Business Analysis A Financial Analysis Of AGT - 1029 Words

Financial Analysis AGT has experienced strong revenue growth the past 3 years with over 20% compound annual growth rate for that period. Though cost of sales has risen have kept pace, AGT has been able to maintain good EBITA margins. The company rebounded in 2015 from some slightly lower earnings per share which have been positive for the past 3 years. With positive net earnings AGT has been able to maintain its $0.15 quarterly dividend with the stock trading at a healthy 3% yield as of the close on November 24, 2017. We see this stable dividend as a positive signal to shareholders for both the current and future strength of the company. AGT is now in a much stronger and more flexible financial position after the recent issue of a†¦show more content†¦Inventory has also been well managed as evidenced by a 4.79 inventory turnover, above the 3.23 of SOY but once again half of the turnover of PBH. This is however not surprising given the global nature of AGT’s business relative to PBH. While the improvement in many of the key ratios in our forecasted financials suggests that managements strategy has the company headed in the right directions, we are particularly encouraged by our forecast for improvements to the liquidity and leverage ratios. Of note is the significant improvement in the debt to equity ratio from 3.17 in 2016 to a more reasonable 1.75 this year. The long-term debt to capital ratio is also forecast to drop from the current .58 to .45, in line with both PBH and SOY. Valuation AGT shares have performed very poorly over the past year down over 45% year to date. In comparison to both SOY and PBH we believe AGT shares are significantly undervalued. The shares of AGT trade a discount base on a EV/EBITDA, EV/Revenue and Price/Book. AGT currently trades at 9.2 times EV/EBITDA (2016) versus the average for the group at 15.4 times . At the average for the group AGT would be valued at $46 per share and at 14 times multiple, which is still less than what SOY is valued at, it would trade at $40 a share. In our DCF model we have calculated a value of $49 per share , suggesting the company is significantly undervalued. The weighted average cost of capital in our model is 5.58%. We have assumed aShow MoreRelatedEssay On Evaluating The Team Of Regular Basis1801 Words   |  8 Pagesroles in your organization? †¢ AGT has to catalog the key elements and skills which are required by the team to achieve the specified goals. Each member of the teams has to be measured against their offered expertise and traits. Organizing a company’s people is the most crucial and also the most difficult part. People are often unpredictable (Abdullah, 2014). The organization has to make sure that they have the right people appointed at the heart of increasing revenues. AGT should have executives that

The Lost Tools of Learning Free Essays

Response to The Lost Tools of Learning Sayers believed the main problem with modern education is that children aren’t being taught to think. She believed that public education does not teach students how to understand relationships between subjects, nor does the public system teach students how to make sense of the information they learned. She was frustrated that adults cannot properly debate a question, write a lucid article in the newspaper or think for themselves when it comes to evaluating propaganda or advertising. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Tools of Learning or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sayers was disheartened that students are learning everything except the art of learning itself. Her argument against our current education system reminds me of the saying, â€Å"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life. † Instead of just teaching subjects we should be teaching thinking, arguing and how to express conclusions. If we teach students with a different approach which focuses on the art of how to learn something new and how to make connections among the subjects we learn, then we will be educated on a deeper level – not just having knowledge, but understanding and wisdom as well. The Trivium is Sayers answer to our problems with the current education system. The Trivium consist of three parts: Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric. These are not subjects studied individually, but methods of studying subjects. Grammar is the first part which involves learning the language and structure of a subject. Specifically, Sayers believed the Grammar stage should include observation and memorization of key concepts in Latin, Literature, History, Geography, Science and Math. For example, the grammar of History should include dates, events, anecdotes and personalities. Dialectic, or Logic is the next stage where a student learns how to use this language through analysis of the subjects. In this stage a student takes the knowledge from the grammar stage and begins to build a deeper understanding by reasoning and analyzing what he’s learned. Rhetoric is the third stage which involves being able to critique the subject – to speak and write intelligently and defend opinions and ideas about a certain topic or subject. In this stage students will put the things memorized from the Grammar stage into new context and the concepts they analyzed in the Dialectic stage will be synthesized with new insight and perspective. A student in the Rhetoric stage will be able to articulate his thoughts and opinions of a concept. Through the Trivium students are able to learn independently, analyze logically, think critically and communicate clearly. Each stage is a building block towards a deeper level of understanding. Integration of subjects is a key difference between classical education and instruction from the public education system. In the public education system, students are taught subjects in isolation. As they get older they are encouraged to specialize in one subject. By learning through the stages of the Trivium, students are able to understand that subjects aren’t isolated, but that everything is interrelated. As they progress through the stages of the Trivium, they learn how to make connections among subjects and put things they have learned into context together. Integration of subjects also makes new learning easier. Students who have learned how to learn can easily master a new subject. How to cite The Lost Tools of Learning, Essay examples

Management and Organisation on a Global Business Environment

Question: Describe about"management and organisation on a global business environment". Answer: Introduction Cultural differences are sometimes very difficult to observe and measure, but signified as the most important aspect in the globalised business market. According to Moran, Abramson and Moran (2014), the companies, which fail to understand the cultural value often lead to face strain relationships and embarrassing blunders. Moreover, the performance of the business can even dragged down due to such failure to understand of the cultural value of the nations. It is to be noted that the effects of such misinterpretation can sometimes cause the life-and-death situations for some of the globalised companies. Depending on such increasing demands of the economy, the global occurrences, prices, and supply chain management are impacted. De Mooij (2013) proclaimed that international trade is the major platform for the business traders to avail the opportunity to explore the services and products. In fact, various types of the goods and the services are available in the international market. It is to be indicated that the culture itself is considered as the group of people who have been working together for deriving benefits to their organisations. Aronczyk (2013) pointed out that national culture can be tangible or intangible during the team work performed by a group of the people. The cultural artefacts, norms, and values are somewhat connected to the diversified cultured people who are completely different to each other. The difference in the geographical position, religious development, and climate conditions are much prominent in such cases. One country includes diversified cultures and subcultures, which usually characterize the unique features of the organisational divisions (Wild, Wild and Han 2014). Such of these divisions are units, departments, different locations and so on. Working within a social group by collecting people is much promising for an organisation (Hill, Cronk and Wickramasekera 2013). In such cases, the focus on the societal benefits and the cultural differences would be preferable to maintain the organisational value. The study will be focusing on the understanding of the national culture, which is quite necessary for maintaining sustainability of the national and multinational company. The study will especially be focusing on the case of Woolworths Limited, which is the famous retail chain based on Australian retail market. Since, the company is trying to expand the brand efficiency by operating in the global market, it is important to understand the cultural value. The specification of the difference between the organisational culture and the national culture will be discussed in this study. Generally, it can be stated that the recognition of the dimensions would be signifying impact of the national culture that usually affect the globally operated corporations. Recognising these aspects will be conceptualised in the context of Woolworths. Purpose of the Study The major purpose of the study is to evaluate the importance of the national culture for the multinational corporations, which seek to operate the business globally. The focus on the subject matter is needed to be supported through the assimilations the conceptual discussions. Therefore, the study will be revealing the major components that are associated with the value of the national culture while operating the business in the global scenario. In addition, the comparison between the cultural traits in the national and international context will also specify the purpose of the study. Background of the Organisation Woolworths was found in the year of 1924 in Sydney and is renowned as the famous retail store in the Australian market. The company is even signifying the most trustable and recognised brands in the Australian Supermarket. The motto of the company is to create the world class customer experience with the establishment of the sustainability management. The diversified brands like Endeavour Drinks Group, Master Home Improvement, Woolworths Money, ALH Group, and Woolworths Rewards have created the significant impact on the customers (Woolworthslimited.com.au 2016). However, the company has been focusing much on the sustainability development to ensure the business expansion in the international market. The major focus of the company is thus reflecting the diversity management, which is associated with the cultural influences on the internationalized corporate scenario. The company has been even signifying the strengthened position in maintaining the corporate social responsibilities (Wo olworthslimited.com.au 2016). The excellent progress towards achieving the sustainability targets is quiet commendable and this has made the company trustworthy. More specifically, the different initiatives undertaken by the company to maintain the sustainability and promote the diversity program are reflecting the positive impact on the cultural values. However, the focus is needed to be based on the national cultural aspects, which are the major obstacles for the corporations operating globally. In keeping concentration on such aspects, the recommendations would be associated accordingly. Cultural Values in Woolworths Limited (Progress towards Sustainability Approaches) In considering the cultural values within the organisational context of Woolworths, it is required to understand the value of the cultures maintained in the organisational workforces. According to Ferraro and Brody (2015), the maintenance of the diversity is necessary within an organisational environment and this encourages the employees to determine their long-term career goals. Grant OBrien, the CEO of Woolworths stated, Whether someone is looking for a long term career, a technical skill, a casual job or just the chance to have a go, we can provide this for them. At Woolworths we are committed to having a diverse workforce (Woolworthslimited.com.au 2016). It is noted that Woolworth is marked as the first Australian retailer, which has introduced the leaves related to the parental purposes. It was recognized that in the year of 2013, almost 2,278 employees were benefitted with such leaves. However, the most significant movement undertaken by Woolworths was the signing of landmark a greement with Australian Government in the year of 2012. As per this agreement, the people with diverse background including people with disability, indigenous people, old workers, and the people with long term unemployment can participate in the work programs. Moreover, the agreement indicates that these employees will be able to avail the opportunity to get the proper training session based on the innovative job creation. In June 2011, the Reconciliation Action Plan was launched and it was observed the number of the indigenous employees increased up to 2,506. It is noted that the plan attempts to assist the prevention of the gaps between non-indigenous ad indigenous people working within the same organisational environment. There are four major pillars associated with the formulation of such plan and these are as follows: Relationships: The first focus is to establish the positive working relationships with both the internal and the external stakeholder groups and the leaders in the community. Opportunities: The continuous process is enabling the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian for facilitating the raining, employment, business, and education opportunities with Woolworths. The initiative undertaken by the company is considering both the formal and the informal access to the work related programs. More specifically, working with the small businesses along with the community investment programs has been considering the high range of the stores with high indigenous customer base. Respect: The development of the cultural understanding within the business environment has been encouraging the company to avail more opportunities as well as creating several policies and protocols. Reporting: The Company has been concentrating on keeping the records, monitoring the progress, and tracking the efficiencies of the outcomes. The above segments are reflecting the workplace diversity and the cultural evaluation necessary for the sustainability management. The key highlights associated with the business practices are much remarkable. It is noted that almost 53.6% of the female workforces are associated with the organisational activities. In fact, the women are provided with the leadership roles to manage the organisational purposes (Dunning 2014). The maintenance of the flexibility in the workplace scenario is thus concerning the opportunity to establish the business in the international market by considering such cultural influences. Dimensions of the National Culture Geert Hofstede, the Dutch social psychologist introduced culture as the set of behavioural rules that are needed to be maintained by the group of people. He has identified the five diversified dimensions related to such cultural values and has taught the cooperation within the evaluation of the human essentials. These diversified dimensions included in the Hofstedes Model are discussed further: Power Distance: As opined by Brewer and Venaik (013), the power distance dimension is considered as the literal management layer that connects the employees with upper authority. It is to be indicated that the individual contractor needs to report to the manager, manager needs to present the report to the director, director to the vice president, and vice president report to the CEO of the company (Hill, Cronk and Wickramasekera 2013). Unger, Rank and Gemnden (2014) revealed that the Power Distance Index (PDI) is mainly concentrating on the degree of equality and inequality. PDI Characteristic Tips High PDI Centralized Organisation Identified gaps in author, compensation, and respect Complex hierarchy Acknowledging the status of the leaders. Low PDI Equality between the employees and supervisors Higher delegate Involving the decision-making process, which can be affected directly Table 1: Power Distance Index In keeping concentration on the higher PDI, it has been seen that the employees accept the inequality and the hierarchical distribution associated within an organisational scenario (Unger, Rank and Gemnden 2014). Employees need to understand the power specifications of the higher authority which drives the changes and lead the organisation towards progress (Venaik and Brewer 2016). More specifically, it can be mentioned that the cultural dimensions are representing the independent preferences for considering one state of affairs over another countries. The uniqueness of the individuals is therefore determined in this aspect. Zheng et al. (2012) even made a point in supporting such statement and it was stated that the culture is needed to be used by making the proper comparison between the power distances. Hence, the organisation may knock down the structural implication to connect the employees with the senior level. The power distance is even defining the ranking of the individuals in a society or in a company (Venaik and Brewer 2013). It has been seen that this is mostly used in the sociological and psychological studies. Some of the characteristics are associated with the power distance dimension in this Hofstedes model. The large power distance indicates the autocratic leadership, which describes the authoritarian decision-making (Ho, Wang and Vitell 2012). In such cases, the employees need to consider the power of the upper management and have to work as per their instructions (Venaik and Brewer 2013). Along with such autocratic style, this particular form is also described as the paternalistic management style and centralized authority. One can generally classify the power distance into low power and the high power. The point of view of the individual is necessary in this particular segment, which is indicating the different cultural value in the society. It is true that recognition of the high power distance is generally reflecting the reality of life (F ullan 2014). Within an organisation, the decision made by the higher authority can determine the organisational practices (Taras, Steel and Kirkman 2012). Hence, while one company is trying to operate the business globally, it is required to understand the importance of power distance. Difference between Small and Large Power Distance: The difference between such small and large power distance are structured in the table below: Small Power Distance Large Power Distance In the small power distance the use of power is needed to be authentic and subjected to the justified criteria of good or bad. The hierarchy is related to the inequality of roles and depended on the convenience Consultation is needed to be consulted Large power distance does not deal with legitimate functionality Hierarchy determines the existential inequality Larger power distance commands over the subordinates Table 2: Difference between Small and larger power distance In exploring the key concept of power distance, it can be inferred that if someone belongs to one culture that has been highlighting the high power distance; the person will view the society as the real form of the hierarchal power. In such cases, people tend to accept the reality and consider the authoritarian power and work accordingly (De Mooij 2013). The subordinates simply acknowledge the power of the superior people as per the hierarchy. People usually follow the leader to maintain their position in the society (Ferraro and Brody 2015). The orders received from the higher authority are hardly questions due to such power distance. Figure 1: Hofstedes five cultural dimensions Individualism: This dimension of the model has been signifying the unique characteristic attributes of the employees as well as the formulation of integrated collective group. In other words, it can also be stated that the individualism refers to the culture of the self-oriented members that reflects in their behaviour. Lim and Park (2013) pointed out that the culture of the individualists can be placed as higher value based attributes that determines the individual achievement and the self-interests. The collectivism is the opposite form of individualism (Berger 2014). In this aspect, the collectivism refers to the societal purposes, which has no link with the individual characteristics. The difference between the individualism and collectivism is presented further: Individualism Collectivism People usually are concentrating on their own selves and their current family People focus on extending families and protect them in exchange of the loyalties. Right of privacy Belonging stress Classified as individuals Classified as group Present their personal opinion Consulting with the group Task prevails over relationships Relationships prevails over tasks Table 3: Difference between Individualism and Collectivism Individualism is considered as the political philosophy, social outlook, or the moral stance that influence the moral worth of the individuals (Shafritz, Ott and Jang 2015). It has been seen that the individuals usually promote the practices that are necessary in accomplishing the pre-determined goals. It is even helpful for recognising the self-worth and makes a person self-reliable. The advocacies related to the individual interests are needed to be achieved through the preferences over any social group or a state (Taras et al. 2014). On the other hand, opposing the external interference upon the interests of others by the institutions or any society can also be considered in this segment (Antonczyk, Breuer and Salzmann 2014). The basic focus of the individualism is to define the fundamental premises, which consider the human individual as the primary importance. Therefore, the individualism is often described as the right of the individual to freedom and self-realization. The position of the individualism in a society can sometimes be controversial. On the contrary, it has been seen that the person can take the attempt to identify the self-interests depending on the personal needs (Ferraro and Brody 2015). In such cases, the individualists disobey the social structure in a prominent manner. Lee, Scandura and Sharif (2014) ensured that one of the most common traits on an individualist is the independent thinking. In fact, a form of ignorance can also be noticed in the behavioural trait of an individualist. Masculinity and Femininity: In considering the masculinity dimension, the societal preferences are depended on the achievements. Some of the researches related to this dimension are specifying the values based on genders. Firstly, it has been seen the value of the woman slightly differ from that of the value of men in the society. On the other hand, it is seen that the value of the men varies from one country to another by containing the assertive dimensions. In case of the internationalized companies, this assertiveness is also much required (Venaik and Brewer 2013). In some of the cases, the value of men determines the competitiveness in considering the value of the women. In feminine countries, the same modesty has been found while in the masculine country, the reflection of the competitiveness has been featured. The gap between the values of men and women is also being featured in such cases. However, the differences between the value of masculinity and femininity are presented f urther: Masculinity Femininity The maximum amount of the emotional and the differentiation between social roles are found. Fewer amounts of the emotional and diversified social roles are foreseen. Work usually prevails over the family members Maintenance of the balance between the family and work is recognised Men should be assertive and women may sometimes be assertive and ambitious. Both men and women are needed to be caring and modest Boys usually fight back and they never cry. On the other hand, girls usually cry and have not got the authority to fight back. Both the boys and girls can cry but they never should fight back. Sympathy is shown for the weak Admirations are for the strong personalities Both the mothers and fathers have to deal with the facts and the feelings Mothers deal with the feelings and fathers deal with the facts The number of children should be decided by the mother Fathers usually decide the number of the children Many woman can take participations on the elected political parties Few of the women have the authority to participate on the elected political parties. Religions are mainly based on the human beings Religions are mainly based on the gods and goddesses. Table 4: Differences between Masculinity and Femininity Unger, Rank and Gemnden (2014) mentioned that the masculinity is usually signifying the traits of the male as recognised by the society. On the contrary, as opined by Zheng et al. (2012), the femininity is considered as the traditional thoughts of conventional traits that are possessed by the individuals. Such of these traits are carefulness, supportive, and something surrounding the relationship attributes. It is to be notified that each of the types is responding to the societal matters in diversified ways. In case of the business companies, the audiences play such roles of responding in different manners (Budhwar and Debrah 2013). In this regards, the communicators need to realize the relevant culture that is needed to be accepted for surviving in a society. Masculine cultures are mostly depended on the male gender roles, which are mainly associated with the success, value, and competition. The assimilation of the power, dominance, assertiveness, and the material success is forese en within such traits of the behaviour. According to Moran, Abramson and Moran (2014), this particular dimension has been signifying the measurement of the organisational personality against the stereotypes culture of masculinity and femininity. Most importantly, one company with the nature of the masculinity is mainly operating the business with more assertiveness and the competiveness. On the other hand, the feminine culture within an organisation is mostly associated with the modesty and care approaches. Hence, the employees are always shown the ways of their leaders. If the leaders tend to focus on the masculine traits, the assertiveness as well as the competitiveness will be huge in amount. Similarly, the feminism culture would specify the modesty and caring accordingly. Following the path of the masculine nature would encourage the employees to be more competitive towards the competitors. Simultaneously, following the feminism within an organisation would lead the employees to wards acquiring the trait of tolerance and compassions. Uncertainty Avoidance: Lee, Scandura and Sharif (2014) explained that the uncertainty avoidance differs from the risk avoidance. The uncertainty avoidance is much influenced by tolerance for ambiguity. To be very specific, it can be mentioned that the indication of the uncertainty avoidance is justifying the extent of providing the comforts to the members of the cultural program. The application of several codes of conduct, rules, regulations, and laws are effective enough in preventing such uncertain situations. There are some of the classifications are seen between the weak and string uncertain avoidance. These are shown below: Strong Uncertainty Avoidance Weak Uncertainty Avoidance Involvement of the higher stress, anxiety, emotionality, and neuroticism Low stress, low anxiety, ease, and self-control. The inherent life seems to be surrounded with more threats that are needed to be solved out The inherent life is associated with acceptability and each of the day can be survived Require the clarifications and structured methods Quite comfortable with chaos and ambiguity Rules are required for the emotional state of mind if it is not being controlled. Written and unwritten rules are eliminated. Score is low in considering the well-being and subjective health Score is high in considering the well-being and subjective health Staying in jobs is tough and disliked Job can be changed frequently The belief in ultimate truth is associated with the religious views as well as the philosophies. Citizens usually feel more competent towards the authorities in case of the political scenario. Intolerance is found Tolerance is the major trait Table 5: Difference between Strong and Weak Uncertainty Avoidance Societies It is to be noted that people tend to control their lives as per their wishes and expectations. The societies, which are much fused towards the uncertainty avoidance, more likely to be attempting the predictable life. However, once they feel that they cannot get hold of such society or lives, they usually stop trying to chase their wishes. These people usually put their faith on Gods. The model of Hofstede deals with the measurement of the employees comfort level with the evaluation of the unstructured environments. When any of the surprising events take place, many of the people are unable to tolerate such conditions. In determining the organisational scenario, the structure is needed to be depended on the efficiency and safety (Zheng et al. 2012). Any organisation associated with the creative skills is much influenced by the cultural flexibility and problem solving traits. If the employee cannot find the required comfort while dealing with a global organisation, it will be harmful for the company to acquire the profitability. The employee who is much fond of planning each moment of the working life might get frustrated too easily in such situations. Long Term Orientation: The long term orientation usually refers to the degree to which people explain their extent of being inexplicable. This long term orientation is somewhat related to the nationalism and religiosity (Taras et al. 2014). This particular dimension is added currently and due to such reason, the information regarding such dimension is very less. However, it is noted that this particular dimension has the linking with the eastern culture in time of the Chinese leader Confucius (Venaik and Brewer 2013). The dimension is usually concentrating on the measurement of the long term values and is completely against of the short term values. In this structure, the leaders are highly respected. It has been seen that the employers with the lesser measurement of the long-term orientation signify the stability and maintain the customs, which is reflecting the reciprocating favours and rewards from others. The dimensions based on the natural culture are signifying the cultural value and the diversifications associated in the society (Schneider, Ehrhart and Macey 2013). Company like Woolworths need to identify the proper dimensions while expanding the business globally. Even though the organisational cultures are much influenced by the national cultures, there are some of the significant differences are also foreseen (Fullan 2014). The description of the differentiation between the organisational culture and national culture is provided further: Organisational Culture versus National Culture The superior strength of the national culture and the organisational culture depends on the consequences. It is to be indicated that whether it is national culture or the organisational culture, both have the significant impact on the lives of the people (Li et al. 2013). It is sometimes rare for the employees. In fact, the corporations which have been operating globally may face the potential challenges and conflicts in adjusting with such diversified changes. Brigham et al. 2014) pointed out that the culture of a country signifies the formal traits whereas the organisational culture mostly signifies the informal traits. The result derived from such shared values, behaviours of the population group, and preferences are different to each of the segments. In case of the formulation of of the sub-groups, the preferences are also different to each other. On the other hand, in describing the organisational culture, the establishment of the align behaviours and common values are taken into consideration as the benefits. Antonczyk, Breuer and Salzmann (2014) revealed other different forces can also shape the organisational culture. In many of the corporate firms, use of the corporate ethics guidelines and employee handbook is required. Apart from these, the written value definitions as well as the other tools are also necessary for determining this type of alignment with the national culture (Ferraro and Brody 2015). The previous researches cannot present the justified answer in defining the alignment between the organisational culture and the national culture. Some of the published results have presented some useful materials regarding such subject matter. However, the debate is based on the superiority of the power between these two cultures. It is to be indicated that there is no scope of assuming the strengthened capacity of the corporate culture, which sometimes create influence on the national culture (Cavusgil et al. 2014). When employees are trying to respond in focusing on the national culture, the conflict with the organisational culture takes place more prominently. Therefore, many of the corporations seek for recruiting only those who are compatible with their organisational cultures and perform the business practices accordingly (Berger 2014). Some of the changes in the several segments of the organisational culture are required in such cases. Simultaneously, some of the stages are needed to be developed accordingly for resolving such conflicts, which can make the foreigners feel much comfortable in dealing with the companies. However, the compromise with the national culture is much required in such cases. Some of the theorists developed the dimensions to evaluate differences foreseen in the national culture. It is to be interpreted that the influence of such diversified cultures may create the significant impact on the foreign employees while they have been dealing with the foreign stakeholders (Herzfeld 2014). More specifically, the managers usually face the potential challenges while recruiting people from different cultural background. Banks (2015) explained that the national cultures are mainly concentrated on the deep rooted value in determining the respective cultures (Ang and Van Dyne 2015). The cultural values associated with such aspect have been structuring the expectation of the people to maintain the strengthened and transparent relationship with the leaders. However, such of these expectations are needed to be balanced between the employees and the employers. In some of the cases, it is seen that the cultural distance cause the conflicts and problems for the companies, wh ich are operating the business globally. During the recruitment process, the company may ensure the benefits of establishing the unified organisational cultures (Shafritz, Ott and Jang 2015). The major difference between these two cultures is that while national culture is found to be associated with the values of the culture, the corporate culture is based on the diversified corporate practices. The international companies are needed to be accustomed with such cultural value that can be helpful in expanding the business across the borders and achieve the success accordingly (Cavusgil et al. 2014). The practices found in the national culture can sometimes be difficult in managing people to make them socialize. It is to be noted that not every company get benefitted y recruiting the people from diversified cultural background. The corporate culture has to cope with the differences existed in the national culture (Ang and Van Dyne 2015). On the contrary, many of the corporations usually exploit the cultural differences to und erstand the core value of the cultural competence. Necessity of the dimensional model The continuous changes in world may sometimes affect the cultural values for both the nationalism and the corporate aspect. Hence, it is important to create the dimension paradigm that will be helpful to understand the underpinning logic and diversified implications of change (Ferraro and Brody 2015). Some of the critics have presented their argumentative suggestions, which indicate that the dimensions are needed to be extended in considering the frequent changes in the Globe. However, while analysing the statistical concept, it has been seen that majority of the dimensions are already exist. Moran, R.T., Abramson and Moran (2014) explained that these statistical paradigms require the proper validation by ensuring the establishment of the effective correlation. The assimilation of the external measurement is also much required in such cases (De Mooij 2013). More specifically, it can be inferred that the huge numbers of the dimensions are generally small in structure. Scope for Woolworths in operating globally The above discussion has been specifying the dimensional view of the natural culture. It is true that Woolworths has been promoting the diversifying cultural programs for the organisation to maintain the sustainability. However, while expanding business in the international market, it is required to keep the concentration on the local culture. It is a retail chain and it requires the customer base for determining the achievement of the business objectives. While establishing the business infrastructure in the foreign countries or in the international market, it is required to identify the cultural traits of the local societies. The identification of their needs would be considered as the driving force for maintaining sustainability. However, in some of the cases, majority of the global corporations fail to manage the dimensional aspects. Being a local retail sector, Woolworths needs to keep the business standards high to operate globally. Dealing with the diversified cultured people is quite a difficult aspect to perform. In fact, while operating globally, the company would require the local people to be associated with the business practices. For example, if the western culture aligns with the eastern culture, the possibilities of conflicts may arise. More specifically, if Woolworths need to expand their business in Asian countries, the difference between the cultural traits may clash. In such case, the occurrence of any of the conflicts may prove to be much harmful for the business establishment. Conclusion The study has been considering the difference between the national culture and the corporate culture. To be very specific, it can be stated that the study has been featuring the impact of the national culture on the corporations, which are operating the business practices globally. The changes in the global market have been very frequent in these current times. The study is associated with the generalised idea of the business practices maintained by Woolworths, the famous retail brand in Australian market. It is to be noted that the comoany has been maintaining the cultural traits in a commendable manner. Therefore, the company has been promoting the diversity aspect to maintain the cultural differences among the employees and facilitate the business programs. The agreement of Reconciliation Action Plan for promoting the diversity program is providing the opportunities to the indigenous people. However, in considering the national cultures, the dimension model of Hofstede has been de fined. References Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L., 2015.Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge. Antonczyk, R.C., Breuer, W. and Salzmann, A.J., 2014. Long-term orientation and relationship lending: a cross-cultural study on the effect of time preferences on the choice of corporate debt.Management International Review,54(3), pp.381-415. Aronczyk, M., 2013.Branding the nation: The global business of national identity. Oxford University Press. Banks, J.A., 2015.Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Berger, T.U., 2014. Norms, Identity, and National Security.Security Studies: A Reader. Brewer, P. and Venaik, S., 2013. National culture dimensions are national, not individual. InAIBSEAR 2013: Academy of International Business Southeast Asia Regional Conference. 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The Grapes Of Wrath Essays (624 words) - Dust Bowl, U.S. Route 66

The Grapes of Wrath If you consider Ma Joad concrete then consider Pa limestone... The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, shows a whole family and their struggles. The grapes of Wrath is modeled after a biblical reference to the Israelites, god?s chosen people. They also left their land, Egypt, and wandered into the desert for many years,searching in vain for a promised land, the land of milk and honey. A lot like the Israelites, many farmers in the middle of the country began migrating to California. The Joads I believe had no choice but to leave the dust bowl to find work. They also had to cross the desert and lost the life of Grandma Joad in the process. During the depression the Joads? farm was foreclosed. Them and all around them were driven from their land. The depression caused all to be extremely poor. If this hadn?t been the case the migrants would have all made it to the west coast a lot easier. The country set itself up during the depression in a way that caused only a vicious circle. The country was in a rut and held itself there. Steinbeck was trying to capture an average depression swept family. In this search he created the Joads. Banks began to foreclose on farms and people became homeless. The losses of everything they owned caused people to have no choice. The only way was to leave. They were driven from their land. A difficult struggle lied ahead for the people. They left with everything they owned. There was so little, they strapped it onto, usually to a rundown old pick-up truck. With Steinbeck trying to show the real life issues intermitanly introduced all the political aspects and outlooks of the depression. He would, in odd chapters, show the aspects that lay for everyone, not just the Joads. Stein beck often showed the prejudice and hatred for the migrants. Somewhere around the middle of the book an ?okie? family stops at a roadside 66 truck stop. They are hoping to buy some bread with the mere money they have rationed. The waitress is very bitter and tries to get rid of the man. She turns down his needs for a half a loaf of bread. her boss turns and reprimands her. The man is sold a small amount of bread for his money. The man turns to see his little boys gazing at the candy case. It eats at his stomach to know that he can?t afford to buy his boys candy. The man timidly asks if t! he candy is penny candy. The waitress replies no. The man aches. The waitress turns and states that it?s two for a penny. Smiling as they head down the road the waitress feels good about herself as the candies were a nickel a piece. The depression and all the migrant brought a lot of spite and anger. But in a few cases it also caused people to draw up a kinder side of the waitress Mae, was shown by Steinbeck. Probably the biggest act of kindness Steinbeck shows is in the end of the novel. The biggest symbols found by myself lead to the loss. Rose of Sharon Joad loses her baby before she delivers. Afterwards, as were very familiar with comes great flooding. This is where Steinbeck shows the coming generosity. Rose of Sharon breast feeds a starving stranger, saving a life. The effect on people because of the depression is shown by Steinbeck. He shows the kindness and the bitterness that came to our country. The effect comes from death and poverty just the same as any time period but the cause was much stronger- the depression.

Strangers on a Train Essays

Strangers on a Train Essays Strangers on a Train Essay Strangers on a Train Essay Essay Topic: The Stranger Chris Colangelo Film as an Art Form 32660 Frank Foster Strangers on a Train Word Count 1559 1. Guy Haines is a pro tennis player from Metcalf that feels tennis is not what he wants to do with his life and that politics is what he is meant for. Guy doesn’t drink or smoke much but will do so on occasion, Guy is very friendly and modest about his fame. When Guy meets Bruno on the train for the first time he doesn’t want to be around him for very long as Bruno tends to intrude into Guy’s personal life. It makes Guy upset. Guy’s wife has been cheating on him and wants a divorce and Guy doesn’t want to talk about it with Bruno. Guy has a weird sense of humor as he sarcastically says things like, â€Å"I thought murder was against the law† or â€Å"sure Bruno, sure they’re ok†. Guy has acquired a significant financial gain from his tennis playing and when he goes to Metcalf to meet with his wife to finalize the divorce, she double crosses him and literally tries to ruin his life for her personal gain. Guy gets so angry about his wife’s double crossing he tells her she will pay and while on the phone with his girlfriend, Anne Morton, he says he could strangle her or break her neck. Even though Guy is very upset by his wife’s actions, he was alarmed to find that Bruno had killed his wife and called Bruno a crazy maniac and tells Bruno that he is going to the police, but when Bruno tells him that he will be viewed as an accessory to murder Guy regretfully agrees not to go to the police and acts like he doesn’t know anything. Guy sometimes can’t control his feelings toward Bruno and at one point punches Bruno in the face for making a seen at a party. Guy is dating Anne Mortan who is a senator’s daughter which makes him look as if he were dating her as a way into politics. Guy gets easily offended at the mention of such accusations. Guy cares about keeping Anne Morton and her family out of the mess of the murder. He also cares about keeping a good public image to help him get into politics. Guy is a bad liar. When the phone is brought to him and he finds out it was Bruno he quickly hangs up the phone and when asked who it was he said,† There must have been a mistake, it wasn’t for me†. Clearly showing suspicion by the fact that Guy is a bad liar tells a little about his character, he is just a typical honest man that likes to play tennis. . Bruno Antony is a very wealthy man from Arlington but not by his own work. His family is rich and Bruno simply lives off of his family’s wealth. Bruno is very talkative and cares about his mother who is mentally ill. Bruno likes to smoke, drink, and gamble and that is the behavior that got him kicked out of three colleges. Bruno believes that you should do everything before you die to an un realistic level. Bruno’s father thinks that Bruno is a bum and is determined to get Bruno a job if it’s the last thing he does. Bruno can’t stand that his father has so much money and insists that Bruno get a job like a normal person. Bruno often thinks about different ways to kill his father and the thought is relaxing to him Bruno even says, â€Å"I used to put myself to sleep at night figuring it all out†. Bruno is a psychotic man; he thinks and plots about murder, often creating a plan and running through it in his mind. When Bruno meets Guy on the train for the very first time he already knows everything about Guy; his tennis career, his interest in politics, his divorce, his girlfriend, everything. Bruno reads about everything and everyone. Bruno likes Guy and wants to be Guy’s friend even though Guy doesn’t seem to have any desire to be around Bruno. Bruno gets into Guy’s personal life and brings up sensitive things that he knows about. Bruno merely talks to Guy about the idea of swapping murders and even though Guy is repulsed by the idea, Bruno moves forward as if they had cut a deal. Bruno is very resourceful; he seems to always know where Guy is and how to get ahold of him. He also has no trouble finding Guy’s wife, Miriam. Bruno waits by her house, waiting for her to leave, he follows her and the two men she is with to a theme park. Bruno enjoys the thrill of the hunt. He loves following Miriam as if it were a game to him. Bruno flirts with Miriam using simple eye gestures and smiles, making it all the more easier for Bruno to complete his murder. When Bruno kills Miriam, he doesn’t just attack her from behind, he gets right up in her face and flicks the lighter to illuminate their faces, he looks right into her eyes and asks her if she’s Miriam. When she replies, he wraps his hands around her throat and strangles her to death with no remorse. When Bruno tells Guy about what he had done, Guy says he’s going to the police but Bruno quickly tricks Guy into thinking that if he goes to the police that he will be an accessory to murder as Bruno has nothing to gain by killing Guy’s wife so Guy must have convinced Bruno to kill his wife. Even though Bruno is very smart he is also very impatient. He shows himself to Guy even when he knows that Guy has police following him at all times. Bruno is under the impression that he had completed his end of the deal and Guy owes him the death of Bruno’s father. When Bruno finds that Guy has no intention of killing his father he decides to go back to the scene of the crime and plant Guy’s lighter to give the police evidence that would link Guy to the murder. Even after Bruno is shot and knows he is going to die, he still won’t admit to the murder and continues to frame Guy. 3. Guy and Bruno are very different men but they are similar in some ways. Bruno and Guy both feel that they have been wronged; Bruno by his father’s wanting him to work, and Guy’s wife cheating on him, then double crossing him and ruining his life for monetary gain. Both Bruno and Guy have money and they both want to be more in life than their current position. Guy wants to get into politics and Bruno wants to do something he feels is important. Both men are intelligent and use their intelligence to work toward their goals; Guy moving forward in his career and Bruno manipulating Guy to keep himself out of prison. Both men break the law and make foolish decisions; Bruno by killing Miriam and Guy by slipping out and ditching his police escort. 4. There are objects in the movie that link multiple characters together. The first is Bruno’s tie clip given to him by his mother. The fact that his name is on the tie clip is very important in itself because it becomes an identifier. Anne Morton notices this when Bruno talks to Guy out side when he is with Anne. Guy tells her that he has never met him before and that he was simply just a fan. But later, when at the tennis courts, Bruno introduces himself again as if they had never met. Because Anne saw Bruno’s tie clip she was certain that it was the same man and that something was up. Another object in the movie was Miriam’s glasses. After Bruno killed her he took the glasses and gave them to Guy as proof of the murder. Later in the movie, not the physical glasses themselves, but the mental image of the glasses Bruno had in his head reminded him of the murder. When seeing Anne’s sister Barbara who looked a little like Miriam, the glasses reminded him of the murder and he had a flashback to the crime. This was obvious to Barbara and when Barbara told Anne about it, she said she had noticed it too. This was one of the key pieces in Anne discovering that Bruno killed Miriam. 5. The object use for the resolution of the story was Guy’s lighter that had tennis rackets and A G engraved on it. This is very important because it clearly can be proven to belong to Guy and would put him at the scene of the crime if Bruno had placed it there. Bruno knew this and was very careful when someone asked for a light on the train. Bruno pulled out a box of matches even though he had the lighter in his hand. Bruno didn’t want anyone to see him with the lighter and it would lose its ability to link Guy to the murder. At the end of the movie the lighter was used to prove that Bruno was planning on planting the lighter on the island to frame Guy. That one single Item was what cleared Guy’s name.

Non microsoft desktop operating system Research Paper

Non microsoft desktop operating system - Research Paper Example The variety includes Sun solaris, AIX, HP-UX with each one of them making UNIX a success story. This article describes each of the operating system based on their emergence and the subsequent enhancements to make them significant to the users. Introduction The use of UNIX among the computer owners has remarkably increased over the last 25 years. Its popularity arose due to its contribution in the launching of the internet and worldwide web. Most of the people shifted from the Microsoft operating system during this phase when UNIX system associated with launching of the internet and World Wide Web. This triggers the need to establish the use of the different UNIX operating system even though they are not product of the popular Microsoft. There is a stiff competition existing in the market due to the variety of operating software existing in the market for the users. The UNIX system being a non-Microsoft desktop operating systems have integrated various categories of its product in ord er to increase its use among the consumers. Each of the commands available for the UNIX system can be found along with the three major types: Sun solaris, AIX and HP-UX. These three types of the operating system represent the various modifications that have been made over the years. TYPES OF UNIX OS Hewlett-Packard HP-UX The emergence of Hewlett-Packard Unix in the market largely relied on the System V release 3. A platform of PA-RISC HP 9000 supported the full running of the product before the introduction of the Version 1. The year 2001 marked a milestone for the system following the introduction of the reinforcement of Itanium systems. Further, the HP-UX acted as the first system to allow the users to incorporate the Access Control List (ACLs). The Access Control List (ACLs) is useful in managing file permissions. The incorporation of reinforcement for the Logical Volume Manager in the system also made the HP-UX be a success story. It represents the first product from the Unix Sy stems, which availed choice for the customers to purchase a certain type of operating environment. This is different to the other systems, which offered the customers with general operating environments. The HP-UX also allows the users to access to the file system used by a third party, in form of Veritas, unlike other systems. The system also avails the users with many choices based on virtualization, for instance, Vpars, resource partitions, and nPartitions (Ritchie, 2003). The users can also run the system on HP 9000s thereby illustrating the ease of use. Further, the HP-UX can also run on Integrity Itanium systems. The system is also able to run on 128-processor cores without any failure. The properties of HP-UX, from its ability to use Veritas to variety of virtualization, make the product popular among the users who would like to associate with a strong command line. Most of the OS users also prefer HP-UX because of the inclusion of a menu base system, which allows for efficie ncy during use. Sun Solaris This is an operating system meant for the non-Microsoft desktops introduced as the result of modification to the SunOS. The modification of the SunOS to the Sun Solaris arose due to the need of doing away with the BSD flavor. The BSD flavor was the major component of Unix before the year 1992 followed by the SunOS versions 5.0. The Sun Solaris came into being after the rebranding of the Unix System V.

Dessert cafe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dessert cafe - Essay Example There are a lot of dessert cafes in Australia and these cafes offer some of the world’s greatest dessert items. The demand for dessert products is seen not only in sweet toothed customers but also others who occasionally opt for something sweet after their meals. The curiosity of trying something new along with the need for sweet food items pushes the people to want to taste the innovative products produced in these cafes. They are incredibly a feast to the eyes and taste even better than they look. Possessing this kind of a combination of looks and taste, such a thing is difficult to be resisted. Sweet items like chocolate and ice-cream are said to change the moods of a human, that is, turn an upset person into a happy go lucky. Desserts have an ability to console the souls of people through their sense of taste. So when these items are consumed when a person is in a really good mood, then there is no doubt that he would experience heaven right here on earth. Although a lot o f eating healthy trends have arisen, desserts have not lost their prominence in the lifestyle of people. When such trends arise, desserts undergo more innovation and integrate more nutrients that make it healthier. Even people who are health-conscious and those who go to gym prefer desserts once in a while if not frequently. Desserts have special powers in them that make customers stick to them and the people just cannot seem to get enough. This helplessness to resist dessert items of the people is exploited by dessert cafes in Australia such as Chocolate By The Bald Man, Spats and Capers. Chocolate which is an all time favorite of children would definitely lure in all the small chocolate lovers right through the doors of this cafà ©. Chocolate is also an element that remains best loved among most grown ups. With their preference to chocolate backed with the novelty of the products offered, the people are sure to treat themselves to the delicious desserts offered in this