Db5 hhrr Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db5 hhrr - Research Paper Example This involves removing the employee from the organization’s list of workers. This form of punishment should be used only when the mistake done by an employee is grave or when they have been warned about their mistakes severally. Yet another punishment that employers can impose on employees is suspension (hr.ubc.ca, 2013). As opposed to termination, when an employee is suspended, they are relived of their duties and seize to enjoy some of the benefits and privileges they previously enjoyed temporarily. The employer can also demote an employee for the mistakes they commit. When an employee is demoted, they lose some of the privileges they previously enjoyed and have their pay cut. This type of disciplinary action is also severe and should be reserved for serious cases. Instead of issuing such weighty disciplinary actions against an employee, an employer may issue a warning to an errant employee. The warning should carry weight and should serve to deter the employee from engaging in further inappropriate activities. Warnings should always be issued privately and should be accompanied by counselling aimed at instigating improved performance (entrepreneur.com, 2013). An employee can also be assigned an unpleasant task as a disciplinary action (hr.ubc.ca,

Pace Leisurewear Ltd Case Study

Pace Leisurewear Ltd Case Study An integrated approach with effective administration, adequate financing and capable human resource may lead a business organisation towards the path of goal attainment. Disintegration among these elements may lead towards its own demise sooner or later. Pace Leisurewear Ltd is a company that designs and manufactures the casual and leisure clothes aimed particularly at the younger, higher-income market. It was established by Jill Dempsey and Mike Greaves, who are the Managing Director and Production Manager of the company respectively. By observing the case study of this company, we know that the company is in trouble because the letter from the companys bank was asking it for the reduction in the overdraft. This letter from the bank has made them worried because if they cant keep up the overdraft, they will not be able to fulfil the big order by Arena, which was one of the several national chains of casual and sportswear stores that was placing substantial orders with Pace. It shows that they were facing liquidity problem. A general outlook of the case study putting aside the financial statements provides us with some other difficulties that the company was facing. Trading of the company during the recession period was a problem. Moreover, recession itself was a problem for the company. Though it was a big company, the production director Mike was looking after the financial matters. There was no one within the company who had any great financial expertise. When there was a problem, the companys auditors were normally asked for advice. The company is facing poor cash situation as conveyed by Mike Greaves which might be result of their spending on fixed assets like plant. Declaration of no further investment in the company by the largest shareholder Keeble States also came as a shock to the company when there was a hope that Keeble States would invest money and they would be able to issue overdraft. Also, an indifference of the largest shareholder in the affair of the company can be regarded as a problem. Such indifference directly affects the operation of company that ultimately, has the effect on financial situation of the company. Breaching of the overdraft limit over the past few years by the company functioned as a proof of their dishonesty. Also, we can identify that the company was running along with the conflict between the largest shareholder Keeble brothers and the other board members. The other board members were bringing forth the idea of introducing another major shareholder, which was against the wish of Keeble brothers. So, the company was facing the problem in decision making. A quick look upon the balance sheet of the company, gives us the information that there is a massive increment in the non-current assets. Though investment in the non-current assets is good for the company in the long run, it may cause problem to the company in its day to day operation. It may create an inadequacy of working capital which is necessary for daily activities. The amount of trade receivables has increased which indicates that the goods are being sold on credit. Calculation and Interpretation of Financial Ratios The income statement and balance sheet are the traditional basic financial statements of a business enterprise. They do not give all the information related to the financial operations of a firm. Still, they provide some extremely useful information to the extent that balance sheet mirrors the financial position on a particular date in terms of structures of assets, liabilities and owners equity and others and profit and loss account shows the results operations during a certain period of time in terms of revenues obtained and the cost incurred during the year. In depth analysis of financial statements is supported with ratio-analysis. It is the most widely used technique of financial statement analysis. Ratio analysis is a systematic use of ratio to interpret the financial statements so that the strengths and weaknesses of a firm as well as its historical performance and current financial condition can be determined. Ratios are relative figures reflecting the relationship between variables. A single figure by itself has no meaning but when expressed in terms of related figure, it yields significant inferences. Ratios can be divided into profitability ratio, liquidity ratio and activity ratio. To analyse the financial statement and condition of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, the method of ratio analysis is used as a major tool. Here, return on capital employed, return on equity (shareholders fund), gross profit margin, net profit margin, inventory holding period, average collection period for trade receivables, sales to capital employed ratio, current ratio, quick assets (liquid or acid test) ratio and gearing ratio are used as major tools for the interpretation of business condition and financial statements, though there are other tools for the interpretation. Calculation and interpretation of these ratios provide us with the information about liquidity, profitability and efficiency of the company. The calculation and interpretation of the ratios can be shown as below: Calculation S.N. Description Formulas Year before last Last Year a) Return on Capital Employed =20.05% =29.60% b) Return on Equity =18.15% =32.51% c) Gross Profit Margin =46.48% =48.16% d) Net Profit Margin =14.99% =20.61% e) Inventory Holding Period =117.74 days =182.84 days f) Average Collection Period =42.10 days =60.98% g) Sales to Capital Employed =1.34 times =1.44 times h) Current Ratio =1.76 times =1.13 times i) Acid Test Ratio =.78 times =0.47 times j) Gearing Ratio =34.40% =42.30% Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE ratio tells us how much profit we earn from the investment the shareholders have made in their company. If the company has low ROCE ratio, it is using its resources inefficiently, even if its profit margin is high. The higher the ratio the more efficient is the use of capital employed. In context of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, ROCE ratio was increased in the last year than the year before last. From the calculation, we got, it was 30% in the last year whereas it was 20% in the year before last. So, we can say that the company had better performance in the last year than the year before last. Return on Equity This ratio indicates the profitability to the shareholders of the firm with deduction of all expenses and taxes. In context of this company, the return on equity ratio was increased which is good for the company. It was 32.5% in the last year and 18% in the year before last. Gross Profit Margin It indicates the efficiency of operations and firms pricing policies. The larger the gross profit margin, the better for the company. It looks at how well a company controls the cost of its inventory and manufacturing of its products and subsequently pass on the cost to its customers. From the calculation we found that the gross profit margin ratio was increased. It was 46.16% in the year before last and 48.16% in the last year which is good for the company. Net Profit Margin This ratio measures the relationship between net profit and sales of a firm. A high net profit margin in ratio is an indicative of adequate return to the owners as well as enables a firm to withstand adverse economic conditions. A low net profit margin ratio has the opposite implications. From the calculation, we found that the net profit margin ratio was increased. It was 8.91% in the year before last and 13.10% in the last year. It shows that the company was selling well which is good for the company. Inventory Holding Period A high number of days inventory indicates that there is lack of demand for the product being sold whereas a low days inventory holding period may indicate that the company is not keeping enough stock on hand to meet the demands. It is known from the above calculation that the inventory holding period for the company in the year before last was 63 days and for the last year it was 95 days. So, this extension in the inventory holding period is a problem for the company which obstructs the path of cash generating. Average Collection Period of Trade Receivables This ratio indicates the speed with which debtors/accounts receivables are being collected. A short, collection period implies prompt payment by the debtors. It reduces the chance of bad debts. Similarly, a longer collection period implies too liberal and inefficient credit collection performance. From the calculation, we found that, the collection period for the debtors/accounts receivables for the year before last was 42 days whereas for the last year it was 61 days. So, it indicates that the company was inefficient in its credit collection performance. This delay in the collection of receivables, may have adverse effect in the liquidity position and also there lies possibility of accounts receivables being bad debts. Sales to Capital Employed Ratio It is the ratio which indicates the relationship between the capital employed and sales revenue. The higher the ratio the higher is the revenue, the lower the ratio the lower the revenue. From the calculation, we found that the ratio of capital employed in the year before last was 1.34 times and for the last year it was 1.44 times. It indicates that the Pace Leisurewear Ltd was generating more revenue. Current Ratio The ratio of total current assets to total liabilities is current ratio. It measures the short term solvency, that is, its ability to meet short term obligations. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they come due at that point. From the calculation, we found that the current ratio for Pace Leisurewear Ltd in the year before last was 1.76:1 and for the last year it was 1.44:1. This ratio indicates that the short-term solvency of the company was getting poorer. Quick Assets ( liquid or acid test) Ratio It is the ratio between quick current assets and current liabilities. It shows a firms ability to meet current liabilities with its most liquid assets. Companies with the ratio less than 1, are supposed to be in vulnerable condition. Such companies are unable to pay their current liabilities, which show the dependency of current assets on inventory. In case of this company, it was found that quick assets ratio was getting weaker. It was 0.78:1 in the year before last and 0.47:1 in the last year. It indicates that the company was in difficulty of paying current liabilities. It was even weaker in the last year than the year before last. Gearing Ratio The higher the gearing, the higher the dependence on borrowing and long term finance. The lower the gearing ratio, the higher the dependence on equity financing. Here, in case of this company, the gearing ratio for the last year was 42.3% and 34.4% for the year before last. It shows that the company had a reliance on sources of long term loan. Conclusion and Recommendation From the above calculation and interpretation of the ratio and its analysis based on the two years financial statement of the Pace Leisurewear Ltd, we came to know that the company was facing mainly a liquidity problem. In order to get rid of such financial problem, assuming myself as a member of Drake Management Consultants, would like to recommend that the company should issue the shares, increase the cash sales rather than credit sales, collect the trade receivables promptly, decrease the long term liabilities and not exceed the limit of overdraft. Beside this, it needs to employ a financial expert and develop an environment of mutual understanding and trust among the shareholders and board of directors.

The Tragedy of Mileva Maric Einstein - Einsteins First Wife Essay exa

The Tragedy of Mileva Maric Einstein - Einstein's First Wife A hundred years ago, a young married couple sat at a kitchen table talking over the items of the day while their young boy sat listening earnestly. He had heard the debate every night, and while there were no raised voices, their discussion was intense. It was a subject about which his parents were most passionate - the electrodynamics of moving bodies in the universe. The couple were of equal intelligence and fortitude, working together on a theory that few people can comprehend even to this day. Mileva Maric Einstein was considered to be the intellectual equal of her husband Albert, but somehow went unrecognized for her contributions to the 1905 Papers, which included the Special Theory of Relativity. The stronger force of these two bodies would be propelled into the archives of scientific history, while the other would be left to die alone, virtually unknown. Mrs. Einstein was robbed. She deserved to be recognized for at least a collaborative effort, but it was not to be. The role which society had accorded her and plain, bad luck would prove to be responsible for the life of this great mathematician and scientist, gone unnoticed. Mileva "was born in Hungary in 1875, with a hip deformity and a good mind" (Storey 31). Although women did not usually pursue science degrees, she had won top marks in her class for math and physics, and was sent on to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich the same year as Einstein (Grenier B05). She was one of five in their class; Mileva and Albert both specialized in theoretical physics. Mileva attended classes and took notes for both of them. They studied for every class together. When they were apart, they wrote co... ...he Women's Rights Movement. http://legacy98.org/timeline.htmI2002. Pearson, Dan. Mrs. Einstein Takes the Stage. Science Review. 7 Nov. 2002. http://archives.pioneerlocal.com Same, William. A Beautiful Body. The Moscow Times. 29 March 2002. Sherman, Roger. Modem Physics Department, Smithsonian Institute. Personal interview.6 Nov. 2003. Specter, Michael. Know Einstein. The New Yorker. 25 Nov. 2002. Talk Section; 37. Storey, Celia. Einstein's Wife Depicts Genius as Mortal. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 21 Oct. 2003. Sec: Style;31. University of Alabama, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4,000 Years of Women in Science. Dec. 2002 2 Nov. 2003 http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/newintro.html. White, Michael and Gribbin, John. Einstein: A Life in Science. Amazon.com: Editorial Review: Kirkus Review. 30 Oct. 2003 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos.

Computer Games †Good or Bad? Essay

Before we decide whether or not computer/video games are bad, there are many facts and opinions to consider. For example, many people feel that these games are too violent and that they cause an undervelopment in the frontal lobe. Others feel that games are helpful and educational. There is also a health concern. According to Professor Ryuta Kawashima, â€Å"The importance of this discovery cannot be underestimated. There is a problem we will have with a new generation of children – who play computer games – that we have never seen before. The implications are very serious for an increasingly violent society and these students will be doing more and more bad things if they are playing games and not doing other things like reading aloud or learning arithmetic. † I do not agree with this statement fully, though I can understand that it does occur in some cases. I love playing computer and video games. When I was younger I used to play a James Bond game with my friends. We also played Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. I used to love those games, and I remember making them â€Å"turn off the blood† because I ddin’t like that side to it. I still play video games, and though they may include shooting, fighting and other violence, you don’t see me beating up somebody because of a video game. I do know that there are some bad people in the world who have hurt someone because they were influenced by violent games. Another concern is the underdevelopment of the frontal lobe. As written by Tracy McVeigh, education editor, â€Å"Whenever you use self control to refrain from lashing out or doing something you should not, the frontal lobe is hard at work. Children often do things they shouldn’t because their frontal lobes are underdeveloped. The more work done to theicken the fibres connecting the neurons in this part of the brain, the better the child’s ability will be to control their behaviour. The more the area is stimulated, the more these fibres will thicken. † I think I agree with this statement, becasue I have seen the behaviour of the people around me, they seem out of control sometimes. They speak before they think, they fight constantly and are always in other people’s faces. One guy states â€Å"I’m not going to argue that violent entertainment is harmless. I think it has helped inspire some people to real-life violence. I am going to argue that it’s helped hundreds of people for every one it’s hurt, and that it can help far more if we learn to use it well. I am going to argue that our fear of ‘youth violence’ isn’t well-founded on reality and that the fear can do more harm than the reality. We act as though our highest priority is to prevent our children fron growing up into murderous thugs – but modern kids are far more likely to grow up too passive, too distrustful of themselves, too easily manipulated†. I agree more with him than Professor Kawashima, because I don’t find that video games influence EVERYONE to be violent. I feel that they release anger by hurting fictional characters on a screen rathern than real-life people and animals. Professor Angela McFarlane says â€Å"Adventure, quest and simulation type games have a lot of benefit – they’re quite complex and create a context in which children can develop important skills†¦We’re not advocating arcate, shot-the-baddie type games†¦Now that’s interesting when the stereotype is that children play on the computer exclusively on their own. Teachers and parents then broke that down into skills of negotiation, planning, strategic thinking and decision-making. † I feel that if television can teach us, so can video games. Video and computer games can cause health problems. In every instruction book for games there are warnings. Some people suffer from a condition called Photosensitive Epilepsy. As said by Professor Graham Harding, â€Å"Photosensitive epilepsy is best defined as a tendency to recurrent convulsions, precipitated either by flashing lights or patterns. † I have only ever had one fit in my life, when I was younger. I was diagnosed with occipital epilepsy. I’ve always played video games and hadn’t had a problem. We got a PS2 (PlayStation 2) for Christmas last eyar, and while I was playing I felt dizzy. This occured with every game on PS2 except Buzz, though it’s a quiz game and doesn’t have all those flashy graphics. I can play on the Computer, my Nintendo DS and my GameCube without a problem, it seems to just be the PS2. I agree that video games can cause health problems, though if you do everything you need to (e. g. not playing a certain game, having a break etc.) you should be alright. Computer games – are they good or bad? In my opinion, I think that they are enjoyable, though they aren’t for some people. Those people who can be so cruel as to murder an innocent kitten or beat up a person due to these games are the reasons why there are doubts about computer and video games. Computer games are both good and bad. Good because they are enjoyable and can be educational, though bad because they cause some violence. Just remember, more people kill in the name of God than violent computer games.

Altering the Landscape of Health Care Essay

The health care field is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and other countries. The scope of changes suggests a consumer-driven environment and moving away from a provider-driven industry. Changes in technology and communication methods are allowing people to engage directly with their health care provider and not rely solely on the medical provider. We will discuss the modifications taking place in health care, current and potential challenges, and how the health care industry is adjusting to those changes. Modifications in Health Care The modifications taking place in health care involve the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and changes in insurance coverages. A report from Mobile Health 2012 from the Pew Internet & American Life Project states that 45 percent of American adults own a smartphone (Khan, 2014). In addition, the report also states that 53% of smartphone owners use their phones to gain access to health care information (Khan, 2014). With this increase in technology, patients do not have to wait for the next appointment for laboratory results, access real-time data, or health information. They can have access to their medical records anytime they choose, including other methods of communication such as email or social media (Khan, 2014). Through the ACA, patients have choices about choosing health insurance exchanges that benefit their families and themselves, which includes choosing premiums, copays, and deductibles. Individuals have the benefit of choosing cost-effective insurance coverage that is affordable for them which give them direct power and actively engaging in their quality of care. Current and Potential Challenges in Health Care The current and potential challenges facing health care comes from the new mandates under the ACA. Health care employees are under tremendous stress with shortages in the workforce, and instability in the industry (Anderson, 2014). The average health professional’s level of stress is causing job dissatisfaction, burnout, and difficulty retaining quality health care providers (Anderson, 2014). Consumers expect to receive quality care with more choices under the ACA and have the freedom to monitor their health care expenses. Although patients can seek additional health care information through technology, it will take a strong workforce to provide optimum patient care to consumers (Anderson, 2014). The challenge to improve the quality of care without a strong, resilient, growing workforce is undeniable. Many health professionals are seeking other career interests because of the effects of ACA. The mandate that comes under the ACA increases the level of stress on workers, organizations, and the health system is increasing tremendously (Anderson, 2014). The complexity of implementing the rules of the ACA places extreme burden on health providers to fulfill professional obligation, adhere to legal requirements, and still provide quality patient care (Anderson, 2014). Instead of lifting the pressure off of workers it place enormous stress to perform with excellence daily. Another huge challenge in health care is the increase of medical errors because of overworked individuals, which creates fewer optimal outcomes, including patient death and health care disparities (Khan, 2014). The mandate on medical providers to implement electronic health records is creating workforce stress, increased workloads, and burnout among health providers and professionals (Anderson, 2014). In addition, there will be growth in the workforce because of the increase in the number of patients that will be insured under the ACA. Therefore, this will create overwhelming strain on existing medical workers and their ability to accomplish those goals. Solutions to Health Care Challenges The effort to remain competitive in the health care industry requires medical providers, such as physicians, hospitals, physician group practices, and numerous health care companies to integrate and merge businesses (Anderson,  2014). As stated in the article, mergers and acquisitions lower operating costs, but also keep an even distribution of financial safety and increases market share (Anderson, 2014). Consolidations now include many physicians selling their practices to join physician groups and working in hospitals. With these changes taken place, insurers, hospitals, physicians and stakeholders can have an increase in negotiation power (Anderson, 2014). In 2011, there were consolidations that include 432 mergers involving 832 hospitals (Anderson, 2014). As a result, many hospitals are not independent but are now major health care systems throughout the United States. The implementation of the ACA suggests more individuals by law will have to purchase insurance. The health care system is not prepared to handle the large quantity of cases, which will add significant stress among workers. Health care organizations will need an efficient workforce to accommodate the growing population and give patients the quality of care that they deserve (Anderson, 2014). According to Anderson, â€Å"Solutions to the existing problems will require innovation in medical education and training, improved delivery of care, and implementation of policies to retain the existing health care workforce† (Anderson, 2014, p.1). The shift taking place in health care will continue to change along with the implementations under the ACA and the mandate to obtain insurance coverage. Changing the landscape of health care includes the shift to mobile technology and consumer-driven industry. Consumers are more aware of technology that can assist in gaining access to medical information and are seeking alternatives to insurance coverages and reducing costs. Therefore, they are engaging directly with the medical providers and taking ownership of their health information and status. Health care professionals are seeking less stressful working environments, smaller workloads, and even other career paths. The operating costs of the health care system are astronomical and will continue to increase as health care becomes available to more consumers. References Anderson, A. (2014). The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Health Care Workforce. Re trieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/03/the-impact-of-the-afforda ble-care-act-on-the-health-care-workforce Khan, F. (2014). The Shift to Consumer Driven Healthcare. Advance Healthcare Network. Retrie ved from http://healthcare-executive-insight.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/The-Shif t-to-Consumer-Driven-Healthcare.aspx