Csr And Product Lifecycle And Its Components Essay

CSR is a very relevant and important piece of any company’s marketing equation. In the past, it was not even a consideration but with the education and affluence of today’s consumer, a company must address CSR on some level if it expects to be successful in the future. When looking at CSR, the product lifecycle and its components are more relevant than ever before. An organizations true commitment to follow through on CSR and product lifecycle can truly affect the company’s success and reputation. Some consumer might be swayed by product certification logos as they represent corporate CSR and can instill brand trust to certain consumers. As today’s consumer and marketplace is demanding and knowledgeable; an organization is wise to listen as they speak with their wallets and step up its CSR program. Product Lifecycle and Lifecycle Pricing Pricing is an important aspect in examining the stages of the product lifecycle: raw materials extraction, materials processing, product manufacturing, wholesale and retail outlets, purchasing and consumers and product waste and recycling. Lifecycle pricing exist to bring to light all aspects of the product’s lifecycle and the true price/cost it incurs. Lifecycle cost can be defined as â€Å"the total estimated cost to be incurred in the design, development, production, operation, maintenance, support, and final disposition of a major system over its anticipated useful life span†. (Hassn, Zaina, 2014) There is much to be studied here inShow MoreRelatedConsumer Confidence : Product Lifecycle Pricing1542 Words   |  7 PagesConsumer Confidence in CSR Brands Product lifecycle pricing provides the firm a systematic way of understanding the true price of a product, including externalities, in their product creation process. In traditionally, the company only considers the costs of the end product. For instance, a company creating a product with multiple components sourced from various manufacturers looks at quality and price of the components to manage the costs of the final end product. Product lifecycle pricing encouragesRead MoreCompetitive Advantage And The Value Chain1400 Words   |  6 Pagescompetitive in today’s market without taking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into consideration. In today’s market consumers are more aware of how businesses develop their products and service. A few major concerns for consumers are human rights, environmental health, and animal safety. By implementing a strong CSR program organizations will find that they value chain will become more effective and efficient. CSR in th e value chain will also foster more good will with today’s consumers, increaseRead MoreStarbucks Corporate Strategy Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pagesimplemented is unique to their industry which has allowed them to differentiate from their competitors and is summarized best by Howard Schultz CEO of Starbucks, â€Å"We’re in the people business serving coffee,[2]† high quality specialty coffee and related products in a European cafà © environment. It is clear Starbucks is in a growth strategy utilizing three key techniques that support its Mission, â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time†[3]. VerticalRead MoreSocial Responsibility And Its Impact On Society1444 Words   |  6 Pageslocal big box retailer where they can get plenty of selection at low prices instead of limited products and market rates. Being a mid-sized local grocery has its challenges when competing with these national chains, and Company Q is no different. Locally owned and operated businesses are an essential part of today’s society. Too often companies stress the quantity of profits over the quality of products. Not only do these kinds of choices belay negative social responsibility, this type of attitudeRead MoreHonda Supply Chain3463 Words   |  14 Pagesdevelops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of products such as: automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, ATV’s, electrical generators, water pumps, lawn and garden equipments, robotics, jets, jet engines, and thin-film solar cells. In 2001, Honda became the second-largest Japanese manufacturer and in 2008, it became the fourth larges t automobile manufacturer in the United States. Honda’s major products are motorcycles, automobiles, and power products. The company uses â€Å"The Three Joys† principle, whichRead MoreGood Csr - Bad Csr in Telecommunications Industry4557 Words   |  19 PagesEXAMPLES OF GOOD CSR AND BAD CSR IN TELECOMMUNICATION IN INDUSTRY Evaluating CSR using BL Framework | Ashwani K Sinha CONT ENTS 1. 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 3 SELECTION OF INDUSTRY .................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 CSR issues in generalRead MoreToyota: Analysis of Corporate Responsibility Policy4681 Words   |  19 Pagessanctioned in correspondence with article 34 of the Examination rules. We hereby declare that we have not engaged in any such irregularities. Student(s)’s signature(s) Table of Contents Company description 1 Toyota’s CSR Policy: 2 Direction of Toyota s CSR Activities: 2 Toyota’s Environmental Stewardship 4 Collaboration With Other Actors 5 Consumer and Media Critics 5 Strengths and Weakness 7 Conclusions 9 Appendixes: 10 References: 12 Company Description Toyota MotorRead MoreBoeing and Organizational Behavior Essay3045 Words   |  13 Pagesareas of resource management- Pay, Product, and the Environment. Citation is utilized from publically available information from The Boeing Company’s web site, Boeing’s 2007 Annual Report, Current Market Outlook 2009-2028, and the 2009 Environmental Report to examine internal and external factors, change, and current organizational practices related to The Boeing Company activities related to ethical author stipulated ethical practices in the areas of Pay, Product, and the Environment. Introduction Read MoreContemporary Issues in Marketing2924 Words   |  12 PagesCustomers do not want that.   Relationship Marketing uses the event-driven tactics of customer retention marketing, but treats marketing as a process over time rather than single unconnected events.   By molding the marketing message and tactics to the LifeCycle of the customer, the Relationship Marketing approach achieves very high customer satisfaction and is highly profitable. The relationship marketing process is usually defined as a series of stages, and there are many different names given to theseRead More Customer Relationship Management Essay4424 Words   |  18 Pagesinvestments and the satisfaction of customer needs to generate the maximum profit. CRM refers to management of all interactions with customers in which the enterprise indulges. Its main focus is on managing and optimizing entire customer lifecycle. The customer lifecycle revolves around marketing, sales and customer service. According to Jill Dyche (2002), CRM promises to help companies get to know their customers well enough to understand which ones to keep and which ones they should be willing

Edgar Allan Poe Essay - 1545 Words

Edgar Allan Poe Though an innumerable amount of interpretations of any given text might be drawn from a variety of perspectives, a structuralist analysis of two of Poe’s works help place their symbols within a theme related to myth and heroism. Peter Barry attempts to define structuralism succinctly by narrowing it down as â€Å"the belief that things cannot be understood in isolation—they have to be seen in the context of the larger structures they are part of†; he goes on to add that â€Å"meaning is always an attribute of things, in the literal sense that meanings are ATTRIBUTED to the things by the human mind, not contained within them† (39). One might attempt to further narrow this idea (ironically) by quoting the famous line,†¦show more content†¦Now of course the way we publicize myth today (in the shape of comic book heroes and video game characters) was not the context of Poe’s writings, but INTERPRETING those writings via structuralism produces a textual layout of mythical â€Å"codes and conventions† (Baldick, 246) that fit exactly the codes and conventions underpinning superheroism today. We therefore find a TYPE of superheroism in its earliest form. Conside r for example the narrator’s beginning statement in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†: True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story. (404) Typically the reader will find this passage ironic, noting that the narrator is in fact mad and that his insanity is all the more evidenced by his refusal to admit it. A structuralist, however, might apply this â€Å"outlook to the interpretation of myth† in the same way as Là ©vi-Strauss (Barry, 46) and recognize its descendants in modern comic book characters: Superman, Batman, the Incredible Hulk, etc. All of these are individuals whose defining powers or goals come about only in the wake of trauma—discovering an alienShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe721 Words   |  3 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe, born is 1809, was an American short story writer, poet, and critic. He is commonly know as the father of detective stories. His most well know work of art is his poem The Raven (Werlock). Although Poe had a short lived career, his literature continues to influence many writers in the United States and Europe. He worked with many genres such as: gothic tale, science fiction, occult fantasies, and satire. While many critics consider his works of literature as grotesqueRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe792 Words   |  4 Pagesauthor, Edgar Allan Poe, on Sunday October 7, 1849. In Massachusetts on the 19th day of January in the year 1809, Edgar Poe was born to actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe Junior, making him an older brother to Rosalie Poe, and a younger one to William Henry Leonard Poe. Poe may, perchance, have been named after a character in the play that his parents were performing that year. He was never formally adopted, however, Edgar Poe was r enamed Edgar Allan Poe when the John Allan familyRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe1245 Words   |  5 Pagesbe discussing about my poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe had written numerous of poems and stories but the one I chose was â€Å"Annabel Lee†. This poem was written in 1849 which was a long time ago. Even though this poem is centuries old, it is still a well known poem. This whole project includes a biography, literary movement, and a explication about the poem. The biography includes where Poe grew up and how his lifestyle were. Through research and sources, I found out that Poe lived a hard life. He was inRead MoreThe Rise Of Poe By Edgar Allan Poe1635 Words   |  7 PagesThe Rise of Poe The words people use and how they use them holds so much power within themselves. It seems that, people are always searching for the right words to express their true emotions towards a certain subject. Artists and authors manage to make a living off of knowing how to use the right words to reach through to their platform. Though within his time, Edgar Allan Poe did not have an established platform and was seen as estranged; he still dabbled as an author and has made many famous shortRead More Edgar Allan Poe Essay515 Words   |  3 Pages Edgar Allan Poe nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Edgar Allan Poe, the first master of the short story, had written many short stories from mysteries to morbidity. Edgar was born on January 19,1809 in Boston, Massachussettes. Edgars Parents, David and Eliza, were both in the acting business. Poe also had a sister, who is rarely spoken of. When Edgar was young his father fleed from the family, leaving Edgar, his mother, and sister alone. At the age of two Edgars mother died of tuberculosis. Edgar wasRead MoreDeath By Edgar Allan Poe975 Words   |  4 Pagesabout the topic, and the fear of not knowing this leads it to be a taboo subject in many discussions. Edgar Allan Poe defied this sense of taboo and wrote many works centering on the topic of death. It is Edgar Allan Poe’s discussion of death in his works that reveals the innate human perversion of the discussion of death. The reason for his discussion of death may find roots in his personal life. Poe was born into a traveling family in 1809 and had two other siblings. His parents tragically lost theirRead MoreThe Biography Of Edgar Allan Poe841 Words   |  4 PagesThe Biography of Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Lord, help my poor soul†, the last and final words of the amazing writer, Edgar Allan Poe, before his sudden death in 1849. Edgar Allan Poe wrote dark and treacherous stories and poems that often lead to the questioning of his mental state. Poe lived a rather difficult life in which writing was his escape. He at one time was in so much debt that he could have never payed it back even if his career took off. No one ever knew what had happened to Poe, only that heRead More Edgar Allan Poe Essay1589 Words   |  7 Pages Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe’s contributions to American literature have become increasingly more prominent as the years have passed. As short fiction has become a more accepted genre in literary circles, Poe’s theories are studied with more passion. Although he lived a rather melancholy life, Poe did experience moments of joy, and desired to capture the beauty through poetic form. Indeed, what he left behind for the literary world was his gifted genus, revealed throughRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe Essay1575 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a bizarre and often scary writer. People throughout history have often wondered why his writings were so fantastically different and unusual. They were not the result of a diseased mind, as some think. Rather they came from a tense and miserable life. Edgar Allan Poe was not a happy man. He was a victim of fate from the moment he was born to his death only forty years later. He died alone and unappreciated. It is quite obvious that his life affected hisRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe Essay812 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was one of Americas famous poets, fiction short-story writers, and literary critics. He is known as the first master of short story form especially in tales of horror, and mystery. The work he produced was considered to be some of the most influential literary criticism of his time. His poems made him one of the most famous figures in American literary history. His influence on literature is seen in all literature books in schools everywhere. Some of his famous

Analyzing the Financial Ratio

Question: Analyse the financial performance of the two companies based on your calculations, identifying and discussing the purposes of calculating those ratios and the weaknesses of ratios analysis? Answer: Introduction The performance analysis of a company can be adjudged by analyzing the financial ratio of a company with the past data gathered from its past performance. The ratio analysis provides the short but insights of various departments in the business segment. Therefore, this type of analysis is based on the past financial and operational performance of the company. Further, from ratio analysis, the important measures like debt and equity can be estimated that can be useful in making the decision for the business. The application of ratio analysis is wide in the sense of finding the loopholes in business. Thereby, the decision of doing business can be changed due to different findings from the ratio analysis. Ratio analysis is suitable in finding the comparison between ratios of different years in the same domain. Therefore, it is a prima facie of comparative trend analysis of financial performance to indicate the health of a business in terms of financial as well as an operational perspect ive. The input data for conducting ratio analysis come from the accounting and financial report of the companies where financial and accounting information is present normally. The base of ratio analysis is to indicate on the situational changes due to changing in operation or decision in business and the way to improve the condition. In this report, the main emphasis will be given on analyzing the financial ratio of two UK based companies Tesco Plc and Sainsbury Plc. Both the companies are in a retail business that allows an analyst to analyze and compare their financial performance using ratio analysis for the last three years. Further, this report will be based on the trend of the two companies and the difference between their performances in different segments. The management of the two companies will be able to make a better decision to improve the situation after observing the compared analyzed report here. The report will also present a structure and recommended decision for the management to improve the condition for future that may be helpful in making a decision in business. Profitability ratio Profitability ratio of the company produces the information of profit in terms of revenue for a particular year. Gross profit margin As stated by Ahmed (n.d.), gross margin helps to get information on profit made by a company in terms of revenue. It means the profit margin on sales made on the basis of the cost of goods sold. It is useful to consider the competitive analysis of the companies within a sector of business. Thereby measuring the profitability of the companies, the first way is to measure the profit margin it has considered making sales competing with others. However, Brealey, Myers and Allen (2014) observed that it is meaningless to measure the profit margin of sales price using gross profit margin. The reason is the cost of goods sold is not adjusted with the inflation carried from the past inventory while some opening inventory is possible in every business from past year. The gross margin of Tesco has tenacity towards downwards during the period from 2012 to 2014. The margin has a downward slope for the company while for Sainsbury the margin has increased so far. From the table in Appendix I, it ca n be seen that the gross margin for Tesco is 5.16, 5.19 and 6.14 in 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively. The same figure for Sainsbury is 5.79, 5.48 and 5.43 in the same period. The competitiveness of the two companies in their business sector can be found from the data measured. It is true that two companies have some different view in doing business as the profit margin from the cost of goods sold has fallen differ in the same period despite they have sold almost the same branded products. Net profit margin Net profit margin of the company is the measurement of the part of the profit can be made from revenue after meeting all types of expenses in the business. From the viewpoint of D'Mello and Farhat (2008), it can be said that net profit margin expresses the information on the margin that can be recognized by the company after assessing the expenses of the companies. From the Appendix II, it can be observed net profit margin of Tesco is 1.51, .03 and 4.36 respectively for the duration of the last three years. Therefore, it can be seen that company has recovered from the disaster situation of the financial dilemma of 2013. Further, it also can be seen that company is still recovering from the bad phase of business while it made a good net margin in 2012. Sainsbury has made the profit for the period almost overall same. The net margin of the company is 2.99, 2.58 and 2.68 respectively in the period of 2012 to 2014. The trend of the margin of profit is almost upwards for the company durin g the period that states the situation of business is under the grip of the company. Operating margin Operating margin provides the operational benefit from the business of a company (Fridson and Alvarez, 2002). It can be said from the observation of Fried (2013), that operational margin is very important in evaluating the business performance as the cost associated with a business can be analyzed in this process. Therefore, the operational margin of the two companies are compared during the period and can be observed in Appendix III. The operating margin of Tesco is 4.1, 3.7 and 6.48 in the respective three years of the analysis period. The same margin for Sainsbury is 4.21, 3.78 and 3.92 during the period. From operating margin of the two companies, it can be observed that the margin is upward for Sainsbury while the same has gone through amid volatility for Tesco during the period. The operating profit for Sainsbury shows that company has affected least due to in the case in sourcing of materials and salary of the employees. Tesco has tried to make over the margin of 2012 in a rec ent performance but has failed to reach the last threshold level of profit margin due to high-interest cost and repayment of the loan in capital expenditure segment. Liquidity Liquidity of a company is very important to run the business as it is the measure of cash present in hand and company can spend money during emergency requirements. According to Hubbard, (2008), liquidity of a company provides the manager to make a strong decision as well as it also helps to recover from any financial disaster during an adverse situation in the economy. Two types of the liquidity ratio are popular in the market current and quick ratio. The difference between the two is simple the first one is assessed accumulating inventory as liquid assets while the second one does not consider inventory as a liquid. The current ratio of a company also provides information on how much company can meet the current obligation through its current assets in the adverse situation (Trent, 2008). The current ratio of Tesco has grown during the period as can be seen from Appendix III. The reason for this increase is mainly increase of inventory and credit from the suppliers in current liabilities section while the company has also increased some cash on hand during the period. The same ratio of Sainsbury is almost an at stable position during the period as the company has not changed its policy of holding minimum inventory at the end of the year. Further, company does not idle its cash in hand. A quick ratio of business shows that apart from inventory, how far the company can be able to meet the current obligation from its position cash and cashable securities in current assets. Therefore, some analysts think that measuring quick ratio provides a correct measurement of the meeting the current obligation (Huffman, 2008). The quick ratio of Tesco has growth in the current period due to increase in cash in hand from increasing the short-term loan. However, Sainsbury has a volatile figure during the period in quick ratio because it has low cash at the end period. The wide expansion in business infrastructure has made the cash moving in capital expenses mainly. Efficiency ratio Efficiency ratio of a company is the simple measurement of assessing the efficiency of the companies in doing business. According to Islam (n.d.), business efficiency is the measurement of the managements' efficiency to run the business during a period. In that case, the decision of running the business can be estimated through the decision made for improving the working capital cycle of the business. Asset turnover ratio The turnover of asset or utilization assets in generating the sales for a year is the measurement in this case that allows the analysts to understand the how many times the assets of the company are being used in a particular year (Sheela, n.d.). From the Appendix V, it can be seen that assets turnover for Tesco has deteriorated during the given period while for Sainsbury the figure is much better. It depicts that in terms of assets, Sainsbury was able to make generate more revenue compare to Tesco in the period of 2012 to 2014. Receivable collection period Receivable collection period provides the efficiency of the management in clearing the bad debt as well as the debtors of the company in a period (Magiera, 2010). This is an important measurement for the business as it shows the days taken for bring back the collection from the debtors for a company as well as the company is counting the interest for giving advances to the buyers. Lower the figure of the collection period, better is the test result for any period. For Tesco, the figure is too high while Sainsbury has maintained a steady 5 to 6 days in collecting the credits from the debtors. It depicts that second company has better debtor management as the management was able to collect the money from the market. It also indicates that decision of providing a loan to specific customers by Sainsbury has a great impact on financial performance. Payable collection period The payment period for the creditors is known as the management of suppliers that can be done by the management of the company. The higher the value of paying the creditors' makes the sensible approach of making more profit for the company (Wimmer and Rada, 2013). From Appendix VI, it can be seen that Tesco take more time to pay its creditors compare to Sainsbury. It might be efficient management, but it also increases the risk of losing the suppliers in the long run. Gearing ratio Gearing ratio is the measurement of risk for a business has considered by borrowing funds from the outside. As stated by Nelson (2011), the gearing ratio is the measurement of running business with borrowed funds to promoters' fund. Therefore, the risk taking the ability of the company as well as the risk owned for borrowed fund can be measured by this ratio. Interest coverage ratio The time of interest can be paid for the borrowed fund from the income from the business is measured in this ratio analysis. The higher ratio indicates the conservative nature of running the business while the low ratio indicates risky decision made by the management (Pankratyeva, 2013). From Appendix VI, it can be seen that situation of Tesco has been worsened during the period while Sainsbury has maintained almost the same figure. It indicates that Sainsbury can take any risky decision while Tesco needs to control its borrowing or increase its income. Financial gearing The financial gearing ratio is the measurement of the ratio of equity is engaged in business compare to interest paid for loans. It depicts the fund used in running a business from the owners' fund compare to borrowed funds (RIEDL and SRINIVASAN, 2010). In this case, the fund used for Tesco has a low concentration from owners compare to Sainsbury as seen from Appendix VII. Therefore, it can be said that Sainsbury has a better return for the equity holders. Equity gearing Equity gearing provides the information of a portion of funds allocated to business from loans to equity holders. Therefore, it measures the right of the shareholders in gross income from business compare to lenders (Ross, Westerfield and Jordan, 2014). From the appendix IX, it can be seen that the proportion of borrowed fund to run the business for Tesco has increased during the period that has also decreased the right of the shareholders. However, Sainsbury has decreased its borrowing during the period to increased the right of the shareholders. It also said that Sainsbury could increase its borrowings for any aggressive decision of expanding in future. Conclusion From the above analysis, it has observed that Tesco is going through a difficult phase recently. The company has tried to recover its financial performance in this period but still it has not seen much progress in this matter. Further, it is also true that Sainsbury has made improvement in reducing its loan as well as the cost of interest that has made the company to provide a better return to the shareholders. The efficiency of the management for Tesco has not improved much as it is still looking a suitable strategy to collect from the debtors. The supplier management of the company is better than the Sainsbury as it holds the payment to suppliers for more time. Recommendations It is recommended that both the companies need to overcome the challenge of competition in increasing the revenue in future. Generating more revenue is the only solution for the companies for increasing the return for the shareholders as well as increase the asset usage in business. Further, it is also recommended that Tesco must find to reduce the borrowed funds to gear the business. Sainsbury must improve its supplier management that may help to pay the suppliers lesser frequent compared to now. References Ahmed, A. (n.d.). Financial Ratio Analysis of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited.SSRN Electronic Journal. Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Allen, F. (2014).Principles of corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. D'Mello, R. and Farhat, J. (2008). A comparative analysis of proxies for an optimal leverage ratio.Review of Financial Economics, 17(3), pp.213-227. Fridson, M. and Alvarez, F. (2002).Financial statement analysis. New York: John Wiley Sons. Fried, A. (2013). An Event Study Analysis of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 158.AFR, 2(2). Hubbard, J. (2008). Financial Statement Analysis.CFA Digest, 38(1), pp.59-61. Huffman, S. (2008). Financial Statement Analysis.CFA Digest, 38(4), pp.41-43. Islam, M. (n.d.). An Analysis of the Financial Performance of National Bank Limited Using Financial Ratio.SSRN Electronic Journal. Magiera, F. (2010). Financial Statement Analysis.CFA Digest, 40(1), pp.85-86. Nelson, S. (2011).Quickbooks 2011 all-in-one for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub. Pankratyeva, E. (2013). Provision of information management and analysis to recording and assessment of business entities financial position.International Journal of Academic Research, 5(6), pp.110-117. RIEDL, E. and SRINIVASAN, S. (2010). Signaling Firm Performance Through Financial Statement Presentation: An Analysis Using Special Items*.Contemporary Accounting Research, 27(1), pp.289-332. Ross, S., Westerfield, R. and Jordan, B. (2014).Essentials of corporate finance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Schoon, N. (2010). Financial Statement Analysis.CFA Digest, 40(2), pp.33-34. Sheela, S. (n.d.). Financial Position Analysis of Barakath Engineering Industries (P) Limited.SSRN Electronic Journal. Trent, W. (2008). Financial Statement Analysis.CFA Digest, 38(4), pp.39-40. Velez-Pareja, I. (n.d.). Financial Analysis and Control - Financial Ratio Analysis (Slides in Spanish).SSRN Electronic Journal. Wimmer, H. and Rada, R. (2013). Applying Information Technology to Financial Statement Analysis for Market Capitalization Prediction.Open Journal of Accounting, 02(01), pp.1-3.