Monitor work operations Assignment

Monitor work operations
Monitor work operations

Monitor work operations

Order Instructions:

This is case study one name Monitor work operations which has two parts need one page for each thanks 500 words

SAMPLE ANSWER

Monitor work operations

Case Study A

Managing work overload within the hotel industry can sometimes be a daunting task, especially when the customers are many (Casado, 2011). The customers may end up complaining leading loss of customers. In order to handle such a large number of clients within their hotel, the manager needs to plan well into the afternoon. First, they should ensure that whatever is required within the hotel is availed in good time. This would help to avoid the last minute rush that would keep the customers waiting. In addition, the manager should prepare for the afternoon by ensuring that he properly informs the workers of the workload ahead of them. This would enable them to prepare both physically and psychologically in to handle the pressure that is ahead of them. In this engagement, the manager needs to talk with the employees and give them room to make suggestions on how they intend to handle the pressure.

In times of pressure, effective delegation of duties enables the manager to execute his plans in accordance to the work overload. The manager should delegate the duties among the worker such that he has maximum control of all the activities taking place at any particular time. Therefore, the manager should properly select the task to delegate and match it with the right person for the job. The highly skilled employees should be attached to areas that are very sensitive and require their expertise. The manager should also encourage leaderless groups and allow leaders to merge from the naturally in order to encourage decision making. During this urgent delegation, high risk and highly sensitive areas require maximum supervision and constant eye check to ensure that all operations run as planned.

The problem within this organization is that their restaurant is fully booked and the visitors are expected to arrive shortly and they are less prepared to handle them. The problem becomes more complicated when their expected visitors decides to extend their arrival time, which makes them to relax and focus on other duties. When more guests arrive, a lot of pressure is put on the workers and their ability to deliver quality service within a very short period. This makes most of their customers upset since they are unable to get quality food within reasonable time. Unable to wait any longer, the customers begin to walk out of the hotel, leaving them with possible losses as they will not be able to sell the hurriedly prepared meal.

Short term solutions call for the management to set priorities among the employees such that every one of them knows what to do at what time. They should also manage their time properly so that no food is presented at their table in the right time to avoid walk out of the customers.   Long-term solution calls for the management to plan their work and hire enough employees in accordance to the expected workload of the business.

Case Study B

One of the housekeeping problems at Rockstone Hotel is that there are few staff to match the extensive workload in the hotel. Therefore, the two persons who are responsible for cleaning the hotel are not able to carry out their duties in required time. Another housekeeping problem at this hotel is that workload is not properly distributed, making Barney to relax most of the time between lunch and dinner. In addition, Betty, who acts as the manager of housekeeping services, is unable to organize things properly such that no problem is reported within the hotel.

In order to assess the staff workload and workflow, the manager should consider the length of time it takes the workers to complete their time (Larkin, 2009). If they take too long while working normally, then it is evident that the workers are overloaded.

The options available for Frank and Jossie to improve the situation at their hotel are to hire more able workers to help the already overloaded workforce. Another available option for these couples to improve the profitability at their hotel is to procure the services of an able housekeeping manager to organize operations in a professional manner.

References

Casado, M.A. (2011). Housekeeping Management. Wiley, end edition

Larkin, E.M. (2009). How to Run a Great Hotel: Everything you need to achieve excellence in the hotel industry. Ho

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Elasticity of demand for university courses

Elasticity of demand for university courses
Elasticity of demand for university courses

Elasticity of demand for university courses

Order Instructions:

Instructions
As a policy analyst you have been asked to calculate the elasticity of demand for university
courses. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the assumption that the universities that increased their
fees by 30% experienced an overall decrease in student applications of 3%.

1. What is the price elasticity of demand for courses at the universities that increased
their fees by 30%?
2. Is demand for these courses elastic or inelastic?
3. What factors do you think are responsible for this degree of elasticity?
4. Is tuition fee revenue likely to increase or decrease at these particular universities?

Questions 5 to 8 are based on the assumption that the 30% fee increase at the universities that
increased fees caused an overall increase in student applications of 8% at those universities
that did not increase their fees.

5. What is the cross-elasticity of demand for courses at universities that did not increase
their fees with respect to the price of courses at universities that did increase their
fees?
6. Are courses at different universities substitutes or complements?
7. Is demand for courses at the universities that did not increase their fees elastic or
inelastic with respect to universities that did increase their fees? What is the
importance of this degree of elasticity?
8. Finally, what are some of the factors that might cause the Minister for Education to
argue that changes in demand for course are not necessarily related to the fee changes?

Based on economic analysis of the above issue, prepare a 1,200 word report using the
following structure:

  • Purpose
  • Method
  •  Results
  • Discussion
  • Recommendations.

Please ensure that you clearly define your terms and explain your results.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Elasticity of demand for university courses

Abstract

The purpose of elasticity is to measure the responsiveness of changes or the relationship that exists when price are changed and the quantity demanded of the products also changes or remains constant. The purpose of this paper is to show the relationship that exists when the fees chargeable to students are increased and the students’ applications decreases. The theory of elasticity and its relationship to the fee increment and student applications is analyzed to determine the rate of elasticity and whether the relationship is elastic or inelastic.

Introduction

The price elasticity of demand (PED) or (Ed) measures the responsiveness or compares the changes in the quantity demanded to the changes in prices while the Cross price (Ex) elasticity refers to the ratio or the rate of % change in the quantity demanded of a product or service to a given % change in the price of the other good or service. There are many factors that may be responsible for these inelasticity’s or elasticities other than the price factors that are not directly related to the quantities demanded which in this case is the fees being charged at the university and the rate of student’s applications.

Methodology

Elasticity explains or reflects the sensitivity or changes in a variable as compared to the changes on the other variable.  The price elasticity of demand (PED) compares or measures the responsiveness of changes in the quantity demanded to the changes in prices. Price elasticities are in most cases negative but their signs are mostly ignored. When the calculated Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) is less than one (>1) then it’s inelastic. (Frank, 2008)  It means that the overall changes in prices of the products sold have little effect on quantities of products demanded. (Melvin & Boyes, 2002) But when the Ed is greater than <1 then the overall changes in prices of goods or products sold have a large effect on the average quantities of goods demanded. The PED is said to be elastic. Ed represents the elasticity coefficient that is used to calculate the rate or degree of elasticity. (Kreps, 1990)

Results

  1. To calculate the Price Elasticity of Demand for the University fee increment and its reactions,

the following formula is utilized to obtain the PED = %∆Q/%∆P i.e. the % change in the quantities demanded / the % change in the prices of products or goods. (Henderson, 2008)

The percentage change in the number of students is -3% while the fee increment was 30%

The price elasticity of demand is equal to %∆Q/%∆P = -3 %/30%

= 0.1

Ed = 0.1

  1. The PED for the university courses is 0.1 i.e. it’s less than one hence the university courses are inelastic. Ed of 0.1 indicates that for every 1% of price increment, the number of students reduces by 0.1% or alternatively if the fee decreases by 1% then the number of student’s application also increases by 0.1%. (Colander, 2008)
  2. The factors that are responsible for this inelasticity maybe other factors which are not directly related to the fees being charged at the university. The most probable cause maybe the marketing strategies that the university has adopted and the lack of publicity for the courses being offered at the institution. The marketing strategies maybe ineffective or there are other factors like the competitiveness of the qualifications being offered at the institution. (Frank, 2008)

The other factors maybe the presence of other colleges or institutions nearby or other substitute alternatives than going to that college. These substitutes maybe the availability of jobs or other alternative courses or job training that maybe available. Students are more likely to opt for other alternatives if the terms are favorable. The other reasons may be a recent increment of fees that may have resulted in negative reactions and the consumer’s ability to pay the fees.

  1. The fee is likely to reduce in order to attract more students at the institution though it would not result in significant increase in student applications.
  2. Cross price elasticity refers to the ratio or the rate of % change in the quantity demanded of a product or service to a given % change in the price of the other good or service.

Ex = %∆QA/∆PB

Cross Elasticity of Demand = Percentage change in the quantity demanded of service A/

Percentage change in the Price of service B

Ex for the university courses = 3%/8% = 0.38%

  1. The percentage change in cross elasticity is positive which means that the universities are substitutes.
  2. The cross elasticity is inelastic as the Ex is less than one i.e. 0.38. The importance of cross elasticity is that since consumers are more price-sensitive and switching to close substitutes is very easy if alternative goods or services are available, the cross elasticity will be helpful in determining the behavior of consumers or the students. (Henderson, 2008)

Discussion

  1. Students are more likely to opt for other alternatives or substitutes if the terms at the respective university are unfavorable. The presence of alternatives and substitutes makes it difficult for the universities to act unilaterally as consumers evaluate their alternatives carefully when prices change. When the demand of services being offered is elastic then the consumers will be affected more with the price changes. The other reasons that may have contributed to the inelastic nature of the PED is that may be the university management may have had a recent increment of fees that may have resulted in negative reactions from the students also the consumer’s ability to pay the fees may have contributed to the inelasticity of demand.

The other factors maybe the change in income or the increased costs in fees maybe unaffordable to some students. These factors may have contributed to the inelasticity of demand for the university fees and student application. (Pindyck & Rubinfeld, 2001)

The factors that are responsible for this inelasticity maybe other factors which are not directly related to the fees being charged at the university. The most probable cause maybe the marketing strategies that the university has adopted and the lack of publicity for the courses being offered at the institution. These strategies maybe inadequate and ineffective. The university management should evaluate all its marketing strategies and involve professionals to develop its marketing communication strategies to promote its revenues.

Recommendation

The recommendation to the university management would be reduce the fees to the rates they were before the increment and also exploit other methods of increasing the student application processes. Though, the increment of the fees will have very little effect on the general application processes and also on the number of enrolment. The inelastic nature of the price elasticity of demand makes it difficult for the management to raise more revenues it would be better to engage the students on their needs in order to attract more student application. Other alternatives would be to adopt different strategies to market the institution and the courses available. (Heather, 2004)

Conclusion

The management of the university should exploit other methods of encouraging more student applications like offering special packages at reduced rates and conducting more promotional activities to create awareness of its academic calendar and the courses offered to increase its revenue instead of depending on increased fees to raise its revenues.

References

Colander, D. C. (2008) Microeconomics, 7th ed., Page 288 McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Frank, R. (2008). Microeconomics and Behavior (7th ed.) McGraw-Hill ISBN 978-0-07-126349-8

Heather, K. (2004) Economics: Theory and Action. Harlow: Prentice Hall.

Henderson, D. R. (2008) “Demand”. Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (2nd Ed) Indianapolis: Library of Economics and Liberty. ISBN 978-0865976658. OCLC 237794267

Kreps, D. A. (1990) Course in Microeconomic Theory, Princeton.

Melvin & Boyes (2002) Microeconomics 5th ed. page 267. Houghton Mifflin 2002

Pindyck, R & Rubinfeld, D. (2001) Microeconomics 5th ed. Prentice-Hall.

ASSIGNMENT 1 (30 MARKS)

 

Question 1                                                                          Total marks for Q1. (20 marks)

 

Financial statements of Nimbin Pty Ltd are presented below:

 

Nimbin P/L

Statement of Financial Position

As at 30 June 2013 and 2014

($000)

 

2014                       2013

 

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents                                                           $1,645                   $2,110

Accounts receivables (all trades)                                                 4,100                     3,675

Inventories                                                                                           7,000                   6,930

______                _____

Total current assets                                                        12,745                   12,715

______                ______

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment                                 17,190                   15,330

_______             ______

Total non-current assets                                               17,190                   15,330

_______             _______

Total assets                                                                                        $29,935 $28,045

=======             ======

Current liabilities

Payables                                                                                              $5,780                   $5,990

_______             ______

Total current liabilities                                                    5,780                     5,990

_______             ______

Non-current liabilities

Interest-bearing liabilities                                                            9,940                     9,450

_______             _____

Total non-current liabilities                                          9,940                     9,450

_______             _______

Total liabilities                                                                    $15,720 $15,440

======                ======

Equity

Share capital                                                                                      $7,700                   $7,700

Retained earnings                                                                             6,515                     4,905

_______             _______

Total equity                                                                                        $14,215 $12,605

======                ======

 

 

Nimbin P/L

Income Statement

As at 30 June 2014

($000)

 

Revenues (net sales)                                                                     $55,000

Less: cost of sales                                                                              35,100

_______

Gross profit                                                                                          19,900

_______

Less: Expenses

Selling and distribution expenses                                7,100

Administrative expenses                                                 4,970

Finance costs                                                                        1,560

______

Total expenses                                                                 13,630

______

Profit before income tax                                                                6,270

Income tax expense                                                         1,908

______

Profit                                                                                                     $4,362

=====

Nimbin P/L

Statement of changes in Equity

For the year ended 30 June 2014

($000)

 

Share capital

Ordinary (7,200.000 shares)

Balance at start of period                                                             $7,200

______

Balance at end of period                                                               7,200

_______

 

Preference (250,000 shares)

Balance at start of period                                                             500

______

Balance at end of period                                                               500

______

Total share capital                                                                            $7,700

======

 

Retained Earnings

Balance at start of period                                                             $4,905

Total income for the period                                                           4,362

Dividends paid – ordinary                                                             (2,702)

Dividends paid – preference                                                             (50)

______

Balance at end of period                                                               $6,515

======

Additional information:

Payables include $5,620 (2014) and $5,730 (2013) trade accounts payable; the remainder is accrued expenses. Market prices of issued shares at year-end (2014): Ordinary $12; Preference $6.70.

 

Required:

 

  1. Calculate the following ratios for 2014. The industry average for similar businesses is shown. (14 marks)

 

Industry average

  1. Rate of return on total assets 22%
  2. Rate of return on ordinary equity 20%
  3. Profit margin 4%
  4. Earnings per share 45c
  5. Price-earnings ratio 0
  6. Dividend yield 5%
  7. Dividend payout 70%
  8. Current ratio 5:1
  9. Quick ratio (acid ratio) 3:1
  10. Receivables turnover 13
  11. Inventory turnover 6
  12. Debt ratio 40%
  13. Times interest earned 6
  14. Assets turnover 8

 

  1. Given the above industry averages, comment on the company’s profitability, liquidity and use of financial gearing. (6 marks)

 

 

 

Question 2                                                                          Total marks for Q5. (10 marks)

  1. A local restaurant is noted for its fine food, as evidenced by the large number of customers. A customer was heard to remark that the secret of the restaurant’s success was its fine chef.  Would you regard the chef as an asset of the business?  If so, would you include the chef on the balance sheet of the business and at what value? (2 MARKS)

 

 

  1. Accounting provides much information to help managers make economic decisions in their various workplaces. You are required to provide examples of economic decisions that the following people would need to make with the use of accounting information: (3 MARKS)
  • A manager of human resources
  • A factory manager
  • The management team of an Australian Football League (AFL) club
  • The manager of a second-hand clothing charity
  1. c) Indicate the effect of each of the following transactions on any or all of the three financial statements of a business: (5 MARKS)
  2. Statement of financial position
  3. Statement of financial performance
  4. Statement of cash flows

Apart from indicating the financial statements (s) involved, use appropriate phrases such as ‘increase total asset’, ‘decrease equity’, ‘increase income’, ‘decrease cash flow’ to describe the transaction concerned.

  1. Purchase equipment for cash.
  2. Provide services to a client, with payment to be received within 40 days.
  3. Pay a liability.
  4. Invest additional cash into the business by the owner.
  5. Collect an account receivable in cash.
  6. Pay wages to employees.
  7. Receive the electricity bill in the mail, to be paid within 30 days.
  8. Sell a piece of equipment for cash.
  9. Withdraw cash by the owner for private use.
  10. Borrow money on a long-term basis from a bank.

THE END

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Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Atorvastatin

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Atorvastatin
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Atorvastatin

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Atorvastatin in relation Ischaemic heart disease and hypertension to

Order Instructions:

The essay is to look at the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug Atorvastatin in relationa to a patient (Simon) with a past medical history of Ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. The essay is also to explore/discuss the anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology associated with the drug’s action. Furthermore, what would this mean to you as a nurse in relation to the patient.

SAMPLE   ANSWER

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of Atorvastatin

Ischemic heart disease is one of the common chronic ailments identified among a large percentage of individuals in different countries around the world.  It refers to an illness characterized by minimal blood supply to the human heart. This heart complication is one of the key causes of demise among the citizens of such western nations as the United States.  The coronary arteries are responsible for supplying blood to the muscles situated within the heart. For this reason, a blockage in these blood vessels will reduce blood supply to the heart and the subsequent attainment of the ischemic heart disease (Parker & Parker 2003, p 39). A large number of such health-related cases occur due to atherosclerosis, which is observable despite the normal appearance of the artery lumens. The narrowing of these blood vessels results in rupturing and a subsequent heart attack.

Another common health complication related to the crucial functioning of the human heart is high blood pressure. This ailment, which is also referred to as hypertension, is a chronic disease caused by the elevation of the blood pressure within the arteries. The blood pressure of a normally functioning heart ranges between 100 and 140 mmHg and 60-90 mmHg systolic and diastolic respectively. Hypertension occurs when the readings surpass 140/90 mmHg (Grundy 2007, p 114). Owing to the severity of this health condition, patients suffering from high blood pressure often exhibit other complications including the coronary artery disease or the hypertensive heart ailment. High blood pressure is also one of the key factors that put patients at the risk of suffering from stroke, chronic kidney illness, or the peripheral arterial ailment. Nonetheless, there exists certain treatment approaches used to improve the health condition of patients suffering from high blood pressure or the ischemic heart disease.

One of these effective treatments that may be applicable in Simon’s case entails Atorvastatin as part of the prescription. This drug is a calcium salt branded as Lipitor. It belongs to the class of statins and is used to reduce blood cholesterol in addition to the prevention of such heart complications as the cardiovascular disease.  Similar to other drugs under this classification, Atorvastatin functions by interfering with the capability of the HMG-CoA reductase (Atorvastatin Global Investigators Meeting, Larosa & Pedersen 2004, p 27). This is an enzyme situated with the liver tissue, which is crucial in the production of cholesterol within the human body. In line with its efficacy in handling such health complications as those exhibited by Simon in this case study, Atorvastatin is used as a primary medical approach of preventing stroke, heart disease, and the requirement for certain revascularization proceedings on patients with such risk factors as high blood pressure, a family history of heart complications, or a developed coronary heart ailment (Mohammad 2012, p 55). In line with the health condition of Simon, such a drug will aid in preventing further bodily complications associated with hypertension and the ischemic heart disease.

With reference to Simon’s health condition and the pharmacodynamics of Atorvastatin, the key site of action of this drug is the liver. This is because the liver is the main site for the production of cholesterol and clearance of LDL.  However, medical practitioners focus on the dosage of Atorvastatin as opposed to the systemic drug concentration in order to attain a significant reduction of LDL-C (Purcell & Schachter 2007, p 61). The absorption aspect of the drug’s pharmacokinetics is also a crucial element that highlights the effectiveness of Atorvastatin with reference to improving Simon’s health condition.  This drug undergoes hasty absorption when administered orally with the period of maximum plasma concentration being between 1 and 2 hours. Atorvastatin’s absolute bioavailability and the systematic accessibility for the activity of HMG-CoA reductase is 14 % and 30 % correspondingly (Wong 2005, p 15).  The main trigger for the reduced systemic availability entails the drug’s high intestinal clearance as well as its fast-pass metabolism. Although food stuffs do not have a noteworthy effect on the drug’s efficacy of lowering LDL-C, administering this prescription with food results in 25 % and 9 % of its rate and extent of absorption respectively. In addition, administering the drug in the evening lowers by AUC and Cmax by 30 % correspondingly (Wong 2005, p 20).  With reference to the drug’s distribution, the mean distribution volume of this medication is 381 liters. Since it is substantially protein-bound, it is often released through human breast milk. Furthermore, its metabolism is often through cytochrome P450 3A4 hydroxylation in order to produce ortho, parahydroxylated, and beta-oxidation metabolites. It is mainly excreted through hepatic biliary with approximately 2 5 being identifiable in urine (Wong 2005, p 23).

Owing to the key elements regarding the action of Atorvastatin and my skills as a nurse, I would recommend Lipitor to Simon in order to improve his health condition. This is addition to the consideration of other key factors such as exercise, healthy diets, and the avoidance of obesity (Ebdrup 2008, p 44). This will not only be useful in lowering the patient’s blood pressure and managing the ischemic heart disease but it will also be a valuable approach of preventing other heart complications and stroke. For this reason, it is rational for most medical practitioners to recommend this form of medication to such patients as Simon.

References

Atorvastatin Global Investigators Meeting, Larosa, J. C, & Pedersen, T. R, 2004, Second Atorvastatin Global Investigators Meeting, Paris, France, April 28-30, 2002, New York, EscardioContent.org.

Ebdrup, L, 2008, LPS-induced acute inflammation in a large animal model and the impact of atorvastatin treatment: PhD thesis, [Aarhus], Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus.

Grundy, S, 2007, Atorvastatin in the management of cardiovascular risk: from pharmacology to clinical evidence, Auckland [u.a.], Adis Internat.

Mohammad, M, 2012, Rosuvastatin versus a combination of Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe The Better Choice in Metabolic Syndrome, Saarbrücken, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing.

Parker, J. N, & Parker, P. M, 2003, Atorvastatin a medical dictionary, bibliography, and annotated research guide to internet references, San Diego, CA, ICON Health Publications.

Purcell, H., & Schachter, M, 2007, Amlodipine and atorvastatin in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, Edgbaston, Sherborne Gibbs Limited.

Wong, V. S. C, 2005, Mechanisms of insulin sensitization by omapatrilat, a vasopeptidase inhibitor, and atorvastatin, a 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, Thesis (M. Sc.)–University of Toronto, 2005.

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Phosphoglycerate mutase Enzyme

Phosphoglycerate mutase Enzyme
Phosphoglycerate mutase Enzyme

Phosphoglycerate mutase Enzyme

Order Instructions:

ENZYME: Phosphoglycerate mutase

The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to integrate lecture material on protein structure and enzyme function, with the biochemical and biological role of a key metabolic enzyme. The listed proteins have been chosen because they play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism.

You must research the following information about your protein:

Structure: is it a globular, membrane or structural protein; include a figure showing a molecular model of your protein; describe its structure including secondary structures, any domains, quaternary structure, any prosthetic groups; include the molecular weight and isoelectric point of your protein.

Function: Write an equation for the reaction catalysed by your enzyme; in what pathway does your enzyme participate. In what organisms, organs, tissues, cells, intracellular compartment is the enzyme and pathway found? What is the metabolic purpose of the pathway? What is the importance of your enzyme in that pathway (e.g. regulation, thermodynamics)? Relate the biochemical function of your enzyme to practical information such as clinical data.

Relationship between structure and function: describe any features which are particularly important for catalytic function such as specific amino acids with a key function, the 3 dimensional structure of the active site or binding site. Is your enzyme soluble or membrane protein and how does this relate to its function? What role is played by any co-factors? Is your enzyme regulated? Describe any changes to structure that occur during regulation explaining how the structure affects enzyme activity.

Pitfalls to avoid:

Choose ONE organism as your main focus; the enzymes in the list are found in many different organisms but there will often be major differences between enzymes in humans and E. coli.Sometimes information on one organism may be limited so it may be necessary to have a figure of e.g. a pig enzyme if you are mainly discussing the human version; mixing up info on human and yeast will result in loss of marks.
Be aware that some enzymes are present in several isoforms, do not get these confused.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Question 1

Phophoglycerate mutase (PGM) is a globular protein common in glycolytic activities. The secondary structure is an alpha/beta protein with three main layers as comprising of an alpha/beta/alpha. Additionally, it has a beta sheet comprising of six strands arranged in a specific order with strand 5 occurring as an antiparallel to the rest of the strands. The quaternary structure is made of two identical subunits hence can be categorized as a homodimer. The realative molecular mass of dimers is 55,000 -61,000 kDa. The quaternary is same as the primary, secondary and tertiary structure on the basis of active sites.  However, the PGM is has isozymes, which is several variations existing. The type of an enzyme isozyme catalyzing a reaction depends on the tissue where the enzyme is active (Fraser, Kvaratskhelia & White, 1999).

There are two forms of the glycolytic phosphoglycerate mutase (PGM) which are evolutionary unrelated. They occur as non-homologous isofunctional(NISE), each with an independent 3D structure. The first is the co-factor dependent PGM (dPGM) works in the presence of the co-factor 2, 3-bisphosphoglycerate (2, 3-BPG). It has a molecular weight of 27 Kd, and are active as dimmers. The other type of the enzyme is the co-factor independent PGM (iPGM) has a molecular wight of 57 Kd. The enzyme is active in the monomer.

The distinction between the two forms of PGM can be determined by level of sensitivity to vanadate and metal ion requirement of iPGM. E.coli contains both iPGM and dPGM (Foster, 2010). Like the mammalian dPGMS, the E. coli dPGM forms a dimer which now enables researchers to analyze the sequence differences that are responsible for the variation in the quaternary structure.

The structure of the protein allows the function of the two enzyme domains to be assigned. One of the domains takes part in the phosphatase reaction, leading to the generation of the phosphoserine enzyme intermediate. The other domain participates in the phosphotransfterase reaction leading to reformation of the phosphoglycerate (Jedrzejas et al., (2000).

(EC 5.4.2.11 – Phosphoglycerate mutase, n.d)

Question 2

The enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase is involved in the glycolysis where it catalyzes the interconversion of 3-phosphoglycerate and 2-phosphoglycerate for zymomnas mobilis’ glyconeogenic and glycolytic pathways.  The phospho group is transferred between the three phosphoglycerate carbon atoms. The co-factor dependent PGM (d PGM) catalyzes the transfer of a phosphoryl group between the co-factor and the monophosphoglycerate via an intermediate, phosphohistine. It is important in the transfer of a phospho group between monophosphoglycerates via a phosphoserine intermediate. The respective function of both iPGM and dPGM has not been established. However, research has shown that dPGM accounted for more activities (Foster, 2010).

The relevance of PH sensitivity in physiological processes because plays a role in regulating the activity of iPGM at different stages of an organism’s developmental cycle. For instance, the PH of a developing spore drops to about 6.5 during sporulation which leads to the reduction in the iPGM’s activities. The low PH allows 3PGA to accumulate and is stored in the dormant spore. This 3PGA is used to synthesis ATP required in spore germination, again leading to a sharp rise in the PH to 7.5-8. In non-spore forming organisms that are closely related to those that reproduce by sporulation, iPGMs, Mn2+ is also required for catalysis.

The mechanism of iPGM catalysis of 2-phosphoglycerate occurs in two steps as this is a phosphatase reaction in which a phosphate group is transferred from 2 or 3-phosphoglycerate,forming an enzyme-bound phosphoserine intermediate, then a phosphotransferase reaction. Meanwhile, the phosphate is transferred from the enzyme-bound phospherine back to the glycerate moiety.

Reaction:  

2-phospho-D-glycerate = 3-phospho-D-glycerate.


2-phospho-D-glycerate
=
3-phospho-D-glycerate

(EC 5.4.2.11 – Phosphoglycerate mutase, n.d)

The co-factor dependent PGM is capable of catalyzing three various reactions, each with its own type of specificity. The reactions include the synthesis in which 1,3-DPGforms  2,3-DPG where 3-PGA  is the primer, isomerisation reaction in which 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) is formed from 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGA) where the primer is 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) and degradation leading to formation of 3PGA from 2,3-DPG in a phosphatise activity. Also, the analysis of dPGM shows the enzyme ligand interaction which takes place to where the vanadates inhibit the mutase activity.

Phosphoglycerate mutases (PGMs) enzymes are important in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis reactions. In the glycolytic catalysis, 2-phosphoglycerate (2PG) is formed from 3-phosphoglycerate (3PG) through the intermediate 2, 3-bisphosphoglycerate. The reaction said to be energetically neutral since the Gibbs energy involved being approximately 1.1KJ/mol. The neutral state of the energy is absolutely necessary for the generation of the proper molecule required to continue the glycolysis process.

The reaction catalyzed by PGM

3PG + P-Enzyme → 2,3BPG + Enzyme → 2PG + P-Enzyme
3-phosphoglycerate -> intermediate -> 2-phosphoglycerate

Analyses of structure and sequence indicate that various families of the phosphatase enzymes contribute to different branches which are added to the parent enzyme. For example, histidine phosphatase superfamily is given this name because the catalytic reaction centres on the conserved on the His residue. This residue is transiently phosphorylated during the catalytic cycle. There are other conserved residues which interact with the phosphor group besides contributing to the “phosphate docket”.  Different residues are added to the “phosphate pocket”. The families which contribute the residues differ in the three dimensions, position and sequence of a catalytically essential residue acidic residue Bond, White & Hunter, 2002.).

Question 3

  1. coli’s structure of dPGM is complexed with vanadate, which is a potent inhibitor. The presence of the inhibitor in the active site although there is evidence indicating that there is additional vanadate moieties at both or either ends. The presence of the inhibitor also represents a different binding mode from the one observed on the structural homologue proctatic acid phosphatase. The analysis of dPGM reveals a water molecule in the native E.coli dPGM structure. Once this molecule is activated by vanadate, the active site protein is likely to be dephosphorylated. The binding of substrates as well as other specific interactions of both forms of dPGM’s active and inactive forms may be easily studied with a provision of the forms’ high-resolution structure in conjunction with computational substrate molecule modelling in the active site (Jedrzejas et al. 2000).

iPGM differs from thedPGM in that it only catalyses  out interconversion of  2PGA and 3PGA (1, 3, 4). The other difference is that catalysis by co-factor dependent phosphoglycerate mutase does not require metal ion while the iPGM absolutely or specifically require Mn 2+ ions hence making the enzyme’s activity exquisitely sensitive to PH (1, 4, 6-8). In clinical practice, a number of diagnostic procedures rely on the PH values   to determine the cause or level of infection (Jedrzejas et al. 2000).

Fig:. DS-PAGE analysis of purification and protein expression: Lane 1, size markers; lane 2, total soluble protein for cells expressing dPGM; lane 3, purified dPGM; lane 4, total soluble protein for cells expressing iPGM; lane 5, purified iPGM (Fraser, Kvaratskhelia & White, 1999).

The E. coli PGM is a protein hence is soluble in water although to different extents depending on the provided conditions. One of the conditions is the presence of Isopryl-1-thio-β-D- galactopyranoside. iPGM’s solubility impacts its ability to aggregate with other groups through chemical reactions. Solubility infers that the protein has negative charges. The solubility discriminates the reactions the enzyme can catalyze (Fraser, Kvaratskhelia & White, 1999). As mutase, PGM is an important step during glycolysis. The transfer of a functional group such as a phosphor group from one position of a substrate to another is catalyzed by the enzyme, hence the reaction becomes isomerisation. It will not function if it not subjected to the right conditions for solubility to occur.

The co-factor dependent phosphoglycerate mutase (dPGM) is found in a dimeric active conformation in Escherichia coli (E.coli). It is reactions are based on the structural changes which occur on the histidine phosphorylation exhibits a number of features which are fundamental in the catalytic mechanisms of the enzyme. During reactions, the C-terminal 10-residue tail which does not appear in other structures is ordered well so that to interact well with other residues involved in substrate binding. During the displacement of a loop positioned close to or adjacent to the active histidine leads to the readjustment of previously overlooked residues into positions which will make it easy for them to directly influence the catalysis (Bond, White & Hunter, 2002.).

References

Foster, J., Davis, P., Raverdy, S., Sibley, M., Raleigh, E., Kumar, S., … Ahmed, N. (2010). Evolution of Bacterial Phosphoglycerate Mutases: Non-Homologous Isofunctional Enzymes Undergoing Gene Losses, Gains and Lateral Transfers. PLoS ONE, E13576-E13576.

Jedrzejas et al., (2000). Mechanism of Catalysis of the Cofactor-independent Phosphoglycerate Mutase from Bacillus stearothermophilus. CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE COMPLEX WITH 2-PHOSPHOGLYCERATE. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 23146-23153.

Bond, C., White, M., & Hunter, W. (2002.). Mechanistic implications for Escherichia coli cofactor-dependent phosphoglycerate mutase based on the high-resolution crystal structure of a vanadate complex. Journal of Molecular Biology, 1071-1081.

Fraser, H., Kvaratskhelia, M., & White, M. (1999). The two analogous phosphoglycerate mutases of Escherichia coli. FEBS Letters, 455(3)344-348.

EC 5.4.2.11 – Phosphoglycerate mutase (2,3-diphosphoglycerate-dependent). (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/cgi-bin/enzymes/GetPage.pl?ec_number=5.4.2.11

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Essay Questions Assignment Available Here

Essay Questions
Essay Questions

Essay Questions

Order Instructions:

Assignment 4 Objectives:
1. Describe the vision of an organization as it relates to the strategic process
2. Describe the importance of the concerns of the employees as related to strategy
3. Describe the importance of the public image of an organization as related to strategy
4. Describe the importance of the customers to the organization as related to strategy
5. Analyze the external forces that affect organizations
6. Analyze the internal forces that affect organizations
7. Describe the interrelationships among the functional areas of business
8. Describe SWOT Matrix, SPACE Matrix and other strategy tools

Assignment Description: 4 Essay Questions.

Each essay question should be written using APA formatting, must have at least 1external source and a minimum length of 350 words for each essay. See the grading rubric for additional details.

Essay 1:
After watching the videos on iRobot and the video on how to perform a SWOT analysis in week 4 describe and assess iRobot’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and the internal and external forces on the company.
• Alanis (2012). How to Complete a SWOT Analysis.
Video Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D2fT6obqdg
• IRobot Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9Ud70koXT_M

Essay 2:
Analyze iRobot’s overall strategies you see them following and the interactions between the different functional departments (R&D, Marketing, Manufacturing, Service, finance..etc.) within iRobot. External references are encouraged such as iRobot’s annual reports, where the company strategy is described

(http://investor.irobot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=193096&p=irol-reportsannual).
You are to analyze the company strategy and not just copy their strategy.

Essay 3:
Analyze the Patagonia case in Week 2 in addition to other sources on how their suppliers, public image and government regulations have shaped their strategy, mission and vision.
(Check the upload file for the Patagonia case)

Essay 4:
Analyze how The Disney Company’s strategy is shaped with regards to the importance of employees, customers and public image. Reference The Disney Company case in our Week 1 materials.
• In order to complete this part, you have to follow the Cohesion Case (The Walt Disney Company – 2001) in Strategic Management a competitive Approach 14th Ed. By Fred R. David

SAMPLE ANSWER

Essay1

Each company has factors that either motivate its performance or hamper it. The factors that motivate its performance are known as strengths while those that hamper it, are known as weaknesses. It is a common feature for a company to have both divides of the factors, however, for it to thrive; it should have more strength as opposed to weaknesses. An evaluation conducted to analyze a company’s strengths and weaknesses is commonly referred to as a SWOT Analysis (Alanis, 2012). This evaluation incorporates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This write up will analyze iRobot’s SWOT Analysis.

iRobot has a number of strengths that have made it remain a competitive brand in the region (iRobot SWOT Analysis, 2014). Notably, a strong brand equity, and market share leadership have ensured that it tops the scales. Additionally, innovativeness, cost advantage, strong management team, and reputation management have ensured that it remains unwavering in the stiff competition in the robotics industry. iRobot is a strong brand whose uniqueness is unmatched by any other. Its superior brand has earned it the credit of manufacturing equipment even for the United States navy, an enigma of military personnel (iRobot SWOT Analysis, 2014).

That notwithstanding, the company has a few weaknesses that threatens its expansive market. A number of legal proceedings have been filed against the company, stifling its growth and profitability. Rare system malfunctions have led to injuries during the use of the apparatuses, leading to apportionment of liability to the company. Additionally, the ever-growing industry has threatened its market share through the entry of new players to the market.

On the other hand, the growing opportunities arising promise to steer the company to some great heights. The on-line business boom has diversified its market, with major sales abroad. Product and service expansions have also ensured that the company remains a lead player in the industry.

iRobot is equally faced by a number of threats. Economic meltdown in major market segments has reduced sales leading to low profitability, sometimes-even losses. Price wars with rival companies have also occasioned losses to the company by leading to enormous price cuts by iRobot, in order to boost sales. Overly, iRobot is an enigma in the robotics industry. The financial statistics, market share leadership and on-line presence all tell of this story.

References

Alanis, 2012. Video. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D2fT60bqdq

iRobot. SWOT Analysis. (2014). Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9Ud70koXT_

Essay 2

Company strategy refers to the mechanisms through which a corporation seeks to achieve its long-term goals and objectives (Dess, et al., 2005). Outlining the company’s objectives is what is generally referred to as strategic management. The process of strategic management involves setting forth specific goals and objectives, and designing mechanisms of implementing them. Thus, in analyzing iRobot’s strategy, this discourse will first outline the company’s goals and evaluate its methods of implementing them. Further, an analysis of the interactions between the different departments within the organization will be done in assessing their overall impact on the company’s performance.

The company’s overall objectives include market expansion, continued growth, brand strengthening, and developing a community of third-party developers around its platforms. The company has set forth an elaborate scheme on how it intends to achieve the set targets and remain a competitive brand in the region. iRobot is a lead manufacturer of robots used in cleaning, defense, and mobility. The company’s market presence is impressive, as evidenced from the annual returns. In the quarter ended 21st October, the company net earnings exceeded the projected earnings, an indication that it was performing above optimum (iRobot Annual Report, 2014).

iRobot’s strategy is broad and most flexible. The strategy is market-oriented, by seeking to tap into the expansive American market and beyond. From the start, it captures the company’s aspirations of market penetration by incorporating a customer-oriented approach. At iRobot, customer satisfaction comes first in designing their products. Through this, the company has remained a competitive brand through retaining its old customers while attracting more. As a result, its earnings have increased tremendously, often, exceeding expectations (iRobot Annual Report, 2014).

The company’s impressive performance could be attributed to its excellent internal organization (Dess, et al., 2005). The managerial system at iRobot adopts an elaborate departmental system that is intricately linked to enhance performance and effectiveness. Information relay between the different markets ensures that production is optimized and market specific. For instance, the marketing department oversees the sale of manufactured products. From the sale reports, it assesses the impacts of the products on the market. Sale statistics are made to project sales and advise the production department on what aspects to improve or what products to manufacture in larger quantities. Overly, the company’s strategy has enabled it to make the great strides it has made thus far.

References

iRobot Annual Report. (2014). Available at: http://investor.irobot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=193096&p=irol-reportsannual

Dess, G., Lumpkin, T. & Marilyn L., (2005). Strategic Management. 2005 New York: McGraw Hill Irwin,

Essay 3

Whether a company will be able to meet its long-term goals and objectives largely depend on its strategic management design. The design is usually the road map to the company’s success. In instances where all the systems work well, a company’s strategic management system enables it to attain its profitability goals. Within any given organization, there are intricate factors that shape its strategic management design. This discourse will analyze how suppliers, public image, and government regulations have shaped Patagonia Incorporated’s strategy, mission and vision.

The mission of a company describes the scope of its formation (Fred, 2011). A mission statement is the aspirations, and objectives of the company’s formation. Patagonia is a clothing company that makes outdoor wear, and sporting gear, including surfing, climbing, and skiing outfits. In the production process, the company has to source resource materials for the manufacturing process. The availability of resource materials determines whether the company will be able to manufacture its goods effectively. Therefore, in designing outfits of a particular quality or to a certain market, the company has to gauge whether it can source the required materials (Patagonia, 2014).

Government policies and regulations have an impact on the general performance of a company. The policies may be as to quality, pricing, or environmental protection. In the event that the production process involves use of chemicals or leads to over accumulation of wastes, the government may issue stringent licensing or waste disposal mechanisms. Such strict policies may hamper the production process or reduce profitability due to strict compliance with the law. The state of California, where the company is situated, has strict rules on pollution. In resonance with the company’s mission of producing the best products while conserving the environment, this factor will play a crucial role in shaping the company’s strategies (Patagonia Website).

A company’s continued presence in the market is greatly depended on its public image. Public image is the outward appearance of the company in respect of certain the perception of its external environment (Fred, 2011). The parameters of public image include environmental conservation and corporate social responsibility. In order to safeguard its public image, a company has to act in a socially responsive manner, and tailor its operations to impress the public while maintaining its profitability margins. Patagonia gives out 1% of its profits to environmental conservation. This act helps boost its image in the public as a socially responsive company.

Companies are established within society and to serve communities, in as much as they seek profits. As a result, they must tailor their operations to suit the demands of the society they exist in. To this end, suppliers, public image and government regulations influence greatly a company’s strategy, mission and vision.

References

Fred, R., D. (2011). Strategic Management Concepts. London: Prentice Hall.

Patagonia. (2014). Available at: www.google.com/m?=patagonia or www.patagonia.org

Essay 4

Walt Disney is undoubtedly a favorite company to movie fans. As one of the oldest entertainment companies, it has withstood the wave of change that has seen similar companies collapse. To remain competitive for such a long period, the company must have definitely adopted an excellent approach to management. This write up will analyze the company strategic management design. In analyzing the design, the discourse will draw from The Cohesion Case (Fred, 2001), the importance of employees, customers and public image in strategic management.

According to Scott Soneshein (2006), the importance of employees in the strategic management of a corporation is cannot be overlooked. Companies generally develop blueprints of performance within any specific time, usually prorated to periods of a financial year. Blue prints remain on paper, while the execution task rests solely on the employees of the company. The employees are responsible for performing the tasks relevant to meeting the company’s objectives and goals. Scattered through several departments in a company, the employees are the breath of the company, without whom the company is just a shell. Walt Disney recognizes this aspect by holding the employees dear. The employees are well motivated through impressive remuneration and bonuses. Through this, they work to foster the company’s aspirations and long-term goals.

Customers are an equally important asset to the company. The customers are the market for the company’s products. A company earns its revenue from the payment of its products once sold. Accordingly, a company that desires to maximize on its profits must seek ways of enticing customers and retaining them. A sure way of going about this is ensuring that a company’s products are of the desirable quality and priced strategically (Soneshein, 2006). Disney movies are certainly some of the best the entertainment industry savors. The movies have also been made socially responsive through age restriction and content classification, to make them non-offending to audiences. In this way, the customers are satisfied and encouraged to form a continuous patronage with the company.

At the end of it all, a company ought to keep a good public image in order to appeal to its loyal customers and attract new ones. A good image is curved out of social responsiveness and corporate responsibility. A report released by Social Business 23 July 2014, listed Walt Disney as one of the top five socially responsive companies in the world. As a result, the public feels appreciated by the company and continues its patronage with the company. Certainly, the afore-discussed elements constitute a company’s valuable strategy assets. They are what builds a company or breaks it.

 

References

Soneshein, S. (2006). Explaining Employee Engagement with Strategic Change Implementation: A Meaning-Making Approach. Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University: Texas.

Fred, R., D. (2011). Strategic Management Concepts. London: Prentice Hall

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Marketing Management Essay Assignment

Marketing Management
Marketing Management

Marketing Management

Order Instructions:

1. A major adult alcoholic-beverage marketer is considering introducing an “adult” soft drink that would be a socially acceptable substitute for alcohol.
What cultural factors could influence the introduction decision and subsequent marketing mix?

2. A person will tend to buy the brand in the product class whose image is most congruent with his or her self-image. Is a person’s self-image a highly reliable predictor of his or her brand choice? Why or why not?

3. Describe the consumer market for briefcases, using the “Seven Os”
framework described in chapter 4.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Marketing Management

Marketing is one of the critical strategies that business employ to position their products in the markets. The paper deliberates on the cultural factors that may influence the introduction decision and subsequent marketing mix when introducing this adult soft drink. It as well evaluates whether personal self-image is a predictor of his or her brand choice and consumer market briefcases.

Cultural factors require consideration when introducing any products. Culture explains the lifestyles of people and therefore determines the kinds of product choices they make. In this case, it is imperative that cultural factors are considered. Some of the cultural related factors the company will consider include the culture and subculture of the target audience.  The company must consider the religious affiliation of the target group, their race, geographical locations and their nationality. Other factors will include the language of the target audience, the beliefs and values, the norms, the consumption habits of the target audience and the interest and preferences. For instance, the beliefs and values of the target audience will help the company to understand whether the target audience can change from consuming alchol or locally brewed beer to the soft drink. Language will also be essential, as it will help the company to use a language and messages that resonates with the target audience to woo them to purchasing the product. The language should as well enhance understanding between the company and the target audience. Interests and preferences, norms and consumption behaviors as well vary from one community to another and this will help the company to consider their prices, packages and the promotional strategies that will help to attract more customers in the market segment.

Person’s self-image is a highly reliable predictor of his or her brand choice. People associate and make decisions to purchase certain categories of products that they resonate with their personal self-image (Ivens & Valta, 2012).  This explains why companies design certain class of products to specific category of consumers.

Consumer markets involve individuals that buy goods and services for personal consumption. Understanding these markets is essential to ensure achievement of marketing objectives.  Marketers should understand the 7 O’s of marketplace which include; understanding the target audience in the market, the goods that the people purchase and the reasons or motives why these people purchase these products. Other aspects that require consideration in these market briefs is understanding of the entities that participate  purchasing of the products,  the processes in the market, the seasons or periods that the  goods or people purchase these products and the sources of the markets.  These aspects are essential in any consumer market briefs as they allow utilization of appropriate strategies to trigger increase sale.

Reference

Ivens, B., & Valta, K. (2012). Customer brand personality perception: A taxonomic analysis,        Journal of Marketing Management, 28(9/10): 1062-109

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Why changes are in important in organizations

Why changes are in important in organizations
Why changes are in important in organizations

Why changes are in important in organizations

Order Instructions:

“For the week 3 assignment please expand on the information for your post in a way that you would include it into your paper such as: submit your hypothesis and discuss the relevant theories (literature review) that would support your hypothesis. Be sure to write at least 2-3 pages. Be sure to review the resources I have shared with you in another announcement on how to set up a research proposal that includes a hypothesis and literature review.”

And the week 3 assignment is

Question:

Define the scope of your choice for this course. By this I mean, what is the core question and sub-questions that have focused your mind in developing an outline? What are the anticipated activities of your project or internship? What is your hypothesis or theory?

Answer:

The core question that I have regarding my project is in the topic itself “Why changes are in important in organizations?” Being my degree in Business Administration minor in management, it would definitely help when it comes to operate a business and make solid decisions regarding changes into that organization. My plan is fully discussed all the possible reasons on why changes are important in organizations and also provide all the benefits that the employer and employees can actually get from that. It is very challenging when it comes to changes in organizations because employees always happen to make it harder than they are, due to the fact that they are used to their ways and afraid the new changes will create problem and effect their job assignment, therefore they are hoping not to ever have to deal with any type of changes. My theory will be an example of how some employees was resistant of changes, but the organization was able to reassure them about the benefits and how the outcome will be in their favor. Also how the organizations will address these changes to make employee feel at ease.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Topic: Why changes are in important in organizations

Thesis:  This paper is a discussion that attempts to understand the importance and causes of organizational change and its elements, approaches, process, resistance and management, and finally the possible factors leading to its breakdown

Scope of the choice for this course

The core question seeks to address the importance of change in organizations. Given that I am taking a degree in Business Administration with a minor in management, the exploration of this topic will be significant in situations where I will be operating a business enterprise, especially in the context where solid business decisions will need to be made regarding changes in the business organizations. The sub-questions that arise from this particular scenario include: what adjustments are needed to manage organizational change? What the challenges are in implementing organizational change? What are the reasons why organizations need to initiate change? What is the importance and influence of organizational changes on both employees and employers? And how is organizational change developed? (George & Jones 2007).

Literature review:

Throughout the outline of my literature review, I will focus on the importance of change and why businesses need to embrace change. Change is significant to organizations because in the absence of change, businesses will not be able to achieve a competitive edge over and will therefore won’t be able to meet the need of what is mostly regarded as customer loyalty. Further, the importance of organizational change will be addressed in the realms of technology, customer needs, growth opportunities, and changing the organizational status quo. The paper will mainly focus on these reasons among others for initiating organizational change: crisis, performance gaps, new technology, identification of opportunities, reaction to internal and external pressure, mergers and acquisitions, change for the sake of change, just because it sounds good to change, and plan for abandonment (Hammer & Champy 2003).

In addressing the challenges, I will focus on the organizational challenges that are a result of employees always happening to make it harder than they are, due to the fact that they are used to their ways and afraid the new changes will create problem and effect their job assignment, therefore they are hoping not to ever have to deal with any type of changes. However, I will counter such issues by arguing that organizational change is a reaction to the ever-changing environment, a response to a crisis situation that currently exists, or something that is triggered by the leader (Haveman, Russo & Meyer 2011).

The adjustments needed in an organization in the period of change require successful organization because they are not merely adjustment processes, and hence they require sufficient capabilities of management. Further, in the body of this paper I will address the organizational change causes, the various elements of the organizational change, the resistance, processes, management, and finally the possible factors that may result to its breakdown (Armenakis, Harris & Mossholder, 2013).

Theory of the discussion in the paper

My theory will be a case example of how some employees were resistant of changes, but the organization was able to reassure them about the benefits and how the outcome will be in their favor. Also how the organizations will address these changes to make employee feel at ease. The process of change will ensure that their work performance will increase progressively. As well there are long term health goals including increasing ability, better customer relations, supplier relations, and positive work culture. Ultimately, the firm will be better and competition would be overcome (Cummings & Worley 2011).

References

Armenakis, A. A., Harris, S. G., & Mossholder, K. W. (2013). Creating readiness for change. Human Relations, 46, 681-703.

Cummings, T. G.., & Worley, C. G.. (2011). Organization Development and Change. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.

George, J. M., & Jones, G.. R. (2007). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior (5rd). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Hammer, M., & Champy, J. (2003). Reengineering the Corporation. New York: HarperCollins.

Haveman, H. A., Russo, M. V., & Meyer, A. D. (2011). Organizational environments in Flux: the impact for regulatory punctuations on organizational domains, CEO succession, and performance. Organization Science, 12, 253-273.

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Real Estate Multiple Listing Assignment

Real Estate Multiple Listing
Real Estate Multiple Listing

Real Estate Multiple Listing,Rethinking Rocky Mountain Outfitters,Downtown Video Rental System & State Patrol Ticket Processing System

Order Instructions:

Read chapters 9 and 11 of the text and the case studies at the end of these chapters.

Answer the questions about the following case studies at the end of chapter 9:
1.)Real Estate Multiple Listing
2.)Rethinking Rocky Mountain Outfitters

Answer the questions about the following case studies at the end of chapter 11:
1.)State Patrol Ticket Processing System
2.)Downtown Video Rental System

Suggestions and Guidelines:
• Use your own words and Thoughts. Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in a grade of Zero.
• Give short answers to each question (not more than 3-4 lines)
• Total page length (not more than 3 pages, 300 words per page)
• 1-inch margins, Double spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font

SAMPLE ANSWER

Real Estate Multiple Listing

Answers to Chapter 9 Case Studies

  • Real Estate Multiple Listing

As the application deployment environment a “anywhere, anytime” requirements has a variety of implications since it requires the network to be available in a wide range of regions most of which often distributed across long distances. This is attributable to the fact that different network, hardware and software architecture requirements are numerous. The major implication involves infiltration of the network which may pose a risk.

This may be attributed by a three-layer architecture using basic PCs and web browsers whereby the network can consist of both wired and wireless connections through an alternative network shown below.

The inclusion of graphical data on the network would have significant impact in terms of sales considering the considerable number of listings to be done constantly. This is mainly because including graphical data would increase the coverage extent of the sellers and buyers which is a desired result for a network.

2.) Rethinking Rocky Mountain Outfitters

Alternative deployment for RMO based on Apache web server for the Rocky Mountain Outfitters has been of crucial significant and in order to considerably improve its efficiency, an alternative deployment for the RMO would be carried out as shown below.

The alternative deployment network with the ability for the RMO customer support system would be essentially carried out make sure that there is improved efficiency and effectiveness in the execution of the company duties. This is attributable to the fact that there will improvements across the entire chain in to make sure that every party to be involved in the network would not only get value for money but also the necessary support whenever need. All aspects of the entire network have to be wholly considered to make sure that all loopholes that are often overlooked by many network developers in terms of the selected hardware, software as well as configuration architecture are tightly sealed.

Therefore, in order to make sure that the network works effectively without failures, several changes must be done in terms of client work stations as well as customer personal computers (PCs). For instance, network settings and configurations will be carried out in order to make sure that there are significant improvements in terms of security by making sure the not only the network intruders will be completely blocked from unauthorized access to the network as well as making sure that all sorts of malwares are also completely blocked from the client workstations and clients’ PCs. This is highly critical for ensuring that the network has achieved the highest possible levels of security for maximum protection of the client workstations and clients’ PCs meaning that they shall use the network without any fear of a network attack or intrusion.

There will be also some changes that will be required for the middleware as well as communication protocols. This includes changing of the security setting to make that they are in alignment with the alternative network. Moreover, a clearly laid out communication protocol shall be implemented to ensure any changes to the network can only be done by the chief administrator.

Answers to Chapter 11 Case Studies  

  • State Patrol Ticket Processing System

Implementation of any project in a successful manner requires utilization of CRC Cards as well as DCD in order to make sure that each activity flows from the other one in a clearly outlined manner, however, the first-cut DCD is usually developed from the CRC cards. This is mainly because the CRC cards outline the role to be played be each party in the project implementation. Therefore, the CRC cards shown below are for the state control ticket processing system.

CRC cards State Patrol Ticket Processing System

In addition, the names to the identified classes in the DCD are added with regards to identified responsibilities on the basis of the CRC cards. Therefore, the eventual DCD for the State Patrol Ticket Processing System is shown below.

2.) Downtown Video Rental System

In order to design and implement the Downtown Video Rental System in a successful manner CRC Cards as well as DCD are usually required for the purpose of making sure that each of the activity within the project is clearly outlined together with an highlight of the responsibilities of each participant within the project as well as the classes and subclasses whereby both are used together, but the first-cut DCD is usually developed from the CRC cards. This is attributable to the fact that CRC cards clearly outline the roles played by all project participants. Therefore, the CRC cards shown below are for the Downtown Video Rental System project implementations are shown below.

On the other hand, the first-cut DCD developed for successful implementation of this project are shown supposed to make sure that the clear link or relationship between all the activities and classes is clearly highlighted. This plays an important role in making sure that each of the projective is carried out as envisaged since there would be differentiation of activities and classes throughout the entire project. Therefore, the first-cut DCD developed for effective design and implementation of the Downtown Video Rental System is shown below.

Reference

Satzinger, J.W., Jackson, R.B. & Burd,

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Administrative System Essay Assignment

Administrative System
Administrative System

Administrative System

Order Instructions:

Handle each assignment on a separate documents.

See the attached files.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Administrative System

Assessment One

  1. Identify what would be some of the requirements for this type of system.

The administrative system would require several things to be in place: the components of the system to support the system, the number of the users and the type of users who would use the system, what the organization requires the purpose and nature of the system, the purpose and the nature of the organization, and the size of the system. In addition, the size of the system, the skills of the existing staff, their training and the work practices are also very important.

  1. Who should you consult with (speak with) to ensure their needs were met?

In order to ensure that the needs of each stakeholder are met, several people need to be consulted: the organizational personnel, the clients from outside and the casual l personnel have to be consulted for any success to be realized.

3. Who would you need to obtain approval from to spend the money to investigate and develop your system?

Before spending any money on the development and investigation of this system, several people need to be consulted for approval. Some of the people that have to be consulted include: Administration system consultants, software suppliers, people who determine efficiency of the system, those who supply equipments, technicians who deal with information technology, those who offer training in information technology, people who work within the organization and also those who supply equipments to the office.

 4. Develop a flow chart of how the system would work, based on the needs of the users and stakeholders.

IF NO                                                                       IF YES

  1. Develop materials of what your system would look like. Add extra pages if necessary.

The materials to be used to offer for assistance include: invoices, checklist and quotation sheets.

Invoice
From:  Cypress Technologies Invoice Number: _________
Suite 7, 77 Marwood Place Invoice Date: dd/mm/yyyy
Crestwood, B.C., V6T 7Q7 GST Registration No: _________
1-888-888-888
To:  Sarah’s Computer Bin
8424 Business Plaza
Vancouver, B.C.
Attn:  Sarah Norgaard
Item Unit Cost Quantity Price GST PST Subtotal
HP OfficeJet Inkjet Color Printer $583.97 1 $583.97 $29.20 $40.88 $654.05
Grand Total $654.05
Payment Terms:    To be paid within 30 days of Invoice Date

Checklist

Personal Affairs of Business Owner

 

ü Activity Person

Responsible

 

Due Date/

Regularity

 

Some Actions to Consider

 

Ensure trust distributions

are properly made

 

At least annually

 

There have been considerable changes to the tax treatment of trusts.

These changes could expose you to

large unforeseen tax bills. Speak to

your adviser about your trust.

 

Undertake tax and

personal financial

planning

.

 

Annually

(before year

end)

 

Year-end presents a number of tax planning opportunities and

risks. Speak to your accountant

about tax and personal financial

planning.

·Don’t invest in any year-end tax planning schemes until you

speak to your accountant.

 

 

 

  1. Obtain costs for your system. Where electronic systems are required use $1000K for a computer with a monitor and point of sale equipment at $5000K per register. Access for EFTPOS is included.  For any programs necessary estimate at $7000.  Where you are missing costs contact your trainer for a figure you can use.
ITEM COST($)
Internet services 2000
Software 7000
Printer 1000
Computer system 1000
Point of sale equipment 5000
Scanner 100
Server 4000
Total 21000

 

  1. Identify methods you could use to implement your ideas.

The method that will be used to implement these ideas would involve: the staff confidence will be boosted to ensure that they adopt this system; the management strategies will be changed to ensure that the people responsible are able to implement this system, will ensure that the culture of the organization is completely changed ,the systems have to function very correctly, people from outside sources will be consulted in order to get more input on the system, the staff members will be trained and the roles of all the staff members will be redefined.

  1. Write a procedure for how this system is to work. Include a step by step process using the following as a template.

The purpose of this procedure is to describe an electronic administrative system that would help in ordering of goods from clients.

The procedure applies to an owner of a shop. However the owner of this shop is computer illiterate.

Step 1: the user has to start the program in order to access into the subsequent processes that are relevant to the needs of the company

Step 2: The owner has to input the order. The system displays several orders that the owner requires. From this menu, the owner will be able to select the specific orders which are required.

Step 3: The owner will then specify the amount of items that are required.

Step 4: In order to ensure that there is no any delay, the owner will have to specify the exact date when the goods have to be delivered by the suppliers.

Step 5: as soon as the owner is satisfied with the order, the order is submitted to the supplier for consideration and delivery.

Step 6: the owner will then wait for the response from the supplier. As soon as the owner receives a response from the supplier, the program can then be terminated.

  1. Identify the training requirements for the other staff, the owner and the suppliers.
Staff Owner Suppliers

 

On the job trainers

Professional development

Skills assessment

 

Coach, mentor and/or buddy systems

 

Training handbooks

Videos

Online tutorials

 

 

  1. Define what possibly could go wrong if your process was put into place and what could be done to stop that from happening.
Problem Solution

 

Loss of staff confidence Ongoing assessment of staff skills
Need for additional training Ongoing feedback opportunities
Need to modify system providing professional development opportunities

 

Temporary reduction of work output Boosting staff confidence

 

  1. One of the suppliers has stated they found the system confusing as some were identifying materials to order based on name only rather than product code and there was often a mistake on the unit price. What would you need to change in your process to ensure these issues were improved?

In order to ensure that there was no confusion on how to use the system by the client, I would ensure that the system offers comprehensive audio direction to the client in order that there was minimal or no confusion at all. In addition, would use codes that closely represent each type of commodity. Through this approach, the user of the system will easily navigate through the whole process.

  1. What processes could be used for monitoring the new system for accuracy, assisting staff in its use, useability from staff and suppliers.

In order to monitor the new system for accuracy, assisting staff in its use and usability from staff suppliers, several processes have to be considered. The feedback from both the internal and external users is very key. This are the people who use the system on day to day basis hence are the right people to provide reliable feedback. In addition, the trained technicians can assist in observing the performance in order to ensure that the system is in a perfect condition. Furthermore, monitoring tools and processes help keep records of how the system performs on a day to day basis.

  1. What modifications would need to be made to your system if the boss wanted to make sure the ordering system would link with the creditors accounting system?

If the boss wants to make sure that the system links with creditors accounting system, several modifications would have to be done. This would include provision of additional equipments that would aid in the linking of the current system. In addition, there should be some form of training on the negotiation of the time limit within which the changes have to done. Furthermore, the roles of the administration and their duties have to be redefined in order to ensure that all the changes are effectively implemented. Also, the company would have to develop specialized software to handle these changes.

  1. How would you communicate that to the current users of the system?

Current users of the system would be communicates to through the email messages and facsimile messages. This would pass any important information to the users about the changes being implemented to the system. In addition, through meetings and training days, the users would be trained on the use of the new system and informed on the advantages of using this system in comparison to the older system. Furthermore, office memorandums, professional development time and photocopied instructions would be provided to aid in ensuring that every member is informed on the changes.

Assessment Two

  1. Write a report to the director outlining the requirements for an administrative system the costs as found in your investigation and which cloud system you would select based on the needs of the organization. Within this report
  2. Include an implementation strategy with an action plan identifying the responsibilities for and a timeline for completion (use the attached action plan template).

The method that will be used to implement these ideas would involve: the staff confidence will be boosted to ensure that they adopt this system; the management strategies will be changed to ensure that the people responsible are able to implement this system, will ensure that the culture of the organization is completely changed ,the systems have to function very correctly, people from outside sources will be consulted in order to get more input on the system, the staff members will be trained and the roles of all the staff members will be redefined.

The cloud technology would therefore require a very elaborate action plan for its implementation. The action plan would therefore entail: the components of the system to support the system, the number of the users and the type of users who would use the system, what the organization requires the purpose and nature of the system, the purpose and the nature of the organization, and the size of the system. In addition, the size of the system, the skills of the existing staff, their training and the work practices are also very important

  1. Define a procedure staff can use to work with this new technology.

The purpose of this procedure is to describe the implementation procedure for cloud technology for an organization on behalf of its director.

The procedure applies to a director who wants to improve the performance of the organization which is having challenges dealing with accounting processes and serving its clients.

Step 1: the program has to be started to allow for the normal processes to take place. Step 2: the end user has to specify the activity that wants to be performed

Step 3:  input the information about that particular activity

Step 4: specify the form of output required

Step 5: Make any changes

Step 6: Generate the output.

  1. Discuss contingencies (problems) which may occur and how you could address them.
Problem Solution

 

Loss of staff confidence by both the staff members and the customers in the system ongoing assessment of staff skills
Need for additional training due to the introduction of a new system ongoing feedback opportunities
Need to modify system due to huge challenges as a result of several tasks within the organization Providing professional development opportunities

 

Temporary reduction of work output due to the staff members still getting used to the system. Boosting staff confidence

 

  1. Define a monitoring system which could be used to ensure the system is secure and usage needs are maintained

The system has to be monitored in order to ensure that the system is secure and the usage needs are well maintained. The feedback from both the internal and external users is very key. This are the people who use the system on day to day basis hence are the right people to provide reliable feedback. In addition, the trained technicians can assist in observing the performance in order to ensure that the system is in a perfect condition. Furthermore, monitoring tools and processes help keep records of how the system performs on a day to day basis.

  1. Identify the training needs for staff

The staff ought to be trained on how to use the cloud technology. This is simply because the technology has new procedures that are different from the current system being used. In addition, the staff members ought to be trained on how to upgrade the system and handle any challenges in case they arise.

 

  1. What legislation should be considered

Several legislations have to be considered during and before the start of the implementation of this technology. The intellectual property right has to be effected. This would ensure that no one claims ownership of this technology apart from the real developers.

  1. Create a training presentation (you will not present this, you will just prepare a presentation) for staff to understand and use this new technology.

The technology is aimed at offering rapid solution to the several challenges experienced in this organization. As a result of the adoption of this technology, the organization will be able to store its data safely, the procedures will be performed efficiently, the customer data bases will be accessed very fact and the accounting information would be processed within a very short time

The technology therefore would entail several stages which are very simple to navigate and use. To begin with, one will be required to specify the activity that is to be processed. This would be displayed on the desktop. The software platform is user friendly hence easy to use. The next step is to input the instruction which then be processed and the output displayed inform of an output. Every kind of data can be processed as so long as correct information is provided.

  1. As a result of the use of cloud technology, orders have increased dramatically requiring more data to be kept in the cloud. What modifications would need to be made to ensure these changes could be handled successfully?

In order to ensure that cloud technology is handled successfully due to its excellent performance, several modifications have to be done. This would include provision of additional equipments that would aid in the linking of the current system. In addition, there should be some form of training on the negotiation of the time limit within which the changes have to done. Furthermore, the roles of the administration and their duties have to be redefined in order to ensure that all the changes are effectively implemented. Also, the company would have to develop specialized software to handle these changes (Wollmann & Kuhlmann, 2014).

Reference

Wollmann, H., & Kuhlmann, S. (2014). Introduction to comparative public administration: Administrative systems and reform in Europe.   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0020852314568777

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SOP – Assignment – Part 2
You have managed to acquire the last two years accounts for your fierce rival LMM Ltd. Your CEO has heard that you are studying Finance at Napier University and has asked for a report on how the opposition has been performing in that time span. Total words should not exceed 2,000, excluding any calculations.
LMM Ltd
Income Statements for the year ended 31 July
2014
2013
£000
£000
Continuing operations
Revenue
22,600
19,800
Cost of sales
(10,735)
(10,890)
Gross profit
11,865
8,910
Distribution costs
(5,424)
(3,960)
Administrative expenses
(4,068)
(2,574)
Profit from operations
2,373
2,376
Finance costs
(770)
(280)
Profit before tax
1,603
2,096
Tax
(294)
(133)
Profit for the period from continuing
operations attributable to equity holders
1,309
1,963
LMM Ltd
£000
£000
Statements of financial position as at 31 July
2014
2013
£000
£000
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
22,916
16,200
Current assets
Inventories
1,932
1,525
Trade and other receivables
1,808
1,386
Cash and cash equivalents
582
0
4,322
2,911
Total assets
27,238
19,111
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
Equity
Share capital
8,000
8,000
Retained earnings
6,334
5,025
Total equity
14,334
13,025
Non-current liabilities
Bank loans
11,000
4,000
11,000
4,000
Current liabilities
Trade payables
1,610
1,307
Tax liabilities
294
133
Bank overdraft
0
646
1,904
2,086
Total liabilities
12,904
6,086
Total equity and liabilities
27,238
19,111
REQUIRED:
a) Write a report (no more than 2 sides of A4) with your view on how LMM has performed in the two year period. You should show supporting calculations of at least SIX ratios (for each year) to back up your findings. (60%)
b) It has been rumoured that LMM is planning an expansion of their production facilities which will cost £5.5million. Discuss how this might be financed and any problems associated with the methods you have chosen. (40%)
Academic literature should be referred to in your answers.
Donald MacAskill Sept 2014

SAMPLE ANSWER

Finance

  1. Write a report (no more than 2 sides of A4) with your view on how LMM has performed in the two year period. You should show supporting calculations of at least SIX ratios (for each year) to back up your findings. (60%)

In 2013, the Working Capital Ratio which is ascertained by Current Assets / Current Liabilities, in was 1.4.  This increased to 2.3 in 2014.  The working capital ratio is an important ratio in determining the health of the company under scrutiny (Paradi, Rouatt & Zhi, 2011, 102).  It helps one determine the liquidity of a company.  The liquidity represents the ability of a company to rapidly turn assets into cash in order to meet its short-term obligations as they fall due.  Between 2013 and 2014, the company increased the component of liquid cash it held from 0 in 2013 to 582,000.  This arrangement is beneficial to the company as it places it in a stronger position with regards to competitors, in being able to pay off its debts quicker (Paradi, Rouatt & Zhi, 2011, 100).

The Quick ratio also called the acid test ratio is an important ratio.  When inventories are removed from the current assets figure, the true position of the company is cleared (Lazaridis & Tryfonidis, 2006, 28).  It should not be lost that inventory is held by the organization for trading or facilitating the operations of the company.   It is thus very important to determine how the cash and other items that can be easily and rapidly converted into a ready cash value.  In 2013 the ratio is 0.7 and improves significantly in 2014 to 1.3.  Two issues emerge in the analysis of this ratio.  In 2013, when the ratio stood at 0.7 the company could have been said to have a ratio lower that the ideal position by all companies.  All companies will seek to have at least a ratio of 1:1.  The position of 0.7 could not be so dire if the inventory is rapidly turned-over.  A high inventory turn-over makes available ready cash to the company within a short period of time (Paradi, & Zhu, 2013, 62).  In 2014 the ratio improved very significantly to 1.3.  This position places the company at a pedestal when it comes to taking advantage of emerging opportunities in the industry.  Taking the argument that the inventory has a high turn-over, it makes the company highly liquid (Lazaridis & Tryfonidis, 2006, 30).  This highly liquid position may however make the company a prime target for a takeover by a company that is looking to improve its liquidity position (Paradi, & Zhu, 2013, 62).

Quick Ratio = (Current assets – Inventory) / Current liability

The debt-to-equity ratio determines the level a company’s financial leverage (Paradi, Rouatt & Zhi, 2011, 102).  This is what is arrived at when the total liabilities and divided by the shareholders equity.  This is an important indicator of what proportion of a company’s assets is financed by equity and which part is by debt.  When a company has a huge debt, it reduces the margins which it operates under and which allow it to respond to market stimuli by adjusting fixed charges and manipulating the earnings available for dividends (Uyar, 2009).  This latitude is important as it could allow a company facing challenging stimuli adjust accordingly to ensure sustainability.  The risk of using this data to orchestrate a financial crisis is not remote.  In 2013 the ratio was 0.5 improving significantly to 0.9 in 2014.  In both years, the company reports very robust ratios.  The improvement from 0.5 to 0.9 further shows the strong position the company holds.  The improvement is on the basis of the loan that grew from 4,000,000 to 11,000,000

Debt-to-equity ratio = Total Liabilities / Shareholders Equity

The return on equity ratio is important as it allows ordinary shareholders determine individually how profitable their capital is in the business venture they have invested in (Uyar, 2009).  The profitability of a company is important as it has a direct effect of its shareholders.  When the return on equity is calculated, it reveals the estimated profitability of the company.  This return on equity reveals the amount of profit generated by the company with the money invested by the shareholders.  In 2013, the return on equity was 15.07%.  This fell to 9.13% in 2014.  The decline in return could be attributed to the additional costs that were incurred by the company in 2014.  Distribution costs and administrative costs grew significantly.  Despite the increased operational costs that the company incurred, it was able to smooth this by making additional income from its operations.  However, the finance costs increase with such that the profitability of the year could not cover it (Scott, & Jacka, 2011).  As a result the profits fell by almost 600,000.  This had the overall effect of reducing the shareholders return of equity.

Return on Equity = Net Income / Shareholder’s Equity

The net profit margin is an indication of how efficient the company is in controlling the cost surrounding its operations.  When the net profit margin is high, it exhibits a company that is efficiently converting its revenues into actual profits (Reiner, Turley & Willekens, 2008).   It shows that the company is able to turn its sales into income.  For 2013 the profit margin was 5.8% improving to 9.9% in 2014.  The increase in profit margin could be as a result of two factors.  To begin with, the company increased it’s from 19,800,000 to 22,600,000.  This growth is sales ensured the company had a strategy that was able to convert revenue into actual profits.  The second factor could be a reduction in the operational expenses (Scott, & Jacka, 2011).  The company was able to employ the same resources but milk greater profits from the same investment.

Profit margin = Net income / Net sales

Another set of ratios that examine how a company is performing are the solvency ratios.  This ratios are important as they determination point the long-term risk (Reiner, Turley & Willekens, 2008).  Shareholders and long-term creditors find these ratios important in assisting them make investment decision regarding the company.  Given that in business, there are only two ways to finance the acquisition on an asset; debt (using borrowed funds) and equity (using funds raised by shareholders or funds retained from the company’s internal operations – retained earnings).  The ratio determined for a company shows the percentage that each asset it financed by (Eljelly, 2004, 51).  Ideally, the level of debt that a company takes on is a subjective issue.  For a company that is has a high debt could be viewed as one that is able to leverage greatly.  In the same face, for a company that relies on heavy investment in fixed plants and equipments, the level of debt financing will similarly be bigger with aspects such as insurance and advertising agencies being some of the components that will see this figure grow.  Given that total debt of a company is made up of both long and short term debt.  For creditors, emphasis and special interest will be on the long-term debt, specifically seeking to determine how the company used this facility (Eljelly, 2004, 51).   In 2013, the 46.7% while in 2014, it was 90.0%.  By taking on additional debt, the ratio grew from 46.7 to 90.0.

Debt to total assets ratio = total debt / total assets

  1. b) It has been rumoured that LMM is planning an expansion of their production facilities which will cost £5.5million. Discuss how this might be financed and any problems associated with the methods you have chosen. (40%)

Currently, LMM has on its books a debt of 11 million.  In 2013 the debt ratio stood at 32 cents.  When it raised its loan from 4,000,000 to 11,000,000 the debt ratio rose to 47 cents to the dollar.  By adding an additional 5,500,000 to finance the expansion LMM will further raise its debt ratio to 68 cents to the dollar.  This sudden growth of the debt ratio would be alarming to someone looking at the figures without knowledge of the industry LMM operates in.  Before changing its debt strategy and adopting one that intentionally set out to manage debt over the long term as opposed to the short term, was based on a number of reasons.  LMM could have been looking at managing its debt better in the long term resulting in lower costs.  Though the short term would experience a growth in the overall debt, this is only an accounting growth (Paradi, & Zhu, 2013, 62).

Overall LMM will have gained by lowering its debt cost in the long term.   By getting the additional loan to expand its operations, the anticipated additional capacity will mean higher economies.  The expanded economies of scale will allow LMM to manage the additional debt with only raises the debt ratio marginally despite raising the debt level by almost 50 percent.  This could thus be interpreted to mean the LMM operations are very efficient.  This is an important factor when considering taking on additional debt to finance growth (Abdul & Mohamed, 2007, 280).  Overall LMM is in a strong position in its industry.  For the shareholders, the additional debt would mean better returns to them since the taxation system is kinder to debt financing for companies as opposed to refinancing or shareholders having exclusive rights to purchasing additional shares in the company.

LMM’s debt to equity ratio for 2013 was 47 cents to the dollar.  When LMM almost tripled its loan from 4,000,000 to 11,000,000 the debt to equity ratio rose almost doubled to 90 cents to the dollar.  By saddling LMM with the additional debt of 5,500,000 to finance its expansion then the ratio will raise to 1 dollar to the dollar.  This means that debt and equity equally finance the operation of LMM (Abdul & Mohamed, 2007, 280).  For the industry LMM operates in, the ratios point to a very efficient operation.  Despite the upward movement of the debt to equity ratio to the current 1.0 LMM is still below the industry ratio.  From its operations, LMM is able to generate profits that cover the repayment of the loans interest and principle.  As stated earlier, additional debt is beneficial to LMM shareholders.  Given the tax plans, LMM gains by getting debt to finance its expansion as opposed to floating shares to current shareholders exclusively (Htay, Arif, Soualhi, Zaharin, & Shaugee, 2013).

There are a few options that LMM could choose from when seeking to finance its 5,500,000 expansion in operations.    There are number of loan option and designs that LMM could adopt in order to strengthen its position in the industry.  A bank loan; depending on how it is designed, how it is paid out and repaid and the terms of the loan will determine the value it adds to the company.

Line-of-credit loans: This finds great favor with small businesses because all they need to do is walk into their bank, have a good talk with the credit or bank manager and if they have operated their accounts well, have a line-of-credit (over draft facility) extended (Narware, 2004,123).  This arrangement is best suited for securing a business’s operating costs for working capital, meeting inventory needs or business cycle needs.  Since the business only pays interest on the advanced money only, the knowledge that a pool exists which the company can access should the need arise, allows the company more room for maneuver in its operations. A line-of-credit would not be ideal for financing LMM’s expansion (Narware, 2004,123).

Installment loans: This design of loan will allow LMM to repay equal installments over the loan period (Chowdhury & Amin, Md, 2007, 77).  The equal monthly installments are designed to meet both the interest and principle equitably.  The repayment will determined on loan uptake and clearly captured in the loan contracts.  It also allow for early repayment of loans.  In some cases, it actually rewards early repayment of loans.

Balloon loans: By their nature, the interest is paid over the lifetime of the loan in equal regular installments with the principle paid as a lump sum on maturity of the loan.  The balloon loans are ideal for businesses that get payments on specific periodic dates (Cascarino, 2007, ).  LMM would find this arrangement most suitable given the nature of its business is such that incomes are period.

Secured and unsecured loans: LMM has the choice of either a secured or unsecured loan to finance the planned expansion.  For the unsecured loan, LMM will not be required to pledge any collateral in lieu of defaulting the loan (Abdul & Mohamed, 2007, 288).  This is the option available to those considered by lenders as being low risk. The definition of low risk is relative and will vary from person to person and situation to another (Raheman, & Mohamed, 2007, 280).  However the perception of low risk has the advantage of having to pay very low interest on loans.  On the other hand, for the secured loan, LMM will have to provide some form of collateral to secure the loan.  For the expansion that LMM plans, the collateral will the equipment to be purchased.  This is based on the fact that the collateral is related to the purpose of the loan (Chowdhury & Amin, Md, 2007, 77).  By LMM using the loan to purchase receivable, the bank will consider this as having being used to finance growth.  This classification will allow LMM access the great pool of resources the financier avails to its customers.  Most banks will lend up to 75 percent of the amount due (Padachi, 2006, 51).  This particular loan will thus not be ideal for LMM.  Not being able to access the whole amount will undermine the planned expansion.

Bankers are looking for interest income from a loan, along with a high likelihood that the loan will be repaid (Padachi, 2006, 55). They don’t want to control the business other than making sure it meets loan covenant standards, and they take collateral in lieu of repayment only as a last resort.

References

Paradi, J. C., Rouatt, S. & Zhi, H., 2011.  ‘Two-stage evaluation of bank branch efficiency using data envelopment analysis, Omega, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp 99-109

Paradi, J. C. & Zhu, H., 2013.  A survey on bank branch efficiency and performance research with data envelopment analysis, Omega, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp 61-79.

Abdul R & Mohamed N., 2007. Working capital management and profitability – case of Pakistani firms. International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3 (2), pp. 275 – 296.

Chowdhury, A & Amin, Md. M., 2007. Working capital management practiced in pharmaceutical companies listed in Dhaka stock exchange. BRAC University Journal,   Vol. IV, No. 2, 2007, pp. 75-86

Eljelly, A., 2004. Liquidity-profitability tradeoff: an empirical investigation in an emerging market, International Journal of Commerce and Management, Vol.14, No. 2, pp. 48- 61.

Lazaridis I & Tryfonidis, D., 2006. Relationship between working capital management and profitability of listed companies in the Athens stock exchange, Journal of Financial Management and Analysis, Vol.19, No. 1, pp 26 – 35.

Narware P. C., 2004. Working capital and profitability- an empirical analysis. The Management Accountant, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp 120-127.

Padachi, K., 2006. Trends in working capital management and its impact on firms’ performance: an analysis of Mauritian small manufacturing firms. International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 45 – 58.

Raheman, Abdul & Mohamed Nasr., 2007. Working capital management and profitability- case of Pakistani firms. International Review of Business Research Paper, Vol. 3, No.1 ,pp.279-300.

Uyar, A., 2009. The relationship of cash conversion cycle with firm size and profitability: an empirical investigation in Turkey. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, ISSN 1450-2887 Issue 24, EuroJournals Publishing, Inc.

Cascarino, R., 2007. ‘Intenal Auditing: An Integrated Approach,’ 2nd Ed, Lansdowne, South Africa.

Htay, S. N., Arif, M., Soualhi, Y., Zaharin, H. R & Shaugee, I., 2013.  ‘Accounting, Auditing and Governance for Takaful Operations,’ John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Reiner, Q., Turley, S & Willekens, M., 2008.  ‘Auditing, Trust and Governance: Regulation in Europe,’ Routledge.

Scott, P. R & Jacka, J., 2011.  ‘Auditing Social Media: A Governance and Risk Guide,’ John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ.

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