Assignment 1 Managerial Finance 650-Ashford Essays

Assignment 1 Managerial Finance 650-Ashford Essays Assignment 1 Managerial Finance 650-Ashford Essay Assignment 1 Managerial Finance 650-Ashford Essay Assignment 1 Closing Case Chapter 4- MBA Decision Keith C. Quarles Managerial Finance Robert Watson 3-26-12 1 Age can play a significant part in the decision whether to keep working or go back to school. A young person can go back to school and still have time to chase a career whereas an older person would have a smaller window of opportunity and may not as willing to chance giving up their livelihood to get a degree. The opportunity costs of leaving the job may be equated in the coming years after graduating considering the added value to the marketability of the student once a degree is attained as reflected in a higher base salary than the previous job which would make the investment a worthy endeavor. Of course the cost of tuition must be added in as an explicit costs. 2 . Maybe the most notably important non quantifiable aspect of the decision is marital status. Other opportunity costs are involved implicitly; namely, quality time with loved ones and the finances toward school that could be used to care for the family. The opportunity costs can be implicitly affected by the individual perception of the value of the alternative(s) foregone versus. the one chosen.. 3 He has three choices; remain at his current job, pursue a Wilton M.B.A. or pursue a Mt. Perry M.B.A. Stay at current job: After tax salary =$55,000 (1-.26 )=$40,700 Given that his salary will grow 3 percent each year the present value of his after-tax salary is : Pv = Cost Pv= $857, 343.20 Wilton MBA : The direct/explicit costs of attending Wilton are the costs of tuition ,books, health insurance, room and board and other supplies. The present value of t he direct costs are : P V of direct expenses = ($65,000 +2,500+3,000+2,000) + ($65,000+2,500 +3,000 +2,500) /1.065 Pv of direct costs = $140,575.12 Next for the lost salarys opportunity costs; Pv o f lost salary=$40,700/( 1 . 0 6 5 ) +$40,700( 1 + 0 3 )/( 1+.065) 2 = $75,176.00 The increase is the present value of his future salary , plus bonus which is: Present value of after tax bonus paid in 2 years= $ 20,000 (1.31) / 1.0652 =$12, 166.90 After ta x salary = $100,000 (1 -. 3 1 ) = $69,000 His salary will grow a t 4 percent per yea r but he will only work 38 years. His present value of his after tax salary is : Pv =$1,640,84. 35 First salary payment is three years from today so we discount for two years to get this value as follows : P v = $1,640,843.35/ 1.0652 Pv =$1,446,664.77 The total value of a Wilton M.B.A. = $140,575.12 75,160 +12,166. 90 +1,446,664.77=$1,246,958.48 Mount Perry MBA : Total direct costs = $75,000 +3,500+3,000 + 2,000 = $83,500 when paid today which makes it the direct cost present value also. P v of indirect costs (lost salary)=$40,700 /(1.065)=$38,215.96 Next we compute his salary:: Pv of after tax bonus paid in 1 year= $16,000 (1- .29 ) /1.065=$10,666.67 Aftertax salary=$88,000(1-.29 )= $62,480 His salary will increase at 3.5 percent/yr sand he will work for 39 years thus the present value of his aftertax salary is:: Pv = $1,399, 292.27 That is the first year salary but the first salary payment is in two years so we discount for one year to find todays value as follows : Pv =$1,399,292.27 /1.065 Pv = $1,313,889.45 Total value of a MT. Perry M.B.A. is: $83,500- 38,215.96 + 10,666.67+ 1,313,889.45 = $1,202,840.16 4 . The future value in this case for each decision will have the highest present value accounted for and also the highest future value. Thus to assume that using the future value for all decision is the best method is incorrect because in this case the present value analysis will give the same answer. . 5 . In order to find the salary offer that would make the Wilton M.B.A. as attractive as his current job we can use the pv of his current job plus the cost of attending Wilton and the after tax pv of the bonus. Calculated as folows:: Pv =$857,343.20 = $13 6 ,697.18 + 75,176.00 +12,166.9 0 + Pv of salary Pv of salary=$1,060,927.42 Given that his current present value of his job salary and the Wilton expenses are equal in costs the present value of the salary in two years when he graduates must be : Value in 2 years=Value today(1+ r )2 Value in 2 years =$1,060 7927.42(1+ 065 ) 2 Value in 2 years= $1,203,330.40 First salary payment: Growing annuity equation calculation Since the after tax salary is $ 5 ,0601.90 the pre tax salary must have been as follows: $50,60. 90 / (1+ 3 1 ) Pre tax salary = $73,336 09 6 . T h e opportunity cost represents the risk associated with choosing one alternative over the other and in this case whether he borrows or or pays cash does not matter in the consideration of the interest rate of the decision.

ACT Reading

How Science/Math People Can Do Well on SAT/ACT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The reading sections of the SAT and ACT can be intimidating at first glance if you’re more inclined towards math and science than the humanities. All those passages! The horror! Fear not, my number-loving friend. The reading sections of these tests are actually more logic and evidence-based than you might expect. In some cases, your science and math skills can even help you find the correct answers. This article details three strategies for approaching SAT and ACT Reading if you consider yourself a more math and science-oriented student. Strategy 1: Understand the Fundamental Rule It’s crucial that you understand the one fundamental rule of SAT and ACTReading before you take either test as a self-described "science and math person". This rule is that there is only one unambiguously correct answer for every question, and you will be able to find direct evidence in the passage leading to elimination of all other choices.Eliminating answer choices should be a key aspect of your overall strategy. If even one small part of an answer choice doesn’t fit,you have to get rid of it!If you do this right, you should be left with only the correct answer every time.As someone who is more math and science oriented, it may actually be easier for you to eliminate answers that don't line up with evidence in the passage. On the SAT and ACT,you'll never have to do any deep literary analysis of any of the passages. Your approach to the reading sections should be different from the way you approach reading in your English classes. In this case, you can take each passage at face value. Though you'll run into some questions that ask you to look a bit beyond the literal facts of the text, there will always be a chain of direct evidence leading to your answer. Here's an example of an ACT inference question to show you what I mean: It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that when the narrator says, â€Å"I didn’t see the red, yellow, and purple clusters that meant flowers to me† (lines 30–31), she is most nearly indicating that: A. from her current position, she couldn’t see the old woman’s flowers, which were still growing near the house.B. the flowers grown by the old woman had died because the narrator had stopped watering them.C. the flowers grown by the old woman had been cut down when Eugene’s father mowed the lawn.D. the weeds that had grown up in the old couple’s lawn had intertwined with the flowers, making the flowers hard to see. Despite the fact that this question is asking us to make an inference, we can still eliminate most of the choices because of the evidence found in the passage. The full sentence referenced in the question reads: The father had spent several days mowing, and when he finished, from where Isat, I didn’t see the red, yellow, and purple clusters that meant flowers to me. The information in this sentence allows us to discard three out of the four answer choices. Choices B and D are not relevant to why the narrator can no longer see the flowers, and choice A is possible, but not likely given the sequence of events presented in the sentence.Choice Cmakes the most sense given the context. If you're astudent who gravitates towards science and math, this is actually your kind of reading test because there is no subjectivity. The units and data in the reading sectionsjusthappen to be words instead of numbers. On the SAT and ACT, you have to mow down all the incorrect answers to reveal the perfectly groomed correct answer lawn beneath them. Shut up I know it's not a perfect metaphor. Strategy 2: Focus on the Evidence Reading questions on both the SAT and the ACT are always evidence-based, even if they seem subjective.Because these are standardized tests, the answers to questions must find a way to restate something that is explicitly referenced in the passage. This prevents any of the questions from opening themselves up to more than one interpretation, which would destroy the integrity of the test as an assessment tool.Every reading question must be answered using evidence in the passage or sentence. If you don’t see evidence for an answer choice, it’s incorrect.This goes back to the fact that in SAT and ACT reading questions, words are just another form of data. Let’s look at a sample SAT question to prove my point: The author of passage 1 mentions Isaac Newton (lines 37-40) in order to: A. emphasize the rapid rate of technological innovationB. acknowledge the impact of a profound thinkerC. criticize the inflexibility of Newton's contemporariesD. highlight the value of scientific curiosity The relevant lines read: Technological advances build upon each other, increasing technological abilities faster than most people anticipate. Imagine, for example, how astounded even a great seventeenth-century scientist like Isaac Newton would be by our current global communication system, were he alive today. From the evidence in these lines, we can see that Isaac Newton is mentioned as an example to demonstrate that even the greatest scientists in history would be amazed at the level of human technological change that has occurred over time. Based on this, we can confidently pick choice A as our answer. The middle two answer choices are too invested in Newton specifically rather than his place in proving the author’s larger point, and choice D doesn’t actually have anything to do with the point being made in these lines. The point is spelled out very directly; technological abilities have increased much faster than anyone could have ever anticipated. This is virtually synonymous with choice A: emphasize the rapid rate of technological innovation. If anyone drops another MacBook on my head I swear to God... Strategy 3: Read Smart The one aspect of the SAT and ACT reading sections that often poses a big problem for less reading-oriented people is finishing the passages in time. This is particularly true on the ACT, where you have only 35 minutes to read three long passages and a set of paired passages and answer 40 questions total.If you’re a slow reader and you try to read every passage closely, you may run out of time and lose easy points. That’s why you should figure out a good passage reading strategy before the test. Think of this as an experiment (except this time it's not about the material itself, it's about figuring out the best way for you to approach it). Try different methods so you can start collecting data about what works for you. Method 1: Read the Questions First, Skim the Passage Later You won’t be able to answer every question right away with this strategy, but there are many questions thatreference specific line numbers in the passage. This is especially true on the SAT, where almost every question provides you with the line numbers you need to read in order to answer it. As you answer these types of questions, you'll start to get a sense of the main ideas presented in the passage.If you need to read some parts of the passage more closely for specific questions, you can do that on a question-by-question basis. This strategy will probably also reduce your test anxiety.If you’ve been able to answer a couple questions about the passage already, you’ll feel much less pressure going forward. Method 2: Skim the Passage Before Reading the Questions This method requires knowledge of how to skim efficiently. Irecommend reading the introduction and conclusion of the passage and the first and last sentences of every paragraph so you’ll understand the thesis and main arguments. Skimming in this way should give you most of the information you need to answer big picture questions about the passage.When you come across questions that reference specific lines and words, you can go back and read more carefully. These methods take practice, so don’t go into the test unprepared if you struggle with time on the reading section!Try out these strategies on timed practice tests first to see what works best for you. Again, think of this as a science experiment where you're collecting data on the most efficient way for you to take the test. Summary Even if you consider yourself more of a science and math person, you CAN do well on the SAT and ACT Reading sections.SAT and ACT Reading will potentially be easier for you than the reading tests you've taken in school because each question has one objectively correct answer that is supported by evidence in the passage. Above all, remember to: #1: Understand the fundamental rule#2: Focus on direct evidence#3: Formulate a passage-reading strategy Don’t let the reading sections freak you out just because you think you won’t be good at them!You’re just as capable as any word nerd of doing well on reading as long as you know what you’re up against. What's Next? For more strategies to help you with the Reading sections, check out our articles on how to get perfect scores on SAT Reading and ACT Reading. If you're not quite ready to aim for a perfect score on SAT Reading, start with our more basic article on strategies to improve low reading scores. If you're still trying to decide whether to take the SAT or the ACT and want to know which one is better for you, read about which students should take which here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Immaculate Conception with Saints Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Essay

The Immaculate Conception with Saints Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua - Essay Example The paper "The Immaculate Conception with Saints Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua" seeks to delve into the mastery of this piece, and its excellent execution. Cardinal Girolamo Verospi commissioned the painting by Giovanni Bennedetto Castiglione, â€Å"The Immaculate Conception with saints Francis of Assisi and Anthony Padua†, in 1649, for a new church in Osimo at the Capuchin monastery in Italy. Castiglione hailed from Genoa, and is understood to have studied under Sinibaldo Scorza. He was a passionate student of paintings by Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, whose paintings were readily available in Genoa. Rembrandt also heavily influenced him. Castiglione was one of the earliest masters of monotype, while also being one of the earliest practitioners of Chiaroscuro woodcut art. He became known for combining emotion and high drama in his works with elements of Flemish naturalism and Venetian colorism. His earliest works include Noah’s ark, The Nativity of Christ, which is regarded as his best work, St. James defeats the Moorssfor and Mary Magdalene and Catherine among others. In 1649, he was commissioned to paint The Immaculate Conception with Saint Francis and Anthony of Padua. At this point, Castiglione was at the peak of his powers, having mastered the art of being a draftsman and also pioneering oil sketch development. The essential features of this painting include the Virgin Mary, based on â€Å"The Woman of the Apocalypse† in the book of Revelations. She is depicted standing.

Evolution of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolution of Management - Essay Example The principles of management have changed dramatically within the past century, shifting between a classical perspective, to a humanist perspective, to a scientific perspective that takes into account the various technological and globalizing principles occurring within the modern workforce. Regards, some elements of effective management have remained true throughout all of these changes, including the necessity of innovation and the importance of culture. By analyzing each of these elements in terms of one’s own work experiences, a student of management can develop both a complete picture of how management has evolved through the years and how seemingly outdated principles can serve as a useful guide toward driving success from one’s team. The formal study of management is relatively recent, despite the fact that individuals have been managing others within organizations since ancient times. The earliest studies of management principles began with the classical perspec tive, which emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This was brought on by the factory system that appeared in the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. During this time, work was increasingly centralized into one location, as opposed to the rural agricultural setting in which most of the world worked before that point. Another distinctive feature about the factory system was the organizational structure that needed to be enforced in order for effective and efficient work processes to start. In the absence of effective management principles, factories could not cope with training employees, scheduling complex manufacturing operations, and handling increases in labor dissatisfaction among workers. Accordingly, a better management system and a more efficient factory became the subject of an increasingly academic interest among intellectuals (Daft & Marcic, 2008, p. 24). In response to this problem, the number of professional managers increased nearly sevenfold between 1880 and 1920. These managers developed and tested solutions to the challenge of organizing, coordinating, and managing large groups of people and their productivity. At this point, modern management through the classical perspective became necessary for large businesses with many employees. Within the classical perspective, there are three different emphases or subfields: (1) scientific management, (2) bureaucratic organization, and (3) administrative principles (Daft & Marcic, 2008, p. 25). Scientific management refers to scientifically determined changes in management practices as the solution to improving labor productivity. This movement was carried through by Frederick Winslow Taylor, who believed that improving productivity meant that management should change accordingly and that the nature of this change should conform to scientific principles. This involved the application of science to estimate the productivity of each worker and the attempt to maximize that productivity by an alyzing situations that workers find themselves in. Another subfield, that of bureaucratic organizations, became popular in Europe following the late-19th century in the belief that a rational authority would lead to higher productivity. This theory was based on the observations of sociologist Max Weber, who thought that the depersonalization of the hierarchical workplace led to a more objective standard for success. A third subfield, that of administrative pr

CRM in the telecom industry

CRM in the telecom industry Ch 6: (Discussion ) Conclusion ( future recommendations) Leading companies with competitive advantage find their success by listening to customers in order to understand their needs and in turn, offering the best solution/product possible. This is essentially customer service, and this is what differentiates companies in the marketplace. Customer relationship management systems capture customer activity and offer business a process whereby to measure and manage customer interaction. Social media encourages participation in an open community environment where users can share information and make comments in a two way conversation that connects people, sites and resources. Combining Customer relationship management systems and social media will give businesses an opportunity to partake in real customer interaction and help them to improve their product and services from feedback posted on social media. Telecommunication pays a significant role in connecting friends and family and is a major customer oriented business, so it is important for the telecom industry to engage customers by using social media within its customer relationship management system. The main objective of this thesis was to find the level of awareness of social media in mobile phone users in Pakistan and to emphasize how social media can be used to the benefit or detriment of companies. Second objective of this thesis was to find the problem faced by the current implementation of CRM in telecom industry and what are the basic actions taken by the organization to resolve these problems but on the other hand customer experience is changed by the social media revolution and they are becoming more interactive with companies therefore it is important to find what telecom industry in Pakistan is doing to capture this rich customer experience using social media. After studying the literature, a series of problems were identified specific to CRM in the telecom industry, such as dirty data problems, adaptation by end user and security and fraud. Beside these, CRM experts also emphasize the use of social media in CRM and depict it as CRM 2.0. Hence, the challenge was to highlight the importance of social media with respect to the telecom industry and to analyze CRM 2.0 with respect to problems faced by the current CRM. To achieve this task, a survey was conducted to find the awareness of social media and the customer satisfaction level in the mobile phone consumer in Pakistan. Interviews were also conducted to find what telecom companies were doing to resolve the problem of CRM and their views about the CRM 2.0. The subsequent section will summarize the life-cycle of this research. This study began with research questions regarding the new concept of CRM, which as yet has not been introduced into business, and of which there is no existing example. The first question was to find the benefits of CRM 2.0 for the telecom industry. However, after studying literature and analyzing the main component of CRM 2.0 which is social media, the study had to slightly adjust its research question to finding awareness of social media in the consumers of the telecom industry in Pakistan along with customer satisfaction. This social media allows consumers to generate content which has revolutionized all previous concepts of business and consumer interaction. Therefore it was necessary to adjust research question and come up with question which will enrich the context of this research and provide additional benefits, which proves that consumers in Pakistan are also aware to social media. Therefore the new question is to find awareness to social media among the consumers and to find relationship between the social media and customer satisfaction. In the previous section, findings of the literature review were analyzed, and the survey and interviews mapped to find a suitable answer. The findings of the consumer survey revealed that 92.5% of the responding population was fully aware of social media and using it in their daily lives. This result is again tested by using binomial test to confirm our hypothesis. The result of the test illustrates that 74% of the population are aware of 4 or more types of social media. Both results show that there is very high level of awareness of social media in the population of Pakistan. To discover the relationship between social media and customer satisfaction, the Pearson product Moment correlation was used for calculation; with the result that a positive correlation between the social media and customer satisfaction was found. This meant that consumers could use social media against companies if their satisfaction level was low or vice-versa. The second question concerned the problem of whether in achieving quality customer data, adaptations by the end user will be solved by new CRM. After studying literature and conducting interviews, it was clear that dirty data is a persistent issue and there is a high probability of these issues occurring in the new CRM 2.0. However, companies have in-house tools which could help them to resolve this problem. This study also found that these issues occurred due to layered architecture in the enterprise system and there is a high chance that CRM 2.0 will use a different architecture and we strongly recommend that before starting the CRM 2.0 initiative organization must keep in consideration of these two issues. In the case of user adaption, frequent training is the answer to this problem and results show that the companies have developed improved mechanized methods to undertake staff training, which has helped to minimize user adaption problems. The same methods can be used for CRM 2.0. The third question on data security and fraud reduction methods was put to the companies. This research found in accordance to Gates (2007), that Web 2.0 provides a â€Å"relationship-based† and â€Å"fine-grained† technique to provide security. From interview, it was also deduced that both telecom companies have security and fraud reduction methods which are managed by a separate department. Secondly CRM provides a wide range of security techniques such as password security, profile-based access levels and audit trails. The technology mention by Gates (2007) and current method of security used in the organizations can be used in CRM 2.0. Finally, the title of this thesis is Customer in Control. The study has found that the customer is ready to start a conversation and is ready to form an online community to help companies receive better feedback about their products. However, companies are not ready to listen to the customer because they only consider social media as another marketing tool.

Lady Macbeth’s Diary Essay

What an utter disaster. What should have been a dignified occaion to mark my husband’s crowing, has ended up with confusion. His first great ceremonial state banquet has been ruined. The guests arrived and were asked to take their places. To begin with things seemed very organised. then all of a sudden he began talking to thin air. People will think he’s insane. My part in persuading him to kill the king had been crucial that is why I can’t understand why he didn’t tell of his plans to kill Fleance and Banquo. Afterall, if it wasn’t for me the murder of Duncan would have been an absolute disaster . I practically murdered him myself. I â€Å"drugged the possets† of the grooms sleeping in the outer chamber; I laid the daggers ready; all he had to do was the deed itself. Then I found him with two blood-stained daggers which should have been left with the grooms, the supposed murderers. He was terrifed and incapable of returning to the murder scene so I had to do so, smearing the grooms with blood. When I returned I found him transfixed with thoughts of blood and guilt and once again I took charge of the situation. I told him to go and wash the blood from his hands. Perhaps he genuinely wants me to be innocent of Banquo’s murder. Maybe it is his way of protecting me. It could be that he couldn’t handle me being in charge of Duncan’s murder. He might want to prove that he can still do things for himself. My ruthless determination to make him king has overcome all his doubts. What has happened to the man I married, who was a noble, brave and loyal subject of the rigtful king? I know he is a man of great bravery, even of savagery on the battlefield, however, he seems a different man. He’s a great warrior who’s used to making life-and-death decisions. He is a man of action but gets confused when he loses his sense of right and wrong. Yet his murders are â€Å"unmannly†. Maybe he is just a really evil man. Maybe he is so mixed up that he cannot sort out the difference between right and wrong. Perhaps he is under the power of the witches. Maybe he does not know what to do and is acting on the spurof the moment, without really thinking too much. Until now I was much more determined and strong. I now find myself on the edge. Unlike earlier I would have been able todo the most terrible deeds, I feel that now that I could not have even carried out the murder of Duncan myself because the sleeping Duncan reminds me of my father. I am not a monster, i’m simply a wife trying to protect encourage and support my husband. He says he is afflicted by terrible dreams. He seems almost to envy the dead King Duncan, who he says, â€Å"sleeps well†. Although Duncan is dead, Macbeth says that at least nothing can hurt him any more. His sleep is becoming tormented: â€Å"O full of scorpions is my mind†, Banquo seems to him like a poisonous snake and his life is diseased, a â€Å"fitful fever†. Macbeth is king and I am his Queen we have achieved everything we’ve ever wanted. We are supposed to feel happy, excited and at the peak of our lives. Instead we feel threatened and unsafe. Our happiness is â€Å"doubtful†. He no longer tells me anything and trusts no one. He feels so advanced on this murderous course of action that ( like wading across a river of blood ) it is as easy to go on as it is to go back.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 1542 Words

Over the last 130 years â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† has been called everything from a piece of trash to a national treasure. Mark Twain, whose real name is Samuel Clemens wrote â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.† Only one month after it was published, librarians in Concord, Massachusetts had it banned. â€Å"He has had his problems with librarians from the start when, in 1885, â€Å"those moral-ice-bergs,† the Library Committee of Concord−symbolic seat of freedom−pronounced the book rough, coarse, inelegant, and expelled it from library shelves. â€Å"Trash and suitable only for the slums,† they said (Stanek). â€Å"Nearly 130 years since then, this novel has been challenged, defended, banned, expurgated and bowdlerized numerous times by†¦show more content†¦Mark Twain was born in 1835 and was the same age in the 1840 s as his main character named Huckleberry Finn (aka Huck) was when the story takes place. Certai nly his inspiration for this story could only be based on his own life experiences. During his lifetime slavery was still a part of the American way of life. This novel is not promoting racism or hate, it is simply an unofficial record of our country s history mingled into the storyline of an adventure. In fact the first time that this novel was labeled racist was not until 1957 when the NAACP charged that it contained racial slurs and belittling racial designations in a portrayal of blacks that some people considered stereotypical and demeaning (pbs.org.) Ernest Hemingway declared that â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.† How could such a monumental book also be labeled by many as racist trash that has no place on bookshelves? There are several interpretations that come of this book and its author. The main modern day offense appears to be the use of the word â€Å"nigger.† During the 1840’s this word was commonly used. Its definition of course meant a black person. This book exposes readers to the word â€Å"nigger† in its original diction, not how it is viewed today. Some readers may find that by reading the word repeatedly that the power of the word is