reason for the increase in fixed assets could be explained by Sainsburys tendency for opening new stores. The financial report states that they opened 19 new supermarkets, 28 extensions, and 73 convenience stores, which are only to begin operating and contributing to sales. Morrisons On the other hand Morrisons managed to improve their ratio by obtaining similar value of their fixed assets from 2011 to 2012, and using them more efficiently to score an increase in sales revenue of 1,100 £m. Generally looking at the industry the Average ratios for Retail Food companies are between 4-5 (Wal-Mart Stores USA 5.00), (Gildersleeve, R. (1999) p.136), so Sainsburys should aim to increase the use of their fixed assets in order to increase the sales. 5.2 Average Inventories Turnover Shows how many days company had to stock goods for sale before they were sold. In the retail-food industry this period should be kept fairly low because of the nature of the business. Lower ratio indicates that company will spend less funds towards stocking items before putting it on sale and getting profit from it. Average Inventories Turnover Year /Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 14.86 Days 15.19 Days 2012 15.85 Days 16.85 Days Sainsburys Sainsburys shows growth in the average of inventories held over the course of year by almost 100  £m. As costs of sales have increased from 2011-2012, this ratio shows a slight growth in number of days goods are kept in stock. The increase of inventory in stock could be explained by Sainsburys growth of sales in 2012. Higher demand forces company to have more items in stock in order to satisfy the needs of the customers. Morrisons Morrisons shows even higher growth in average days the goods are stocked. Morrisons also note the increase in cost of sales, even more than Sainsburys. The financial reports of Morrisons state a few reasons, among which increasingly higher prices of fuel on the market. 5.3 Profit Per Employee Profit Per Employee Year/ Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 5,572.78  £ per emp. 6,617.50  £ per emp. 2012 5,256.58  £ per emp. 7,217.60  £ per emp. Sainsburys It is notable that companys profit has been reduced from 2011-2012 for 2.8 m £, which is 3.4%, even though its sales have risen for 6.8%. This could be explained by the number of reasons, but one of them that is important for this ratio is that they have also increased the number of employees. This has negatively influenced their Profit per Employee ratio, leaving it behind the industry average and Morrisons. Morrisons Unlike Sainsburys, Morrisons notes the increase in profit and reduction of number of employees. This is the most desirable situation for a company. Their profit was higher for 8 % in 2012 than in 2011. 5.4 Average Trade Debtor Collection Period It indicates the period of time which is needed for company to collect trade debts. This ratio reveals a great deal about a companys credit policy and the efficiency which it can collect money from its customers. (Fight, A. (2006) p. 57)). Average Trade Debtor Collection Period Year/Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 1.61Days 4.79 Days 2012 1.90 Days 4.34 Days Sainsburys Sainsburys shows an increase in the average time that they needed to collect the trade dept. Even though their costs of sales remained fairly similar, there was a substantial increase in the amount of trade debt. Even though this negatively influenced the ratio, Sainsburys has made trades from which they expect to receive money in near future. Furthermore their ratio shows efficiency at collecting debts, comparing both to the industry and Morrisons. Morrisons Morrisons have significantly higher average debt collection period. Even though they have managed to slightly decrease their Trade receivables from 2011-2012, their costs of sales increased by approx 1,000 £m which has not made it possible for this ratio to improve further. 6. INVESTMENT RATIO ANALYSIS FORMULAS * Eearning Per Shares = profit available to shareholders/ no. of shares ranked for dividend * Dividend Yield= dividend per share/ market price * 100% *Dividend cover = Preference Dividend/Ordinary Dividend SAINSBURYS MORRISONS 2011 2012 2011 2012 (%) (%) EARNING PER SHARE 33.8 31.5 23.43 26.03 DIVIDEND YIELD 15.10 16.1 9.60 10.70 DIVIDEND COVER 1.75 1.75 2.40 2.39 6.1 EARNING PER SHARE YEAR Sainsburys In 2011 Sainsburys experienced a sharp increase in earnings per share going up by 33.8%. And in 2012 the Sainsbury went down with 31.5% having a loss of 2.3%. It is important that assets are revaluated in order to keep the real value of assets on balance sheet. Earnings per share in 2011 increased by 2.3% to 33.8 p, reflecting the improvement in the operating profit and the effect of the additional shares, more importantly due to the property profits. Morrisons Morrisons earnings per share compared to Sainsburys are lower. This is driven by smaller profit and the fact that Morrisons is a smaller sized supermarket chain. The earning per share has 23.43% at 2011 mainly caused by the higher profits on business disposals that the company went through last year, so the return to shareholders was a lower rate per share. 6.2 DIVIDEND YIELD YEAR Sainsburys The dividend yield had a slightly decreased since the dividend per share only increased by 15.10% from 2011 year. This was a decision from the company and it reflects the reduction in the earning per share already mentioned and the fall in the dividend cover by 1.75% in 2011. Morrisons Morrison dividend yield is much less in 2011 it was 9.6% and in 2012 the dividend went up to 10.70%. 6.3 DIVIDEND COVER YEAR Sainsburys Dividend cover of Sainsburys says that earnings available for dividend cover is 1.75% in 2011 and also in 2012 so there was not change in the divided cover over the past two years. In terms of dividend cover, Sainsburys has its policy based on their calculations to maintain the dividend cover between 1.50 1.75 times. The reason behind it is that if the dividend cover is too low, there is a possibility that the company will not be able to pay out the investors. Morrisons In Morrisons divided cover, it showers that in 2011 it has 2.40% whereas in 2012 it has 2.39%, which is still more than Sainsbury. For the year 2011 Morrisons dividend cover is 2.4 times, claim that it is in line with the European food retail sector average (Morrisons, 2011). 7. Future Perspectives and Strategies Both Sainsburys and Morrisons have their business strategies for future outlined in their financial statements. Morrisons financial strategy continues to deliver improved margins whilst positioning long term growth. They wish to increase their customer appeal and growth of sales, which is meant to be converted into profitable growth. They have realized the potential in online retail, so they will finally enter the online groceries market to challenge Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys, making it the last of the major supermarket groups to have an internet presence, but only after reporting its first fall in profits for six years.C:UsersUSERDesktopfinancial management1.JPG Sainsburys based their business strategy on meeting consumer needs, taking into the account the on-going inflation over the past four years. The economic downturn has changed how and what consumers buy, and these changes appear to be lasting. In 2012 they have launched their Live Well for Less campaign based on awarding loyalty and providing the best quality possible for optimal price. Through Nectar loyalty scheme they have a wealth of data about their customers behaviour. C:UsersUSERDesktopfinancial management2.JPG Source of the table: Morrisons financial statement 2012. Source: Sainsburys Financial Statement 2012 8 Conclusions Financial statements suggest that Morrisons financial performance was very good. They had a profitable year (profit of  £58m) while Sainsburys performance was not good compared to 2011 (loss of  £42m). Morrisons financial performance was strong, and they continued to invest in long term growth of the business, and to deliver increasing returns to shareholders. Even after having steady increase in sales revenue and gross profit, Sainsbury suffered loss compared to previous year mainly because their interest and tax expenses increased while profit from joint ventures reduced. Though Sainsburys acquisition of non-current assets was underfinanced with long term sources of finance, they still managed to generate more sales and cover the debt payable easily. Alternatively, Morrisons financial management was excellent as they covered all their non-current assets with long term sources of finance. High interest cover ratio indicates that there is no sort of pressure on the company and is very profitable. References Fight, A (2006) Flow Forecasting, UK: CFrion Tec. Pvt. Stickney C.P (2010) Financial Accounting : an introduction to concepts methods and uses USA: South Western Cengage Learning Smart B.S Megginson W.L (2009) Introduction to Corporate Finance USA: South Western Cengage Learning Alberth S.W (2011) Accounting, Concepts Applications, What, Why, How of Accounting USA: South Western Cengage Learning Gildersleeve R. (1999) Winning Business: How to use Financial Analysis and Benchmarks to outscore your competition Houston: Tex Gult Pub. Co. Unknown (2010) An evaluation of the business and financial performance of morrisons. Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/dissertations/business/financial-performance-of-morrisons.php#ixzz2NhjC0HdW (Accessed: 15/03/2013) London Stock Exchange (2013) London Stock Exchange Available at: www.londonstockexchange.com (Accessed: 20/03/2013) Morrison Group (2013) Financial Reports Available at: http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/Investor-centre/Financial-reports/ (Accessed: 18/03/2013) Sainsburys Group (2013) Annual Report and Financial Statements 2011 Available At: http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar11/ (Accessed: 10/03/2013) Unknown (2013) Forces analyses of Sainsbury Available at: http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/management/forces-analyses-of-sainsbury.php (Accessed at: 18/03/2013) Appendix 1 Gearing Ratio = Long Term Loans + Value of Preference Shares Share Capital + Reserves + Long term Loans + Minority Interest Sainsburys 2012 2011 2617 + 0 538 + 5091 + 2617 + 0 2339 + 0 535 + 4889 + 2339 + 0 = 31.73 % = 30.13 % Morrisons 2012 2011 1600 + 0 253 + 5144 + 1600 + 0 1052 + 0 266 + 5154 + 1052 + 0 = 22.86 % = 16.25 % Appendix 2 Interest Cover Ratio = Profit before interest and tax Interest payable Sainsbury 2012 2011 834 138 859 116 = 6.04 = 7.40 Morrison 2012 2011 968 47 887 43 = 20.59 = 20.62 Appendix 3 Current ratio = current assets / current liabilities Sainsburys 2011 2012 Current assets = 1708 Current liabilities = 2942 Current ratio = 1708/2942 = .580 Current assets = 2032 Current liabilities = 3136 Current ratio = 2032/3136 = .647 Morrisons 2011 2012 current assets = 1138 current liabilities = 2086 current ratio = 1138/2086 = .545 Current assets = 1322 current liabilities = 2303 current ratio = 1322/2303 = .574 Appendix 4 Acid test ratio = liquid asset / current liabilities Liquid asset = current asset inventories 2011 2012 Current assets = 1708 inventories = 812 liquid asset = 1708 812 = 896 current liabilities = 2942 acid test ratio = 896 / 2942 = .304 Current assets = 2032 inventories = 938 liquid asset = 2032 938 = 1094 current liabilities = 3136 acid test ratio = 1094 / 3136 = .348 Sainsburys Morrisons 2011 2012 current assets = 1138 inventories = 638 liquid asset = 1138 638 = 500 current liabilities = 2086 acid test ratio = 500 / 2086 = .239 current assets = 1322 inventories = 759 liquid asset = 1322 759 = 569 current liabilities = 2703 acid test ratio = 569 / 2703 = .247 Appendix 5 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE = For Sainsburys 2012 2011 834 X 100 538 + 5091 + 2617 + 0 859 X 100 535 + 4889 + 2339 + 0 = 10.11 % = 11.06 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 968 X 100 253 + 5144 + 1600 + 0 887 X 100 266 + 5154 + 1643 + 0 = 13.83 % = 13.70 % Appendix 6 Return on Equity ( ROE ) = Profit after Tax X 100 Share Capital + Reserves For Sainsburys 2012 2011 598 X 100 538 + 5091 640 X 100 535 + 4889 = 10.62 % = 11.79 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 690 X 100 253 + 5144 632 X 100 266 + 5154 = 12.78 % = 11.66 % Appendix 7 Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit X 100 Sales Revenue For Sainsburys 2012 2011 1211 X 100 22294 1160 X 100 21102 = 5.43 % = 5.49 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 1217 X 100 17663 1148 X 100 16479 = 6.89 % = 6.96 %