Students and Work

Previous Research Foley, S. Hang-Yue, N., 2005. The effects of work stressors, perceived organisational support, and gender on work-family conflict in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Management: Bangkok.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Students and Work specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"This survey demonstrates the immediate and moderate outcomes of perceived organisational support and gender on the interdependence between work stressors and family conflict for a sample population of Hong Kong Chinese workers† (237). The survey discovered that perceived organisational support is inversely proportional to both family-to-work conflict (FWC) and work to family conflict (WFC), and that work stressors are directly proportional to FWC and WFC. Furthermore, the direct correlation between role overload and WFC was observed to be lesser when perceived organisational support was high, showing that the perceived organisational support can off-set the negative effects of the role over load. Moreau, M. P. Leathwood C., 2010. Balancing paid work and studies: working (-class) students in higher education. Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane. This article studies undergraduate students in a post-1992 university timeline to discover undergraduate students’ accounts of working and the same time studying during session-time and the ways they use to cover up time consumed in work. It is suggested that most of the students doing part-time jobs is because students are expected to cater for their school bills since the state is not responsible. Gayle, V. Lowe J., 2010. Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher education students in a Scottish further education college. Queenland University of Technology: Brisbane. This article focuses on the angles of work/life/study balance and its impact on student performance in the curricular studies. The surve y was conducted on a case study of higher education students, studying on full and part-time basis, in a Scottish higher learning institution. The study suggested that more than half of the students were able to manage a study/work/life balance, although the other half was stressed due to conflicting priority.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research Objectives and Background The main objective of the research is to examine work and study conflict issues on whether it affects students’ burnout and participation in university life. Nowadays, the cost of education has escalated to an extent that students are compelled to combine work and studies at the same time. Curtis and Williams (2002) quotes that â€Å".. this is the routinisation of students combining paid work and study, suggesting that this is now the norm in the United Kingdom.† Other surveys show that te rm- time work can provide positive social and educational benefits to the students (Watts and Pickering, 2000). Vickers et al (2003) observes that, for college students who work for 20-30 hours every week, the odds of dropping out of school are almost 150% more than for students who do not engage in paid work during term-time. For others who work for more than 31 hours every week, the number was between 200 and 205 %. This research objectives include: to observe the extent to which students of property and construction are devastated from burnout; to establish a model of the work-study connection, describing the relationship between time commitment to paid work and studies, work-study satisfaction and burnout; and to ascertain the model of study-work relationship in a sample of undergraduate students engaged in an undergraduate property and construction programme. The conflict between one’s work responsibility and other life responsibilities is a vital factor of the correlati on between work and non-working life. According a research conducted by Cotton et al 2002, it shows that there is a inter role conflict is a stressor that is usually perceived with negative effects for a person’s satisfaction and well-being. University students experience a problem in trying to juggle work and study and as a result are vulnerable to stress. The exploratory survey shows that on average all students who engage in term-time paid work spend long hours in work than in the university. The negative relationship between time commitment in the two variables shows that students commit time at work at the expense of the time committed in university life. From the students interviewed, majority said that they had difficulties in combining both. Also some of the students are expelled or suspended out of university and thus reduce their time spend in university. Working undergraduate students are emotionally exhausted and contemptuous of their studies and hove low levels o f efficacy. This is a main point because burnout is usually connected to health problems and turnover. Student’s experience at work-study interface is ever unbalanced with students showing more resilience for the time demands of paid-work than students of university level. In addition, these results demonstrates that the current irregularity between students’ participation and contentment in the campus life and paid work could be adapted by programmes meant to clarify the interface between perceptions and practice and make sure that students’ experience of paid work enhances their learning.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Students and Work specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The research question should highlight the theories and previous research surveys that explain the correlations to be investigated. Thus our research question will be: Does the conflict between paid work and study influence the students’ performance and satisfaction with university life? Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses In the first article, by Foley and Hang-Yue, it is suggested that perceived organisational support is inversely proportional to both family-to-work conflict and work-to-family conflict, and that work stressors are directly proportional to family-to-work conflicts and work-to-family conflict. While according to Moreau and Leathwood observes that most of the students doing part-time jobs is because students are expected to cater for their school bills since the state is not responsible. Gayle Lowe (2010) research suggested that more than half of the students were able to manage a study/work/life balance, although the other half had stressed due to conflicting priority. The three articles show different impacts of work to study on different individuals. Whereas some students are compelled to engage in term-time work, some are looking for money for other needs and expe rience. It cannot be concluded that work completely negative impacts study time, since some students are able to balance both and perform well in school and work too. In coming up with theoretical framework, some important elements are to be considered, these include: defining all the relevant variables; discussing the relationship between the variables; determining the relationship of the relations; and discussing why the relationships are hypothesised. The hypothesis is a testable statement that should be based on previous research design. In this case the hypothesis will be stated as: Work and study conflicts impact on the student’s performance and satisfaction of university life. The direction of the relationship between the work-study conflict and students’ performance and satisfaction takes a negative course.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Null hypothesis: Work and study conflicts do no influence the students’ performance and satisfaction of university life. H0:ÃŽ ¼1 = ÃŽ ¼2 Where: H0 = the null hypothesis ÃŽ ¼1 = the mean of students’ population having work and study conflicts ÃŽ ¼2 = the mean of students’ population dissatisfied with university life The true null hypothesis is represented as: H0:ÃŽ ¼1 ÃŽ ¼2 Alternative hypothesis: work and study conflicts do influence the students’ performance and satisfaction of university life. H1:ÃŽ ¼1 = ÃŽ ¼2 Where: H1 = the alternative hypothesis ÃŽ ¼1= the mean of students’ population having work and study conflicts ÃŽ ¼2= the mean of students’ population satisfied with university life and perform well. The true alternative hypothesis is H1:ÃŽ ¼1 ÃŽ ¼2 Population and Sample The population consisted of university going undergraduate students from the university, who were engaged in term-time work. The data was collected from a sample of 500 respondents that was selected randomly from the population. These respondents were interviewed on voluntary basis in the university premises. The target place for the respondents was on social gatherings, libraries, the researcher also got permission from the school admistration to conduct the research during class hours, especially to part time students. The respondents can also be reached at their various places of work, by communicating to the certain organisation’s Human Resource to be allowed to interview the respondents at their convenience. Also the internet users can provide useful information, through social networking sites like MySpace, the questionnaires were posted to various people and forwards to friends. The research used simple random probability sampling. The reasons for using this method were: it was easier to apply and explain the results than other probability sampling techniques; and unlike non-probability techniques, it gives a reasonable genera lisation of the population and unbiased estimates of the population. However, this method can be prone to sampling error as a result of the randomness of the picked sample can lead to a sample which is not reflective of the whole population in general. Data Collection The independent variables are those that potentially result to changes in the values of another variable, that is, DV. The value of the independent variable is independent of other variables, although the researcher can manipulate the values. Dependent variables are those variables that were anticipated to observe change. The values of the dependent variables are dependent on other variables. Thus, by the definition, the values of the dependent variable is dependent on the independent variables, thus the researcher can manipulate the DV values by controlling the IV according to his or her expected results. However, the researcher cannot manipulate the DV values directly, but only through the IV. Data was collected thro ugh both structured and also unstructured interviews. The interviewer administered questionnaires. â€Å"The formula to be used in measuring the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable will depend on the number of variables involved, measurement limits applied, and nature of the relations† (Vickers 2003). The variables will be measured by evaluating the observed relation by comparing it to the â€Å"maximum expected relation† between the particular variables. The observed relations are evaluated by differentiating the values of the variables, and ascertain the extent of the overall observed differentiation is attributed to cases when that differentiation is found in both the variables under consideration. Reference List Curtis, S. Williams, J., 2002. The reluctant workforce: undergraduates’ part-time employment. Education and Training: New York. Cotton, S. J., Dollard, M. F. Jonge, J., 2002. Stress and student job design: Satis faction, well-being and performance in university students. International Journal of Stress Management: Boston. Gayle, V. Lowe J., 2010. Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher education students in a Scottish further education college. Queenland University of Technology: Brisbane. Foley, S. Hang-Yue, N., 2005. The effects of work stressors, perceived organisational support, and gender on work-family conflict in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Management: Bangkok. Moreau, M. P. Leathwood C., 2010. Balancing paid work and studies: working (-class) students in higher education. Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane. Watts, C. Pickering A., 2000. Pay as you learn: student employment and academic progress. Education and Training: New York. Vickers, N., Lamb, S. Hinkley, J., 2003. Student workers in high school and beyond: the effects of part-time employment on participation in education, training and work. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report: Melbourne. This research paper on Students and Work was written and submitted by user Elliot Berry to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Microeconomic Analysis

Microeconomic Analysis Binding price ceiling The forces of demand and supply in the market determine the prevailing market price. This is the equilibrium price. However, there are instances where market conditions do not regulate prices. These are instance when government comes in to set either minimum or maximum prices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is especially when government feels that the market prices will exploit either consumers or suppliers. Price ceiling is a scenario where the government sets maximum price at which sellers must sell goods and services. The essence of setting binding price ceiling is to a minimize consumer exploitation (Baumol Blinder 2011). Market for rental accommodation Before price ceiling, the forces of demand and supply set the equilibrium prices for rental accommodation. In the short run, the supply for rentals is inelastic. However in the lo ng run, it is elastic (Bernanke Frank 2003). The diagram below shows market for rentals in the long run. In the diagram above, the equilibrium price is $100,000. The equilibrium quantity demanded is 50 units of rentals. Area b shows consumer surplus and area c shows producer surplus. Imposition of binding price ceiling changes the equilibrium condition as shown below (Federal Housing Finance Agency 2012). After imposition of a price ceiling, the equilibrium price changes to $80,000. The quantity demanded is 60 units while the quantity supplied is 45 units. Therefore, there is a state of disequilibrium in the market. After price restriction, area bb show consumers’ surplus. Area c shows producer surplus. It is clear that that the producer surplus has declined. Consumers’ surplus has increased.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Black market Black marke t sells goods at prices different from those approved by relevant authorities. Few manufacturers and many retailers characterize the market. In most cases, it is not possible to trace the manufacturers. Also, it is impossible to control black market. Price ceiling with or without rationing gives rise to the black market (Tregarthen Rittenberg 2008). The diagram below illustrates a black market. In the diagram above, a trader operating in a black market will buy quantity of goods amounting to QE at price P1. Therefore, area cc shows the total he will pay. He then sells the goods at P2 making a profit of area bb. In such a market set up, the seller gains since he is making exorbitant profits from the excess demand while the buyer looses because he pays more than the equilibrium price. Effects of price ceiling Price ceiling causes acute shortage in supply of the good or service. This is because, at prices below the equilibrium price, the product looks unattractive to the producers. O n the other hand, demand will rise. This is because the low prices attract buyers. This results to long queues at shops and discrimination by sellers. Therefore, there is distortion of equilibrium condition. This is because it makes quantities bought and sold to fall below the equilibrium. This creates inefficiency in the economy (Wessels 2006). A price ceiling leads to loss in welfare of both producers and consumers. This is often known as dead weight loss. The diagram below illustrates dead weight loss Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before setting the price ceiling, area a1 and b1 shows consumer surplus and area a2, b2 and c shows producer surplus. After setting the price restriction, area b1 and b2 shows consumer surplus and area c shows producer surplus. This indicates reduction in welfare of the producers. Besides, area a1 and a2 is not attributed to any player in the market. Therefore, it represents a lost welfare. This area is known as dead weight loss. Therefore, price ceiling results to loss in welfare (Wessels 2006). Allocation technique available to the government Given the high demand against reduced supply, government must find a way of allocating the available supply. For instance, government can ration the supply. Administratively, this can be achieved by giving coupons sufficient to buy the available supply. Distribution of these coupons can either be equally or based on a various attributes such as sex, number of dependants and marital status (Mankiw 2011). Options available to owners In the absence of government monitored allocation techniques, owners of rental properties use various techniques to allocate the rental accommodation facility. A common technique is the policy of first come first serve. In this method, allocation is on the basis of luck. Those who know how to use the principle of first come first served ga in most. However, this system makes customer to rush and create long queues. The landlords can also allocate the scarce rental accommodation on the basis of who they know. This can be based on religion, regular customers and race among others. This approach is known as seller’s preferences. This approach leads discrimination. This also leads to inequitable distribution of rental accommodation (Melvin Boyes 2010). Reference List Baumol, W Blinder, A 2011, Economics: Principles Policy, Joe Sabatino, USA. Bernanke, B Frank, R 2003, Principles of microeconomics, McGraw Hill Companies, USA. Federal Housing Finance Agency 2012, Supervision and regulation. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mankiw, G 2011, Principles of microeconomics, South Western Cengage Learning, USA. Melvin, M Boyes, W 2010, Microeconomics, Joe Sabatino, USA. Tregarthen, T Rittenberg, L 2008, Principles of microeconomics, Flat World Knowledge, Inc., New York. Wessels, W 2006, Economics, Baron Educational Series, USA.

Munich 1972 Olympics Massacre Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Munich 1972 Olympics Massacre - Assignment Example The furious Israel took immediate and severe action against this and launched the operation wrath of god, which included aerial bombing and precision assassination of selected targets. The operation was successful, but it faced criticism for using violence to tackle terrorism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 20th Olympics games were held in Munich, Germany. The pressure was high in these games as this was the first international event to be held in Germany after 1936. The Israeli players were especially nervous as most of the players’ family members were killed in the Holocaust, or they were the survivors of the Holocaust. The start to the Olympics went good until 5th September 1972, when eight members of a Palestinian terrorist group called black September entered the Olympics village. They went straight to the 31 Connolystrasse where the Israeli players were sleeping. They took nine players from apartment 1 and apartment 3 as hostages. Some tried to fight back, and two of them were killed on the spot. The news began to spread out, and the police was informed. The terrorists demanded the release of 234 prisoners from Israeli prison and two prisoners from German prison. The authorities tried to convince the terrorists to lower their demands but all they succeeded to do was to extend the deadline. There was a deadlock between both parties and the terrorists understood very well, that their demands will not be met and therefore, they asked for two planes to fly to Cairo, Egypt with the hostages. The authorities agreed, but the Germans knew that they could not let the terrorists fly out of Germany, so they decided to attack the apartment where the hostages were kept but their plan was somehow leaked to the terrorists. The Germans then decided to face the terrorists at the airport and after a fierce contest; the Germans could slay five terrorists and captured three of them but all the hostages were killed. This made the Germans

Case study one and two Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study one and two - Term Paper Example The partner would have to buy in to acquire equity in the company. A good way to determine the valuation of Mystic Monk Coffee is to hire a consultant to determine the value of the firm. The new partner will provide the firm with cash that can be used to expand the business. The partner will also bring human capital into the organization. A second constraint the company faces is limited workforce capacity. The firm only has three employees. Once the new partner comes on board the company can solve the problem by hiring three additional employees. The new employees can help the company in its expansion plan. A growth plan of adding another store managed by the new partner can give the firm added exposure and it can double the revenues. The beer industry is the United States generates $100 billion in revenues annually. Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage worldwide. As a drinkable beverage beer has lots of substitutes. Beer can be substituted by water, sodas, tea, juice, and hot beverages including coffee and chocolate. If we narrow the product category, beer is an alcoholic beverage. Wines, rum, vodka, and other hard liquors are substitutes to beers. The bargaining power of the buyers in the beer industry is affected by various factors. The list below illustrates three of those factors and its relative power: There are several critical success factors in the beer industry. One important factor for success in the beer industry is advertising. Beer companies spend billions of dollars each year on advertising using multiple media channels including television, radio, billboards, and the internet. The target market that is aggressively targeted in advertising by beer companies is people between the ages of 18-35 years of age. A second critical success factor is customer loyalty. Beer companies depend on the repeated business of its customers to generate revenues on a

Capital Structure Essay Example for Free

Capital Structure Essay Capital structure is how a company finances its overall operations and growth by using funds from equity or debt (Investopedia, 2012). Of course, every company must determine its preference on its debt-to-equity ratio and determine which capital structure works best for them. Some approaches to analyzing capital structure are: 1.EBIT – EPS: This analyzes the impact of debt on earnings per share (EPS). Optimizing shareholder’s wealth is the optimum goal and therefore, this approach analyzes the high EPS based on an expected range of earnings before income taxes (EBIT). 2.Valuation: Determines impact of debt use on shareholder’s value by determining the level of debt at which the benefits of increased debt no longer outweigh the increased risks and expenses associated with financing (Wenk, 2012) 3.Cash Flow: Analyzes a firm’s debt capacity by using the weighted average of cost of capital (WACC). The WACC is a calculation of a firm’s cost of capital in which each capital source (bonds, stock and other long-term debt) are proportionally weighted to determine how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances (Investopedia, 2012). Look more:  capital budgeting examples essay Part of Competition Bikes’ (CB) main consideration in the decision to merge or acquire Canadian Biking is working capital. Lets use the EBIT – EPS approach to determine how to maximize shareholder return while minimizing the cost of capital. We currently know Canadian Biking’s moderate sales forecast of EBIT figures for the next 5 years (Year 9 – 13), therefore we can apply the EBIT – EPS approach to choose an optimal capital structure. The total of capital sources in each of the 5 years is $600,000. We will use EBIT – EPS to determine which assortment of bonds*, preferred stock, and common stock is the best option to increase Canadian Biking’s EPS. The five alternative capital structures include: Option 1: 100% Bonds (fully financed) Option 2: 50% Preferred Stock 50% Common Stock (no bonds) Option 3: 20% Bonds 80% Common Stock Option 4: 40% Bonds 60% Common Stock Option 5: 60% Bonds 40% Common Stock *Annual bond interest rate is 9% After using the EBIT – EPS approach using the forecasted EBIT amounts for Years 9 through 13, we can average the EPS for each of the 5 years to determine which capital structure produced the highest EPS. The EPS averages computed for the capital structure options are: Option 1: Average EPS = .0452 Option 2: Average EPS = .0542 Option 3: Average EPS = .0526 Option 4: Average EPS = .051 Option 5: Average EPS = .0494 Based on the EBIT – EPS approach, the recommended capital structure is option 2, â€Å"50% preferred stock 50% common stock†. This is the best capital structure mainly because there are two things to consider: 1) long-term debt and associated interest expense and, 2) equity and # of common shares. Option 2 is the best capital structure because there are no bonds and therefore, no interest expense. For example, if we look at option 1 in Year 9, and the bond interest is 9%, then the bond interest expense is $54,000 (.09*600,00). This lowers the income before taxes by $54,000. Although companies can finance debt and use the interest expense deduction to lower their taxable income, it doesn’t make sense for Canadian Bikes to fully finance their capital, because the interest expense costs outweigh the benefit of the tax deduction, resulting in a significant decrease in total income available for common stock. Additionally, because the capital structure consists of 300,000 shares of preferred stock, the company must pay dividends of 5%, reducing the company’s total income available for common stock by $15,000 (.05 * 300,000). Although this reduces the total income available for common stock, the company will maximize its EPS by only having 50% capital in common stock. This reduces the total number of common shares outstanding, which means less shares to divide the total income among. Therefore, Option 2 is the most optimal capital structure that considers minimizing long-term  debt expenses and the optimal number of common shares in order to maximize shareholder return. CAPITAL BUDGETING: Competition Bikes’ is considering building a manufacturing facility in a new Canadian location. The total investment for this project would be $600,000 USD. This consists of $400,000 to build the facility and an additional $200,000 in working capital to support operational costs. The company has projected cash flows over the next five years; therefore we can use cash flow budgeting methods such as net present value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) that consider time value of money for long-term investments (Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). Net present value analyzes the profitability of a project by determining the difference between the present value of the project’s cash inflows and outflows followed by subtracting the initial investment. (Investopedia, 2012). The decision rule applied to NPV is fairly simple, if the NPV is positive, invest; if the difference is negative, do not invest. Competition Bikes applies NPV to forecasted low and moderate sales for the next 5 years. After using the forecasted sales for low demand, the total present value (after subtracting cash outflows from inflows) is $560,719. If we subtract the initial investment of $600,000 from this amount, the NPV is -$39,281. This is a significant warning that the company should not proceed in building a manufacturing facility. On the other hand, if we use the forecasted sales for moderate demand, the total present value is $608,447. If we subtract the initial investment of $600,000, the NPV is $8,447. Therefore a positive NPV indicates the company should proceed with building the manufacturing facility. The biggest concern is determining which NPV to lean towards based on low or moderate sales. Unfortunately, the risk of having low sales outweighs the profitability benefit of having moderate sales. It is too risky for CB to move forward with the investment based on the NPV of low sales (-$39,281). In order for the company to profit from this investment, CB would need to have a moderate sales demand at minimum! The present value in NPV is calculated using an interest rate, also known as the required rate of return. CB’s required rate of return is 10%. When this interest rate is altered or calculated to make the total present value equal to the initial investment, the NPV becomes equal to zero; this is called the internal rate of return (IRR) (Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). The IRR is what a company can expect to earn from investing in the project and the higher the IRR, the more desirable the investment. The calculated IRR for low demand cash flows is 8.2% and the IRR for moderate demand cash flows is 10.4%. Based on these IRR figures, the company should not pursue the capital investment because the average IRR between both low and moderate sales is 9.3%. This is below the company’s required return on capital (hurdle rate) of 10% to pursue a capital investment. Again, the company would need to have a moderate sales demand, at minimum for this capital investment to be profitable and should therefore not pursue building a new manufacturing facility. WORKING CAPITAL: CB must effectively obtain and manage working capital for the expansion of the operation. CB must first look at their operating cycle, cash conversion cycle and free cash flow factors in order to improve production and management of working capital. Let’s discuss the company’s current status of each of the working capital and cash flow factors and determine how the company can improve in these areas. First, the operating cycle involves CB sending the distributor a monthly invoice for all raw materials ordered with terms of net/30 days. This can be improved by renegotiating the payment terms will distributors to net/15 days. This would increase cash flows by improving payment turn around time and accounts receivable collections. Additionally, the company can improve its relations with its distributers to increase effectiveness of its collection process. Another operating cycle factor is ordering and paying for inventory. Currently, the company pays for inventory in the month following production and all inventory ordered for the month is used leaving inventory levels (at the end of each month) at consistent levels. In order  to improve working capital the company should utilize and lower its year ending inventory balance. For example, at the end of Year 8, the company had $91,573 worth of inventory left over. The company should utilize the current inventory on hand before ordering similar raw material items. This will decease cash flows and leave fewer inventories on hand at the end of the year. Currently the average time in inventory is 25 days. This is a substantial turnaround time currently, however in the future, the company can consider replacing labor workers with fixed asset items to improve production time. This will satisfy customer demand by decreasing delivery time and improve cash flows by invoicing customers more frequently than 25 days after production. CB’s cash conversion cycle factors also impact working capital. Currently, the CB’s suppliers invoice at the end of the month for orders that month with terms of net/15. CB does an excellent job of preserving its cash flows by paying the invoices on the 15th of the month following the order.. CB can improve its working capital by negotiating for longer payment terms, i.e. net/30 days, allowing for more time for the company to earn money to pay their invoices. If this is not possible, the company can improve its forecasting measurements for ordering supplies and order the majority of the supplies needed for the month at the beginning of the month. This would increase the amount of time the company has sufficient supplies on hand without having to pay more money, (because the suppliers will still invoice for the orders at the end of the month, regardless of how early in the month the supplies were ordered). This can increase working capital because it acts as a contingency plan, to reduce the likelihood of running out of supplies, avoiding delays, or ordering supplies in excess. Free cash flow factors also affect CB’s working capital. Currently, the company recognizes depreciation in both manufacturing overhead and as depreciation expenses depending on the fixed asset. The company can use their depreciation data to increase management of cash flows by predicting when the company will have to spend a significant amount of money to replace an asset when its useful life expires. This will prepare CB for those unwanted although necessary – fixed asset costs. Currently the  corporation’s marginal tax rate is 25%. The company can consider obtaining working capital by financing debt. This will leave the company with an interest expense at the end of the year, which is deductible from gross earnings and results in paying lower taxes. After CB improves its working capital, let’s discuss how CB can use its working capital for the lease vs. buy option for a factory building in Canada. CB can use its working capital to cover the $50,000 down payment (or buy out option if they decide to lease) and $200,000 for operational costs of the new factory. According to the data provided for the lease vs. buy option, the lease option will preserve cash outflows of $12,339, (purchase cash outflows are $333,999 and lease cash outflows are $321,660). Therefore, the company should lease the manufacturing facility to preserve cash outflows. Leasing the facility will also allow CB to deduct annual interest payments (6% interest) from the gross earnings to lower their tax payments. This will increase the company’s net earnings at the end of the year, also resulting in higher retained earnings and increased shareholder value. MERGER OR ACQUISITION: CB should consider many factors when deciding to merge or acquire Canadian Biking. Let’s analyze the pros and cons between a merge vs. acquisition and determine what the best move would be for CB. First off, if the company were to merge with Canadian Biking, the potential EPS would increase by approximately .021. This shows potential for increased ownership earnings, but is it significant enough? At the same token, the price/earnings ratio for Canadian Bikes at the end of Year 8 was 9 and CB’s was 70. This shows that CB’s current investors are expecting greater earnings in Year 9 and are willing to pay $70 for $1 of current earnings. This is not the case with Canadian Biking’s investors. Unfortunately a low P/E ratio of 9 indicates that investors are not expecting a significant growth in company earnings. This raises a concern if the merge will result in a potential increase of .021 in EPS. On the other hand, a merge would result in lower costs because CB would not be purchasing Canadian Biking outright. Canadian Biking also has a lower cost competition bike that can decrease production costs and complement CB’s current bike model being offered. This will result in  greater net earnings and cash flows. If the company were to acquire Canadian Bikes, CB can expect a gradual increase in cash inflows over the next 5 years. However, the current offered sales price for Canadian Biking is $286,000; this is 30% more than what the company was valued at, at the end of Year 8. Although CB has enough working capital to make the purchase, it would take 5 years of gradually increasing cash inflows to recoup the price tag of $286,000. This means it could take approximately 5 years, before shareholders saw a significant increase in earnings per share. Based on the pro and cons, CB should merge with Canadian Bikes to lower their production and delivery costs, increase net income, EPS and cash flows, and preserve working capital. The price to acquire Canadian Biking is simply unreasonable based on predicted cash inflows over the next 5 years. The merger will enhance CB’s market position in Canada by having a local distributer to handle all customer orders and provide cost effective and great customer service to the growing Canadian market. References Investopedia. (2012). Capital Structure. Retrieved from http://www.kotzinvaluation.com/articles/capital-structure.htm Investopedia. (2012). Weighted Average Cost of Capital. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wacc.asp#axzz2Azkq4E2V Investopedia. (2012). Net Present Value. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/npv.asp#axzz2Azkq4E2 Pearson Education, Inc.. (2008). Horngren Accounting. Retrieved from http://wpscms.pearsoncmg.com/wps/media/objects/6716/6877765/hha08_flash_main.html?chapter=nullpage=1042anchory=nullpstart=nullpend=null Wenk, D. (2012). Using an optimal capital structure in business valuation. Retrieved from http://www.kotzinvaluation.com/articles/capital-structure.htm

music in education and health :: essays research papers

MUSIC AS A TEACHING AND HEALING TOOL Music is a remarkable tool to be used to dramatically increase learning and healing in the classroom. Its successful role has been documented throughout the academic community, yet, its use has not been widely utilized by teachers. Since Aristotle, music has been considered one of the forces used to teach. Moreover, for more than half a century the psychiatric and the educational communities have studied, analyzed and implemented the use of music as a healing tool and as a way to enhance the mental capacities of their respective group of studies. It has been discovered in controlled settings that certain type of classical music would enhance the student’s concentration time. The specific issues addressed by the study and practice of music has been divided into specific areas of the mental process. For example, learning a musical instrument helps the students the skill of repetition as a method to learn and to recollect information. Creativity and imagination also are improved when the student or the patient is taught basic concepts of musical composition. It is believed that music unleashes creative forces within a human being that are only accessed with artistic endeavors. Even abstract traits like sensibility are retrieved with music studies and the practice of a musical instrument. There is a perceptible connection between learning and music that teachers should exploit in the learning environment, regardless of the age of the student. Music could be used effectively from the time the child is in the womb and right through the formative years. While addressing the healing benefits of music it is noted the array of uses for this art. Every body in all aspects of life, to enhance moods, to depress moods, to pacify, or to reminisce, uses music. Clinicians have experimented with this art for various decades. Psychiatric patience are administered a dose of soothing music to lower the anxiety levels. Office managers utilize it to energize the work place. Learning centers use baroque music to enhance memory skills. Health experts praise the rewards of music in the digestive and central nervous systems, the enhancement of attention spans of patients of HDD and in addition promote interaction in persons who struggle with their self-esteem. Some specialists even use the term music therapy when using it to treat certain cognitive or emotional problems. Music as a therapeutic tool is not only restricted the use of recorded material or the playing of musical instruments.

Franklin D. Roosevelt vs. Barack Obama

Franklin D. Roosevelt vs. Barack Obama The economy of the 1930s was a devastating financial situation that the American public will never forget. However, this doesn’t mean that history will cease to repeat itself. The political policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are often acknowledged for the relief of our country’s depression and some of which are still in effect today. To avoid our current recession, will Barack Obama choose to base his policies off of FDR’s in hopes that the same plan will work twice?There are some similarities and differences between the political action today and the action during the Great Depression. Within just the first 99 days of his election as President, Roosevelt’s New Deal was put into action with the support of Congress. The New Deal was proposed to help relieve those who were unemployed or in danger of losing their homes and recover agriculture and business. Programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, Social Securi ty, and Medicare were created because of Roosevelt’s action in the Great Depression.Herbert Hoover, the preceding president, did not feel that government spending should be given directly to citizens. He believed that ‘helping’ the American people in this way would actually hurt their morale and cause them to become more like a socialist nation. Certain ideas such as enforcing fixed pricing, controlling businesses, and manipulating the value of currency were suggested and quickly declined by Hoover who believed all were Socialist ideas. Though many people saw Hoover as an evil man that refused to give away federal money, he was actually quite accurate with his predictions.For example, Welfare, which is a program used today that was created in the New Deal, is often misused today by people who are capable of working, but are too lazy to actually make their own income source. I believe that a lot of Americans today are spoon fed because of the government ‘hel p’ that they receive. Though Roosevelt did help in the Great Depression, his temporary ideas were turned into permanent solutions that have caused new damages today. Now our current President is forced with the decision to either help the public with temporary ideas like Roosevelt’s or look out for what is best for our future like Hoover.It’s not an easy decision. Barack Obama has made an impact in our economy in areas similar to Franklin Roosevelt. He has created jobs and packages, like Obamacare, that he believes will help American citizens. Obama helped bail out the auto industries similar to how Roosevelt helped bail out the banks during the depression. However, Barack passed the Wall Street Reform (which helped the American financial system be less confusing and more apparent) to make sure that we would never have to bail out the banks again.Barack has also eliminated tax breaks for companies who ship overseas to try and promote American companies to create more jobs for the citizens who are here. In his term, Obama has added over 479,000 jobs which is the most growth we’ve had in a decade. He has spoken many times on how he plans to build â€Å"from the middle class out† rather than from the top down. Our middle class is of high importance to Barack and because of this, he has gained a tremendous support from the public.It seems that our current president has taken a few ideas from Roosevelt with the added caution of the foreseeable future. Our country looks like it’s headed in the right direction, but we may never know whether the help provided will be temporary until we live through it. As citizens, it would be the best for us to learn how to live on our own without the help of our government. If we were to become too dependent on our welfare checks or social security, then we could end up being controlled instead of governing ourselves.The best solution would to be to save our money and work hard at what we do . Though it may seem that there are no jobs available to us at the moment, we do have to trust that the companies around us will see it better to provide domestic jobs rather than sending them overseas. Though I don’t entirely agree with how Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to solve the Great Depression, I have to admit that what he did he thought he was doing for the best. Great presidents like Obama, Roosevelt, and even Hoover are great because they think of us and not themselves.