Nike and International Labor Practice Essay Example for Free

Nike and International Labor Practice Essay Issue Identification Built up in the mid 70s Nike, Inc., situated in Beaverton, Oregon, USA confronted an extreme stream of analysis and experienced developing issues concerning their plants and representative treatment, basically in Indonesia and Vietnam in 1988. Rising interest for Nike items, which nearly multiplied inside a brief timeframe, drove the organization and its 350+ subcontractors to raise the creation level. Arrangement of work issues and misuse, for example, modest work compensation, poor working conditions, wellbeing and security issues and underage specialists abuse, were the primary issues Nike needed to manage. Besides, Nike, Inc. needed to manage dealing with the decent variety of societies and language obstructions must be survived, while still have the option to create the top notch item Nike is popular for. All through the 1990s Phil Knight, CEO of Nike, Inc. also, the organization itself lost their eminent corporate picture in the eye of the world and it turned into a global occurrence. Reasons for Problem Subsequent to building up a name on the planet, Phil Knight, chose to make Nikes attire in South Korea and Taiwan, and by 1982 effectively 86% of Nikes shoes originated from these two nations. Understanding that Asian nations like Indonesia, Vietnam and China give less expensive work cost, better government support and higher benefit, Nike moved their creation lines there, with Indonesia turning into a significant area. In 1991, the day by day the lowest pay permitted by law was scarcely $1 in Indonesia, contrasted with a run of the mill every day compensation of $24.40 in South Korea and a US time-based compensation of about $8 in athletic shoe producing. Indeed, even that the Indonesian government raised the lowest pay permitted by law from 2,100 Rupiah ($1.00/day) to 2,500 Rupiah ($1.25/day), the new pay was still underneath the laborers everyday costs. In 1992, these issues went outside of Indonesia and even hit Washington D.C., when President Clinton presented the team Apparel I ndustry Partnership (AIP) to create and control work gauges for remote manufacturing plants. In spite of the fact that Nike was the first to go along with, they experienced difficulty persuading individuals that everything went directly in their plants in Asia. Ernst Young was being employed to control and review the manufacturing plants, however before long voices turned out to be uproarious, that there was not a reallyâ objective view at the issues, since Nike was paying them. It hit the top in 1997/1998, when TV shows, papers and even a film (The Big One) were discussing the awful conditions inside Nikes production lines in Asia and freely tested Phil Knight to change the manner in which laborers were dealt with, redressed and how underage specialists were utilized. Adidas, Reebok and New Balance exploited Nikes down slant and picked up in upper hand. This prompted decreasing deals number, profit fell 69%, and without precedent for a long time Nike, Inc. had a misfortune toward the year's end 1998. Choices 1.Government guideline of Nike Favorable circumstances: a)Local Government would have a more critical look onto what's going on in its own nation and with their kin b)US Government could likewise have a more intensive look onto what Nike is doing abroad and would have the option to mediate any criminal behavior from the country c)Both governments would work nearer together and it would open entryways for different US organizations to put resources into the outside nation Disservices: a)As demonstrated for the situation, a few governments simply observe the cash that is brought into the nation, notwithstanding what's going on inside the organization, or better said to its kin. b)Ties between the US government and the outside nation probably won't be the best, because of political strains, and makes it hence harder to cooperate. 2.Improve representatives working and expectations for everyday comforts Favorable circumstances: a)A cheerful representative is a superior specialist improve the representatives expectation for everyday comforts by raising his compensation, giving him more advantages (medical coverage, get-away time), decrease his working hours, and so forth. b)Equal Opportunity offer opportunities to laborers to climb the organization stepping stool, and not just bring outside individuals in. Besides, alter laborers pay, working hours and work conditions to human principles. c)Extensive preparing and advancement for chiefs All directors ought to learn outside countrys language, living propensities and adjust to culture. Preparing the laborers hands on will likewise assist with beating workforce decent variety and make the working environment a superior spot to be. Disservices: a)The changes will require significant investment and will be financially savvy. b)Adapt to western working propensities, may be an immense change for Asian workforce and probably won't be adjusted well 3.Documentation and Inspection Points of interest: a)Factories will be directed, by either the neighborhood government or associations b)Inspections will prompt better working conditions c)Workers will have somebody to converse with and won't be disregarded Drawbacks: a)Again, associations may be paid by Nike and not report every bit of relevant information b)Reports from laborers may be disregarded and not raised to individuals in control Best Alternative The best option for Nike, Inc. is to embrace every one of the three options all the while. So as to restore the piece of the overall industry and upper hand, their worldwide view needs to reinforce. They began very well by actualizing a portion of the previously mentioned thoughts. These choices will simply assist them with becoming a more grounded player in this quickly developing and extremely serious business world. Usage Steps The activities, that Nike, Inc. should take are as followed: First they should take a shot at getting their name once more into the correct spotlight, by executing the other options. The legislatures will be more than ready to support them and since Nike is perceived everywhere throughout the world, even the neighborhood governments/nations are enthusiastic about keeping them in their nation and utilize their residents. This may in any event, bring nations like the USA and Indonesia closer together and more organizations from the US will be all set to Indonesia and produce there. Furthermore, the laborers benefits, life standard and work propensities are the most significant of the entirety of the other options. Nike, Inc. ought to contribute the majority of their innovative work in this field, since the wages are still not as they ought to be. A thought is begin raising the wages to in any event the countrys standard, with the goal that individuals can live off their profit a typical life. Nike began effectively the usage of projects that included expanding the laborers expectation for everyday comforts in the creating scene, yet at the same time the pay of the specialist is the fundamental issue that should be taken on immediately. Secure working spots, no lay-offs and safe workplaces ought to be steps that must be taken promptly, at exactly that point we can see the distinction and make a specialist a happyâ and beneficial representative. To wrap things up, Nike ought to be viewed, reviewed and reported upon. It won't just assistance the processing plants in Vietnam or Indonesia, yet additionally the organization itself. Once outside associations disclose to Nike where they have to enhance and do it in the wake of being told, at that point the organization will likewise get into the positive spotlight, which will continue in higher deals and more benefit. Nike will at that point be again the most grounded contender in supporting and supporting colleges, genius competitors and groups and most significant an organization that everyone needs to work for, notwithstanding where.

Get Full Visibility Into Your Entire Email Marketing Strategy in CoSchedule

Get Full Visibility Into Your Entire Email Marketing Strategy in Email showcasing. It’s 4x more compelling than standard mail gets 6x a bigger number of changes than Twitter 40x more commitment than Facebook Furthermore, has the BIGGEST effect on your ROI ðÿ' °Ã°Ã¿' °Ã°Ã¿' ° Why? Your crowd picked inâ to your email list. They wantâ to get notification from you! Furthermore, when you depend on email promoting as your essential channel to drive changes, benefits, and client relationships†¦ you need a straightforward AND successful approach to oversee it. Which is the reason I’m eager to present our most current featureEmail Marketing from ! Otherwise known as the new, more straightforward approach to oversee and streamline this POWERFUL procedure inside your schedule. With Email Marketing from , you can: Flawlessly incorporate with your *favorite* email promoting stage. You as of now have a kick-a$$ email stage you know and love, so why surrender it? With Email Marketing, you can without much of a stretch associate your favored email stage to with only two or three ticks. Compose click-commendable email subject linesevery time. With Email Marketing, you can utilize ’s *exclusive* Email Subject Line Tester to improve and consummate each title to drive moreâ opens, moreâ clicks, and more changes. Get full perceivability into your ENTIRE marketing technique. State â€Å"buh-bye† to incoherent promoting content (and continually hopping from screen to screen). With Email Marketing, it’s simple to perceive how your email battles identify with the remainder of your promoting technique and rapidly make changes if important. What's more, when it’s this simple to oversee + advance your effectively incredible email advertising system envision the amount more ROI you can drive with everything in one spot. ðÿ˜‰

Essay Samples For Job Applications

Essay Samples For Job ApplicationsEssay samples for job applications can help you achieve a perfect score. Good writing skills are essential in getting a high grade in the writing test. The essay test will take into consideration your capabilities and your previous experience. Knowing how to write a good essay is not that hard, but there are several tips that can help you write a well-structured essay.Lastly, be patient while reading the instructions of the test. There are some questions that are really difficult, so just take your time. In no time, you will be answering the question and passing the test with flying colors.Looking for good essay samples for job applications can prove to be a great idea. You have probably read about the possible essay questions that might appear on your application. You will also notice that some questions seem to be too easy. Why do this? This is because you need to have a realistic picture of what the employer wants from you and from the company tha t you apply to.In order to appear as if you are well prepared when applying for a particular career path, it would be wise to remember that you can't be too well prepared. Also, you will never be able to prepare all that well if you don't know how to work within the chosen career. You need to think about the available jobs that you can apply for and also look at the job description of the employer.For instance, if you want to apply for a job as a material planner, you must first look into the job descriptions of the jobs in that particular field. You will need to find out the nature of the work that material planners do. This includes making arrangements for furniture and for all the supplies that a client needs.Furniture and office supplies are one of the items that material planners need to make sure they get paid for. Your work must be done according to the requirements of the clients and also in accordance with the company's requirements. This means that you need to know what yo u should be thinking about and the most important thing is that you have to show that you are a great worker and a devoted professional.Once you have understood the rules of the game, you can begin to fill in the necessary information about yourself. When you apply for a job, you must answer all the questionnaires that will be placed on your application. It is important that you put all the information that the employer will require, such as your age, work history, your education, employment and so on.You should remember that you must also remember your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to job applications. Be aware that these could also influence the results of your application. Do not be too reserved, because employers need to know that you are determined. You should be the one to write your own fate by showing that you are serious about the job that you want.

The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials - 1382 Words

The Salem Witch Trials are a big part of history that is still hard to unravel today. These trials occurred in 1692, when a few teenage girls admitted to being possessed with the devil and blamed other local residents with committing Witchcraft (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). The accusations all started with a young girl named Abigail Williams. She believed that if she blamed other people, she would not be punished for the things she did. As a result, many other girls followed her lead and named innocent people, who they said did witchcraft. It is sad to say many people died due to false accusations and factious evidence. From this horrific event, Arthur Miller wrote a book called The Crucible. There are many theories regarding the girls†¦show more content†¦Therefore the girls were being deprived of having fun and living a normal teenage life. It was ingrained in their brain to work and follow the strict rules of puritan life. From this, they lacked certain stimuli and it affected the function of their brain, which caused hallucinations.This could explain why the â€Å"accusing girls† in Salem acted so strangely. An example of these girls’ strange behavior would be near the end of Act 3, when the girls are all standing in the courtroom. John Proctor had just brought in Mary Warren to testify against the girls and explain that what they were doing was all made up. Mary Warren told the court that she could not fake passing out on her own, then all of a sudden the girls began acting strangely. Abigail looked towards the ceiling and yelled, â€Å"Look out! Shes coming down!† (Miller). Then all girls started screaming and running away, saying that there was a bird that was trying to get them. The dilemma is, no one else saw the bird except for the girls. Therefore, the girls were having a hallucination at this time. Another aspect of the Ergot poisoning theory that makes it credible is that the fungus grows on crops, which were the main source of food for the Puritans. Ergot affects rye grain, which was an essential crop grown during this era. In order for Ergot to grow, it needs to be in a warm, damp atmosphere. Most of the girls lived on the west side of the village, where the fields were very wet.Show MoreRelatedThe Salem Trials : The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials989 Words   |  4 Pages What type of people were involved in the trials? The type of people involved in the trials was the surroundings of the Salem village, puritan religion, but mostly women. Their belief was sacred to both, god and devil. They believed that women were too weak to fight the devil and lose so they become the devils servant, which is a witch. Puritans also believed in predestination which is having god already knowing it they go to heaven or hell. No matter what life they had, whether good or bad, theyRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem witch trials were a series of different court trials. They occurred after a group of young girls were claimed to be possessed by the devil. These individuals experienced hallucinations. Some of the suspects explained the attacks as if bugs were crawling under their skin. When the outbreak began to spread, the government proceeded to accuse multiple people in the colony of witchcraft. This is how the Salem witch trials came to be. The trials took place in coloni al Massachusetts. AccordingRead MoreThe Cause Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesThe Causes of the Salem Witch Trials In 1692 in the quaint Puritan village of Salem Massachusetts, twenty lives were claimed to execution on charges of witchcraft, nineteen by hanging and one man was pressed to death. The causes of these deaths and the Salem Witch Trails can be easier understood when the culture of Puritan Colonial life is examined. The Salem community was rooted in the Puritan religion. Puritans believed like all Christians, that humanity was guilty of the original sin committedRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials994 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelop the greatest consequence possible. The Salem Witch Trials are an example of such conflict, as they resulted in many people being falsely accused for crimes, arrested, and killed. But what provoked this mass hysteria? Scholars have attempted to answer this question, but the most common idea is that it was due to a variety of economic, social, and physiological problems within the Salem village. In order to understand the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, some background must be given about the eventRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1173 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials in New England comprised the largest outbreak of witchcraft panic in American history. Historians and scientists have contributed the accusations of witchcraft in the early 1690’s to everything, from disease, religious and political agendas, to harsh weather. It is believed that a better understanding of the cause of the atrocities in Salem, and those like it, may prevent such events from reoccurring. Despite many years of study, however, what caused such panic in New EnglandRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials841 Words   |  4 Pages In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, hysteria broke out throughout the town in an event that later became known as the Salem Witch Trials. They were the largest account of witch hangings ever in America, as 20 women and men were put to death for being accused of practicing witchcraft. Historians have been debating about how these trials were caused. The frenzy in Salem happened because at first, young girls were afraid of punishment and wanted to avoid it so they blamed older women and accused themRead MoreCauses of the Salem Witch Trials Essay2035 Words   |  9 Pagesgreatest impact possible. The Salem Witch Trials are one such conflict. This conflict caused many to be accused, arrested, and killed. Because of social, economic, religious, and physical problems within the community, Salem Village was present with prejudice and panic causing the Salem Witch Trials. Witchcraft has been present in many other religions, not only the Puritan religion. Witchcraft was also found in Catholic and Protestant parts of Europe. The Salem Witch Trials were smaller in comparisonRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692700 Words   |  3 PagesSalem Witch Trials DBQ   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How would you feel if your life was ruined just because you were considered unfit for society? This is exactly what was going on during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Prior to the trials, there were witch hunts that caused global unease mainly to Protestant societies. King Philip’s War also contributed to this unease by pushing people from the east coast and into Puritan towns. These towns had misogynistic male leadership, depriving many people of humanity becauseRead MoreReasons : The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials741 Words   |  3 Pagesarrested in Salem, Massachusetts. All but one of these people were believed to be witches (Background Essay). Prior to the hearing in Salem witch trials were carried out in several different towns. â€Å"In 17th century New England witchcraft was a serious crime (Background Essay).† Two girls aged nine and 11, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, identified a slave name Tituba and two other local women as witches. This led to the accused women being carted off to jail starting the Salem Witch Trials. WithoutRead MoreThe Causes Of Fanaticism In The Salem Witch Trials750 Words   |  3 Pagesmost important reason was probably the fanaticism that caused everyone to blame Satan for the witchcraft, which stopped people from looking for other reasons which may have caused the witchcraft. This fanaticism stopped people from looking at other causes of the symptoms, and they didn’t bother to use a scientific or logical perspective because they were obsessed with finding witches. Additionally, because people immediately turned towards Satan for the answer to their problems, they may have used

The American Of The United States - 1022 Words

World War Two ended finally in the summer of nineteen forty-five. Life in the United States began to return to normal. Soldiers began to come home and find peacetime jobs. Industry stopped producing war equipment and began to produce goods that made peacetime life pleasant. The American economy was stronger than ever. Some major changes began to take place in the American population. Many Americans were not satisfied with their old ways of life. They wanted something better. And many people were earning enough money to look for a better life. Millions of them moved out of cities and small towns to buy newly-built homes in the suburbs. Our program today will look at the growth of suburbs and other changes in the American population in the years after World War Two. The United States has always counted its population every ten years. The government needed to know how many people lived in each state so it would know how many congressmen each state should have. The first count was made two-hundred years ago. At that time, the country had about four million persons. One hundred years later, the population had increased to about sixty-three million persons. By nineteen fifty, there were more than one hundred fifty million persons in the United States. In the early years of America, the average mother had eight to ten children. Living conditions were hard. Many children died at an early age. Families needed a lot of help on the farm. So it was good to have many children. ThisShow MoreRelatedThe American Of The United States778 Words   |  4 PagesInduction From before it begins the Untied States has been a nation of immigrants. In 1607 the Virginia company of London sent a 34 Man crew to the new world efforts to find new land. These first ever settlers were the first immigrants to enter the Untied States. Immigrates would continue to flow into the US till the late 1800’s when the first immigration policies were created. The first immigrants to come to the US were seeking economic opportunities. However, because the price of passage wasRead MoreThe American Of The United States1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States is one of the largest countries that are made up of individuals from diverse origins and cultures. In addition, most foreigners from the other parts of the world migrated to the U.S, or become American citizens under different circumstances, especially during the 18th, 19th and the 20th centuries. Black Americans for example, arose in the American culture as a result of the numerous Africans who were being sold to the whites in order for them to work in the cotton and pyrethrumRead MoreThe American Of The United States Essay1731 Words   |  7 Pagesdemonstrated, women from Central America left their homes to seek employment in the United States for domestic work for a variety of reasons and factors. During the 1960s and 1970s the demographics of migrants from Central America start ed to shift. Originally men were the primary immigrants to migrate to the United States for jobs in agriculture. However, as the openings in the domestic work industry formed, Central American women started to pioneer their own labor migration. An example of this can beRead MoreThe American Of The United States1095 Words   |  5 Pagescentury, the United States government made it their mission to expend from the east coast all the way to the west coast. Unfortunately the lands they wanted to expand into were already claimed by the natives that settled there centuries before. In order to deal with this obstacle, The united states’ government used many strategies to combat what was referred to as the ‘indian problem’ including: confiscating their lands, relocating the to reservations and killing them .The United States went againstRead MoreThe American Of The United States Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesWhenever one finds themselves involved in the age-old debat e of whether citizens of the United States, are greedy or generous, their arguments are usually fueled by opinion rather than fact. The fact of the matter is, that citizens of the United States on average are magnanimous people. The evidence to support this claim is that American citizen’s rank 2nd in the world in charity, the fact that most Americans are generous because of their moral and religious upbringings, and that generosity makesRead MoreThe American Of The United States1081 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States has always been a progressive nation from its start in the 1700s and eventual revolution against the British. After a rocky start as an independent nation, the U.S. began to expand create its own laws and ideas of democracy as well as trade throughout the world. Much of this intercultural trading and exploration of Manifest Destiny allowed the U.S. to grow economically, culturally, physically, and politically. Emerging as one of the more powerful nations, t he U.S. became a brightRead MoreThe American Of The United States817 Words   |  4 PagesInduction From before its begins the Untied States has been a nation of immigrants. In 1607 the Virginia company of London sent a 34 Man crew to the new world efforts to find new land. These first ever settlers were the first immigrants to enter the Untied States. Immigrates would continue to flow into the US till the late 1800’s when the first immigration policies were created. The first immigrants to come to the US were seeking economic opportunities. However, because the price of passage wasRead MoreThe American Of The United States Essay1438 Words   |  6 PagesWhen the American colonies declared themselves independent from on their mother country, Britain, on July 4, 1776, they sought to devise a plan to govern themselves without the constraints that had been imposed on them leading to their detachment. Prominent leaders in the thirteen colonies worked together to strike the perfect balance between the rights of the federal government and the rights of the states. On June 12, 1776, a committee was formed to put together a document that would bring togetherRead MoreThe American Of The United States1192 Words   |  5 Pagesassociations designed to promote the interests of particular groups—debtors, farmers, artisans, seaman (74)† were emerging throughout the states. In order to get their points across, they frequently resorted to vigilan te methods. As soon as the war stopped, trade with the British seemed to start where it left off. British ships clogged American harbors and traders offered Americans low, easy credit. All classes lived in moderate luxury even if they could not afford it. Those still committed to the ideal ofRead MoreThe American Of The United States891 Words   |  4 Pagesjust like Americans seeking a better way to provide for their families. In Cuba, the average rate a day is approximately 466 pesos, and equals about $22 a day in the U.S. (http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=97506) If an American made $22 dollars a day they would certainly consider it to be the complete opposite of rightfulness. Costs are through the roof and owning anything would be out of the question. Although, Cubans are a small percentage of the U.S population they still migrate to the states by the

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay - 1588 Words

Women, Courtly Love and the Creation Myth in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a great epic written in fourteenth century Europe by the Pearl poet, emphasizes the opposition of Christian love to Courtly love in the 13th century through the dilemma of Sir Gawain, one of the great knights of the Arthurian round table. By examining the women in the poem, Gawains dilemma becomes a metaphor for the contrast of these two distinct types of love. The poem looks upon the Virgin Mary as the representative of spiritual love, obedience, chastity, and life (Warner 9). In contrast, Morgan le Fay and Bertilaks wife appear to be representing courtly love, disobedience, lust and death. This†¦show more content†¦This is referring to both the pentangle on the inside of his shield which represents the Five Virtues of Gawain and the carving of Mary on the inside of his shield which gave him faith and courage. Gawains shift in faith from Mary to the Green Girdle at the end of the story dictates his downfall. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gawains temptation begins upon entering Bertilaks court, which is a totally different world to him. Although he is initially in a serious mood, he drops his guard at the sight of Lady Bertilak. All he wants to do is to escort her down the aisle and admire her loveliness. When Gawain had gazed on that gay lady, with leave of her lord, he politely approached; to the elder in homage he humbly bows; the lovelier he salutes with a light embrace. He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; they welcome him warmly, and straightway he asks to be received as their servant, if they so desire; (Adams, 222). Strolling down the aisle beside Lady Bertilak is an older woman who serves as a standard for comparison, accentuating her beauty. But unlike to look upon, those ladies were, for if the one was fresh, the other was faded; (Adams, 222). This comparison is a reminder of the moral statement associating women with sex, sin and death. Decay of the flesh is sometime s a perceived as spiritual decay, asShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,† a protagonist emerges depicting an Arthurian knight named Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes initiative by accepting the challenge requested by the Green Knight in place of his uncle. He undergoes a perilous adventure, seeking for the Green Knight to receive the final blow. Although Sir Gawain is not viewed as a hero for his military accomplishments, he is, however, viewed as a heroic figure by the Knights at the Round Table for hisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight862 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the â€Å"Pearl Poet,† we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Through out the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from themRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1514 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight is an epic poem written in the mid to late fourteenth century by an unknown author. Throughout the tale, Sir Gawain, a Knight at the Round Table in Camelot, is presented with many hardships, the first being a challenge on Christmas by a man in which, â€Å"Everything about him was an elegant green† (161). This â€Å"Green Knight† challenged someone in Camelot to accept his game which they will chop off his head with his axe and the Green Knight will do the same to the playerRead MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic t o the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name orRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight contains ambiguity and irony that make it interesting to read and teach. Gawain’s conflict arose when he accepted the girdle that could protect him and when he lied to his host, severing fellowship with the lord for courtesy with the lady. By utilizing a social reconstructionist philosophy of teaching that emphasizes personal beliefs and ethics, a teacher will help the students establish their identities and learn to appreciate classic literature. Sir Gawain and theRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1 335 Words   |  6 PagesSir Gawain: The Ironic Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale of the utmost irony in which Sir Gawain, the most loyal and courteous of all of King Arthur’s knights, fails utterly to be loyal and courteous to his king, his host, his vows, and his God. In each case, Sir Gawain not only fails to perform well, but performs particularly poorly, especially in the case of his relationship with God. Ultimately, Sir Gawain chooses magic over faith, and by doing so, shows his ironic nature as aRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight906 Words   |  4 Pagesusually the latter. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight we see Sir Bertilak go off to hunt three very specific animals as a game with Sir Gawain. They agree that â€Å"what ever [Bertilak catches] in the wood shall become [Sir Gawain’s], and what ever mishap comes [Sir Gawain’s] way will be given to [Bertilak] in exchange.† (Sir Gawain†¦, ln 1105-1007). In this deal we slowly see Gawain loose his honor as paralleled with Sir B ertilak’s hunt. The first animal that is hunted by the knight is a deer, while thisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesFall 16 Donnelly Many years ago, knights were expected to form a certain type of relationship with their king, this relationship was otherwise known as fealty. Fealty is a knight’s sworn loyalty to their king (in other words a loyal relationship should be formed between the two). The use of this relationship is shown in the poem called â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† ( the author is unknown). This poem has a classic quest type of formula, with a knight receiving a challenge and then going outRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1455 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, for Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight temptation existed around every corner while he was playing the game of the Green Knight. Temptation existed every day and each day it existed in a new way. Gawain never knew what was coming his way throughout the grand scheme of the game, but one thing was for certain he was being tested. Without his reliance religious faith and dedication to his reputation, Gawain wo uld not have been able to make it through the game of the Green Knight alive andRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. Many of the basic principles that describe heroes in Medieval Literature are seen in both of these characters even though they were written in different times. There are distinct similarities, differences, and also a progression of what the hero was in English literature, between Sir Gawain and

Finance And Funding - Ashtead Group

Question: Describe about the Finance And Funding - Ashtead Group? Answer: Introduction Board of Directors of most of the corporate organizations often require effective consultancy research and report regarding the financial and non-financial performance of their organizations in order to make effective strategic decisions for the growth and development of their business (Aras et al. 2010). Financial ratios are one of the most effective indicators of organizational performance in terms of their financial aspects (Taticchi, 2010). An efficient management consultant always considers preparing a balanced scorecard, which is a strategic planning and management technique that is essential for aligning the organizational vision and strategy of the organizations with their business and operation activities (Sennels, 2011). In other words, a balance scorecard helps monitoring organizational performance and improving organizational communication against their strategic goals. Ashtead Group is one of the renowned organizations renting equipments throughout the world. Most of their domestic networks are in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The company is mainly famous for providing extensive range of industrial and construction equipments for various applications and to a diverse customer segments. Their equipments include power generating, lifting, moving heavy industrial objects, digging, drilling, heating, pumping, ventilating and various other necessities. The key objective of the company is to allocate sustainable assessment and maximum performance throughout the economic cycle, to extend industry-leading arrangement, and to deliver maximum returns for their shareholders (Ashtead-group.com, 2015). Ashtead Group Vision Expanding the growth and development of their business to retain and to improve their leading position within the equipment rental industry The management of Ashtead Group has been concentrating upon their business growth and business development strategies and policies since last few years, as they realized that their company has better chance of winning maximum market share within the equipment renting industry both in the US and in the UK. The company has further improvised their organizational structure, financing structure and operational efficiency in order to dominate the equipment rental market throughout the world, especially in the US and in the UK. Delivering maximum returns on investments to the shareholders throughout the economic cycle (Ashtead-group.com, 2015) The management of Ashtead Group has clearly stated within their Annual reports that their significance success largely depends upon the contribution and dedicated support from their shareholders. Their shareholders have always welcomingly supported their company and the strategies implemented by the management of Ashtead Group. Therefore, they have realised the importance of understanding shareholders benefits and concerns. The company has already been sharing significant amount of their profit with their shareholders and the management has expressed their vision to maximise the shareholders return each year. Their vision will no doubt not only make the shareholders satisfy, but also to influence them investing more towards the company for enhancing growth and development of the Ashtead Group. Strategy Build a Broad Platform for Growth The company is largely operating within both the US and the UK. However, the primary strategic target of the company is the US, where they would like to double their growth and profit. The US market is almost five times larger than the UK and the Ashtead Group is the key supplier of infrastructure equipments in the US right now. Rental penetration in the US is approaching 50% and the major contractors in the US prefer renting the equipments rather than owing them. The equipment rental industry in the UK is emerging and the company Ashtead Group has the financial strength and organizational capabilities, which are helping the company to gain competitive advantages over various inefficient competitors in the US market. However, the company is also concentrating on the UK, where they would like to enhance their market share by 50%. The company is also concentrating on Bolt-on Mergers and Acquisitions (MA), developing clusters within key sectors and on organic fleet growth (Ashtead-group.com, 2015). As the management have foreseen that there are maximum amount of unoccupied market, enhancing demand and presence of ineffective rivals, the management of Ashtead Group is concentrating upon developing a broader business platform, which will have maximum opportunities and growth prospects. Maintain Financial and Operational Flexibility The management of Ashtead Group has taken various strategic initiatives for maintain financial and operational flexibility for supporting their business from both long-term and short-term perspectives. Although, the economic conditions are not favourable and the market competition is increasing, but the group is holding ROI at 19%. The company has been also able to maintain their leverage mostly below net debt to EBITDA. This represent that the company is maintaining financial discipline. The company is also utilising their financial stability and strength for optimising their fleet sector during cyclical upturn (Ashtead-group.com, 2015). The management of Ashtead Group has expressed that the company needs to maintain effective collaboration and flexibility within their finance department and operational department, which are the key units for their business and have significance importance towards achieving sustainable growth and long-term development. Financial flexibility enables them to deal all the operating costs and shareholders return. On the other hand, it also helps them to implement any growth and development strategies effectively. Operational Excellence The management of Ashtead Group has taken various initiatives for improving the efficiency of their operational activities. They are considering fleet on rent, EBITDA, ROI, staff turnover and safety as their key performance indicators. Operational excellence is something that the management and the board of directors of Ashtead Group are trying to concentrate upon widely for gaining sustainable improvisation within their organization using various policies, strategies and modern management techniques. The management of Ashtead Group is mostly considering enhancing operational efficiency by enhancing maximising their operational performance, innovation, effective collaboration, financial and operational flexibility and improving shareholders profit. They are also focusing upon improving their services (Ashtead-group.com, 2015). Balanced Scorecard - Ashtead Group Financial Perspective Goal Key Performance Indicators Target Action or Initiative 1. Revenue Enhancing revenue Revenue from the group Fleet on Rent Market Share Revenue from the group to be enhanced by 19.82% Increased to almost 2700 (US Fleet on Rent) Increased to almost 350 (UK Fleet on Rent) Increased by 50% (UK Market) Increased by 100% (US Market) Greenfield development Improvisation towards product mix Mergers Acquisition (Bolt-on) Similar organic store fleet expansion 2. Shareholder Enhancing return of the shareholder Underlying EPS Dividend per share Underlying EPS to be enhanced by 63p Dividend per share to be increased to almost 20p Maintaining an effective dividend policy with the consideration towards both cash generation and profitability 3. Cash Flow Maintaining Strong and Stable Cash Flow Net Debt Underlying EBITDA margin to be 47% Frequently reviewing the capital structure of the group Adopting a conventional financial policy Maintaining long-term debt maturities Using asset based facilities Minimising debt commitments 4. Profitability Improving Return on Investment and Profit Return on Investment Underlying PBT Underlying PBT to be 403.6 ROI to be enhanced by 19% Monitoring and Managing fleet investment effectively Appropriate incentive for improving return Focusing upon greater return Flexibility towards the pricing structures Optimising utilisation rates and returns Table 1: Financial Perspective - Ashtead Group (Source: Created By Author) Financial perspective implies financial performance of Ashtead group. The company is financially stable. However, they must consider enhancing their profitability for increasing return on investments, as earning profit is the major objective of any profit-making organizations like the Ashtead group. The management of the company may enhance their profitability by implementing various strategies such as managing fleet investment effectively, making the pricing structure flexible etc. Increasing profitability will also have an impact upon the revenue and the shareholders profit, which can be increased by various activities such as Greenfield development, improvisation towards product mix and bolt-on Mergers Acquisition. The company should also consider maintaining continuous cash flow by revising their capital structure, debt maturities and financial policies. In addition, the management should revise their divided distribution policies to enhance return of the shareholders in order t o encourage them for more investments. Internal Business Processes Perspective Goal Key Performance Indicators Target Action or Initiative 1. Fleet Management Enhancing efficiency of the fleet Utilising physically Age of the fleet Maintaining between 60% and 80% More than 2 years in the US More than 3 years in the UK Adopting a model with clustered model Maintaining standardised fleet Ensuring adequate stores for offering wider range of equipment 2. Safety Ensuring Safety Reporting of Diseases, Injuries, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations Less than 50% Improvising health and safety policies Cultivating safety culture Safety with suppliers and customers Induction training programme 3. Delivery Management Improvising Delivery Cost Recovery and Minimising Respond Time Delivery Time Lead Time Delivery Cost 10% reduction throughout 10% reduction throughout 20% reduction throughout Improving and monitoring organization of the stress and loading of the delivery trucks Training Optimising pick-up and delivery routes 4. Quality of the Services Ensuring Superior Quality of the Services Perfect Order Almost 100% Monitoring Quality of the Services Frequent improvement initiatives Be responsive Table 2: Internal Business Processes Perspective - Ashtead Group (Source: Created By Author) The management of Ashtead Group must concentrate improvising their internal business process by enhancing fleet efficiency, ensuring safety, improving delivery costs and by offering superior customers services. The management should concentrate more upon renovating their organization culture. In addition, continuous campaigns regarding training and development are also essential. Customer Perspective Goal Key Performance Indicators Target Action or Initiative 1. Customer Loyalty Ensuring Customer Loyalty Net Promote Score Annual Customer Spend Greater than 60% Increase by 25% Customer loyalty programme Special discounts Rewards for References 2. Customer Satisfaction Satisfying the customers Customer Complaints Responsive time Less than 10% Less than 1 business day Understanding needs and expectations of the customers Differentiating fleet and service for providing better quality of service Cost effective rental solution 3. Branding Enhancing Brand value Market share Brand rank Increased by 50% (UK Market) Increased by 100% (US Market) Top 5 brand Promotion and advertisements through effective medium Initiating campaigns 4. Customer Retention Enhancing Customer Retention Fleet on rent (on-going) Increase by 10% Offering discounts Pricing scheme development Table 3: Customer Perspective - Ashtead Group (Source: Created By Author) Customer perspective includes various aspects associated with the customers, who are the key to success for the group. The management must consider satisfy their customers for enhancing customer loyalty, customer retention and brand value. The management could fulfil such objectives by concentrating upon customer services, pricing scheme, discounts, promotion and advertisements. Innovation, Learning and Growth Goal Key Performance Indicators Target Action or Initiative 1. CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility Committing towards Sustainability Revenue intensity ratio GHG Emission Less than to 120 Less than 2000,000 and 35,000 (scope 1 and 2) Upgrading lighting Training on maintenance Continuing Tier 4 lower emission equipment Fuel efficiency and carbon emission Considering renewable energy resources 2. Developing Skills Enhancing employee skills Average training hours Greater than 8 Hours On the Job training Formulating and implementing new learning management system Apprenticeship programmes 3. Employee Retention Improving Employee Retention Staff turnover rate Less than 15% Competitive salary Reward and recognition Workforce diversity and equal opportunities Health and Safety working environment 4. Innovation and Technology Developing Innovative Technology IT outages Less than 15 Utilising the latest technologies Investing towards leading technologies for having real-time access to fleet pricing and availability Table 4: Innovation, Learning and Growth - Ashtead Group (Source: Created By Author) Innovation, Learning and Growth perspective include Committing towards Sustainability, Enhancing employee skills, Improving Employee Retention and Developing Innovative Technology. The tool of balance scorecard helps an organization to prepare a dashboard of all the activities. For example, the balance scorecard indicators of the element of finance are ROI, Return on Investment (ROI), Net Debt and Leverage at Constant Exchange Rates, Dollar Utilization, Underlying EBITDA Margin, etc. Several initiatives have been linked with the key performance indicators of the several elements of the firm. The actual and target element has also been analyzed regarding the elements of finance, internal business process, customer, learning, and growth. Based on the findings of the balance scorecard, the organization Ashtead Group can respond appropriately to attain their strategic goals. Balancing the balance scorecard ELEMENT NUMBER OF MATRICES TOTAL WEIGHTED PERCENTAGE FINANCE 4 25% INTERNAL BUSINESS PROCESSES 4 25% INNOVATION, LEARNING AND GROWTH 4 25% CUSTOMER 4 25% TOTAL 16 100% Table 5: Balanced Scorecard - Ashtead Group (Source: Keyes, 2010) According to the above table (Table 5), the four perspectives are balanced consistently in the Balanced Scorecard for striking a balance in achieving the vision and strategy set out by the management of Ashtead Group. The major rationale behind this is that the four perspectives are closely associated to each other and all four perspectives contribute equally towards the success of the business. Strategic Map - Ashtead Group Figure 1: Strategic Map - Ashtead Group (Source: Windolph and Hlle, 2011) The key strategic goals of the company Ashtead Group are to retain and enhance their position in the industry and to offer diverse range of products and services to the customers for enhancing market share (Uysal and Katipoglu, 2015). The company is also concentrating upon fleet on rent for enhancing their EBITDA margin. In addition, it will also help the company to enhance their ROI. The company is also concentrating on staff turnover and safety concerns. Employees are the key elements for achieving success and the company is trying to strengthen their employees through training and motivation (Tonchia and Quagini, 2010). In addition, the company is also giving priority to safety of the work environment. The management should consider improving EPS, ROI and the Net Debt and Leverage for enhancing shareholders return. On the other hand, the company can also consider analysing the importance of dollar utilization, EBITDA, mergers acquisitions for obtaining long-term sustainable growt h, which will help them retaining strong and leading position in the industry across the US and the UK (Uysal and Katipoglu, 2015). On the other, there are two strategic elements: employee turnover and safety, which are also essential for achieving long-term sustainable growth for the company. Safety is something, which is mandatory for the organizations to avoid any legal consequences. Administrating effectively towards safety concerns by adopting newer strategies will help the company both externally and internally. In addition, the company is also implementing new strategies for maintaining staff turnover rate under control, as employees and staffs are the ones, who will be performing the business activities and operations of Ashtead Group (Windolph and Hlle, 2011). Prioritising the Recommendations to the Board of Directors of Ashtead Group Priority 1-Minimising Operating Costs Operating costs are the costs often deducts major portion of the profits of the companies. Therefore, it is recommended for the Board of Directors of Ashtead Group to monitor their operating costs effectively in order to lower their operating costs, wherever possible. In order to minimise the operating costs, it is essential for the management of Ashtead Group to recruit, select and to retain the efficient employees, who have better knowledge and experience regarding the business operations of Ashtead Group. There are various other ways such as budgeting, planning and monitoring, which could help the company to manage their operating costs effectively (Sarkar, 2010). Construction equipments and various other equipments that require depreciation charges largely are the key products or services of Ashtead Group. Although, the management is financially capable enough to incur such charges, but those costs are something largely affecting the profit margin of the company (Langley, 2013). Priority 2- Investing towards Global Expansion The company is only concentrating after the US and the UK, especially towards the US market, which is mostly unoccupied and is emerging in terms of industry growth. However, there are many other countries such as India, China, and Dubai, where the demands of renting equipments are enhancing frequently. Many researchers have opined that most of these markets will be going to takeover major market share of the renting equipment industry within next few years. Constructions, industrialization etc. are now booming on these emerging countries, where the management of Ashtead Group can consider offering their services largely. In addition, there is less or no competition within these markets. Therefore, it can be a prospective opportunity for the management of Ashtead Group to expand their business within these economies by giving equally importance. Most of these economies are also encouraging for foreign investments. Therefore, the company Ashtead Group will mostly not going to face any business environmental issues within these countries. Global expansion will also help the company to switch around different markets, while their current market is not performing as expected. Priority 3- Concentrating more upon Mergers and Acquisitions (MA) Mergers and acquisitions are very useful for several purposes such as minimising operating costs, enhancing operational efficiency and minimising the threats from major rivals. The company management has already taken various initiatives for investing significantly towards mergers and acquisition activities (Kim, 2010). Many similar companies both in the US and in the UK are new to the industry but may influence the market and affect the market share and profitability of Ashtead Group (Burgess and Heap, 2015). However, it is important for the management of Ashtead Group to consider the companies with highest prospective in terms of operational efficiency and availability of resources, as merging or acquiring an inefficient or non-performing company may affect the profitability of the company and also may become financial burden for the management of Ashtead Group. Priority 4- Expanding the organization towards Related Industries Most of the leading and modern organizations are operating within diverse range of businesses and industries in order to obtain long-term growth and profit. However, those companies have considered expanding their business towards similar line of business in order to maintain operational excellence and to avoid loss. Although, the management of Ashtead Group has already started offering wide range of services, but they must consider expanding their business towards various other related industries such as construction and manufacturing. Construction and manufacturing industries are one of the profitable industries to operate a business. However, the companies must have financial stability to operate within construction and manufacturing industries and the management of Ashtead Group has both financial and organizational capability to start their business within these sectors. In addition, due to similar line of business, the company will not likely to get any issue and their manageme nt can effectively deal with the business and operations of such industry. It will not only help the company to enhance their profitability, but also to help enhance their brand value throughout the world. Limitations Limitation 1 The tool of balance scorecard has several limitations. The major limitation lies in the fact that it is very difficult to implement in practical life due to several technical factors. Balance scorecard do not considers other factors related to the business environment. Therefore, the key performance indicators may not reflect a true picture of the operating activities of the business firm. External business environment may cause several fluctuations in the targeted activities of the balance scorecard. Due to this reason, business organizations may be forced to ignore Limitation 2 Balance scorecard does not consider the size and nature of the modern business organizations. Therefore, it is not possible for the business organizations to implement the tool of balance scorecard within their system. It can be considered as a major limitation for the modern business organization. Critical Evaluation and Discussions Performance management and monitoring both are critical and essential management process, which can be effectively implemented appropriate usage of balanced scorecard (Kaplan and Norton, 2010). In the current study, the balanced scorecard represents the strategic goals of the management of Ashtead Group and the actual performance of the management of Ashtead Group throughout the year (Easton et al. 2015). Therefore, this is an opportunity for the management consultants to use the balanced scorecard for justifying whether the company Ashtead Group is performing up to the expectations of their management and board of directors. Therefore, the balance scorecard will not only help monitoring the performance of Ashtead Group, but also will assist managing their performance effectively (Balancedscorecard.org, 2015). The balanced scorecard also helps revealing the necessary activities, which are aligned with the vision and strategy of the Ashtead Group (Keyes, 2010). Therefore, it helps identifying the most essential management activities, which need to be further enhancing (Windolph and Hlle, 2011). For example, as per the developed balanced scorecard in the current study, it can be inferred that the management Ashtead Group was expecting their EBITDA to be around 45% - 50%. However, they achieved 47%, which is better than the previous financial year. Therefore, the company has been able to improve their EBITDA, but they have to maximise their business performance to enhance EBITDA to attain their estimated target, which was set according to the expectation of leading the industry effectively (Nielsen and Nielsen, 2015). Conclusion The current study concludes that EBITDA margin of Ashtead Group is lower than the industry average but their ROI is stable. This is why the company is able to maintain their profitability and shareholders return. Therefore, the Board of Directors of Ashtead Group should consider improving their EBITDA for enhancing their leading position in the renting equipment industry throughout the UK and the US. However, the financial ratios are suggesting that the company is profitable. In addition, the study also concludes that the company Ashtead Group has also started concentrating upon diverse range of products and services, especially upon the fleet on rent for enhancing both shareholders return and their position within the industry of renting equipments. Reference List Books Burgess, T. and Heap, J. (2015). Performance measurement and management of professional and knowledge work. Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing Limited Easton, P., Halsey, R., McAnally, M., Hartgraves, A. and Morse, W. (2015). Financial managerial accounting for MBAs Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (2010). The balanced scorecard. 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