Saturday, May 23, 2020

Essay on Forbidden Desire in Shakespeares A Midsummer...

Forbidden Desire in Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream In his play A Midsummer Nights Dream, William Shakespeare explores the conflict of forbidden desire, as revealed through the experience of four young lovers dwelling in ancient Greece. Hermia and Lysander are two of these lovers, and their desire to marry one another is prohibited by Hermias father Egeus, and enforced by the governor of Athenian law-King Theseus. Hermia is informed that she may only agree to one of three undesirable choices: marry Demetrius unwillingly, submit to an austere, celibate life as a nun, or face certain execution. Confronted with these dreadful options, Hermia agrees to flee from Athens towards the remote house of Lysanders widowed aunt, in the†¦show more content†¦By moving the setting outside of the established law of Athens, closer to the undeveloped, primitive realm of the wood, Shakespeare is allowing his characters the undetermined experience of nature, thus metaphorically allowing them proximity to an uninhibited realm of socially undetermi ned reality through nature. This is important, as a prominent question addressed within this play is: What are the consequences of socially forbidding the desires of lovers? The most immediate consequence of forbidding their desires is witnessed in their fleeing the prohibitions of Athens, and venturing out into the uninhibited mandate of nature, where civil human laws are irrelevant and absent. In venturing away from Athens into the wood, the four lovers encounter both the familiar and the unfamiliar in the darkness, via their dreams. By juxtaposing dream states with wakened states, and scenes of daylight with darkness, Shakespeare is conveying transitions from conscious to unconscious states. In illustration, upon awaking from one dream episode, Hermia exclaims: Methought a serpent ate my heart away, and you sat smiling at his cruel prey (2.2, 155). Here Hermia encounters what Freud describes as the uncanny: that which is paradoxically unfamiliar, and yet familiar. As Freud maintains of the uncanny: Every emotional effect [that one has experiencedShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Variations of Love900 Words   |  4 PagesLove is only as strong as the people who share it. In William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are relationships from all different viewpoints of love. Four Athenian lovers are caught in a web of love for the wrong person, according to fellow peevish characters. Along the story line of the play, one will be introduced to additional characters that try to be helpful by committing acts they presume will benefit the young lovers, but these characters actually create plot-twists.Read MoreA Midsummer Night s Dream And Measure For Measure1341 Words   |  6 PagesTwo of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies are A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Measure for Measure. Both plays highlight the importance of marriage in society, even if they do so in different ways. Written sometime in the late 1500s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows the story of a complex love triangle in which a forbidden relationship exists. The play reveals the importance of familial relationships in creating marriage, and shows that marriage serves a specific social function. In some ways, ShakespeareRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream And Romeo And Juliet1502 Words   |  7 Pagesnotion of comedy and tragedy have been interpreted by countless critics as absolute contradictions of one another. For instance, there is a belief that the everlastingly romantic tale of Romeo and Juliet is unambiguously a tragedy, just as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is undoubtedly a comedy. Each possesses separate, defining, characteristics which drastically alter the storyline of a play, and develop the end into either one of comedic proportion: in which there is the promise of character procreationRead MoreEssay on A Midsummer Nights Dream: Critical Analysis3103 Words   |  13 PagesMandy Co nway Mrs. Guynes English 12 16 March 2000 A Critical Analysis of quot;A Midsummer Nights Dreamquot; William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is quot;A Midsummer Nights Dream.quot; They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeares comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love and magic. This extraordinary play is a play-with-in-a-play, whichRead MoreThe Shrew By William Shakespeare1196 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween Bianca and Lucentio. Without an additional relationship, All’s Well That Ends Well stands out in Shakespeare’s comedies because the entirety of romantic focus in the play is on one, unwanted marriage. This comedic social issue that separates them is part internal and part external, instead of just a forbidden marriage. The play also takes Helena’s subplot from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the woman’s wooing of a man, and makes it the focus of the play. As we read in Montrose’s article, OberonRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Elizabethan Era1548 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals in an arranged marriage would have likely been. A similar theme of arranged marriage is presented in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Once again, Shakespeare presents the audience with a forceful parent, Egeus, who wishes his daughter, Hermia, to marry Demetrius even though she is in love with another man and Demetrius is a â€Å"spotted and inconstant man† (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.106). Hermia’s feelings of love are not even taken into account when she confronts her father because her marriageRead MoreThe power to change feelings Essay3615 Words   |  15 Pagesordinary people, and this virtuous person must be brought from happiness to misery† (Handbook 505). Tragedy as a genre has remained an important motif over time and can be seen specifically in three major works: Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The first great tragedy of antiquity and written by Sophocles in circa 5th century BCE, Oedipus Rex is acclaimed as an exemplary drama in the genre (â€Å"Mythological Background† 66). As stated earlier, given strict definition by AristotleRead MoreThe Theme Of Homo Eroticism Within The Play As You Like It And How It Differs From Various Other3688 Words   |  15 Pagesemotions to be centred on a person of the same sex; of or pertaining to a homo-erotic person’. It is crucial to not mistake homo-eroticism as merely a synonym of homosexuality, because it is an entirely different concept. Homo-eroticism refers to the desire itself, which can be temporary, whereas ‘homosexuality’ implies a more permanent state of sexual preference or identity. The concept of homoeroticism predates the idea that was understood in the 19th century of homosexuality. Homoeroticism is depictedRead MoreEssay on The European Renaissance2182 Words   |  9 PagesShakespeare is rec ognized for his plays, that depicted the immense social, ethical, and political issues of his own age. His literary contributions were an essential measure to Englands transformation. Shakespeares production of the plays Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Nights Dream were just among many he produced. In addition to his plays, he also composed over a hundred sonnets. William Shakespeare came from humble origins. He was born in the quaint market townRead MoreEssay Revenge in Shakespeares The Tempest3169 Words   |  13 PagesRevenge in Shakespeares The Tempest The nucleus of the plot in Shakespeares The Tempest revolves around Prospero enacting his revenge on various characters who have wronged him in different ways. Interestingly enough, he uses the spirit of Ariel to deliver the punishments while Prospero delegates the action. Prospero is such a character that can concoct methods of revenge but hesitates to have direct involvement with disillusioning his foes. In essence, Prospero sends Ariel to do his dirty

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Training Key Areas Essay - 992 Words

Training keys areas Wendy Hughes HRM/326 February 25, 2013 Mary Lambert Training keys areas Success is no longer measures by an organization profit margin. Today big businesses have to account for its success on various levels of group in its organizational achievements, community success, and personal growth in management and employees. Business that implement it resources on diversity, employee growth, and legal requirements not only eliminate unnecessary lawsuits but ensured that the organization is revered as the employer of choice. Diversity training The development of exceptional diversity training class organizations extends their reach far beyond race, culture, gender, and workplace ethics. Successful†¦show more content†¦These men and women participate in continued education courses, career development, and counseling services that lead to promotions and internal career advancement. The continued success of managers and hourly employees advancing to salary position produces a rippled affect as managers’ provide insight to the organizations goals. Mangers begin work more closely with employers to coach, mentor, and provide insight into desired qualities that he or she may possessed but require training to develop them further. The end result is a reduction in stress increased productivity, increase in self-esteem, and a reduction in turnovers. Kraft foods and other large organization upon establishing this kind of employee training have developed life long relationship with employees by implementing recognition programs and service awards for safety as well as years employed. Legal requirements According to Noe, (2008) the different situations that can result in legal action against the organization include: Failure to meet training requirement, employee sustaining an injury during training or an injury outside of a training session. A Breach of confidentiality or defamation against an employee by an employer is also punishable by law and entitles the employee to punitive damages as a result of insult or injury to his or her character. It is also vital that organizations using or recopying copyrighted material within its trainingShow MoreRelatedEssay on Training Key Areas1882 Words   |  8 PagesTraining Key Areas September 12 2015 HRM 326 Donna Wyatt Training Key Areas Training for employees on key areas are the foundation for well-prepared workforce and will lead to a stable structured organization. The main objective of this type of training is to help to illustrate the importance of training and why achieving the proposed goals is so important for the success not only of the employee but of the entire company. The purpose of this training is to identify threeRead MoreRelationships Between Employees And Employers851 Words   |  4 Pages The main points of chapter five are relationships between employees and employers are very important to a company. It is important for the company to build loyalty, trust, and long-term relationships to motivate employees to perform their best. Training and development can be used not just for new employees, but also on current employees. This allows current employees to prepare themselves for new roles and responsibilities. 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This paper will discuss the key functional areas of human resource management and how each function contributes to the overall performance of an organization. An examination of the four federal equal employment opportunity l ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬aws and how each law influences fair employment practices withinRead MoreThe Concept Of Organizational Learning1300 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment that supports both formal and informal continuous learning. Learning begins for their employees on their first working day. All new government employees are sent through a two-week training course called onboarding. This indoctrination course sets the tone for all new employees. Du ring this intense training employees are introduced to the myriad of learning opportunities offered to them, which will allow them to grow and work on their own goals. 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Terms of Reference I have been asked to conduct a training needs analysis of Easy Group Plc Background to the business: The easyGroup is the private investment vehicle of Stelios, the serial entrepreneur. The easyGroup is the owner of the easyRead MoreA Report On Ficer733 Words   |  3 Pagesand Values Requirements †¢ Attend General Orientation, 1 Day. †¢ Complete Online Learning (Healthstream) Module’s. †¢ Attend Report Exc Dispatch/Incident Report Training †¢ Confirm BLS status. 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Kappa has operating funds specifically allocated to ensure success from establishment — the time whenRead MoreMechanisms For Risk Management And Control1671 Words   |  7 Pagesthreats of litigation, reduce the risk of physical harm to their clients and themselves, and provide a higher quality of service.1 While law enforcement agencies have long utilized business models from the corporate realm for baseline best practices, the area of risk management has been underutilized by the profession. Agencies that have purchased BWCs have purchased not only tools that will aid in the reduction of demeanor complaints and increase organizational transparency, but also devices that can be

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Market Concept Essay Free Essays

Article from Karl Moore: Karl Moore is PHd associate professor in the Faculty of Management at McGill University was responsible for writing the article â€Å"The Marketing Concept- RIP† which was published July 17th, 2006. He discusses the decline and the increasing irrelevance of the marketing concept idea and how firms are adapting this strategy in today’s market. Moore emphasis on the following points: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Concept Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Importance of market research before launching a product 2. The need to focus on the product’s usage by the end users 3. The difficulty firms face to implement the marketing concept strategy in today’s market place. The author uses the example of the high-tech sector and explains why he feels the marketing concept applied in this way is no longer relevant, then goes into detail about how it is not just limited to the high-tech sector. To understand Moore’s article you need to understand what marketing and the marketing concept it first. Marketing consists of individual and organizational activities that facilitate and expedite satisfying exchange relationships in a dynamic environment through the creation, distribution, promotion and pricing of goods, services and ideas. The main principles of marketing are to satisfy customers, target the â€Å"right’ customer, facilitate exchange relationships, stay ahead of competitors and enhance profitability (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 7). The ultimate goal is to satisfy targeted customers, seeking their loyalty and consumption. The marketing concept can be defined as the philosophy that firms should analyze the needs of their customers and then make decisions to satisfy those needs, better than the competition (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 17). In his opening paragraph Moore mentions that the marketing concept is â€Å"coming to a close† and heading towards a â€Å"semi-retirement†. I strongly disagree with this statement. Why? Since the marketing concept era many companies are now transitioning to the market orientation era (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 17). The focus of the market orientation era is mainly on continuously collecting information about customer needs and competitors’ capabilities and to use this information to create value, ensure customer satisfaction and develop customer relationships (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 7). Let us look at how Netflix took the Marketing concept in stride. Netflix involved the identification of the unmet or underserved customer needs. Reed Hastings, founder and creator of Netflix started off as a video rental customer himself, tired of paying late fees and having to run to the video store when he wanted to watch a movie, he decided to create something simpler and more convenient for customers (Dean. 2010). He was able to draw upon personal experience to help establish the opportunity nucleus and survey what other customers wanted out of a video store. The movie rental industry had already established methods surrounding video rental, late return policies, and membership rules. Hastings believed that without competition, these brick-and-mortar movie rental companies would never have a reason to change (Dean. 2010). Reed Hastings, decided to disrupt the traditional video rental business by introducing a new twist on the home movie service (Dean. 2010). A perfect example of advances in technology, adaptation of DVD media over VHS, and an unmet consumer demand is responsible for the successful launch of Hastings’ vision of Netflix. Not unlike other innovative start-up companies, Netflix has undergone several strategy shifts (Dean. 2010). Each change in focus or direction has assured that the company remains dominate in the movie rental industry. It appears that Hastings has followed the Marketing Concept to a tee, he started off with collection information from customer needs’ (his own) and the competitors capabilities (video rental companies were not in a position to change their rules and regulations) and he completed the circle by using customer knowledge to create customer satisfaction as Netflix still remains more popular than Blockbuster or Rogers Video. Moore goes into more detail about the high tech industry, giving the example of the Sony walkman and how the product was developed. He also explains that if Sony followed the Marketing concept theory in creating the walkman, it would have failed. He follows this explanation of the Sony walkman with the comment â€Å"with many high tech products you cannot get a very reliable data from current customers about the potential uses of your future products. † This statement is by far the most ludicrous statement thru out the entire article and makes absolutely no sense. The vast majority of high tech industries rely solely on how customers perceive new and future products. Look at the Apple IPods. Apple made sure they always stayed ahead of the game by releasing new hardware, software, or better and newer applications for the iPod (Taber. 2007). People love new and flashy products so this was a great way to sell a product. The iPod has become a fashion accessory and a must have. People salivate if there hear a new and more updated version of the iPod is coming out, they want a product that can hold more music and data. Why would they want a â€Å"dinosaur† iPod that only holds 1000 songs when they can get an iPod that holds 2000, takes videos, and has downloadable apps? In this sense, the iPod marketing concept strategy made sense because it consistently advanced Apple’s emerging goal of making the Mac the hub of a digital lifestyle (Taber. 2007). It also aligned with the company’s strategic goal of frequently releasing innovative new products in an effort to stay ahead of a curve of consumers who quickly get tired of old gadgets. As usual, it was a strategy that leveraged the benefits of existing technology, and it made sense from the point of view that it was consistent with what historically drove the company, is bringing products to people that were stylish and easy to use. So if Apple didn’t use the marketing concept strategy, it would have failed. The one paragraph in Moore’s article that I do agree with is when he mentions that a great deal of high tech industries do spend more time launching a new product then developing the product. Models of new product development prescribe critical stages that organizations should go through to have a successful product launch (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 262-271). Regardless of the model, critical phases include: product idea generation, idea screening, concept testing, and business analysis, marketing mix development, test marketing and commercialization (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 262-271). In theory, going through these stages systematically helps organizations weed out the potential failures. Customer focus is an integral component of the product development process that is often ignored. The need to incorporate the voice of the customer (adopt the marketing concept) at every phase is imbedded in these models of new product development, each phase contributing additional knowledge as to what customers want (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 263-264). Yet concept testing and test marketing are most often overlooked y new product development teams as they rush to get their product to market before the competition (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 259-260). Unfortunately, this can lead to fatal errors when customer expectations are extremely high – or when dealing with a sophisticated customer – as is the case for high tech products. An example of this was the Apple Newton; Apple pre-announced the Newton before it was ready. In terms of t he product offering, it was neither a complete product nor a fully functional product (Hormby. 006). In the hurry to get to the market, Apple had not fully developed the handwriting recognition software, one of the featured attributes (Hormby. 2006). While innovators and early adopters are willing to take risks on new products, they do expect a minimal level of performance which the Apple Newton could not deliver. Moore also makes a valid statement in his end paragraph with respect for non-tech marketers have to know who their key customers will be and how the marketers should focus their research efforts. Customer focus, a core element of the marketing concept, is certainly a widely adopted buzzword today, one which is stressed in all introductory marketing texts. While the marketing concept applies to all industries, it is particularly important in technologically driven industries that have been among the first to introduce quality techniques, many of which begin with capturing the â€Å"voice of the customer†. (Crane, Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2008, p. 259). Look at how Apple launched its iPod back in 2001 to appeal to customers. When you watch the iPod commercials on television – what did you see? You see a bunch of people dancing on a colored background. There are women and men, but you don’t know anything else about them. This advertisement is ingenious for many reasons. For one, you don’t know where these people are. They could be anywhere in the world. Secondly, you don’t know who they are or what they do for a living. They can be anyone. All you know is that they are enjoying the music and rocking out. This is what makes that commercial so great and such an excellent idea. It allows anyone in the world to be that person. In conclusion, Moore is correct in his assumption that many high tech industries are in a rush to release their product before actually developing their product. However, it is very unrealistic of him to state that if companies follow the marketing concept they would be doomed to fail, he needs to look at many of the successes of the high tech market such as the Apple iPod or Netflix and how many non-tech industries can learn from Apple’s/Netflix marketing strategy. Although this article was written back in 2006, many advances of technology have taken place and it’s foolish to think that the marketing concept had nothing to do with this advancement. Refernces Crane, F. G. , Kerin, R. A. , Hartley, S. W. Rudelius W. (2008). Marketing. (7th Canadian ed. ). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Taber, David. (17 Sept. 2007 ). â€Å"The Taber Report on IPod Marketing. † The Taber Report. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://www. taberconsulting. com/download/dtr-35. htm. Weisbein, Jeff. 1 March. 2008). â€Å"The iPod Success: Thank the Marketing Department†. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from http://www. besttechie. net/2008/03/01/the-ipod-success-thank-the-marketing-department/. Hormby, Tom. (7 Feb. 2006). â€Å"The Story Behind Apple’s Newton†. Retrieved April 25th, 2011 from http://lowendmac. com/orchard/06/john-sculley-newton-origin. html. Dean, Gregory. (10 Nov. 2010). â€Å"Netflix: An Online Business Beyond Geniusâ € . Retrieved May 15, 2011 from http://marketography. com/2010/11/10/online-business-beyond-genius/. How to cite Market Concept Essay, Essays

Friday, May 1, 2020

Ratio Analysis Sportswear Manufacturing Company

Question: Discuss about the Ratio Analysis Sportswear Manufacturing Company. Answer: This report is based on audited consolidated statements financial that have been released about the company as at 30 June 2015. Billabong International Limited has branches in other continents including Asia and America and as such the groups consolidated financial statement must factor in currency valuation in the various countries. The financial performance of the group includes but not limited to fair value adjustment charges and other contingent considerations. The group managed to post a net profit after tax of $ 4.2 million for the full financial year ending 30 June 2015. This is a turnaround compared to a loss of $ 233.6 million that was posted in the PCP previous corresponding period. The results show that the global revenue for the group was up by 2.6 % compared to the previous corresponding period. This was reported to be $ 1.05 billion on the financial year ending 30 June 2015. The positive results is as a result of constant growth in the United states wholesale market which grew by 13.1% on a constant currency basis. In Europe the earnings before interest and tax was up $7.0 million from $5.6 million hence we can see the reason for sales. In Asia pacific earnings before interest and tax dropped by $4.1 million which was impacted by retail and currency which affected input prices. The profitability of a company A company is profitable if it generates enough profit or benefit, that is, when its income is more than its expenses, and the difference between them is acceptable. But it is necessary to do an evaluation of the company's profitability so that we can evaluate the relationship between its profits and the investment or resources it has used to obtain them.And to find this profitability, use is made of indicators, indexes, ratios or reasons of profitability, of which the main ones are the following (Beyersdorff, 2014) The profitability of a company can be measured by ROA.The Return on Asset Index (ROA) is used to calculate a companys profitability over its assets. The efficiency of a company to generate profits using its assets is given by the Return on Asset ratio. ROA = (net income / Assets) x 100 ratio formulae 2015 000 2014 000 Return on assets Net income/total assets 2552/803980=0.32% (239933)/751866=32% Return on Equity Net income/shareholders equity 2552/281584=0.91% (239933)/259039=-92.6% Net profit margin Net profir/revenue*100% 863/1056130*100%= 0.08% (238150)/1027478*100%= =0 Gross profit margin Gross profit/revenue8100% 2552/1056130*100%= 0.24% (233712)/1027478*100%= =0 Analysis of the results Billabong international Ltd is surely struggling. The return on assets or equity ratio is an indication on whether or not the company is making enough profits (Bull, 2005). The companys financial statements indicated that it has been on bear run , and had posted losses from 2013 and year 2014. This explains much why the return on assets ratio and return on equity ratios are way below the recommended figure for a healthy company. The shareholders of this company should be a worried lot since in normal circumstances they cannot expect dividend pay out in the near future (Bull, 2005). Gross p[rofit and net profit ratios indicate that the company has not been doing very well and has not reached the recommended ration in terms of profit margins. The liquidity ratio shows what state your company is in order to pay off short-term debt. It basically serves to determine the economic strength of the enterprise and to evaluate the distribution of the resources with which it accounts (Bull, 2008). It is an accounting criterion that will be very useful to detect eventual problems in the evolution of your business, regardless of the sector in which you act. There are activities in which we work with a lot of liquidity (since the collections and payments are made very short term) while in other companies the terms are longer (Diamond, Stice, Stice, 2000). Thus, although the formula is always the same - a relationship between current assets and liabilities -, the result of the equation will have a different meaning depending on the case, there is no standard value. The liquidity ratio is also known as "liquidity ratio," "available asset ratio" and "cash flow" (Bull, 2008). Interpreting the result In general terms, the closer to 1 is the result of that equation, the better off your company will be to honor short-term commitments even without relying on sales.The further from 1 down, the more problems you will have, because that means you do not have the resources to honor those commitments.But attention, if the result is much higher than 1, this can indicate a low profitability of resources, as it shows the existence of unused assets for the activity (Elliott Elliott, 2005).. Some financial experts indicate as adequate a ratio close to 0.3, but it is a value to be taken with caution, because it will be different according to the entity, sector to which it belongs, dimension, etc. Therefore, it should be analyzed together with other ratios and if possible with the budgets of the company (Fridson Alvarez, 2002). Consider periodically carrying out this calculation of liquidity ratio to evaluate the financial health of your venture so that you can move more safely along the ro ad to success. Ratio Formulae 2015 000 2014 000 Current ratio Current assets/current liabilities 523753/239045=2.19 times 495801/225671=2.19 times Quick ratio (cash+cash equivalent+short term investments+current receivables)/current liabilities (153334+7202)/239045= 0.67 times (145070+10275)/225671= 0.68times Interpreting the results For this case, the company has a current ratio of 2.19 in 2015 which is the same as that of the year 2014. This indicates that the company is in a position to honor its short term liabilities. The recommended ideal ratio for a company to manage its current liabilities in a better way is 2 hence Billabong has managed to control its current assets and liabilities to the level that is recommended (Harrison Horngren, 2001). On the other hand, the quick ratio that is at 0.72 in the year 2014 and 0.77 in the year 2015 portrays a picture that the company could be struggling to honor its short term debt. The rate recommended for this type of ratio is 1, and hence the company could do much better. This analysis completes the impact assessment since it allows to know: If the impact was achieved (effectiveness), If the impact generated justifies the cost of the action (efficiency), Whether there can be more effective and efficient alternatives to achieve the same impact. Efficiency ratios are used to determine whether the companys asdsets can manage the liabilities of the company (Harrison Horngren, 2001).The effectiveness of an action is given by the degree to which the expected objectives in its design were fulfilled. Usually a form of planning is used as the logical framework, in which the hierarchy of objectives is established: general, immediate, specific, goals and activities For each of the objectives envisaged, the effectiveness of the action being evaluated is analyzed, obtaining a general index of effectiveness through a weighting59 of each of the indexes by evaluated objective (Hove, 2006). The impact during the four years of operation is different and in the fourth year, it is zero. It is possible that there have been other training actions and that other companies have developed and competences to achieve better results (Kieso, Weygandt, Warfield, n.d.). Ratio Formulae 2015 000 2014 000 Inventory turnover Cost of goods sold/average inventory 495308/(180222+187125)/2 =0.81 491040/(179662+180222)/2 =2.73 Fixed asset turn over Sales turnover/average fixed asset 1137367/(256065+280227)/2 =4.2 1356946/(202103+256065)/2 =5.92 Creditors turnover Net recivable sales/average sales net receivable*100 207185/(207185/365)*100 =365 185687/(167890/365)*100 =508 Analysis of results The inventory turnover shows that the company has not been managing its inventory well. As indicated in the ratios in 2014, inventory turn over was 2.73 which reduced to 0.81 in 2015. This shows that the company is not managing its assets well enough to generate revenue. This also can be said of the fixed asset turnover ratio, Billabong is not maximizing its fixed assets well enough to generate revenue (Libby, Libby, Short, 2004). The practical interpretation of this result is that for each peso that the company must pay no later than a year, in its short-term asset, discounted inventories, has 70 cents. That is to say, in immediate terms the business no longer looks as good as the solvency ration suggests: it has little liquidity and could (although not necessarily, as it would have to analyze its case more thoroughly) to have problems to pay its debts (Melville, 2011) . On the other hand, too high liquidity is not necessarily good because it would indicate that the company is not investing in the generation of the product or service it offers. It maintains resources available but these practically do not generate yields. It measures the ability of the company to generate profits based on the invested resources. And it is calculated as follows:Ebitda is an indicator of what a business is gaining or losing through its core business, by eliminating distortions brought about by financial and accounting deci sions. It is obtained from the income statement and serves to measure the profitability, however not the cash flow.. It does not factor in the cost to fund working capital and old equipment replacement ( and this may be significant).Its calculation is made by adding again the depreciation and amortization to the operating profit, which is the profit that a company has to operate. Depreciation and amortization is a reserve that reduces the taxable tax base and represents the annual decline in the value of certain assets such as real estate, computers and patents (Weygandt, Kieso, Kimmel, 2003). In order to obtain operating income, which represents the tax base of the Treasury, depreciation and amorti zation, as well as expenses that include salaries and commissions of sales agents, are subtracted from gross profit; publicity and promotion; Per diems; Executive salaries, payroll and office expenses Gearing ratios Financial leverage is simply using debt as a means to finance a certain project. As simple as that may sound there are ratios for measuring the leverage of a company. That is, instead of carrying out its operations and projects with own funds, it will be done with the companys funds and or credit. The advantage it is possible to multiply profitability and the main disadvantage is that the projects being financed or operations do not go well it may end up being insolvent (Wild, Bernstein, Subramanyam, 2001). This huge data load can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many well-proven relationships that ensure that the task a little less daunting. Analyzing comparative relationships ( i.e from one year to another) enables to quantify and identify the company's weaknesses as well as stregnths, assess the financial position, and comprehend the risks you are taking. As with any other form of financial statement analysis, These comparative techniques are not definitive and their results should not be taken as an absolute truth. Many factors that are not on the balance sheet can be decisive in the failure or success of a company. However, when combined with other evaluation processes, comparative relationships are invaluable. This text includes descriptions and analysis of Billabong International Ltd and the eight most important types of relationships used in financial analysis: profitability, working capital, income, liquidity, long-term analysis, leverage,hedging and bankruptcy. We understand by financial leverage, or leverage effect, the use of debt to increase the profitability of own capital. It is the measure of the relationship between debt and profitability. When the cost of debt (interest rate) is lower than the yield offered by the investment, it is advisable to finance it from outside resources. In this way, the excess yield on the interest rate implies a higher return on own funds. Ratio Formulae 2015 000 2014 000 Debt to equity ratio (Long term debt+short term debt+bank overdraft)/shareholders equity (239045+283351)/281584 =1.86 (225671+267159+0)/259036 =1.9 Earnings to equity ratio Earnings before interest and tax/interest payable 2552/0 239933/(962012) = Investment ratios Ratio Formulae 2015 000 2014 000 Price/earnings ratio Stock price per share/earnings per share 0.59/0.09 =6.55 0.5/-0.09 =-5.55 Earnings per share Earnings/ no. of shares 0.5 (24.0) Dividend per share Dividend /no. of share 0 0 The stock is doing badly as can be seen above. The company has not given out dividends for the year ending 30 june 2014 and 2015. This is because it posted losses in 2014 and the profits that was registered in 2015 was to be ploughed back into the business. Conclusion The group has been facing financial challenges as shown by the ratios.One of the findingsis that the companys earnings have sometimes been affected by lack of appeal in the market for its products. This might be due to loss of image in the groups brand that made the company to register a loss in two years consecutively from 2013 to 2014. The company is trying to make a turn around and hence it has posted a profit of $2 million in 2015. However, this kind of profit is not enough to pay share shareholders dividends. The financial performance of billabong group is affected by among other factors interest rates, macro economic conditions, consumer sentiment , inflation , foreign currency exchange among others. There was an economic down turn in Europe as the dollar strengthened against the Euros. Billabong receives its revenues in more than ten currencies. Therefore when other currencies have fluctuated, then they will affect the overall performance of the group. This explains why the group has been experiencing dwindling income over the last few years. When the groups assets, profits and liabilities are denominated in other currencies then the profits might appear to be lesser than they are. Secondly, the groups products do not have the market appeal in the face of stiff competition from the superior sports gear companies. This explains why the group has all its ratios below the required threshold. Loss of market appeal to the image or the groups brand positioning is key to its turnaround strategy. Recommendations First, the company should seek to reduce the cost of production which consequently increases the profits. One of the ways of reducing production cost is through outsourcing of materials and labor from cheaper countries. 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