Famous Quotations About Literature and Writing

We see, enjoy, and criticize the end result of writers work, but theres so much more to these pieces than what the public consumes. After all, millions of books get published every year, joining the vast libraries that have been built up over time, but we regard few as classics, greats or masterpieces. So what makes the difference between just another piece of writing and a literary success? Often, its the writer. Heres a collection of thoughts from world-famous writers on what literature means to them and why they pursued the written word as a means to express themselves. Quotes About Writing and Literature Henry Miller: Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself.Ezra Pound: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.Joseph Heller: He knew everything about literature except how to enjoy it.John Steinbeck: I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature.Alfred North Whitehead: It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its expression.Henry James: It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.C. S. Lewis: Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.Oscar Wilde: Literature always anticipates life . It does not copy it but molds it to its purpose. The nineteenth century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac.G. K. Chesterton: Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.Virginia Woolf: Literature is strewn with the wreckage of those who have minded beyond reason the opinion of others.Salman Rushdie: Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the heart.William Somerset Maugham: The crown of literature is poetry.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation.Robert Louis Stevenson: The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean. Like a Woman Who Gives Herself Without Preference Anatole France: The duty of literature is to note what counts and to light up what is suited to the light. If it ceases to choose and to love, it becomes like a woman who gives herself without preference.E. M. Forster: What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.Samuel Lover: When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. But if you have not a pen, I suppose you must scratch any way you can.Cyril Connolly: While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living.

Gender Is The State Of Being Male Or Female Essay

Sex is biological, determined by factors such as how many chromosomes a person has and genitalia. Gender is the state of being male or female, it is a social construct. Transgender is a person who identifies or expresses a gender identify that differs from the one that corresponds to the person’s sex at birth. Also, a hermaphrodite, is a person having both male or female organs or other sexual characteristics are faced with nature of gender, sexual identity, and what makes up one’s sense of self. A person’s ability to make a choice is defined by the amount of control over the situation. Therefore, one’s gender is a choice. Most people identify with the gender that is aligned with their biological sex, but some people decide to identify with the opposite gender, both or neither. Therefore, one may feel the need to make their physical parts match what is inside their head resulting in sexual reassignment surgery. â€Å"Society views gender as a rigid, innat e thing† (Garner 33). Since one cannot change how they feel inside, a person may change their given gender. There is a narrow understanding of gender. Many people are under the assumption that one is mentally ill, however one wants to make the decision for themselves. First, the Choice Theory was developed by Dr..William Glasser allows one to gain a perspective on the topic of gender roles and gender identity. â€Å"Choice Theory sees almost all human behavior as being chosen† (qtd. in Gardner 31). One is motivated internally, notShow MoreRelatedGender Is The State Of Being Male Or Female?2063 Words   |  9 PagesWe’ve grown up in a society where gender has always been an issue, and quite possibly always will be. Unless we start to entirely alter our thoughts and begin to view gender for what it is and not what it’s been portrayed to be for many years there will not be any change. Can we accomplish something like changing our thoughts to believe in something that’s different from what society has taught us? Sure we can. Gender defined is â€Å"the state of being male or female†. It’s as simple as that. WhyRead MoreEssay Ethnicity and Female Equality: A personal Opinion1529 Words   |  7 Pagesethnicity and gender on female status in the United States. Equality for females and males is influenced by ones ethnicity, by the media, by stereotypes, and by the myth of equal rights. The research methods that will be used for this essay will be only the personal opinions of the author of this essay. One believes that the findings of this essay will show that ethnicity and media generated stereotypes influence gender roles and that inequality for females is a fact of life. Ethnicity and Female Equality: Read MoreFemale Students Pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Or Mathematics Essay1670 Words   |  7 PagesThe number of female students pursuing science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) majors in US colleges has been on the increase, even though male dominance persists, particularly in the upper levels of STEM careers. Male and female students at the elementary, mi ddle, and high school levels leave school equally prepared to pursue STEM majors at the college and university levels. However, fewer females tend to pursue these majors. Female students are less likely to indicate intentionsRead MoreSocial Implications Tied to Gender in the United States Essay1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe term gender acts as a basic biological means of dividing and classifying men and women. Even though being biologically male or female merely means one has the corresponding reproductive parts, there is much more to gender than this. Within the United States, being male or female comes with many social implications and expectations. The issue of gender is so powerful that it has become an organizing construct for national development. A popular, though controversial method for dealing with genderRead MoreWhy The Gender Pay Gap Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesVincent (2013) provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis on why the gender pay gap exists in Canada by researching, studying, analyzing, and interpreting over 39 different sources of Canadian micro data and finds that the gender pay gap has decreased over the years but still persists even in younger generations, less than a third of the pay gap can be explained through females over-occupying lower sector jobs, women placing a larger emphasize on non- monetary related aspects of a jobRead MoreBeing A Male And A Female Essay1747 Words   |  7 PagesIndira Ghandi were all powerful female leaders from their respected countries. Today we strive for equality weather it is male, female, race, color, age, or caste. The has always been power dynamic system when we look at â€Å"gender.† Throughout history the female race has been looked up as inferior to the male races there are certain stigma’s that come with being a male or a female. These stigma’s have led to making certain restrictions for being a male and a female. An example would be woman are supposedRead MoreGender Inequality Of The Work Force1305 Words   |  6 PagesFor centuries, human beings have constantly dealt with various forms of discrimination; whether it is religion, race, gender or other factors that make individuals different from one another, discrimination occurs every day. Inequality in the work force is a type of discrimination that is prev alent globally. Females, who are as equally educated, trained and experienced as their male colleagues, are not receiving equal pay — resulting in a gender wage gap. According to a study conducted by ChristianneRead MoreIs It Really Just A Boy Thing?1307 Words   |  6 Pageswidening achievement gap between male and female students. It has been debated for more than a decade of why male students are falling behind in the educational system. There is significant evidence to believe that this is a phenomenon. However, there is not a concrete answer as to why male students are lacking academically. This leads to two possible lines of thinking about gender gaps: Either they represent the innate biological differences in males’ and females’ abilities, or they represent theRead MoreThe Hierarchy Of Gender Is An Issue That The Entire World Has Faced For Many Years954 Words   |  4 Pages The hierarchy of gender is an issue that the entire world has faced for many ye ars. In the United States, there is a large problem with women being represented in politics. This can be traced back to how children are placed into different hierarchies of males being masculine and females being feminine through their clothes, toys, and more. However, the issue is also caused by the media’s portray of female politicians in comparison to male politicians. The media’s reporting of the 2016 presidentialRead MoreRoles And Roles Of Gender Roles Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesRoles in gender has to be determined before we are even born. Once a child’s sex is revealed, he or she will be placed into certain roles. Before we are even determined to be a male or female, we received 23 chromosomes from each parent. Of the 46 chromosomes, 45 are unisex. It is not determined until the six week which chromosome takes over and determines the sex of the child. As children get older, it becomes noticeable the differences that occur. It has been shown that wome n will mature quicker

Evidence Based Practice - 4004 Words

In this essay, I am going to consider how evidence-based practice can be used to support, justify, legitimate and/or improve clinical practice. I am also going to explore and discuss primary and secondary research evidences about how nursing interventions can potentially improve the quality of life of patients in the community suffering from heart failure. I will gather these evidences using a literature search which I will include an account of. Using a critiquing framework for support, I will appraise both primary and secondary evidences that I have chosen. I will also look at potential non-evidential factors that can influence evidence utilisation in practice. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn. Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is†¦show more content†¦I did not choose PsychInfo or Social Care Online and several specialist databases as I did not want to get any articles that focus on other perspective other than nursing. I asked the search engine to look for heart failure in the title section of articles and also lifestyle as secondary to it. I also used quotation marks to specifically search for heart failure rather than search each word individually. To further refine my search, I went onto the chronic heart failure filter. Using these search criteria, I was able to pick the primary evidence that fits best to my aims. I used the Cochraine Library to search for my secondary evidence as it is best to look for systematic reviews which is a form of secondary evidences. I used the advance search feature of the database. I performed the search using heart failure with quotation marks in the title section of articles. I also used quality of life and exercise in the abstract of possible articles as keywords. As well as this, I used the search engine’s function to only show results restricted to systematic reviews. Using these search criteria, I successfully chosen my secondary evidence. The primary evidence that I have chosen is a study conducted by Brodie et al (2008) about how a physical activity ‘lifestyle’ intervention based on motivational interviewing, compared to standard care, can improve quality of life for people with chronic heart failure. The authors of this article included an account of itsShow MoreRelatedEvidence Based Practice And Practice1007 Words   |  5 PagesItroduction: Evidence-based practice is an approach to medicine that uses scientific evidence to determine the best practice (Beyea Slattery, 2006). As nurses perform their daily tasks they must continually ask themselves, â€Å"What is the evidence for this intervention?†. Nurses are well positioned to question current nursing practices and use evidence to make care more effective. In order to improve patients’ outcomes it is the responsibility of the nurse to transition evidence-based practice into theRead MoreEvidence Based Practice For Nursing Practice2023 Words   |  9 PagesHeitkemper Bucher (2014), â€Å"Evidence-based practice is a problem-solving approach to clinical decision making. It involves the use of the best available evidence in combination with clinical expertise and patient preferences and values to achieve desired patient outcomes.† Using evidence based practice in nursing is extremely important, because evidence-based practice is the result of others trying a practice one way but needing to change some of the guidelines to make the practice safer and over all betterRead MoreEvidence Based Practice in Nursing1565 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Evidence Based Practice in Nursing Name Course Tutor April 20th, 2013 Introduction The paper herein provides a critical discussion of evidence based practice (EBP) in nursing. It clearly elaborates on the meaning and definition of EBP as used by nurses as well as the importance of evidence based decision making as it relates to nursing care. It broadly examines the concept of EBP in nursing care and its relevance to nursing practice and to the delivery of quality patient careRead MoreThe Research Evidence Based Practice1174 Words   |  5 Pagesrole in research evidence based practice in nursing care. Transplant nurses should practice transplant nursing that is based on evidence. Institute of medicine reported that by 2020, 90% of clinical decisions should be based on evidence, but today 12% to 14% clinical decisions are only based on evidence. Pravikoff and colleagues surveyed 3000 nurses in United States with a 37% response rate .Fifty-eight percent of responding nurses had never used research to support their practice and 46% had neverRead MoreBarriers to Evide nce-Based Practices588 Words   |  2 PagesEvidence-based practice requires ready access to external evidence that can lead to up-to-date clinical decision making. Meanwhile, libraries have been under growing funding pressure when physiotherapists have been adapting evidence-based practice. Journal subscription prices have increased intensely past ten years in the field of medicine, the average price increase over this period was 304% (Albee Dingley 2000). A lot of library budgets are unable to afford such increases and libraries have hadRead MoreExploring Evidence Based Practice And Practice Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesTitle Exploring Evidence to Enhance Learning and Practice Assignment details Drawing on a range of evidence discuss how different types of research can be used to support practice. 1500 words  ± 10% Word count 1647 Contents Introduction 2 Quantitative Data 3 Qualitative Data 4 Systematic Reviews 5 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction This piece of work will be exploring the different forms of research and their significance in the evidence-based practice. What is researchRead MoreThe Application Of Evidence Based Practice1388 Words   |  6 Pages The application of Evidence Based Practice (EBP) requires doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff to be proficient in conducting quality research of peer reviewed academic literature (Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice, 2016). This process enables them to obtain appropriate and relevant evidence to support medical decisions. For example, to support the medical management of preterm births within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community (â€Å"Health of Australia s Aboriginal Peoples†Read MoreEvidence Based Practice For Nursing Practice2100 Words   |  9 PagesEvidence-Base practice (EBP) is defined as: â€Å"based on problem identified from the practitioner’s area of practice; a combining of best evidence and professional expertise and an integration of this into current practice; about ensuring patients receive quality care, being part of quality improvement processes; about collaboration and requiring a team approach† (French, 1999). Scott and Mcsherry (2008) supported the French’s assertion, proposing the key elements of EBP are that it is a theory-drivenRead MoreApplication Of Evidence Based Practice1689 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is the process nurses use to conduct research and find recent and credible evidence to support best practice (McCutcheon, 2009). The process of EBP will be applied to the case study about a nurse who did not use EBP in her nursing process. This is important because providing EBP is a core philosophy in the ANMC competency standards for the registered nurse (The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2016). The report will on build assignment one whereRead MoreEvidence Based Practice Essay4468 Words   |  18 PagesThe author’s intention is to identify an aspect of clinical practice which lends itself to change at a micro level. The definition of a micro-change is an intervention of change aimed at the individual or the way small teams work. The micro-level change is not to be confused with a service change (Walsh, 2009). When considering a change in practice we need to firstly understand why we need to make a change? Secondly when making a change, we need to justify a decision. This can be achieved by

Causes Of High Dropout Rate Among Low Income College Students

Paras Rayamajhi English 111/ 1904 Mrs. Jones September 29, 2014 The Causes of the High Dropout rate among Low-Income College Students To dropout, in simple words, means leaving school or any institution before the completion of a course due to some specific reason or necessity. There is a significant dropout rate at colleges which include household cultural and financial problem, where expectations of college are not met, and where financial aid is insufficient A household s cultural and financial condition can seriously affect a student’s education. The culture and financial status of a family directly or indirectly affects the mentality of a student towards his or her studies. A student, can never fully concentrate on his education until and unless his family background provides him with a secure environment. As long as there are financial difficulties in a family, the children of that family are always concerned with how they can lower the family’s financial burden. In such a situation, the student focuses on the economic status of the family and is always busy trying to determine how to avoid negl ecting studies, but eventually the entire academic progress is threatened. Finance is a barrier for students in the lower percentage of the household income distribution. Furthermore, the hazard ratios of the dropout model highlight how gender and parents’ education affect academic success. (Aina) Also many families have lost jobs during recession, so many students are beingShow MoreRelatedCollege Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pagesonly 34 percent of high-achieving high-school seniors in the bottom quarter of family income went to one of the 238 most selective colleges, compared with 78 percent of students from the top quarter (Markell). Certainly, these numbers show that students that come from low income families aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve. With college costs going nowhere but up, students from low-income families face tough decisions. Some students choose to attend community college while some make theRead MoreThe Achievement Gap Between Hispani c Students And Non-Hispanic896 Words   |  4 PagesHispanic students and non-Hispanic students is alarming due to the high dropout rates and the increasing Hispanic population in the United States. To better understand why Hispanic students dropout out of high school it is important to explore the perspectives and experiences of high school dropouts. Examining the root causes of whys Hispanic student’s drop out of high school can assist to improve dropout retention early on. As a significant number of Hispanics continue to dropout of high school annuallyRead MoreEffect Of Student Gender On The Rates Of High School Dropouts Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction A high school diploma not only facilitates progression to college but also increases a student’s chances of financial independence and career success in the future. However, high school dropouts are common, which have varied economic implications, including shortages in the workforce, high dependency on healthcare and welfare, and increased public spending in the criminal justice system (Levin and Rouse, 2012). Some students drop out of high school due to socioeconomic factors, with students fromRead MoreHow Employment Affects The Likelihood Of Dropout Among High School Students1478 Words   |  6 Pagesorder to gain insight on what factors from the past decade contributed to degree attainment and college completion. In the paragraphs that follow I summarize five research articles that examine five articles dated back from 2005 to 2013 analyzing family factors along with personal student factors that played a role in student’s educational futures. The first two will ex amine factors starting from high school with the first being from an individual stand point and the second from the families standRead MoreThe Old European Derived Model Of The American University1528 Words   |  7 Pagesrather a religious haven for students of wealthy families who attended in order to become clergymen. Though the religious presence at these institutions has largely diminished, the overwhelming presence of students of primarily wealthy backgrounds remains. Only recently have colleges, with little avail, attempted to reverse this trend. Non-profit colleges, including two year, four year public, and private colleges are still, on average three fourths students of middle income and above. The current purposeRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Child Birth850 Words   |  4 PagesTeenage pregnancy and child birth have long been a controversy in the united states. The issue emerged during the 1950’s and early 1960’s when teenage childbearing rates reached a hi storical peak. In the mid 1960’s birth control was introduces and the teen pregnancy rate dropped by 25 percent however it is still a social issue. Such strife has triggered much political debate. Notably, whether the government should fund programs that encourage abstinence or focus on birth control. Although abstinenceRead MoreHigh School Dropouts Has Become A Crisis1575 Words   |  7 PagesHigh School Dropouts Education is to be known to be the key to success, but high school dropouts have become a crisis. To get by in today s world education is a must to become economically and financially secure. A high school dropout or dropout is to be known as an undergraduate that does not complete schooling before earning a high school diploma. According to Carolyn L. Carlson, an estimate of 7,000 high school students drop out daily in America (1). Which is 1.2 million a year, when a studentRead MoreBecoming High Turnover Rates Among Teachers1335 Words   |  6 PagesDefinition of the Problem Higher education has been experiencing high turnover rates among teachers. According to Gonzalez and Brown (2008), the NEA (National Education Association) reported that 20% of recently hired teachers will leave the profession within the first three years (Gonzalez Brown, 2008). In urban areas, however, 50% of teachers will leave the classroom within the same timeframe (p. 2). This is due to low wages, personal dissatisfaction, and emotional/social factors (p.2). SuchRead MoreHigh School Dropouts and Crime3694 Words   |  15 PagesWHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS TO LEAD CRIMINAL LIVES? Michael Webbers 13APRIL2013 Criminology ADJ 107 Spring 2013 Professor George D. McMillan Purpose:It is extremely important to get an education and graduate high school. Without obtaining a high school diploma, a GED or College Degree, an individual will likely experience great difficulties in finding and obtaining a job. As a result of such basic educational requirements enforced by society and more specifically employersRead MoreEducation Is Worth The Cost2023 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican students graduate from high school with hopes of continuing on to higher education. Getting a degree is part of the American Culture, yet it is becoming more difficult to achieve. Recent graduates have incurred an average debt of $35,200 with incomes remaining still. This has caused many Americans to wonder if trying to obtain a college education is worth the cost. The average public university tuition rate has risen to $21,000, with the private college tuition rate rising to $42,000. High tuition

Price and Value Agreement Free Essays

Is the value of something equal to the price tag placed on it? Is the value and worth of something the same for every person? This is something that many struggle with understanding properly. To fully understand this concept then you must understand the true difference between the value, price, and worth of something. I intend to explain these and provide you with a better understanding by the end of this paper. We will write a custom essay sample on Price and Value Agreement or any similar topic only for you Order Now Have you ever went grocery shopping and purchased multiple items just because there was a half off sale; or a buy one and get one free sale? Many of you probably have, I am one myself that is guilty of this. However, have you ever really thought about the value of that additional item? Since it was free does it mean that there was not value of it either? This is where the importance of knowing the difference in value and price. The value of something does not determine the price of it; the price is determined by the demand of something and how many are available, or otherwise known as the supply. If there is a high demand of something then there is going to be a lower supply of them available. When the supply is low and the demand is high; people are willing to pay more for that item when it is available. This is something that you see happening during the holiday season. For example, a few years ago when the Tickle Me Elmo’s were so popular, the stores increased the prices by almost double just because they knew that people would pay it. Are you one of those people that will pay the price for something you want, regardless on how much it is? There are many of people that do; but not me. I am one of those that will wait for the price to go down; or will do research online to look and see if I can find it cheaper. I am not one of those people that have to have the best of everything; although I do like to stay within the modern days. However, I am willing to pay more for fuel and true necessities. I know that there are smaller stores and gas stations that have these things but price them higher; however, I figure if I can get everything that I need at that time in one stop then why should I waste gas to drive around to find what I am looking for? I have also realized that the name brand items are more expensive that the generic items. This sometimes means that you get cheaper made products, depending on what you are looking at at that particular time. I will pay more for the more popular and name brand items when it comes to vehicles and electronics; but I am all for the generic in everything else. There are sometimes that I prefer name brand jeans; but that is just because they are stronger material for when I work. My uncle is from Mexico and sends money home often. He indicated that the last time he sent money the exchange rate was fourteen peso to the American dollar. So does this mean that if something costs fourteen thousand dollars here that it is only one thousand in Mexico? No, it does not. Something that would cost 32 peso in Mexico would convert to costing two dollars and twenty five cents in American dollars. However that same thing is going to cost roughly three dollars and sixty cents here. Mexico has a much lower income rate so therefore the cost of living is lower. This also applies for each state here in the United States. There are different states that have higher income levels, thus higher cost of living. This means that goods, services, homes, and many other things are going to be more expensive in that state than what you could get in another state. With this being said; is a three bedroom home is California worth more or better than the same three bedroom home in Montana? This does not make the house any better than the other; however, does make it worth more. This is because California is a much more desired state to live in and work because of the attractions and the income level being so high. Therefore, the real estate prices and value go up. The house in California is also going to have a different type of structure that the one in Montana and that is because of the different climate threats and weather conditions; therefore, that also raises the value of the property. However, the largest asset that is going to determine the value of the property is the location of it. I personally would pass up an opportunity to live in a large state and city any day just to stay in my little town. I may not live in the best house but I do live in the best neighborhood of my town. I don’t have to worry about the crime and violence where I am as much as others do. The one thing to remember about property value is that it is better to be the roughest house in the best neighborhood than what it is to be the best house in the roughest neighborhood. This is once again because of the location determine the value of the home. Not only have the value and prices of real estate in my area went down over the years with the economy; but the value of the American dollar has as well. This is caused the cost of living to increase and therefore, the minimum wage has also. When I first started working the minimum wage was only $5. 15 per hour. Here is Indiana it was actually that for many years up until here just a few years ago. Since the cost of living has gone up, the minimum wage has now gone up to $7. 25 per hour here. I try not to look at it as me only being worth that much; but my time for the company being worth that much. I know that my time is worth more to my family; however, I have to have a means of supporting them. I think it is really hard to determine the worth of people dependant on their career choice. I say this because when we take a rookie baseball player making five million dollars a year and a veteran teacher only makes sixty thousand dollars a year; it is really hard to believe that a baseball player does more good than a teacher. The baseball player makes more because they generate trillions of dollars in income annually for the team; thus why they are able to be paid so much. Although the teachers put in just as much time, if not more, they do not generate any income for the schools, so they could be considered an expense. The funding to pay the teachers come from the government and therefore, is much less than that of a baseball player. However, I do not think that the amount of income can determine one’s worth; especially in this situation. I think I would have to say that I am willing to do many jobs to support myself and my family; however, the one that I am not willing to do is fast food. This is because I can not take the heat of being in the kitchen and dealing with the rude customers. It is also a proven fact that those that work in fast food are more apt to be overweight and not healthy. I have enough problems with my weight the way it is; I don’t need the help of the fast food. Price, value, and worth are all related in one way or another. You make decisions on the worth of the item to you every time you decide to make a purchase or not be determining if the item is worth enough to you to pay the price. The higher the demand equals the lower the supply; therefore, the lower the supply equals the higher the price. The worth is determined by each individual because an item may be worth more to one person than it is to another. How to cite Price and Value Agreement, Papers

Planned Decision Making

Question: Discuss about the rational decision-making. Answer: Introduction/Summary Campus drift helps various companies to promote themselves amidst the students, and it is done with the support of 450 in-house experts who come up with creative content and ideas for supporting various firms and organizations. Although, the company started off pretty well and had a significant impact on the market in the Asian countries but then soon it was losing the lustre and power of attracting clients. The reason was simple enough to understand, the pay of the experts was fixed without keeping in mind their educational qualifications and experience because of which some experts were getting paid more than their capabilities which led to less profit for the organization while others felt that the pay was below par and hence, they had no motivation for working to the best of their potential. The head or the CEO Nikhilesh Mathews decided to convert the pay system from fixed salary to an incentive model under which base salary was kept high but along with that the additional compen sation was given only to the superior and better experts and secondly, changed the office days system from a six day system to five day system and making the sixth day as WORK FROM HOME. Nikhilesh wanted to publicize the change such that all the workers feel motivated and have the zeal to work harder for the company and a=moreover all the workers will be paid as per their capabilities and the company will also be able to attract more client. Earlier, the experts did not use to entertain customers in an emphatic manner as they were sure of getting fixed salary but now they were tempted by additional pay. Nikhilesh was able to smarty cut down the pay grade and increase the profits for the company and along with that the experts were also happy with the change as they felt alive while working. Some of the major factors which influenced the decision were degrading client base, sloppy and boring work environment, experts taking the wrong advantage of the salary based pay model, downgrading profits of the company, lack of interactive and creative content and the experts did not find themselves accountable for company's downfall. Analysis of rational decision-making Now we know about the changes made in the organization and the outcome of the changes which were made. In case, there is any confusion, let us remind the two necessary changes or decisions which were taken by the CEO of the company, Nikhilesh Mathews. Firstly, the wage system has been modified from a salary based model to an incentive+ base salary model. Secondly, the working days in office were changed from 6days a week system to 5days a wee with the sixth day being converted into WORK FROM HOME. Now let us analyze these decisions with proper tools of rational decision making. We will first examine the decision of changing the pay grade system (The Web, 2016). Before analyzing it with analytical decision-making tools, let us understand the concept of rational decision making. It is a system under which an option is selected over other options through a systematic approach. A manager uses a range of logical step for reviewing the relevant facts, possible outcomes, and observations before finally deciding on a course of action (Boundless, 2016). Step 1 Formulations of goals (Seymour, 2006) Changing the pay grade system from fixed salary system to an incentive + base salary system Changing the office working days from six days to five days a week with the sixth day being WORK FROM HOME. Step 2 Identification of criteria for taking the decision Downgrading value of the company No motivation for the workers to work enthusiastically Attracting more clients with creative experts who have the opportunity to gain more Creating a work-life balance by WORK FROM HOME system Step 3 Identification of alternatives Instead of WORK FROM HOME system, daily working hours could have been reduced from 9hours to 8 hours and half days on Saturdays Dividing the experts in category such as A, B, C, D as per their level of experience and working capacity instead of such a drastic change of changing the wage system Reducing the number of experts and giving the remaining experts same salary and focus on developing these specialists in a much better way Step 4 Performing different analyses The best option is to ask the experts themselves by giving them feedback forms and expect more than 75% of these employees to provide actual information and act accordingly. Conducting polling inside the organization and taking the right decision as per the majority census. Looking at the working of competitor and what suits them best Taking example from some of the successful firms who are in the same business Step 5 Finalization of a decision The final decision made by Nikhilesh for his organization has been entirely correct keeping in mind different limitations and alternatives. The decision has been rational because none of the employees was removed forcefully. If he had decided to curtail hi workforce then, in that case, the company would have had to issue lots of notices and in some cases the expert might have even lodged a case against the company hence, degrading the image of the company s an employer. Curtailing the work hours in such a business like this where demand is more and suppliers are less would mean cutting off profits and in turn the client base. Hence, the decision of WORK FROM HOME is entirely perfect as it provides the fluidity which every expert yearns for in his career and maintains a work-life balance. The following table will help us in understanding the process Analysis of limitations on the decision-making It is important to comprehend the concept of bounded rational decision making. The concept revolves around three unavoidable criteria or circumstances namely the limitation of time which an individual has for taking a decision, it is possible for human mind to evaluate and analyze the available information last but not the least many times only scant information is available, and the effects and repercussions of this information are also not reliable (Web Finance, 2016). The decision making in this company could have been bounded by some reasons namely the person in charge i.e. Nikhilesh was under a lot of stress as the company was rapidly going down, and he had to make a decision quickly. This means that he did not consult a professional before taking such a big decision, and this might have a problem shortly as this decision had been made just eight months ago. Secondly, the decision has been achieved in a short period, and such drastic changes could have been avoided if a bit more research would have done. As per our analysis, the decision has been a good one for the firm, but it could have back fired him as no analytical approach was available. Hence, the decision had limited scope of knowledge on the part of the decision-maker. The decision of work from home might attract the current set of experts to look out for other tasks FROM HOME opportunities from different companies, and this will reduce their productivity in Campus Drift. So, the WORK F ROM HOME activities of these experts needs to be monitored in a proper manner by the company. Incentive base working might lure the experts to exploit more from the client which will result in customers taking help of the business just for once instead of creating longer relationships. Hence, an upper limit should also be set for the workers and this all information has been extracted only after we analyzed the different facets of the decision taken by Nikhilesh. These were missing from his decision making as he is taken the decision to attract the attention of experts and bring about a drastic change in a failing enterprise. Hence, the approach is right, and the decision made has been perfect but it is important to ensure that this ruling is kept intact, and this is possible only by providing certain checkpoints are met by the management and the experts (Doyle, N.D.). Conclusion It can be said that the decisions as mentioned above have been duly analyzed with the help of rational decision-making tool and the final determination has also been passed through the critical eye of the bounded rationality. The firm had a choice of various alternatives, but it seems to have chosen a rational decision but unfortunately, the company is not ready to keep these decisions guarded and intact if some discrepancy happens in near future. Now, when the firm is ready t should ensure that there exists a contingency plan for keeping the company from falling apart and ensuring that all the experts are paid as per their capabilities, and secondly, the experts are not exploiting the clients for increasing their incentives. References Boundless. (2016, May 26).Rational decision making. Retrieved June 24, 2016, Doyle, J.Rational Decision Making. Retrieved June 24, 2016, Editors, F. (2012, October 1).The greatest business decisions of all time. Retrieved June 24, 2016, Seymour, B. (2006). Frames, biases, and rational decision-making in the human brain.Report,313(5787), 684687. WebFinance (2016a). In BusinessDictionary.com. WebFinance (2016b). In BusinessDictionary.com.

Corporate Finance Policies and social Networks †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Finance Policies and social Networks. Answer: Introduction: A.G. Barr Plc is regarded as the soft drink producer from Scotland that has its operational base in Cumbernauld. A.G. Barr Plc is known as the popular manufacturer of Scottish drink (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). The company is listed on the London stock exchange and it is viewed as the constituent of FTSE 250 Index. The present report is takes into consideration the determination of strategic decision of A.G. Barr Plc by defining the main activities carried out by the company together with the necessary features of the strategy undertaken. The analysis will focus on the business opportunities and risk facing the company with the emphasis on the operating performance of the firm. The current report will be addressing the Amicable Pension Fund to take into the account the details of financial performance over the period of five years. The study will refer to stock market pricing efficient and efficient market hypothesis would be performed to determine the market efficiency of A.G. Barr Plc. Additional coverage will made in the share price performance of the firm to offer brief commentary on the share performance and suitable recommendations will be provided relating to investment prospect for Amicable Pension Fund. The primary business activates of A.G. Barr Plc is associated with the production capabilities, generating higher quality products all through the well-funded and operative manufacturing location. The chief business functions of A.G. Barr Plc is related to sourcing of raw materials throughout the world to create the packaging materials for continuous improvement. A.G. Barr Plc has its fleet of around hundred vehicles that has long relation with the vital distribution partners (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). A.G. Barr Plc strives to provide greater service to all the customers from small to big local outlets. A.G. Barr Plc has its business operations through numerous roads to market its products. The primary business activities of company is linked with the operating activities and effective distribution networks with direct delivery to store channel. Vital features of business strategies: Taking account of vital business features of A.G. Barr Plc it provides the clarity of purpose and reliability approach forms the best outcomes (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). The vital business features for A.G. Barr Plc are; Flexible and effective business operations Strongly differentiated brands Innovating customer understanding Partnership that promotes growth The company leverages its business strength and commitment of its team. Future business opportunities and risk for A.G. Barr Plc: Despite the prevalence of macro environmental influence the business has kept its focus on carrying out of strategy and potential improvement of internal actions. Following the acquisition of Funkin business the organization has continued to remain opportunistic for constant growth and expansion of Funkin Brand and business (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). With varying consumer taste and preference the demand for the testing, lower content sugar products have risen. The company has recently made announcement that around 90% of the brands owned by A.G. Barr Plc would have less than 5g of sugar per 100 ml. Hence, this regarded as the positive business opportunity for A.G. Barr Plc since it is responding with the pace and commitment. Simultaneously, the principle relating to risk and uncertainties faced by the A.G. Barr Plc is the variation in the customer preference, opinion and purchasing behaviour (Scott, 2015). The consumer may take the decision of purchasing the products of alternative brands or may spend less on soft drink products (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). Alternative risk faced by business is the adverse publicity of soft drink industry that might create an adverse impact on the business reputations and customer as well. Over the last twelve months A.G. Barr Plc has made considerable amount of progress with strong financial earnings in spite of the volatile and unsuitable market situations. The profit before exceptional items for A.G. Barr Plc has stood remarkably at 42.4m reflecting an increase of 2.7% from the figures reported in the previous year (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). A.G. Barr Plc has experienced better business performance than the Funkin cocktail. The A.G. Barr Plc operating margin prior to exceptional items stood 16.3% in 2016 which positively rose to 16.8% during 2017 (Schaltegger Burritt, 2017). The free cash flow for A.G. Barr Plc stood 28.3 million during 2016 while in2017 it increased to 43.2 million. Taking into the consideration the financial performance reported by A.G. Barr Plc the gross margin for the company was 46.8% in 2016 which marginally increased to 46.9% in 2017. The A.G. Barr Plc profit before tax and exceptional items were 41.3 in 2016 and increased to 43.1 million in 2017 reflecting a rise of 4.4% from the previous year figures (Warren Jones, 2018). A.G. Barr Plc has put behind the challenges related to supply chain and challenges of system application that helped in serving out the constrained during 2016 (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). In spite of the fall in the reported revenue by 0.6% the underlying income of business grew by 1.5% resulting a rise in revenue of 1.5% inspired by innovation across IRN BRU and Rubicon brands. Financial strength and weakness: Taking account of the A.G. Barr Plc financial strength and weakness, the same is based on the diverse and differentiated business portfolio (Macve, 2015). Taking into the account the strength of A.G. Barr Plc the organization not only places emphasis on the production but have placed their emphasis on the segment of cocktail mixer which has increased and strengthen the portfolio under the unquiet and leading market brand in the growing market of soft drink industry. One more business strength for A.G. Barr Plc is the robust balance sheet and cash derived by the firm (Agbarr.Co.Uk, 2018). This has resulted the board to undertake the decision of returning the 30 million to its shareholders with the help of share repurchase programme. Additionally, A.G. Barr Plc has dedicated set of people which have immensely contributed to the success of the business. The increasing growth reported by A.G. Barr Plc in the net asset have led the balance sheet of the firm to significantly gain strength (Trotman et al., 2015). The strong balance sheet has empowered the business to gain access of the cost effective and flexible facilities of debt to make sure that the A.G. Barr Plc possess the agility of benefiting from the opportunities that is recognized. A.G. Barr Plc has strong structure of risk management of assessing the risk. The framework of risk management lay down the systematic approach of managing the risk (Waegenaere et al., 2015). A.G. Barr Plc strength is bestowed in the re-evaluation of risk by modifying the range of brands of offered. A.G. Barr Plc offers its consumers with the range of products from numerous brands across wide variety of business channels and customers. There are certain weakness and failure recognized in the financial year. A.G. Barr Plc faces the weakness in maintaining appropriate customer relationships. As a result of this, A.G. Barr Plc may face the problem of reduced customer base which may create an adverse impact on the sales with fall in operating profit as well (Carlon et al., 2015). Furthermore, another weakness that is identified for A.G. Barr Plc is the failure in protecting the intellectual property rights of the company. The failure of maintaining in appropriate customer relation and intellectual property rights may result in loss of brand worth. Evidences from the analysis represents that the company reported a current ratio of 2.70 in 2016 which subsequently declined to 2.36. Furthermore the debt to equity ratio of A.G. Barr Plc has stood 1.35 during 2016 which relatively increased to 1.56 during the year 2017 (Kahng, 2016). The situation defines that A.G. Barr Plc took higher debt and this may potentially lead to rise in the operational risk of A.G. Barr Plc. Efficiency Market Hypothesis: The efficient market hypothesis is viewed as the investment theory which states that it is not probable to beat down the market since the stock market efficiency reflects the price of share to incorporate and reflect the essential information. It is noticed that the recent application of sugar tax in UK is regarded as the semi-strong information (Damodaran, 2016). Stocks are traded constantly at the fair value on stock exchange which is not possible for the investors either purchase the undervalued stocks or sell the stocks at higher price. The government measure of announcing the sugar tax can be considered as the semi-strong measure since the information derived to forecast the performance of stock might be highlighted in the stock price. The information concerning the higher tax on sugar might enable the organizations to quicken the long awaited sugar soft drink programme. Therefore, this would result the firm in capitalizing on the price trends of the securities trending in the market. The main reason for the variation in the share price of A.G. Barr Plc is arrival of new information. As a result of this, the present prices of shares offers all the required information from the outside sources and subsequently there are hardly any reason to believe that the share price are very high or very low (Ang, 2018). Concerning the A.G. Barr Plc, the new information relating to sugar tax can be viewed as the prevalence of efficient market for the investors to gain profit from the new information. Semi strong market form of market efficiency: Under the efficient market hypothesis semi strong form of efficiency means that all the necessary public information has been taken account in determining the current share price. Therefore, neither the technical nor the fundamental analysis can be implemented to obtain higher gains (Fracassi, 2016). Under the semi-strong forms of market efficiency information provided is based on the public available benefits which the investors are looking to earn from the abnormal returns on investment. As evident in the circumstances of of A.G.Barr Plc the government action of applying sugar tax suggest that the information relates to the assistance of the investors to derive abnormal return on investment (Ehrhardt Brigham, 2016). The information that is derived for A.G.Barr Plc is considered in stock price and resulting in semi-strong classification of stock price as the information that is obtained is through the outside sources. Therefore, the investors that are looking for abnormal return on their investment can derive benefit from the stock of of A.G.Barr Plc. Justification and description of assumptions: The above stated computation is based on the assumption that the total amount of dividend paid by A.G. Barr Plc is over the period of five years. The calculations provides evidences that the market value of shares derived under the dividend discount model is overrated (Vernimmen et al., 2014). Additionally, the value obtained under the net asset method is found to be on the fair value of the share price which stood 0.97 while the market value for each share stood 521.00. Hence it can be stated that under the dividend discount model and the net asset value method the market value of each shares is overrated. Making an investment in the shares of A.G. Barr Plc for the investors may not appear highly profitable during short run. However, A.G. Barr Plc has maintained the reputation of paying dividends to its shareholders over the five year period (Vishny Zingales, 2017). Therefore, making an investment in the share of A.G. Barr Plc for the long term may yield sufficient amount of benefit for the shareholders under food and beverage industry while other market players have paid higher dividends to its shareholders. Usefulness and limitations of valuation methods: Valuation of stock under the dividend discount model is viewed as the useful method based on the notion that stock of the organization holds the worth in respect to all the sum value of future dividend payments (Titman et al., 2017). To determine the intrinsic value of stock the dividend discount model is regarded useful since it excludes the present value conditions. The model is helpful in determining the current value of shares and future dividend payments. The net asset value method on the other hand is regarded as the useful tool of business valuation that places emphasis on the organization net asset or the fair market value of the total assets following the subtraction of total liabilities (Gitman et al., 2015). The net asset method is best suited in determining the financial picture of the organization from the information presented in the balance sheet. Taking account of the limitation of dividend discount model, the model fails to account the non-dividend factors namely the brand loyalty and the proportion of the intangible assets. Since these components increases the value of the organization (Barberis et al., 2015). Additionally, the model is based on the assumption that rate of growth is constant and stable. These assumptions hardly exists in the modern world. The net asset value simultaneously is regarded as the difficult method of determining the value of intangible assets particularly the property rights (Lazzati Menichini, 2015). Additionally, the statement of financial position may prematurely value the assets because of the existence of depreciation. Share price information The computation from the above table provides that A.G. Barr Plc has provided better return to their shareholders over the last ten years time and has been consistently paying dividends at an average of 2.35% yearly. The stock of A.G. Barr Plc currently yields close to 2.3% having the market of 946 million. Considering the stock price movements A.G. Barr Plc stock price has been in conformity with the FTSE index and has reported lower instances of volatility under the FTSE index (Marwala Hurwitz, 2017). Considering the investment prospect of Amicable Pension Fund making an investment in the shares of A.G. Barr Plc can be considered as the viable outlook since the company has been providing consistent dividends to its shareholders of around 2.35% annually. As understood the pay ratio for the company stands around 44% representing that the dividends has been sufficiently covered by the earnings generated by the firm. On considering the three year analysis it is expected that the dividend per share is approximately around 0.169 and the EPS of A.G. Barr Plc increased to 0.35. Amicable pension fund can rely upon the stock of A.G. Barr Plc as the company has been making consistent payment of dividend. The share price of the company has increased over the last decade from 0.06 to 0.14. Therefore, A.G. Barr Plc can be viewed as the viable investment prospect with an attractive yield of 2.3% to its shareholders under the food and beverage industry. Conclusion: On arriving at the conclusive note A.G. Barr Plc can be regarded as the feasible option for Amicable Pension Fund to make an investment. The stock performance of the company under the FTSE index does not reflect higher volatility with better dividend payout history. Despite the application of sugar tax can be considered as the risky affair but the wide range of products offered by the company with prolonged marketing campaigns, A.G. Barr Plc is anticipated to make optimum utilization of organization sources. Reference List: "Investors | A.G. BARR Share Information". 2018.Agbarr.Co.Uk. https://www.agbarr.co.uk/investors/. Scott, W. R. (2015).Financial accounting theory(Vol. 2, No. 0, p. 0). Prentice Hall. Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R. (2017).Contemporary environmental accounting: issues, concepts and practice. Routledge. Warren, C. S., Jones, J. (2018).Corporate financial accounting. Cengage Learning. Macve, R. (2015).A Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting and Reporting: Vision, Tool, Or Threat?. Routledge. Trotman, K., Carson, E., Gibbins, M. (2015).Financial accounting: an integrated approach. Cengage Australia. Waegenaere, A., Sansing, R., Wielhouwer, J. L. (2015). Financial accounting effects of tax aggressiveness: Contracting and measurement.Contemporary Accounting Research,32(1), 223-242. Carlon, S., McAlpine-Mladenovic, R., Palm, C., Mitrione, L., Kirk, N., Wong, L. (2015).Financial Accounting: Reporting, Analysis and Decision Making. John Wiley and Sons Australia. Kahng, L. (2016). Perspectives on the Relationship Between Financial and Tax Accounting. InControversies in Tax Law(pp. 105-122). Routledge. Damodaran, A. (2016).Damodaran on valuation: security analysis for investment and corporate finance(Vol. 324). John Wiley Sons. Ang, J. S. (2018). Toward a Corporate Finance Theory for the Entrepreneurial Firm. Fracassi, C. (2016). Corporate finance policies and social networks.Management Science,63(8), 2420-2438. Ehrhardt, M. C., Brigham, E. F. (2016).Corporate finance: A focused approach. Cengage learning. Vernimmen, P., Quiry, P., Dallocchio, M., Le Fur, Y., Salvi, A. (2014).Corporate finance: theory and practice. John Wiley Sons. Vishny, R., Zingales, L. (2017). Corporate Finance.Journal of Political Economy,125(6), 1805-1812. Titman, S., Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D. (2017).Financial management: Principles and applications. Pearson. Gitman, L. J., Juchau, R., Flanagan, J. (2015).Principles of managerial finance. Pearson Higher Education AU. Barberis, N., Greenwood, R., Jin, L., Shleifer, A. (2015). X-CAPM: An extrapolative capital asset pricing model.Journal of financial economics,115(1), 1-24. Marwala, T., Hurwitz, E. (2017). Efficient Market Hypothesis. InArtificial Intelligence and Economic Theory: Skynet in the Market(pp. 101-110). Springer, Cham. Lazzati, N., Menichini, A. A. (2015). A dynamic approach to the dividend discount model.Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies,18(03), 1550018.