Environmental Footprint Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Natural Footprint - Lab Report Example This expansion in carbon dioxide outflows brings about increment in the worldwide Earth temperature. Thus, improvement of more up to date homes in zones that have been initially shrouded with backwoods brings about expanded carbon dioxide in the climate, since the timberlands worked as carbon sinks. Furthermore, same way of life among people may bring about debasement of environments and loss of biodiversity. As the human populace increments, new alterations on the scene, for example, making of new structures, bring about adjusting of the biological system of a spot and disturbance of the environment forms. The biological system forms are constrained by the biodiversity in a region. In the event that everybody appreciated a similar way of life, the pace of utilization of assets would increment quickly. This would bring about a decrease, in the asset base for mankind. Changing human ways of life, for example, favoring quick nourishments to agrarian items can likewise bring about dimin ished cultivating exercises. This may prompt absence of food assets important to help human populace and, henceforth, may influence the monetary security. Thusly, increment in human exercises, for example, deforestation, influences environment forms, which diminishes the efficiency of land. ... Furthermore, turning down of the temperature of the warming indoor regulator by eight degrees Fahrenheit and the forced air system by seven degrees Fahrenheit can give reserve funds of $24 and $42 individually. This will spare around 770 pounds of carbon dioxide from being discharged into the air. Exercises, for example, washing garments in cool water rather than hot will set aside to $10 every year and in the process there would be investment funds by 181 pounds of carbon dioxide outflow. What's more, utilizing the rest include in the PC will spare $10 yearly sparing around 159 pounds of carbon dioxide discharges. So as to diminish carbon outflows, reusing items related with groceries can be utilized. This will spare around 447 pounds of carbon dioxide. The aggregate sum of carbon outflows spared by an individual adds up to 19,905 pounds. This produces investment funds adding up to $2,304 every year. For a populace of 100 million in America, the aggregate sum of carbon outflows spar ed would add up to around 1990.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide spared every year. Thusly, the absolute investment funds in dollars would be about $230.4 dollars per annum. Execution of these arrangements will extraordinarily lessen the measure of carbon dioxide in the environment, which will bring about keeping up a steady earth temperature. Furthermore, diminishing the miles driven by vehicle will help improve the air quality, as the creation of carbon dioxide from the vehicles will be decreased. Thus, expanded reusing as a measure to decrease contamination will help improve water quality, as the majority of items that were arranged in the waters will be re-utilized. Decrease in the emanation of carbon dioxide in the climate will improve the wellbeing states of people particularly the individuals who have relaxing

Children with Reading Problem Essay

The article by Susan M. Tancock concentrates to the necessities of extraordinary understudies. These understudies are viewed as poor perusers. They are generally behind in perusing and composing abilities when contrasted with their cohorts (peers). The extraordinary guidance that these understudies get customarily includes the acknowledgment of distinguishing hints of letters and words rather than the development of their importance inside the setting of the content or story. In the article we are told poor people perusers are generally approached to peruse so anyone might hear more regularly than other progressively talented perusers. Likewise, their instructors intrude on their perusing as opposed to empowering them towards a self observing way to deal with their perusing. Tancock stresses the significance of being touchy to specific beliefs while mentoring small kids who have understanding challenges. Above all else, she feels it is of most extreme significance that the coach should accept that their tutee can and will turn into a decent peruser and essayist. Furthermore, she expresses that the tutee needs unsurprising material to help empower fruitful understanding propensities. To achieve this assignment it is ideal if the coach utilizes quality children=s books composed by notable writers. Youngsters can be urged to Aread like a writer@ by utilizing topics that are worked around the child=s individual interests. This will furnish the understudy with a more inside and out association with the understanding procedure. Mentors must form exercises around the child=s qualities to fabricate certainty inside the kid for future understanding errands. The understudies likewise should be urged to cause forecasts in their perusing to assist with forming them into daring people. In the exercise with Gayla and Chase the writer depicted how Gayla first sets out recognizable understanding material (books) for Chase to look over so he could peruse so anyone might hear. Since Chase is now acquainted with these books and has likely perused them before, it will empower him to be gotten certain about think about with regards to something hard for him to peruse. By Gayla=s reminding him to peruse resoundingly with the goal that it sounds fascinating and halting him to commend his great endeavors, will include him more with regards to the importance of his understanding endeavors. One specific method that Gayla utilized, was to have Chase imitate her as she peruses to him. This assisted with underlining the lingual authority and intonation for Chase. One of Chase’s books of decision identified with his experience information on angling and this was of extraordinary assistance for him to have the option to review earlier information when he read. Before he started perusing Gayla connected with him in a discussion about his past encounters with angling. Gayla comprehended this would permit Chase to investigate his brain and make associations with his angling experiences. She needed Chase to figure out how to discover signs for taking make surmises that would in the long run lead him out of troublesome spots in his perusing. Gayla likewise now and again utilized Directed Reading B Thinking Activity (DR †TA). In this outline, Chase made theories during perusing and afterward by his kept perusing he could then find whether his estimates were right or erroneous. This training can in the end help an understudy to put forth a concentrated effort help systems when perusing later on. Pursue was likewise solicited to review times from trouble and to examine manners by which he used to tackle those understanding issues. Gayla then invigorated his intuition by asking him key inquiries. During the composing portions of the exercise, Chase had the option to apply the conceptualizing strategy when arranging what he would expound on. In the wake of conceptualizing Gayla then helped him sort his composition by relating it to his earlier understanding contribution. The completed the process of composing undertaking can likewise fill in as a device for future effective perusing task since it is the student=s creation from his very own relationship with the theme. Pursue was then approached to sort a few words that he had some trouble with during his perusing and composing meeting. In this specific student=s case he was approached to sort words starting with s and sh. After he was finished arranging he was approached to record the couple of words so he could make the association with perusing and composing. At last Gayla read a book she had chosen to peruse to Chase. Despite the fact that she had picked the book, she had still stayed inside the topic that had been set. Be that as it may, the perusing Gayla picked was all things considered somewhat progressively troublesome. After the exercise was over Chase at that point picked a book to bring home to peruse to his family. Tancock states, Afluency endures when youngsters concentrate more on the subtleties of print than the significance of the content; accordingly appreciation endures as well. @ Consequently as a mentor, it ought to be our duty to soothe the unneeded weights of the subtleties on the printed page, and to permit the kid to learn without hardly lifting a finger as conceivable the significance of the content. Catalog Tancock, Susan M. AA Literacy Lesson Framework for Children with Reading Problems@ The Readind Teacher, Volume 48. No. 2 Oct. 1994 Word Count: 826ñž

I Dont Need Much

I Dont Need Much When life is simple, I dont need much to live. I dont need much to pursue my passion. A cup of coffee, a place to write, and my thoughts tumbling onto the page will do just fine. I dont need much to cultivate meaningful relationships. A friendly companion, a full-belly sunset, and a good conversation sound just right to me. I dont need much to live a healthfully. Daily exercise, healthy foods, and plenty of breathing while walking keeps me feeling alive. I dont need much to contribute to others. A day at a soup kitchen, an afternoon with Habitat for Humanity, and some advice for a troubled friend goes a long way. I dont need much to grow. Daily action, small incremental changes, and a commitment to constantly improve my life will keep me growing. I dont need much to live a meaningful life. And neither do you. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Workplace Literacy and Effective Communication - 1270 Words

Workplace Literacy and Effective Communication Recently, there has been a poorly written communication in the workplace, which has led to some hurt feelings, lower morale and possible loss of business. As a corporation, we have worked very hard to maintain the synergy though out our work environment. These latest events are starting to compromise multiple aspects of our company. First, we are losing control and perspective of our colleagues. Camaraderie and atmosphere are suffering, placing us in jeopardy of destroying our active policies and their integrity. We must also be careful not to take these events lightly, jeopardizing our nucleus and strong core structure of talented workers. Workplace literacy and effective communication†¦show more content†¦Establishing and maintaining credibility is not the only reason for effective communication and in our attempt to clarify this need; the question arises as to what the consequences for ineffective communication are. The Salt Lake Tribune (2000) makes mention that manageme nt experts say producing sloppy, poorly written work can be a career killer, and honestly, make you look lusterless and diminished. In most cases, Nick Morgan (editor of Harvard Management Communication Letter) points out, readers of your work probably will skip right over grammatical errors but, most certainly, will notice a poorly argued, poorly structured report (cited in The Salt Lake Tribune, 2000, p.E.3). Among the ever-growing consolidation demands being imposed on employers, there is a great demand to not complicate or eliminate the social interaction aspects in workplace literacy. However, restructured management has forced requirements on workers to be more involved in self-directed work teams. Mariam Jean Dresser makes mention that these work teams must set goals together engaging in persuasive communication, problem analysis, and writing (cited in Smith, p. 378). Corporations have also placed workers into isolated electronic workstations and the solicitation and deployme nt of businesses globally have forced workers to read and write more often than in traditional workplaces (Smith, 2000, p. 378). Because of this global initiative, demands, and moreShow MoreRelatedEssay about Workplace Literacy and Effective Communication1253 Words   |  6 Pages Recently, there has been a poorly written communication in the workplace, which has led to some hurt feelings, lower morale and possible loss of business. As a corporation, we have worked very hard to maintain the synergy thoughout our work environment. These latest events are starting to compromise multiple aspects of our company. First, we are loosing control and perspective of our colleagues. Camaraderie and atmosphere are suffering, placing us in jeopardy of destroying our active policies andRead MoreThe Importance Of Identifying And Adapting Health Literacy967 Words   |  4 PagesPatient Health Literacy in Effective Workplace Communication Name: Georgia Pearson Student Number: n9994769 Course Code Name: PYB007 Communication for Healthcare Professionals Tutor: Michael Rowlands Tutorial: Wednesday, 1500 – 1700, N518 Word Count: Date: 10/04/2017 Queensland University of Technology The Importance of Identifying and Adapting to Patient Health Literacy in Effective Workplace Communication Effective communication plays an integral role in the workplace of health professionalsRead MoreTeaching Role Of An Apn1216 Words   |  5 Pageseducation. Health promotion and disease prevention can be accomplished with effective communication with the patient. Patient education can be successful if the APN provides an environment that is patient-centered. This approach involves listening to the patient, allowing time for questions, assessing the health literacy of the patient and including the patient’s input when planning their treatment. Among these, health literacy, the ability to understand basic health information needed to make decisionsRead MoreImportance Of Graduate Standard 2946 Words   |  4 Pagesitself. Over the course of my degree I have come to learn the content and applying it in the curriculum for children across age through different teaching strategies. I have used the Early Year Learning Framework in my professional experience and workplace practices ac ross different age groups. In planning for practicum, I have had the opportunity to plan and implement a learning experience (evidence for 2.1) for children, I followed the concepts of planning, including information gathering- questioning-planning-acting-reflectingRead MoreSocial Responsibility And Health Care1371 Words   |  6 Pagesof illness and injury (AHPRA, 2015). Workplace citizenship and its three core elements of team work, social responsibility and communication are essential in the nursing profession to develop skills and give the best nursing care that is possible, because of how these elements work individually as well as together. This essay will explore the negative and positive effects of each core element and how it affects the care that is delivered by nurses. Communication in nursing is an essential skill whichRead MoreRevised Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pages Revised Scholarship, Practice, and Leadership Essay Information literacy is essential for leaders, scholars and researchers to help them lead and build the needed skills academically and within their workplace environment. Resources for information literacy are constantly growing to meet todays society needs. To some leaders and scholars, this type of convenience is more of a blessing while other who cannot understand the process see it as a hindrance. The discussions of this paper is focusedRead MoreThe Generation Of The Boomer Generation1545 Words   |  7 Pagesthat mold these individuals. Various generations have come and departed, including the Greatest Generation, the Baby-Boomers, Gen X, and now the Millennials. There are effective ways for the Millennial Generation to overcome their stereotypes. According to Barbour Ulrich in her article â€Å"Survey findings challenge Millennial workplace stereotypes,† Anyone currently who is of the age of eighteen through thirty-four are considered to be part of the Millennials Generation (Ulrich, 2017). Furthermore, theseRead MorePatient Care, Quality Improvement, And Teamwork1399 Words   |  6 Pagesproviding the best care. Prioritizing patient-centered care, quality improvement, and teamwork provides methods to increase patient safety, while excellent patient care can be maximized when striving to achieve cares that are safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, and patient-centered. Question 1: How do patient-centered care, quality improvement, and teamwork/collaboration relate to patient safety? Patient-Centered Care Patient-Centered Care proves to be one facet of increasingRead MoreComputer Literacy And Technology Education Essay1415 Words   |  6 PagesCOMPUTER LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION Prepared for Jill Jaber Instructor Fox Valley Technical College Prepared by Andrew G Student Fox Valley Technical College December 9, 2013 â€Æ' December 9, 2013 Mrs. Jill Jaber Written Communication Instructor Fox Valley Technical College 1825 N. Bluemound Drive Appleton, WI 54912-2277 Dear Mrs. Jaber: The attached research paper, requested by Jill Jaber as required by the Written Communication curriculum at Fox Valley TechnicalRead MoreCommunication: A Fundamental Part of the Early Childhood Teachers Role1725 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will discuss communication as being a fundamental part of the early childhood teacher’s role. Educators will communicate with many people during the course of their day. Developing positive relationships through open communication is a strategy that will benefit teachers, parents and most importantly, their students. Teachers must establish limits and expectations for students, not only in the classroom, but within individual lessons. Behaviour management is an essential skill that will

The Argument Of Defending Abortion - 850 Words

Defending abortion is always controversial. But, in some circumstances it can be justified. In the case of Clare Macwurter, her mental state questions if abortion is permissible. Judith Thomson’s article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† argues analogies defending her reasoning for justifiable abortion. In some cases, Thomson reasons that abortion is sometimes justifiable. Munson states, â€Å"When the reasons for having an abortion are trivial, then abortion is not legitimate. When the reasons are serious and involve the health or welfare of the woman, then abortion is justifiable† (Munson, p.473). So, Thomson concludes that abortion, in the right circumstance, is acceptable. In the case of Clare, Thomson’s defense against abortion applies, because of Clare’s mental state. She believes that overall the woman has the right over her body. Thomson says, â€Å"It seems to me that the argument we are looking at can establish at most that there are some cases I which the unborn person has a right to the use of its mother’s body, and therefore some cases in which abortion is unjust killing† (Thomson, p. 478). If the fetus inhibits the welfare of the mother, then abortion is justifiable. With Clare, her welfare would be jeopardized and so would the unbor n child, because of the incapability of Clare caring for the child. Therefore, Thomson’s defense of abortion is permissible in Clare’s case because it affects both her wellbeing and the child’s wellbeing. Munson says, â€Å"The basic principle that shouldShow MoreRelatedA Defense Of Abortion By Judith Jarvis Thomson951 Words   |  4 PagesJudith Jarvis Thomson’s A Defense of Abortion, Thomson explores the relationship between the rights of a fetus and the rights of a human, in this case the mother. Thomson is an American moral philosopher and meta-physician. She is known for her defense of moral objectivity, her account of moral rights, her views about the incompleteness of the term good, and her use of thought experiments to make philosophical points. In the article, Thomson defends abortions in several certain circumstances, theRead MoreAbortion : Pro Life And Pro Choice1719 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion: Pro-Life and Pro-Choice â€Å"I have also said that anyone who doesn t feel sure whether we are talking about a second human life should clearly give life the benefit of the doubt. If you don t know whether a body is alive or dead, you would never bury it.† That was just one quote said by Ronald Reagan on the topic of abortion. He also said, â€Å"I ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.† Many people, like Reagan once was, are against abortion and believe that it isRead MoreEssay on Thomson Defense of Abortion878 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy 1001-001 A Defense of Abortion in Pregnancy Reduction In this paper I will discuss the relevance of J.J. Thomson’s argument in her article, A Defense of Abortion, to that of pregnancy reduction and if there is any relevance, if there are exceptions or situations where that might change. J.J. Thomson’s argument in A Defense of Abortion is that the one thing a person has rights to is his/her body and the right to control what happens with it. Thomson also states that there is an innateRead MoreThe Pro Life Community And Pro Choice Community992 Words   |  4 PagesThe status of abortion is one that will always be argued amongst the pro-life community and the pro-choice community. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks. (Dictionary) Jane and John are two accomplished individuals who put their careers ahead of having children. When Jane became pregnant they discovered that the baby had Down syndrome (Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes lifelong mental retardation, developmentalRead MoreAbortion: a Controversial Issue1159 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion: A Controversial Issue One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I choose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mothers womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, abortion is morally and ethically wrong because it leadsRead MoreIs Abortion Immoral And Murder?1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe English dictionary definition of abortion is: The termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to being capable of normal growth. Abortion, as always, has been one of the most controversial topics of all times. Many people believe that abortion is immoral and murder because they consider a fetus to be a human being. The people that believe this are called pro-life believers. Then there are those that believe that a woman should be able to doRead MorePractical Ethics, By Peter Singer, The Modern Bioethical Philosopher1469 Words   |  6 Pagesweighted. According to Singer, a being’s interest should be weighted on the basis of the properties of the being and never on the basis of its affiliation to some abstract group (Peter n.p). The book studies a wide array of ethical issues including abortion, sex, race, ability, infanticide, political violence, the moral status of animals, obligation to assist others, overseas aid, species, embryo experimentation, and euthanasia (Review of Practical Ethics n.p). In assessing the lives which are pleasurableRead MoreA Critique of John T. Noonans an Almost Absolute Value in History1251 Words   |  6 Pagesagainst the morality of abortion at any time during a pregnancy. According to Noonan (2012) humanity begins at the moment of conception. Therefore, the unborn child has the inherent right to live, and abortion at any stage of gestation woul d be the equivalent of murder (p. 472). He makes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The only exception he makes is when continuing a pregnancy puts the mother’s life at risk. His arguments are strong against abortion at a later stage ofRead MoreThe Issue Of Abortion And Abortion876 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is one of the most debatable and controversial issues that exists in our society. An abortion is a medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy before 24 weeks. People who call themselves Pro-Life feel that it is the government’s responsibility to preserve all life, regardless of concerns for the pregnant woman’s health, or for the quality of the life of the child. The Pro-Choice argument feels that a woman should have the choice when it comes to what they wish to do with their own reproductiveRead More Abortion Essay1130 Words   |  5 Pages Abortion: A Controversial Issue nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I choose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mother’s womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, abortion is morally and ethically

Status of Women in the United States Free Essays

The status of women in the United States throughout history has grown significantly. Throughout history women had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than. Women were seen to be just wives and mothers and take care of the homes while the husbands worked. We will write a custom essay sample on Status of Women in the United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now Women did not have a say in having jobs, voting, or even attending college. It appears that a lot of things began to change around the 19th and 20th century. For example in the beginning of the 19th century, women began working outside the homes in large numbers, in textile mills and garment shops. The medical profession had also changed their attitude about women as well. This was considered to be suitable work for women. In the 1920’s women were given the right to vote, however their political roles were minimal. Women have made a noticeable mark in the world today. Men have become more acceptable of the different roles we play. The change throughout the years have been reflected in the politics, employment and even in our status within the home. 2. The status of women in the U. S. is that women are getting some of the same benefits as men. There are many organizations that fight for the equality of women and they are succeeding. When we look at how women are now allowed to be doctors and nurses, and receive the same pay. We also now see women in the courtrooms as judges and working in the construction area beside the men. Women have advanced greatly and have a lot to be proud of . We are striving daily to be treated fairly with the men and it is well deserved. There may be a small percentage of males that may feel that women are not equal to them, however, the larger percentage feels that women are equal. Women have struggled for years to be next to man and not in front or in back. Women work just has hard as a man and Appendix H3. however, the larger percentage feels that women are equal. Women have struggled for years to be next to man and not in front or in back. Women work just has hard as a man and should be paid just as well as a man. 3. Some of the concepts of masculinity and femininity I that I see in the society and in the media would be such as men should only be truck drivers, construction workers, railroad workers. Women should be in jobs such as nurses, homemakers, daycare providers, retail in the ladies departments. As far as the media is concerned, it is a little tricky to me because we now see men and women doing the news and also doing different television shows. Men used to be seen only doing the tough roles as gang members with guns and so forth. Women are now portrayed in these types of roles a well. Women and men may be seen as equally sharing these kinds of roles when it comes to the media. I think that it is a good thing for them to share roles equally. They both work hard and should be treated fairly. 4. The social status of GLBT people historically has been that they were not accepted into society years ago. They could not let society know that they were couples or they would either be jailed or even hurt. Most the them would have to keep their relationships hidden from society and even from their own families due to the ridicule that they would suffer. Many men and women would have to pretend that they were heterosexual in society so that they would not be judged. They could not be open and honest about their true identity. 5. The status of the LGBT is today’s society is that they are accepted more into society. They have many activist that fight for their rights to be equal and they have won. For example, the biggest victory was same sex marriage. A lot of couples that were not able to broadcast their relationships are now able to be married. Appendix H4. 5. continued The couples are now able to enter society and be a family outside their homes without feeling judged. They are able to express their feelings openly through rallies, blogs, and in the media. They have come a long way and are proud of their accomplishments. 6. I believe that some of the social and political issues relevant to women and GLBT people in the United States is that same places of business are still having an issue with treating them fairly. For example, if a gay couples enters a place of business, they are automatically frowned upon and some are given less than fair treatment. When it comes to women, they are can be treated unfairly as far as when a woman goes to have her car repaired or if she goes to purchase a car. Many may see her as a helpless person and that she is not aware of what she is doing and will try to take advantage of her. The political issues are that the GLBT are seen in the news as constantly protesting and fighting for their rights. Many people in the political arena who do not like this group will not support any cases, any bills to be passed to support this group. As for the political issues for women, I would have to say for an example regarding the support of abortion laws. Some on the political parties may not agree with this and so they will not support any passing of laws regarding abortion. Appendix H5. References http://www. now. org http://www. equalityfederation. org Papachristou, Judith, ed. Women Together: A History in Documents of the Women’s Movement in the United States. New York: Knopf, 1976. How to cite Status of Women in the United States, Papers

Notes for Institutional Theory free essay sample

The aim of this essay is to explore the response of organisations when confronting with institutional pressures. The essay is organised as follow. Firstly, some concepts as well as explanation related to institutional theory will be introduced. Then, this essay will define and explain the conception of legitimacy and the connection between legitimacy and institutional process. Thirdly, the strategic responses of organisations to deal with the pressures from institutional process and an example of response in terms of institutional control will be examined. Institutional theory is a concept that emphasizes the existence of some norms, values and beliefs of the society which organisations conform with. And the process of conformity called institutionalisation is reflected in the structures and practices of organisations (Powell DiMaggio, 1991). According to Oliver (1991), institutional theory emphasizes more specifically on the pressures and constraints from the institutional environment which is one of its two issues addressed (the other one is technical pressures). We will write a custom essay sample on Notes for Institutional Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Institutions here include the state, professions, interest group as well as public opinion (Scott, 1987b). These institutions have interconnected and interdependent relationships with organisations, as the behaviours of organisation are restricted by outside pressures exerted by institutions. In order to survive, organisations have to force themselves to adapt to the environment. So, they have no other choice but to make their behaviours consistent with external norms and rules. After discussing the environment perspective of institutional theory, the next section will regard motives of conformity as the point of departure. Institutional theory demonstrates that stability and legitimacy is what organisations to attain (Powell DiMaggio, 1983; Oliver, 1991). In terms of obtaining stability, institutional theory can explain why organisations conform to external rules, norms and beliefs, not because of the direct link to a positive outcome but organisations would be unthinkable to do otherwise. In other words, this consistency may not be driven by the objective of interest maximisation, but by preconscious acceptance of institutionalisation. Uniform rules, norms and beliefs produce less contradiction Oliver (1991). Due to attempt to obtain stability, organisations would like to draw experience from pre-existing audiences within the current external environment and imitate those organisational structures, decision-making mode and so on to response to the external pressures. Before regarding obtaining legitimacy as the other motive of conformity, it is necessary to define the concept of legitimacy. There are many different definitions of legitimacy with varying degrees of specificity (Suchman, 1995). Legitimacy refers to an array of established cultural accounts made by organisations to provide explanations for its existence (Powell DiMaggio, 1991). Another specific definition is that legitimacy is a generalized perception that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, and beliefs. In addition, there are three types of legitimacy, which are pragmatic legitimacy, moral legitimacy and cognitive legitimacy (Suchman, 1995). After explaining some conception of legitimacy, the next section will focus on the connection between legitimacy and institutional process. As every parts of organisation is constructed and interpenetrated by external institutions as well as culture can determine how the organization is built, how it is run, and, simultaneously, how it is understood and evaluated, legitimacy empowers organizations by making them seem natural and meaningful. So legitimacy is critical to organisation survival. Then it can also imply the easiest approach to gain legitimacy, which suggests organisations to adapt to the existed institutional context and adjust their structures to fit with the existed norms, rules and beliefs. This point is just consistent with the emphasis of the institutional theory. So gaining legitimacy is a more significant reason why organisations accept institutional process. When confronting with institutional pressures, acquiescence will be the most probable response taken by organisations. However, if anticipated legitimacy is low, organisations may have different responses to institutionalisation, like compromising on the requirements for conformity, avoiding the conditions that make conformity necessary, denying the requirements that are advised to conform, or even manipulate the criteria of conformity. As can be seen, there are five kinds of strategic responses that organisations may conduct to institutional process, which are acquiescence, compromise, avoid, defy and manipulate(Oliver, 1991). Organisations may have different responses to variable cause, control, context, constituents and content and to even different degree of the same issue. For example, in the terms of institutional control, legal coercion or government mandates and voluntary diffusion are two processes pressures exerted to organisations (Powell DiMaggio, 1983; Oliver, 1991).

The Hunger Games Book One Review

The Hunger Games Book One Review In The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins has created a fascinating dystopian world. The Hunger Games is a compelling novel focusing on life in an authoritarian society in which young people must compete to the death in the annual Hunger Games. The main character, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, volunteers for the Hunger Games to keep her younger sister from being required to participate and her experiences and fight to survive are the heart of the book. Reading The Hunger Games can lead to interesting discussions about our own world and how reality shows, threats of war, authoritarian governments and obsession with fashion trends influence us daily. Due to the darkness of the story, it is best suited for teens and adults rather than tweens, although many younger kids have read the book or seen the movie or both. Panem: the World of the Hunger Games Trilogy While the creation of Panem is not fully fleshed out until the second book, we know that this authoritarian society was the result of a horrible disaster during the Dark Days, resulting in the establishment of twelve districts under the rule of the government in the Capitol. Peacekeepers and a local government are instituted in each district, but the rulers in the Capitol have strict control over everything and everyone in each district. Each district has its own specialty that benefits the Capitol, such as coal mining, agriculture, seafood, etc. Some districts provide the Capitol with energy or material goods and some provide the manpower to keep those in the Capitol in power. The people who live in the Capitol contribute little to their own sustenance and are concerned mainly with the latest fashions and amusements. The Hunger Games are an annual tradition directed by the Capitol rulers, not only to amuse the citizens  but also to preserve control over the districts by demonstrating the Capitols dominance. Each year, the twelve districts must send two representatives, a girl and a boy, to participate in the Hunger Games. These representatives are called â€Å"tributes† to make people believe that representing their district is an honor, even though each person lives in fear that someone they love will be chosen. And the entire nation must watch as these 24 tributes battle each other to the death until only one is left as the victor. Having a victor is important to a district - extra food and a few luxuries will be granted to the winners district. The government has created the ultimate reality show, complete with technological challenges and constant monitoring of the movements of the participants. Each citizen is required to watch the Games until their conclusion, which may take hours or days. Summary of the  Story Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen has been providing for her family since her father’s death in a mining accident. She has done this by illegally hunting beyond the boundaries of District 12 and using the game she kills for food or for barter. Through her skill with a bow and her ability to track and snare rabbits and squirrels, her family has been able to survive. They have also survived because Katniss signs up for the tessera, a ration of grain that is given in exchange for placing your name in the lottery for the reaping, the ceremony that determines who will be the district’s representative in the Games. Everyone’s name goes in the lottery from the time they reach the age of 12 until they turn 18. Each time Katniss exchanges her name for the tessera, her chances of being the one whose name is called increase. Only it isn’t her name that is called it is her sister’s. Prim Everdeen is the one person that Katniss loves above all others. She is only 12, quiet, loving and on her way to being a healer. She would not be able to survive the reaping and Katniss knows this. When Prim’s name is called, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place as a tribute from District 12 to the Hunger Games. Katniss knows that it is not only her own life on the line in the games, but that others will benefit as well if she is the victor and her skills as a hunter will give her an edge in the Games. But her life as a tribute becomes more complicated by the other tribute from District 12. Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son, is a boy that Katniss owes a favor because of a kindness that he showed her when she was most desperate and her family’s survival was at stake. And Katniss knows that now her survival will mean his death. Katniss is whisked away from her family and Gale, her best friend and hunting partner, to the Capitol, where she is prepped and primped to participate in the Games. She and Peeta are to be mentored by Haymitch, the only tribute that District 12 has had who was a winner of the Games. But Haymitch is a reluctant and seemingly inadequate mentor, so Katniss realizes she must rely on her own strengths in order to survive. As the first book of the trilogy, The Hunger Games is compelling reading and makes the reader want to read the next book immediately to find out what happens to Katniss and Peeta. Katniss is a strong character who solves her own problems and takes charge of her own life. Her struggles with her divided affections between two boys are realistically portrayed but not overwrought. And her tendency to inadvertently create problems can spark many conversations about whether she was right or wrong and whether she stayed true to who she is. Katniss is a character that readers will not soon forget. About the Author, Suzanne Collins With the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins, award-winning author of the Underland Chronicles, brings her talents to a new trilogy aimed at a more mature audience than her books about Gregor, the Overlander. Collins was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2010, an honor that was based on the popularity of the first two books in the Hunger Games trilogy. In its popularity and impact, the trilogy has been compared to other popular fantasy novels for young people, such as the Twilight series and the Harry Potter series. Collins’ experience as a television writer enables her to create stories that appeal to tweens and teens. Suzanne Collins also wrote the screenplay for the movie adaptations of The Hunger Games. Review and Recommendation The Hunger Games will appeal to teens, ages 13 and up. The 384-page book contains violence and strong emotions so younger tweens may find it disturbing. The writing is excellent and the plot propels the reader through the book at a rapid rate. This book has been chosen by Kansas State University to be given to all of the incoming freshmen to read so that they will all be able to discuss it throughout the campus and in their classes. It has also become assigned reading in many high schools. The book is rich in discussion points not only about governments, personal freedom, and sacrifice but also about what it means to be yourself and not submit to society’s expectations. For information on challenges to the book, see The Hunger Games Trilogy. (Scholastic Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780439023481) Edited March 5, 2016 by Elizabeth Kennedy Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our  Ethics Policy.

Teachers and Standardized Testing Pressure

Teachers and Standardized Testing Pressure If youre in education in the 21st Century, were willing to bet you feel the pressure of standardized test scores, no matter where you teach in the United States. The pressure seems to come from all sides: the district, parents, administrators, the community, your colleagues, and yourself. Sometimes it feels like you cant take a moment away from the hard-core academic subjects in order to teach so-called non-essentials, like music, art, or physical education. These subjects are frowned-upon by the people who meticulously monitor test scores. Time away from math, reading, and writing is seen as time wasted. If it doesnt directly lead to improved test scores, you arent encouraged, or sometimes even allowed, to teach it. In California, school rankings and scores are published in the newspapers and discussed by the community. Schools reputations are made or broken by the bottom line, numbers printed in black and white on newsprint. Its enough to make any teachers blood pressure rise at the thought of it. What Teachers Have to Say About Standard Testing These are some of the things teachers have said over the years about standardized test scores and the pressures surrounding student performance: I did just fine in school and life, even though my teachers didnt emphasize achievement on tests.Its only one test - why does it matter so much?I dont even have time to teach Science or Social Studies any more!I start teaching Test Preparation the first week of school.Its not fair that were graded on how our students do on this test when all we can do is present the information to them. We cant help how they will actually do on Test Day!My principals on my back this year because my students didnt so well last year. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to teachers opinions on this controversial issue. Money, prestige, reputation, and professional pride are all at stake. Administrators seem to be getting additional pressure to perform from the district bosses which the principals, in turn, pass down to their staff. No one likes it and most people think its all irrational, yet the pressure is snowballing and increasing exponentially. What Research Has to Say About Standard Testing Research shows that there is an incredible amount of pressure that is placed on teachers. This pressure often results in teacher burn-out. Teachers often feel like they need to teach to the test which results in them having to take away from higher order thinking skills, which has been proven to have long term benefits for students and is a much needed 21st-century skill. Edited By Janelle Cox

Computer crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Computer crime - Research Paper Example These criminals are traced through the computer system, and they are got through computer IP addresses and Mac addresses which are unique with the log files they generate. These are among the various and popular problems of lack of confidentiality and privacy in the computer users. Below is a discussion of various examples of computer crimes. Some of the contents circulated in computers in various non-specific ways. These may include obscenities, inflammatory and derogatory contents of speech form people focusing on a specific target group in the society e.g. gander, race or religion among other social groups. This can also be used to propel hate speech in political volatile regions and political arrest situation where ethnicity prevails among the leaders. Fraud is a criminal act that involves false acquisition of money through the use of computer and network system. This includes hacking of bank accounts, vandalism of ATM and the use of fishers to hack password for false transfer of online money. This is an illegal practice and harms the unsuspecting victims. It is evident that information and technology and government officials have well documented numerous incidents on the breakdown of servers and network infrastructures due to sabotage (Parker, 1983). These criminals pulls down the servers, and stop the normal operation causing loss of data, and siphoning information from the servers and hence causing many institution suffer from computer terrorism

Dell's Product Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dell's Product Policy - Essay Example This translates to their system having low cash conversion cycle hence cash is generated steadily. However, the system has its limitations. The low inventory held means shortage is a possibility in cases where manufacturers delay in supplying the PC chips, like in 1996. The very high dependence on on-time component supply by manufacturers poses a major threat to steady supply. In addition, changes in product means an overhaul in processes which is an expensive venture. This means that working capital can be funded through the management of inventory and cash flow cuts (Ruback & Sesia 2003). Working capital is the measure of efficiency and liquidity in a company. To obtain the computation, one needs to subtract current liabilities from the firm’s current assets. Inventory process For comparison, we assume that the cost of goods sold by the competitors remains constant. We observe that the carrying costs only depend on the DSI (Ruback & Sesia 2003). For 1995, the cost of sales = $2737, equivalent to a daily COS of 2737/365= $7.5% We make a comparison with the highest observed DSI of the competitor, Compaq, 73. Hence the inventory Compaq holds over dell is (73-32)*75=$307.5 m This means that for Compaq to acquire new goods, it has to sell its old inventory. Since new technology is 30% cheaper, Compaq incurs and an opportunity loss, given by 0.3*307.5=$92.25m Cash funding This provides a simple way for the company to grow its assets in the short term without borrowing long term. Assume we want to grow the cash by 52% for 1996 internally. The total assets denoted TA for 1995 is computed as follows: TA (1995) =1594-484=1110. As a fraction of sales, 1110/3475=0.3194 or 31.94%. Assuming that they want to hold this for 1996, the required increase in the total assets without long term investment is given by 0.3194*0.52*3475=579.37m. This should be done without the increasing account payables (as this is an external means). This means that the cumulative liabilities should be computed excluding these payables, i.e. for CL (cumulative liabilities) for 1995=1594-403 and for 1996=2184-466. The change in current assets not factoring in accounts payable is the difference in the two values, yielding a value $491m. Assuming the company adopts the same strategy of maintaining the profit generated, the net profit to sales ratio should remain constant. This value computed as 149/3475=0.0429 or 4.29%. We can determine the cash flow from net profit for 1996 by holding the sales value constant, computed as shown, .0429*1.52*3475=$226.89m, surpassing the debt level as the total cash inflow which is the sum of the net profit and the increase in liabilities against the cash outflow required for 1996 Fund growth for 1997 The increase in total assets, TA for 1996, 2148-591=1557 as ratio of sales, 1557/5296=0.294 or 29.4 %.Assuming a growth of 50% is desired, the increase in 1997 is given by 0.294*0.5*5296=778.51m. For cumulative liabilities, CA as a ratio of th e sales value is given as (2148-466)/5296=0.316 or 31.6%. Hence the cash flow from the change in the current assets in 1997 is given by 2523-(2148-466) =841m. The net profit as a ratio of sales in1996 =272/5296 = 0.0514 or 5.14%. Hence the cash flow from operating profit for 1997 is given as 0.0514*1.5*5296=408.32m.This means that Dell Corporation has the ability to fund itself in 1997 internally without external injection of capital. (Ruback & Sesia 2003) Aventis

Brain Development And The Process Of Learning Languages Psychology Essay

Brain Development And The Process Of Learning Languages Psychology Essay A baby speaks directly to the camera: Look at this. Im a free man. I go anywhere I want now. He describes his stock-buying activities, but then his phone interrupts. Relentless! Hang on a second. He answers his phone. Hey, girl can I hit you back? That scenario has been very common in commercials and movies throughout the past 15 years in which the majority of viewers perceive it as unrealistic and very comical. Joshua Hartshorne published a article called Why Dont Babies Talk Like Adults? in Scientific American Mind which attempts to answer the question: Why dont young children express themselves articulately? Researchers are uncovering clues about the brain development and the mysterious process of learning a language by attempting to answer the question: Why dont young children express themselves articulately?, in which they have discarded the copycat theory. Which states that infants learn to express themselves articulately by copying what they hear. In other words infants will listen to the words that are used by adults in several situations and later on imitate them accordingly. But adults have not been expressing them in one word sentences or even in short sentences. Therefore, the copycat theory does not explain why toddlers are not fluent as adults, but brings us to a very critical question why do infants speak in one-word sentence? Over the past century scientists have settled on two reasonable possibilities. First theory is called Mental Development Hypothesis which states that infants speaks in one word or short sentences because their brains are still immature and much undevelo ped. Therefore, they cannot dominate adult speech. The supporting argument is that infants do not learn to walk until their body is ready; likewise, they will not speak multiword sentences or use word ending and function words before their brains is capable of doing so. The second theory is called Stages of Language hypothesis, which states that speech is an incremental step progress. A basketball player his or her jump shot before learning to both jump and shoot, and children learn to add and then multiply, never in the reverse order. For instance, in a 1997 review article published by two cognitive scientists, Elizabeth Bates of University of San Diego and Judith C. Goodman from University of Columbia found that kids usually begins speaking in two word sentences only after they have learned a certain amount of single words. In other words children must cross a linguistic threshold so the word combination process can be developed. The differences between both theories are: Mental D evelopment Hypothesis states the patterns in language learning should depend on a childs level of cognitive development and Stages of Language Hypothesis states that learning language patterns are not dependable on the brain development. However, to prove which has hypothesis is correct has been extremely difficult because most children learn language at around the same age, thus in similar stages of cognitive development. But 2007 Harvard neuroscientists Jesse Snedeker, Joy Garen and Clarissa L. Shafto found an ingenious way around the problem. They studied the language development of 27 children adopted from China between the ages of two and five years. International adoptees are ideal population in which to test the competing hypothesis about how language is learned because many of them are no longer exposed to their birth language after arrival in U.S and they must learn English similar way infants do, by listening and by trial and error. Even though those international children had a more mature brain, just as American born infants, their first English sentences consisted of single words and were largely bereft of function words, word endings and verbs. The researchers also found that adoptees and native children started combining words in sentences when their vocabulary reached the same size. Therefore, it suggests that what is relevant is not how old a child is or how mature their brains are but the number of words they know. The finding that having a more mature brain does not avoid the toddler talk stage suggests that infants speaks in one word sentences or even short sentence not because they have a infant brain but because they having only initiated the process of learning an language. In fact they must accrue sufficient vocabulary to be able to expand their conservations. In conclusion infants do not express themselves as adults because language development is a gradual process. Therefore, Stages of Language Hypothesis is the most supported theory. The article Why Dont babies Talk Like Adults By Joshua Hartshorne was published Scientific American Mind. Scientific American Mind has been bringing its readers unique insights about developments in science and technology for more than 160 years therefore I had curiosity analyze the information that has been shared with so many readers throughout years. The structure of the article was not very organized. I had to read the article more than once so I could identify theories of language development therefore the structure of his article made it difficult for the reader to identify his main arguments. Although, Hartshorne does very good job in introducing, explaining and concluding each theory. He also provides his reader with a scientific research conducted by Harvard neuroscientists that analysis The Adoption Effect. He should have explained a little more in depth about experiment procedures so the readers could know how it was conducted. Also in his conclusion he does not tie the hi s final arguments to the initial question: Why dont young children express themselves articulately? But he leaves it to the reader to tie it together. I did not agree to the sentence: Behaviorism, the scientific approach that dominated American cognitive science for the first half of the 20th century, made exactly this argument. It is very inaccurate to claim that behaviorism ever dominated cognitive science because Cognitive science is one approach to the study of human behavior, Behaviorism another approach. He should have explained more in depth that cognitive science which is normally chosen to contrast with the approach taken by behaviorists, who preferred to study behavior without recourse to such notions as thought or the mind. Future research made me acknowledge that behaviorism and cognitive science co-exist, with behaviorism being the elder approach by fifty years or so. Overall, his article was informative and correct although should have been more scientific. Joshua Hart shorne also did not go into the mechanical or scientific area of language Development therefore it provoked me to research the topic more into depth which seems to be the purpose of Scientific Mind articles.

Professional Development of the Nursing Professionals Essay

In 2010 the Affordable Care ACT was signed into law. With these laws, the United States is being provided an opportunity to completely redesign its health care system. The model includes heath care that is easier to access, affordable by all, higher safety standards, and higher quality with improved patient outcomes (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). The United States’ health care workforce is largely comprised of nursing professionals. Their role can be pivotal with the reorganization, but are faced with a number of barriers. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the IOM responded to the need for the assessment and transformation of the nursing profession by producing a report which provides recommendations for the future of nursing. Within this report, four key messages were created, the first three being our focus today: * Nurses should use their education and training to its fullest extent * Nurses should expand their education levels and training via seamless, progressive educational models * Nurses should play a leadership role with other health care professionals to reorganize health care * Improved medical health records data and containment systems for more efficient planning and policy creation (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). Obtaining an RN degree should be only the beginning of the lifelong learning process for nursing professionals. Obtaining a higher degree level (BSN or above) should be a smooth process which is encouraged and rewarded. The report recommends licensing, certifying and accrediting bureaus create mandatory competencies and evidence of skills mastery as a complement to the degree program and board exams (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine,  2010). This will ensure effective critical thinking processes and increase patient safety. Creating a more diverse nursing population will open otherwise previous barriers to this vastly expanding field, while allowing the patient population to widen their views of what nursing really entales. After all, the nursing population should be as diverse as the patient population. Finally, educating nursing students alongside other health professionals, including physicians, throughout their nursing careers will encourage them to become future lead ers working collaboratively together. (Cresaia & Friberg, 2010) The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will challenge health professionals to create a more patient centered system. Opening new opportunities for expanding the nursing role and scope will help to bridge the gap in care for chronic conditions, preventative medicine, palliative care, and coordination and transition of care (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). By delivering care to the community and focusing on wellness, prevention and education, healthcare will again be reinvented and adapt to the growing needs of the communities. Creating new careers and scopes of practice for advanced degree nurses will enable patients to have easier access to health care, and more affordable care. Advanced degree nurses are known to provide longer consultations, and provide more education-based, preventative medicine, and increase recall (Laurant, Reeves, Hermens, Braspenning, & Grol, 2009). With the nursing profession continuing to change, more nursing leadership roles are evolving. Though the community is not accustomed to visualizing a nurse in leadership capacity, all nurses must become leaders in order to transform the current working model into the patient centered model. More leadership skills and positions will be necessary to design, implement, evaluate and advocate for the future of health care needs. Working alongside physicians and other health professionals require these leadership skills to achieve a targeted outcome. This also transcends to the care environment by ensuring evidence-based improvements are implemented. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will provide an opportunity for the health  care system in the United States to be completely redesigned. With nursing being the largest health care profession, nurses can assist with obtaining the objectives in the IOM report which suggests recommendations for the future of nursing (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). Allowing nurse to use their education and competencies to their fullest, more higher degree level nurses will emerge. By expanding their education and training, more leaders in nursing will be created and new opportunities will arise. Community oriented, wellness and disease prevention will be crucial to the growing community needs. By placing Nurse Practitioners in these areas of expertise, cost will be lowered and patient satisfaction, as well as outcome will rise. Furthermore, working as a partnership with physicians and other health care professionals will create a more collaborative working environment and provide b etter patient outcomes as well. References Cresaia, J., & Friberg, E. (2010). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Laurant, M., Reeves, D., Hermens, R., Braspenning, J., & Grol, R. (2009). Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care. The Cochrane Library. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001271.pub2/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+4+Feb+from+10-12+GMT+for+monthly+maintenance Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine. (2010, October 5, 2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (Institute of Medicine). : Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing.

An Introduction to Insects

Financial Statement Analysis Of Bg Group Plc Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 17 Words: 5034 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is prepared to analysis the financial statement of BG Group plc which is one of the emerging leaders in natural gas. We have taken into consideration the peers of the company which also operate in the UK in the same industry. They all use the accounting methods established by IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standard). The report carries synopsis of the companys profile with its business strategies along with the latest developments of the industry. The report also includes extensive financial analysis, competitors analysis and non-financial analysis in terms of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Apart from this, it also contains performance of companys stock against its competitors. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial Statement Analysis Of Bg Group Plc Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The income statement has shown a decrease in revenue growth by 18.7% from the previous year, which is due to global economic downturn. Overall, BG Group has in-fact nearly doubled its revenue over the past 5 years i.e. from 2005 to 2009. In the sales comparison with its competitors, the firm reported less net sales but it recorded a higher net income demonstrating a better performance in terms of efficiency. BG Group has been aiming to achieve their objectives through mergers and acquisitions as observed from the analysis of the balance sheet, increasing its assets by more than 14600 million and rise in debt by 6559 million so as to supply the demand of the emerging gas market during the last five years. Company has shown remarkable performance in all the ratios as compare to the same indicators of companys peers. However, compare to results in previous year the performance in 2009 has been deteriorated in some areas due to global economic downturn. In 2009, the companys ROE and ROA was 15.96% and 8.25% respectively. Examining current and quick ratio, company has sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations. Solvency and efficiency ratios are also better than industry and its competitors. The price ratios have increased over the year with EPS being 64.5 pence in 2009. In order to obtain the companys volatility, we have calculated Beta. Taking into consideration SP 500 as market index and the historical stock prices for the previous five years (from December 1, 2005 to December 1, 2010), the analysis showed a beta of 0.368 denoting less risk but less reward at the same time. According to the last trade it has reached its maximum value of 1277.50 pence, increasing its share price by 0.83%, both good signals of the companys stability performance. Finally relying on non-financial analysis, our analysis of BGs group operations in the last five years has revealed that despite the global economic downturn the companys operating performance has shown increases in total reserves and resources. INTRODUCTION The following report aims to encompass both financial as well as non-financial performance of BG Group, a company operating in the energy sector. As concern in the worlds energy market has grown, natural gas has been the general preference of the international market in the past years. This factor makes BGs financial statements interesting to examine. For the purpose of our report we have identified two competitors in the same industry Centrica Plc. and National Grid Plc.[1]We have tried to look at all the aspects of the company and we have included relevant information in the study of the companys performance from 2005 to 2009. Our income statement report has been carried out to study the trend on revenue and sales using time series and common size analysis. Assets, liabilities and equity have been identified in the balance sheet in order to reveal contained information about its stability. Operating, investment and financial activities have been analyzed in the cash flow statement. BG Groups ratio analysis is aimed to illustrate how efficient the company is using its resources in order to generate income. We have structured our report in the following manner: the companys profitability at the outset; liquidity has been analyzed as the next point followed by the BGs solvency and efficiency. Price ratios have also analyzed to know about the financial strength of the company. In the last part of our report we have identified Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) facing the organization in order to identify the different factors that can affect the entitys objectives in the future. In the end we have given the sound conclusion to our report. We have considered BGs annual public financial reports as the major sources of data for our analysis. It is available at companys website: www.bg-group.com COMPANYS PROFILE BG Group is an energy sector operator, playing a vital role as natural gas company in the international energy market. The corporations headquarters are based in based in Berkshire, UK, the company operates in 27 countries over five continents. It was created in 1997 following the demerger of British Gas plc but it wasnt until 1999 that BG Group plc adopted its actual name. BG Group carries out operations in four different sectors: Exploration and Production (EP), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Transmission and Distribution (TD), and Power Generation (PG). The company has been able to develop and supply the demand of the new sources of energy due to the international expansion of BG Group. BG Group is committed to ensure the success of its objectives in the long term performance on the basis of principles of ethical conduct. During these years the company has increased the value of their shareholders, thus acting with integrity and meeting the companys objectives. Demerger history 1986. The British Government decided to sell off British Gas as part of its going privatization plan. A new company was formed, British Gas plc. 1997. British plc was disbanded into two new companies, Centrica plc and BG PLC. 1999. BG plc was restructured, leading to form a parent company, BG Group plc. 2000. BG Group plc was demerged with Lattice Group to form National Grid Transco plc. 2005. National Grid Transco plc was given a new names as National Grid plc to provide an unambiguous identity across all its operations. Quick facts 10213 million in annual revenue, and a profit of 3773 million in 2009 It has about 6000 employees working around the world More than 60% of management is based internationally despite BGs headquarters being in the UK -BG Group possesses gas terminals off the coast of Britain and the US, it provides about 50% of all gas displaced from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean in 2007 It already owns reserves and resources to meet future growth ambitions, in 2009 the company risen its assets by a further 10% According to IEA, with gas being the most widely used fuel, the global demand for natural gas is expected to increase by 1.5% per annum until 2030 In the last five years BG group has been one of the major suppliers of LNG in worlds largest gas market USA. Its been identified as a sustainable leader by Dow Jones Sustainability Index, FTSE4Good and Goldman Sachs for its corporate performance. REVENUE ANALYSIS Revenue analysis is one of the important analyses to know about the companys sales activities and profitability. Following table shows the sales and sales growth of BG Group between 2005 and 2009:- Table 1: Growth percentage of total revenue Figure 1: Total Revenue (in millions) The above graph shows that total revenue of BG Group have increased from 5612 million in year 2005 to 12566 million in year 2008. This is because of the exceptionally high commodity prices and acquisition of Queensland Gas Company Limited, a leading Australian coal seam gas company in October 2008. However, the sales revenue in year 2009 has been decreased by 18.73% which dropped down to 10213 million. This is mainly because of the fall in commodity prices of oil and gas. In 2009 there was a decline of 37% in Brent oil prices and 53% decline in Henry Hub gas prices. Moreover, the global economic conditions had adversely affected the demand energy sector in some of the key markets of BG Group. For year 2010 the total group revenue for Q3 of 2010 is $4500 million (2886 million) as compare to $3667 million (2352 million) in Q3 of 2009. We also noticed a hike of 22.7% in the group revenue of 2010 as compared to year 2009 which was due to the higher realized oil, liquids and international gas prices. Comparison of revenue with competitors BG Groups main competitors are companies like Centrica plc, National Grid Plc., Royal Dutch Shell Plc., BP Plc., to name a few. However, for the purpose of fairness in comparison we will analyze the performance of BG Group plc with that of Centrica plc and National Grid plc. The reason for selecting these as comparators is that both of these companies are engaged in the same sort of business activities and they maintain their financial accounts in British Pounds () which provides fair comparison with BG Group. Table 2: BG Groups revenue comparison with its competitors during 2009 Figure 2: Comparison of sales in 2009 In 2009, BG Groups sales were lower as compare to its competitors. Also, BG group experienced the higher negative sales growth as compare to its competitors. The sales of National Grid decline by 10.47% in 2009 against BGs negative sales growth of 18.73%. On the other hand the sales revenue of Centrica increased by 2.90% in 2009. Despite lower sales growth the net profit of BG Group (2264 million) was higher than net profits of National Grid (1389 million) and Centrica (856 million). The reason is that Centricas cost of sales remained higher (almost 80%of total revenue) during 2008 and 2009. The table also reflects the net profit margin (21.23%) and operating margin (37.81%) of BG Group is better than Centrica and National Grid in financial year 2009-2010. Thus, BG Groups performance was better than its competitors in terms of net income as compare to its peers. ACCOUNTING ANALYSIS The financial statements of BG Group are prepares according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by European Union that requires the company to make judgments and assumption during the preparation of financial statements. We will do analysis of income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet to measure the financial health of BG Group. INCOME STATEMENT ANALYSIS The table below shows the common size income statement of BG Group during 2005-2009:- Table 3: Common size Income statement of BG Group Figure 3: BG Groups common size income statement analysis From the common size income statement we analyze that the proportion of operating cost to total revenue of BG Group was higher (63.47%) in the year 2009. This was due to the significant increase in exploration activities in Brazil, expansion of groups portfolio via alliance with EXCO resources in USA and acquisition of Pure Energy Resources in Australia which increased the selling, administration and general expenses. This was further aggravated by the rise in the commodity prices due to which operating profits declined from 41.69% (5239 million) of total revenue in 2008 to 36.94% (3773 million) in 2009. The fall in interest income and a rise in interest expense further led to a decline in the net profits to 22.17% due to a significant rise in all the expenses. Table 4: Percentage change in Income statement of BG group As discussed earlier, revenue of BG Group declined by 18.73% in 2009 in comparison with previous year. There operating profits also declined by 27.98% which further led to fall in net profits by 28.13% in year 2009. CASH FLOW ATATEMENT ANALYSIS The below table shows the common size cash flow statement of BG Group:- Table 5: Common-size cash flow statement (as a percentage of revenue) Figure 6: Common size cash flow fluctuations The cash flow from operating activities is one of the major sources of the companys finances. The above data depicts that BG Groups operating, investing and financing cash flows from 2005 to 2009. The cash generated by operations in 2009 decreased by 22% to 4895 million (6274 million in 2008) mainly due to lower commodity prices. The net cash inflow from operations increased till 2008 because of increase in non-cash transactions and trade payables. However, its proportion to total revenue declined to 34.70% in 2009 from 34.94% in 2008. Trade and other payables increased significantly up till 2008 when it was 3632 million but in 2009 it reduced down to 2592 million. Cash outflow from its investing activities increased from 62 million in 2005 to 4981 million in 2009. This was due to increased capital expenditure since 2005. In 2009, BG Group purchased the Pure Energy Resources Limited in Australia for. Similarly In 2008, company spent 464 million on capital expenditure on the acquisition of Queensland Gas Company. There was also a rise in payments made in acquisition of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets to 4328 million (2796 million in 2008). It was 41.3% of groups total revenue in 2009 as compare to 21.9% in 2008. Cash flows from financing activities includes a net cash inflow of 1131 million in 2009 (643 million outflow in 2008). It also includes net proceeds of 1842 million from the issue of new borrowings (2008 300 million) which rose to almost 18% of the total revenue as compare to 2% in 2008. However, there were also rise in net outflows of dividends paid to minorities 36 million (2008 35 million) and net interest paid 106 million (2008 19 million) during 2009. Figure 7: Cash Flow fluctuations BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS We can analyze the financial performance of BG Group by making assets and liabilities analysis. Below is the assets side and liabilities size analysis of BG Group during 2005-2009:- Asset side analysis Table 6: BG Groups common size assets Figure 8: Total Assets of BG Group Plc. (2005-2009) The above chart shows that the total assets of BG group increased significantly to 26282 million in 2009 (11605 in 2005). This was due to the continuous expansion of groups LNG business throughout the period under consideration. During 2009, BG Group made an asset swap with BP the Armada, Everest and Lomond fields which further increased the assets acquired by the company. From the common size balance sheet analysis, it is observed that the proportion of non-current assets to total assets was highest at 80% in the financial year 2009 mainly due to increase in the proportion of property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets. However, there was a declining trend in the proportion of current assets which remained at 20% in 2009 as compare to 33% in 2007. This was caused by a subsequent fall in cash cash equivalents, trade receivable and other current assets such as commodity contracts and derivative financial instruments. Figure 9: Comparison of structure of assets (Financial year 2009) Liability side analysis Table 7: BG Groups common size liabilities Figure 10: Total liabilities and equities of BG Group Plc. (2005-2009) The above chart depicts that the amount of current liabilities increased from 2509 million in 2005 to 6488 million in 2008 because of the higher trade and other payables (3632 million). However, in 2009 this amount reduced down to 5148 mainly due to the reduction in trade payables and other current liabilities which includes the tax liability and commodity contracts. After analyzing the common size liabilities, it is scrutinize that the proportion of long-term borrowings declined until the year 2008 (12.9% in 2005 to 7.59% in 2008) but in 2009 it again grew up to 11.84%. The main reason of this change was the groups obligation to finance lease in respect of LNG ships and infrastructure and the reduction in effective post-swap interest rates between 0.2% to 11% in 2009 ( 4% and 17% in 2008). However, total debt remained low in 2009 (45.2%) as compare to 2008 (48.4%). The structure of liabilities also suggests that the group financed its business operations through both debt and equity though the proportion of equity remained more than 50% over the last five years. As compare to 2008, in 2009 BG Groups dependence on debt (45%) has been reduced down marginally implying that the equity financing (55%) has been increased. Figure 11: Comparison of structure of liabilities FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS The analysis of financial ratios is most important measure of companys financial strength. We will analyze BG Groups financial performance in respect to its profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency and management ratios. PROFITABILITY RATIOS The following data represents the profitability situation of BG Group Plc. during the last five years. Table 8: Profitability ratios of BG Group The net profit margin of BG Group shows a decreasing trend over the last five years. It declined from 24.88% in 2008 to 21.23% in 2009 because of the lower earnings caused by lower international oil gas prices during global economic recession. However, the group performed better than industry average of 13.10% and competitors Centrica and National Grid whose net profit margins in 2009 remained lower at 4.53% 15.68% respectively. Similarly, the groups operating margin also declined significantly due to a rise in operating costs. The Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Return on Equity (ROE) are other important ratios for analyzing a companys profitability. The investors normally look for ROA of at least 5%. Throughout the analysis we observed that the ROA of the group lie between 8%-14% which is higher than industry average (3.69%), Centrica (4.34%) and National Grid (3.18%) that means BGs assets are more productive than the competitors. Similarly, the group is more capable of generating higher returns on the capital employed as compare to its competitors. The ROCE was highest (33.29%) in the year 2006, however by the end of the year 2009 it fell down to 18.27% due to lower profit margin in the same year. On the other side, the group did not perform better in terms of return on shareholders equity. Generally ROE ratio between 15% and 20% is regarded as the attractive level of quality investment by financial analysts. Although BG Groups ROE ratio was better than industry average of 6.39% but its competitors in the market are more efficient in generating profits from shareholders equity. The groups ROE ratio in 2009 was 15.96% as compare to Centrica Plc. (20.42%) and National Grid Plc. (33.08%). Figure 12: BGs profitability ratio comparison with competitors (2009-2010) Thus BG Group has better profitability condition than industry average and its competitors Centrica Plc. and National Grid Plc. LIQUIDITY RATIOS The following data represents the liquidity situation of BG Group Plc. during the last five years. Table 9: Liquidity Ratio of BG Group The current ratio of BG Group increased initially (1.47 times in 2006) but in the later periods it dropped down significantly. By the end of year 2009 it fell down by almost 31% to 1.01 times better than industry average of 0.65 times. This was because current assets fell more than the current liabilities. Current assets declined mainly due to less availability of cash equivalents and short-term derivative financial instruments. The financial analysts usually expect the current ratio of any company should be at least more than one but the ideal ratio is 2 times (2:1). But because of the nature of the oil and gas industry, any current ratio of more than 1 can be considered as ideal. The comparable companies Centrica and National Grid also had the similar ratios. Centrica Plc had the current ratio of 1.05 times which is nearly the same as BG Group. However, the current ratio of National Grid Plc was less than 1 at 0.77 times in the year 2009. The quick ratio of the company was sound till the end of 2007 when it was 1.21 times which gradually decreased down to 0.92 times by the end of year 2009. The main causes of this decline was reduction in trade other payable, cash equivalents and commodity contracts and derivative financial instruments on one hand and significant increase in the short-term borrowings from 275 million in 2007 to 717 million in 2009. Again it was better than industry average of 0.42 times as well as National Grid (0.72 times) and almost equal with Centrica (0.99 times). This means that BG Group was able to pay its short-term liabilities out of its most liquid assets. By measuring the cash ratios the creditors analyze the amount to debt given to consumers. As seen before due to the lower cash equivalents and higher short-term liabilities the cash ratios also remained very lower which was less than 1 throughout the five years. The similar results were noticed for the comparable companies of the same industry. Working capital is also important to see the operational efficiency of the company. Working capital of BG Group remained very low level which signifies that the group is not efficient to pay its current liabilities out of its available assets. Figure 13: BGs liquidity ratio comparison with competitors (2009-2010) SOLVENCY (LEVERAGE) RATIOS The following data represents the solvency position of BG Group Plc. during the last five years. Table 10: Solvency ratios of BG Group Solvency measures how efficient a company is to meet its long-term obligations to its creditors. The debt-equity ratio of 3:1 is generally considered as ideal. BG Groups debt-equity ratio was increasing till the end of year 2007 (0.52 times or 52%) but gradually it fell down to 0.45 in 2009 implying that the groups was efficient to finance its assets through its own capital rather than dependence on debt. Centrica and National Grid experienced higher debt-equity ratio implying that they had very high dependence on borrowings. The debt ratio of BG Group had also reduced down slightly from 0.71 in 2007 to 0.61 in 2009 implying less dependence on debt. This ratio was better than National Grid (0.89). However, Centricas debt ratio (0.67) was almost similar to BG Group in 2009. Total debt to capital ratio of BG Group declined marginally to 0.83 in 2009 which means that the 83% of the groups capital structure was financed with long-term debt and remaining 17% from the current liabilities. This was because of the increase in the amount of short-term liabilities in 2009 by almost 63% as compare to 2008 when only 6% of the groups capital was financed by short-term liabilities. This situation was better than the competitors Centrica and National Grid which have higher debt to total capital ratio. We should also analyse the percentage of groups assets that were supported by debt financing and for this we will look at total debt to total asset ratio. This ratio fluctuated between 0.30 and 0.35 over the last five years and was better than those of Centrica and National Grid. Similar was the situation with debt to total equity where the group showed better results than its competitors. Figure 14: BGs solvency ratio comparison with competitors (2009-2010) These ratios were better than groups competitors Centrica and National Grid as they experienced higher level of solvency ratios. EFFICIENCY (ACTIVITY) RATIOS The following data represents the efficiency position of BG Group Plc. during the last five years. Table 11: Efficiency ratios of BG Group From the table above it can be analyzed that BG Groups inventory turnover decreased every year. By the end of year 2009, it fell down by 50% to 19.68 (39.52 in 2008) mainly because of lower international oil and gas prices which effected the sales revenue. The competitors experienced better results in terms of higher inventory turnover which shows BG Group was unsuccessful in inventory management practices. The groups receivable turnover, however, remained constant throughout but was lower than its competitors Centrica and National Grid. The groups efficiency in collecting its receivables improved till 2007 when the days receivables outstanding reduced by 9 days from 108 days in 2005 to 99 days in 2007 and then increased by 5 days in 2009. The payment made to suppliers by BG Group remained on an average 3 times in a year over the desired periods. The competitors however make early payments to their suppliers which indicate that BG Group is in efficient in building sound relationship with its suppliers. The groups total asset turnover declined marginally to 0.39 over the last five years but it was better than industry average of 0.52 and that of national Grid 0.32 and nearly similar with Centrica. Fixed asset turnover declined marginally to 0.48 in 2009 but was better than National Grid 0.36. On the other hand current asset turnover declined significantly due to fall in current assets in 2009 and this ratio was unsatisfactory as compare to the competitors. Figure 15: BGs efficiency ratio comparison with competitors (2009-2010) MANAGEMENT (PRICE) RATIOS The below table represents the management ratios of BG Group from 2005-2009:- Table 12: Management ratios ratios of BG Group Figure 16: BGs management ratio comparison with competitors (2009-2010) The table above shows that all price ratios of BG Group are better than its competitors and industry averages in 2009. The EPS of BG group was 64.50 pence as compare to its competitors because of higher net income generation. BG also experienced better P/E ratio (19.64) than the industry average and its competitors. The price to cash flow ratio although remained lower than industry averages but was better than the competitors. Moreover, BGs price to book ratio was also noticeably higher than its industry average implying the higher growth of companys shares. The last trading price of BG groups share was 1267 pence which was also higher than the industrys average share price and the price of competitor companies. STOCK BETA ANALYSIS Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BG.L Chart forBG Group PLC (BG.L) Source- https://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=BG.Lt=myl=onz=lq=lc= From the above chart we analyze the stock performance of BG group, which is listed under London Stock Exchange with total market cap of 43,065.73 million (as on Dec 6th, 2010- Reuters) under the symbol of BG.L. The chart signifies rise and fall in prices of stock and the percentage variations duration last 5 years. As per the diagram BG group stock price was highest between years 2008-2009, however there was a rise in wholesale gas prices due to which BG group gained a price hike 35% in year 2008. Slowly due to recession prices of gas fell down between years 2009-2010. As we see in diagram there is a cliff being developed? Since comparing the BG group stock prices with SP 500 during last 5 yrs. BG group position is quite better after economic downturn and compared to its peers. Figure 17: BGs stock beta comparison with competitors According to financial terms the Beta of a stockÂÂ  is a figure showing in relationship to its return in accordance of financial market. Considering the above figure, graph reflects that BG group has Beta of 0.368. In CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model) such figures suggest that BG group security price is less volatile compare to market price. Since it concludes that BG group stocks are less risky but at the same time the return to investors will also be lower. Chart forBG Group PLC (BG.L) Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=mys=BG.Ll=onz=lq=lc=CNA.L%2CNG.Lc=%5EGSPC Graph Comparison between BG Group Plc (BG.L), Centrica Plc (CNA.L), National Grid Plc (NG.L) and SP 500 NON-FINANCIAL ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS Some of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of BG Group are mentioned below:- Table 13: SWOT analysis of BG Group. STRENGTHS: BG Group is one of the leaders in oil and gas supply within UK and with a largest customer base at international level. Brand Power BG Group has gained its image in terms of loyalty and trust in Oil Gas market. Diversified service portfolio in exploration production, liquefied natural gas, transmission distribution and power generation. Strong Financial/resources position. WEAKNESS:- Lack of communication due to weak organization culture Weak organization culture develops communication gap in management which leads to mishap at production sites. Weak communication strategy Strategy developed by BG Group is less communicating between higher and lower management which give rise to fluctuation in production and supply. OPPORTUNITIES:- BG group has developed a position in countries like Brazil, India, USA etc. This strategy will help BG in developing its business in different economies. It is predicted that there will be increase in demand more by 20% in 2014 and this will further increase the level of demand to 130 billion cubic meters in 2020. The company should grab this opportunity from such rising demand. There is shift in focus for renewable energy due to environmental concern and price hike. THREATS: Political upheaval in business operation of major markets. Emerging threat N Power, Scottish Power, EDF Energy and other utility supplier companies. Natural gas reserves are declining. Ecological/Environmental laws policy on wellbeing safety may have an effect on the companys operations. Profit fluctuates as the currency values differ from country to country. CONCLUSION After analyzing the financial statements of BG Group we emphasize that the company has a strong position in oil and gas industry as can be seen from its superior performance over its peer competitors. The company has buildup strong reserves and resources through its LNG business by continuous involvement in mergers and acquisition of business entities in some of the worlds major markets including USA, Brazil, India, Australia etc. In spite of increasing international commodity prices of oil and gas the company has achieved growth in all the business sectors over the last five years. By analyzing different ratios and common-size statements, it can be said that mostly ratios are strong encouraging in comparison with its competitors. However companys performance as compare to last year is not satisfactory. Profitability of BG Group remained lower. The net profit margin declined by 29.37% in 2009 due to global economic downturn which reduced the demand for energy. ROE, ROA and ROCE were all lower compare to 2008. This directly affected the liquidity position of the company in 2009. Most of the ratios are better than industry average and competitors. Efficiency ratios are quite better implying the company has adopted better inventory management practices. The companys long-term solvency position was also satisfactory which means company financed its assets mostly by its own capital rather than debt. The EPS and price to earnings ratios are much better than the peer competitors in the same industry. Again the performance compared to year 2008 was unsatisfactory where EPS reduced from 93.4 pence in 2008 to 64.5 pence in 2009 mainly because of the effects of the global economic downturn on worlds major economies which affected the companys earnings. However, from the shareholders point of view, BGs stock beta is 0.368 which implies less risk on investing in its stock. Moreover, the results of third quarter of year 2010 states a better position in all respects due to improvements in the market economy. The fair result will only be concluded once the final results of 2010 will be analyzed in comparison to those of year 2009. The consensus recommendation of BGs share is outperform which suggests higher earning prospect in the years to come. Thus, after all the facts and evidences based on the comprehensive financial analysis presented in this report it is our strong recommendation for investors to buy BG shares because of the stable outlook anticipates increased on-going growth, diversity, low production costs and high reserves of products. Source: www.reuters.com Table 14: Concensus recommendation of BGs stock