Willa Cather Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Willa Cather - Essay Example While editing the mÐ °gÐ °zine, she wrote short stories to fill its pÐ °ges. These stories, published in Ð ° collection cÐ °lled the Troll GÐ °rden in 1905, brought her to the Ð °ttention of S.S. McClure. In 1906 she moved to New York to join McClure's MÐ °gÐ °zine, initiÐ °lly Ð °s Ð ° member of the stÐ °ff Ð °nd ultimÐ °tely Ð °s its mÐ °nÐ °ging editor. During this time she met SÐ °rÐ ° Orne Jewett, Ð ° womÐ °n from MÐ °ine who inspired her to lÐ °ter write Ð °bout NebrÐ °skÐ °. In 1912, Ð °fter five yeÐ °rs with McClure's, she left the mÐ °gÐ °zine to hÐ °ve time for her own writing. Ð fter the publicÐ °tion of Ð lexÐ °nder's Bridge, Ð °lso in 1912, CÐ °ther visited the Southwest.In 1913 O Pioneers wÐ °s published Ð °nd in 1917 she wrote My Ð ntoniÐ ° while living in New HÐ °mpshire. By 1923 she hÐ °d won the Pulitzer Prize for her One of Ours, Ð °nd in this yeÐ °r her modernist book Ð  lost lÐ °dy wÐ °s published. Ð t the ti me her novels focused on the destruction of provinciÐ °l life Ð °nd the deÐ °th of the pioneering trÐ °dition.LÐ °ter CÐ °ther hÐ °d the period of despÐ °ir which wÐ °s followed by her productive success during these yeÐ °rs. Ð fter she recovered, she mÐ °nÐ °ged to write some of her greÐ °test novels, such Ð °s The Professor’s Hourse (1925), My MortÐ °l Enemy (1926), Ð °nd DeÐ °th Comes for the Ð rchbishop. She mÐ °intÐ °ined Ð °n Ð °ctive writing cÐ °reer, publishing novels Ð °nd short stories for mÐ °ny yeÐ °rs until her deÐ °th on Ð pril 24, 1947. Ð t the time of her deÐ °th, she ordered her letters burned. WillÐ ° CÐ °ther wÐ °s buried in New HÐ °mpshire (Marilyn, 1996).Like many artists, Willa Cather knew personal conflict.... By 1923 she hd won the Pulitzer Prize for her One of Ours, nd in this yer her modernist book lost ldy ws published. t the time her novels focused on the destruction of provincil life nd the deth of the pioneering trdition. Lter Cther hd the period of despir which ws followed by her productive success during these yers. fter she recovered, she mnged to write some of her gretest novels, such s The Professor's Hourse (1925), My Mortl Enemy (1926), nd Deth Comes for the rchbishop (1927). She mintined n ctive writing creer, publishing novels nd short stories for mny yers until her deth on pril 24, 1947. t the time of her deth, she ordered her letters burned. Will Cther ws buried in New Hmpshire (Marilyn, 1996). Like many artists, Willa Cather knew personal conflict. She was a free thinker reared amidst Calvinist dogma; a materialist acutely aware of the limited worth of "things"; an optimist who wanted to retain faith; a skeptic prone to depression and despair. In her fiction, successful marriages, happy families, and satisfying personal relationships are as scarce as summer rain in the New Mexican desert. Suicide marks her pages like the Platte River cuts Nebraska. Of all her conflicts, however, none is more acute or controversial than her sexuality. There are those who maintain that Cather was not homoerotic. For instance, in an interview published in the Omha World-Herald ( 1984), Susan J. Rosowski and Mildred Bennett advocate Cather's heterosexuality and maintain that her interest in other women was nothing more than school-girl crushes ( Cather Scholar 4). Sharon O'Brien , first in several essays and then in Willa Cather: The Emerging Voice, and others elsewhere have argued rather conv incingly that

Negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia Essay

Negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia - Essay Example paranoid delusion and aggression were of increased intensity; when aripiprazole 15 mg was administered, Two weeks later the positive symptoms, paranoid delusion and aggression appeared. (Ponde MP, Novaes CM.. 2007) He complains of hearing voices talking to him and claims the television is sending special messages to him particularly, called delusions of reference. He also is so paranoid in the sense of having Somatic Delusions of false body illnesses beliefs the patient convinces himself of including cancer presence. Other cognitive symptoms where also present such as disorganized thoughts, difficulty in concentrating and in following instructions given in hand, difficulty in completing tasks and memory retaining problems. Another patient. 52 years old came with the following negative signs and symptoms of schizophrenia; apathy, lack of emotion, poor or nonexistent social functioning and depression. (Peralta V., Cuesta M. J., Martinez-Larrea A., and Serrano J. F. (2000) The patient apparently has disorganizational issues here is mostly speechless, and when asked a question replies in a short meaningless manner. This is called alogia or poverty of speech fluency, and he probably has psychomotor retardation. He also seems to stare blankly with incoherent body language or lack of it, in addition to attention impairment. (Potkin S. G., Alva G., Fleming K., Anand R., Keator D., Carreon D., Michael Doo, Yi Jin, Wu J. C., and Fallon J.H. 2002) He also has an affective flattening and diminished motivation representation; anhedonia and apathy, diminished motivation, moodiness with sudden switching from happiness to sadness and exacerbation of emotions in a strange manner. (Mary E. Kelley. Daniel P. van Kammen. and Daniel N. Allen. 1999) Peralta V., Cuesta M. J., Martinez-Larrea A., and Serrano J. F. (2000). Differentiating Primary from Secondary Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Study of

Canada’s Most Defining Moments Essay Example for Free

Canada’s Most Defining Moments Essay Canada is a one of the wealthiest countries in the world but Canada didn’t just become wealthy overnight. Canada has many accomplishments and failures but the most defining moments in Canadian history were both the failures and accomplishments in the economy or economy related. The three most defining moments in Canadian history were; the stock market crash, which led to the â€Å"Great Depression†, the baby boom on the other hand led to increases in jobs during the 1960’s, and finally GST replaced â€Å"Manufacture Sales Tax† (MST) in 1990. The morning of October 24th 1929 is known as â€Å"Black Thursday† because on this day the stock market crashed in America but it affected most of the world including Canada. The cause of this crash in Canada was because of citizens buying ‘on margin’ which is borrowing money from banks and only putting down 10-20% of the loan. The crash caused the 1930’s to be a period of great depression for citizens. This brought the country into a state of panic and many people committed suicide because of the stock market crash. In only 2 days the market had dropped an average of 20%. The stock market crash was a spark that led Canada and many other countries into a â€Å"Great Depression†. Other factors that contributed to Canada’s Great Depression were: the dependence on the United States, over-production and over-expansion, and dependence on the primary industry, these were all long term causes. Many companies in Canada were in debt because of over-pro duction and over-expansion. This caused many of those companies to crumble and if these companies were still up and running they could have brought Canada money from international trade. Companies weren’t the only businesses effected, farming, logging, mining, and pretty much the entire primary industry was falling and Canada wasn’t producing any money and practically all exports were to a halt. The Great Depression was stopped by the start of the second world war because of people desperately looking for jobs, so they joined the army. Canada became a more feared country, thus Canada helped win battles like D-Day and the Italian Campaign. Along with the success Canada has had in world war two, the baby boom generation occurred between 1945 to 1964, which increased the population. The cause of the baby boom was essentially the great depression because numerous Canadians enrolled in the military. Canadians want to make a quick buck and not expecting to fight for years. Canadians went to battle for six years without women and when soldiers returned from the war they had an urge for intercourse with their girlfriends or wives and that’s what started the baby boom. The next generation would need to produce more consumer items and build more houses due to the sheer number of baby boomers, more power and water would also be required to run those homes. Therefore with these new demands we need to open more jobs to satisfy those demands. The baby boomer generation is even effecting us now, 66 years later. They are going to soon influence skill trades in Canada because the baby boomers in those jobs are near retirement. There is going to be a shortage of people to fill those jobs; especially because of parents wanting their children to go to university, therefore not getting a job in the skill trades. Many jobs like caregivers for example will require more people because of the sudden increase in elderly citizens. We are also going to need to pay for the baby boomer’s healthcare and security income and that will come from our taxes. Canada could be in trouble for the future because we don’t have the people to fill those jobs and we don’t have the money to pay for their health care and security insurance. The Canadian government can’t pay for the health care and security insurance without enforcing some type of tax, and that is exactly what they did. Prime minister Brian Mulroney and financial minister Michael Wilson introduced the idea of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) to replace Manufacture Service Tax (MST) and Federal Telecommunication Tax. This new tax is suppose to be implemented to all provinces except Alberta because they already had their own sales tax at a retail level. GST saved Canada from debt of the first world war, even though GST wasn’t introduced until 1990, MST was the little brother of GST. The government decided that MST was the best way to pay for the debt and essentially it was, but most Canadians and manufacturers strongly disliked this tax. GST was promoted as revenue-neutral in relation to the MST, the shifting of the tax away from exported manufactured goods would make life more costly for Canadians. Thus Canadians were against GST and manufactures were worried that the tax would hurt their sales internationally. The GST is affecting us every day, because if you are Canadian and you pay for a product or service; you are hit with a 13% fee and that is HST (PST and GST combined). The most critical moments in Canadian history were all economic related. Once the stock market crashed in 1929, it caused panic, mayhem, and an economic crisis of great magnitude. The baby boom was a complete opposite; it gave Canadians more jobs and soon we are going to have too many jobs and not enough people to fill those jobs in the 1960’s. GST is still Affects our everyday lives because everyone pays taxes when buying a consumer product and it has been that way since 1990. Canada could be in trouble economically in the near future. Since the baby boom is retiring; I would predict that Canadians will have to paying more taxes due to the extra costs of healthcare and as throughout history, Canadians have had a burning hatred towards taxes and especially increases in those taxes. This could possibly cause an uproar in the future.

Ratio Analysis Sainsburys Vs Morrisons Finance Essay

Ratio Analysis Sainsburys Vs Morrisons Finance Essay When considered as a whole, the grocery market in the UK has  steadily growing  in size, being about 4  bigger  today than it has been  a year ago;   August 2012 update: 12 weeks ending July 8, 2012 growth rate slows from 4.2% to 2.1% due mostly to a drop in price inflation: 6.2% to 3.8%.  Morrisons is growing more slowly then Sainsburys; the company is on track to add approx. 20 new stores  in 2012  with most of those locations featuring a  larger selection of produce. The UK grocery market was worth  £163.2 billion in 2012, an increase of 3.8% on 2011, IGD forecast that the UK grocery market value will be worth  £192.6bn in 2017, an 18.0% increase on 2012. The grocery markets share accounts for 54.3p in every  £1 of UK retail spending. What is the size of the UK grocery market Source: IGD UK channel forecasts 2012 1.2 The Companies 1.2.1 Sainsburys J Sainsbury plc. is the parent company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsburys, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%. The group also has interests in property and banking. It was founded in 1869 and today operates over 1,000 supermarkets and convenience stores and employs around 150,000 colleagues. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. 1.2.2 Morrisons The supermarket, which generated sales of  £18.1 billion in the year, said it had not done enough to communicate its promotions and suffered because it still lacked a meaningful presence in the two fastest growing sectors of the market. Morrisons is the UKs fourth largest food retailer with over 400 stores. The super market is mainly food and grocery weekly shop. Morrisons employs 129,000 staff at 498 stores. Their reports show that like-for-like sales dropped 2.1% in the year, while the average of 11.4 million customers in its stores each week was down on the prior year. 2. Gearing Ratio Analysis 2.1 Gearing Ratios Gearing Ratios (%) Company/Year 2012 2011 Sainsbury 31.73 30.13 Morrison 22.86 16.25 Source : Appendix 1 Sainsburys A gearing between 25% 50% is generally considered nominal for an established business. It implies that Sainsbury is happy to finance its activities using borrowing. Sainsbury focuses more on investment in revenue growth rather than profit as the company increased sales revenue and non-current assets but suffered a loss in 2012. Morrisons The business is considered low gearing as its gearing is less than 25%. The business is growing through reinvestment of profits and minimizing risk. However, in 2012, there is an increase in gearing from 16.25% in 2011 to 22.86% and this is mainly because the business increased long-term borrowings by  £548m and reduced retained earnings and shared capital. 2.2 Interest Cover Ratio Interest Cover Ratio Company/Year 2012 2011 Sainsbury 6.04 7.40 Morrsion 20.59 20.62 Source : Appendix 2 Sainsburys The ratio indicates that the borrowing capital is used effectively to generate profits and that the business is able to meet its short-term interest obligations from its earnings. Sainsbury is growing, making worthwhile investments to continue to expand. Morrisons The ratio suggests that Morrison is generating enough income to cover its interest obligations and is thus financially stable. However, such a high ratio also suggests that Morrison is neglecting opportunities to magnify profits through leverage. 3. LIQUIDITY RATIO ANALYSIS 3.1 CURRENT RATIO COMPANY/YEAR 2011 2012 SAINSBURY .580 .647 MORRISON .545 .574 Source : Appendix 3 Sainsburys Sainsburys current assets are considerably less than the current liabilities in both the years as Sainsbury has invested a lot in fixed assets as well as in subsidiaries and joint ventures. Sainsbury is obliged to pay a lot of money as a part of tax and also in generating its assets so the liability is therefore more than the assets. For every 1pound liability they have only 64.7 pence worth of asset to cover it. Morrisons Morrison current ratio is smaller than the current ratio of Sainsbury which indicates that Sainsbury is doing slightly better than Morrison in the market. Morrison current liabilities is more than the current assets due to more of borrowing that involves short term loans, investment in fixed assets and payment of tax. For every 1pound liability they have only 57.4 worth of asset to cover it. 3.2 ACID TEST RATIO COMPANY/YEAR 2011 2012 SAINSBURY .304 .348 MORRISON .239 .247 Source : Appendix 4 Sainsburys The acid test ratio is very less as Sainsbury, being a retail store, is highly dependent on sale of inventory. As acid test ratio of Sainsbury is .348 that is less than 1 it means that Sainsbury cannot pay their current liabilities. Morrisons Like Sainsburys, Morrison also being highly dependent on inventories, acid ratio is expected to be less. Morrisons acid ratio is .247, which is less than 1, meaning Morrison cannot pay their current liabilities. It would be only able to generate 24.7 % cash of its current liabilities. Both the companies fails in extinguishing its current liabilities but this is not due to their market position or growth but just due to the nature of the business (retail). 4. PROFITABILITY RATIO ANALYSIS 4.1 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Return on Capital Employed Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 10.11 % 11.06 % Morrisons 13.83 % 13.70 % (Source : Appendix 5 ) Sainsburys ROCE growth in 2012 was lower than last year partly due to the cumulative effect of Sainsburys accelerated investment in space growth since 2009 (Sainsburys, 2011). This initially shrank profits whilst increasing the value of capital employed. Morrisons Morrisons delivered improved returns to its shareholders. For every  £1 capital invested in the business, the annual return is 13.83 pence in 2012 and was 13.70 pence in 2011. This profitability ratio of Morrison is moderately higher than Sainsburys, hence Morrisons is able to gain more profit on average capital employed. 4.2 Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 10.62 % 11.79 % Morrisons 12.78 % 11.66 % (Source : Appendix 6) Sainsburys Sainsburys Return on Equity in 2012 has decreased by 1.17 % compared to 2011 due to decline in shareholder funds. In 2011, they performed slightly better than Morrisons as they had better reserves and share capital and the Profit after Tax (PAT) was significantly lower than Morrisons. Morrisons Morrisons ROE has significantly improved over d last few years and continue to reach high values. In 2012, they showed a 1.12% increase in ROE compared to 2011 and had a 12.78 % shareholder equity. The shareholders invested a lot which resulted in higher returns. 4.3 Gross Profit Margin Gross Profit Margin Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 5.43 % 5.49 % Morrisons 6.89 % 6.96 % (Source : Appendix 7) Sainsburys A moderate decline in the ratio between 2011 and 2012 explains the fact that the gross profit was lower in relation to sales revenue. This means that cost of sales was higher relative to sales revenue within the period. Morrisons Morrisons Gross Profit Margin is higher than Sainsburys as they had a lower sales revenue and moderate gross profit compared to the latter. In 2012, 6.89 % of the net sales are available to pay off all the operating expenses. 4.4 Net/Operating Profit Margin Net/Operating Profit Margin Co./Year 2012 2011 Sainsburys 3.74 % 4.07 % Morrisons 5.48 % 5.38 % (Source : Appendix 8) Sainsburys Sainsbury accounted to lower Net Profit Margin than Morrisons because of falling sales and rising costs. The market has a lot of competition where small groceries and convenience stores capture quite a bit of total UK food retail. Morrisons Morrisons performed fairly well and showed significant increase in the operating profits from Sainsburys over the past year. It accounted 5.48 % Net Profit Margin in the current financial year (Sales Revenue:  £17663m). It is a result of superior execution and induction of higher margin products in their sales mix. Morrisons seems to be more profitable than Sainsburys across all available profitability measures. 5.0 Efficiency Ratios (Source of Data, Apendix 9, Financial Reports of Sainsburys and Morrisons) 5.1 Fixed Assets Turnover This ratio shows how efficiently the company is using fixed assets to generate sales. Low ratios indicate the company is capital intensive or that company requires a lot of fixed assets to generate a given amount of sales. (Gildersleeve, R. (1999) p.136). Efficiency Ratios Year/Comp. Sainsburys Morrisons 2011 2.40 times 2.18 times 2012 2.39 times 2.22 times Sainsburys In 2012 Sainsburys shows an increase in Sales Revenue for approx 1,100  £m, which made its ratio slightly lower comparing to 2011. The ratio remained fairly similar because the value of fixed assets at net book value increased as well. The reason for the increase in fixed assets could be explained by Sainsburys tendency for opening new stores. The financial report states that they opened 19 new supermarkets, 28 extensions, and 73 convenience stores, which are only to begin operating and contributing to sales. Morrisons On the other hand Morrisons managed to improve their ratio by obtaining similar value of their fixed assets from 2011 to 2012, and using them more efficiently to score an increase in sales revenue of 1,100 £m. Generally looking at the industry the Average ratios for Retail Food companies are between 4-5 (Wal-Mart Stores USA 5.00), (Gildersleeve, R. (1999) p.136), so Sainsburys should aim to increase the use of their fixed assets in order to increase the sales. 5.2 Average Inventories Turnover Shows how many days company had to stock goods for sale before they were sold. In the retail-food industry this period should be kept fairly low because of the nature of the business. Lower ratio indicates that company will spend less funds towards stocking items before putting it on sale and getting profit from it. Average Inventories Turnover Year /Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 14.86 Days 15.19 Days 2012 15.85 Days 16.85 Days Sainsburys Sainsburys shows growth in the average of inventories held over the course of year by almost 100  £m. As costs of sales have increased from 2011-2012, this ratio shows a slight growth in number of days goods are kept in stock. The increase of inventory in stock could be explained by Sainsburys growth of sales in 2012. Higher demand forces company to have more items in stock in order to satisfy the needs of the customers. Morrisons Morrisons shows even higher growth in average days the goods are stocked. Morrisons also note the increase in cost of sales, even more than Sainsburys. The financial reports of Morrisons state a few reasons, among which increasingly higher prices of fuel on the market. 5.3 Profit Per Employee Profit Per Employee Year/ Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 5,572.78  £ per emp. 6,617.50  £ per emp. 2012 5,256.58  £ per emp. 7,217.60  £ per emp. Sainsburys It is notable that companys profit has been reduced from 2011-2012 for 2.8 m £, which is 3.4%, even though its sales have risen for 6.8%. This could be explained by the number of reasons, but one of them that is important for this ratio is that they have also increased the number of employees. This has negatively influenced their Profit per Employee ratio, leaving it behind the industry average and Morrisons. Morrisons Unlike Sainsburys, Morrisons notes the increase in profit and reduction of number of employees. This is the most desirable situation for a company. Their profit was higher for 8 % in 2012 than in 2011. 5.4 Average Trade Debtor Collection Period It indicates the period of time which is needed for company to collect trade debts. This ratio reveals a great deal about a companys credit policy and the efficiency which it can collect money from its customers. (Fight, A. (2006) p. 57)). Average Trade Debtor Collection Period Year/Comp. Sainsbury Morrison 2011 1.61Days 4.79 Days 2012 1.90 Days 4.34 Days Sainsburys Sainsburys shows an increase in the average time that they needed to collect the trade dept. Even though their costs of sales remained fairly similar, there was a substantial increase in the amount of trade debt. Even though this negatively influenced the ratio, Sainsburys has made trades from which they expect to receive money in near future. Furthermore their ratio shows efficiency at collecting debts, comparing both to the industry and Morrisons. Morrisons Morrisons have significantly higher average debt collection period. Even though they have managed to slightly decrease their Trade receivables from 2011-2012, their costs of sales increased by approx 1,000 £m which has not made it possible for this ratio to improve further. 6. INVESTMENT RATIO ANALYSIS FORMULAS * Eearning Per Shares = profit available to shareholders/ no. of shares ranked for dividend * Dividend Yield= dividend per share/ market price * 100% *Dividend cover = Preference Dividend/Ordinary Dividend SAINSBURYS MORRISONS 2011 2012 2011 2012 (%) (%) EARNING PER SHARE 33.8 31.5 23.43 26.03 DIVIDEND YIELD 15.10 16.1 9.60 10.70 DIVIDEND COVER 1.75 1.75 2.40 2.39 6.1 EARNING PER SHARE YEAR Sainsburys In 2011 Sainsburys experienced a sharp increase in earnings per share going up by 33.8%. And in 2012 the Sainsbury went down with 31.5% having a loss of 2.3%. It is important that assets are revaluated in order to keep the real value of assets on balance sheet. Earnings per share in 2011 increased by 2.3% to 33.8 p, reflecting the improvement in the operating profit and the effect of the additional shares, more importantly due to the property profits. Morrisons Morrisons earnings per share compared to Sainsburys are lower. This is driven by smaller profit and the fact that Morrisons is a smaller sized supermarket chain. The earning per share has 23.43% at 2011 mainly caused by the higher profits on business disposals that the company went through last year, so the return to shareholders was a lower rate per share. 6.2 DIVIDEND YIELD YEAR Sainsburys The dividend yield had a slightly decreased since the dividend per share only increased by 15.10% from 2011 year. This was a decision from the company and it reflects the reduction in the earning per share already mentioned and the fall in the dividend cover by 1.75% in 2011. Morrisons Morrison dividend yield is much less in 2011 it was 9.6% and in 2012 the dividend went up to 10.70%. 6.3 DIVIDEND COVER YEAR Sainsburys Dividend cover of Sainsburys says that earnings available for dividend cover is 1.75% in 2011 and also in 2012 so there was not change in the divided cover over the past two years. In terms of dividend cover, Sainsburys has its policy based on their calculations to maintain the dividend cover between 1.50 1.75 times. The reason behind it is that if the dividend cover is too low, there is a possibility that the company will not be able to pay out the investors. Morrisons In Morrisons divided cover, it showers that in 2011 it has 2.40% whereas in 2012 it has 2.39%, which is still more than Sainsbury. For the year 2011 Morrisons dividend cover is 2.4 times, claim that it is in line with the European food retail sector average (Morrisons, 2011). 7. Future Perspectives and Strategies Both Sainsburys and Morrisons have their business strategies for future outlined in their financial statements. Morrisons financial strategy continues to deliver improved margins whilst positioning long term growth. They wish to increase their customer appeal and growth of sales, which is meant to be converted into profitable growth. They have realized the potential in online retail, so they will finally enter the online groceries market to challenge Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys, making it the last of the major supermarket groups to have an internet presence, but only after reporting its first fall in profits for six years.C:UsersUSERDesktopfinancial management1.JPG Sainsburys based their business strategy on meeting consumer needs, taking into the account the on-going inflation over the past four years. The economic downturn has changed how and what consumers buy, and these changes appear to be lasting. In 2012 they have launched their Live Well for Less campaign based on awarding loyalty and providing the best quality possible for optimal price. Through Nectar loyalty scheme they have a wealth of data about their customers behaviour. C:UsersUSERDesktopfinancial management2.JPG Source of the table: Morrisons financial statement 2012. Source: Sainsburys Financial Statement 2012 8 Conclusions Financial statements suggest that Morrisons financial performance was very good. They had a profitable year (profit of  £58m) while Sainsburys performance was not good compared to 2011 (loss of  £42m). Morrisons financial performance was strong, and they continued to invest in long term growth of the business, and to deliver increasing returns to shareholders. Even after having steady increase in sales revenue and gross profit, Sainsbury suffered loss compared to previous year mainly because their interest and tax expenses increased while profit from joint ventures reduced. Though Sainsburys acquisition of non-current assets was underfinanced with long term sources of finance, they still managed to generate more sales and cover the debt payable easily. Alternatively, Morrisons financial management was excellent as they covered all their non-current assets with long term sources of finance. High interest cover ratio indicates that there is no sort of pressure on the company and is very profitable. References Fight, A (2006) Flow Forecasting, UK: CFrion Tec. Pvt. Stickney C.P (2010) Financial Accounting : an introduction to concepts methods and uses USA: South Western Cengage Learning Smart B.S Megginson W.L (2009) Introduction to Corporate Finance USA: South Western Cengage Learning Alberth S.W (2011) Accounting, Concepts Applications, What, Why, How of Accounting USA: South Western Cengage Learning Gildersleeve R. (1999) Winning Business: How to use Financial Analysis and Benchmarks to outscore your competition Houston: Tex Gult Pub. Co. Unknown (2010) An evaluation of the business and financial performance of morrisons. Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/dissertations/business/financial-performance-of-morrisons.php#ixzz2NhjC0HdW (Accessed: 15/03/2013) London Stock Exchange (2013) London Stock Exchange Available at: www.londonstockexchange.com (Accessed: 20/03/2013) Morrison Group (2013) Financial Reports Available at: http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/Investor-centre/Financial-reports/ (Accessed: 18/03/2013) Sainsburys Group (2013) Annual Report and Financial Statements 2011 Available At: http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar11/ (Accessed: 10/03/2013) Unknown (2013) Forces analyses of Sainsbury Available at: http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/management/forces-analyses-of-sainsbury.php (Accessed at: 18/03/2013) Appendix 1 Gearing Ratio = Long Term Loans + Value of Preference Shares Share Capital + Reserves + Long term Loans + Minority Interest Sainsburys 2012 2011 2617 + 0 538 + 5091 + 2617 + 0 2339 + 0 535 + 4889 + 2339 + 0 = 31.73 % = 30.13 % Morrisons 2012 2011 1600 + 0 253 + 5144 + 1600 + 0 1052 + 0 266 + 5154 + 1052 + 0 = 22.86 % = 16.25 % Appendix 2 Interest Cover Ratio = Profit before interest and tax Interest payable Sainsbury 2012 2011 834 138 859 116 = 6.04 = 7.40 Morrison 2012 2011 968 47 887 43 = 20.59 = 20.62 Appendix 3 Current ratio = current assets / current liabilities Sainsburys 2011 2012 Current assets = 1708 Current liabilities = 2942 Current ratio = 1708/2942 = .580 Current assets = 2032 Current liabilities = 3136 Current ratio = 2032/3136 = .647 Morrisons 2011 2012 current assets = 1138 current liabilities = 2086 current ratio = 1138/2086 = .545 Current assets = 1322 current liabilities = 2303 current ratio = 1322/2303 = .574 Appendix 4 Acid test ratio = liquid asset / current liabilities Liquid asset = current asset inventories 2011 2012 Current assets = 1708 inventories = 812 liquid asset = 1708 812 = 896 current liabilities = 2942 acid test ratio = 896 / 2942 = .304 Current assets = 2032 inventories = 938 liquid asset = 2032 938 = 1094 current liabilities = 3136 acid test ratio = 1094 / 3136 = .348 Sainsburys Morrisons 2011 2012 current assets = 1138 inventories = 638 liquid asset = 1138 638 = 500 current liabilities = 2086 acid test ratio = 500 / 2086 = .239 current assets = 1322 inventories = 759 liquid asset = 1322 759 = 569 current liabilities = 2703 acid test ratio = 569 / 2703 = .247 Appendix 5 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE = For Sainsburys 2012 2011 834 X 100 538 + 5091 + 2617 + 0 859 X 100 535 + 4889 + 2339 + 0 = 10.11 % = 11.06 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 968 X 100 253 + 5144 + 1600 + 0 887 X 100 266 + 5154 + 1643 + 0 = 13.83 % = 13.70 % Appendix 6 Return on Equity ( ROE ) = Profit after Tax X 100 Share Capital + Reserves For Sainsburys 2012 2011 598 X 100 538 + 5091 640 X 100 535 + 4889 = 10.62 % = 11.79 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 690 X 100 253 + 5144 632 X 100 266 + 5154 = 12.78 % = 11.66 % Appendix 7 Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit X 100 Sales Revenue For Sainsburys 2012 2011 1211 X 100 22294 1160 X 100 21102 = 5.43 % = 5.49 % For Morrisons 2012 2011 1217 X 100 17663 1148 X 100 16479 = 6.89 % = 6.96 %

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Importance of Order in Knights Tale Essa

The Importance of Order in Knight's Tale    Chaucer claims to place the Knight's Tale just after the General Prologue by chance, the drawing of lots. The Knight draws the short straw, and all are glad for it. The appropriateness of his lengthy tale to follow is clear on some levels, and barely perceptible on others. I intend to launch my investigation of the Knight's Tale with a scrutiny of these three statements, and perhaps we shall find an interesting conclusion in this, albeit a disputable one. The honorable Host, Harry Bailey, begins this famous day of pilgrimage by calling everyone together to draw lots, "He which that hath the shorteste shal beginne." (838) He calls the Knight to draw first, presumably as a gesture of respect, as he refers to the Knight as master and lord. Harry continues to speak for a short moment, as we have the visual image of the Knight stepping up to claim his straw. The host continues to call up two more pilgrims, but quickly decides that everyone might as well draw in a free-for-all. And surprise! The Knight finds himself holding the short cut. Is it possible that Harry managed to give the Knight the short straw intentionally? "Now draweth cut," says he, "for that is myn accord" (840). A close eye may suggest some punning going on in that line: Now draw the cut (short) straw, for it is my wish. The words "cord" and "accord" were both used in Middle English, so we may be able to find some double meaning there as well. If indeed Harry wishes to giv e the Knight the "cord," there are several interesting cases to think on: a) the cord is simply the short straw, b) the cord is the hangman's rope, or c) the cord is a unit of wood cut for fuel. The hangman's rope would make for subtle sarcasm, but... ... immediate effects on the Miller, who cares not a bit for courtesy or order but only reckless lust. Hence, the Miller follows with a tale that Palamon could have appreciated, had he not known the ways of chivalry, but only those of lechery. Works Cited and Consulted Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. The Norton Anthologyof English Literature. Seventh Edition. Two Volumes. Ed. M. H. Abrams. NewYork: Norton, 2000. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Modern Critical Views: Geoffrey Chaucer, Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995. Williams, David. The Canterbury Tales, A Literary Pilgrimage. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

I Beat the Odds :: Personal Narrative Writing

I Beat the Odds Often times I ask myself if the education that I have received was ever worthwhile. I have always received a public-school education. As a matter of fact, I went to a junior high school and high school which was close to the university I am currently attending: the University of Southern California (USC). Growing up, the University of Southern California seemed like an impossible dream. The education I received was insufficient to prepare me for the standardized tests given to high school students across the nation. Preparation for higher education is deficient; mandatory information about college is not given to students. However, receiving an inferior education from a public school strengthened my character and enhanced my perseverance to do great things. My passion and determination brought me to the realization that I can accomplish anything. I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where education was upheld a great value. I understood that the only key to success was to go through the narrow gate that people rarely are willing to enter because they do not take advantage of its offer. Attending the University of Southern California gave me the opportunity to mentor under privileged students about education through an on-campus program called the Joint Educational Program (JEP). I believe education is interlinked with educating others, not solely on subjects such as science, math, or English, but by passing on the information of the prominence of education. I feel compelled to pass down the torch to the unfortunate who do not comprehend the ability that one will gain after receiving education. The atmosphere of my university is not at all the way I expected it to be while I was in high school. At USC, the education is fantastic! I have never learned so many things in such a short period of time. I probably learned more things in one semester than most of my years in high school. I am in the pre-medical field. The classes that the university is making me take are overwhelming. I had doubts of my capability to continue with the field, but when I compare myself with my classmates I feel that I study more than they do, and am retaining a lot more information than they are, because they have already learned

A New Approach to Stadium Experience: the Dynamics of the Sensoryscape, Social Interaction, and Sense of Home Essay

Abtract The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable, valid instrument of the sensory experiences of sport attendees. It identified 22-items to represent five dimensions of the sensoryscape; they are sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. The authors used CFA ( confirmatory factor analysis) and SEM ( Structural Equation Model ) to confirm the reliable of Sensoryscape. The sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home each had a positive, direct impact on fans’ satisfaction for both major (N = 259) and minor {N= 218) league venues; and they also had correlation among each other. Satisfaction with the stadium experience had a positive and direct impact on intention to revisit. Implications for sport marketing practice and future research are discussed. 1.0 Introduction The importance of the experience economy has been widely recognized in consumer research. According to Holbrook & Hirschman (1982), experiences have always been at the heart of the entertainment business including in sporting events. When fans have good experiences in the facility, there is greater inducement to their repeat attendance Many studies have begun to pay close attention to consumers’ experiences via their five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste (Gobà ©, 2001, et al). A higher quality or more powerful sensory experience has been shown to influence the extent of the purchase and, when positive, result in a higher level of customer loyalty. Anderson and Sullivan (1993), consumer satisfaction is one of the most important predictors of consumer retention. Traditionally, product or service quality is one of the most powerful determinants of customer satisfaction and behavioral, however, more recent work has focused on sustaining the brand and customer experien ce. On the other hand, sport marketing researchers have primarily focused on two types of antecedents that lead to customer satisfaction and behavioral intention: * Core product * Customer service According to Westerbeek and Shilbury (1999), in the professional sports industry, a stadium is an important venue in which sport consumers directly consume and experience sports, and social interaction is a key element that affects spectators’ stadium experience. Sigmon et al, 2002, researched that fans also report experiencing a feeling of home in their home stadium, to some fans, a professional team’s stadium is not just a facility; it is their psychology home. The purpose of this study is to provide a more complete understanding of the sensual, social, and psychological aspects of the sport consumption experience within the stadium. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to develop a reliable, valid scale of the sensoryscape. 2.0 Theoretical Background and Hypotheses 2.1 Sensory Experience Consumers’ sensory experiences play an important role in their perceptions of the value companies provide; however, the sensory experience alone may not guarantee that consumers remember the experience A stadium can be considered a â€Å"sensoryscapeâ€Å" which provides a memorable experience by appealing to all five senses. Gaffney and Bale (2004) suggested five sensual factors that affect stadium experiences: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste. Gaffney and Bale (2004) suggested five sensual factors that affect stadium experiences. It is likely that more positive experiences of the sensoryscape lead to higher levels of satisfaction with the stadium experience. Based on the literature we suggest the following hypothesis: H1: More positive experiences of the sensoryscape will lead to higher levels of satisfaction with the stadium experience. 2.2 Social Interaction The effect of social interaction on stadium satisfaction may be more direct and salient. Further, there is some evidence that social interaction can stimulate communisis, but this effect has been shown only in the case of mega-events. It is not clear whether social interaction can and does evince the same experience at smaller, more regularly occurring events. Recognizing the lack of knowledge regarding the effect of social interaction, the following hypothesis is proposed: H2: Social interaction will have a positive and direct impact on stadium experience satisfaction. 2.3 Sense of Home According to Crawford (2004), professional sport teams have a significant link to the specific place where they are located. Further, at the societal level, the sport venue becomes an â€Å"emblem of locality† that represents a town and its residents Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that when fan’s experience their team’s stadium as home, their overall stadium satisfaction with the venue will increase. H3: A sense of home will have a positive and direct impact on stadium experience satisfaction. 2.4 Relationship Among Sensoryscape, Social Interaction, and Sense of Home Research clearly suggests that the sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home should each affect fan’s satisfaction with the stadium; however, There are grounds for expecting the three factors to be related with one another. It is reasonable to expect that the sensory scape may contribute to spectators’ experience of the stadium as home. On the other hand, those who seek to feel a sense of home are more likely to be receptive to the sensory scape. H4: Sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home will be correlated with one another. 2.5 Stadium Satisfaction and Repeat Attendance. Anderson & Sullivan (1993) and Oliver (1980), consumer satisfaction bas been the subject of much attention in the context of spectator sports, because of its influence on consumers’ behavioral intentions and customer retention. Satisfied consumers tend to report stronger repurchase intentions, and are more likely to recommend the products or services purchased to others This study focuses on consumers’ stadium experience satisfaction rather than their game satisfaction. Stadium satisfaction will be defined as a sport consumer’s overall evaluation and associated emotions based on all experiences within the stadium. H5: Stadium experience satisfaction will have a positive and direct impact on future intention to revisit. 3.0 Methodology Minor context: Data were collected in person for the minor league context, the sampling for the Round Rock Express. A total of 218 completed. Males were 59%, age from 11 to 85 years (M = 40.7). Most respondents were White (71%) followed by Hispanic (16%). Major context: Data for the Houston Astros were collected via an online survey.A total of 259 completed responses were obtained for the study. Males were 64%, and age ranged from 15 to 77 years (M= 34.6). most respondents were White (67%) followed by Hispanic (21%). 3.1 Measurement Spectators rated each item on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The questionnaire for the scale validation study included five measures: the sensoryscape, social interaction, sense of home, consumer satisfaction at the stadium, and repeat attendance. Total items are 33. 3.2 Data Analysis Structural equation models (SEM) using AMOS were conducted separately for each context (i.e., major league and minor league) to test the hypothesized relationships among the sensoryscape, social interaction, sense of home, stadium experience satisfaction, and intention to revisit in both major and minor league settings. 4.0 Result 4.1 Major League Context The structural model indicated that the sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home explained 71.1% of the variance in satisfaction with the Houston Astros’ stadium, and that these four factors predicted 45.1% of the variance in spectators’ intention to retum to the stadium. Correlations among the sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home were significant: 0.35 < r < 0.49, p < . H4 was supported. The four paths were all significant: 0.22 < g < 0.68,, P < 0.01. Therefore, H1, H2, H3, and H5 in the major league setting were supported, 4.2 Minor League Context The structural model indicated that the sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home explained 70.5% of the variance in satisfaction with the Round Rock Express stadium experience; these four factors predicted 55% of the variance in spectators‘ intention to retum to the Round Rock Express’ stadium. The correlations among the sensoryscape, social interaction, and sense of home were significant: 0.19 < r < 0.44, p < 0.01 H4 was supported. All the four paths between latent variables were significant: 0.17 < g < 0.15, p < 0.01. H1, H2, H3, and were supported. 5.0 Discussion The Sensoryscape scale , including 22-item, five-dimension scale is a reliable and valid instrument to measure fans’ stadium experience. The most significant factor affecting spectators‘ overall stadium satisfaction was the sensoryscape for both major and minor league contexts. Although the magnitude of the effect was much higher in the minor league context than in the major league context, social interaction had a positive impact on stadium satisfaction Spectators’ satisfaction is positively and meaningfully impacted by sense of home with the stadium experience in both major and minor-league context. This also offers suggestions for enhancing fans’ sense of the stadium as home: * First, marketers should find more ways for spectators to come into contact with the stadium and images of the stadium. * Further, sport teams can host more fantasy camps where fantasy camp participants can play with or have lessons from the team’s players. It found that the correlation between the sensoryscape and social interaction in both contexts was similar in its magnitude, the correlation between social interaction and sense of home was much higher in the minor league context than in major league context, and the correlation between sensoryscape and sense of home was much higher in major league context than in major league context. 6.0 Limitations Future research should explore other ways in which fans use their five senses to experience the stadium, to continue to improve the Sensoryscape scale and seek to confirm the proposed model with data collected from major league sites, or to compare fans’ responses to the same facility via on-line and on-site methods. To this end, other contexts could be explored (e.g., college sport, individual sport settings such as golf and tennis, road races) 7.0 Conclusion The overall sensoryscape construct explained the most variance in spectators’ satisfaction with the stadium experience. This research suggests a new direction for experience marketing in sport that leverages each of the five senses. By cultivating the sensoryscape, facilitating social interaction, and providing a sense of home, sport consumers can have a more enjoyable and memorable game experience, regardless of the game outcome.