Monday, December 30, 2019

The Business At International Level - 1541 Words

ABSTRACT Any company who wants to expand globally and to increase their trade at international must have to face certain challenges related to certain issues such as Economic, political, cultural, and social. The main drivers for expanding the business at international level is increase in the overall growth opportunities rise in the profitability, access to material and human resources and finally innovation. INTRODUCTION Company overview Andy’s Parties is a new and growing company offering theme parties at their Party Center, clients’ homes and approved venues. They have been in business since 2004 and recently begin considering expansion options through opening more company-owned locations or offering a franchise program. Their†¦show more content†¦Starting with the economic issue, first important point to discuss is about the human resources and the skills of the human resource. It is the biggest economic challenge because in case human resources are not well trained and skilful in organising the theme parties, then the company need to spend more amount in search of the skilled labour force. They might also need to import the labour from other countries. The cultures of the country will also have a great impact on the growth and development of the business because of the competition face in the new environment. (Andrew J. Sherman, 2014) Another important economic aspect of the setting up of the business is the imposition of tariff and tax rates on the exports and imports and the government fiscal policies. If the country where we are planning to set up our business has high tax rates, then it will be difficult for our company. This is because we would face the problem of high cost and hence there will less sale in the form of exports of goods to another country. The companies’ procedures should be very clearly set and there should be awareness among the employees regarding outstanding work and other punitive measures for bad performance. There should be encouragement of team work where the roles of the employees should be clearly divided in each project and there should be allotment of one leader who supervises his team closely. In this way, it is best procedure to motivate the employees withShow MoreRelatedBusiness Expansion on an International Level1659 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Business Expansion on International Level Table of Contents Abstract 3 Business Expansion on International Level 4 Technological Factors 5 Absence of Competitive Edge 6 Conclusion 8 References 9 Abstract With the wave of globalization, organizations are planning to emerge at regional and international level. It is a challenging journey which may ruin the success marked in the host country as well. 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(2012)Read MoreInternational Business Managers Can Learn About The Interplay Between Firm And Country Level Factors2226 Words   |  9 PagesStudent number: [18178738] Name: [Rahul Ramesh Bajaj] Date Submitted : [13/04/2016] IBU5IBE- International Business Using an example of an MNC from an emerging market, present an analysis of the firm-level and country-level factors that have contributed to its success and/or failure. What are the main lessons international business managers can learn about the interplay between firm and country-level factors in achieving success? 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Mission Statement: The mission of this study is define the points of expansion for Ulta and its products at the international level. Ulta’s continuing success in the United States has brought about great success for the company at the domestic levels. However, Ulta can significantlyRead MoreMerger Acquisition And International Strategies Marketing Essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesMerger Acquisition And International Strategies Marketing Essay For the corporation that has acquired another company, merged with another company, or been acquired by another company, evaluate the strategy that led to the merger or acquisition to determine whether or not this merger or acquisition was a wise choice. Justify your opinion. ATT merged with T-Mobile on 2011; ATT is now the largest wireless carrier in the United States leaving their major competitor Verizon Wireless on the side.Read MoreStandardization For International Advertising?835 Words   |  4 Pages1. What are the pros and cons of standardization for international advertising? International advertising can be defined as the act or marketing strategy to sell products, services, needs by getting the consumer’s attention at an international level. Thanks to today’s technological advantages, small, medium and big businesses can reach the global market. By reaching new markets, getting new customers and adapting their businesses to meet the customer needs in order to maximize their revenue. In otherRead MoreTerrorism And International Business Research1130 Words   |  5 Pageseveryday society, and the intensifying impact of terrorism on international business is a global phenomenon with heightening implications for both theory and practice. This research paper is a novel exploratory study of how international businesses apply past terrorism exposure and experience from operating in risky locations to create organizational preparedness and performance resilience to endure future terrorist attacks. The unique firm level research provides a theoret ical contribution by buildingRead MoreA Brief Note On Cross Cultural Communication And Understanding Cultural Differences1625 Words   |  7 PagesCommunication Competence in Global Business Celeste Aisien Lo COMS 2331 Dr. Richard Bello April 29th 2015â€Æ' Competence in cross-cultural communication and understanding cultural differences is becoming more crucial in today’s society. Technology is advancing in a rapid pace and is allowing more opportunities in migration therefore existing countries has never had so much to do with each other until today. As a result of becoming inter-connected, global business is progressing rapidly. Majority ofRead MoreThe Impact Of Terrorism On International Business1268 Words   |  6 PagesOur paper explores the interesting phenomena of terrorism on international business. Grounded in the grave reality of terrorism and the international business literature, our research conceptualizes this compelling topic into a practical model worthy of future research. Unfortunately, the current data does not provide statistical evidence to support the unique firm level predictions from the conceptual model. However, our exploratory research leads us to believe that the lack of sensitivity in our

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Essay on A Short Story About an Evil Barber in Ring...

In Ring Lardner’s short story â€Å"Haircut†, the narrator is a straightforward barber, who goes by the name Whitey. The story is about Whitey tells a customer about the well-liked regular at the local barbershop, Jim Kendell. At first the barber makes it seem that Jim is a good old fella, but depending on some people’s views, and on Jim’s actions towards people, they will quickly discover that Jim is a selfish jerk. Keeping this in mind there are two important questions that are brought up throughout the story, which are if Jim’s life actually matter to the town and was Jim an evil person; personally, I believe that Jim was not a completely evil person and that the town did not value his life. Jim was known as the town’s practical joker, even†¦show more content†¦Throughout the story when Jim’s wife is mention, Whitney would said†As I say, she’d of divorced Jim, only she seen that she couldn’t support herself and the kids†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, I believe this wasn’t the real reason why Jim’s wife wouldn’t divorce him. I think she was afraid of what he would do if she tried, there was cases where he didn’t get he’s way he would slash out by playing a cruel â€Å"joke† on someone, and besides after Jim lost his job with the Carterville people he only did little paid jobs around town and use the money to buy gin. Whitney mentions that the only reason why the children didn’t starve was, because the stores in town were supporting them; also Jim’s wife was trying to make money by making clothing. Therefore, she wouldn’t divorce him for financially reasons, but for safety of the family. Now keeping this all in mind, did Jim really matter to the town, or was he just the town’s biggest joke? The conclusion I have about this is that the town was just keeping Jim around just for the stories, so they would have something to talk about. There was a man named Hod Meyers who was also known for his jokes around town, but he wasn’t as cruel or as famous as Jim, therefore the town didn’t like Jim solely for him. Also, by the way Whitney talks about Jim at the end of the story by saying† He certainly was a card! Comb it wet or dry?† leaves the reader with the thought that Jim was just another one of Whitney’s ways entertain the passers-by who

Friday, December 13, 2019

Business Teacher and Job Enrichment Free Essays

1. Analyse how these two sets of views can be applied to the work of Herzberg or Vroom or McClelland. These two sets of views can be applied to the work of Herzberg or Vroom or McClelland as the different points made in this case study relate or link to the theories that these three theorists have come up with. We will write a custom essay sample on Business: Teacher and Job Enrichment or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example Bob Nelson believes that workers need some control of their work meaning job enrichment and being recognised for achievements made. This links back to Herzberg’s theory that workers can be forced into doing anything if the pay is high but this does not mean that they want to do it. They are not motivated. To motivate them they must be happy with their work space and the amount of supervision they have. The committee were not satisfies when the principal did not give feedback based on their work which really demotivated the individuals who put the time and effort to produce the report. This refers to Vroom’s theory of individuals choosing to behave in ways that they believe will lead to outcomes they value. He said that there is a positive link between effort and performance. In this case each committee individual accepted to help create the report based on the idea and misleading that it will benefit them greatly as they would receive recognition. Again relating to McClelland’s theory, he said motivational needs are important as we as humans have these needs. The achievement motivation is shown when the committee individuals decide to participate to achieve something bing recognition which motivated them. 2. Discuss how the views contained in the extract above could be applied in practice to: -a restaurant -a food shop -teaching staff at a school or college I believe that not all the views stated in the extract can be applied to the specified businesses as people are different in every business. In a restaurant industry money is important to the workers as this is what motivates them to work and follow orders. I think some control of the employees work is not good when managing a restaurant as everything needs to be fast and as smooth as possible. The staff should be credited for good work and achievements they have accomplished in this case being a restaurant an award like employee of the month could be beneficial to motivate the employees to work. In a restaurant business communication is very important as it is the key to getting the correct customer orders leading to good customer feedback. However if there is no feedback the staff are not able to correct and improve their working habits which can cause a bad reputation for the restaurant. When dealing with a restaurant business I do not think that opportunity for growth and development education is necessary to the waiters as they do not have a big career path ahead being a waiter for example. But I do believe that team working is very important as they need to work together in order to deliver orders for example from the customer to the chef. Leadership is important to a manager running the restaurant as everything needs to go as ordered and expected as there is no room for error to occur such as wrong orders or miss communication which will eventually lead to bad customer service, unsatisfied customer needs and a bad reputation for the restaurant. Teachers may not only be working for money but for the satisfaction they get out of teaching. Some teachers may be satisfied with the essential needs they had even before they started to teach meaning that money is not their need at the moment. I think that teachers need to have some sort of control over the way they work (job enrichment) as it will help them challenge themselves and have responsibility for their work. I think as humans they need to be thanked and recognized when they have achieved something as this will motivate them even more to do it again. It is important for teachers to receive feedback on their work as this will enable them to teach better. This can be done by other teachers assessing one another and sharing teaching methods as it will help them teach at their best ability. Communication Is vital to teachers at a school or college as this is how messages or requests are passed on or received. If a teacher does not receive an answer to their request from management it is very likely that they will be demotivated to participate or get involved in the future. Teaching staff at a school or college have limited opportunities for development as there is only a certain amount of promotions they can receive. For example an English teacher would only be able to develop their career path by being promoted to being the head of the English department. As for team working, it is important for teachers to work together as departments to complete certain duties. * Teachers should have good leadership skills as they need to provide clear instructions and set specific deadlines. If a teacher does not have good leadership skills then it may cause problems like students not following instructions or not having control over their class. How to cite Business: Teacher and Job Enrichment, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom free essay sample

The financial statements for both companies used in this report are Consolidated Statement of Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets, and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow from 2010 to 2012. All tables are included in appendix. 1. Company background amp; Overview Macys Department Stores, Inc. is a U. S. chain of mid-range department stores. In addition to its internationally renowned flagship Herald Square location in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, the company operates over 850 other stores in the United States as of September 12, 2012. Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale fashion specialty retailer chain in the United States. Originally it is a shoe retailer, nowadays the company also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances and home furnishings in some locations. There are now 231 stores operating in 31 states across the U. S. Beginning in 2008, department stores faced financial challenges partially attributed to the global economic crisis. The downturn negatively impacted department store liquidity, consumer spending and credit market conditions. Companies were able to cut operations and supply chain costs, and most have utilized the savings to improve their liquidity and the strength of their balance sheet. Also, developments in mobile phone technology are drawing more consumers away from brick-and-mortar stores toward online retail platforms. As a result, over the five years to 2012, the number of companies is expected to decrease at an annualized rate of 31. 8% to an estimated 65 operators. 2. Financial analysis 2. 1 Horizontal analysis 2. 1. 1 Horizontal analysis of Balance Sheet In this section, we will look at the comparative statements of balance sheet of Macy’s Inc. for a three-year period. Macy’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. Fiscal years 2011, 2010 and 2009 ended on January 28, 2012, January 29, 2011 and January 30, 2010, respectively. Fiscal 2009 is chosen as the base year for computing the percentage change in each account in 2010, and fiscal 2010 is the base year for computing the change in 2011. From table 1, two accounts stand out: 2010 cash and cash equivalent decreased by 13% over 2009, while in 2011 it increased by 93% over 2010. Short/Current Long Term Debt increased by 87. 6% in 2010, and kept on increased by 143% in 2011. This huge increased short term debt mainly came from 616 million 5. 35% Senior notes due 2012, 298 million 5. 75% Senior notes due 2013, and 173 million 8. 0% Senior debentures due 2012. The huge increase in short term debt in FY 2011 maybe part of the reason of the big increase in the cash and cash equivalent account. 2. 1. 2 Horizontal analysis of Income Statement From table 2, we can see that net sales for 2011 totaled $26,405 million, compared to net sales of $25,003 mill ion for 2010, an increase of $1,402 million or 5. 6%. Part of this increase is due to an increase on the comparable store basis, and part of it is due to the 39. 6% increases from the companys Internet businesses in 2011. The successive increase in the net sales in the three year trends shows that Macy’s continues to benefit from the successful execution of the My Macys localization strategy. In 2011, the Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account increased 200% over 2010. This is because Macy’s had a $54 million gain from the sale of store leases related to the 2006 divestiture of Lord amp; Taylor in 2011; while the company only announced 25 million Impairments and store closing costs for 2010. In 2011, Macy’s had the 5. 6% increase in sales. Because the management was able to control its cost of goods sold (6. 17% increase) and SGamp;A expenses (0. 25% increase), plus the big gain from sales of property, the company resulted a 27. 3% increase in operating income. In 2010, Macy’s net sales increased 6. 45% over 2009, part of it is due to the huge decrease in the impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account. The interest expense increased in 2010 over 2009, while the same account decreased 22. 8% in 2011 over 2010. This decreases benefited from lower levels of borrowings during fiscal 2010 and the repayment of debt at maturity. . 2 Vertical analysis 2. 2. 1 Vertical analysis of Balance Sheet From table 3, we can see that accounts receivables, inventory and other current assets accounts, their percentage of total assets didn’t have big difference over the three years trend. The increase of cash and cash equivalent from 7. 1% of total assets in 2010 to 13% in 2011 is the main reason that total current asset in terms of the percentage of total assets had significant increase (from 33% to 40%). Macy’s total current liabilities represent a slightly higher percentage of total liabilities and stockholders’ equity at FY 2011 than FY 2010 and 2009. This increase is balanced by a slight decrease in the relative percentages of long-term debt. 2. 2. 2 Vertical analysis of Income Statement In table 4, the base on which all other items in the income statement are compared is net sales. Macy’s gross profit ratio was very stable and consistent over the three year trends, less than 0. 5% difference among three years. Macy’s profit margin ratio kept growing over three years: from 1. 4% in 2009 to 3. 4% in 2010, and this ratio increased to 4. 8% in 2011. The increasing profit margin indicated that Macy’s management has strong ability to control its expenses. 2. 3 Cash flow analysis Table 5 is the most recent cash flow statement for Macy’s. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2011 was $2,093 million, compared to $1,506 million provided in 2010, reflecting higher net income and a lower pension contribution in 2011. In 2011, Macy’s pension funding contributions was $375 million, which was much lower than $825 million in 2010. The capital expenditure for property and equipment and capitalized software during 2011 was $764 million, the dividends paid was $148 million. Macy’s generated sufficient amounts of cash from operations in 2011 to cover its capital expenditures and dividends. Net cash used by investing activities and financing activities was $617 and $113million respectively for 2011. Investing activities for 2011 include purchases of property and equipment totaling $555 million and capitalized software of $209 million. Cash flows from investing activities included $114 million from the disposition of property and equipment for 2011. For financing activities, Macy’s issued $800 million of debt in 2011, but it is partially offset by the acquisition of company’s common stock at cost of $500 million and the repayment of $454 million debt, and the payment of $148 million of cash dividends. With the excess amounts of cash from operations Macy’s generated in 2011, management budgeted $850 million capital expenditures for 2012, primarily related to new stores, store remodels, maintenance, the renovation of Macys Herald Square, technology and omnichannel investments, and distribution network improvements, including construction of a new fulfillment center. 2. 4 Ratio analysis 2. 4. 1 Liquidity Analysis Table 6 is the liquidity ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom over a three year period. At the beginning of 2012, Macy’s had $1. 4 of current assets for every $1 current liabilities. Compared to Nordstrom, both companies have more than enough assets to cover short-term debts, but Nordstrom is more liquid than Macy’s. Macy’s cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio has increased from 2010 to 2011, from 31. 90% to 37. 20%. It is mainly because cash generated from operations during 2011 was 40% more than it was during 2010. Both companies’ cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio is less than one, it means that both companies have generated less cash over the year than it needs to pay off short term liabilities as at the year end. This may signal a need to raise money to meet liabilities. But Nordstrom still has higher ratio than Macy’s, which suggests that it is more liquid than Macy’s in the short term. In 2011, Macy’s only needs 4. 8 days for an account to be outstanding. And the number of days’ sale in receivable for the past three years were all less than a week. Macy’s accounts receivable turnover ratio in the three year period is much higher than Nordstrom, which implies  Macy’s extension of credit and collection of accounts receivable is more efficient. From 2009 to 2011, Macy’s kept on decreasing the days took to sell inventory, from 133 days in 2009 to 124 and 120 days in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Macy’s efficiency in managing inventory improved over years. But Nordstrom was much more efficient in selling its inventory than Macy’s. In the past three years, each year Nordstrom used half of the days that took Macy’s to sell its inventory. 2. 4. 2 Solvency Analysis The solvency of a company is the ability to repay long term debts when due. The more solvent a company is the more protected the owners and partners are from bankruptcy. Table 7 is the debt to equity ratios; debt service coverage ratios and cash flow from operations to capital expenditure ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. Macy’s debt to equity ratio was under 1 for FY 2009 and 2010, which suggested for these two years Macy’s assets are primarily financed through equity. This ratio was 1. 06 in 2011. When the debt to equity ratio was over 1, implied the majority of assets are financed through debt, which was a red flag for Macy’s. Compared to Macy’s, Nordstrom had a much higher debt to equity ratio which was above 2 for all three years. A high ratio of 2 or more exposes a company to risk such as interest rate increases and causing creditors uneasiness. Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholders investments than Nordstrom. A companys debt service coverage ratio refers to its ability to meet periodic obligations on outstanding liabilities with respect to its net operating revenue. Higher this figure better is the debt serving capacity. Macy’s DSCR increased from 1. 42 times in 2010 to 3. 91 times in 2011, which showed the improvement of its debt serving capacity. Nordstrom’s DSCR was higher than Macy’s in the three year period, suggested stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s. Although the cash flow from operations to capital expenditures ratios for two companies decreased over time in three years, both companies generated enough cash from operations to finance their capital expenditures and covered dividend payments. Nordstrom’s capital expenditure was very close to Macy’s, although it generated less cash from operations than Macy’s, it paid more dividends than Macy’s every year. This is the reason that Nordstrom’s ratio was lower than Macy’s. 2. 4. 3 Profitability Analysis Profitability ratios are used to determine the companys bottom line and its return to its investors. Table 8 is the profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and return on sales ratio for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. The profit margin is an overall indicator of management’s ability to control expenses, reflects the amount of income for each dollar of sales. Note the increase in Macy’s profit margin: from 1. 40% in 2009 to 3. 39% in 2010 and 4. 76% in 2011. Nordstrom has higher profit margin ratio than Macy’s in the three years. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors. Macy’s effective tax rate from 2009 to 2011 was 30. 9%, 35. 8% and 36. 2%. Its return on assets rations increased from 2. 31% in 2009 to 4. 82% in 2010, and 6. 64% in 2011. It suggests Macy’s generated more profits for each $1 asset. The lower the profit per dollar of assets, the more asset-intensive a business is. Macy’s ROA suggested it is very asset-heavy. Nordstrom used a statutory Federal income tax rate 35%, and its ROA was 8. 01%, 9. 37% and 9. 14% for 2009, 1010 and 2011 respectively, which were all higher than Macy’s. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base. Nordstrom’s management does a better job than Macy’s in this case. Macy’s return on sales ratio also kept on growing over three years, from 2. 16% in 2009 to 4. 12% and 5. 35% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It implies the company makes more profit for every $1 sales over time. But this ratio for Macy’s still lower than Nordstrom over three years period, suggested Nordstrom’s business operations are more satisfactory than Macy’s. From the profitability analysis, we can see that Macy’s kept on having a healthy development over time, its profitability ability kept on improving. Compared to Nordstrom, the ratios suggest that Macy’s still a less profitable company than Nordstrom. 2. 4. 4 DuPont Analysis DuPont equation provides a broader picture of the return the company is earning on its equity. It tells where a companys strength lies and where there is a room for improvement. DuPont analysis  tells us that ROE is affected by  three things: Operating efficiency, which is  measured by profit margin; Asset use efficiency, which is measured by total asset turnover; and Financial leverage, which is  measured by the equity multiplier. So the formula will be: ROE = (Net Income/Revenue)*(Revenue/Assets)*(Assets/Equity) Table 9 is the DuPont analysis for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. Looking at the components of ROE for both companies helps explain the changes in ROE over time. Since Nordstrom had higher profit margin ratio, asset turnover rate and leverage factors, its overall ROE was much higher than Macy’s in the three year trend. It shows Nordstrom is more effective at generating profits, managing assets and finding an optimal amount of leverage, this is why it can boost its ROE. Although Macy’s ROE were lower than Nordstrom’s, its own ROE still kept on growing over years, from 7. 05% in 2009 to 15. 05% and 21. 25% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It is result of improving its operating efficiency and asset use efficiency, which suggests Macy’s management kept on improving its performance and the company developed in a healthy and growing direction. 3. Conclusions From above analysis, Macys, Inc. may have more financial risk than other companies in the Multiline Retail industry. It has smaller current ratio and cash from operations to current liabilities ratio than its competitors, implies less liquid in the industry. However, an examination of near-term assets and liabilities shows that, even though there are not enough liquid assets to satisfy current obligations, operating profits are more than adequate to service the debt. Accounts Receivable is typical for the industry, with 4. 8 days worth of sales outstanding. Also, Macys, Inc. is among the most efficient companies in its industry at managing inventories, and it is getting better. The company only has 120 days of its Cost of Goods Sold tied up in inventory. Year over year, Macys, Inc. has been able to grow revenues. Most impressively, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to selling, general and administrative costs. This was a driver that led to a net income growth from $847. 0M in 2010 to $1. 3B in 2011. Compared to its main competitor, Nordstrom, Macy’s is in a weaker financial position. In short run, as mentioned earlier, the liquidity ratios suggest that Macy’s is less liquid in the short term. In the long run, although Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholders investments than Nordstrom, Nordstrom still has stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s and affording to pay more dividends to its shareholders. From the profitability analysis, Macy’s has smaller profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and rate of return on sales ratio than Nordstrom, indicates that Nordstrom’s management is better at generating more profit and operating assets efficiency than Macy’s. And this result is consistent with the DuPont analysis.