Friday, December 13, 2019

Annualised Risk and Return Free Essays

FM Assignment Q) Obtain daily, weekly and monthly closing prices of the stock given to you. Get adjusted closing prices. Daily and weekly prices should be for one financial year. We will write a custom essay sample on Annualised Risk and Return or any similar topic only for you Order Now Monthly prices should be for 2 years. E. g. FY 2011-2012 and FY 2010-11. Compute annualized return and risk. DATA| ANNUALIZED RETURN| ANNUALIZED RISK| Weekly| -16. 952| 36. 449| Daily| -16. 241| 39. 347| Monthly| -11. 21| 30. 209| Comparing this with a suitable peer company, Company| Annualized return| Annualized risk| JSP| -11. 2154| 30. 209| TATA STEEL| -4. 0020| 47. 202| OBSERVATION As can be seen from the observations above, the stock which gives the maximum return also comes with the maximum risk (TATA STEEL). So when it comes to selecting the stock, the following two cases can be considered: a) Maximum return :- If you are a person who values maximum return and is willing to take the risk for the same, go for TATA STEEL b) Minimum Risk :- If you are a risk averse person, go for JSP as the risk associated with it is less compared to TATA STEEL In either case, whether TATA STEEL or JSP, the annualized return is negative. Q) Construct 10 different portfolios with another company (Correl 0. 0) and compute return and risk for each portfolio. Identify the best portfolio. Construct the minimum variance portfolio. Company| Correl| JSP AND TATA STEEL| 0. 89| JSP AND CUMMINS| 0. 65| Initially we compared JSP and TATA STEEL. We found the Correl = 0. 89 which was greater than 0. 70. Next we compared JSP and Cummins and found the Correl to be 0. 65. So we will choose Cum mins for making the portfolio. Portfolio| Return(%)| Return(%)| | | Percentage ofJSP| | Percentage of CUMMINS| | Portfolio Return| | JSP| CUMMINS| | | | | | | | 1| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 10%| | 90%| | 12. 2233| 2| -11. 21| 14. 3| | | 20%| | 80%| | 9. 6196| 3| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 30%| | 70%| | 7. 0159| 4| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 40%| | 60%| | 4. 4122| 5| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 45%| | 55%| | 3. 11035| 6| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 50%| | 50%| | 1. 8085| 7| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 60%| | 40%| | -0. 7952| 8| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 70%| | 30%| | -3. 3989| 9| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 80%| | 20%| | -6. 0026| 10| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 90%| | 10%| | -8. 6063| Min Variance| -11. 21| 14. 83| | | 36%| | 64%| | 5. 45368| Portfolio| Risk(%)| Risk(%)| | Percentage ofJSP| | Percentage of CUMMINS| Covariance| Portfolio Risk| | JSP| CUMMINS| | | | | | | | 30. 21| 27. 36| | 10%| | 90%| 543. 6637905| 6. 99497971| 2| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 20%| | 80%| 543. 6637905| 9. 326639613| 3| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 30%| | 70%| 543. 6637905| 10. 685008| 4| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 40%| | 60%| 543. 6637905| 11. 42275403| 5| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 45%| | 55%| 543. 6637905| 11. 59986156| 6| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 50%| | 50%| 543. 6637905| 11. 65829952| 7| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 60%| | 40%| 543. 6637905| 11. 42275403| 8| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 70%| | 30%| 543. 6637905| 10. 685008| 9| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 80%| | 20%| 543. 6637905| 9. 326639613| 10| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 90%| | 10%| 543. 637905| 6. 99497971| Min Variance| 30. 21| 27. 36| | 36%| | 64%| 543. 6637905| 11. 19196754| From the above observation, for decision regarding the best portfolio the following cases can be considered:- a) Maximum Return :- If one wants to maximize the return, one should have a portfolio mix consisting of 10% JSP and 90% Cummins b) Minimize Risk :- A risk averse person should go for a portfolio mix consisting of 10% JSP and 90% Cummins c) Minimum Variance: – Ideally, as per the minimum variance rule, one should have 36% of JSP and 64% of Cummins as their portfolio mix. But in this case, it does not give the maximum return nor the least risk. Since maximum return as well as minimum risk is observed for a portfolio mix of 90% Cummins and 10% JSP, one should opt for that. Learning’s * For studying the valuation of assets or securities, knowledge about the concepts of Risks and Returns are essential * Variance or standard deviation is the measure of the risk of returns * Combination of multiple securities are called portfolio’s * Portfolio risk is not a weighted average risk as the securities included in the portfolio are associated with each other. Hence, portfolio risk also accounts for the covariance between the returns of securities * Covariance is the product of standard deviation of individual securities and their correlation coefficient * The magnitude of the portfolio risk will depend on the correlation between the securities. The portfolio risk will be equal to the weighted risk of individual securities if the correlation coefficient is +1. 0. If correlation coefficient 1, the portfolio risk will be less than the weighted average risk. When the correlation coefficient = -1. 0, the portfolio risk becomes 0. Submitted By Group C14 Vaibhav Bhasin 2012182 Vinay Harinarayanan 2012184 How to cite Annualised Risk and Return, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Total Quality Management Core of any Business

Question: Discuss about the Total Quality Management for core of any business? Answer: Introduction Customers are the core of any business. A business survives only if it meets the needs of consumers. The aim of this report is to measure the quality management procedures of Tesco Plc. The organization was found in the year 1919 with a simple mission of being a champion for customers and improving their quality of life (Tesco plc 2016). The core purpose of Tesco is Serving Britains shoppers a little better every day (Tesco plc 2016). The British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer is headquartered in UK. Tesco values its stakeholders- customers, suppliers, communities and various others. Tesco understands its people by interacting with them and providing exclusive services to meet their requirements. Tesco binds the organizational structure with a culture of trust and respect (Tesco plc 2016). The company makes a significant contribution towards the world by reducing waste globally, providing affordable and high-quality food, providing high employment opportunitie s and faces challenges as a responsible corporate citizen (Tesco plc 2016). Total Quality Management (TQM) System In the words of Group CEO, Dave Lewis, Tesco believes in Doing the Right Thing (Tesco Plc 2015). Tesco does not prescribe any system of standards and establishes its set of quality processes. Tesco follows two main approaches for managing total quality- Full Customer satisfaction and Zero defects. The quality is checked throughout the supply chain- from the suppliers to the product placement in store. The product standards are the most robust in the industry (Tesco Plc 2014). Full Customer Satisfaction Tesco is a customer-oriented organization. Tesco creates psychographic profile of its customers. The organization not only enrols customers through the Clubcard Loyalty Plan but also engages them by inviting them to join suitable clubs. Tesco ensures customer satisfaction through product preferences, positive attitudes and price sensitivity. Tesco designs offer in a manner that suits the preferences of individual customers visiting the store. Tesco engaged its loyal customers as the company figures out the value being looked forward to by the customers (Mukerjee 2013). Zero Defects Tesco establishes quality audits at every point of the organization. After approving a supplier, Tesco arranges site visits and product surveillances by approved auditors. The program testing is divided into four categories- Chemical and microbiological testing, Authenticity testing, Contaminants Testing and Quality testing (Tesco Plc 2014). Each product goes through quality check at Tesco to provide value for money to customer and assure qualified product. These testing programmes cover all products ensuring Tesco to sell safe products to its customers (Tesco Plc 2014). Development and Use of TQM System Maintaining and improving quality at Tesco is achieved in several ways. Tesco is a retail chain store with several establishments in UK and foreign countries producing its products. For the same reason, Tesco gets to sell products manufactured by other companies. To meet the required standard quality of products, Tesco inspects each product from the point of origin to the point of sale. Food products and pharmaceuticals require high level of cleanliness in comparison to other products sold at Tesco. Therefore, the skilled workforce in the organization ensures that the people handling products requiring high sensitivity to cleanliness maintain hygiene for mitigating errors and complains. All the products are marked with the date of manufacturing and expiry to educate its customers. The products produced by the company as well as products for other companies are sold at Tesco. In case the products lie on the shelf for too long, the employees from quality assurance and improvement team make sure that the products are disposed of properly. The products on the shelf at Tesco need to be fresh. The majorly sold items at Tesco are groceries and meat products. Finding highly perishable products being shelved after a day is difficult. In most cases, the entire product quantity at sold within a day. The company follows a policy of removing defective products from the shelves as soon as they show signs of spoilage (Harris 2015). The company donates the perishable products for immediate use so that the food is not wasted. The quality and assurance team makes sure that the products meet standard requirements at all levels and are shelved. Tesco supports FareShare by providing food to more than 1,000 charities across UK. Tesco diverts all surplus fresh food items to support FareShare. The food items include chicken, fruits and vegetables (Smithers 2013). Tesco maintains its total quality concept through prevention, zero defects, getting things right, at first, continuous improvement and involving all aspects of the organization. Tesco satisfies its customers by following low cost policies. The human resources of Tesco play a critical role in the quality management of the products. The department stresses in ensuring product quality of service delivery. They ensure that the customers are treated with value and esteem while they interact with the company. Tesco devotes treating its associates and deserve respect in turn (Hu et al. 2015). The human resources team at Tesco ensures to motivate its employees so that bets products are provided to the customers. The raw materials used by the company are subject to standard testing. The company does not use products that do not yield expected quality. Selection of materials is a critical aspect and every product has to be tested to meet certain standards. Tesco also ensures speedy delivery of products for maintaining high quality of services. The store attendants are taught to provide efficient delivery services promptly. The company makes sure that the customers do not have to lose their precious time (Evans and Mason 2015). Level of Success of TQM System Tesco is renowned for the quality of products. Despite the success of Clubcard loyalty scheme, several discrepancies have been encountered in the operations of Tesco. The quality performance objective is the most prioritized objective above all other business strategic objectives (Connolly and Wall 2011). The company has a quality improvement team that deals with ensuring maintenance of quality in all the goods the company sells in its stores as well the services it provides to its loyal customers (Connolly and Wall 2011). It is reported that the strengths of Tesco are no longer good enough. There was a decline in operating profits. Tesco encountered various strategic challenges in UK. The competitors such as Sainsbury and Marks Spencer focus on improving quality. The Aldi stores in Germany not only provide low prices but convenience. Tesco established small outlets in high-traffic locations for full customer satisfaction. However, German consumers purchased quality products at lower prices at Aldi (Wells 2014). Despite multiple challenges, Tesco continues to rule the market share in UK as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Percentage Share of Total UK Grocery Market Source: (Wells 2014) Tesco uses low price strategies to provide best value to its customers. The brand was severely compromised according to the survey of shoppers (Davidson 2015). The company showed lowest overall customer satisfaction results and the brand image is tarnished. A study was conducted with 2000 customers in UK, and an amount of 250m was reported as losses (Davidson 2015). The criteria of price, range, quality, availability, promotions and range were outranked by other competitors such as Asda. Tesco ranked lowest in a list of grocery chains as stated in Figure 2 (Davidson 2015). Tesco was also outranked by other competitors in categories such as availability of items, cashier courtesy, checkout speed, specialty department service and ability to find items (Davidson 2015). Tesco supermarket was rated the worst grocer for store cleanliness. The brand value declined by 37% in 2014 (Davidson 2015). Figure 2: Composite Loyalty Index Source: (Davidson 2015) Tesco was also outranked by other competitors in categories such as availability of items, cashier courtesy, checkout speed, specialty department service and ability to find items as shown in Figure 3 (Davidson 2015). Tesco supermarket was rated the worst grocer for store cleanliness. The brand value declined by 37% in 2014 (Davidson 2015). Figure 3: Consumer Insights Source: (Davidson 2015) Tesco commits to set new benchmarks in food testing after the horse meat scandal. The customer confidence was lost after the discovery of horse meat in some of its products. Inquiry was ordered after horse meat was found in Tesco value beef burgers in January, prompting a Food Standards Agency (FSA) investigation (Molloy 2013). Tesco promised to set new benchmarks about food testing if the details are not present on the label. Tesco backed-up its commitment by stating that it would educate customers by providing information regarding the products sold at the store. The supply chain system would be reviewed ensuring visibility and transparency (Molloy 2013). Evaluation of impact Before TQM was introduced Tesco introduced Big Price Drop campaign for which prices of daily products slashed (Ruddick 2014). The campaign was criticized as it accentuated the negative perceptions of quality of the products. The low prices convinced people for cheaper products and not quality. The sales of Tesco declined rapidly as the customers lost trust in quality and prices. Tesco did not focus on improving quality while driving down prices. The consumers prefer to buy quality products over cheaper products. Tesco neglected in-store experience, longer shelves, well-designed store environment and other points of differentiation that fully satisfy customers (Ruddick 2014). The markets further reported that Tesco lost its human touch while it was busy expanding its market overseas. The organization failed to position itself between price and quality demands. Tesco also suffered from rising prices of fuel for powering its operations. Tesco tried to make the product range available for all the markets that made them lose its way (Curtis 2012). Both rich and poor want tighter and better quality and niche markets are tending to determine mass markets rather than mass markets crushing niche markets. Tesco was also reported to have poor customer service both in-store and online deliveries. The organization lowered its service levels for bringing the prices down. Tesco exposed its inhumanity of the hypermarket system. Tesco lost the edge and it brought around a serious question if the products were value for money (Curtis 2012). During the implementation For the maximum satisfaction of customers, Tesco introduced the Clubcard loyalty scheme that helped in surging up profits. UK households started redeeming Clubcard points and the organization pledged to pace up its expansion procedures. Tesco went beyond CRM initiatives for providing efficient quality products and services to its customers. Tesco initiated comment cards, research trackers and research techniques for engaging with its customers. The performance was tracked over time. The customers got a chance to accumulate points on the clubcard while presenting their opinions through other initiatives. The customer base for Tesco is large, and Tesco bridged the gap for introducing schemes for various market segments. The initiatives were well taken by the customers as they considered it high quality services. Tesco also changed its store formats based on the size and range of products sold. Customer demands were met with the introduction of various schemes, product range and product locations (Visser 2012). During development and potential future Tesco sales have been declining rapidly in the last two years with increased internet shopping. Tesco is losing its market share because nowadays, shoppers are questioning if the Clubcard is more helpful to the supermarket than to the shopper. Tesco benefits itself following the 6Cs of TQM- Commitment, culture, cooperation, continuous improvement, customer focus and control (Connolly and Wall 2011). Tesco dedicates a human resource management team to attend a meeting with total quality management. The quality improvement team is also charged with responsibilities for dealing with the loyal customers (Ruddick 2014). Tesco successfully adapts cost structure helping the consumers save money. Clubcard is a unique strategy followed by Tesco to keep up the competition in providing quality services to its customers. The clubcard also helps the customers in understanding the customer behaviours as they are recently switching from retail and merchandise stores to online and convenience stores (Ruddick 2014). Recommendations Based on the above research and analysis, some of the gaps are identified about customer satisfaction and defect free products. The recommendations are cost-effective from both individual and organizational perspectives. Several issues and concerns are provided about provision of high quality services and loyalty for Tesco. Some of the recommendations are listed as ahead. Tesco must improve the knowledge and understanding of customers by providing information regarding the product. Several models must be established for measuring customer satisfaction over time based on the range of products, prices, competitors information and preference (Visser 2012). Tesco may continue to satisfy its customers by continuing current business strategies such as Tesco loyalty programme. A few strategies such as a discount, better service to customers, ensuring quality products, commitment to staff, customers and environment must be taken. Marketing research may be conducted on a regular basis for identifying the expectations and demands of the customers (Croucher, 2012). A quality manager may be appointed additionally for analysing the current market trends, nature of competition and the quality standards followed by rivalries such as Aldi, Sainsbury and various others. The customer satisfaction survey would help in knowing the level of customer satisfaction. Online feedback processes may be initiated for the convenience of data collection (Keegan and Green 2015). Tesco may further enhance its effective leadership and managerial skills. The customer service may be improved through collective ownership. Considering the current market trend, Tesco must improvise its supply chain through online distribution. The website may be enhanced providing the visitors some options to surf easily. The website may also be provided with more filtering options and improve the quality of experience received by customers (Visser 2012). Free shipping may be provided by the brand. Daily checks at the factory and warehouse must be enhanced. The food and product checks may be signed off routinely by the retail manager. A rigorous audit programme may be arranged for managing the cross contamination risk, personal hygiene standards, and cleanliness at the stores, pest control measures, labelling and stock rotation procedures and management of waste. The Food Safety Risk Managers may provide stringent regulations for managing the quality of food products (Leng, Li and Liang 2015). Conclusion The above report assesses the total quality management at Tesco Plc. Tesco understands its people by interacting with them and providing exclusive services to meet their requirements. Tesco follows two main approaches for managing total quality- Full Customer satisfaction and Zero defects. Tesco ensures customer satisfaction through product preferences, positive attitudes and price sensitivity. The quality performance objective is the most prioritized objective above all other business strategic objectives. Each product goes through quality check at Tesco to provide value for money to customer and assure qualified product. Tesco as a company produces its products. Tesco is a retail chain store with several establishments in UK and foreign countries. Tesco also ensures speedy delivery of products for maintaining high quality of services. To meet the required standard quality of products, Tesco inspects each product from the point of origin to the point of sale. Daily checks at the fac tory and warehouse must be enhanced. Selection of materials is a critical aspect, and every product has to be tested to meet certain standards. Customer demands were met with the introduction of various schemes, product range and product locations. References Connolly, C. and Wall, T., 2011. The global financial crisis and UK PPPs.International Journal of Public Sector Management, 24(6), pp.533-542. Croucher, S., 2012.Tesco Trouble vs Sainsbury's Success: How Justin King is Winning the Supermarket Battle. [online] International Business Times UK. Available at: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tesco-sainsbury-results-shares-market-351707 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Curtis, P., 2012.Why are we falling out of love with Tesco?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/apr/18/tesco-retail [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Davidson, L., 2015.Tesco is Britain's least favourite grocer. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11661958/Tesco-is-Britains-least-favourite-grocer.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Evans, B. and Mason, R., 2015.The lean supply chain. Britain: Kogan Page Limited. Harris, S., 2015.Tesco Has A Brilliant Plan To Feed Thousands Of Homeless People. [online] The Huffington Post UK. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/03/tesco-leftover-food-waste-charity-ceo-dave-lewis_n_7502092.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Hu, Q., Found, P., Williams, S. and Mason, R., 2015. Lean Thinking and Organisational Learning: How Can They Facilitate Each Other?.Measuring Operations Performance, pp.61-77. Keegan, W. and Green, M., 2015.Global Marketing. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Leng, M., Li, Z. and Liang, L., 2015. Implications for the Role of Retailers in Quality Assurance.Production and Operations Management, p.n/a-n/a. Molloy, M., 2013.Horse meat scandal: Tesco vows to 'open up supply chain'. [online] Metro. Available at: https://metro.co.uk/2013/02/16/horse-meat-scandal-three-more-plants-raided-by-fsa-officials-3480268/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Mukerjee, K., 2013. Customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ oriented organizations: a framework for innovation.Journal of Business Strategy, 34(3), pp.49-56. Ruddick, G., 2014.Clubcard built the Tesco of today, but it could be time to ditch it. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10577685/Clubcard-built-the-Tesco-of-today-but-it-could-be-time-to-ditch-it.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Ruddick, G., 2014.The answer to Tesco's problems lies in the past and with Sir Terry Leahy. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/tsco/11183732/The-answer-to-Tescos-problems-lies-in-the-past-and-with-Sir-Terry-Leahy.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Smithers, R., 2013.Tesco to give surplus fresh food to FareShare to help charities. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/16/tesco-surplus-food-banks-fareshare-charities [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Tesco plc, 2016.Tesco plc. [online] Tesco plc. Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=10 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Tesco plc, 2016.Tesco plc. [online] Tesco plc. Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=11 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Tesco Plc, 2014.Product Safety. Trading Responsibly. [online] Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/assets/files/cms/Resources/Trading_Responsibly/Product_Safety.pdf [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Tesco Plc, 2015.Our Code of Business Conduct. [online] Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/assets/files/cms/Code_of_business_conduct_2015.pdf [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. Visser, W., 2012.Corporate Sustainability Responsibility. Cork: BookBaby. Wells, J., 2014.Why Tescos Strengths Are No Longer Good Enough. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-tescos-strengths-are-no-longer-good-enough [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016].

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Hedda Gabler Essays (852 words) - Film, Literature, Theatre

Hedda Gabler Courtney Jane Brown THTR-DSTP Hedda Gabler Ibsen once said, Find out who you are and become that person, because, To realize yourself is the highest goal a person can attain. Self realization was Ibsen's super-objective. To find self-realization was the main theme of his play Hedda Gabler. Hedda, Tesman, and Thea, all live their lives through others, therefore never reaching self-realization. Their deficiencies entail cowardice, lack of imagination and validation. They make up for it by manipulating, borrowing and dependency. Searching for themselves in each other. Hedda lives through others by manipulation. Hedda is a coward, she is afraid of taking charge of her life and making something of herself. Since she feels a lack of control over her life, she controls others. She is unhappy because she has no control and tries to make everyone else unhappy. In the opening scene Aunt Julie comes over and places her hat in the living room, Hedda then purposefully remarks on how rude it was for the maid to leave her hat around the house. Aunt Julie's feelings are hurt deeply, since she bought the hat brand new. Hedda is also very condescending and sarcastic towards Tesman; he is completely unaware of it. She plays him like a deck of cards. When he asks her why she burned Lovborg's manuscript; she says she did it for you dear, since you envied it. He believes her not seeing her real motives, then he later exclaims, Oh, I'm beginning to understand you, Hedda! Hedda's feeling of being out of control also effects how she interacts with the other characters. This is why she is manipulative. She manipulates the people around her to do things that they normally wouldn't do. When Lovborg and Thea are with her, she offers Lovborg a drink, but he refuses because he quit drinking. Then she spills a bit of information about Lovborg that Thea had told her and Lovborg is outraged. In his anger, he accepts the drink. She makes both Thea and Lovborg angry but she got satisfaction from effecting their actions. Hedda is also pregnant but refuses to recognize it because again that would mean less control for her. Towards the end of the play Judge Brack tells her, he knows it was her gun that Lovborg shot himself with. He knows she afraid of the scandal. Hedda replies, So I'm in your power, Judge. You have your hold over me from now on. Shortly after saying this and seeing Tesman and Thea working together, she buries herself in a room with her fathers' pic ture and the piano. (Sentence about room and escape and how she fails when she kills herself) Then shoots herself. Tesman lives through others by borrowing ideas. He lacks any imagination, so he uses others ideas in place of his own. He lacks control over his work, because none of it is really his. It seems that anytime anyone mentions an idea he remarks, Imagine that, in a bewildered sort of way. He can't even carry on an interesting conversation because he has no ideas or original thoughts to share. Tesman wants to be recognized and respected for his work, but his work and research is nothing new, meaningless. Tesman's book would be filled with regurgitated facts. He spent his entire honeymoon in a library. (What does this show us about his character) He is very ambitious; almost everything he does is used to further his recognition. Even his marriage to Hedda; he married her because she is a trophy to him. (Why does he need a trophy)? Thea Elvsted is closest to self-realization but doesn't quite make it because of her dependence on men. She gets much farther than anyone else in play, because she is taking herself to another level by writing the book with Lovborg and later Tesman. She leaves her husband to cling to Lovborg. One could argue that it isn't her fault to be dependent on men because there was no other way of having an income back then. Therefore, her dependence is not completely her fault but a pressure from society. Thea is Hedda's opposite because she works for moral improvement but not only for her, for Lovborg and later Tesman. When Lovborg tells

Sunday, November 24, 2019

SAT Cost, ACT Cost, and How to Save Money

SAT Cost, ACT Cost, and How to Save Money SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're deciding between taking the SAT and the ACT and you have a tight budget, this guide will help. We'll cover the registration costs, reporting costs, and how you can save money no matter what test you choose. All Registration Costs for the SAT and ACT (Updated for 2019-2020) Let's first look at the cost of registering for the test, and extra fees. Fee Type What is this? SAT Cost ACT Cost Registration Fee The normal fee for each administration of the test you register for $64.50 ($49.50 without essay) $67($50.50 without essay) Late Fee Charged if you register after the regular deadline but before the final late deadline $30 $30 Waitlist Fee Charged if you register after the late registration deadline and are seated on test day. $53 $53 (standby testing) Change Fee Charged if you change the test center, test date, or test type $30 $30 Question and Answers An optional service that sends you the test questions and correct answers (useful for seeing what mistakes you made) $18 $20 International Fees Charged additionally if you're taking the test outside of the United States $43 to $53 $99.50 Sources: College Board and ACT, Inc The costs between the SAT and ACT are similar for registrations for U.S. students. If your schools require the essay section, taking the SAT saves you $1 per test. Clearly both tests charge through the nose for extra fees, punishing lack of planning ahead. As we'll cover below, planning early can represent a huge cost savings to you. All Reporting Costs for the SAT and ACT Once you take the test, you'll have to send your test scores to colleges. Each college you apply to will require its own SAT or ACT score report. If you apply to 12 colleges, you'll need to send 12 score reports. This is where the policies for the SAT and ACT really differ. Fee Type What is this? SAT ACT Free Score Reports The number of free reports you get when registering for the test 4 free reports, within 9 days after test 4 free reports, by the Thursday after the test Cost per School Charged for each report you send to a school outside of your free reports. $12 per school $13.00 per test per school Rush reporting Expedited sending of score reports $31 per school $16.50 per test per school Sources: College Board and ACT, Inc. Here's an elaboration. When you take the SAT or ACT, both tests allow you to send your scores to four schools for free. You will specify these four schools when registering for the test. The SAT gives you nine days after the test to decide those four schools, while the ACT only gives you six days. Outside of the free reports, both tests will charge you for sending score reports. This can happen if you're too late in specifying your free reports, or if you exceed the four free reports per test. The SAT and the ACT differ here in a significant way. The SAT can send all your College Board test scores to a school in a single report. This includes all SAT and SAT Subject Test administrations. The ACT, however, requires $13.00 per test per school. For example, if your school uses 'Superscoring', you might want to send two or three tests to combine the highest score.This can really rack up the cost really quickly.For example, if you're applying to ten colleges and you want to send three test scores, this will mean $13 x 10 x 3 = $390, just to send your scores to schools. All this money starts adding up. It pays to be proactive and to plan ahead. Here are four strategies to save as much money as possible on the SAT and ACT. 5 Tips to Save Money on the SAT and ACT If you're on a budget, you can save a lot of money by planning ahead. Here are important ways to get money back. #1: Apply for a Fee Waiver If You Qualify Both the College Board and the ACT know that low-income families find it difficult to pay for these expensive tests. Applying for a fee waiver can save you hundreds of dollars. With a fee waiver, both tests give you free registration for tests and free score reports. How do you qualify for a fee waiver? You qualify if any of the below is true: You're enrolled in or eligible for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch program You're enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (like Upward Bound) Your family receives public assistance You live in public housing, a foster home, or are homeless. Your household income level falls below USDA levels for Reduced Price lunches To get a fee waiver, you MUST go through your school counselor. You cannot apply directly through the College Board or ACT, Inc. This takes time, so make sure you do this well before you plan to register for the test. Contact your school counselor as soon as possible if you qualify for a fee waiver. #2: Register Early The late fee for registration is around half the test of the cost itself, causing a 50% increase in the test cost if you're late to register. If you have a test date set in mind, register months in advance so you don't forget. Make sure you get a confirmation by e-mail so you have no surprises come test day. Even worse than paying the late fee is missing the test date registration altogether. If you've been prepping for a specific date, this will cause you to lose momentum from your test prep and lower your score. #3: Use the FREEScore Reports Both the SAT and ACT give you free score reports to send to schools of your choosing. Make sure you specify schools before registration so you don't forget. Once the ACT test date passes, you won't be able to specify any more colleges to receive your test scores. The only reason you may want to not specify a college for the free score report is if you're not sure you're going to do better, and you want to make sure the college receives only your top scores. For all other cases, send it to colleges that are on your application list. #4: Self-Report Scores When Possible In an attempt to lower the barrier to applying even further, some of the top schools in the country now allow students to self-report their SAT and ACT scores on their applications; you'll only have to submit official SAT/ACT score reports if you're accepted. Prestigious national universities that allow self-reporting of SAT/ACT scores include Stanford, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Caltech, Rice, WashU in St. Louis, and Emory. Most of the top liberal arts colleges also have adopted this policy, including Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Swarthmore, Middlebury, and Pomona. For all schools allowing self-reported SAT/ACT scores, make sure to check their policy on superscoring/score choice so that you're maximizing your standardized testing profile. Also, while this should go without saying, don't lie when self-reporting your SAT/ACT scores on your application. Don't write a score you plan to get on the February ACT or March SAT before admissions decisions go out (unless the school you're applying to accepts February ACT scores) and don't lie about doing better than you did. This will most likely result in your admission being rescinded not just because you didn't do as well as you said you did, but because you lied; institutions of higher learning generally aren't super keen to welcome academically dishonest students into their community. #5: Use Your SAT/ACT Score to Qualify for Scholarships Many states and schools have scholarships where the major qualification is your SAT/ACT score. By doing well on the test, you can make back well more than it cost to take the test. Take the time to research these scholarships and apply for them if you qualify. What's Next? Now that you know how much the SAT and ACT cost, let's read more resources to learn more about these tests. Want a super high SAT score or ACT score? I teach you how to get a perfect SAT/ACT score, based on my own experiences. What are good ACT scores or good SAT scoresfor college? Is the SAT or ACT easier? Find out which you should take. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Policy Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Policy Agenda - Essay Example Agenda setting can be a compound phenomenon. Indeed, the dominant metaphor in modern agenda-setting studies has been the "garbage can model of choice," in which streams of troubles, policies, and politics flow autonomously until the right combination of them guided to a "policy window" in which decisions can be made (Kingdon 1997, Baumgartner and Jones 1993, 2002). as these concepts were developed in studies of agenda setting in the United States, one should be cautious in pertaining them to other polities, particularly since parliamentary democracies typically feature more specific party policy commitments, better executive-legislative dexterity, and greater stress on less overtly visible interest group-executive contacts, amongst other things. In short, most other liberal democratic polities perhaps lean more toward the organization end of what has been called "organized anarchy" than does the United States. This is not to refute that there exists a "policy primeval soup" (Kingdon 1997) in each. though they use overlapping terms, there is not complete agreement amongst analysts about the major concepts, extent, and processes of agenda setting. generally, the agenda-setting literature can be separated into two major theoretical approaches, which resemble the pluralist and elitist schools of thought (Petracca 1990). The pluralist loom emphasizes the role of the public, interest groups, and the media in emergent the political agenda (Downs 1972). In contrast, the elitist approach to agenda setting sees the main initiatives coming from government officials as well as policy communities; other elements mainly act as veto groups (Kingdon 1997). Perhaps as the research stems from a U.S. base, neither orientation rates political parties extremely in the agenda-setting process. Cobb, Keith-Ross, and Ross ( 1976) give a bridge across these two approaches by positing three models of agenda setting outside inventiveness, mobilization, and inside initiative. The first is mass to elite, t he subsequent elite to mass, and the third elite to elite only. Major element of agenda setting is the procedure of problem identification/problem structuring of the policy issue. How a policy issue is prepared and identified in this initial stage will settle on the direction and content of the public discourse and the proposed solutions as it moves through the residual

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Management Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management Report - Case Study Example The report will identify and describe about the possible problems that the organisation could face by implementing the new ERP system based on traditional system development life cycle methodology and also provide recommendations to Solaricot for performing its business operations effectively. What an ERP System is ERP system is fundamentally described as a set of applications that is incorporated to administer broad assortment of commercial activities like finance, human resource and inventory among others. ERP software incorporates all features of business operational functions comprising business development, production functions and marketing activities. ERP system usually utilise databases as a source of information. The basic objective of ERP is to share information for simplifying the flow of data across business within an organisation (O’Leary, 2004). Values of ERP That Can Bring To Manufacturing Firm The adoption and the execution of ERP system has been noted to be qu ite common in manufacturing organisations. Successful ERP installations help the manufacturing firms to enhance their strategic as well as economical capabilities. In manufacturing organisations like Solaricot, ERP system can successfully address several management challenges. In this modern day context, organisations must manage all resources including supply chain activities in an effective manner. The integrated characteristics of ERP system makes the sharing of information easier and also deliver timely information. Furthermore, ERP system also assists the manufacturing firms in managing its inventory level effectually. Various ERP tools that comprise demand forecasting, inventory visibility and cohesive scheduling are typically used for ensuring dynamic manufacturing operations. In manufacturing firms, ERP system makes the production functions to remain on track and generate quality products (Muscatello & et. al., 2003). Possible Problems of ERP System in Solaricot Though ERP s ystem can frequently assist different organisations towards enhancing their respective production abilities, it can also bring failure to certain organisations. In this similar context, several aspects could have gone wrong with the new system at Solaricot. The possible problems of ERP system in Solaricot have been described hereunder. Improper Customisation of the ERP system Based on the traditional systems development life cycle methodology, the first possible reason for the failure of ERP system

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Role of Human Capital in the New Global Economy Essay

The Role of Human Capital in the New Global Economy - Essay Example It is seen that with the growth of the population towards their age of retirement, nations tend to face a shortage of labour. The economy faces a labour shortage crisis which fails to meet the desired level of skill requirement of the society and economy on the whole. Thus it is crucial that nations maintain a certain amount of skill within the economy which meets its output and productivity requirement. In other words nations need to maintain a balance in their labour markets (Turner, â€Å"Executive Summary†). Technological advancement has also played a significant role in the increasing competitiveness of nations. Moreover it forms a primary component behind the competitiveness and competitive advantage of nations in the international market. This has called for a labour force which is highly competent in the field of information technology in order to sustain and survive in the global markets. Nations suffering from less advancement in technology and communications has suffered skill shortage and labour efficiency which is the reason why they have lost their competitive position in the market among global competitors (Turner, â€Å"Executive Summary†). With globalization, the prevalence of trade and commerce has also increased substantially. Global economies’ reliance on international trade has increased substantially over the years.