Financial Analysts Questions Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysts Questions Essay Technical Questions 1. Can you explain quarterly forecasting, updating revenue and expense models? 2. What projects have you implemented these skills? 3. In conjunction with these projects how do you execute input of detailed plans and forecast into the financial systems? 4. Describe how you coordinate plan transfers. 5. Are you familiar with creating daily sales reports? 6. What processes do you use to create reports? 7. Have you created month-end sales reports? 8. Have these reports involved your knowledge of analysis concerning actual and planned revenues, balance sheets and expenses? 9. Can you describe the practices you use for analysis of financial and management reporting? 10. Do you have experience in annual planning processes? 11. What profitability models have you used for forecasting a project? 12. Are you familiar with developing business casing and ad hoc analysis? 13. How would you maintain these items during a project? 14. Have you ever worked on a budget for an expansion program? 15. What financial practices did you target for this project? Responsibility 1. How do you relate with program administrators and financial personnel? 2. Do you compile and share monthly data involving income, investment, sales forecasting, shipments and cash flow reports? 3. What long range plans have you implemented for the business area? 4. Are you accounting and knowledge of financial systems abilities used to corporate profit/loss reports? 5. Have you been responsible for maintaining a financial system database? 6. Have you ever prepared work force reviews? Technical Tasks Questions 1. What computer systems would you use to prepare illustrated technical reports using graphs, spreadsheets and draw charts? 2. What various securities in this industry are you familiar with and how would you compare and evaluate? 3. How do you Interpret data concerning investment programs? 4. Can you define price yields, stability economic influences, future trends and investment risks? 5. How do you achieve knowledge of developments in the fields of industrial technologies? 6. Can you relate some basic business, finance and economic theories? 7. What monitoring skills do possess involving economic, corporate and industrial developments? 8. What steps do you take when preparing plans of action for financial analysis? 9. Have you presented oral or written reports on entire industries, individual corporations or economic trends? 10. Can you describe some recommendations you have to companies or individuals concerning investment procedures? 11. How do you attract new corporate clients? * How has your degree prepared you for a career in Financial Analysis? * Tell me about a financial analysis you completed on a case in one of your classes? * Describe a previous situation where you have demonstrated your analytical skills. * What interests you most about a financial analyst position? * What quantitative courses have you completed? What were your grades in each of them? * How will you be able to handle working long hours and studying for the CPA exams at the same time? * How can India improve its competitiveness? * What stocks do you follow? Why? * What is a cash flow? * What is a present value analysis? * Describe at least three methods of valuing a company. * If you had a $1,000 investment that went down 40 percent and then up 20 percent, what would your investment be worth? * What is your opinion of derivative statements? * Describe EVA and how it can be used to determine the attractiveness of potential projects. * Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using EVA, NPV, discounted cash flows, and payback period as methods of determining the attractiveness of potential projects. * Explain activity-based costing. What are its pros and cons? * Explain marginal costing and standard costing. * Explain ratio analysis. * How does A/R and inventory fluctuations affect the income statement? * Walk me through a DCF analysis. * How do you get to EBITDA from revenues? * When you are given a large financial analysis project to do, what are the first things you do? * Describe a decision you had to make on your own regarding the credit risk of a new client. What was the outcome? * Tell me about a financial analysis decision you got wrong. What was the outcome? What did you learn from the experience? * Describe your level of experience with the software used in your position as a financial analyst. * What steps have you taken to improve your technical writing ability?

Lifestyles of K-Pop Authors

Lifestyles of K-Pop Authors Kpop or Prison? South Korea is a sovereign state in East Asia, with many rules of etiquette and customs based on traditional Chinese ways, but moulded into a unique culture through industrialization, urbanization and westernization. The author, Sonja Vegdahl Hur stated that lurking behind the sometimes stoic Korean faà §ade is a multitude of emotions. However, in the Kpop industry idols are expected to show a profusion of emotions but have to refine them in order to create an image of complete perfection, this is to attract audiences and conform to the trends in their society. Kpop is a genre that originates from 1980s South Korea and is heavily based on audiovisual content and a fusion of foreign musical elements. They present idols in a debut showcase which consists of television broadcast promotions and online marketing instead of radio. But to get to the stage, idols must go through a tough training period for sometimes many years. Sixty years ago Korea was a war-torn country but is now flourishing. This has been achieved through hard work which has been transferred to education. But the globalisation of an already competitive system has caused too much stress from a young age.   Is being diligent in Korea worth the cost of their mental health? These companies obviously use idols dreams against them as in order to be the best, entertainment industries put idols through gruelling periods of dance, vocal training, learning many languages and instruments. Granted, this method does have strengths; the ingrained idea that success is key to a good life, no matter the cost is a great motivator, but is living their dream worth the stiff price in health and happiness? I dont think so. The proof is in the West. Many artists are extremely popular like Beyoncà ©, yet they never had to learn difficult dance routines or another language to rise to the top. But, this also shows where culture differs, the image of perf ection is not necessarily as important in the West as it is in Korea. Idols are mostly required to dye their hair, wear contacts and get double eye-lid surgery to remove the epicanthic fold in order to appear more perfect and European. All idols participate in music shows such as Inkigayo (like our MTV music charts) where all digital sales, physical album sales, streams and music video views are totalled up and the winner gains the trophy this is vital for the group survival in the industry as if their popularity is in constant decline with hardly no wins the company will most likely drop them and this usually means theyll lose their homes and source of income as its all provided by the company, yet they still have to pay a large proportion for it. Trainees are constantly disciplined by the companies theyre signed under. An ex-SM Entertainment trainee revealed, If you dont improve but youre pretty they tell you to stay underwater and hold your breath for 5 minutes and make you sit in a V and drop basketballs on your stomach when you breathe. This is apparently to encourage the trainee to work harder but it breaches human rights as Korean law prohibits such practices of inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. A famous law suit emerged in 2009. A popular group TVXQ, took their management to court over a 13 year contract which ended with success and the ruling prompted the Fair Trade Commission to bring a model contract in an attempt to improve standards. Another ex-trainee, Stella Kim was interviewed by Le Film Magazine and specified her ordeal during the period she trained under SM; If you were deemed overweight, then you would be weighed in front of everybody and shamed for it. Howbeit, the training affected her even aft er she quit, she went through a stage of anorexia and at her lowest point weighed 90lbs at 5ft 7 along with Korean students at her college in America recognising her and calling her ugly or fat. This shows that training in Korea needs to be reformed as the current method creates idols to develop feelings of self-worthlessness with a distorted set of social values. Soloists and groups need fans in order to keep gaining popularity. However, some fans go overboard and develop a harmful fixation on idols. In Korea theyre called Sasaeng fans. These people are notorious for engaging in actions that inaugurate an invasion of privacy. For example, a member of JYJ, Yoochun found that his home and parking lot had CCTV cameras installed by Saesangs. On the other hand is the opposite extreme, anti-fans. This refers to the torment of idols where people construct organisations to mentally and physically threaten idols. They have committed many crimes and go to extreme methods such as, Yoon Kye-Sang from the group G.O.D who received a drink adulterated with bleach and laundry chemicals which was drunk by his mother, who had to hospitalised. Idols are heavily criticised for appearance in Korea as there is a massive expectation of perfection. A case with girl group Red Velvet, included comments against their youngest member, Yeri who was only 17 at the time, w here netizens internet citizens wrote derogatory sexually explicit comments about her on a live show. In comparison to Western artists, Kpop idols work considerably harder for a little amount of freedom and profit. A comment on a website, Quora mentioned that, Kpop isnt about selling music its about selling idols people that fans worship.   Furthermore, Kpop artists are overworked; F(x)s Krystal collapsed on stage due to fatigue as sleeping only 2 hours a day became too much to handle, whilst forced to perform. Even after training life for idols is still stressful and difficult. 9MUSES ex-member, Sera mentioned in the documentary, No one treats me as a human being. But idols have to abide by the contracts and stick with the companies until it ends. The contracts allow the companies to take away human rights and basic freedoms which any ordinary person would have. For example, the right to contact family and under the Korean Labour Standards Act it says working hours per week should not exceed 40 hours. In the i-D Magazine (fashion culture magazine), 2NE1 member CL stated, You have to be perfect. You have to perform well, you shouldnt date anyone and fans have a standard image, especially with girls because boys can date anyone.   This conveys the issue of sexism in Korea. Statistics from a picture on Instagram revealed that there was at least a 10 million Won ( £6839.32) pay gap between male and female idols. An actress, Jang Ja Yeon, age 29 committed suicide and explained in a let ter that her former agency CEO, Kim Sung Hun had forced her to meet influential people at parties to provide sexual favours in order to keep her job. In conclusion, Kpop life and training is far worse than artists from Europe. They have more freedom and arent always faced with the difficulty of being from a different nation. To improve conditions, I think companies could (and should) let their idols sleep more, eat, wear and sing what they want. To be more equal, both genders should be paid for doing the same thing and whilst training be allowed more free time to rest and be treated more like a human being and not an object to gain the company more money and fame. Whilst netizens complain about idols low health, they should in fact criticise their companies more in order to make a change and the industry must realise that the combination of extremely high standards and a lifestyle that makes those standards impossible to meet wont make idols happy or able produce content to the best of their ability. Therefore, they deserve better working conditions. Bibliography Primary Source: Culture Shock! Korea, by Sonja Vegdahl Hur, published October 1st 1992 Date read: 30/09/16 Primary Source: i-D Magazine, CL versus Jeremy Scott, published April 22nd 2013 Date Read: 19th September 2016 Primary Source:   9 Muses of Star Empire, Documentary DVD, made in 2012 Date Watched: 24th August 2016 Secondary Source: http://www.asianjunkie.com/2016/02/19/stella-kim-who-was-almost-an-snsd-member-talks-about-her-time-in-korea/ Le Film Magazine interview Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://nextshark.com/stella-kim-snsd-interview Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35368705 Date accessed: 19th September 2016 Secondary Source: http://seoulbeats.com/2012/04/open-world-entertainment-and-the-ugly-side-of-kpop/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/suicides-in-korean-entertainment-scene-5-celebs-who-took-their-own-lives Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.kpopbehind.com/2014/03/kpop-behind-scenes-kpop-idols-trainee.html Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: http://kpopsecrets.tumblr.com/post/61623658107/confessions-of-an-ex-sm-trainee Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.wattpad.com/192489278-my-experiences-as-kpop-trainee-temporary-trainee Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/ex-sm-entertainment-trainee-reveals-the-reality-of-trainee-life/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://extrakorea.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/how-k-pop-trainees-are-mistreated/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/07/13-extreme-accounts-of-sasaeng-fans Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/interactive/11-extremely-disturbing-sasaeng-stories-idols/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/netizens-mock-red-velvet-calling-them-pig-velvet-claiming-they-all-got-fat/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/03/netizen-calls-red-velvets-joy-dirty-because-of-her-sweat-stain Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/04/red-velvets-yeri-gets-hate-from-netizens-again Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/09/red-velvets-yeri-encountered-sexual-and-hate-comments-during-live-broadcast Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/idol-group-abused-agency/ Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: http://beyondhallyu.com/k-pop/k-pop-slave-contracts-a-closer-look/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://seoulbeats.com/2012/06/at-odds-idol-working-conditions-and-the-entertainment-biz/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/video/9-shocking-times-idols-fainted-collapsed-stage/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://antikpopfangirl.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-differences-between-k-pop-and.html Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-major-differences-between-the-K-pop-industry-and-the-American-pop-industry Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-cultural-differences-between-South-Korea-and-the-USA Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.mykoreanhusband.com/tag/cultural-differences/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://kpopselca.com/forum/general/i-just-feel-like-kpop-is-soo-unhealthy-after-reading-this-t27173/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/61110/20150810/former-exo-members-tao-luhan-and-kris-treated-unfairly-due-to-ethnicity-chinese-stars-get-mixed-reactions-from-fans-on-social-media.htm Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://listverse.com/2015/05/19/10-horrifying-realities-from-the-world-of-asian-pop-music Date accessed: 03/10/16 Secondary Source: http://874422525907122389.weebly.com/blog/how-korean-idols-are-mistreated Date accessed: 03/10/16 Secondary Source: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130513111334AAZODVC Date accessed: 01/10/16

Franklin, Rosalind (1920 - 1958) Essay -- Papers

Franklin, Rosalind (1920 - 1958) Franklin was a Londoner by birth. After graduating from Cambridge University, she joined the staff of the British Coal Utilisation Research Association in 1942, moving in 1947 to the Laboratoire Centrale des Services Chimique de L'Etat in Paris. She returned to England in 1950 and held research appointments at London University, initially at King's College from 1951 to 1953 and thereafter at Birkbeck College until her untimely death from cancer at the age of 37. Franklin played a major part in the discovery of the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick. With the unflattering and distorted picture presented by Watson in his The Double Helix (1968) her role in this has become somewhat controversial. At King's, she had been recruited to work on biological molecules and her director, John Randall, had specifically instructed her to work on the structure of DNA. When she later learned that Maurice Wilkins, a colleague at King's, also intended to work on DNA, she felt unable to cooperate with him. Nor did she feel much respect for the early attempts of Watson and Crick in Cambridge to establish the structure. The causes of friction were various ranging from simple personality clashes to, it has been said, male hostility to the invasion of their private club by a woman. Despite this unsatisfactory background Franklin did obtain results without which the structure established by Watson and Crick would have been at the least delayed. The most important of these was her x-ray photograph of hydrated DNA, the so-called B form, the most revealing such photograph then available. Watson fir... ...anklin's showing an image of the now famous Photo 51. Franklin, went on to study the tobacco mosaic virus, and continued her work in absolute dedication, despite having been diagnosed with cancer in 1956 (probably due to the chemicals she was using). She died two years later, 37 years old, never knowing how much her work had played a role in Watson and Crick's discovery. In 1963 they received the Nobel prize for their discovery, along with Wilkins, Franklin's collaborator. In 1968 Watson's popular book, The Double Helix, recounted the events leading to their ultimate discovery, making clear for the first time how critical Franklin's experimental work had been. Franklin's social isolation prompted by the contempt male scientists showed toward her as a woman-scientist, is one of the tragedies in the history of science.

Literature Review and Learning Journal

Energy is an extremely significant cost factor in managing the United States petrochemical industry (Neelis et. al, 2008). According to the current business scenario, US faces an increasingly competitive and challenging business environment all over the globe, the US petrochemical industry seeks out to curtail their production costs without affecting their production output or yield. The uncertainty in oil prices is one of the most crucial factors that have a negative impact on forecasted earnings of the petrochemical industry. The most applicable method of price forecasting in petrochemical industry is making the estimations of average cost that has to be produced in a new plant in order to determine the economic size and eventually the reasonable profit. Viable and cost-effective investment in the petrochemical industry through installing energy efficient practices as well as technologies meets the tremendous challenge of preserving the maintenance of a high quality energy product. Energy usage is a significant source of emissions incorporated in the petrochemicals industry. This source of emission in the petrochemical industry causes a tremendous improvement in energy efficiency. Also the competitive factors comprising of number of manufacturer as well the employment of new technologies for the development of petrochemicals are the cause of strategic options employed in the manufacture of petrochemicals. Discussion Strategic management evaluates critically the significant initiatives taken by an organization’s top management to allocate its resources efficiently and effectively in order to attain maximum business feasibility nd profitability. The Chinese petrochemicals companies are Petro China Company limited and China National Petroleum Corporation. CNPC holds approximately total reserves of 3. 7 billion barrels (590,000,000 m3) of oil equivalent. CNPC produced approximately 54 billion cubic metres of natural gas in 2007. CNPC invested most of its domestic assets into a separate company known as Petro China, during a plan of restructuring their organization. CNPC has around 30 international production as well as exploration projects. These projects are completed in joint coopeartion with numerous Asian, European, American as well as several countries that are included in USSR. The countries that are included comprised of Azerbaijan, , Peru, Sudan, Thailand, Canada, Iran, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, Myanmar, Oman. The exploration projects, both domestic and overseas, are run by a wholly owned subsidiary, the Great Wall Drilling Company (GWDC). So, strategic management consists of making clear the organization’s mission, business goals that are necessary to be achieved for the survival of business as well as its objectives. Public sector does not measure in cost but it is equivalent that is very much central to the production as well as delivery of public commodities and services. The market failure occurs because the goal of private sector in the economy organizations is usually to increase efficiency and effectiveness, thus attaining the business objective of producing the goods and services at a lower cost in comparison to the prevailing production costs in the industry (Baume & Tolbert, 1985). As private sector failed because of the market failure, public sector does fails because of the higher inefficiencies in the deliverance of service. The most common example of these inefficiencies is regarded as Public Education. The area of public education has immensely failed to match up to the level of Private Institutes that are operating independently in providing quality education as well as incorporate improved learning with the students. There have been dire movements that consist of demanding the transfer of the Public Education charter into the cruel hands of the Private sector NPO’s. If the public sector is to collaborate effectively with the private sector, the most important decision is to tackle the appropriate selection of organization related to that sector (Bryson, 211, pp. 473). The discussion of the most eligible alternative that is widely known as public choice is very critical. This also holds true for how values that are holding private sector’s infrastructure can be institutionalized into public sector. Institution itself is independent (Olson & Euyong, 1998). It is the design that is the most integral part of any organizations goal realization. Conclusion: Furthur research and development should be conducted in order to set up plants for producing oil efficiently and effectively. Also, there is a need to eliminate and reduce oil wastage in order to maximize oil production. 2nd literature review Introduction: This literature review highlights the issue of building up manpower through effective human resource management skills. Setting up an oil company requires good people management skills as any good organization always requires the capable human resources to fulfill the needs of a successful and viable organization. Organizations work through people and these people need some skills and competencies to perform their duties. Today, skillful workforce is considered as a single source of gaining sustainable competitive advantage and to manage this force human resource departments are established and huge amount of budget is allocated for this purpose. Recently training is taken as a critical component for the success of any organization. Therefore, companies are increasing their investment in training programs to improve employees’ performance that in turn can give rise to overall performance of organization. Basically training is conducted because of current or expected performance deficiency related to skills, knowledge, and abilities. So, undoubtedly, training and performance is naturally interlinked. When any management person realizes the problem in productivity they identify which type of training is required for solving the issue. Discussion Employee training in an oil sector is an important factor in the success of an organization. Also the labor is particularly cheap in China so it requires effective management in working efficiently and effectively (Armstrong, 2000). Training is not a single step process but it is a group of activities to provide employees with required or improved KSA’s that helps them to perform efficiently and in accomplishment of organization’s goals. It provides organizations increased employee commitment, improved job performance, enhance organization flexibility to adopt changes due to internal and external factors, reduce conflicts among employees, gives high motivation, improve thinking, creativity and physical competencies, and create an overall environment of dedication towards organizational objectives. Training is a five step process that starts from the training need analysis and ends at evaluation stage. Training is not only provided to improve and teach new skills but also to refresh existing skills with the alignment of new technologies and other factors. According to the research, there are five major benefits of training programs. First one is enhanced skills, second is succession planning, decrease time of supervision, management of risk, and improved motivation. Performance management is also a major function of Human Resource Management. It has different components related to measures of managing and assessing employee performance. Performance management includes improvement of individual and overall performance, delivering expectations of management from supervisors and managers, promote communication between management and employees, supervising subordinates to improve their performance by rewarding and recognizing them, and solve poor performance issues. Performance management comprise of five key factors as motivation, appraisals, promotions, coaching or supervising, and poor performance issues are resolved. The US petro chemical company operating in China needs to set up a learning organization in order to enhance faster growth and sustainability in the region. The successful organizations have focused on creating learning organizations through incorporating the five disciplines of personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, team learning and systems thinking (Senge, 2010). As human resources are the assets of an organization they need to be developed efficiently and effectively through the approaches of gaining personal mastery. Personal mastery is a discipline that focuses on creating and broadening personal vision as an employee to gain focus and motivation for achieving better results in terms of output and profit as well as personal development (Senge, 2010). Mental models describe the perspectives, generalizations and assumptions that the employees hold in their minds about the world. If the mental models are negative then it can hamper the employees in their personal growth as well as in attainment organizational objectives and vision. Positive attitudes of employees helps build up a shared vision towards organizational success. (Senge, 2010). This can be major human resource gap. Human resource development is an strategy to fill out HR gaps that causes major problems in achieving effective organizational performance and profitability (Ulrich, 2012). Human resource development encompasses human resource practices that are crucial to the effective, competitive and sustainable development of human resource management system. The categorization of human capital has been sub-divided into three categories which are intellectual capital, social capital and organizational capital. Human resource development encompasses crucial aspects of effective work practices that include recruitment and selection processes, employee training and development and performance management and compensation management to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of employees. These HRM practices conducted effectively results in the retention of quality employees and the dismissal of shirkers. One is of the major aspect of human resource development and management is the recruitment and selection of employees (Senge, 2010). Job Assignment, Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selections are crucial for the organization, because it makes sure that the right kind of individual is selected so that they can bring success to the company (Senge, 2010). The strategic fit between the individual and the organization is done through recruitment and selection and it can be seen in the following diagram. Recruitment and selection is one of the most crucial and important phases of human resource development. It is the most initial phase in human resource development and management. As a first step a pool of candidates are selected that meet the eligibility standards for the jobs in an organizations, then out of these pool of candidates the most suitable ones are screened and selected through various tests and interviews by which their knowledge, skills and abilities are analyzed. After the recruitment and selection phase comes the next crucial step of training and development of employees. Conclusion It is a fact that China is a very successful company and its overall economic performance is improving year after year. The proof of its success can be seen in its wide operations in almost every country. Training and performance management as HR functions are very important for developing a sound management in the petrochemical sector of the country. So, the US management believes on the key role of performance management system and training programs in retaining and attracting high performers that in turn leads to improved overall business performance and gives extreme consideration to these functions. So, in the success or increasing financial results training and performance management functions are playing vital role. In conclusion, performance management is directly related to business performance or success. Training is indirectly related to business success because without measuring performance gap, need of training cannot be identified and performance management helps in recognizing this need. Training is directly related to performance management because when training is given it increases performance of individuals that leads to improve business performance and when a business perform well it becomes successful. The success of an organization is based on attracting and retaining the right kind of individuals. The process of recruitment tends to discover the sources of human resources to meet the requirements of staffing of the company and to implement effective measures so that talent could be attracted to fulfill the positions within the organization (Senge, 2010). Recruitment is very much Recruitment and selection are one of the major functions of the HR department. Recruitment process is based on a systematic procedure that starts from sourcing the talent and ending on interviews (Ulrich, 2012). There is a major gap in efficient recruitment procedures if they are not planned by keeping in mind the HR needs of an organization. (Senge, 2012) Recruitment procedures can be conducted effectively by laying out a proper recruitment plan through extensive research and analysis by creating a strategic human resource management plan and recruiting employees to create a competitive advantage in the industry. It is a strategic task and forms the basis for how the company is able to grow and achieve their business targets (Ulrich, 2012). Learning Journal Introduction The United States of America is faced with cut throat competitive and challenging business environment all over the globe, the US petrochemical industry seeks out to curtail their production costs without affecting their production output or yield. The uncertainty in oil prices is one of the most crucial factors that have a negative impact on forecasted earnings of the petrochemical industry. The most applicable method of price forecasting in petrochemical industry is making the estimations of average cost that has to be produced in a new plant in order to determine the economic size and eventually the reasonable profit The modules I have chosen are strategic management to gain competitive advantage and development of a core competency that is what others do not have is the key to implement a successful business strategy as is the case with the globally successful business schools of the world. Micheal Porter’s five forces also impacts to a great extent in the viable strategic management of a business. These forces are bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, threat of new entrants, existing rivals and threat of substitute products and services. These are the industrial competitive forces that have to be analyzed and assessed for capturing the market by implementing a viable strategy. The mangers who are involved in the strategic planning concerned with the business of petrochemicals must be concerned with the future prices forecasting of petrochemicals as well as the factors that regulate these prices. Strategic management is concerned with developing effective policies as well as strategic plans, more often related to projects and the programs. These projects and programs are effectively developed and designed to accomplish and achieve these goals and objectives. After that the allocation of resources is done to implement strategically these policies as well as plans, in addition to projects and programs. A balanced scorecard is often used to evaluate the overall performance of the business and its progress towards achievement of its business goals and objectives efficiently and effectively. Recent studies and leading management theorists have advocated that strategy needs to start with stakeholders expectations and use a modified balanced scorecard which includes all stakeholders. I learnt that the collaboration between the public and private sector organizations is inevitable to ensure that the public policy has been implemented and met. Public sector organizations are mostly government owned. They cannot ensure efficiency in every public goods and service they are providing. This is the system where private sector organizations are offered the tenders from public sector in order to carry out the production as well as deliverance of different varieties of public goods. Personal development is one of the major factors of attaining success in achieving one’s learning objectives as well as career development. Personality traits, economic stability, social status, institutional, cultural and dispositional variables are some of the most important factors when people decide upon their career decisions. Career development and decisions are one of the most crucial decisions of one’s life as they shape a person’s future prospects and sets out his vision for future. Discussion Economic stability is one of the major factors that influence the role in executing one’s career objectives. The ever increasing tuition fee is one of the major causes that affect students of not so high calibre for students who could not get into the university they choose. There seems to be a dearth of good educational institutions particularly in Asian countries because many high achievers in academics do get scholarships for getting into the best university. The students who cannot get scholarship are often the ones who have the aptitude for the subject but just because they have not secured good grades they are left out from scholarships. There is a contrasting situation if we analyze the European countries and United States as there is a wide range of good universities to take into account when applying for higher education in universities (Daib, 1999). Psychological factors also impacts to a great extent on career choices. The introverts and the extroverts are the two major personality categories; the introverts choose to vary in their selection of subjects as compared to extroverts. There is also a third category of individuals which is known as extroverted introverts ( The extroverts usually choose careers that require field work whereas the introverted personalities choose careers that will not let them reach out from their comfort zones. Both can choose the same career fields relating to the level of how introverted or extroverted are they (Wright, 1987). The extroverted introvert individuals are one of the important and complex personalities when it comes to analyzing their career choices (Sofer and Raimes, 2002). They pose a defensive self which reflects their extroverted side whereas deep inside themselves they know that they are introverts. Their career choices can be unexpected as compared to both the categories of individuals that is the extroverted and the introverted (Blackhall and Michelle, 2010). There are four stages of career development that consists of exploration, option analysis and decision-making, planning and implementation (Sofer and Raimes, 2002). The stage of exploration consists of analyzing different career options and exploring a wide range of career options including different studies and aptitudes required. The stage of option analysis comprises of the options available to make a successful and promising career as well as the fulfilment of learning objectives (Underwood,1989). The third stage is planning in which you plan to tread on the way as a career you have chosen for yourself (Bouma and Atkinson, 1995). The research and development should have to be enhanced in order to support the further viability of the new petrochemical setup in China Conclusion The module also helped me in understanding personal development. Personal development is one of the major factors of attaining success in achieving one’s learning objectives as well as career development. Personality traits, economic stability, social status, institutional, cultural and dispositional variables are some of the most important factors when people decide upon their career decisions. Career development and decisions are one of the most crucial decisions of one’s life as they shape a person’s future prospects and sets out his vision for future. The determination of career and learning objectives is one of the basic human rights and it is the right of every person to have his dreams of education and careers fulfilled. Also, it is of utmost importance that an individual should make a right career choice irrespective of the cultural, social and other pressures that have an impact on the long term mission and vision of an individual. With many factors influencing the career choices and learning objectives it is imperative that the right learning and career choices should be made in order to have a promising and successful future. Direction For Furthur Research How can the strategic management of the US petrochemical industry be improved to gain more markets in China? What are the ways to attract ideal employees for the organizational setup for petro chemical industries in China?

Prevention Of Sexuall Harrasment In The Army essays

Prevention Of Sexuall Harrasment In The Army essays The elimination of sexual harassment has been a long-standing goal of the United States Army. During recent years the issue of sexual harassment has received significant political and media attention in both government and private sectors. This heightened awareness on the cause of sexual harassment has intensified national debate on prevention strategies. The Army has set up clear guidelines on how to train and educate people on how to both prevent and deal with sexual harassment. Sexual Harassment affects everyone. It detracts from a positive unit climate that promotes individual growth and teamwork. Sexual harassment victimizes males as well as females and can occur at any time, and is not limited to the workplace. For these reasons, the Army says that sexual harassment cannot and will not be tolerated (Army Command Policy 94). The Armys policy on sexual harassment is quite clear. Sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated (Army Command Policy 94). It also states that the leadership at all levels will be committed to creating and maintaining an environment conducive to maximum productivity and respect for human dignity. Another point the Army makes with this policy is that prevention of sexual harassment is the responsibility of every soldier and DA civilian. Leaders set the standard for soldiers and department of the Army (D.A.) civilians to follow. The Army basis its successfulness regarding this policy on mission accomplishment, and this can be achieved only in an environment free of sexual harassment. Websters Dictionary defines sexual harassment as the making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position or when acquiescence to such behavior is a condition of continued employment, promotion, or satisfactory evaluation. The Army has clarified this definition even mor...

Oliver Stone, Get Your Facts S essays

Oliver Stone, Get Your Facts S essays Oliver Stone, Get Your Facts Straight! Some have said that Oliver Stones The Doors was a realistic and accurate portrayal of Jim Morrisons life and The Doors musical escapades. Unfortunately, director Oliver Stone has a habit of putting his own beliefs and ideas into the mouths of his characters. This would not necessarily be bad if his characters were fictional. Jim Morrison and his fellow band members are real, and those who knew him best are still living. The first major mistake that Stone made took place when Jim and Ray Manzarek (Kyle Maclachlan) were attending UCLA film school. A recreation of Jims short student film is shown. In Stones version there is quite a bit of what seems to be Nazi propaganda. Scenes of Hitler and his troops shouting and holding up Nazi flags are shown with Kilmer reading Jims poetry in the background. The WWII footage in Jims original film was grossly misrepresented. It was a funny, light scene with a large German girl dancing on a T.V. to American rock music in the background. Stones version made Jim out to be a disciple of Adolf Hitler. In addition to all the anti-Semitism Stone placed in the film, he also had Kilmer misquoting Friedrich Nietzsche. The scene at Andy Warhols party was Stones next mistake. Stone manages to make the other members of The Doors into the bad guys. Jim stands alone. It is an emotional scene that has Jim asking the other Doors to stay at the party because he doesnt ...know what could happen tonight, maybe death. All the members of the band were friends, friends that dont desert each other when they are in need. In reality, the other members of The Doors did not leave Jim at the party, and he never verbalized a premonition of anything bad happing. Stone may have needed something to move his plot further, but did he really have to slander others to do this? Another mino...

Unit recall Essay Example

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