Life in the Slums Essay

Life In The Slums Plan Intro: Life is tough living in the slums, but I’m used to it now so it’s not as hard as it was when we first moved here. Especially considering we were looking to come to the city for a better lifestyle, and to have a better chance for my parents to get a job, and for my siblings and I to go to school. My name is Anikal and I’m 13, I have 3 older brothers, and one younger sister. Para 1: living conditions and hygiene and population density Moved to Mumbai 4 years ago looking for a better life- ended up in slums It is basically a tip where we live It’s so crowded- 56% of residences have 3 or more people living in a single room It’s so dirty, it smells (although we are used to it now) People evacuating their bowls in the middle of the streets- 5 million residents don’t have access to toilets We don’t have showers we have to find little pools to clean off in- they’re generally dirty water It is a tough life to get used to- nothing is easy We were playing cricket on a big stretch of concrete and the police came chasing after us- we had to run and weave through the slums Para 2: work and employment opportunities and school and exploitation of children We originally moved to the city for the reasons of work and schooling My siblings and I get to go to school twice a week as that’s all we can afford We all have to work to get enough money for our family to eat, and to go to school It can be tough labor a lot of the time for little amounts of money We are working towards starting a business selling stuff- we aren’t sure what yet There aren’t many opportunities in the slums for work, so you have to take anything you can get We thought there would be a lot of opportunities in Mumbai There are in the main city, but very few in the slums We have to go around asking everyone if there’s anything we can do for them to earn a little bit of money We don’t get to keep that money for ourselves, we give it to mum and dad, and they use it for all the things we need Para 3: buildings and structures and infrastructure and police and security There are so many buildings in a small area in our slum Over half the population lives on 12% of the land When you are walking around there is only a small gap for sunlight to get through All the buildings are right together and the roofs hang over the footpath- if you can even call it a foot path There are some buildings that are more than one story, but they aren’t very safe For some people it doesn’t matter how unsafe it is, they just need somewhere to live The security isn’t all that great in the slums The police are sort of against us, when ever we go places we aren’t supposed to they’re straight onto us and will chase us for ages With people in the main city, they will politely tell them off, but us, straight into a full chase. Our house is substandard When it rains torrentially it sometimes leak We have hardly any access to hospitals and medical attention Conclusion: Life in the slums is tough. We moved to the city with the intention of starting fresh, and having more opportunities but we ended up in the slums. We’ve been here for four years and it’s been hard. I’m used to it now though. It is very unhygienic and packed. The population density is ridiculous. It’s been a hard run in terms of work and school, we only get a small education, and don’t have a job, we just have to try help out with same labor work for some money. There are so many buildings in such a small area, and we don’t have any security, and the police are just out to catch us doing the wrong thing. Our house is very small and squishy, but it’s the life I’m now used to, whether I like it or not, it’s how it is. Essay Life is tough living in the slums, but I’m used to it now so it’s not as hard as it was when we first moved here. Especially considering we were looking to come to the city for a better lifestyle, a chance for my parents to get a job, and for my siblings and I to get an education. My name is Anikal, I’m 13, I have 3 older brothers, and one younger sister. I’m live in the slums of Mumbai. My family and I moved to Mumbai looking for a better lifestyle, but ended up in the slums pretty quickly. It is basically like a tip where we live, it’s terrible. It is so crowded, people everywhere, and in 56% of the residences there are three or more people living in just one room! It is all so dirty, and smells (although we are used to the smell now). People just go to the toilet in the streets, 5 million people don’t have access to toilets, and in Dharavi there is one toilet per 1440 people. We don’t have access to showers- not many people do, but we have to use the water we have, or find pools of water we can clean off in. It’s a tough life to get used to in the slums, nothing comes easy. We were just playing cricket out the back of the slums on the concrete on someone else’s land, but no one was there, we weren’t affecting anyone, and the police just chased us on motorbikes with sticks and all, and we had to run back into the slums, on the roofs trying to get away. We eventually got away then ran back the other way passed them on the roof, we saw them though the gap in between two houses. We originally moved to the city of Mumbai in search of better work and schooling opportunities. My siblings and I only get to go to school twice a week, and get a small education as that’s all we can afford on our very small budget. My whole family has to work as much as we can helping people out, doing laboring work just to get enough money for the things we need. We are working towards trying to start up our own small business, and hopefully then have a steady income that we can live off. There aren’t many opportunities in the slums of Mumbai, so we have to take any work we can get. There are many opportunities if you’re in the main part of Mumbai, but unfortunately we’re in the slums. My siblings and I don’t get any pocket money, any money we go out and earn goes straight to our parents so that they can buy all the things we need, like food. There are so many buildings and other structures in our small area of the slums. It is packed, over half of the population lives on only 12% of the land. When you are walking around through the slums, there is only a small gap for any sunlight to get through between the roofs of buildings, over the footpaths- if you can even call it a footpath. There are some buildings in our slum that are more than one story, they aren’t very safe though, but for some people, thats their only option. We don’t really have any security in our slums, and the police are just out to catch us, whenever we are doing anything wrong, even the smallest thing that would normally just be a warning for others, they chase us all through our slums trying to catch us. They’re just constantly out to get us. Our house is very substandard, it’s just like a little hut, with two rooms that we’re all squished into. When there is torrential rain it can sometimes get in, but it’s u sually pretty good. We have hardly any access to any sort of medical care, and hospitals, so when we get sick or injured, we just have to hope its not too bad and that we can get through and come out better in time. Life in the slums is tough. We moved to the city with the intention of starting fresh, and having more opportunities but we ended up in the slums. We’ve been here for four years and it’s been hard. I’m used to it now though. It is very unhygienic and packed. The population density is ridiculous. It’s been a hard run in terms of work and school, we only get a small education, and don’t have a job, we just have to try help out with same labor work for some money. There are so many buildings in such a small area, and we don’t have any security, and the police are just out to catch us doing the wrong thing. Our house is very small and squishy, but it’s the life I’m now used to, whether I like it or not, it’s how it is. Bibliography: â€Å"Living conditions in the slums.† Sites.google. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. . Marotta, Stephen. â€Å"Slums – mumbaiindias jimdo page!.† Introduction – mumbaiindias jimdo page!. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug. 2013. . Slumdog millionaire. Dir. Danny Boyle. Perf. Jamal Malik. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2009. DVD. hallam, james. â€Å"Dharavi – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2013. .

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay

The Financing of Health Care Economic Issues Simulation Paper Health care system has evolved tremendously in the last few years, with many changes with the health care laws including but not limited to Universal Health Care, many individuals have choices when it comes to their coverage. According to healthcare. gov, in January of 2015, an employer with 50 or more full time employees will have to make an Employer Shared Responsibility Payment if a full time employee gets a lower health coverage premium cost if insurance is purchase in a marketplace. However, employers are not subject to this law if the numbers of employees are lesser than 50 but are still expected to offer coverage for their employees. (healthcare. gov) Employers must make sure that when choosing coverage for their employees, these should be within their needs; within health care requirements as well as inexpensive keeping in mind that lower cost may not necessarily mean better. With many varieties in health care plans such as Preferred Provider (PPO), Point of Service (POS), and Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO); the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is the most preferred and utilized group health insurance plan. As a HMO representative of Castor Insurance, health care coverage will be built, including the potential utilization of the services by different enrollees. Castor Collins Health Plan Castro Collins Health Plan is a regional HMO that was founded in 1999. As a HMO, they provide health care services as well as health insurance to individuals in its statewide network of physicians and hospitals utilizing a capitation model to compensate their network of providers. Currently, there are 100,000 enrollees and these numbers are increasing. The responsibility of a Vice President in Strategy and Financial Planning is to interact with new clients and formulating health plans that will suit their needs. With the help of colleagues such as the Chief Financial Officer Helen Fouerman, the Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Wikes, and the Executive Vice President of Planning and Development, Adam Hunter, a plan will be put together that will include pricing and setting insurance premiums. In January of 2006, Castro Collins was approached and met with two groups of people for health insurance coverage. These groups are Constructit and E-editors, neither of them have group employer’s insurance. Constructit have 1000 people and they are willing to pay a maximum of $4000 per person as an annual premium, meanwhile E-editors will pay a maximum annual premium of $4500 per person with 1,600 people. Castor Collins offers three types of health plans: Castor Standard, Castor Enhanced, and the customized plan called Castor Enhanced Minor. The standard plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, the enhanced plan, however, cover pre-existing medical conditions and offers more services. Castor Enhanced Minor is a customized plan that is almost equivalent to Castor Enhanced with somewhat lesser services that requires high utilization. Demographics  and Health Care Risk Factors There are 550 men and 450 women employees in Constructit with ages 26 to 45 and 60 percent from this age group ranging from 26 to 42 are married. This means, spouses and children need to be considered in getting health plan. Also, great physical activities are involve within thirty- two percent of the people at Constructit, while 25 percent of the people has moderate physical activity. The remainder which is 43 percent of the people involves activities that are sedentary. There are no major health risks out of the thirty-eight percent an equivalent of 170 men and 210 women in the workforce. Injuries, respiratory system diseases, digestive disorders, migraine and allergic conditions are the major causes of absenteeism in Constructit. Obesity related diseases such as hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are moderately high for this workforce that consists of 36 percent of men and 43 percent of women. In E-editors, there are 750 men and 840 women with ages 35 to 54 and most of them are married. For the past ten years, ninety-five percent in the workforce have largely been sedentary; their job involves sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time. Only five percent are required moderate activity. Stress related injury (SRI) and problems with vision were acquired by at least 95 people who had this job for a while. There are no major medical health risks for the 170 men and 182 women (22%) from this group. Respiratory disorder is the 26 percent of the group problem because they are heavy smokers. There are 720 people who are obese in this group because of the heavy sedentary lifestyles, eating habits, and lack of exercise. This also means that there are increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Plan Analysis Based on the plans, I would recommend Castor Standard to Constructit and not to provide insurance to E-editors. Since Castor Standard does not cover pre-existing conditions, the risks of providing this plan are low. The premium that Constructit will be responsible annually is $3,428, with Castor Collins Health Plan earning $3. 43 million. Given the health profile and the expected utilization of services for E-editors, I think that not providing insurance is the right decision. There is a high risk of insuring this group and whatever Castor Collins earns from this group are inadequate to cover those risks. The goal is to maximize earnings. If E-editors are willing to pay a different premium they will be considered by providing an appropriate plan that minimized risks and increased earnings. Risk-averse consumers buy health insurance to avoid losing income or wealth when they are unwell. In other words, consumers pay insurance premium to transfer their risks of medical expenses to the insurance company. The premium that Castor Collins receives is a source of revenue. It is compensation for bearing risk and for bearing expenses such as payment to health care providers. If Castor Collins know that a particular group of enrollees is more susceptible to a particular disorder, its risk for providing coverage for that disorder is higher. However, if, as in the case of Constructit and E-editors, a group of individuals is not willing to pay a higher premium to cover greater risks, Castor Collins may not be able to provide coverage for greater risks. Therefore, while selecting a plan and the services to provide under that plan, Castor Collins has to weigh various considerations – the premiums that enrollees are willing to pay, the risks of providing a particular plan or service, the expected utilization and hence, the costs, of providing various  services in the plan, and the premium Castor Collins needs to charge to maintain profitability.

Anne Aylor Case

Anne Aylor, Inc. Determination of Planning Materiality and Tolerable Misstatement MARKS. BEASLEY · FRANK A. BucKLEss  ·STEVEN M. GLOVER · DouGLAS F. PRAWITT LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing and discussing this case you should be able to [1] [2] Determine planning materiality for an audit client Provide support for your materiality decisions [3] Allocate planning materiality to financial statement elements INTRODUCTION j– Anne Aylor, Inc. (Anne Aylor) is a leading national specialty retailer ofhigh-qualitywomen's apparel, shoes, and accessories sold primarily under the â€Å"Anne Aylor† brand name.Anne Aylor is a highly __ recognized national brand that defin_s_a _ e dis_tin_t_ c fashion_point of v:iew. –. Anne Aylor merchandise represents classic styles, updated to reflect current fashion trends. Company stores offer a full range of career and casual separates, dresses, tops, weekend wear, shoes and accessories coordinated as part of a total wardrobing strategy. The company places a significant emphasis on customer service. Company sales associates are trained to assist customers in merchandise selection and wardrobe coordination, helping them achieve the â€Å"Anne Aylor† look while maintaining the customers' personal styles.The company follows the standard fiscal year of the retail industry, which is a 52-or 53week period ending on the Saturday closest to January 31 of the following year. Net revenue for the year ended January 291 2011 (referred to as fiscal2011) was $1. 4 billion and net income was $58 million. At the end of fiscal 2011, the company operated approximately 584 retail stores located in 46 states under the name Anne Aylor. The company's core business focuses on relatively affluent, fashion-conscious professional women with limited shopping time.Substantially all of the company's merchandise is developed in-house by its product design and development teams. Production of merchandise is sourced to 131 indepen dent manufacturers located in 19 countries. Approximately 45 percent; 16 percent, 13 percent, 12 percent, and 9 percent of the company's merchandise is manufactured in China, Philippin~s, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam, respectively. Merchandise is distributed to the company's retail stores through a single distribution center, located in Louisville, Kentucky.Anne Aylor stock trades on The New York Stock Exchange and Anne Aylor is required to have an integrated audit of its consolidated financial statements and its internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). As of the close of business on March 11, 2011 Anne Aylor had 48,879,663 shares of common stock outstanding with a trading price of $22. 57. The case was prepared by MarkS. Beasley, Ph. D. and Frank A. Buckless, Ph. D. f North Carolina State University and Steven M. Glover, Ph. D. and Douglas F. Prawitt, Ph. D. of Brigham Young Univers ity, as a basis for class discussion. Anne Aylor, Inc. is a fictitious company. All characters and names represented are fictitious; any similarity to existing companies or persons is purely coincidental. From Case 7. 1 of Auditing Cases: An Interactive Learning Approach. Fifth Edition. Mark S. Beasley, Frank A. Buckless, Steven M. Glover, Douglas F. Prawitt. Copyright e 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Prentice Hall.All rights reserved 77 Anne Aylor, Inc. BACKGROUND Your firm, Smith and Jones, PA. , is in the initial planning phase for the fiscal 2012 audit of Anne Aylor, Inc. (i. e. , the audit for the year that will end on January 28, 2012). As the audit manager, you have been assigned responsibility for determining planning materiality and tolerable misstatement for key financial statement accounts. Your firm's materiality and tolerable misstatement guidelines have been provided to assist you with this assignment (see Exhibit 1).Donna Fontain, the audit partner, has performed a preliminary analysis of the company and its performance and believes the likelihood of management fraud is low. Donna's initial analysis of the company's performance is documented in the memo referenced as G-3 (top right hand comer of the document). Additionally, Donna has documented current events/issues noted while performing the preliminary analysis in a separate memo, G-4. You have recorded the audited fiscal 2011 and projected fiscal20 12 fmancial statement numbers on audit schedule G-7.The company's accounting policies are provided in Exhibit 2. Assume no material misstatements were discovered during the fiscal 2011 audit. REQUIRED [1] Review Exhibits 1 and 2; audit memos G-3, and G-4i and audit schedules G-5, G-6 and G-7. Based on your review, answer each of the following questions: [a] [b] [c) [d) [e) [f) [g) [2) Why are different materiality bases considered when determining planning materiality? Why are different materiality thresholds relevant for different au dit engagements?Why is the materiality base that results in the smallest threshold generally used for planning purposes? Why is the risk of management fraud considered when determining tolerable misstatement? Why might an auditor not use the same tolerable misstatement amount or percentage of account balance for all fmancial statement accounts? Why does the combined total of individual account tolerable misstatements commonly exceed the estimate of planning materiality? Why might certain trial balance amounts be projected when considering planning materiality?Based on your review of the Exhibits ( 1 and 2) 1 audit memos ( G-3, and G-4), and audit schedules ( G-5, G 6-1, and G 6-2), complete audit schedules G-5, G-6 and G-7. 78 Anne Aylor, In(. EXHIBIT 1 Smith and Jones, PA. Polley Statement: Planning Materiality This policy statement provides general guidelines for firm personnel when establishing planning materiality and tolerable misstatement for purposes of determining the nature , timing, and extent of audit procedures. The intent of this policy statement is not to suggest that these materiality guidelines must be followed on all audit engagements.The appropriateness of these materiality guidelines must be determined on an engagement by engagement basis, using professional judgment. Planning Materiality Guidelines Planning materiality represents the maximum, combined financial statement misstatement or omission that could occur before Influencing the decisions of reasonable individuals relying on the financial. statements. The magnitude and nature of financial statement misstatements or omissions will not have the same influence on all financial statement users.For example, a 5 percent misstatement with current assets may be more relevant for a creditor than a stockholder, while a 5 percent misstatement with net income before Income taxes may be more relevant for a stockholder ttian a creditor. Therefore, the primary consideration when determining materiali ty Is the expected users of the financial statements. Relevant financial statement elements and presumptions on the effect of combined misstatements or omissions that would be considered Immaterial and material are provided below: †¢ Net Income-Before-Income Taxes –  ·combined misstatements or omissions less than 2 percent of..  ·- Net Income Before Income Taxes are presumed to be immaterial and combined misstatements or - ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- omissions-greater than ·7†³percenfare-pfes-umecrtob8 ·-material. -(Note: Net lncome.. Befofe.. lncome______ .. Taxes may not be an appropriate base If the clienrs Net Income Before Income Taxes is substantially below other companies of equal size or Is highly variable. ) †¢ Net Revenue – combined misstatements or omissions less than 0. 5 percent of Net Revenue are presumed to be Immaterial, and combined misstatements or omissions greater than 2 percent are presumed to be material. Curren t Assets – combined misstatements or omissions less than 2 percent of Current Assets are presumed to be immaterial, and combin9d misstatements or omissions greater than 7 percent are presumed to be material. †¢ Current Liabilities – combined misstatements or omissions less than 2 percent of Current Uabilities are presumed to be immaterial and combined misstatements or omissions greater than 7 percent are presumed to be material. †¢ Total Assets- combined misstatements or omissions less than 0. percent of Total Assets are presumed to be immaterial, and combined misstatements or omissions greater than 2 percent are presumed to be material. (Note: Total Assets may not be an appropriate base for service organizations or other organizations that have few operating assets. ) The specific amounts established for each financial statement element must be determined by considering the primary users as well as qualitative factors. For example, if the client is close to violating the minimum current ratio requirement for a loan agreement, a smaller planning materiality amount should be used for current assets and liabilities.Conversely, if the client is substantially above the minimum current ratio requirement for a loan agreement, n would be reasonable to use a higher planning materiality amount for current assets and current liabilnies. Planning materiality should be based on the smallest amount established from relevant materiality bases to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements, taken as a whole, are not materially misstated for any user. Anne Aylor, Inc.Tolerable Misstatement Guidelines In addition to establishing materiality for the overall financial statements, materiality for individual financial statement accounts should be established. The amount established for individual accounts is referred to as â€Å"tolerable misstatement. † Tolerable misstatement represents the amount individual financial statement accoun ts can differ from their true amount without affecting the fair presentation of the financial statements taken as a whole. Establishment of tolerable misstatement for individual accounts enables the auditor to design and execute an audn strategy for each audit cycle.The objective in setting tolerable misstatement for individual financial statement accounts is to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements taken as a whole are fairly presented in all material respects at the lowest cost. To provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements taken as a whole do not contain material misstatements, the tolerable misstatement established for individual financial statement accounts should not exceed 75 percent of planning materiality. The percentage threshold should be lower as the expectation for management fraud increases.In many audits it is reasonable to expect that individual financial accounts misstatements identified will be less than tolerable misstatement a nd that misstatements across accounts will offset each other (some identified misstatements will overstate net income and some identHied misstatements will understate net income). This expectation is not reasonable when the likelihood of management fraud is hi,gh. If management is intentionally trying to misstate the financial statements, it is likely that misstatements will be systematically biased in one direction across accounts.The tolerable misstatement percentage threshold should not exceed:- — — —— ·- · - · – ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œ —- —- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œ — – –  ·- ·  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€ —- ·Ã‚ ·- ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·- – ——7-5-percent-of-planning materJality-if low-likelihood-otmanagementfraud —————- _– ·- ·-  ·- - · - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·- · . †¢ 50 percent of planning materiality if reasonably low likelihood of management fraud, and †¢ 25 percent of planning materiality if moderate likelihood of management fraud Finally a lower tolerable misstatement may be required for specific accounts because of the relevance of the account to users.Tolerable misstatement for a specific account should not exceed that amount that would influence the decision of reasonable users. Approved: April 24, 2009 80 Anne Aylor, Inc. EXHIBIT 2 Anne Aylor, Inc. Accounting Policies Revenue Recognition -The Company records revenue as merchandise is sold to clients. The Company's policy with respect to gift certificates and gift cards is to record revenue as they are redeemed for merchandise. Prior to their redemption, these gift certificates and gift cards are recorded as a liability.While the Company honors all gift certificates and gift cards presented for payment, management reviews unclaimed property laws to determine gift certificate and gift card balances required for escheatment to the appropriate government agency. Amounts related to shi pping and handling billed to clients in a sales transaction are classified as revenue and the costs related to shipping product to clients are classified as cost of sales. A reserve for estimated returns is established when sales are recorded. The Company excludes sales taxes collected from customers from net sales in Its Statement of Operations.Cost of Sales and Selling, General and Administrative Expenses- The following table Illustrates the primary costs classified in each major expense category: Cost of Sales Cost of merchandise sold; Freight costs associated with moving merchandise from our suppliers to our distribution center; __ †¢ . – Costs asSociated with the rilovein8nt Of – merchandise-through. customsrCosts associated with the fulfUiment of online customer orders; Depreciation related to merchandise management systems; Sample development costs; Merchandise shortage; and Client shipping costs.Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Payroll, bonus a nd benefit costs for retail and corporate associates; –~- __Design and merchandising oosts;____ _ _ _ Occupancy costs for retail and corporate facilities; -Depreciation related to retail and corporate assets; · Advertising and marketing costs; Occupancy and other costs associated with operating our distribution center; Freight expenses associated with moving merchandise from our distribution center to our retail stores; and Legal, finance, Information systems and other corporate overhead costs.Advenlslng- Costs associated with the production of advertising, such as printing and other costs, as well as costs associated with communicating advertising that has been produced, such as magazine ads, are expensed when the advertising first appears In print. Costs of direct mall catalogs and postcards are fully expensed when the advertising Is scheduled to first arrive in clients' homes. Leases and Oete†ed Rent Obligations – Retail stores and administrative facilities are occupied under operating leases, most of which are non-cancelable.Some of the store leases grant the right to extend the term for one or two additional five-year periods under substantially the same terms and conditions as the original leases. Some store leases also contain early termination options, which can be exercised by the Company under specific conditions. Most of the store leases require payment of a specified minimum rent, plus a contingent rent based on a percentage of the store's net sales in excess of a specified threshold.In addition, most of the leases require payment of real estate taxes, Insurance and certain common area and maintenance costs In addition to the future minimum lease payments. Rent expense under non-cancelable operating leases with scheduled rent increases or free rent periods is accounted for on a straight-line basis over the initial lease term beginning on the date of initial possession, which is generally when the Company enters the space and b egins construction build-out Any reasonably assured renewals are considered. The amount of the excess of straight-line rent expense over scheduled payments is recorded as adeferred liability. 1 Anne Aylor, IlK. Construction allowances and other such lease incentives are recorded as deferred credits, and are amortized on a straight-line basis as a reduction of rent expense beginning in the period they are deemed to be earned, which often is subsequent to the date of initial possession and generally coincides with the store opening date. The current portion of unamortized deferred lease costs and construction allowances is included in â€Å"Accrued tenancy†, and the long-term portion is included in â€Å"Deferred lease costs† on the Company's Balance Sheets.Restructuring Costs – On January 30, 2008, the Company inniated a multi-year restructuring program designed to enhance protnability and improve overall operating effectiveness. The restructuring program, includ es closing underperforming stores over a three-year period, reducing the Company's corporate staff by approximately 1Oo/o and undertaking a broad-based productivity initiative that includes, among other things, the strategic procurement of non-merchandise goods and services.Restructuring costs include non-cash expenses, primarily associated wnh the write-down of assets related to store closures, cash charges related primarily to severance and various other costs to implement the restructuring program. Liabilities associated with restructuring charges are included in â€Å"Accrued salaties and bonus,† Accrued tenancy,† â€Å"Accrued expenses and other current liabilities,† and â€Å"Other liabilities. † Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and short-term highly liquid investments with original maturity dates of 3 months or less are considered cash or cash equivalents.The Company invests excess cash primarily in money market accounts and short-term commer cial paper. Financial Instruments- The Company's auction rate securities are classified as available-for-sale and are — - ·Ã‚ ·- ·Ã‚ · —–carried at. cost or_ par_ value,. which _appro,droaJe$J~! mM~~LV~-~~~ . I~_s. e_ sepurities have stated maturities beyond three months but are priced and traded as short-term instruments due to theliquiditY-provided fnrougn — - · – ·  ·Ã‚ ·  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-  · - ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ – ·-ttie interesrratereset ·mechanism-of-2B-or35-days:– ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€-. - ·Ã‚ ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã‚ ·- ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · Merchandise Inventories – Merchandise inventories are valued at the lower of average cost or market, at the individual item level. Market is determined based on the estimated net realizable value, which is generally the merchandise selling price. Merchandise inventory levels are monitored to identify slow-moving items and broken assortments (items no longer in stock in a sufficient range of sizes) and markdowns are used to clear such merchandise. Merchandise inventory value is reduced if the selling price is marked below cost.Physical inventory counts are performed annually in January, and estimates are made for any shortage between the date of the physical inventory count and the balance sheet date. Store Pre-Opening Costs – Non-capital expendnures, such as rent, advertising and payroll costs incurred prior to the opening of a new store are charged to expense in the period they are incurred. Property and Equipment- Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives: Building †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 yea rs Leasehold improvements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 years or term of lease, if shorter Furniture, fixtures and equipment.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2-1 0 years Software †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 years Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets – The assessment of possible impairment is based on tbe Company's ability to recover the carrying value of the long-lived asset from the expected future pre-tax cash flows (undiscounted and wnhout interest charges).If these cash flows are Jess tha11 the carrying value of such assets, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between estimated fair value and carrying value. The primary measure of fair value is based on discounted cash flows. T he measurement of impairment requires management to make estimates of these cash flows related to long- 82 Anne Aylor, In(. lived assets, as well as other fair value determinations. Goodwill and lnde†nlte-llved Intangible Assets – The Company performs annual impairment testing related to the carrying value of the Company's recorded goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets.Defe†ed Financing Costs- Deferred financing costs are amortized using the effective interest method over the term of the related debt. Self Insurance – The Company is self-insured for certain losses related to its employee point of service medical and dental plans, its workers' compensation plan and for short-term disability up to certain thresholds. Costs for self-insurance claims filed, as well as claims incurred but not reported, are accrued based on management's estimates, using information received from plan administrators, third party activities, historical analysis, and other relevant data.Costs for seH-insurance claims filed and claims incurred but not reported are accrued based on known claims and historical experience. Income Taxes – The Company accounts for income using the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized, and income or expense is recorded, for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Treasury Stock Repurchases – The Company repurchases common stock from time to time, subject to market conditions and at prevailing market prices, through open market purchases or in privately negotiated transactions. Repurchased shares of common stock are recorded using the ~ost method. - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ —– — · – – – – – – – – –  œ – –  · ——- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ · —- ——— · —- ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ ————-Stock-based Compensation- The Company uses the modified prospective method to record stock-based — ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·- —compensation-:-Thecalculaticinof stocK-baseifcompensatiOn exp-ense requirestne input ofnigtily subjective___  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ.. -†¦ assumptions, including the expected term of the stock-based awards, stock price volatility, and pre-vesting forfeitures. The Company estimates the expected IHe of shares granted in connection with stock-based awards using historical exercise patterns, which is assumed to be representative of future behavior.The volatility of common stock at the date of grant is estimated based on an average of the historical volatility and the implied volatility of publicly traded options on the common stock. In add†ion, the expected forfe†ure rate is estimated and expense is only recorded for those shares expected to vest. Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience of stock-based awards granted, exercised and cancelled, as well as considering future expected behavior.Savings Plan and Pension Plan -In June 2006, the Company's Board of Directors authorized management to freeze â€Å"s non-contributory defined benefit pension plan (the â€Å"Pension Plan†) and enhance its defined contribution 401 (k) savings plan (the â€Å"401 (k) Plan;. These plan changes became effective on October 1, 2006. Savings Plan – Substantially all employees of the Company and â€Å"s subsidiaries who work at least 30 hours per week or who work 1,000 hours during a consecutive 12 month period are eligible to participate in the Company's 401 (k) Plan.Under the plan, participants can contribute an aggr egate of up to 75o/o of their annual earnings in any combination of pre-tax and after-tax contributions, subject to certain lim†ations. The Company makes a matching -contribution of 1OOo/o w†h respect to the first 3o/o of each participant's contributions to the 401 (k) Plan and makes a matching contribution of 50o/o with respect to the second 3o/o of each participant's contributions to the 401 (k) Plan.Pension Plan- Substantially all employees of the Company who began employment prior to October 1, 2006, and completed 1,000 hours of service during a consecutive 12 month period prior to that date are eligible for benefits under the Company's Pension Plan. The Pension Plan calculates benefits based on a career average formula. Only those associates who were eligible under the Pension Plan on or before September 30, 2006 are eligible to receive benefits from the Pension P! an once they have completed the five years of 83 Anne Aylor, Inc. ervice required to become fully vest ed. As a resu~t of the Pension Plan freeze, no associate may become a participant in the Pension Plan on or after October 1, 2006, and no additional benefits will be earned under the Pension Plan on or after October 1, 2006. The Company records the net over- or under-funded position of a defined benefit postretirement plan as an other asset or other liability, with any unrecognized prior service costs, transition obligations or actuarial gains/losses reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in stockholders' equity.Other Liabilities – Other liabil~ies includes liabilities associated with the Company's restructuring program, pension plan, borrowings for the purchase of fixed assets, and obligation tor excess corporate office space. — ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ —– ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ —- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·- - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·-  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- – ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œ - ·- ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ · — ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·.  ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·  ·- ·- - ·  ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·  ·- ·- ·- —– ·- 84 Anne Aylor, In(. Anne Aylor, Inc. Memo: Analysis of Performance First Quarter Year Ended: January 28,2012 Reference: Prepared by: Date: G3 DF 6115111 Reviewed by: Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 7. 5 percent from the first o quarter – f fiscal 2011.Comparable store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 5. 1 percent, compared to a comparable store sales increase of 2. 5 percent in the first quarter offiscal201 J. The Company saw improvement in same store sales as a result of a targeted promotional strategy that helped drive increased traffic to Company stores. The Company also continues to experience growth in e-commerce sales that are up by more than 20% over the previous comparable period. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 54. 5 percent in the first q uarter of fiscal 2012, compared to 53. 0 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2011.The increase in gross margin as a percentage of net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 as compared to the comparable fiscal 2011 period was due primarily to higher full price sales as a percentage of total sales coupled with higher margin rates achieved on both full price and non-full price sales at stores. This performance was the result of improved product offerings, effective marketing initiatives and the success of the Company's strategy to appropriately position inventory levels. ——————————————– ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ · - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ———— ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ · ——– ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã‚ ·- ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased —— — â €”—– ———-ro–48:1 percent; -;n-rhe first quanero jlsCiir20n ;–co paredto5o:g peicenroj ner — — ———– —–f m sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2011. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales was primarily due to improved operating leverage as a result of higher net sales, payroll and tenancy related savings associated with the restructuring program, and continued focus on cost savings initiatives.The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses was partially offset by higher marketing and performance-based compensation expenses. Net income as a percentage of net sales increased to 3. 8 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, compared to 2. 6 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2011. The increase in net income as a percentage of net sales is due to strong full price selling at Company stores and improved operat ing efficiencies. 85 Anne A~or, Inc. Anne Aylor, Inc.Planning Materiality AsiiiSrnent Year Ended: January 28, 2012 Primary Users of Financial Statements (llat): Reference: Prepared by: Date: Reviewed by: G5 Materla! ltl_Bases On thousands_}: Flscal2011 Actual Financial Statement Bat Amounts Income Before Taxes Net Revenues Current Uabilltles Current Assets—– Total Assets Planning Materiality On thousands): Explanation: Flscal2012 Planning Materiality Levels Projected Upper Limit Lower Limit Financial Dollar Statement Dollar Amount Percent Amounts Percent Amount 2 7 – 2– –0. 5 – –7 2 7 2 0. 5 2 – – – I$ 87 Anne Aylor, Inc. Anne Aylor, Inc. Tolerable Mlutatement Assessment Year Ended: January 28, 2012 Reference: Prepared by: Dale: Reviewed by: G6 Likelihood of Management Fraud (check one): Low Likelihood of Management Fraud Reasonably Low Likelihood of Management Fraud Moderate Likelihood of Management Fraud Tolerab le Misstatement (In thousands): Planning Materiality: Multiplication Factor (0. 75 if low likelihood of management fraud, 0. 50 if reasonably low likelihood of management fraud, and 0. 25 if moderate likelihood of management fraud).Tolerable Misstatement (In thousands) $ X $ :;pee S lflc Accounts Requiring Lower Tolerable Mlsstatement: Account Tolerable Misstatement Explanation;- — —– ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·- ·- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- — —————- · . ——- · —–~– ——— ·- ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · .†¢. —– ——-â€Å"‘ —- – —- ——- - ·  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·- — – †¦. ——— — ·Ã¢â‚¬â€ —- Explanation: Explanation: Explanation: Explanation: Explanation: 88 Anne Aylor, Inc. Anne Aylor, Inc. Planning Materiality Finan cial Information YearEnded:January28,2012 Reference: Prepared by: G7 Data: Reviewed by: 1/28/2012 1/29/2011Projected Actual All amonts are in thousands 1,355,400 $ $ 1,243,788 Net sales 599,700 562,427 Cost of sales 755,700 681,361 Gross margin 659,800 627,622 SeiUng, general and administrative expenses 3,856 Restructuring charges 0 95,900 Operating income/(loss 49,883 Interest income 700 636 1,200 Interest expense 1,009 95,400 lncome/(loss) before income taxes 49,510 Income tax provlsion/(beneflt) 36,900 18,408 Net lncome/(loss) 58,500 $—-~=-$—=-3a1,~10†¢2 A11ets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 156,600 $ 138,194 . ___ Accountsreceivable ____ - ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- – ·- ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ ·12,100– —— 12,67o- ·-.. —- · Merchandise Inventories 133,800 111,229  ·Refundable Income- taxes- ·Ã¢â‚¬â€-~— · – ·-  ·-  ·- —  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬â€œ —- ·- ·Ã‚ ·  ·Ã‚ ·-  ·  ·- · —– ·  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · —- —– – ·  ·- ·- –  ·- · —- —— ·  ·Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ18,400 16,394 Deferred income taxes Prepaid expenses and other current assets Total current assets Property and equipment net Deferred financing costs, net Deferred Income taxes Other assets Total assets Uabllltles and Stockholdn' Equity Current llabllltles Accounts payable Accrued salaries and bonus Accrued tenancy Gift certificates and merchandise credits redeemable Accrued expenses and other current Uabilltles Total current liabilities Deferred lease costs Deferred income taxes Long-term performance compensation Other liabilities Total liabilities Stockholders' equity Common stock and paid in capital Retained earnings Accumulated other comprehensive loss Treasury stock Total stockholders' equity . Total liabilities and stoc kholders' equity $

Ethics In The Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics In The Workplace - Essay Example The worst thing about Bob’s act in cheating the old man is lowering the belief in the basic nature of a fellow human being. Part C: Yes, it is very important to keep a word of promise, irrespective of whether the promisee is known or not or whether we see that person again or not. Failure to keep a promise is an act of cheating that is violating the other person’s right not to be abused. For the person indulging in cheating, it also involves living with that guilt feeling forever and consequently suffering a loss of self-esteem. While deciding on the policy with its ethical implications, I would be guided by not sentimental or political considerations but by the consequential results of my action. The larger question would then be: Will doing business in China, albeit with censored version of services, lead to opening a window of opportunity, however small an opening it may be, for the people of China? Most certainly it does. According to Google’s policy, politically unacceptable information would be blocked out and the viewer informed of the same. This act by itself and the frequency with which such blockades take place are most likely to be a source of embarrassment to the authorities who can be expected to slacken the controls – in other words, open the window a little more. Thus, Google’s policy, while being Utilitarian morally, also has the desirable objective of contributing to the common good of the customers in the longer run. iii). ‘Ends do not always justify means’ is my new perception, after the lessons. In personal life or professional life, even when difficult decisions are to be taken, I would act in as transparent a manner as possible to make my objective clear and ethically

Why is it important to get tested for HIV every 6 months Essay

Why is it important to get tested for HIV every 6 months - Essay Example The decisions will be important in determining one’s sexual health and the future. Studies have shown that realizing one’s HIV status helps take actions that will protect their health, as well as their partners and relatives. With respect to Sherman, a respected scholar on health issues, it is only through testing that one may realize as being positive, in such a situation the victim will seek medical intervention in time. People live healthy, long, and fulfilling lives upon getting the HIV test. It is important to safeguard your health once you get the HIV test regardless of whether you test negative or positive. According to the cdc website, knowing your HIV status makes one stronger than before. You also need to seek medical attention immediately you get or feel unwell. Many people do not realize the HIV virus is within them because they feel fine with no complications. HIV, however, will attack the T-cells or CD4 cells that defend the body against attacks. The attack of the cells leads to a weak immune system. If one gets the virus and does not seek medical treatment, it destroys many CD4 cells to the extent that body becomes weak and cannot fight even the slightest infections. In such a situation, the HIV virus graduates to AIDS. Go for the HIV test as often as possible. For those who get positive results, am sorry but you should seek medical treatment immediately. Cdc further stresses that, although there is no cure, proper medical care can control the virus. Please go for the HIV tests to avoid the saying of â€Å"I wish I knew.† It is important to maintain every part of our bod y in the right state of health. According to Womenhealth.org, getting an HIV test will prevent health complications that may exceed your financial abilities in future. It will make you honest to your own feelings. The virus spreads even in unthinkable ways. HIV spreads through some simple means which people may tend to neglect or

Operational Management in Hospitality (A REPORT) Essay

Operational Management in Hospitality (A REPORT) - Essay Example These above mentioned value-added, important activities should always be aligned with the market opportunities in order to have an optimal performance†. (Jacobs, 2001) Operations management also focuses carefully on how to manage the different processes in order to distribute and produce different services and products. Generally, small businesses or enterprises dont usually talk about this term which is known as operations management, but on the other hand, they do carry out different activities that management schools associate with. There are many small businesses that generally follow some basic rules in order to make their business stable so that they can work well. They also know that there are many other companies who work well by following operation management rules and regulations. But no doubt they do use some basic principles in order to compete with all the other companies. All the different activities usually include development, production creation, distribution and production. Other related activities include inventory control, managing all the purchases, storage, quality control, evaluations and logistics. One of a great deal of fo cus is mainly on effectiveness and efficiency of all these above mentioned processes. Therefore, operations management also includes an analysis and substantial measurement of internal process. Restructuring is termed as an important process with the help of which any company can regain its profits and can work better. Restructuring can be classified into various steps. It can be done in any phase or in any process. All the departments of the company require restructuring because it is necessary in order to gain maximum potential. â€Å"With the help of restructuring, operation management can also work well because it is only with the help of it that a company can gain maximum shares†. (Jacobs, 2001) SSP are the leader in providing advice which helps a lot in designing the whole

Develop a tourism planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Develop a tourism planning - Assignment Example If it is found not to benefit in any way then another option is picked. In the tourism planning several issues are regarded which encompasses the environment in which the actual planning is taking place. The socio-economic is one important factor, physical and political factors are considered when deciding on the planning. These are either interrelated or interdependent components of the system (Marcouiller, 1995). Just like any other planning, it is also in tourism that the planning aim is to achieve certain goals and objectives. This is the benchmark for any planning activity. The achievement of the goals and objective is done after a careful evaluation of the available resources and the needs of the peoples. This allows one to make efforts of marching the two given the available resources. The planning is a multi disciplinary activity in which a comprehensive and systematic approach is used to reach a comprehensive approach. It involves several steps, which are subject of revision as the process goes on (Reid, 2004). Tourism planning then has the following steps; defining of goals and the objectives, Identification of the system of tourism to adopt, Available resources, organization, Market availability, alternatives, evaluation of the alternatives, selection, and finally monitoring and evaluation. Goals and Objectives Setting the goals and objective in any organization will always allow the management to work in relation to a target. The goals in this case will be set after doing the SWOT analysis (Reid, 2004). This is very important, as it will enable as to appreciate the resources and challenges that we have so that we can define an appropriate goals and objectives to pursue. Before deciding on the goals, we will have to evaluate our past performance and current performance vis a vis the resources we have and the expectations of our customers. In setting the goals and objectives, we have to consider the strategies that are used by the competitors in the m arket. This will enable us to be at par with them or surpass them in the provision of services (Riley, Ladkin, & Szivas, 2010). Following the above set criterion, we will have to set our goals and objectives as follows; I. To launch an extensive advertisement of our tourist site all over the world and demonstrate that we are the site of choice given the diverse natural flora and fauna in our site. II. Modernize our system to meet the international standards. That is, including indoor pools in to provide services during winter periods. We also intend to improve maintain he infrastructural activities within our site. III. To collaborate with other stakeholders in an effort to create a brand name for our site and at the same time get involved in the corporate social responsibility to increase domestic tourism in to the site. IV. To increase the total revenue collection of the site by expanding both the local and the international market to maintain all round visitation into the site. T ourism System to Adopt In the planning, we are going to couple both domestic and international tourism. This is aimed at widening the market level of the customers. In the resent past, both international and rural tourism has shown remarkable increase and there is need to develop a system that will trap the looming potential of visitors in the site. We therefore want to modernize the rural tourism to attract the international

How WOMEN In Saudi Arabia effect the international market and Essay

How WOMEN In Saudi Arabia effect the international market and international business - Essay Example A woman’s starting salary to a man’s in a similar position is relatively low and the similar situation applies concerning promotions to prestigious positions (Freedman 9). International market research encompasses several barriers in different regions particularly in the Saudi Arabia where the concept of woman working is a cultural and religious taboo. However, the unfavorable conditions in the Middle East and the North African (MENA) states complicate that involvement of the women in business even further. Saudi Arabia particularly does not allow women and men to work together and the only place that happens is in the hospitals (Alhujelan 67). Education is paramount for any business interactions and cultural relations. Business customs involves how analysis of different cultures, which interrelates with international marketing. Age maturity is very important when dealing with foreign cultures and business opportunities. This is because international relationships always involve interactions with different persons of varying cultures. Most of these characteristics to deal with international relations mostly result from education, which may be formal or informal. A lot of tolerance, interpersonal skills, flexibly and good communications are paramount to international interactions. These aspects are mostly paramount in matters of management and international coordination. Long are times when women succumbed to pressure due to cultural pressures and religious believes but they are recently going through education. Therefore, women have an equal playing field in terms of job opportunities and capabilities. Equally, women in Sa udi Arabia are defying all odds and are engaging in education despite the labor law dictating that women can only work in field that suit their nature (Profanter, Cate, Maestri and Piacentini 33). The increasing number of women joining careers in the country confirms that things are

Trojan War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trojan War - Research Paper Example Primarily based on Homer’s epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, the Trojan War enjoys the status of one of the greatest incidents of ancient Greek mythology leading to chaos and bloodshed eventually. The epics also demonstrate The war also submits to narrate the ambitious nature and disposition of the ancient era people, who used to spend several decades in wars and hostilities on minor issues and trivial matters, which could easily be solved through negotiations. Started with the abduction of the Greek queen Helen, the war ended in the victory of the Greeks and destruction and ruination of Troy, where both the sides had to wash their hands of the splendid warriors and bravest men in the history of civilizations at large, tombs of whom are viewed to be the Trojan coast of cremations. Homer’s Iliad declares the rivalry among the three Greek goddesses including Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite over the Apple of Discord thrown by the goddess Eris for the fairest of the goddesses. Sinc e all the three claimed themselves to be the fairest one, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite sought the judgment from King Zeus with regards to declaring the most beautiful one among the three. Since Zeus would not hurt any of the goddesses, he bestowed the power of announcing judgment to Paris, a local shepherd. Paris was actually the son of Trojan royal couple King Priam and Queen Hecuba, who had thrown the infant Paris in the wilderness because of the prophecy that the child, on growing young, would bring ruination to Troy.... Paris, according to the sources, was actually the son of Trojan royal couple King Priam and Queen Hecuba, who had thrown the infant Paris in the wilderness because of the prophecy that the child, on growing young, would bring ruination to Troy.10 Somehow, Paris’s extraordinary intelligence, comeliness and bravery had won Zeus’s favors, who had appointed him judge in order to decide the name of the most beautiful goddess of Greece. Since Aphrodite had revealed her complete body and stood naked before Paris, she was declared to be the most beautiful goddess. Aphrodite sought no bounds of joy, and in return provided Paris with all the information about Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful lady on the face of the earth. Immediately after obtaining information regarding Helen, Paris set out to discover the outstanding beauty, and fell in love with Helen. On receiving the powerful response from Helen, they planned to move to Troy for good. Helen’s elopement infuriated M enelaus, who called all the former suitors11 of Helen12 in Sparta, and sought their support in this matter. At first, the kings looked reluctant to participate in the war; somehow, on getting reminded of the pledge they were determined to wage war on the Trojans, who not only had abducted the spouse of Spartan King, but had also refused to return her to her consort. Out of sheer feelings of rage, the Greeks invaded Troy in order to take revenge of their humiliation from the Trojans eventually. Course of War: Since the Trojans had refused to return Helen to the Greeks through negotiation, they were certain regarding the fact that the war was evident and inevitable. Prince Hector had told his father i.e. King Priam about the prophecy of his triumph

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Biology - Essay Example There were no fossils available at this time to make comparisons or linkages. As a result what was available was visual and the comparison was made to gorillas and chimpanzees which included bonobos. Authors and researchers A. C. Wilson and V. M. Sarich wrote that quantitative comparisons made of serum albumins, transferrins, hemoglobins, and DNA show that man is more similar to African Apes than to old world monkeys. They argued that the inference made by some regarding monkeys to men is not correct. (Wilson, Sarich 1088) This argument is made well simply because the original argument made by Darwin as Dawkins points out was in favor of Apes and chimpanzees versus monkeys. Additional support for the theories originally postulated by Darwin abounds as a result of the use of DNA. Dawkins address’s the various fossils and skeletons found, Ape Man, Java man, Peking man and more and debunk the creationist approach in this regard. He does make it clear that he respects the creationists approach regarding the use of arguments that are not valid, though his disdain for them shines through in the surrounding texts. Though the argument against the missing links has valid points, the author Dr. Marvin Lubenow makes it clear that the fossil presentations can be called into question simply because they cannot be definitively shown to be human or of human ancestry. (Lubenow 10-17) Dawkins continues to place what is known and accepted ahead of these arguments however, and shows that some of the more lurid attempts to challenge the fossil records are not based in science but in popular belief. As we read through the next two chapters we are quickly made to see that some of the more normal arguments made against evolution truly are baseless. One argument for which Dawkins quotes a brilliant response is the argument that man could come from a single cell. The response is swift

Operations Function Essay Example for Free

Operations Function Essay This therefore implies that Operation Management decisions are not made in isolation. Rather, each decision is intertwined with other organizational functions following the strategic direction developed at the top level of the organization. In a nutshell, many of the decisions made by operations managers are dependent on information from the other functions. At the same time, other functions cannot be carried out properly without information from operations as detailed below: 1. Finance: The finance function ties all departments together with monetary measurements that tell whether the company is making money. They also regulate the acquisition of funds to keep the business operations going, and investing money received wisely. Finance managers need to work closely with the operations function to be able to determine the need for capital investments, make-or-buy decisions, plant expansions, or relocation of business operations. On the other hand, operations managers cannot make large financial expenditures without understanding financial constraints and methods of evaluating financial investments. It is essential for these two functions to work together and understand each other’s constraints. . Sales and marketing: The sales and marketing function focuses on maintaining and attracting customers to the companys products and services. To be able to satisfy customer needs, the marketing function needs to understand what operations can produce, what due dates it can and cannot meet, and what types of customization operations can deliver. The marketing function can develop an exciting m arketing campaign, but if operations cannot produce the desired product, sales will not be made. In turn, operations managers need information about customer wants and expectations. It is the responsibility of the operations function to design products with characteristics that customers find desirable, and they cannot do this without regular coordination with the marketing department. 3. Information and Communications Technology (ICT): ICT is the function that enables information to flow throughout the organization and enables the operations function to operate effectively. The ICT function must understand the needs of operations and endeavour to meet those needs as regards timely provision of required information.

Authority in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay Example for Free

Authority in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay On the surface, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest seem like two very different films. Loneliness is filmed in black and white and takes place in an English borstal school; Cuckoo’s Nest takes place in an American psychiatric ward and is presented in color. Dig a little deeper, however, and it is clear that these films are actually quite similar. Each film depicts the rebellious protaganists—Colin and McMurphy—attempting to overcome the oppressive figures of authority—the Governor and Nurse Ratched. Because of the nature of the films, viewers are lead to consider Colin and McMurphy heroes and to despise the authorities. While it is hard to deny that the Governor and Nurse Ratched don’t at times take advantage of their jurisdiction, it is also unfair to argue against the fact that they are just two people doing their jobs. Both Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest depict rebels who are doomed. The authorities at the psychiatric ward and the borstal have strict rules and expect Randle Patick McMurphy and Colin Smith to conform to these rules, just as every other patient or student has done. The differences between the tone and outcome of these two films are a result of the differences between the types of characters who represent authority. In Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, authorities are shown to be invasive and aggressive. As Colin mentions in the opening line of the film, his family is always running from the police. Further into the film, a flashback shows a detective tracking Colin down at his house after he steals from a bakery. Before finally catching him, the detective is very persistent in his efforts to catch Colin. This surly man provides a search warrant but is unsuccessful in his attempts to locate the stolen money, so he tells Colin that he will be watching him. The true authority figure in Loneliness, though, is the Governor at Ruxton Towers. The Governor is a nice man with absolute power. At the borstal he runs everything by the book. He holds the boys to very strict rules and standards, from having to wear uniforms to having a monitored sleeping schedule. With the boys living and going to school in the same place, there is really no way of escaping the watch of the Governor. In fact, he even comes into the locker room and has conversations with the boys while they are in the shower. Throughout the film, there are also several religious undertones present in the representation of authority, shown primarily in the singing of the English hymn â€Å"Jerusalem. † The Governor uses conformity as a tool to strengthen his school. His main goal is recognition for the school and for himself. In Cuckoo’s Nest, Nurse Ratched is depicted as a very cold figure. She runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist. Yes, she answers to the head doctors and has a large staff to help her, but she runs the place. The nurse takes advantage of the vulnerability of her patients. In group ‘therapy’ sessions, she often pushes the men to talk about experiences that they are unwilling to talk about. She uses her friendship with Billy’s mother as a threat in order to get him to cooperate with her. Instead of listening to what McMurphy and the other patients want to do, she pushes her own agenda. When McMurphy and the others want to watch a game of baseball, she won’t let them for the sole purpose of not giving McMurphy what he wants. It seems as though the head doctors (the people who should really be the authority) are oblivious to the actions of Nurse Ratched. In fact, they praise her work and there is no one capable of arguing with them. It is interesting to note that in terms of authority, there is no religious imagery in thie film like in Loneliness. Instead, it is McMurphy who appears Christ-like and takes on ‘disciples. ’ Nurse Ratched uses conformity to get her patients to do as she says. Her goal is to try to ‘fix’ each of them. The Governor is mostly respected by the boys. He’s a nice man, but everyone is afraid of him because of his power, just as employees fear their bosses. They don’t mess with him because they know they can only get so far. He has total control over them because they eat, sleep, and go to school all under his watch. Ruxton Towers is the type of place a teenage boy would want to escape from, but the Governor has made the boys feel as though escape is beyond reality. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, is not respected by her patients. This is a direct result of her concern with getting people to do as she says rather than gaining their respect. Though she demands to be taken seriously, she rarely is. Her patients are all tired of her oppression but lack the physical and mental capacity to do anything about it. Also, like in Loneliness, her authority is not challenged simply because her subjects are afraid of her. Randle McMurphy and Colin Smith are game-changers. Their arrivals empower their cohorts to act out against the system. We see the authority of the Governor challenged in the food fight scene and the authority of Nurse Ratched challenged in the fishing scene. However, Colin and Randle doom themselves in their final acts of defiance. Colin throwing the race results in his contemptment by the borstal; Randle throwing a party and chocking Nurse Ratched results in his lobotomy. In going against authority, these protagonists are left worse off than they were before. Nurse Ratched and the Governor each bring down the antihero. But does that warrant them heroes? No. It doesn’t make them good or bad. Yes, Nurse Ratched seems evil and the Governor seems overbearing, but we are only viewing them through a lens. They lead a system bad enough for people to want to rebel against it, but maybe that rebellion is against the system and not the characters. These are two characters merely doing their jobs. Their borstal and psychiatric ward are not ones that I would want to be in, but I wouldn’t want to be in any borstal or psychiatric ward. Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest contain similar themes and represent similar figures of authority. Nurse Ratched and the Governor are not the most likeable characters. They desire order and take advantage of their power, and that makes us dislike them. But none of their actions are unprovoked. They have tough jobs and they made mistakes. They’re human.

Cash Flow Statements: Indirect Method

Cash Flow Statements: Indirect Method a) International Accounting Standard 7 (IAS 7) lays down the standards expected by companies when presenting information about changes in cash or cash equivalents. Under IAS 7, a company is required to present a statement of cash flow showing the changes in cash and cash equivalents from the three key areas of operating, investing and financing (Wheetman, 2006)[1]. The definition of cash and cash equivalents includes cash, as well as any other investments that are considered high liquidity and can be easily converted into a known amount of cash. When presenting cash flow statements, there are two main ways that are recognised by IAS 7: direct and indirect, although a preference is shown for the direct method. The direct method involves reporting the cash flow gross, as it happens, so that all cash out and all cash in are simply taken gross without any adjustments made for other factors. On the other hand, the indirect method shows the net cash flows once all other factors have been taken into account. It is not necessary for companies to use the direct method and due to the costly process of looking through all receipts and expenses, it is much more common for companies to use the indirect method (Schwartz, 1996)[2] . b) China World Limited (CWL), as is the case with many large companies, has opted to report its cash flow statements in an indirect way. The cash flow statement in the published accounts year ended 31st December 2007 reflects this choice fully; however, there is no discussion as to why the direct method was not used. During the preparation of the accounts, CWL has made several assumptions in order to produces the cash flow statements. For example, depreciation is accounted for during the cash flow statement, as it is not a true expense. When the profit figure, which is the starting point for the cash flow statements, is calculated, the depreciation is taken into account based on the depreciation policies being followed by the company. In the case of CWL, the property owned by the company is depreciated over 20 years, fixtures and fittings over a range of 5 to 10 years and motor vehicles over a period of 5 years. As these amounts are merely policy choices and are done on a straight line method, the actual amount allocated to depreciation has no immediate bearing on the actual cash flow statement and is, therefore, added back on to the ultimate net profit figure during the indirect method calculation. A similar approach is taken with amortisation of intangible assets where the initial costs of thes e assets are spread across the expected life span of the asset. This is not an actual cash movement and is, therefore, added back on to the final profit figure during the cash flow statement (Mills, 1991)[3]. Additional adjustments are then made to include cash based transactions such as interest receivable in an attempt to show a truly accurate picture of cash flow movement. Changes in inventory levels are assumed to reflect the amount of cash available, directly. This is not necessarily the case and it is merely an assumption that CWL has made for the benefit of the cash flow statement (Mills Yanamura, 1998)[4]. Other assumptions that have been made are likely to have an impact on the cash flow. For example, when calculating the net profits, there is an allowance made for bad debtors. This figure is purely an estimate based on previous experiences and the perceived risks associated with the various creditors that are related to the company at any time. In using the indirect method, these assumptions will still bear some relevance to the bottom line, meaning that a change of policy or assumption can have a direct impact on the way in which the cash flow statement looks (Barth, 2006)[5]. As CWL has international operations, it has to deal with the currency fluctuations that occur throughout the year. As the consolidated accounts are presented in pounds sterling, cash values in local currency need to be converted at the exchange rate between the country in which the transaction occurs and British sterling. CWL takes the approach of averaging the exchange rate over the period in which the transactions took place. This assumption is necessary as it simply is not possible to take an accurate exchange rate at the exact point in which a transaction is undertaken. However, it does have a potentially misleading impact on the cash flow statement. Appendix 1 contains a copy of CWL’s accounts as they would appear, had the direct cash flow approach been taken. c) The cash flow statement is merely one aspect of the financial analysis of the company’s financial status. Although cash flow and the liquidity of the company is vital in the overall health of the company, it is not the only measure of success. Firstly, let us consider the liquidity of the liquidity position of CWL. One of the most commonly used ratios is that of the liquidity ratio known as the current ratio. This shows the company’s ability to meet its current liabilities with its current assets. For true financial health, a company wishes to see a ratio that is as high as possible, and at an absolute minimum at least 1:1. In the case of CWL the ratio in 2007 was 1.905, which in itself is particularly healthy and is even healthier when it is compared with the previous year’s figure of 1.734. This increase in the current ratio is primarily due to better management of the money owed by creditors to the company. A further liquidity test is that of the acid test, which is similar in nature to the current ratio but shows a much starker picture as it looks at the ability of the company to meet its current liabilities purely by the use of cash or cash equivalents. In reality, this is a more realistic view of the company’s liquidity position as its main aim is to be able to pay any liabilities that are imminently due, without the need to cash in any other assets, even if they are considered current. In analysing the acid ratio, it is possible to see a different picture of CWL. Although the current ratio shows a particularly healthy liquidity position, it is clear that much of the current assets of CWL are tied up in inventories or in receivables (Chirinko Schaller, 1995) [6]. CWL should aim to manage receivables and inventories better in order to bring the quick ratio closer to the desirable 1:1 position. Although the figure of 0.508 falls considerably short of this ideal ratio, it is a v ast improvement on the 2006 figure of 0.383. As well as liquidity the profitability of the company should be considered. This is the view of how well the company is using its assets to produce a suitable rate of return. The main profitability ratio is that of gross profit margin. As CWL is a manufacturing based company, it is expected that the figure will be at the lower end of the scale; however, the figure of 35.95% is relatively healthy and shows a good rate of profit. Despite this, attention should be given to the cost of sales relative to revenues as they have dropped substantially since 2006 where the figure was 50.19%. This could be attributed to the acquisition of a new subsidiary. Therefore, it is anticipated that, in time, better use of the cost of sales will be made and the gross profit margin will recover to a figure closer to 50%. A final ratio of importance is that of the return on equity. As CWL relies heavily on the shareholders’ equity, it is of considerable importance whether or not the shareholders are receiving a good return on their investment. In its broadest terms, the return on equity ratio shows how much return the company is generating in return for every pound that is put into the company. As a general rule, the higher the return on equity ratio, the better the company is doing, although it should be noted that some companies that require little in the way of financial investment such as consulting firms will almost always have a better return on equity ratio than manufacturing firms such as CWL (Costales Szurovy, 1994)[7]. Once again, in studying the return of equity in relation to CWL, a downward trend between 2006 and 2007 can be seen. This is almost entirely due to the new acquisitions. Therefore, the direct investment in the consolidated company is considerably higher; yet, there has been insufficient time to allow this cash injection to be suitably used to generate increased returns. In a similar way to the gross profit margin, it would be expected that this figure would return to the 2006 figure rapidly and would in the long term be an improvement on the 2006 figures. It should be noted that when looking at these ratios the consolidated accounts have been used. There was a large acquisition made during the year within the group and this has had an impact on the ratios, during 2007. The overall health of the company in terms of liquidity and profitability is good and the slight apparent wobble in the figures will be reversed in the years to come due to the increasing investments being put into the ongoing expansion of the company. The calculations and details of the ratios referred to above are contained in Appendix 2. Appendix 1  Direct Cash Flow Cash flows from operating activities Cash receipts from customers 2,336,967 Cash paid to suppliers and employees (1,496,917) Cash generated from operations (sum) 840,050 Interest paid (8,615) Income taxes paid (52,188) Net cash flows from operating activities 779,247 Cash flows from investing activities Proceeds from the sale of equipment/assets (60,247) Interest received 3,336 Acquisition of subsidiaries (88,209) Net cash flows from investing activities (145,120) Cash flows from financing activities Issue of ordinary share capital 202,500 Costs of issue (13,750) Investment from minority interests 48,360 Interest paid (8,615) Proceeds from bank borrowings 138,172 Net cash flows from financing activities  366,667 Appendix 2 – Ratios Relating to CWL Ratio Calculation Figures Result Current ratio 2007 Current assets / current liabilities 2,284,972 / 1,199,264 1.905 Current ratio 2006 Current assets / current liabilities 1,187,951 / 684,896 1.734 Quick Ratio 2007 Current assets (cash equivalents) / Current liabilities 609,391 / 1,199,264 0.508 Quick Ratio 2006 Current assets (cash equivalents) / Current liabilities 262,080 / 684,896 0.383 Gross Profit Margin 2007 (Revenue Cost of sales) / Revenue (2,336,967 -1,496,917) / 2,336,967 35.95% Gross Profit Margin 2006 (Revenue Cost of sales) / Revenue (1,064,479 530,234) / 1,064,479 50.19% Return on Equity 2007 Net income / total equity 266,372 / 3,148,576 8.46% Return on Equity 2006 Net income / total equity 155,506 / 1,133,966 13.71% Bibliography Barth, Mary E., Including Estimates of the Future in Todays Financial Statements, Accounting Horizons, Vol. 20, 2006 Carslaw, Charles A., Mills, John R., Developing Ratios for Effective Cash Flow Statement Analysis, Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 172, 1991 Chirinko, Robert S., Schaller, Huntley, Why Does Liquidity Matter in Investment Equations? Journal of Money, Credit Banking, Vol. 27, 1995 Costales, S.B., Szurovy, Geza, The Guide to Understanding Financial Statements, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1994 Elliott, Barry, Elliott, Jamie, Financial Accounting, Reporting and Analysis: International Edition, Pearson Education, 2006 Mills, John R., Yamamura, Jeanne H., The Power of Cash Flow Ratios, Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 186, 1998 Schwartz, Donald, The Future of Financial Accounting: Universal Standards,  Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 181, 1996 Shim, Jae K., Siegel, Joel G., Financial Management, Barrons Educational Series, 2000 Weetman, Pauline, Financial Accounting: An Introduction, Pearson Education, 2006 Footnotes [1] Weetman, Pauline, Financial Accounting: An Introduction, Pearson Education, 2006 [2] Schwartz, Donald, The Future of Financial Accounting: Universal Standards, Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 181, 1996 [3] Carslaw, Charles A., Mills, John R., Developing Ratios for Effective Cash Flow Statement Analysis, Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 172, 1991 [4] Mills, John R., Yamamura, Jeanne H., The Power of Cash Flow Ratios, Journal of Accountancy, Vol. 186, 1998 [5] Barth, Mary E., Including Estimates of the Future in Todays Financial Statements, Accounting Horizons, Vol. 20, 2006 [6] Chirinko, Robert S., Schaller, Huntley, Why Does Liquidity Matter in Investment Equations? Journal of Money, Credit Banking, Vol. 27, 1995 [7] Costales, S.B., Szurovy, Geza, The Guide to Understanding Financial Statements, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1994

A Strategic Analysis of Walgreens and the Retail Drugstore Industry Es

Introduction Knowing the importance of a strategic vision, every company undertakes a complete analysis periodically. In order to create a strategic plan the parties involved must know every aspect of the industry and the company at hand. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the retail drugstore industry and then focus on Walgreens, the industry leader in terms of sales. As part of the in-depth analysis of Walgreens, its major competitors will also be described and analyzed. The retail drugstore industry consists of all those stores that contain a pharmacy and sell prescription drugs. It also includes businesses that sell prescription drugs online and through the mail. Most retail drugstores also offer other consumer goods and services to augment the low margin earned on prescription sales. To be considered a member of the retail drugstore industry requires sales of prescription pharmaceuticals to the end consumer. Many convenience, food and discount stores sell over-the-c ounter medicines, but these stores would not be considered retail drugstores because they do not also sell prescription medicines. Relevant Environment Competition: The relevant environment, which consists or interactions between the task environment and task environment, has been changing over the past 25 years. As competition has increased among grocery, discount and mass merchandising chains, blurring of channels has occurred. This is due to stores selling an increasing variety of goods to try to broaden their customer base and provide â€Å"one-stop† shopping. Many of these stores have added pharmacies as a source of convenience for their customers, and to increase store traffic, usually positioning the pharmacy in the back of the store. In response to this pressure, both independent and chain drugstores have greatly increased the variety of their retail product offerings. The sale of cosmetics, along with health and beauty aids, has become an important profit generator for retail drugstores. Many are now also positioning themselves to compete with convenience stores by offering snack food items, beverages, and st aple items. The move to stand-alone stores located on major roads with ample, close-in parking has been an important factor contributing to convenience. Customers: As indicated by the type of competition seen in the retail drugstore ... ...Top Performing Companies.† March 24,1998. www.riteaid.com. â€Å"Rite Aid Reports 6.6 Percent Same-Store Sales Increase For May.† June 7,2000. www.walgreens.com/about/history/default.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist3.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist5.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist6.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist7.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/press/facts/fact2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Company Overview. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/040400.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/051100b.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. A Strategic Analysis of Walgreens and the Retail Drugstore Industry Es Introduction Knowing the importance of a strategic vision, every company undertakes a complete analysis periodically. In order to create a strategic plan the parties involved must know every aspect of the industry and the company at hand. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the retail drugstore industry and then focus on Walgreens, the industry leader in terms of sales. As part of the in-depth analysis of Walgreens, its major competitors will also be described and analyzed. The retail drugstore industry consists of all those stores that contain a pharmacy and sell prescription drugs. It also includes businesses that sell prescription drugs online and through the mail. Most retail drugstores also offer other consumer goods and services to augment the low margin earned on prescription sales. To be considered a member of the retail drugstore industry requires sales of prescription pharmaceuticals to the end consumer. Many convenience, food and discount stores sell over-the-c ounter medicines, but these stores would not be considered retail drugstores because they do not also sell prescription medicines. Relevant Environment Competition: The relevant environment, which consists or interactions between the task environment and task environment, has been changing over the past 25 years. As competition has increased among grocery, discount and mass merchandising chains, blurring of channels has occurred. This is due to stores selling an increasing variety of goods to try to broaden their customer base and provide â€Å"one-stop† shopping. Many of these stores have added pharmacies as a source of convenience for their customers, and to increase store traffic, usually positioning the pharmacy in the back of the store. In response to this pressure, both independent and chain drugstores have greatly increased the variety of their retail product offerings. The sale of cosmetics, along with health and beauty aids, has become an important profit generator for retail drugstores. Many are now also positioning themselves to compete with convenience stores by offering snack food items, beverages, and st aple items. The move to stand-alone stores located on major roads with ample, close-in parking has been an important factor contributing to convenience. Customers: As indicated by the type of competition seen in the retail drugstore ... ...Top Performing Companies.† March 24,1998. www.riteaid.com. â€Å"Rite Aid Reports 6.6 Percent Same-Store Sales Increase For May.† June 7,2000. www.walgreens.com/about/history/default.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist3.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist5.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist6.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist7.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/press/facts/fact2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Company Overview. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/040400.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/051100b.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign.

The Deaths of Antigone and Creon :: Free Essay Writer

The Deaths of Antigone and Creon Antigone and Creon are the main characters of the play Antigone written by Sophocles. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, who was a major figure of ancient Greek myth. Oedipus accidentally killed his father and married his mother. Because of that act, Oedipus ended up cursing his family and died a horrible death. After his death, his sons inherited his kingdom and in a power struggle ended up killing each other. One of the sons, Polynices attacked the city to try and claim power from his brother. But since both of the brothers died and the city was not taken Polynices was labeled as a traitor whereas the other brother who died defending the city was celebrated as a hero. Creon decreed at the beginning of the play Antigone that no one was to bury the body of traitorous Polynices. Antigone felt that it was here responsibility to bury the body because he was still a member of her family. This led to a huge argument with Creon who felt he shouldn’t be crossed because he was the leader of the state. Eventually both Creon and Antigone are destroyed by the gods (and by each other) through their own actions. Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family. The Deaths of Antigone and Creon :: Free Essay Writer The Deaths of Antigone and Creon Antigone and Creon are the main characters of the play Antigone written by Sophocles. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, who was a major figure of ancient Greek myth. Oedipus accidentally killed his father and married his mother. Because of that act, Oedipus ended up cursing his family and died a horrible death. After his death, his sons inherited his kingdom and in a power struggle ended up killing each other. One of the sons, Polynices attacked the city to try and claim power from his brother. But since both of the brothers died and the city was not taken Polynices was labeled as a traitor whereas the other brother who died defending the city was celebrated as a hero. Creon decreed at the beginning of the play Antigone that no one was to bury the body of traitorous Polynices. Antigone felt that it was here responsibility to bury the body because he was still a member of her family. This led to a huge argument with Creon who felt he shouldn’t be crossed because he was the leader of the state. Eventually both Creon and Antigone are destroyed by the gods (and by each other) through their own actions. Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family.