...Conn’s Home Plus Eric E. Brown OMM/622 7 August 2014 Milan J. Havel, PhD A Financial Analysis of the 2014 Financial Report of Conn’s Home Plus The financial analysis is an overall view of a firm’s finances that provides insight into the firm’s current and future financial health. Managers can use the information found in the analysis to make important decisions. There are three main sources of information for financial analysis (Epstein, 2014). These are balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The balance sheet provides an outline of the firm’s financial and physical resources that a firm has on hand for business moves in the future. The income statement gives information of how a company performed over a given period. The cash flow statement is somewhat similar to the income statement because it tracks a firm’s performance over a period. The difference is that the income statement includes non-cash items like depreciation. The analysis also examines three important factors; liquidity, leverage, and profitability (Epstein, 2014). These are internal factors mainly controlled by managers. Of course, things like economic trends and natural disasters that are beyond the control of managers, and can effect a firm’s financial performance. The first step of the analysis is to examine the firm in an overall view. What is Conn’s Home Plus? Conn’s is a publically owned firm traded on NASDAQ (Conn's Home Plus, 2014). The firm was founded in 1934 in Beaumont...
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...Section A: Education 0 1 Explain what is meant by the term ... (2 marks) • Meritocracy: such as equal opportunity or a system in which rewards are based on achievement/ability or similar. Partial answer: [fair rewards] • Immediate gratification: wanting rewards now, or leaving school as soon as possible to get a job, or similar. • Cultural capital: the values, etc that the middle class transmit to their children or that confer advantage in the education system. • Compensatory education: additional educational opportunities/resources directed at deprived or under-achieving pupils. • Cultural deprivation: a lack or deficit of values (or of norms, attitudes, skills or knowledge). Partial answer [immediate gratification / a lack of culture] • Vocational education: relating to a career or specific work roles. • Ethnocentric curriculum: the subjects taught in school being biased towards one particular culture. One mark for a partially satisfactory answer. 02 Suggest three ways/reasons ... (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate ways. One mark will be awarded where there is a partially appropriate answers. Marxists see school as being similar to the world of work: • A hierarchy of authority • Fragmentation of work/learning • Extrinsic rewards • Based on competition • Alienation • Status differences. Boys’ educational under-achievement: • Lack of male teacher role models • Feminisation...
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...Problem Solution: Best Snacks Inc. Allen Washington Creativity, Innovation, and Organizational Design/MMPBL/550 Dr. Wayne Brock Best Snacks Inc. have held the number one or two position in the snack arena giving exceptional and secure investments for their investors. In the past two years, sales have dropped drastically, the market shares have decreased and stock prices were spiraling down. The Vice President of Organizational Development, Sabrina McKay is a valuable asset with exceptional expertise that involves several organizational development initiatives. However, due to the harshness of Best Snack’s situation, the company is forced to evaluate the likes and dislikes of their constituents in order to compete with success. This paper will address Best Snack’s circumstance in a manner of resolving issues and realizing future opportunities, engaging stakeholders throughout the process to ensure success, and implementing a strategic plan involving new innovative ways and creativity as a vital part of the company’s culture. Describe the Situation Issue and Opportunity Identification Elizabeth Fairchild announced in a Memo to all employees – do to the rapid changes in the world; in order for Best Snacks to continue being successful the company will have to keep up with the changes. The company’s success with depend on if the company leads the way in creativity and innovation. (University of Phoenix, 2010, pg 2) The company has an opportunity to reorganize...
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...Viability and Recommendations ¬ SectionA4. Legal Considerations and Recommendations ¬ Section B. Sources Introduction: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. Companies that embrace corporate social responsibility look after people and the environment along with good financial results. These companies do not wait until the government imposes particular rule or laws. They look ahead and determine for themselves which environmental and social measures they are able or willing to take. They choose those measures which fit in with their own vision and business strategy. But they also take account of what the outside world asks of them. They developed an identity that is based on finding a responsible balance between people ‘social well-being’, planet ‘ecological quality’and profit ’economic prosperity’(Epstein, 2008). Although every company must consider for itself how best to incorporate social responsibility into its business model, it may be instructive to look at one company’s efforts to incorporate these triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) into its strategic thinking and business planning. Global Health Communities (GHC) is a non-profit healthcare system which service millions people across Chicago metropolitan area. GHC is committed to provide the best health needs...
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...Introduction Having accurate and timely information available to medical personnel is critical in providing quality healthcare. With the increased demand of mobilizing health care information, health information exchanges (HIEs) were established. The healthcare information exchange was designed to allow patient information be electronically accessible across an organization, region, community or hospital system. (1) The initial concept of HIE was to reduce cost of patient care, improve speed, quality and safety of medical information. (2) Background Over the past few year’s health information technology landscape has experienced rapid change. In the 1990s Regional and community Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) were created in many states. These RHIOs are the building blocks in developing a national network. The Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology was created in 2004. The ONC is currently collaborating with RHIOs in an effort to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the exchange of health information. (4) Since there are multiple exchanges, varying standards and architecture, the ability to establish uniform data and transmission standards has been difficult. Thus the ONC is still in the process of collaborating working on developing standards and compliance monitoring programs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has supported state and regional coordination of health care...
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...January 2005 Re-examining the cause-and-effect principle of the Balanced Scorecard* Per Nikolaj Bukh, pnb@pnbukh.com, Aarhus School of Business Teemu Malmi, teemu.malmi@uts.edu.au, University of Technology, Sydney & Helsinki School of Economics Abstract There seems to be a wide variety of methods in how organizations apply the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) concept in practice and how it is interpreted in the literature. Consequently, it is not quite clear what the core features of BSC, or its variants, are and if all its variants are equally effective in producing expected outcomes. Moreover, the usefulness of BSC as a practical theory has been questioned by referring to some of its assumptions, especially the cause-and-effect relationship (Norreklit, 2000, 2003). In this paper we re-examine the cause-and-effect principle, which can be seen as one of the corner-stones of the BSC. Further, we outline alternative ways to apply cause-and-effect in practice, both analytically and organizationally. To facilitate research on BSC, we discuss some of the contingencies that may limit or support the usefulness of the causeand-effect concept. These include strategy, organization, environment and communication related issues. Key Words: Balanced scorecard, cause-and-effect, non-financial measurement, performance management, strategy, strategy map. * We wish to thank the editors, Sten Jönsson and Jan Mouritsen, for their guidance in the process of writing the paper. Further, we thank...
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...The Moral Compass nd understand moral theory. In fact, you have a moral philosophy – but you may not think of it that way. Every time you have a conversation about what someone “should” or “ought” to do, you doing moral philosophy. Your moral converations may be very personal – whether you should return the five dollars extra change the clerk gave you at the video store – or very broad – whether national security is more important than personal freedom. Whatever your moral conversations are about, it is likely there is a body of literature that would be useful in clarifying your thoughts on the issue. It may be a good idea for you to read a basic textbook on moral philosophy to review or familiarize yourself with the way philosophers have thought about some of the moral issues that almost everyone encounters. It is especially useful to be familiar with the terms and concepts of moral philosophy so you can express your views precisely and intelligently. Some of the major moral theories are briefly summarized in the Primer of Moral Theory that follows. You will find most of them are discussed in more detail in any basic moral philosophy text, although you may find them listed under slightly different titles. As you consider each theory, use the “Where Do I Stand” box to mark your position on it. Include a brief explanation of the reasons for your position. The purpose of this exercise is for you to decide for yourself what moral theories and standpoints make the most sense to...
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...SEDL – Advancing Research, Improving Education in School, Family, & Community Connections Annual Synthesis 2001 Emerging Issues SEDL – Advancing Research, Improving Education in School, Family, & Community Connections Annual Synthesis 2001 Emerging Issues Catherine Jordan Evangelina Orozco Amy Averett Contributors Joan Buttram Deborah Donnelly Lacy Wood Marilyn Fowler Margaret Myers National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools SEDL 4700 Mueller Blvd. Austin, Texas 78723 Voice: 512-476-6861 or 800-476-6861 Fax: 512-476-2286 Web site: www.sedl.org E-mail: info@sedl.org Copyright © 2002 by Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from SEDL or by submitting a copyright request form accessible at http://www.sedl.org/about/copyright_request.html on the SEDL Web site. This publication was produced in whole or in part with funds from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, under contract number ED-01-CO-0009. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Education, or any other agency of the U.S. government, or any other source. Table of Contents Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
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...The context contemporary global business environment s requires companies to keep up with the pace of rapid changes and to meet financial expectations of numerous stakeholders. However these expectations are not financial only. Growing environmental concerns, depleting natural resources, globalisation issues, political and social instability require companies to reconsider their change management practices to comply with stakeholders expectations Pharmaceutical industry is no exception. The pharmaceutical industry has strategized around market exclusivity for many years. Successful commercialization of pharmaceutical products depends on maximizing the time available for product sales before generic products entered the market. Market protection opportunities that have the greatest impact on the life cycle of the product include patents, data exclusivity, patent term litigation, and extensions associated with pediatric indications for the drug (Goodman, 2008). Drug companies, their competitors which include other pharmaceutical companies, as well as generic companies understand this, thus enabling the drug companies to maximize product sales and royalties for many years (Goodman, 2008). These factors along with a declining economy, new healthcare regulations, political influences, changes in patent law, a change of the mentality from profits first, science secondary has lead to the decline in profits for the pharmaceutical industry. Although late adaptors to the “change”, unlike...
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...MANAGEMENT S T R AT E G Y MEASUREMENT M A N AG E M E N T AC C O U N T I N G G U I D E L I N E Customer Profitability Analysis By Marc J. Epstein Published by The Society of Management Accountants of Canada, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. N OT I C E TO R E A D E R S The material contained in the Management Accounting Guideline Customer Profitability Analysis is designed to provide illustrative information with respect to the subject matter covered. It does not establish standards or preferred practices.This material has not been considered or acted upon by any senior or technical committees or the board of directors of either the AICPA, CIMA or The Society of Management Accountants of Canada and does not represent an official opinion or position of either the AICPA, CIMA or The Society of Management Accountants of Canada. Copyright © 2000 by The Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright Licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free...
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...STRATEGIES 24 DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS 25 Where are they heading? 25 Where would they like to be? 25 How do they get there? 26 RECOMMENDATIONS 27 APPENDIX 28 REFERENCES 33 INTRODUCTION Company Background BlackBerry Limited, previously known as Research In Motion Limited is a wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer, well known for its brand of smartphones and tablets of the same name. Originally founded in 1984 by Mike Lazardis, the company was managed with a dual CEO structure where Mr. Lazardis oversaw technical functions and partner Jim Balsillie oversaw sales/marketing. When stock prices began to falter, shareholder criticism of this leadership style caused both men stepped down for Thorsten Heins. He ran the company until November 2013, when he was replaced by John Chen, following the collapse of a deal with Fairfax to take the company private. Initially the company was a dominant and innovative force in the industry, leading the market for business and government usage. Unfortunately, in recent years the company has declined substantially, with share prices falling from $149.90 in June 2008 to approx. $8.50 by November 2013 (Market Line, 2013). This is largely due to increase competition...
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...J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. DOI 10.1007/s11747-011-0248-3 Exploring CRM effectiveness: an institutional theory perspective Bas Hillebrand & Jurriaan J. Nijholt & Edwin J. Nijssen Received: 25 June 2010 / Accepted: 28 January 2011 # The Author(s) 2011. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract This study identifies the potential contribution that institutional theory can make to understanding the success of marketing practices. Based on institutional theory, we argue that the effectiveness of marketing practices decreases when firms are motivated to adopt such practices under the influence of institutional pressures originating in firms’ environments. However, alignment between a practice and a firm’s marketing strategy may buffer against these negative effects. We apply these insights to the case of customer relationship management (CRM). CRM is considered an important way to enhance customer loyalty and firm performance, but it has also been criticized for being expensive and for not living up to expectations. Empirical data from 107 organizations confirm that, in general, adopting CRM for mimetic motives is likely to result in fewer customer insights as a result of using this practice. Our study suggests that institutional theory has much to offer to the investigation of the effectiveness of marketing practices. Keywords Customer relationship management . Institutional theory . Mimetic motives . Adoption . Marketing practices B. Hillebrand...
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...Business & Society http://bas.sagepub.com Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of a Definitional Construct Archie B. Carroll Business Society 1999; 38; 268 DOI: 10.1177/000765039903800303 The online version of this article can be found at: http://bas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/38/3/268 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: International Association for Business and Society Additional services and information for Business & Society can be found at: Email Alerts: http://bas.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://bas.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations http://bas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/38/3/268 Downloaded from http://bas.sagepub.com at Biblioteca di Ateneo - Trento on April 28, 2010 Carroll / CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BUSINESS & SOCIETY / September 1999 Corporate Social Responsibility Evolution of a Definitional Construct ARCHIE B. CARROLL University of Georgia There is an impressive history associated with the evolution of the concept and definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this article, the author traces the evolution of the CSR construct beginning in the 1950s, which marks the modern era of CSR. Definitions expanded during the 1960s and proliferated during the 1970s. In the 1980s, there were fewer new definitions, more empirical research, and alternative themes...
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...Journal of Macromarketing http://jmk.sagepub.com/ Market Responsiveness to Societal Interests Tracy L. Gonzalez-Padron and Robert W. Nason Journal of Macromarketing 2009 29: 392 DOI: 10.1177/0276146709344954 The online version of this article can be found at: http://jmk.sagepub.com/content/29/4/392 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of: Macromarketing Society Additional services and information for Journal of Macromarketing can be found at: Email Alerts: http://jmk.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://jmk.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://jmk.sagepub.com/content/29/4/392.refs.html Downloaded from jmk.sagepub.com by Celia McKoy on September 15, 2010 Market Responsiveness to Societal Interests Tracy L. Gonzalez-Padron1 and Robert W. Nason2 Journal of Macromarketing 29(4) 392-405 ª The Author(s) 2009 Reprints and permission: http://www. sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0276146709344954 http://jmmk.sagepub.com Abstract The authors provide evidence that firms can enhance their own objectives by internalizing the objectives of most stakeholder groups. This suggests that society’s objectives, as defined by stakeholders to the firm, can be augmented by the self-interest motivation at the heart of a market system. Specifically examined was the impact of stakeholder responsiveness on innovativeness...
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...The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1746-8809.htm An investigation of perceptions of company annual report users in Sri Lanka Anura De Zoysa and Kathy Rudkin School of Accounting and Finance, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of how users of company annual reports in the emerging market of Sri Lanka view those reports. Since limited studies exist that examine financial reporting practices in emerging markets, little is known about the user perceptions of company annual reports in these markets. This paper contributes to filling this gap by examining the views of a wide spectrum of users on the usefulness of corporate annual reports in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach – The data reported in this study were collected through a questionnaire survey, covering seven user groups – accountants, executives, bankers, tax officers, academics, financial analysts, and investors. The 264 responses received were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test. Findings – The results reveal that most use annual reports for obtaining information for share transactions. Despite the long delay in publishing many annual reports and lack of availability of these reports to the general public, the majority of users view annual reports as the most important source of company information. The paper also reveals that, in comparison with developed...
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