Review on Katrina Srigleys book, Bread winning Daughters Young Working Women in a Depression

Introduction Katrina Srigley’s book, Bread winning Daughters: Young Working Women in a Depression-Era City, 1929-1939, elucidates the impact of the great depression to the Canadians living in Toronto. It comprises the findings from a research she carried out employing more than eighty interviews with women who not only lived but also worked in Toronto during the great depression era. Her book brings out the role that young women played during the 1930s in Canada.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Review on Katrina Srigley’s book, Bread winning Daughters: Young Working Women in a Depression-Era City specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was one of the most difficult decades in the twentieth century and its impact was evident in Canada. The two most important factors that characterized this period in history were the economic crash of the stock exchange market as well as the onset of the Second World Wa r. The role of women as well as their lifestyle underwent a huge twist in their attempt to meet the demands of the society. The main issues addressed in the book Srigley argues that the great depression caused economic vulnerability to the populations in Toronto, which led to her desire to examine the plight of the young women during that era since most researchers were concerned about the men. She found out that women had to assist in meeting the basic needs in the family, a phenomenon that did not exist before 1930. She attributes the increase in urban population to the migration of people, mainly women, to the city in search for jobs. For those who got jobs, their primary concern was to support their families back in the rural areas giving the book the title ‘Breadwinning Daughters’. She further explains that in the job market, there were specific jobs for women such as nursing, teaching as well as clerical jobs. The limitations of these jobs were low wages and littl e or no access to power and privileges. The author points out that the young women had to sacrifice a lot to acquire their jobs as well as retain them. Most of the young employed women had to pay dearly to maintain their jobs. They had to quit their education to get a job to be able to support their families. The author explains that truncation of their education increased their vulnerability to jobs with low wages that had no privileges worsening their situations. In addition, employment delayed or even prevented young women from getting married at their desired age. In her research, Srigley found out that during the 1930s careers such as nursing, teaching and clerical works did not allow women to get married. As a result, most young women chose their career over family life although it was a major source of stress to them.Advertising Looking for article on canada? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The author attributes the red uction of population in Canada during that time to the fact that fewer women chose to get married. For the women who chose other careers, they did not attract much attention if they did not present a significant threat to domesticity. Most of the women that Srigley interviewed admitted that truncation of their education as well as foregoing marriage were the most difficult choices they had ever made. Conclusion The book presents the major socioeconomic changes that occurred in Toronto during the Great Depression era-in the 1930s. The author’s findings explain the increase in the number of employed women in Toronto as well as the increase in urban population. She points out that though employment of women was important to the economy of the society, it deprived them some privileges such as pursuing their education for better careers as well as family life-marriage. This article on Review on Katrina Srigley’s book, Bread winning Daughters: Young Working Women in a Depression-Era City was written and submitted by user Dorothy R. 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.

The Ugly American essays

The Ugly American essays The Ugly American explained in graphic detail the reasons why American diplomacy was failing in Southeast Asia in the 1950s and the reasons why communism was succeeding. As a list of events for the struggle for influence in Asia, it caused quite a diplomatic rage. Its lessons seem urgent today because of what is going on in Central America and in the Middle East. Whether the foreign policy mistakes this book overstated have been corrected is an important question. The novel begins with the Honorable Louis Sears, ambassador to the country of Sarkhan, a small underdeveloped country in which communist and American interests are competing for control. Sears has assumed his post as a political substitute is over. Between three terms in the Senate and a predicted federal judgeship with a long tenure, hes simply filling time in a cushy job with a large entertainment funds and providing living conditions, in a country he had never heard of, serving people he thinks of as little monkeys. A cartoon drawn of Sears as a crying mule was published in a local Sarkhanese newspaper, making it obvious just how the American ambassador seemed to be. Sears is the example of the ugly American. In the following chapter the novel presents the Russian ambassador to Sarkhan, Louis Krupitzyn, a professional whose two-year training period has included instruction in the language and the traditions of the country he has been sent to work in. His entire staff is fluent in Sarkhanese and the culture is somewhat different, which make the Sarkhanese people unique. The Soviet ambassador makes himself into the ideal Sarkhan. He diets, losing forty pounds; he studies ballet, reads Sarkhanese literature and drama, and becomes a skillful nose flute player in which all as an introduction to an actual diplomacy. With his countrys big political goals for Sarkhan and a clear plan, the ambassa...

Business overview of Southwest Airlines Company

Business overview of Southwest Airlines Company Southwest Airlines Company is an American low cost airline. Although the airline industry is no longer experiencing the rapid growth it exhibited during the 1990’s; commercial air travel in the U.S. remains the preferred method of transportation for a majority of Americans due to cost-effectiveness and timesaving characteristics. Southwest is the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried per year (as of 2009). Southwest maintains the third largest passenger fleet among all of the world’s commercial airlines. As of May 3, 2009, Southwest operates approximately 3,510 flights daily. Southwest has its headquarters on the grounds of Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Southwest Airlines has carried more customers than any other U.S. airline since August 2006 for combined domestic and international passengers according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Southwest Airlines is one of the world’s most profit able airlines, posting a profit for the 37th consecutive year in January 2010. Southwest’s successful business model involves flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major markets, and using only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737. Key Issues Southwest’s most visible problem, as with all airlines, is the drop in demand for air travel the past 18 months. While fallout from the terror attacks gets part of the blame, Kelly (Southwest CEO) says more of it goes to general economic weakness and specifically the collapse of the late ’90s technology and telecom bubble. Environmental changes are also having effects on the Industry. Budget conscious business travelers used to love Southwest, not only for its prices, but because it was so easy to buy a ticket at the last moment, move from curb to gate in minutes and be on their way. New security procedures have taken away this added convenience and have even lengthe ned the lines. Southwest operates on a first come, first serve basis and the random gate screenings, which tends to target last-minute, one-way flight passengers (a description of most of Southwest’s passengers) places fliers in the position to have to fly in the much dreaded middle seat. Analysis Models The analysis of Southwest will cover an external analysis, an internal analysis, and a SWOT analysis. External models utilized will be The Five Forces Model of Competition, Driving Forces, and Industry Key Success Factors. Internal models utilized will be a Financial Analysis, and a Competitive Strength Assessment or SWOT Analysis. The Five-Forces Model of Competition Rivalry among firms (High) The extent to which rivalry exists will influence the overall profitability of the industry. Market concentration remains a significant factor affecting rivalry. In 1989, no single airline solely dominated the industry, but the eight largest carriers retained a total market share of 92 high traffic cities with high demand. In order to gain profits, airlines must beat out the competition by offering as much or more flights with time flexibility to a variety of destinations. Other factors contributing to rivalry include high fixed costs, excess capacity, low differentiation, price wars, and readily available prices via the Internet. Due to the nature of the industry, high fixed costs are expected. Contributions to fixed costs in the airline industry include the costs of planes, fuel, pilots, flight attendants, and additional staff for baggage and customer service. The need to meet government regulations and hire experienced employees can cost an airline company millions of dollars. Currently there has been excess capacity on many routes; as a result, airlines have been participating in price wars in order to attract customers at all costs. Minimal differentiation among airlines and switching costs for passengers also magnifies rivalry.

Adidas Marketing Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Adidas Marketing Communication - Research Paper Example They also gave information about how they learnt about Adidas products. They provided information about the various channels that the company uses in order to reach them. Data that was collected for this study was from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data collection methods that were used include interviews, questionnaires and observation. Interviews were used to collect data about the marketing communication strategies used by Adidas. Both the employees of the company and members of the public were interviewed. Structured and unstructured interview questions were used to question the employees about the marketing communication strategies that the company employs in ensuring that its products penetrate the global market. The members of the public were also interviewed on their perceptions about the promotion, pricing, sponsorship, and other marketing strategies used by Adidas. Interviewing the participants was important in collecting first hand information for the study. Questionnaires were also used to collect information about the marketing communication strategies of Adidas from sportsmen, students, and other consumers. Another data collection method employed is observation. Advertisements of the company were observed in the media such as websites, television, and print media. Secondary sources of data such as books, business journals, and research reports were used in gathering information about the marketing communication strategies employed by Adidas. These secondary sources were important in understanding the history of the company and the market trends over the years. In this research study, data collected was both quantitative and qualitative. The data collected was analyzed in order to identify the various methods of marketing communication that Adidas employs and their impact in influencing consumer decisions over sports equipment and apparel. Through analyzing the data the study was able to reveal the

Private Detectives and the Present Legal System Essay

Private Detectives and the Present Legal System - Essay Example Sam Spade and Sherlock Holmes, the main detective characters in The Maltese Falcon and A Study in Scarlet respectively, are strangers in the formal legal system, but proved to be successful in solving the puzzles behind mysterious cases that they were assigned. Aside from their status as private citizens acting as detectives, their keen eyes for details and a healthy dose of skepticism proved to be a perfect mix in their ability to solve cases. Sam Spade, a detective who is known for his scornful derision and passion for his work, had solved a mystery case regarding the death of his comrade, Archer and an initial target of their mission, an Englishman named Thursby. Thursby’s and Archer’s deaths remained a mystery even for Spade himself because he did not fully know Miss Wonderly, the woman who hired his and Archer’s services using a faked story. At the course of the novel, the mystery was revealed when Wonderly, whose real name is Brigid O’Shaughnessy, killed Thursby herself. Initially, Spade was suspected as the culprit of Thursby’s death according to law enforcers. He calmly denied, but not vehemently, and continued to engage in undercover activities himself in order to solve the puzzle. It is in this case that being an outside agent from the formal legal system can assure a success in solving crimes because one no longer has to go through a strict organizational policies and protocols. Spade did some meet-ups with the people involved in the crime, and monetary amounts are not always questioned in terms of its moral value and appropriateness under the laws in a legal system (Hammett). Sherlock Holmes also proves to be successful in his job being a consulting detective.

Commentary on Women Beware Women Essay Example for Free

Commentary on Women Beware Women Essay Beware Women is a Jacobean tragedy, which has a complex plot and deals with corrupted characters. This tragedy is about corruption in the court and life in general, love by money and how women can lead other women to destruction. As Tricomi states about the characters, they ‘are not wholly the product of their circumstances, but their circumstances condition their choices and propel them toward their destiny’. Middleton, as other Jacobean playwrights before him, has managed to point out that ‘aristocratic life is brutal and corrupt’. 2] The focus of this commentary will be concentrated on marriage and to what can lead one to fall apart. The first scene (Act I), deals with the characters of the play’s main plot: Leantio, Bianca and the Mother. In this scene, the readers come across with the insulting behaviour towards Bianca, where she is treated as an object. Leantio speaks of his wife with words of business, to him she is â€Å"the most unvalued’st purchase†.He describes her as if she was a dangerous object that must stay hidden and safe, away from the sight of men. When he talks about her, it is obvious that Bianca is for him a treasure and he is the thief that now has to hide his â€Å"best piece of theft† (I. ii) in a safe place so no one will steal it from him. Such words describing a human being are rather cruel, especially when Leantio is talking about a person for whom he is supposed to have true and pure feelings of love. Leantio is aware that Bianca’s family is rich, but he also knows that by marrying Bianca in secrecy and taking her away from them, Bianca will lose all of the property and money that belongs to her. He has also written over to her his house and put his mother in jeopardy. Although his act seems a romantic one and, even though he speaks of that relationship and feelings as being pure, his love is not mature; rather, it is one filled with jealousy. In the beginning of the play Bianca could be characterised as the victim because she has a mother-in-law who is not fond of her and does not approve their marriage and she is now imprisoned in poverty and in home. However, Bianca is ‘as much a victim as perpetrator, and she is to be judged as a tragic protagonist with a vexing mix of virtues and flaws’. [3] As seen in the plot, the Mother aids and abets in Bianca’s meeting with the Duke. The Mother and Livia hatched up a plan for Bianca’s rape and she falls into the trap, as Isabella did, but the rape was almost enticed on her part. ‘The attitude towards Bianca is one of dehumanizing possession and manipulation’. [4] But Bianca, after that, changes drastically and soon enough she becomes one of the most corrupted characters, who along with others, brings about the downfall and the final bloodshed in the play. Bianca chose money over her marriage, although, she blames the other women for her disaster. ‘Treachery and betrayal [ ] are Bianca’s terms of explanation for her downfall’. [5] Bianca is seen by her mother-in-law as an added burden to her son’s finances. The Mother’s interest is focused only on money. For the Mother, Bianca as a wife has nothing to offer, she will only demand and receive. The Mother is sizing up the economics of their situation now that there are three members in the family. Leantio can barely support himself, and up until now he had to support his mother as well. The Mother doubts that her son is able to support a family of three. She claims that nothing can save him from this financial dead end by saying â€Å"My life can give you But little helps, and my death lesser hopes† (I. i). The Mother thinks of Bianca, as for every other wife, that she will require from Leantio â€Å"maintenance† (I. ii) fitting to her â€Å"birth and virtues† (I. ii), but also gratification of her desire for â€Å"affections, wills, and humours† (I. ii). [6] Leantio then expresses his intentions towards Bianca, by replying to his mother’s words, pleading with her not to â€Å"teach her to rebel† (I. ii) now that â€Å"she’s in a good way to obedience† (I. ii). Leantio’s â€Å"assurance† (I. ii), of keeping his â€Å"jewel† (I. ii) locked away â€Å"from all men’s eyes† (I. ii), is his mother. She is the one who holds the â€Å"key† (I. i) to his â€Å"treasure† (I. ii), and â€Å"old mothers† (I. ii) are â€Å"good to look to keys† (I. ii) when â€Å"sons lock chests† (I. ii). However, the irony here is that later on, it’s the Mother herself who pushes Bianca towards rape with the Duke, first to get rid of her, but then to accrue some of the benefits from the court life for herself and her son. Bianca is to Leantio nothing but an object of â€Å"great value† (I. ii), a â€Å"matchless jewel† (I. ii) that he has stolen. Because â€Å"temptation is a devil will not stick to fasten upon a saint† (I. ii), Leantio’s â€Å"gem† (I. ii) must stay hidden and locked. This is the â€Å"great policy† (I. i) for Leantio in order to never lose a treasure; never â€Å"show thieves our wealth† (I. ii). Bianca is the â€Å"treasure† (I. ii), Leantio is the â€Å"thief† (I. ii), and the â€Å"key† (I. ii) to his happiness holds his mother, thus, it could be said that the chest with the key is symbolic of Leantio and Bianca’s relationship. To conclude, this tragedy proves that women should beware women. Women lead other women to destruction, and are even responsible for another woman’s rape. Corruption and enemies are present everywhere but, as Bianca says in her dying breath, â€Å"Like our own sex, we have no enemy†.

The Family in Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Family in Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, is about a young man, Gregor Samsa, who is transformed overnight into a bug. He soon becomes a disgrace to his family. After his metamorphosis, his family goes through an even bigger metamorphosis than Gregor, himself. Therefore, the real metamorphosis occurs to the family rather than Gregor. One of the family members who goes through significant metamorphosis is Gregor's sister, Grete. She maybe the person that he cared the most about. After he turned into a bug, her love and care gave him a reason to live, but when she stopped caring it killed him. Grete turned from this loving, caring, and warm person into this dark, uncaring, and selfish person. After Gregor turns into a bug, Grete seems like the only one who cares about her brother, even in the body of a giant bug She keeps his room clean and brings him things to eat twice a day. She worries about what he might like to eat "But, he would of never been able to guess what his sister, in the goodness of her heart, actually did. To find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him an assortment of foods"(24). . Her kindness, even when she is afraid of his appearance, touches Gregor deeply. She gives him a reason to live. She is the only human that he has contact with. So, he doesn't feel as much alienated as he already is. This shows that after Gregor turned into a bug, she still cared about him. Her warmth gave him a reason to live. But, this would not last for long much longer. As the time passed, Grete practically stops caring about her brother. She starts to treat him differently. "No longer considering what she can do to give Gregor a special treat, his sister, before running to business every morning and afternoon, hurriedly shoved any old food into Gregor's room with her foot" (43). Grete is not thinking about Gregor like; this makes her uncaring. Shoving things with her foot is an example of her showing him that he is a bug because bugs are usually stomped on with feet. Grete gets a job to help pay for expenses, she no longer wants takes care Gregor makes her selfish.

Comparing of Financial Statement for Similar Companies

Introduction Freds, Belk, Big Lots and Dollar Tree are all famous variety store in United State. All of them provide various and qualified goods to customers. This analysis report, discussing different financial data based on the 10-K document of the four companies, wants to give readers a meaningful describe to these companies so investors can have clear opinions to help decide. Company Profiles Freds, Inc. Freds) is to meet the general merchandise and pharmacy needs of the small – to medium- sized towns it serves by offering a wider variety of quality merchandise and a more attractive price-to-value relationship than either drug stores or smaller variety/dollar stores and a shopper-friendly format which is more convenient than larger sized dis count merchandise stores. The company’s sales of p harmaceuticals have a percentage of 33. 5% in 2010, 34. 1% in 2011, and 34. 9% in 2012, comparing to the total sales. And its major sales of others include households good and f ood products, etc. showing that the company tries its best to execute its business strategy. Big Lots, Inc. is a Fortune 500 retail corporation. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio, USA and currently operates over 1,400 stores in 47 states. Its department stores focus mainly on selling closeout and overstock merchandise. There are some items in the stores, such as foodstuffs, that are replenished on a continual basis. What’s more, Big Lots also operates a wholesale division, which provides merchandise in bulk for resale from a variety of categories.Financial StatementsBig Lots uses an existing building, such as a grocery or department store that had either moved or ceased operations. Dollar Tree, Inc. began its operations in 1953 and was incorporated in Virginia. The company is an American chain of discount variety stores that se lls every item for $1. 00 or less. The company targets low to lower-middle income consumers and sells everyday products from food and personal ca re products to non-essentials. It sells its product in three business segments:1) Consumable merchandise, which accounted for 48. % of its sales in 2011, 2) Variety merchandise, which accounted for 46. 9% of 2011 sales, and 3)seasonal goods, explained 5% of 2011 sales. Belk, Inc. , together with its subsidiaries, is the largest privately owned mainline department store business in the United States, with 303 stores in 16 states, as of the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012. Generated revenues of $3. 7 billion for the fiscal year 2012, and together with its predecessors, have been successfully operating department stores since 1888. Belk Stores Services, Inc. , a subsidiary of Belk, Inc. rovides a wide range of services t o the Belk division offices and stores, such as merchandising, merchandise planning and allocation, advertising and sales promotion, information systems, human resources, public relations, accounting, real estate and store planning, credit, legal, tax, distribution and purchasing. Accounting Policies (see Exhibit 1) All of the four companies are United State location so that part of their accounting policies are the same, but because the area location and business strategy, they have some different accounting policies.The four companies do not amortized goodwill and tested them for impairment annually, using an income approach and a market approach in determining fair value for purposes of goodwill impairment tests. All four of them report income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740, the asset and liability method is used for computing future income tax consequences of events . The major differences exist in revenue recognition, merchandise inventories and Stock-based compensation.Based on their requirements, Freds records its sales when the merchandise is shipped from the Company’s warehouse; Dollar tree records sales revenue at the time a sale is made to its customer ; Big Lots’ sales Revenue is recognized when the customer ma kes the final payment and takes possession of the merchandise and sales of Belk is recorded at the time of delivery. Freds values inventories at the lower of cost or market using the retail first -in, first-out method for goods in stores and the cost first -in, first-out method for goods in our distribution centers. And the rest of hree companies values inventories at the lower of cost or market using the average cost retail inventory method. Under the average cost retail inventory method, inventory is segregated into departments of merchandise having similar characteristics at its current retail selling value. Profitability, Liquidity/Solvency (see Exhibit 2) If we analyze the current ratio and quick ratio they are relatively small. So paying the short term debts might be a problem for the company as well as the liquidity is getting decreased from year 2010 – 2012 as 1. 43 to 1. 23 to 0. 88.So it might be difficult for the company to stay with the current obligations. If we analyze the debt -equity ratio seems to be in high end for the Belk, but it is gradually decreasing 1. 36, 1. 06 to 1. 03. This seems to be a good sign for the company. But still the ratio is high and need quite bit of work to get it down to an acceptable value. Freds’ ROE keeps a increase from 5. 99% in 2010, to 7. 17% in 2011 then to 7. 89% in 2012 because its profit margin increasing from 1. 32% to 1. 61% and 1. 78%, respectively in 2011 and 2012, in the same time, its assets turnover keeps a steadily level from 3. 20 to 3. 06, just a slightly decrease.Additionally, the gross margin just has a higher change from 27. 92% in 2010, to 28. 66% in 2012 than profit margin. The inventory turnover has a decrease from 4. 33 to 4. 15 respectively in 2010 and 2012, due to the cost of goods sold increasing slower than inventory. What’s more, the current ratio and quick ratio keeps falling down, and debt/equity ratio grows up during the 3 years, showing that the debt increases f aster than equity. Big Lot’s ROE continues to grow from 20. 01% in 2010 to 25. 15% in 2012. However, it s profit margin and gross margin have been going downwards since 2010, dropping to 3. 98% and 39. 9% respectively in 2012. What’s more, its current ratio and quick ratio have also decreased, the former one has slacked from 2. 069 in 2010 to 1. 721 in 2012, a nd the later one has slummed from 0. 72 to 0. 31, which indicate that the company’s fund are more tighten up in recent years. Through further study, we found that the D-E ratio is increasing from 1. 208 in 2010 to 1. 704 in 2012, which presented the company’s new financing strategy from borrowing, other than getting capital from the shareholders. The ROE of Dollar Tree increased rapidly from 22. 43% in 2010 to 27. 23% in 2011 and to 36. 32% in 2012. On examining the three omponents of ROE, the profit margin was 6. 3% in 2010 but in 2012 it increased at 7. 36%. In addition, its assets turnover mainta ins a steady growth. It was 2. 28 in 2010, 2. 47 in 2011 and 2. 85 in 2012. Over the three years, the debt -equity ratio also grows steadily. Besides, the current ratio and quick ratio of Dollar Tree in the past three years obviously declined. That mostly resulted from the increasing debt and surging sales . Return on Equity almost doubled from 2010 to 2011 as 6. 31% to 11. 33% and has a steady growth from 2011 to 2012 as 15. 30%. This implies Net Income increased and it is proportional to good increase in profit margins as from 2% to 3. 63% almost doubled from 2010 to 2011 and 4. 95% in 2012 which is a steady growth. When we compare the Total asset turnover in last 3 years seems to be decreasing, though it is 13. 1 in 2010 decreased significantly form 2011 and 2012 as 1. 14 and 1. 50 respectively. This might be due to competition from other department and specialty stores and other retailers, including luxury goods retailers, mail o rder retailers and offprice and discount stores. Opportunities/Threats Opportunities: from the above, we get the idea that the variety store industry has a good time during the several years.These four companies are keeping increase in profit and they have lower financial distress so that they could borrow more money from banks and investors, which gives them more chances to execute expansion strategy: more available cash from borrowing, better financial statement which can give more confidence to in vestors and higher return to support the future development. Threats: we should notice that most of the four companies have a higher gross margin increasing than profit margin, and a continuous lower inventory turnover.They show that these companies’ structures include threaten in the future. What’s more, the high debt means that the banks and investors tighten polices and requirements to the companies so their business and expansion will be influenced by investors. Meanwhile, the raising interest rat e of debt gives hig her financial distress to the companies. Overall Assessment Retail industry is a highly competitive and dynamic business to work with. So it needs to be change whenever it needs to be. Here we can see that when one company doing well other companies are struggling to stay in the race.If we analyze the overall challenges retail business facing is like high Employee turnovers, also Auditing issues as they regularly engaged in competition with one another, and this competition can creat e price wars, forcing a need to keep tight control over inventory, as the nation prospers and people have more money to spend, the retail industry generally flourishes. As for the companies we can see that Fred’s, Dollar tree and Belk is seems to be doing well in this difficult situations, but the Big Lotus is losing some ground as profit margins getting lower as well as their funds getting tightens up.However when we see the COGS each company has a problem as COGS selling slower than the invento ry, this might be hurting all four companies as if their items old they have to write off them and which might eventually losing money. Exhibit 1: Significant Accounting Policies Freds Revenue recognition Merchandise inventories Goodwill Stock-based compensation Income taxes Dollar tree Big Lots Belk Sales are recorded when the merchandise is shipped from the Company’s warehouse sales revenue at the time a sale is made to its customer Revenue is recognized when the customer makes the final payment and takes possession of the merchandise.Sales from retail operations are recorded at the time of delivery. Valued at the lower of cost or market using the retail first-in, first-out method for goods in our stores and the cost first-in, firstout method for goods in our distribution centers. Stated at the lower of cost or market, determined on a weighted-average cost basis. Under the retail inventory method, the valuation of inventories at cost and the resulting gross margins are comp uted by applying a calculated cost-to-retail ratio to the retail value of inventories. Valued at the lower of cost or market using the average cost retail inventory method. Under the average ost retail inventory method, inventory is segregated into departments of merchandise having similar characteristics at its current retail selling value. Valued using the lower of cost or market value, determined by the retail inventory method. Under the retail inventory method (â€Å"RIM†), the valuation of inventories at cost and the resulting gross margins Goodwill is not amortized and tested for impairmen t annually. Use an income approach and a market approach in determining fair value for purposes of goodwill impairment tests. Goodwill is not amortized and tested for impairment annually. Use an income approach and a market pproach in determining fair value for purposes of goodwill impairment tests. Goodwill is not amortized and tested for impairment annually. Use an income approach a nd a market approach in determining fair value for purposes of goodwill impairment tests. Goodwill is not amortized and tested for impairment annually. Use an income approach and a market approach in determining fair value for purposes of goodwill impairment tests. Uses the fair value recognition provisions of FASB ASC 718, account for stock based compensation by using the grant date fair value of share awards and the estimated number of shares that will ultimately be ssued in conjunction with each award. Recognizes all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, in the financial statements based on their fair values. Value and expense stock options with graded vesting as a single award with an average estimated life over the entire term of the award. Uses the fair value recognition provisions of FASB ASC 718, account for stock based compensation by using the grant date fair value of share awards and the estimated number of shares that will ultimat ely be issued in conjunction with each award. reports income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740,the asset and liability ethod is used for computing future income tax consequences of events reports income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740,the asset and liability method is used for computing future income tax consequences of events reports income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740,the asset and liability method is used for computing future income tax consequences of events reports income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740,the asset and liability method is used for computing future income tax consequences of events Exhibit 2: Industry Ratio Summary 2012 Freds, Inc. 2011 Profitability Return on equity 7. 89% 7. 17% 5. 99% 25. 15% 23. 50% 20. 01% 6. 32% 27. 23% 22. 43% 15. 30% 11. 33% 6. 31% Profit margin 1. 78% 1. 61% 1. 32% 3. 98% 4. 49% 4. 23% 7. 36% 6. 75% 6. 13% 4. 95% 3. 63% 2. 00% Gross margin 28. 66% 28. 61% 27. 92% 39. 79% 40. 63% 40. 61% 35. 87% 35. 49% 35. 49% 0. 33% 0. 33% 0. 32% Total asset turnover 3. 06 3. 16 3. 20 3. 169 3. 057 2. 831 2. 85 2. 47 2. 28 1. 5 1. 41 13. 1 A/R turnover 62. 61 64. 58 61. 93 42. 45 41. 39 40. 11 76. 42 78. 53 72. 33 104. 9 131. 3 118. 7 Inventory turnover 4. 15 4. 33 4. 33 3. 8 3. 86 4. 02 4. 2 4. 2 4. 1 2. 9 2. 97 2. 83 Short term liquidity Current ratio 2. 47 2. 91 2. 81 1. 721 1. 941 2. 069 2. 08 2. 5 2. 74 2. 51 3. 34 3. 32 0. 33 . 52 0. 57 0. 31 0. 53 0. 72 0. 59 1 1. 31 0. 88 1. 23 1. 43 0. 49 0. 40 0. 43 1. 704 1. 283 1. 208 0. 73 0. 63 0. 6 1. 03 1. 06 1. 36 Quick ratio Long term solvency Debt/Equity ratio 2010 2012 Big Lots 2011 2010 2012 Dollar Tree 2011 2010 Belk. inc 2012 2011 2010 Profit Margin Return on Equity 40. 00% 35. 00% 30. 00% 25. 00% Freds, inc 20. 00% Big Lots 15. 00% Dollar Tree 10. 00% Belk. inc 5. 00% 0. 00% 2012 2011 8. 00% 7. 00% 6. 00% 5. 00% 4. 00% 3. 00% 2. 00% 1. 00% 0. 00% Freds, inc Big Lots Dollar Tree Belk. inc 2012 2010 2011 2010 Debt-to-Equity Ratio Inventory turnover 2. 00 5. 00 4. 00 Freds, inc 3. 00 Big Lots 1. 50 Freds, incBig Lots 1. 00 Dollar Tree Dollar Tree 2. 00 Belk. inc 1. 00 Belk. inc 0. 50 0. 00 0. 00 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Exhibit 3: Income statement Fred,inc Statement of Income January 28, 2012 Net sales Cost of goods sold 1879059 1340519 100% 71. 34% Gross profit 538540 Depreciation and amortization 100% 71. 39% 1788136 1288899 100% 72. 08% 28. 66% 527018 28. 61% 499237 27. 92% 34190 1. 82% 29236 1. 59% 26387 1. 48% Selling, general and administrative expenses 453195 24. 12% 451064 24. 49% 434356 24. 29% Operating income Interest income Interest expense 51155 -156 553 2. 72% -0. 01% 0. 03% 46718 -234 424 2. 54% -0. 01% 0. 02% 38494 -189 82 2. 15% -0. 01% 0. 03% Income before income taxes 50758 2. 70% 46528 2. 53% 38201 2. 14% Provision for income taxes 17330 0. 92% 16941 0. 92% 14586 0. 82% 33428 1. 78% 29587 1. 61% 23615 1. 32% $ $ January 30, 2010 1841755 1314737 Net income $ January 29, 2011 $ $ $ Big Lots, Statement of Inc ome January 27, 2012 Net sales Cost of goods sold Gross profit Selling, general and administrative expenses Other Operating Expense Operating income $ January 28, 2011 5,202,269. 00 3,131,862. 00 2,070,407. 00 100. 00% 60. 20% 39. 80% 1,634,532. 00 January 29, 2012 4,952,244. 00 2,939,793. 00 2,012,451. 00 100. 00% 59. 36% 40. 64% 31. 42% 1,567,500. 0 90,280. 00 1. 74% 345,595. 00 6. 64% $ 4,726,772. 00 2,807,466. 00 1,919,306. 00 100. 00% 59. 39% 40. 61% 31. 65% 1,532,356. 00 32. 42% 78,606. 00 1. 59% 74,904. 00 1. 58% 357,345. 00 7. 22% 325,010. 00 6. 88% $ Earnings Before Interest And Taxes Interest Expense 345,422. 00 6. 64% 357,957. 00 7. 23% 325,185. 00 6. 88% 3,530. 00 0. 07% 2,573. 00 0. 05% 1,840. 00 0. 04% Income Before Tax 341,892. 00 6. 57% 355,384. 00 7. 18% 323,345. 00 6. 84% Income Tax Expense 134,657. 00 2. 59% 132,837. 00 2. 68% 121,975. 00 2. 58% Net income 207,064. 00 3. 98% 222,524. 00 4. 49% 200,369. 00 4. 24% Dollar Tree, Statement of Income January 28,2012Reve nues $ January 29,2011 Selling and admistrtive expense 64. 13% 35. 87% 3,794. 8 2,087. 60 1,596. 2 Gross margin 100% 4252. 2 2378. 3 cost of sales 6630. 5 $ 5882. 40 24. 07% 1,457. 60 100% January 30,2010 $ 5,231. 20 100% 64. 51% 35. 49% 3,374. 40 1,856. 80 64. 51% 35. 49% 24. 78% 1,344. 00 25. 69% Restructing charges Goodwill impairment — — — intangible and other asset impairment — — — operating expense $ 1,596. 2 24. 07% operating income interest expense interest income other income 782. 1 2. 9 –0. 3 11. 80% 0. 04% Income before income taxes Net income $ 1,457. 60 24. 78% 10. 71% 0. 10% 0. 00% 630 5. 6 –5. 5 779. 5 ncome taxes $ 11. 76% 291. 2 488. 3 4. 39% 7. 36% 1344 25. 69% 9. 80% 0. 10% -0. 10% 512. 8 5. 2 — 629. 9 $ $ 10. 71% 507. 6 9. 70% 232. 6 397. 3 3. 95% 6. 75% 187. 1 320. 5 3. 58% 6. 13% $ Belk, Statement of Income 2012 2011 Revenues 3,699,592 100% Cost of goods sold (Including occupancy, distribution and b uying $ expenses) 2,461,515 66% 938008 2012 3513275 100% 2353536 66% 25% 914078 3143 0. 08% 2302 —- Operating income Interest expense Interest income Loss on extinguishment of debt Gain on investments Income before income taxes Income tax expense Net income Gain on sale of property and equipment Asset impairment and exit costsPension curtailment charge $ 100% 2271925 68% 26% 886263 26% 6416 0. 18% 2011 0. 06% 0. 06% 0. 00% 6096 —– 0. 17% 0. 00% 39915 2719 1. 19% 0. 08% 300190 Selling, general and administrative expenses 3346252 8. 11% 245981 7. 00% 147441 4. 41% -50218 328 -922 —–250098 66950 183148 -1. 35% 0. 01% 0. 02% 0. 00% 0. 0676 1. 80% 0. 0495 -50679 569 ——–195871 68243 127628 -1. 44% 0. 02% 0. 00% 0. 00% 0. 0557 1. 94% 0. 0363 -51321 1027 —43 97190 30054 67136 -1. 53% 0. 03% 0. 00% 0. 00% 0. 029 0. 89% 2 $ $ $ $ Exhibit 4: Balance Sheet Freds,inc Balance Sheets January 28, 2012 January 29, 2011 January 30, 2010 J anuary 31, 2009 ASSETSCurrent assets: Cash and cash equivalents 27130 4. 29% 49182 8. 26% 54742 9. 58% Account Receivables Inventories 31883 331882 5. 04% 52. 51% 28146 313384 4. 73% 52. 62% 28893 294024 Other non-trade receivables 32090 5. 08% 26378 4. 43% Prepaid expenses and other current assets Total current assets 12321 435306 1. 95% 68. 88% 12723 429813 Property and equipment 161112 25. 49% 139931 Equipment under capital leases 97 0. 02% – Intangible assets, net 32191 5. 09% 22193 3. 73% 16035 2. 81% 9042 1. 66% Other noncurrent assets, net Total assets $ 3276 631982 0. 52% 100% $ 3591 595528 0. 60% 100% $ 4040 571441 0. 71% 100% $ 4442 544775 0. 82% 00% LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 106886 16. 91% $ 81002 13. 60% $ 87393 15. 29% $ 69955 12. 84% 658 0. 10% 201 0. 03% 718 0. 13% 243 0. 04% Current portion of indebtedness $ $ $ $ 35128 6. 45% 5. 06% 51. 45% 28857 301537 5. 30% 55. 35% 25193 4. 41% 15782 2. 90% 2. 14% 7 2. 17% 10945 413797 1. 92% 72. 41% 11912 393216 2. 19% 72. 18% 23. 50% 137569 24. 07% 138036 25. 34% – 39 Accrued expenses and other 44876 7. 10% 45371 7. 62% 39621 6. 93% 46659 8. 56% Deferred income taxes 23878 3. 78% 21142 3. 55% 19373 3. 39% 13061 2. 40% Total current liabilities 176298 27. 90% 147716 24. 80% 147105 5. 74% 137667 25. 27% Long-term portion of indebtedness 6640 1. 05% 3969 0. 67% 4179 0. 73% 4866 0. 89% Deferred income taxes 5633 0. 89% 2069 0. 35% 2009 0. 35% 1328 0. 24% Other noncurrent liabilities Total liabilities 19799 208370 3. 13% 32. 97% 17886 171640 3. 00% 28. 82% 17209 170502 3. 01% 29. 84% 13833 157694 2. 54% 28. 95% Common stock, Class A voting, no par value 105384 16. 68% 131367 22. 06% 131685 23. 04% 136877 25. 13% Common stock, Class B nonvoting, no par value Retained earnings 317364 50. 22% 291649 48. 97% 268350 46. 96% 249141 45. 73% Accumulated other comprehensive income 864 0. 14% 872 0. 15% 904 0. 16% 1063

How Might Prejudice Develop and How Might It Be Reduced? Essay

A judgment or opinion made without adequate knowledge; to Prejudge, to pass judgement or form premature opinion. We can break the word prejudice down into two parts to give clearer understanding of its meaning, Pre is before and judice is to make judgement, so it is a negative preconceived judgement on an individual or group prior to seeking full knowledge or understanding about them. Prejudice effects many aspects of today’s society. Racism, sexism and homophobia are all examples of discrimination against a group that they may feel does not fit in to their norms in society. This can stretch further to prejudice against single parents, students, the elderly, the disabled, Goths, Emo’s, basically any group can be subjected to a form of prejudice. These negative preconceived ideas affect the way we treat people on a day to day basis. It is fair to say that most people would like to think they are tolerant of others and are not prejudice but it is unlikely that these people have no prejudice at all, it is inevitable that certain groups would not personally appeal to everyone and we may be drawn to other groups for company. There are three elements of prejudice. The cognitive element which are ideas about a particular group which form stereotypes. The affective element involves feelings in relation to a certain group, these feelings could include anger, disgust, intimidation or even hate. The behavioural element involves actions taken to express these feelings, for instance an individual may avoid a certain group or individual belonging to a group, they may become abusive either verbally or physically, in extreme circumstances this discrimination can lead to such atrocities as the Holocaust where millions of Jews were exterminated. The media has a massive impact on our opinions of others. It may not be that someone expressing prejudice has had direct contact or experience of a group or individual from a group but they may have formed opinions based on propaganda, parental influences, authoritative figures, peer pressure or ignorance. The social learning theory suggests that negative thoughts or prejudices are learnt from society, for example parents, friends or colleagues. We are not born with negative thoughts/ preconceived ideas for others therefore it must be a learnt ideation. Psychology gives two main approaches to describe the ‘prejudice’ phenomenon, with many psychologist contributing with studies regarding prejudice for example; The Robber’s cave, Sherif (1956). This looked at whether prejudice could be created within a group. Social Factors of prejudice suggests that prejudice is a result of group interaction. Sherif conducted an experiment in 1956 to promote the theory suggesting that â€Å"when groups interact with one another they will inevitably generate attitudes towards each other†. The Robbers Cave experiment took a group of carefully selected boys, with no known hostile attitudes towards each other, they split the group and introduced competition between the groups to observe the ‘natural and spontaneous development of group organisation and attitudes. ’ This is known as minimal group theory. Individual factors involved in prejudice theories suggests a â€Å"sick person model†, suggesting that prejudice is an individual occurrence relating back to unresolved childhood memories or trauma. Freud’s work with psycho-analysis on this was a major influence, that conflicts in ones childhood creates a damaged adult personality. Also theories of the authoritarian figure by Adorno et al (1950) brought the suggestion of projection of unresolved past (childhood) experiences onto minority group. The down side to this theory is that it does not explain group prejudice, it implies that prejudice is an individual process and isolated to having a sick personality. Reduction of prejudice is vital for social integration and acceptance. Prejudice has reduced over the years in many aspects, as we as a society become more acceptant of others prejudice should reduce, but there will always be a victimised group within society which is outcast. Homosexuals could not be openly gay twenty years ago but now it is seen as an acceptable part of society, although there is still animosity towards minority groups such as homosexuals they are not so widespread and outwardly visible. There are several ways of reducing prejudice within society on both an individual and social level. Ignorance has a massive impact on peoples thoughts and opinions of others as many of their opinions of others are uninformed and uneducated. Education is a vital part of reducing any kind of animosity. Schools, parents and other authoritarian figures can take an active role in educating young people about minority groups to encourage acceptance, cultural awareness within schools can be very beneficial in the acceptance process. Opinions of parents are a major influence on a children’s attitudes towards those who appear to be different to themselves, so education is not only appropriate for young people but re-education of old-school thoughts is a necessary action. Integration with other groups is very important to build understanding and empathy between cultures. Also communication is vital to encourage understanding and time to allow these things to take place, attitudes cannot change overnight. Encouraging the pursuit of common (superordinate) goals, can reduce divisions between groups, if mixed groups have a common goal to work towards they are more likely to pull together and put differences aside for the greater gain of the group. All these are options for aiding the reduction of prejudice but time, effort and desire on the part of everyone is required to achieve this reduction, but it is reasonable to say that even though prejudice can be reduced it will never be extinct; there will always be an element of prejudice within society.

Two Sided Fallacy Essays - Fiction, Literature, Free Essays

Two Sided Fallacy Essays - Fiction, Literature, Free Essays Two Sided Fallacy Jud Van Matre Eng 12 Honors Period 2 November 3, 2000 The Two-Faced Citizen The focal point of this essay is to define the life of Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the transformation he went through in becoming Edward Hyde. Dr. Henry Jekyll is a physician in London. He is very well respected and is currently experimenting the dual nature of man kind. Edward Hyde is a manifestation of Dr. Jekyll's personality. He is accused of committing evil acts throughout the novel. The first scene consists of Mr. Richard Enfield's and Mr. Utterson walking along a street in London. Mr. Enfield has a recollection of a previous incident in which he witnessed an extremely unpleasant man trampling upon a small screaming girl while this man was running somewhere. A large crowd had gathered around and they saw the man, Edward Hyde. The crowd forced the man to give money to this girl for trampling over her. Hyde did not run over her for any reason. He just did it out of spite and evil. He represents all the evil in the world. The reaction of others to him is one of horror because while looking at him, others feel a desire to strike out at him and kill him. His physical appearance brings out the worst evil in other people. Since Hyde represents evil, he is symbolically represented as being much smaller than Dr. Jekyll. I believe Dr. Jekyll created Hyde because he had a theory that man has a good side and a bad side. While investigating this, he developed a potion that could release the evil in a person in the form of a totally different person. Then this person could commit any evil act it wanted, and then drink the potion to return back to normal. The only problem with this is the fact that he drank this potion so many times, he was no longer able to control this process. He was unable to transform back into Dr. Jekyll. Another example of Hyde's evil is in the killing of Sir Danvers Carew. Sir Danvers appears to have been killed for no apparent reason. The murder of Sir Danvers was seen by a maid who was working nearby. She states that Hyde meet with a man in the street. After the two exchanged words, Mr. Hyde lifted his heavy walking stick and clubbed the old man to death. This tells us the reader that Mr. Hyde has grown in fury. From trampling over a child in the first scene, he now commits murd er for no reason. I believe Hyde killed Sir Danvers because Sir Danvers was described as being a peaceful and good man. Hyde represents pure evil, so naturally he would hate good gentlemen. The only reason why Sir Danvers dies, was because he was a good man. He not only killed Sir Danvers', he had to trample over him. The goodness of Sir Danvers brings out the most intense evil in Hyde. From the source Selves and Shadows we receive an indepth look into the novel. David Hume asks the question, Would any man, who is walking along, tread as willingly on another's gouty toes, whom he has no quarrel with, as on the hard flint and pavement? Well, here is that man, and his total blindness to any feeling but his own is central to his character. As Jekyll puts it, when he is eventually driven to attempt a choice between his two lives. It is very obvious that no man would want to start a fight, if there is no reason to fight. Since Mr. Hyde represents the evil in men, Dr. Jekyll releases his evil through his other side, Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is Jekyll's way of releasing his anger. In the final chapter called, Jekyll's Full Statement Jekyll reveals everything. He states, No one but me knows my true nature. All these years, the public has seen only a veneer of my real self. This is so very true due mostly to the fact that no one knew Mr. Hyde was a part of Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll constantly emphasizes the greatness of his background. He reminds us of his wealthy family, and great education. But he

Human Recources about Rewards and recognition Essay

Human Recources about Rewards and recognition - Essay Example This paper discusses strategies that can be employed in business to improve the system of reward and recognition both for the staff and the customers. Increased action may not be the necessary outcome of reward. The quality of work is more important than the quantity of work. Some managers give equal importance to both. Therefore, reward should encourage the employee to increase both the quality and the quantity of work. The difficulty with a standardized reward and recognition program is that it is a completely impersonal process. Instead of thinking about the specific people involved, the company provides the same generic rewards to everyone. But when an element of fun and play is added to a financial reward or bonus, the experience becomes personalized and much more memorable for the award recipient. (Weinstein, 1997). The approach to reward and recognition proposed by Zigon is consistent with Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory according to which, different employees have different likes and dislikes so standardizing a set of rewards and patterns of recognition may not work for all. Managers’ efforts should be directed at aligning the rewards with the interests of individual employees (University of Minnesota, 2010). In her article, Ryan (n.d.) has evaluated the effectiveness of the non-monetary incentives in comparison to the monetary incentives. Ryan (n.d.) expresses that she could not find any strong empirical evidence to say whether the non-monetary incentives work. However, objective empirical evidence elaborating the strength of the non-monetary incentives is there. Malotte, Hollingstead, and Rhodes (1999) found that the non-monetary incentives like grocery store coupons were 86 per cent effective in returning the patients for the skin test reading whereas efficiency of the monet ary incentive of $10 was 95 per cent. While it is important to take measures to enhance the productivity of the staff, it is equally important to do the needful

Statistical Parameters of the Company ABC Essay - 3

Statistical Parameters of the Company ABC - Essay Example As the paper stresses, sales in the second quarter in every year decreased with respect to the first quarter; however, it kept growing in q3, and q4. This implies the seasonal influence on sales of this product. Nevertheless, the general trend of sales per year demonstrates growth, which is also confirmed by the mean and median values displayed in Table 1 and Figure 3. Percentile and Quartile Comparison of Sales. The data set consists of 20 values. The company achieved 25 percentile in the fourth quarter of 2000; 50 percentile in the second quarter of year 2003, and 75 percentile in the third quarter of 2003. The study reveals that it took 14 quarters to achieve first 50 percentile while the company achieved the second 50 percentile in 6 quarters. The growth should be considered as fast starting from the year 2003. In this year, the company achieved 17% growth in the third quarter with respect to second quarter. The sample data set consists of 30 values and it shows a trend of sales through five years. The aforementioned section provided an analysis of past trend, which are displayed in tables and graphs. This section focuses on the evaluation of quarterly sales for the next two years based on the history of previous sales. The future sales prediction is performed using regression analysis and time series technique. Regression Analysis. Regression analysis prediction is based on the interdependency of two variables; one is independent and the other is dependent. In this study, sales are the dependent variables that follow a seasonal trend, which is displayed in Figure 5. The seasonal trend in this analysis is considered as independent variable.