The Main Challenges Facing Charitable Finances On The Uk...

What have been the main challenges facing charitable finances in the UK during the last decade? To what extent have they been overcome? Britain remains one of the world s most generous nations. But cash is tight for everyone and people are finding it harder and harder to find money to give to charity. Through the course of the financial crisis in the UK during the last decade, many charities have been affected. But before I continue we must explore the causes of this phenomenon. The recent UK financial began with the austere credit crunch in 2007 but according to Richardson (2011), he suggests that the credit crunch witnessed in the United Kingdom is deep rooted in the economic and political decisions made by previous governments. The†¦show more content†¦According to a research carried out by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF) on charity income from 162,363 registered charities provide to the Charity Commission in their annual returns, showed that voluntary income of larger charities, (these include charity with an income of over  £10m) fell by ‘’11 percent (or  £855m) between 2007 and 2009. Whilst medium-sized charities with an income between  £500k and  £10m, saw their voluntary donations actually increase by 2.2 percent over the same period’’ (CAF, 2009). Charity finances were affected through the drop in donations from people. According to Huffintongpost (2012) suggests that the recession had made it possible for household to cut back on their charitable giving. This decline also included the number of people who give to charity. The high rate of the credit crunch led to the Charities Aid Foundation to carry out a survey in collaboration with the National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO), suggested that financial issues faced in the UK has forced frontline services of some charities to cut back on some of the services they offered as they had to make staff redundant or in certain case force to close down because of the fall donations. The research surveyed 3,000 people, undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), suggested that total giving to charities by members of the public in the UK

Charter School Marketing Strategy Free Essays

New Heights Business Academy of Sports Leadership and Development (NHBA), a start-up charter school, located in the warehouse district of Southeast section of Memphis, Tennessee, will have its first class in August 2011. NHBA will enhance the charter school movement by introducing students to the business-side of athletics. Educators, supporters, and parents became concern after noticing the poor business decisions many athletes make during their careers. We will write a custom essay sample on Charter School Marketing Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now A mutual decision arrived that athletes did not know how to market themselves. On this idea alone, plans for NHBA were underway. What are charter schools? Charter schools are independently-ran public schools created by concerned individuals who saw there was a lack of quality education in the public school system. These schools are free to select their own educational goals and curriculum, choose their own teaching staff, and set their own standards for student behavior. In addition, they have the freedom to extend the school day and year. According to the Tennessee Charter School Association (TSCA), since 2002 seventeen charter schools operating in the State of Tennessee, with applications submitted each year. Approval for new charter school applications is through a state mandated agency, the Local Education Agency. Currently there are 24 charter schools operating in Memphis. (www. mcsk12. net) The charter school law mandates that charter school has to open it doors to all students, including physically and mentally impaired students and students of a diverse background, with first priority given to students that : * have previously attended a charter school * attend poor performing schools * scored below proficiency on the TCAP and Gateway exams * receive free or reduced lunch The law states that charter school can only select 25% of their students qualifying on free and/or reduced lunches. The remainder will come from the above categories. Charter schools are the school of choice for many parents because of the quality of education they provide. Parents are at ease knowing their child is in a safe, learning environment; their individual needs are met; and will receive the necessary tools for success. These schools have set high standards in education and must adhere to those standards if they want to remain open. However, public schools remain open no matter how they perform. According to the TCSA, 100 % of charter school funding is issued from the state and local governments. They are entitled to Title I and Special Education funds based on student enrollment. Unlike public schools, charter schools have to depend heavily on grants, donations, and fundraisers to cover costs, such as, start-up, renovation, construction, and other expenditures not incorporated in the funding budget. Commercialappeal. om printed an issue in July 2010, which stated last year charter schools received $10,394 in funding per child. Since Memphis City Schools is being tasked with overseeing charter schools, a fee of 3% will be charged. After the fee is placed, charter schools will receive $7,633 per child, excluding school lunches and other fees not obligated by the district. There will be fifteen charter schools affected by this fee. New Heights Business Academy of Sports Leadership and Development (NHBA), is a publ ic charter school that will serve prospective students in 9th thru 12th grades. NHBA will address the needs of students academically and athletically, in a business environment. As a charter school, our focus is to prepare students for college through innovation and abundance in an attractive and meticulous college-preparatory educational program, which meets the needs of today’s students. In conjunction with learning the regular subjects like Math, English and Science, NHBA focuses on Business as it prepares students for college and life, and introduces athletes to enrichment that will allow them to excel physically and psychologically. We plan to introduce students to a setting that hinges on business and athleticism development. NHBA will open in the fall of 2011 and will be accepting applications for enrollment for 100 Ninth-grade slots. The school plans to add a grade each year and hopes ultimately to serve 500 hundred students in grades 9th through 12th. NHBA is conveniently located, in Southeast Memphis on the corner of Riverdale and Winchester at 7060 Winchester Road Memphis TN 38125, in the warehouse district. Mission. At New Heights Business Academy of Sports Leadership and Development (NHBA), our mission is to academically develop and prepare students for the social environment of business and athletic professionalism through a core curriculum profoundly based on preparing them to be business literate and knowledgably confident in marketing themselves in whichever venue they choose. In pursuant of our mission, NHBA aspires to provide structured curriculums with a business foundation. Our focus is to educate and prepare potential students for college and ultimately life. NHBA’s core values include exposing prospective students to rigorous educational development to prepare them for college while instilling self worth so that our athletes recognize their value. Partnerships with parent’s students and teachers to are important to our success, so it is a priority. NHBA is a college preparatory school with a small classroom setting; we offer student-teacher ratio of 1 to 13 and focus on our number one goal the children. Environmental Analysis/Competition Southeast Memphis consists of zip codes 38141, 38125, and 38115. The combined populations for those three zip codes are 87,247. For the population for this area of the city, almost 20,000 are families with children who could be prospective students at NHBA. As a public charter school our competition are the public schools, the private schools and the optional schools in and near this area, to include other charter schools. At least eight high schools serve this vicinity, not including the private schools. Of those schools in the area, two of them are on the list for striving schools (Memphis City Schools, 2010). NHBA will focus its target first on middle schools in the Eastern section of the City of Memphis, such as Ridgeway, Kirby, Southwind, Germantown, and any other schools in the area. Our main competition will be established and upcoming charter high schools, such as Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering, Memphis Academy of Health Sciences, and KIPP Academy. Then we will expand out target market to other areas of the city. The southeastern part of the city was selected for the reason that there are no charter schools in this area. A charter school in this area will serve as a convenience to working parents who want to enroll their children in charter schools. Trends Affecting the Outcome Our school structure is in desperate need of transformation. Only 54 percent of African American high school students and 56 percent of Latino high school students graduate. Even students who receive high school diplomas often lack fundamental academic skills; nearly a third of first-year college students require remediation in math or English. In many major cities, the education crisis is confounding. In Detroit, for example, only 3 percent of economically disadvantaged eighth-graders are proficient in math (Tennessee Charter Schools Association, 2010). July 2010 Memphis school board approved fees from charter schools, over time Memphis City Schools will charge a three percent fee for overseeing the charter schools. The school board’s decision to charge the fee will mean less money for students of some charter schools (Roberts, 2010). Possible legal or regulatory issues Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a significant amount of funding has been targeted to improve state and local education systems. Tennessee was chosen as one of the two states out of sixteen to receive grants. Over the next four years, Tennessee will receive $500 million to implement their comprehensive school reform plans (Learning Point, 2010). For NHBA’s survival, recruiting will be an important factor in retaining students. If we retain students, we receive funding. If we receive funding, we can offer an attractive program that will entice parents to enroll their students at NHBA. As with any business, the first year is the most difficult. To overcome these obstacles, NHBA and its supporters must ensure that our school offered an attractive package. We needed to know: * Did we have a clear and concise mission and vision statement? * Were we being honest and realistic about what NHBA has to offer? * Did we have a live point-of-contact and follow-up information for questions? * Is there a demand for the type of school you are marketing? * Did we know our target market? NHBA is aware that our best recruiters are out parents and students. With the aid of our supporters, we will be able to reach our target market. Other methods of advertisements will include: * Live broadcasting media – radio, television, newspapers, word of mouth * Internet – webpage; free social networks (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) * Open houses and school workshops * Join the local chamber of commerce and/or local business associations * Mass mailing, posters, flyers, brochures At NHBA, your child will encounter a challenging, exciting, and rewarding experience that will assist them in gaining the skills and habits for college. Our faculty will go that extra mile to ensure students grasp the fundamentals in order to be successful. Due to the new trends in technology, we want to make sure our students are prepared for college. With the small learning environment, NHBA has to offer along with the student-to-teacher ratio of 13:1, students will develop close-knit relationships with their teachers and learn from individualized learning plans. In addition to this, students will benefit from added programs and student activities such as: * Advanced Placement Courses These courses are college-level courses set up where students can receive college credit after successfully passing an exam. E-courses E-school is geared to provide NHBA students with an online class experience as they would in college. * Athlete-to-Student Mentor Programs This program will afford the students to be paired with an athlete for guidance and to promote academic success. Our athletic volunteers will come from our local professional sports teams, arena sports teams, and local colleges and universities * Mandatory Parental Involvement NHBA bel ieves that parental involvement adds to the success of students. * Summer Sports Camps To promote academic and athletic leadership, NHBA will be able to participate in sports camps hosted by our professional sports teams, arena sports teams, and local colleges and universities. * Volunteer Opportunities NHBA is passionate about community service. Community involvement is one of the main reasons we will be successful. * World-wide Awareness Programs * A sport is a worldwide activity, and hopefully some of our students will play for an international team. NHBA feels that it is important for our students to be aware of what is going on in the world. In conclusion, New Heights Business Academy of Sports Leadership and Development is geared to enhance the charter school movement. Most schools promote athletic leadership, but NHBA will promote athletic development by introducing its students to the athletic business preparations. Upon graduation, NHBA students will have a clear knowledge of the athletic business goals and strategies. Our program will produce business-literate students that will be knowledgeable in marketing themselves and becoming productive citizens in the community and in any endeavors, they chose to seek. Reference Page Learning Point . (2010, June ). Retrieved 2010, from Learningpt: http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/RttT_State_Legislation.pdf Memphis City Schools. (2010). Retrieved September 8, 2010, from www.mcsk12.net: http://www.mcsk12.net/ Roberts, J. (2010, July 20). Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from Commercial Appeal website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/20/mcs-board-approves-fee-from-charter-schools/ Tennessee Charter Schools Association. (2010). Retrieved September 09, 2010, from tncharterschools: http://www.tncharterschools.org/ How to cite Charter School Marketing Strategy, Papers

Pincher Martin a struggle for survival Essay Example For Students

Pincher Martin a struggle for survival Essay William Goldings novel Pincher Martin considered to be one of his best novels which deal with the theme of death and the struggle for survival, as analogous to Ambrose Bierces short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge in which the character struggles for survival and thus fail. Throughout Goldings novel, the image projected is that of a man that has been thrown out from a torpedoed ship struggling for survivor, laying over a rock in the North Atlantic. This man seems to be an unpleasant person who spends 7 days remembering his actions. As told in the first lines of the novel He was struggling in every direction, he was the centre of the writhing and kicking knot of his own body. There was no up or down, no light and no air. He felt his mouth open of itself and the shrieked word burst out. Help!.1 At first the reader seems to sympathize with this man, who remains unknown until now. As the novel progresses it seems as if he wins his struggle for life. But so far as the second page he dies. Throughout the novel Pincher Martin, is a man driven by his ego struggling desperately to avoid from dying. Similarly to the narration and structure of Bierces short story, Martin as Payton Farquhar dies and fails in his attempt to evade the death which has occurred since the very beginning. In this essay I will attempt to describe the way in which Martin struggles for survival without success, being thus the main theme of the novel. I will also discuss the importance of form which helps in conveying the structure of the novel. William Goldings novel is a complex work of art, and emerges as one of his most significant expressions denoting his capacity to combine content and form. Pincher Martin conveys a simple story of a drowning man and his struggle for survival. As mentioned before the reader becomes sympathetic with the main character because of his will to live and the drama he goes through. Martin, the naval officer is thrown into the North Atlantic when suffering an attack from a submarine. Once he is lying on the ocean, he begins his struggle for survival and finds a rock in which he settles and tries to find a way of escaping. Throughout the novel, Martins recollections of his life and thoughts are constant. This convention offers an insight into Martins secret life and hopeless situation on his position in the rock. Golding seems to focus on Martins situation rather than explaining whether Martin died within the second page of the novel or suffered during seven days. Martins struggle for survival, his ongoing suffering and his death become sublime. Regarding time, it can be said that the novel is narrated and structured as an expansion of time before Martins tragic end, caused by his position as a drowning man. Through the novel Martin is described by a third person omniscient narrator, the reader perceives the story to be real. Goldings usage of such convention makes Martins struggle for survival seem more dramatic and convincing in the sense that the reader may believe the protagonist to be alive, as in the case of Bierces protagonist Farquhar who goes through the same situation himself. Psychology plays a very important part in the novel, since, Martin suffers from isolation. Such isolation tends to make Martin become aggressive at times. Martin is said to be lying alone with no other company than the elements provided by nature, to which he tries to defeat in order to survive. Martins aggression relies not only in these elements but on God as well is aggressive against God. Goldings portrayal of Martin as a rather aggressive man becomes essential in becoming familiar with his personality. .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .postImageUrl , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:hover , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:visited , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:active { border:0!important; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:active , .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89 .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7f2da14d67d3ead1a0ab6dccbf205b89:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How Fitzgerald intrigues his readers in the first chapter of 'The Great Gatsby' and draws them into the story EssayAs the novel progresses the survival-adventure situation is prominent. Martin is stuck in the middle of a fight against death. By being lying on the rock Martin starts having tormenting flashbacks of his past. He recalls his childhood, and even being in the bathroom. As mentioned before the recurring theme of the novel is Martins struggle for survival, which of course is unsuccessful. Form plays a very important role which has an impact on the story. The novel revolves around one single character which receives a name, although several pages after the beginning. Christopher Martins life before drowning is determined by means of his memories. He is portrayed as an unpleasant and moody man and his struggle to continue living. Although there are no characters interacting straight in the novel, Martin becomes the hero, since his struggles for survival increase in importance. Martin struggles (apparently) during seven days it becomes obvious that he is in constant agony. Each days agony is essential in viewing and literally living through his point of view, his road to death. Even though, his thoughts are difficult to grasp and unconnected, they put forward his willingness to continue living. In order to develop the tragic intensity of Martins situation on the rock and his aim at fighting against the natures forces and death he is portrayed with the intent of giving a larger scope of the novel. Memories of his past and Nathaniels picture serve to intensify the feeling of guilt in him. As the days progress his personality changes, the last three days of his life are vital to the novel. In the fifth day he becomes a neurotic. On this day he talks a bout Gods grace and rescue in his imagination. Agony abides him having as a result his difficulty in distinguishing between reality and illusion. On the sixth day he had completely gone mad. All his efforts on surviving and remaining sane were unsuccessful. On his last day of struggle, the process of death and his journey to the afterlife are being described. Conclusion To conclude I will attempt to say that the events leading up to Martins struggle for survival accurately give the reader a case of anxiety, and finally, the reader assumes the protagonists death as he undoubtedly meets his end. Furthermore, there is a very smooth transition into a flashback. The flashback is very important in the sense that it tells of Martins background, and how he most likely came to be in his position in the ship. Goldings descriptions of Martins flashbacks make the reader feel as he is trapped in the mind of the protagonist, and thus forget about the present timing of events, which leads to the construction of an illusion of Martins reality. Through a first reading of the novel, one may perceive Martins desperate struggle for survival after being thrown out of his ship as a result of a torpedo attack. The reader goes through this struggle little by little. Throughout the novel Martins body and sense are being degraded, he suffers from fever, and thus causes him to have hallucinations along with his memories, which little by little give an insight into his personality and serve as guidance into the process of his journey into the afterlife.

Intellectual Diversity free essay sample

However a type of diversity that has been growing in buzzword in recentness, especially among the conservative communities of college campuses, is intellectual diversity. Intellectual perversity, along with academic freedom is what activists like David Horopito characterize as being the equal treatment of an individual, regardless of political affiliations or religious beliefs. The leftist tendencies inherent in academia are of course not a new development, though they have been better-documented as of late by conservative writers. The issue that these writers discuss is how intellectual diversity is threatened in these different environments through partisan politics as well as the liberalized environments themselves. The issue of intellectual diversity is a quandary that the government must ell with carefully. They cannot simply issue strict laws regarding the protection of intellectual diversity on campus because this does not satisfy what everyone wants and more importantly what they need. The government, as well as these conservative activists has to realize that there will always be a liberal opposition in the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectual Diversity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They must recognize that although it is completely just to fight for equal treatment and opportunity for people with different views, it is not k to shield these people from the opposing liberal perspectives completely because that limits the individual to to be able to explore the different ideas in the world and learn to embrace the opposition. It will ultimately limit them from being able to become a well- rounded and educated person. Conservative students are being crushed in liberal campuses and in classrooms where teachers have different views. Case after case of liberal activism and indoctrination has been publicized by conservative activists. This is because activists like David Horopito have realized the effects of a liberal atmosphere, and biased teachers. In Schools of Reeducation, Frederick M. Hess touches on the topic of a young college student of Washington State, Deed Swan, a conservative Christian father of four that was flunked with the explanation that he revealed opinions that have caused me great concern in the areas Of race, gender, sexual orientation and privilege. In David Horizons In Defense of Intellectual Diversity students from the University of Denver and Duke are described as having to deal with seeing partisan propaganda posted on doors and hallways as well as joking warnings from teachers that say that any Republicans should drop his course because of his strong liberal opinions. Because of these and many other displays of Iberia dominance in college campuses, conservatives are starting to take a st and, Mr.. Horopito for example wrote the Academic Bill of Rights.The way conservatives are placed in such hostile environments is not fair, just, or virtuous, it is impartial and nonpartisan. The government must be extremely scrupulous in the ways they deal with intellectual diversity and the laws they implement because it could have negative impacts on the professors and administrators of colleges and universities. In The Right to Tell the Truth, Ann Marie B. Barr retells her story of a terrible experience she had undergone when teaching courses on oral religions at South Dakota State University.Students inspired by David Horizons Academic Bill of Rights literally induced the poor teacher to fear her job. She felt that they forbade her to express an informed professional opinion. Barr, a women completely qualified to teach the course was unable to, because if she ever said anything that her students didnt agree with they simply dropped the course. I dont believe David Horopito would support such behavior arousing from his bill, but this is why the government must be extremely careful, prudent, and meticulous when dealing with such a delicate sue as intellectual diversity.Where is the justice in scaring teachers to falsify the truth? Or sacrifice their right to have and informed professional opinion, there is none. Conservative students must not be shielded from the liberal opposition because it debilitates them from learning how to deal with it; it wont broaden their minds to new ideas and instead will hold them back from becoming the educated, well rounded, less biased individuals that they have the potential to become. The population that Mr..Horizons Academic Bill of Rights is directed towards is the unfortunate conservative students who are put at a equi distant due to the hostile environments where liberal propaganda roams free and biased liberal teachers treat them unfairly. But the thing is that these students many times dont break down and crumble at the feet of this liberal monster, but instead grow from the experience. The students come out stronger in the end after going through such a hard experience. They are able to become strong minded, and intellectually powerful.No college student should ever be put in an unfair situation where they are scared to think and say what they want due to their surrounding environment, or are not able to attain the same grade as a colleague because of their personal beliefs; but they also shouldnt be protected like a mommy with her baby because in the real world there will be those strong minded liberals that you will have to face and converse with, and they need to have already experienced liberal feedback in their lives in order to be able to respond back effectively.Again the government must be careful not to just create strict laws that protect intellectual diversity. The level of intensity of these laws must be restricted in order to allow the conservative individual to till grow as a human being. As in many controversial arguments both sides of intellectual diversity bring up valid points. The side for intellectual diversity argues that we all have the right to have different political, religious, and social views, but regardless of what they are still be treated equally.The side against intellectual diversity argues that if the government enacted strict laws to enforce it, this would lead to negative impacts on professors and administrators of college campuses as well as debilitating students from experiencing real world conflicts and learning from them. The truth is that both sides of the argument are correct and there is sufficient evidence to prove both points. We the people must not allow one side to emerge from this conflict victorious, because this will leave the other side out to suffer the storm.Instead we must compromise between the opposing views and find a way to work in concert in order to find a solution that benefits both sides equally. There are many realms of diversity however the One that always seems to be the most controversial, and difficult to so lve, is by far intellectual diversity. The fight over whether intellectual diversity should be enforced by the overspent is not a new one. This is an ongoing conflict that recently has spurred heated debate, now the time has come to solve this problem.It is the single most important responsibility of the government to protect the people, therefore the government not only has the right to create laws on this issue but it is its obligation. However the government must recognize that there are indeed two sides, and it must not show sympathy for either one but instead compromise between the two to find a middle ground that will satisfy both sides. The solution therefore lies in reconciliation.

4 Ways That Business Writing Courses Can Improve Your Grammar

4 Ways That Business Writing Courses Can Improve Your Grammar Even the best writers the ones who make six figures writing for the most prestigious magazines and websites slip up with their grammar; though, fortunately for them, they have full-time editors who catch those rare mistakes. But for the hard-working business employee who is juggling six different projects at once, sitting down for long hours of proofreading the kind of intense refining process that a professional writer undergoes is simply not practical. But the hard truth is that in the business world impeccable writing skills is a must, whether you're writing marketing pitches, internal reports, or a proposal. That's where business writing courses come in. Writing courses can improve your awareness of grammar, for example, to such a degree that your work does not require much proofreading. Before you know it, you become a grammar master who instantly knows the answers to common grammar conundrums like these four: 1. Affect vs. Effect Possibly one of the most common errors in business writing (or any writing, for that matter) is the confusion over using "affect" or "effect." Fortunately, the usage follows a simple rule. If you memorize it, this grammar pitfall will never trouble you again. "Affect" is a verb. "Effect" is a noun. Example: The presentation affected my understanding of sales. However, if you try to phrase the sentence this way, "The presentation had an effect on my sales," you are no longer using the verb "affect." You've switched to the verb "had." The word "effect" is a noun because it is the thing that the presentation "had." 2. Sink, Sank, and Then I Sunk - Help! This is another example of confusing verb tenses. In an email your colleague writes, "Our profits sunk last quarter, but that company's earnings also sunk." With the verb "to sink," the present tense is "sink." The past tense is "sank," and the past participle is "sunk," which is always paired with the auxiliary verb "had." Your colleague is using the past participle instead of using the past tense. The correct version: "Our profits sank last quarter, but that company's earnings also sank." 3. Should I Use "Shall" or "Will?" This is a situational problem. If you are using "shall" in the third person i.e. he shall complete that report then it obliges the subject of the sentence to perform the verb. In other words, it is a command. It's like when your mother says, "You shall clean your room," in a very authoritative tone. However, if you're using "shall" in the first person, there is no sense of obligation. It means simply that you intend to do that action sometime in the future: "I shall go to the cafeteria today." When you use the word "will" in the first person I will complete this spreadsheet it expresses a sense of determination. It is meant to convey your strong desire to do whatever is necessary to complete the task. But when you use "will" in the third person i.e. he will leave work early today it simply indicates that the person will do something in the future. 4. I "Sit," But She "Set" An easy way to remember when to use "sit" or "set" is to ask this question, "Is someone placing an object somewhere?" If the answer is yes, you use "set." For example, someone wants to bring some indoor plants into the office. They ask you where to put them. You would use the transitive verb "set" which always requires a direct object: "Set them on the window sill." If there is no direct object involved if no one is placing anything anywhere and you're just talking about people being in a location you would use "sit": "He sits at the conference table." This also applies to nouns that are not being moved by anyone i.e. The computer sits on the table. But if Bob comes over and moves the computer to the table, you would say, "Bob set the computer on the table." All of our business writing courses include instructor review of your individual grammar issues, resources, and correction strategies. Improve your grammar so that you spend less time proofreading and more time working. Not sure which course is right for you?

Dunkirk Evacuation

Dunkirk Evacuation From May 26 to June 4, 1940, the British sent 222 Royal Navy ships and about 800 civilian boats to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and other Allied troops from the seaport of Dunkirk in France during World War II. After eight months of inaction during the Phoney War, British, French, and Belgian troops were quickly overwhelmed by Nazi Germany’s blitzkrieg tactics when the attack began on May 10, 1940. Rather than be completely annihilated, the BEF decided to retreat to Dunkirk and hope for evacuation. Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of over a quarter million troops from Dunkirk, seemed a near impossible task, but the British people pulled together and ultimately rescued about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops. Without the evacuation at Dunkirk, World War II would have been lost in 1940. Preparing to Fight After World War II started on September 3, 1939, there was a period of approximately eight months in which basically no fighting occurred; journalists called this the â€Å"Phoney War.† Although granted eight months to train and fortify for a German invasion, the British, French, and Belgian troops were quite unprepared when the attack actually began on May 10, 1940. Part of the problem was that while the German Army had been given hope of a victorious and different outcome than that of World War I, the Allied troops were uninspired, sure that trench warfare once again awaited them. The Allied leaders also relied heavily on the newly built, high-tech, defensive fortifications of the Maginot Line, which ran along the French border with Germany – dismissing the idea of an attack from the north. So, instead of training, the Allied troops spent much of their time drinking, chasing girls, and just waiting for the attack to come. For many BEF soldiers, their stay in France felt a bit like a mini vacation, with good food and little to do. This all changed when the Germans attacked in the early hours of May 10, 1940. The French and British troops went north to meet the advancing Germany Army in Belgium, not realizing that a large portion of the German Army (seven Panzer divisions) were cutting through the Ardennes, a wooded area that the Allies had considered impenetrable. Retreating to Dunkirk With the German Army in front of them in Belgium and coming up behind them from the Ardennes, the Allied troops were quickly forced to retreat. The French troops, at this point, were in great disorder. Some had become trapped within Belgium while others scattered. Lacking strong leadership and effective communication, the retreat left the French Army in serious disarray. The BEF were also backpedalling into France, fighting skirmishes as they retreated. Digging in by day and retreating at night, the British soldiers got little to no sleep. Fleeing refugees clogged the streets, slowing the travel of military personnel and equipment. German Stuka dive bombers attacked both soldiers and refugees, while German soldiers and tanks popped up seemingly everywhere. The BEF troops often became scattered, but their morale remained relatively high. Orders and strategies among the Allies were changing quickly. The French were urging a regrouping and a counterattack. On May 20, Field Marshal John Gort (commander of the BEF) ordered a counterattack at Arras. Although initially successful, the attack was not strong enough to break through the German line and the BEF was again forced to retreat. The French continued to push for a regrouping and a counteroffensive. The British, however, were starting to realize that the French and Belgian troops were too disorganized and demoralized to create a strong enough counteroffensive to halt the highly effective German advance. Much more likely, believed Gort, was that if the British joined the French and Belgian troops, they would all be annihilated. On May 25, 1940, Gort made the difficult decision to not only abandon the idea of a joint counteroffensive, but to retreat to Dunkirk in the hopes of an evacuation. The French believed this decision to be desertion; the British hoped it would allow them to fight another day. A Little Help From the Germans and the Defenders of Calais Ironically, the evacuation at Dunkirk could not have happened without the help of the Germans. Just as the British were regrouping at Dunkirk, the Germans stopped their advance just 18 miles away. For three days (May 24 to 26), German Army Group B stayed put. Many people have suggested that Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler purposely let the British Army go, believing that the British would then more readily negotiate a surrender. The more likely reason for the halt was that General Gerd von Runstedt, the commander of German Army Group B, didn’t want to take his armored divisions into the swampy area around Dunkirk. Also, the German supply lines had become greatly overextended after such a quick and lengthy advance into France; the German Army needed to stop long enough for their supplies and infantry to catch up. German Army Group A also held off attacking Dunkirk until May 26. Army Group A had become entangled in a siege at Calais, where a small pocket of BEF soldiers had holed up. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed the epic defense of Calais had a direct correlation to the outcome of the Dunkirk evacuation. Calais was the crux. Many other causes might have prevented the deliverance of Dunkirk, but it is certain that the three days gained by the defence of Calais enabled Gravelines waterline to be held, and that without this, even in spite of Hitler’s vacillations and Rundstedt’s orders, all would have been cut off and lost.* The three days that German Army Group B halted and Army Group A fought at the Siege of Calais were essential in allowing the BEF a chance to regroup at Dunkirk. On May 27, with the Germans once again attacking, Gort ordered a 30-mile-long defensive perimeter to be established around Dunkirk. The British and French soldiers manning this perimeter were charged with holding the Germans back in order to give time for the evacuation. The Evacuation From Dunkirk While the retreat was underway, Admiral Bertram Ramsey in Dover, Great Britain began considering the possibility of an amphibious evacuation starting on May 20, 1940. Ultimately, the British had less than a week to plan Operation Dynamo, the large-scale evacuation of British and other Allied troops from Dunkirk. The plan was to send ships from England across the Channel and have them pick up troops waiting on the beaches of Dunkirk. Although there were over a quarter of a million troops waiting to be picked up, the planners expected to only be able to save 45,000. Part of the difficulty was the harbor at Dunkirk. The gentle shelving of the beach meant that much of the harbor was too shallow for ships to enter. To solve this, smaller craft had to travel from ship to beach and back again to gather passengers for loading. This took a lot of extra time and there were not enough small boats to fulfill this job quickly. The waters were also so shallow that even these smaller craft had to stop 300 feet from the waterline and soldiers had to wade out to their shoulders before they could climb aboard. With not enough supervision, many desperate soldiers ignorantly overloaded these small boats, causing them to capsize. Another problem was that when the first ships set out from England, starting on May 26, they didn’t really know where to go. Troops were spread out over 21-miles of beaches near Dunkirk and the ships were not told where along these beaches they should load. This caused confusion and delay. Fires, smoke, Stuka dive bombers, and German artillery were definitely another problem. Everything seemed to be on fire, including cars, buildings, and an oil terminal. Black smoke covered the beaches. Stuka dive bombers attacked the beaches, but focused their attention along the waterline, hoping and often succeeding in sinking some of the ships and other watercraft. The beaches were large, with sand dunes in the back. Soldiers waited in long lines, covering the beaches. Although exhausted from long marches and little sleep, soldiers would dig in while waiting their turn in line – it was too loud to sleep. Thirst was a major problem on the beaches; all the clean water in the area had been contaminated. Speeding Things Up The loading of soldiers into small landing craft, ferrying them to the larger ships, and then coming back to reload was an excruciatingly slow process. By midnight on May 27, only 7,669 men had made it back to England. To speed things up, Captain William Tennant ordered a destroyer to come directly alongside the East Mole at Dunkirk on May 27. (The East Mole was a 1600-yard-long causeway that was used as a breakwater.) Although not built for it, Tennant’s plan to have troops embark directly from the East Mole worked wonderfully and from then on it became the main location for soldiers to load. On May 28, 17,804 soldiers were taken back to England.   This was an improvement, but hundreds of thousands more still needed saving. The rearguard was, for now, holding off the German assault, but it was a matter of days, if not hours, before the Germans would break through the defensive line. More help was needed. In Britain, Ramsey worked tirelessly to get every single boat possible – both military and civilian across the Channel to pick up the stranded troops. This flotilla of ships eventually included destroyers, minesweepers, anti-submarine trawlers, motor boats, yachts, ferries, launches, barges, and any other kind of boat they could find. The first of the â€Å"little ships† made it to Dunkirk on May 28, 1940. They loaded up men from the beaches east of Dunkirk and then headed back through the dangerous waters to England. Stuka dive bombers plagued the boats and they had to be constantly on the lookout for German U-boats. It was a dangerous venture, but it helped save the British Army. On May 31, 53,823 soldiers were brought back to England, thanks in a large part to these little ships. Near midnight on June 2, the St. Helier left Dunkirk, carrying the very last of the BEF troops. However, there were still more French troops to rescue. The crews of the destroyers and other craft were exhausted, having made numerous trips to Dunkirk without rest and yet they still went back to save more soldiers. The French also helped by sending ships and civilian craft. At 3:40 a.m. on June 4, 1940, the very last ship, the Shikari, left Dunkirk. Although the British had expected to only save 45,000, they succeeded in rescuing a total of 338,000 Allied troops. Aftermath The evacuation of Dunkirk was a retreat, a loss, and yet the British troops were greeted as heroes when they got home. The whole operation, which some have termed â€Å"the Miracle of Dunkirk,† gave the British a battle cry and became a rallying point for the rest of the war.    Most importantly, the evacuation of Dunkirk saved the British Army and did allow it to fight another day.    * Sir Winston Churchill as quoted in Major General Julian Thompson, Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory (New York: Arcade Publishing, 2011) 172.

Discussion about hunger game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion about hunger game - Essay Example Children are being abused and lives taken just for entertainment purposes.This inhuman acts by the leaders of panama and the resident of Capital demonstrate disregard of human rights and social injustice of the highest order. The District residents are viewed as so much inferior human being to an extent that they don’t see anything wrong with making their children kill each other to entertain them. The government of Panem holds all the power over the districts and they rule with finality and totality. The districts resident has no say in matters concerning their governance and the government imposes on them whatever they want regardless of their feelings about it. The government keeps District resident on their knees by warning them of how miserable their lives will be if they rebel against it. The people are forced to live under hostile conditions like fighting among themselves, deny them freedom of movement and joining forces was criminalized among district residents. The book shows how different the lives of those who has power (Capitals) was to the inferior class (the district).When Katniss refuse to kill Peeta or join forces with Rue, she defies the rule of capital and this meant she was to be severely punished as she belonged to an inferior class of people in that society. Here inequality of different classes of people in this society is clearly

A Thesis Driven Argument in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Thesis Driven Argument in Education - Essay Example It is not acceptable as the Asian students are working hard and give their full effort in studies to fulfill their dreams and meet personal career objectives. It is true that people may have several opinions, but looking into the facts that are portrayed by the documentary film it can be argued that Chinese and Indian students deserve more things and opportunities in life as they seriously work hard comparing to the American students in order to fulfill their dreams. According to the interview of Tim Draper; the venture capitalist of Silicon Valley, the education system of America is breaking down. This documentary film follows the argument with several facts. The most amazing and interesting one is that more than fifty percent of the American students do not take mathematics beyond one year in Geometry and two years in Algebra. It is quite shocking. The demand of this particular subject is significantly increasing around the globe. Several geometric, algebraic and calculus calculati ons are required in several big projects. Limited knack of students towards mathematics is seriously affecting the education system of the country. It is an important fact. This source of this particular information is the website of â€Å"National center for Education Statistics, 2004†. Asian students are known for their hard work in their studies. It is true and cannot be denied that major talented and skilled professional come from this part of the globe. But, several political and economical issues create various difficulties for the Asian students to capitalize on the potential opportunities. The education system and concept about education varies from a country to country. American students generally devote themselves in their sports and jobs since their childhood.... This paper approves that recent financial crisis and economic recession changed the scenario of global economic environment. Limited disposable income of people, low purchasing power and poor economic growth of several developed and developing countries forced several governments to change their economic policies. American students can avail several potential opportunities in their life to make prosperous and successful professional career. On the other hand, the Chinese and Indian students follow straight line in studies. They never used to deviate from their major aim and goal due to lack of options and potential opportunities in their countries. This essay makes a conclusion that the documentary film â€Å"2 Million Minutes† is an effective documentary film that provided a strong message attached to it. It is highly understandable that there are huge differences between the education systems in India, China and The United States of America. Students of India and China generally prefer in-depth study. They give their 100 percent in studies as their parents guide them to do so. On the other hand, American students do not love to spend long school hours as they prefer to take interest in several extra curriculum activities. Despite the hard work, the Asian students find it difficult to get the opportunity to study in renowned colleges and universities. On the other hand, American students get the opportunity to study in their preferred colleges. It is the economical advantages and political stability of US that helps the students to grow in their preferable fields. Therefore, it can be stated that the documentary film is totally practical and unbiased.

Research Study on Gender Bias in Education Essay Example for Free

Research Study on Gender Bias in Education Essay These instructions were used as a form of deception to prove my hypothesis. My hypothesis was that women would be more affected by this deception than would the men. My results proved otherwise. Results showed there was little difference in the way the women and men performed on these tests on either version. The ANOVA testing showed these clear results. Does Performance Reflect Success? Gender biases are present in the American culture. Women are put in a stereotype as the one to stay at home cleaning and cooking while men are believed to have to bring home the paychecks. How we live though is not the only area with gender biases. There are biases when it comes to sports, who can do what jobs and even education. Women are believed to be better at the education aspects having to do with words and comprehension while men are believed to be better at numbers or math. In the research world there is much controversy on whether the bias presented is true or not. Researchers have not been able to support this belief or disregard it due to the many conflicting results. A study done with the purpose of determining whether gender expectations still exist in present time, resulted in the idea that more and more genders are becoming equal in education (Jordan 2008). It was found that both sexes are more likely than ever to complete their high school education and even be able to obtain higher degree. The study also showed the gender gap in scores on the National Association of Education Progress becoming more and more narrow over time. Jordan does not refute the idea of gender bias in education but supported the idea that it is diminishing. These two researchers on the other hand, Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005), have studies supporting their beliefs that gender biases in teaching are simply a myth. Both constructed research to support the idea that neither females nor males perform differently according to gender expectation or that these gender expectations are implemented at all. Fisher more, specifically, researching in math and Johnston in math and education. Chapman (2012) and Goetz (1996) though, both have studies that seem to prove otherwise. Chapman conducted a study, in Canada, which lead to the belief that gender discrepancies in teaching and education focus more positively on females. Chapman believes males are the ones taking losses in education expectancies. Goetz on the other hand, researched and came up with results which led him to believe American educators focus their attention more on males allowing them a positive advantage. After learning so much from previous research it can be accurately inferred that the gender bias in education does exist. A psychologist, Ghandi (2006) stated in his study the truth behind the bias. He used this truth to conduct a study in which he found that women not only believe the bias but are subject to it when they are told they will fail due to their gender. This particular study is what laid down the foundation for my research study. All of the above researchers knew the biased existed and all tried to support it or disprove it. This research project has one purpose; to find out not if gender biases exist but whether women are affected by these gender based expectations more than men. In many colleges and universities women are very comfortable with their gender; they are powerful, and successful. There are clubs devoted to women’s sexuality, success, and even fashion senses. There are awards given to women who have gotten superior grades, been offered great jobs, or are simply a success. Knowing this, what I want to learn is whether these women who are so highly praised and allowed the same success as men are still subjects to gender based expectations, more specifically in learning and education. In my study I will be deceiving the participants into thinking that only women will be successful in this study or to another group I will be saying only men will be successful. The way this will be done is by using simple high school level math tests. Before he test I will be falsely informing half of my participants (equal number of females and males) that only men will pass this test, and then I will repeat this with the other half of my participants but falsely informing them of the opposite. The fact that I will play on women’s vulnerability will allow me to learn whether these very empowered and successful women will still be so after being told th ey will fail before even trying. My hypothesis is that these women will be affected by such a statistic and depending on the false statistic they get, they will fulfill it. Methods Participants Forty eight undergraduate volunteers (24 males and 24 females) from Bryant University took part in this study. The average age of participants was recorded at 20. 22 years (SD=1. 13). No cultural or ethnic backgrounds were recorded. With help from different psychology professors a general description was given out within psychology classes and volunteers were recruited. To these participants in particular extra credit was allotted. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and e-mail in which they were once again given a general description of the study and asked whether they would be willing to volunteer. Each participant was tested individually and required approximately 15 minutes to complete study. Materials The study consisted of participants completing a standardized math test, four survey questions, and a deceptive article which can all be found in the appendix. The math test was found in an SAT math test practice site. This math test worked as the channel for the dependent variable (result on the test). The survey questions asked were simply used for collecting information. The questions did not ask sensitive information or anything that would put any participant at risk. Finally, the short article was written by myself and is completely fictional. It falsely informed the participants on information regarding SAT tests and reported false statistics on men outperforming women for half of the studies and the opposite for the other half. This was used as the deception part of the research which inconspicuously provided the participant with the independent variable (whether females or males pass this test) Procedures Forty eight students were recruited (24 females and 24 males) from Bryant University as the participants of my study. They were all recruited through psychology classes in which Professors gave a brief overview of what my study entailed and from there proceeded to recruit. The participants recruited in such a manner were rewarded with extra credit points in their class. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and group e-mails. With each participant recruited I have a brief explanation of what the study was comprised of, what it entailed, and more specifically what each participant would have to contribute. Once I recruited all participants which were necessary I began the research itself. At the start of their participation, each participant was handed a consent for in which they were asked to read thoroughly and if they agreed to the terms and conditions they were to sign and date. In the consent form participants were informed of their ability to leave the study at any time, their entitlement to any information and debriefing, on the confidentiality of the study and many more safety factors. To show the validity of the form I signed and dated on the same page each participant did right in front of them. Each participant agreed to the consent form allowing the study to continue. Once the consent form process was finished I would hand each participant the study packet. At this point they were told that each study was to be completed alone. The packet started off with an article which was entirely false and used to deceive each participant. On it there was made up information on the performance of genders on the SAT test throughout the past years. Each participant was informed that they would not be able to continue with the packet if they did not read these instructions. Once the instructions were read each participant could continue to the next section which consisted of the survey questions. These questions were purely used to collect data for analysis. Once the second part was completed each participant would continue on to the math portion of this study. The math portion of the test was a high school level standardized math test previously tested by college level participants. Each participant completed the math portion and would come to me to hand it in. when each individual would approach me I made sure to let them know the true nature of the study and informed them of the deceit. It was very important that no participant left the study with the false idea of one gender outperforming the other. I made sure each participant was thoroughly debriefed and had any questions they had answered. Results The data were analyzed using an ANOVA with the alpha level set at . 05. The main effect of gender participation was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 12, p=. 73, ? 2=. 003 and the main effect of gender test taking was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 00, p=1. 0, ? 2=. 00. However, the interaction between the gender participation and gender test was marginally significant, ? (1,44)=2. 97, p=. 9, ? 2=. 06. Figure 1 shows a cross-over interaction in which the two variables almost perfectly interact. My hypothesis stated that women’s scores would be more affected by the test gender and the deception then would the men’s. The results of the tests did not vary according to the gender of the participant or gender of the test. My hypothesis was not supported by the above da ta. There was, however, a notable factor in the results and the fact that they were similar in score for both genders. Discussion No significant main effect for test gender or participant gender occurred in this study. When taking a math test right after reading a deceitful article about the tendency of males or females to outperform the opposite sex, neither gender’s score seemed to be affected. This particular result is not what I predicted in my original hypothesis. Straying away from my belief that women would underperform the men once they were deceived into believing they would be outperformed, the results disproved my hypothesis. This outcome is consistent with the research of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) in finding there is no significant gab in the performance of females and males in the subject of math. The results are not consistent though with those findings by Ghandi (2006) a researcher whose findings state that women do poorly on math when they are told their gender is to blame. Some factors which may have led to the inconsistency between my hypothesis and my results can be attributed to the limitation when conducting this research. Being part of such a small university, my research was very limited in the sample size it could use. Three thousand undergraduate students was a small population to choose just forty eight participants from. This also lead to what I believe was a biased sample since each and every participant was also my friend. The fact that the participants had a relationship with me could have caused an over performance level which would not usually happen. Some internal validity which should be looked at was the fact that many variables were simply not recorded. These factors include the race and ethnicity of the participant, whether English was their native language, if they understood the deceiving article in the start, and whether they understood every question asked in the math portion. Another internal validity factor is the way in which data was recorded. If this study were to be repeated, observation should definitely be an alternative way of recording data. There was so much happening as I observed each and every participant complete my study. Participants would get frustrated or smile the whole way through. Sometimes they would try to help each other out when I looked the other way or simply just guessed the answers since they did not want to be taking a math test. Using a standardized that does not give anything in return to these participants, should not have been my only source of data since it was not the best way to find results. Regardless of the limitations, new studies and research in the field of gender differences in education have resulted with outcomes very similar to mine. Although my hypothesis was not supported, the consistency it has with the studies of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) only come to show that this study will be supporting much research in the psychology world. My results will be one more way to support the idea that there is little or no difference in gender performance in math. In addition to replicating my results, future research might extend the finding by examining other subjects in the world of education. Expanding the testing to be possibly in language, critical thinking, sciences and also math may give a better understanding on whether there is a discrepancy in women’s performance when they are told they are going to fail. Future research might also want to expand their sample by moving to younger generations in school, possibly in igh school, and older generations in and out of school. By doing so the outcome may result more accurately and allow a better understanding of the prediction. In conclusion, gender performance on standardized math tests do not have a direct link to the subject or the belief that one gender will outperform the other. After testing 48 participants (24 female and 24 male), giving each the same exact standardized math test but deceiving each to think they would outperform or underperform the opposite sex, no gender seemed to truly outperform. Each gender resulted close to equal. The results did not support my hypothesis but it led the way to a new hypothesis and a completely new approach to this study. References Goetz, J. (1996). In Education Expert: Classroom Gender Bias Persists. Cornell Cronicle. Retrieved from http://www. news. cornell. edu/chronicle/96/4. 25. 96/gender. html. Jordan, J (2008) The Myth of Gender Bias in School. Retrieved March 8, 2012. From http://www. parentdish. com/2008/05/20/the-myth-of-gender-bias-in-school/ Fisher, M (2008) Study: No gender differences in math performance. University of Wisconsin-Madison News. Retrieved from http://www. news. wisc. edu/15412 Johnston, T (2005) No evidence of innate gender differences in math and science, scholars assert. Stanford University News. Retrieved from http://news. stanford. edu/news/2005/february9/math-020905. html Gandhi, U. (2006) Gender bias in math skills doesn’t add up, scientists say. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www. theglobeandmail. com/news/technology/science/article197902. ece Chapman, A. (2012) Gender bias in education. Research Room. Retrieved from http://www. edchange. org/multicultural/papers/genderbias. html Table 1 Cross over interaction [pic] Appendix Survey questions Male/ Female (circle one) Date of Birth __________ Anticipated graduation year __________ Have you ever taken a standardized test (example: SAT) Math questions (standardized test) http://www. majortests. com/sat/problem-solving-test01 1. Of the following, which is greater than ? ? [pic]A. 2/5 [pic]B. 4/7 [pic]C. 4/9 [pic]D. 5/11 [pic]E. 6/13 2. If an object travels at five feet per second, how many feet does it travel in one hour? [pic]A. 30 [pic]B. 300 [pic]C. 720 [pic]D. 1800 [pic]E. 18000 3. What is the average (arithmetic mean) of all the multiples of ten from 10 to 190 inclusive? [pic]A. 90 [pic]B. 95 [pic]C. 100 [pic]D. 105 pic]E. 110 4. A cubical block of metal weighs 6 pounds. How much will another cube of the same metal weigh if its sides are twice as long? [pic]A. 48 [pic]B. 32 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 18 [pic]E. 12 5. In a class of 78 students 41 are taking French, 22 are taking German and 9 students are taking both French and German. How many students are not enrolled in either course? [pic]A. 6 [pic]B. 15 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 33 [pic]E. 54 6. If f(x) = Â ¦(x? – 50)Â ¦, what is the value of f(-5) ? [pic]A. 75 [pic]B. 25 [pic]C. 0 [pic]D. -25 [pic]E. -75 7. ( v2 v3 )? = [pic]A. 5 2v6 [pic]B. 5 v6 [pic]C. 1 2v6 [pic]D. 1 v2 pic]E. 1 8. 230 + 230 + 230 + 230 = [pic]A. 8120 [pic]B. 830 [pic]C. 232 [pic]D. 230 [pic]E. 226 [pic] 9. Amy has to visit towns B and C in any order. The roads connecting these towns with her home are shown on the diagram. How many different routes can she take starting from A and returning to A, going through both B and C (but not more than once through each) and not travelling any road twice on the same trip? [pic]A. 10 [pic]B. 8 [pic]C. 6 [pic]D. 4 [pic]E. 2 [pic] 10. In the figure above AD = 4, AB = 3 and CD = 9. What is the area of triangle AEC ? [pic]A. 18 [pic]B. 13. 5 [pic]C. 9 [pic]D. 4. 5 [pic]E. 3

The Chrysalids - Utopia or Dystopia ? :: Chrysalids

The Chrysalids – Utopia or Dystopia ? One could describe the novel "The Chrysalids" as a dystopian novel as apposed to utopian. The town in which David and the rest of shape-thinkers live is deffinatly not a utopia as well as the new land to which they move, Sealand. The dictionary definition of utopia is an imaginary island with perfect social & political system, social and political paradise. Waknuk is not an island, so it is deffinatly not a utopia, but Sealand has the characteristics of a utopia. It is an island, but it does not have a perfect social and political system. Perfect social system means equal rights and treatment for all. David, Rachel, Michael and Rosalind are not treated as equals by the Sealanders compared to the way Petra is treated. The Sealand woman came to their aid not because she wanted to help them, but because she was interested in seeing whom this little girl was that had such strong communication skills. She arrived and was very eager to put Petra in the space ship and take her home with her and she was obliged to take Michael, Rosalind and David. When Michael mentioned that his girlfriend was stuck in Waknuk and that he would like to go and fetch her she made no effort. She simply said that there was not enough fuel to fetch her and that they could only leave her behind. When Michael told her about the problem getting home she was disinterested. Michael was forced to stay behind so that he could go to Waknuk and be with his girlfriend. When David described the Sealand woman he described her as the image of perfection. His description of her was so perfect that it described her flaws. She was too perfect, as though artificial. She communicates on a higher level as him so that he can’t understand and does not worry about his troubles. Sealand may not be a utopia but it is deffinatly not a dystopia. The Chrysalids are free to use their gifts and feel more comfortable using them.

How the Bible Shows God as Creator Essay

The Bible has many different ways of showing God as the creator of the universe. Many people use the Bible to reflect on what God did for them, so that they are able to live as they do now. The Judaeo-Christian belief is that everything has been created; therefore there must have been a creator. They believe that this creator is God. Before there was anything there was God. God is self existent and eternal, He never began and He will never end. God is the creator so therefore has never been created. He was able to make everything from ex nihilo instead of actual matter. The book of Hebrews agrees with this, ‘†¦ we understand that the universe was formed at Gods command, so that what is seen is not made out of what is visible. ‘ Also because He is creator†¦ or just a period of time, but when He created time he gave everything a definite beginning according to His will. When God was creating the different parts of the world, He says ‘let there be†¦ ‘ and there is. This shows God as creator because all He has to do is to want something to be in a particular shape and format and it is. God took control over every single thing he made and moulded it into what He wanted it to be like. When He finished creating something ‘he was pleased,’ showing that everything He made was perfect. He dominates the beginning of the Bible with all the things that He has made himself. No one else comes into the book for some time because it is all about God, showing his dominance. The story does talk of the creation but in nearly every sentence it talks of how God created or God said or saw, it focuses on God as the creator. The second creation story is that of Adam and Eve. God makes a man from dust and breathes his own breath into him. Later on He creates a woman from one of Adam’s ribs and they are each others true companions. This story shows God as creator because it is showing God creating humans in His own image; they are separate from animals because of God breathing His own breath into Adams body. This gives our lives more meaning and purpose, God wants to live closely to humans and wants people to know about Him and live with the creator’s concerns in mind. God is responsible for everything in the universe. ‘ Discuss. Many Christians would agree that God is responsible for everything because He made our world. He purposely chose to make everything the way it is today for a reason, so if He is the one who made it all therefore it should be God who takes the responsibility of the universe. You could argue that because God made everything and He made it so that it was supposed to be perfect, then how can he allow natural disasters and disease to occur. God is omniscient, therefore everything that is happening in our world, God has chosen that to happen, everything is there for a particular reason. When God crested the world He gave us free will but He still created it, so in a way we think we have our own free will but because God is omniscient then He has already chosen what will happen to us. Human beings could be seen as God’s robots, doing what we have been programmed to do. We have a responsibility to do good whilst we are on the earth because that has been programmed into us through God when He first created Adam and Eve. However other Christians may disagree that God is responsible for everything because humans are the ones who actually live on the earth, whereas God is not actually part of this world. Human beings were given the breath of God when He created the first man and this has been passed onto all humans throughout history. By giving us a difference from animals, gives humans a higher state of hierarchy. By having this power higher than all other things on the earth it makes us responsible for the world and it is up to humans to look after it. When God created Eve she ate from the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden. This created original sin, as Eve had given into the temptation of the snake and the tree and gone against what God had said. Some Christians believe that it is Eve then who is the root of all evil. If eve had not eaten fruit from the tree, then the world might have been a better place. God gave them the chance of free will and wanted to see if they could resist temptation and because they couldn’t we are now still suffering for that mistake. So it is not God who was responsible for that but actually human beings and that is why evil occurs in the world. It is almost a warning sign from God to keep taking care of the world he created. I don’t think that there is one right answer for this question. God did create the world; therefore we are all under his power. However no one in the world is perfect and we all make mistakes and a lot of the time those mistakes can affect lots of people, until it grows into a worldwide thing. As God did give us free will then I think that makes us partially responsible for the world and space maybe not the universe.

Angel Broking Ltd.

ORGANISATION STUDY ON Angel Broking Ltd. Sigra, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh By Ashish Om (PB1104) & Jeswin George (PA1114) Group No. 53 Submitted to: UNIVERSITY OF MYSORE II SEMESTER INTERNSHIP – ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY BATCH OF 2011 – 2013 Through Contents Company Letter3 CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE5 CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS8 Chapter 19 Industry Profile9 CHAPTER 213 COMPANY PROFILE13 Business Branches of Angel Broking16 Angel Group Consists of:16 Our Vision20 Our Motto20 Our CRM Policy: Customer is King20 Business Philosophy @ Angel Broking20Quality Assurance Policy @ Angel Broking20 CHAPTER 321 ORGANISATIONAL HEIRARCHY21 CHAPTER 425 STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS25 4. 1 HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT26 4. 2 IT and Media29 4. 3 Marketing Department30 4. 4 Finance Department31 CHAPTER 544 SWOT ANALYSIS44 CHAPTER 647 CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS47 CHAPTER 753 BIBLIOGRAPHY53 Company Letter Company Letter CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE This is to certify that this Internsh ip Report on Organizational Study at Angel Broking Limited is a bonafide study of Ashish Om, carried out under my guidance and supervision. PLACE: BANGALORE DATE:Prof. Y.Poornima CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE This is to certify that this Internship Report on Organizational Study at Angel Broking Limited is a bonafide study of Jeswin George, carried out under my guidance and supervision. PLACE: BANGALORE DATE:Prof. Y. Poornima DECLARATION We hereby declare that this Internship Report on Organizational Study at ANGEL BROKING LIMITED submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for II Semester MBA Degree examinations 2012 of University of Mysore through Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies is our original work and not submitted to any other university.This work has been done under the supervision of Dr Y. Poornima in Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore. Place: Bangalore Date: Ashish Om (11MB50 ) Jeswin George (11MB5071) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, we would like to thank the Almighty God for blessing us with the strength, aptitude and patience for successfully completing my internship and this report. I would like to thank my Faculty Guide, Prof. Y. Poornima for giving me the opportunity to work with her during my period of internship.I have been able to compile and complete this report in a comprehensive manner due to the guidance, support and counselling that she has provided me with during this period. I have tried my best to implement her constructive suggestions while doing my report. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the management of Angel Broking. Ltd for providing the support to do this Internship. My sincere gratitude goes to Mr. G. N. Chowdry: Manager and Consultant Mines, Mr. Haroon Ahmed: In charge Mines, Mr. Arshad Ahmad: Deputy Chief Chemist, Mr.Farooq Ahmed: Electric Engineer and to Mr. Shakeel Ahmed: In Charge Cement Mill for giving me time from their busy schedule, providing me with information that was r equired to complete the report, and for guiding me properly throughout the period of my internship. I would also like to thank all the employees of Saifco Cements Pvt. Ltd. who have supported me and co-operated with me during my internship period. Finally my sincere thanks go to each and everyone who has helped and supported me significantly in different stages during the period of my internship. Chapter 1 Industry ProfileTo understand the equity market and maintain and cope up with the growing competition from the various online trading providers, Broking Company needs to find potential customer and also target the new investors. The project is being done to train the people about the whole procedure essential to open an online trading account couple with demat account. The project will help in exploring the area where there is the feasibility of acquiring more new investors. It would also help in knowing the various competitors of the industry and exploring the areas through which competitive advantage could be obtained. . 1 What is a Stock Market? A stock market or equity market is a public entity (a loose network of economic transactions, not a physical facility or discrete entity) for the trading of company stock (shares) and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36. 6  trillion at the beginning of October 2008. The total world derivatives market has been estimated at about $791  trillion face or nominal value, 11 times the size of the entire world economy.The value of the derivatives market, because it is stated in terms of notional values, cannot be directly compared to a stock or a fixed income security, which traditionally refers to an actual value. Moreover, the vast majority of derivatives ‘cancel' each other out (i. e. , a derivative ‘bet' on an event occurring is offset by a comparable derivat ive ‘bet' on the event not occurring). Many such relatively illiquid securities are valued as marked to model, rather than an actual market price.The stocks are listed and traded on stock exchanges which are entities of a corporation or mutual organization specialized in the business of bringing buyers and sellers of the organizations to a listing of stocks and securities together. The largest stock market in the United States, by market capitalization, is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In Canada, the largest stock market is the Toronto Stock Exchange. Major European examples of stock exchanges include the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, Paris Bourse, and the Deutsche Borse (Frankfurt Stock Exchange).In Africa, examples include Nigerian Stock Exchange, JSE Limited, etc. Asian examples include the Singapore Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and the Bombay Stock Exchange. In Latin America, there a re such exchanges as the BM&F Bovespa and the BMV. Market participants include individual retail investors, institutional investors such as mutual funds, banks, insurance companies and hedge funds, and also publicly traded corporations trading in their own shares.Some studies have suggested that institutional investors and corporations trading in their own shares generally receive higher risk-adjusted returns than retail investors. 1. 2 What is Stock Broking? The process of investing in the share market, either individually or through a broker is known as stock broking, in simple terms. This is primarily done by opening a Demat account. If done through a broker, he opens an account, helping you to operate through online stock broking facility. Going ahead the broker suggests investment ideas and strategies suiting individual requirements and based on his objective of investment.Tenure of investment, the selected financial instruments and their respective companies, the schemes, the risk taking ability, the sum available for investment, all are considered while forming investment choices. After the amount is invested, the broker tracks and monitors the investments, changes or reinvests depending on the performance and generates reports for them. This entire process is known as stock broking. To understand the equity market and maintain and cope up with the growing competition from the various online trading providers, Broking company needs to find potential customer and also target the new investors.The project is being done to train the people about the whole procedure essential to open an online trading account couple with demat account. The project will help in exploring the area where there is the feasibility of acquiring more new investors. It would also help in knowing the various competitors of the industry and exploring the areas through which competitive advantage could be obtained. 1. 2 Who is a Stock Broker A stockbroker is a regulated professional i ndividual, usually associated with a brokerage firm or broker-dealer, who buys and sells shares and other ecurities for both retail and institutional clients, through a stock exchange or over the counter, in return for a fee or commission. Stockbrokers are known by numerous professional designations, depending on the license they hold, the type of securities they sell, or the services they provide. In the United States, a stockbroker must pass both the Series 7 and Series 63 exams in order to be licensed. In most English speaking venues, the two word term stock broker, like stock brokerage, normally applies to the brokerage firm, rather than to the individual. CHAPTER 2COMPANY PROFILE 2. 1 Angel Broking Limited Date of Establishment: 1987 Market Cap: Rs. 725 crore (January 27, 2006) Address: G-1, Akruti Trade Center, Road No -7, MIDC, Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400093 Branches: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, New Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Na du, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Angel Broking provides retail related services encompassing Ebroking, Investment Advisory, Portfolio Management Services, Wealth Management Services and Commodities Trading. It is a member of Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.It is also a registered depository participant with CDSL. The company has a relaxed work atmosphere which thrives upon human values, co-operation, trust and respect. It ensures career growth to its employees with ample introduction to business practices. It has employee friendly HR policies which gives security and fair promotions. 2. 2 Insight into Angel Broking Angel Broking Limited is one of the leading and professionally managed stock broking firm involved in quality services and research. Angel Broking Limited is a corporate member of The Stock Exchange, Mumbai.The membership of the company with The Stock Exchange Mumbai was originally in the name of Mukesh R. Gandhi, which was eventually turned into a corp orate membership in the name of Angel Broking Limited. Angel Broking Limited is managed by Mr. Dinesh Thakkar and he is well supported by Mr. Mukesh Gandhi, a fifteen years veteran in the market. The group is well supported by a professional and qualified research team and efficient operations and back office team, which comprises of highly dedicated and qualified individuals. Angel has an in-house, state of art research department.Angel believes in reaching out to the customer at the farthest end rather than by reaching out to them. The company in its endeavour to give its client the best has opened up several branches all over Mumbai, which are efficiently integrated with the Head Office. Angel Broking Limited is primarily into retail stock broking, with a customer base of retail investors, which has been increasing at a compounded growth rate of 100% every year. The company has huge network sub-brokers in Mumbai and other places outside Mumbai, registered with SEBI, who act as ch anel partners for the company.The company presently has a total staff strength of around 150 employees who are spread accordingly across the head office and all the branches. Angel has empowered its physical presence throughout India through various strategies which it has been adopting efficiently and effectively over a period of time, like opening up of branches at various places, tie-ups with various agencies and sales agents, buy-outs of smaller regional outfits and appointment of sub-brokers and franchisees. Moreover Angel has been tapping and including high net-worth and self-employed individuals it its vast array of clients.Angel has always strived in the direction of delivering ultimate client satisfaction and developing stronger bonds with its customers and chose partners. Angel has a vision to introduce new and innovative products and services regularly. Moreover Angel has been one among the pioneers to introduce the latest technological innovations and integrate it effici ently within its business. Angel Broking's tryst with excellence in customer relations began in 1987. It has emerged as one of the most respected Stock-Broking and Wealth Management Companies in India.With its unique retail-focused stock trading business model, Angel is committed to providing ‘Real Value for Money’ to all its clients. The Angel Group is a member of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the two leading Commodity Exchanges in the country: NCDEX ; MCX. Angel is also registered as a Depository Participant with CDSL. Business Branches of Angel Broking * Equity Trading * Commodities * Portfolio Management Services * Mutual Funds * Life Insurance * IPO * Depository Services * Investment AdvisoryAngel Group Consists of: * Angel Broking Ltd. * Angel Commodities Broking Ltd. * Angel Securities Ltd. 2. 3 The Management @ Angel Broking Mr. Dinesh Thakkar –  Founder Chairman ; Managing Director The Angel Group of Companies was b rought to life by Mr. Dinesh Thakkar. He ventured into stock trading with an intention to raise capital for his own independent enterprise. However, he recognized the opportunity offered by the stock market to serve individual investors. Thus India’s first retail-focused stock-broking house was established in 1987.Under his leadership, Angel became the first broking house to embrace new technology for faster, more effective and affordable services to retail investors. Mr. Thakkar is valued for his understanding of the economy and the stock-market. The print and electronic media often seek his views on the market trend as well as investment strategies. Mr. Lalit Thakkar –  Director – Research Mr. Lalit Thakkar is the motivating force behind Angel’s highly acclaimed Research team. He’s been a part of the senior management team since the Angel Group’s inception.His technical and fundamental outlook has provided impetus to Angel’s marke t research team. Research-based ; personalized advisory services are Angel’s forte, and Mr. Lalit Thakkar has undoubtedly been the brain behind it. When it comes to analyzing the market, Mr. Lalit Thakkar is truly a genius. His hands-on experience and fundamental knowledge of the market can predict the market trend early. His views on the market trend are often quoted in the print and electronic media Mr. Amit Majumdar –  Chief Strategy Officer A chartered Accountant by qualification, Mr.Amit Majumdar is a key member of Angel’s strategic decision-making process. He has been with the group since August 2004. He has handled several functions of the group like finance and operations, to name a few. He has rich experience in finance, investment banking, treasury, consultancy and advisory services. Mr. Majumdar has led many successful initiatives for the group. Before joining the Angel Group, Mr. Majumdar has been associated with Rabo India Finance, Ambit Corporate Finance and Ernst ; Young. Mr. Sachin Joshi –  Executive Director ; CFO Mr.Sachin R Joshi brings with him over 19 years of experience handling strategic positions in Business Operations ; Finance. He also has hands-on experience in Resource Raising, Strategic Planning, Business Restructuring, Public Listing (Local/ International), etc A Chartered ; a Cost Accountant by qualification, Sachin is also a post graduate in Law and has completed a one year Certificate Program (BLP II) from IIM (Kolkatta). He has been associated with reputed firms such as Navneet Group of Companies, Lupin Laboratories Ltd and Infrastructure Leasing ; Financial Services Ltd. (IL;FS).His last assignment which spanned over 11 years was with IL;FS Invest smart Group where he worked in various capacities such as Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director- Finance ; Operations and Chief Operating Officer Mr. Vinay Agrawal –  Executive Director – Equity Broking Mr. Vinay Agrawal leads th e Equity Broking business at Angel, which comprises Business Development, Operations, Product Development and E-broking initiative. He is actively involved in exploring new ways to adopt technology for business enhancement.A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Mr. Agrawal began his career with the Angel Group as Finance and Operations Consultant, and since then he’s quickly climbed up the corporate ladder. Mr. Nikhil Daxini –  Executive Director – Sales and Marketing With an MBA in finance, Mr. Nikhil Daxini has been instrumental in introducing the concept of professional marketing of broking services at Angel. His area of focus is Business Development, Risk Management and Operations. Mr. Daxini has immense experience in the marketing of financial products and services. He has been associated with HDFC Bank Ltd. n the past. Mr. Mudit Kulshreshtha –   Executive Director – Business Intelligence ; Analytics Mr. Mudit Kulshreshtha heads the adva nce analytics and strategic business intelligence division at Angel. With a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and PhD in Economics, Mr. Mudit Kulshreshtha has more than 12 years experience in the field of strategy and business consulting. He has been associated with reputed consulting firms like Deloitte Consulting India, Ernst and Young, Arthur Andersen and WNS Global. He has advised several big clients in the U. S. and U. K.He is also a known speaker at public seminars and conferences organised by CII, NASSCOM, Indian School of Business and IIT. Mr. Santanu Syam –   Executive Director – Operations Mr. Syam brings with him over 18 years of experience in the field of Transaction Banking, Wholesale Banking, Treasury Banking, Consumer Banking and CBS. He started his career with ANZ Grindlays Bank and he was also associated with Standard Chartered Bank in India as Director Transactional Head Banking. Mr. Syam followed up his Engineering degree with an MBA. He has also attended Banking ; Technology seminars organised by SCB Singapore, BSE India ; Euro Finance. ———————————————— ————————————————- 2. 4 KEY DEVELOPMENTS FOR ANGEL BROKING LTD. Angel Broking Ltd. to Invest INR 300 Million in Financial Year 2010 Angel Broking Ltd. Announced that it is planning to invest around INR 300 million this financial year for expanding its branch network. The company is looking to invest around INR 250-300 million in this financial year for expanding its network by 50 branches. The investment is in line with expansion strategy which sees huge potential in the long term.Under its expansion plans, the company would focus on few areas in the northern and southern regions including Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The firm is also eying to tap semi-urban pockets which have huge investment potential. Angel Broking In Talks To Raise Funds Angel Broking Ltd. plans to finalize INR 2 billion – INR 2. 5 billion fund raising plans between December 2009 and March 2010. Dinesh Thakkar, Angel Broking’s CMD said, â€Å"We are got active interest from the US and UK-based institutions. We are open to diluting a significant stake. He did not reveal the valuations, because discussions were still in a preliminary stage. Angel Broking Ltd. Announces Executive Appointments Angel Broking Ltd. announced four key-appointments for its domestic operations. Hitungshu Debnath has been appointed as the head of its distribution ; wealth management services while Mudit Kulshreshtha will take over as the head of strategic business intelligence and advanced analytics initiatives. The company has also named Adil Kasad as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Santanu Syam as head of retail operations across all busin ess verticals. 2. Angel Broking Credentials Our Vision To provide best value for money to investors through innovative products, trading/investments strategies, state of the art technology and personalized service. Our Motto To have complete harmony between quality-in-process and continuous improvement to deliver exceptional service that will delight our Customers and Clients. Our CRM Policy: Customer is King â€Å"A Customer is the most Important Visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us, but we are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business.He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so. † – Mahatma Gandhi Business Philosophy @ Angel Broking Ethical practices ; transparency in all our dealings Customers interest above our own Always deliver what we promise Effective cost management Quality Assurance Polic y @ Angel Broking We are committed to providing world-class products and services which exceed the expectations of our customers, achieved by teamwork and a process of continuous improvement.CHAPTER 3 ORGANISATIONAL HEIRARCHY 3. 1 ORGANISATIONAL CHART 3. 2 Product Profile A product profile is an outline of the description of a product. The amount of detail contained in it varies with the style of the information sheet. It is not a specification sheet. It is a general description of the various products and services offered by a particular company or firm. This one is rather detailed, but note the difference between this and the Specifications detail. The following products are offered by Angel Broking in the process of its functioning: * Equity Trading Commodity Trading * Mutual funds promotion * Depository services * Margin Financing * NRI-Desk Management proximity to stock exchanges and banks. Equity Trading: For the first time Angel Broking investing commodity the power to be ass ociated with the elite dealing rooms and freedom to execute trade on their own. That is one may trade from their branches or trade own over the net and with that expertise and assistance. Depository Services: Angel Broking is among the few major Depository Participants holding securities worth more than Rs. 6000 crore under its management .RSL provides depository services investors as a depository participant with NSDL and CDSL. 16 Commodity Trading: Commodities are a word originated from the French word ‘commodity’ means  benefit profit. Angel commodities Limited is a member of both the exchange (MCX ; NCDEX)that allows trading in all the commodities traded at both the exchange . At  present, trading in commodities is restricted to futures contracts only. Benefits of Commodity Trading: To investors: Investors always look for alternative investments avenues where they can diversify their funds to achieve their financial goals.In financial market, commodities have ra pidly emerged as a major investment tool as they help in diversifying investments and to hedge against inflation, greatest threat to any investor. MUTUAL FUNDS SERVICES: Angel Broking is also promoting mutual funds of all companies. CORPORATE ADVISORY GROUP: Corporate advisory group provides various solutions to corporate banks and financial institutions son the management of debit, equity and investments. The service extends from advising client to earn maximum profit by investing through selected papers like MF/PMF etc.PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Portfolio management services manage client’s wealth more efficiently reduces risk by diversifying across assets, sectors and funds, and maximizing returns at managed levels of risk . This service could also be called as â€Å"transparent collective investments†. INVESTMENT BROKING DIVISION: Angel Broking provides innovative, integrated and best – fit solutions to their  corporate customers, it is continuous endeav our to provide value enhancement through diverse financial solution on an on-going basis, through products like corporate debt , private equity , IPO, ECB, FCCB, GDR/ADR etc.CHAPTER 4 STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS ————————————————- 4. 1 HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT Work Culture At Angel, exploring of new paths to provide the best value to all our internal and external customers is carried out. Angel Broking considers people as their biggest asset and believes in creating long term relationships by nurturing talent from within. A fast-growing, forward-looking organization like Angel, demands HR to be a key responsibility area of our core management team.The HR team constantly explores ways to enhance and augment the knowledge base and productivity of all Angels by providing various learning and development Programs. The three tier Leadership Development program helps all sta r performers to grow and develop their managerial skills to become effective mentors for their teams and thereby take on the next level of responsibility effectively. Angel’s is a winning team of highly determined, motivated, and adaptable people, all working diligently to take Angel's exciting success story forward.HR Philosophy At Angel, People come first. Along with the customers, the employees are equally vital to the organization. The Business of HR is to foster an entrepreneurial spirit – whereby Angels can operate with ownership as an entrepreneur (profit center) within the confines of their job role and earn over and above their fixed salaries. Angel believes in inculcating a sense of responsibility and ownership in all Angels which brings out the entrepreneurial zeal to explore potential within as well as beyond job boundaries.Our HR Philosophy is to engage employees at professional, emotional and material levels: * We aim to create an environment conducive to both personal and professional development of the employees, leading to a productive and happy work force * Angel believes that people impact business and therefore each and every Angel is a key resource and a valuable asset * Our business philosophy of being transparent in all our dealings with our customers, is equally applicable in dealings with employees * We encourage initiative, provide professional freedom and empower Angels based on trust Employee EngagementTeam HR at Angel works effectively to create a work environment and performance culture that fosters team spirit and enhances employee productivity through motivation and positive ambition. * Our HR team is continually working to rationalize and restructure measures to ensure better employee relationship management, employee communications and relations, recruitment and training need analysis; program design and implementation, performance evaluation and other work-life initiatives. Performance Management Core essence of Performance Management SystemsThe core essence of PMS is to build and strengthen the team member’s ‘Connect’ with Angel Broking through: * Enrolling the team member to Angel’s vision * Meaningful engagement * Meaningful dialogue * Openness to give and receive feedback * Compliment achievements * Focus on the team member’s growth to enhance performance| | The whole focus of PMS is to look for goodness in a person. The onus is on the managers to look for that goodness, identify strengths and try to create a role around strengths rather than getting bogged down with weaknesses.The Performance Management System at Angel has reduced manual intervention to a minimal level. The fully integrated online system uses sophisticated tools such as national and regional stack ranking, performance bands and rank based recommendations. All this is supported through one-on-one interactive feedback & coaching session with team. Performance credits are received for ex ceeding expected targets and there are equal opportunities for all employees to earn rewards with no upper limits. Performance credit structures have been worked out differently for various categories of employees.Career Why you should anyone work with Angel Broking? * Fast paced, enriching career with exposure to best business practices * Fair compensation & opportunities for growth / promotion based on merit * Vibrant work culture and opportunities for training, recreation and social interaction * Progressive HR policies with an open door approach and proactive processes to maintain high morale * Security of employment, subject to minimum acceptable performance Leadership Academy Learning is a continuous process at Angel Broking.We identify the strengths of employees and design training programs to build their strong points and overcome their shortcomings. We prepare our employees for future positions with training and by encouraging the learning process. This helps them to move t owards their career objectives efficiently. We also employ various people development initiatives like E-learning opportunities for functional & behavioural skills through video conferences and through our employee portal. Our E Wise – Be wise Program provides every Angel with 24Ãâ€"7 access to all relevant information about Angel.This encourages employees at all levels to upgrade their knowledge constantly and apply their learning’s in the day to day work to achieve high productivity and customer satisfaction levels. 4. 2 IT and Media The rapid innovation in the field of information and communication technology has posed serious challenges for the stock broking industry in India. The use and application of information technology in wide variety of insurer’s operations has now become strategic in the sense that it has direct impact on the productivity of resources, and a sweeping impact on reducing the case of various activities.With the arrival of private brok ers, the competition has become more intense and an important role is being played by the stock broking sector. Angel Broking has been maintaining a proper Management Information System for the proper recording of the information of all types available to them. This helps them to assess the information and analyse it for any kind of priority requirements. For any technology related problems that needs to be fixed, Angel Broking takes a time span which is dependent on the severity of the problem. It takes around a day or a week’s time to get the technology fixed if it is a small problem.Employees at the IT department get it resolved at the earliest and avoid turbulence which enhances a smooth flow of activities in the organization. At Angel Broking, the impact of Information Technology can be seen in the other departments also: Marketing department: In this department IT has facilitated the marketing executives to up sale the business and meet the business delegates with new t echnology and features of the their business. Finance Department: Angel Broking uses computerized accounting system which has reinforced the department to work with accuracy and reliability. Human resource department:The human resource department at Angel Broking also uses information technology to maintain databases of information regarding the employees working in the organization and their details. Since Angel Broking is basically a stock broking firm, they mostly concentrate on Press releases, Events and very few TV commercial Ads. 4. 3 Marketing Department The meaning of marketing has changed with the passage of time. In the modern times, the concept of marketing has been changed entirely due to cutthroat competition. Markets are no longer local but they have become national as well as international in character.In the past marketing was often referred as selling but now it has been realized that marketing is different from selling. Marketing department takes care of the market ing of all the products of the company. It helps in the increase of the business. It plays the major role in making the people aware of their product. It concentrates on making the strategies of how to increase the sales of the products. How they can segment the market to tap out its maximum potential profits. It also works on sales promotion to increase the sales of company. According to J. F.Pyle, â€Å"Marketing is that phase of business activity through which human wants are satisfied by exchange of goods and services†. Also marketing is the process of discovering and translating consumer wants into products and services specifications. Marketing differs in between products and service based organizations. As in manufacturing firms there is a product but in service-based organization the marketing has to be done of an intangible thing. In the Marketing department, we were given the opportunity to learn new things by observing and interacting with the Marketing team of   the company.I was involved with creating Product Invoice, recording and tracking the sales call from the distribution channel, analysing some sales figures of the company, and taking feedback and complaints from the customers via telephone and e-mail while working in the Customer Service Department. 4. 4 Finance Department This department keeps the proper track record of all the transactions taking place. It maintains the record of all the broking being carried out in our office. Ratio analysis of financial statements It is a systematic use of ratios to interpret/ assess the performance and status of the firm. A ratio expresses a mathematical relation between two quantities. * Ratios are tools providing us which clues and symptoms of underlying conditions. Ratios can help us to identify areas requiring further investigation. * The usefulness of ratio depends on the quality of the numbers in their calculation. That is our ability to draw useful insights and make valid intercompany co mparisons is enhanced by our skill in adjusting reported numbers prior to inclusion in these analyses. * Ratios are interpretable only in comparison with 1) Prior ratios 2) Predetermined standards. 3) Ratios of competitors.Ratio analysis of a firm’s financial statements is of interest to shareholders, creditors, and the firm’s management. Stockholders are interested in the firm’s current and future level of risk and return, which directly affect the stock price. The firm’s creditors are primarily interested in the short-term liquidity of the company and in its ability to make interest and principal payments. Internal management is concerned with all aspects of the firm’s financial performance. Therefore, they attempt to produce financial ratios that will be considered favorable to both owners and creditors.Additionally, management uses ratios to monitor the firm’s performance from period to period. Unexpected changes or variances are identif ied to isolate developing problem areas. IMPORTANCE OF RATIO ANALYSIS Ratio analysis does two things, immediately. The first thing is it allows the company to compare itself with other like companies. If management feels things aren't going well, they can help pinpoint the problem through comparing their ratios with other companies. They may have several ratios that are comparable, but a couple which are way off. That might be where the problem is.Also, ratio analysis may help by comparing your company with prior periods. If a particular ratio is declining when it would be better if it were staying the same or increasing, then again looking at the ratios are important to find out where the problem lies. Ratios are important to spot trends easily. Types of ratios: Ratios can be classified into six broad groups: 1. Liquidity ratios 2. Capital structure/ leverage ratios 3. Profitability ratios 4. Activity/ efficiency ratios 5. Integrated analysis of ratios 6. Growth ratios. 1. Liquidit y Ratios: It is the ability of a firm to satisfy its short- term obligations as they become due.The importance of adequate liquidity in the sense of the ability of a firm to meet current / short –term obligations when they become due for payment can hardly be overstressed. a) Current Ratio: Current Ratio is the ratio between Current Assets and Current Liabilities. It calculated by dividing Current Assets by Current Liabilities. Current assets include all assets, which can convert easily into near money within a year. Current assets include cash in hand, cash at bank, debtors, stock, and money at short or call notice etc. Current liabilities are the sum of all hort-term payables within a year, which include Sundry Creditors, Bills payable, Bank overdraft, Expenses outstanding etc. the current ratio of a firm measures its short term solvency that is, its ability to meet short-term obligations. As a measure of short-term current financial liquidity, it indicates the amount of cu rrent assets available for each amount of current liability. Formula for finding current ratio is given below. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities Significance of the ratio Current ratio provides a margin of safety to the creditors.In a sound business, a current ratio of 2:1 is considered an ideal one. Current ratio indicates firm’s ability to pay its current liabilities, i. e. day-to-day financial obligation. Current ratio is an index of the firm’s financial stability i. e. , an index of technical solvency and an index of the strength of working capital, which means excess of current assets over current liabilities. Higher ratio more than 2:1 indicates sound solvency position. Lower ratio less then 2:1 indicates inadequate working capital. b) Quick ratio: Quick ratio is also known as liquid ratio or Acid test ratio.Quick ratio shows the liquidity of the business. Quick ratio is the ratio between quick a ssets and quick liabilities. The term quick asset refers to current assets, which can be converted into, cash immediately or at a short notice without diminution of value. Quick assets comprise of all current assets minus stock and pre paid expenses. The formula to find quick ratio is as follows. Quick Assets = Current assets – (Stock + Prepaid expenses) Quick Assets = Current assets – (Stock + Prepaid expenses) Quick liabilities comprises of all current liabilities minus Bank over draft.Quick Ratio = Quick assets / Quick Liabilities Quick Ratio = Quick assets / Quick Liabilities The formula is shown below: Quick Ratio = Quick assets/Current Liabilities Quick Ratio = Quick assets/Current Liabilities Significance of the ratio It is the true test of business solvency. Generally an acid test ratio of 1:1 considered as satisfactory, by that a firm can easily meet all current claims. Higher ratio more than 1:1 indicates sound and good financial position. If the ratio is les s then 1:1, that is, liquid assets are less than current liabilities, the financial position of the concern shall be deemed to be unsound.This ratio gives a picture of firm’s ability to meet its short-term debts out of short-term assets. If less the quick ratio, higher the incidence of inventory in inflating the current ratio and higher is quick ratio, the incidence of inventory in inflating the current ratio is less. c) Net working capital: Working capital is the lifeblood of the business. Working capital refers to that part of the firm’s capital, which is used for financing short term or current assets, such as, cash, marketable securities, debtors, inventories, bills receivables etc. n a narrow sense, the term working capital refers to the net working capital. Net working capital is the excess of current assets over current liabilities. Net working capital = Current assets – Current liabilities Net working capital = Current assets – Current liabilities d) Turnover ratios: It measures the speed with which various accounts /assets are converted into sales or cash. It is concerned with measuring the efficiency in asset management. These ratios are also called efficiency ratios or asset utilization ratios. The liquidity ratios mentioned above are related to the liquidity of a firm as a whole.Another way of examining the liquidity is to determine how quickly certain current assets are converted into cash. The ratios to measure these are referred to as turnover ratio. The three relevant turnover ratios are, 1. Inventory turnover ratio: This ratio is also known as stock velocity. This ratio calculated to consider the adequacy of the quantum of capital and its justification for investing in inventory. A firm must have reasonable stock in comparison to sales. It is the ratio of cost of sales and average inventory. This ratio helps the finance manager to evaluate inventory policy.This ratio reveals the number of times finished Inventory tu rnover Ratio = Cost of sales/Average inventory Inventory turnover Ratio = Cost of sales/Average inventory 2. Debtors’ turnover ratio: Debtor’s turnover ratio is also called ‘Debtors velocity’ or ‘Receivables turnover’. A firm sells goods on credit and basis. When the firm extends its customers, book debts are created in the firms account. Debtors are expected to convert into cash over a short period, so it included in current assets. Debtors include the amount of bills receivables and book debts at the end of accounting period.It is a test to understand the reasonable quantitative relationship between outstanding receivables and sales. Financial analysts employ two ratios to judge the quality or liquidity of the Debtors turnover and Average collection period. Debtor’s turnover is found by dividing total sales by sundry debtors. Formula to find debtors turnover ratio is given below Debtors turnover = Total sales/Sundry debtors Debtors tu rnover = Total sales/Sundry debtors 3. Creditors’ turnover ratio: It is a ratio between net credit purchases and the average amount of creditors outstanding during the year.It is calculated as follows: Creditors turnover ratio= net credit purchases / average creditors Creditors turnover ratio= net credit purchases / average creditors Net credit purchases= gross credit purchases – returns to suppliers Net credit purchases= gross credit purchases – returns to suppliers Average creditors= average of creditors (including bills payable) outstanding at the beginning and at the end of the year Average creditors= average of creditors (including bills payable) outstanding at the beginning and at the end of the yearA low turnover ratio reflects liberal credit terms granted by suppliers, while a high ratio shows that accounts are to be settled rapidly. The creditor’s turnover ratio is an important tool of analysis as a firm can reduce its requirement of current asse ts by relying on supplier’s credit. The extent to which trade creditors are willing to wait for payment can be approximated by the creditor’s turnover ratio. Defensive – Interval Ratios: It is the ratio between quick assets and projected daily cash requirement. Defensive – interval ratios = Liquid assets /projected daily cash requirementDefensive – interval ratios = Liquid assets /projected daily cash requirement Projected daily cash requirement=projected cash operating expenditure/number of days in a year Projected daily cash requirement=projected cash operating expenditure/number of days in a year Cash Flow From Operations Ratio: Cash flow from operations ratio= Cash flow from operations/ current liabilities Cash flow from operations ratio= Cash flow from operations/ current liabilities This ratio measures liquidity of a firm by comparing actual cash flows from operations with current liability. It is calculated as per equationBeing a cash measur e, the ratio does not encounter the problems of actual convertibility of current assets and the need for maintaining minimum levels of these assets. In general, the higher the ratio, the better is a firm from the point of view of liquidity. 2. CAPITAL STRUCTURE /LEVERAGE RATIOS: The long term lenders/creditors would judge the soundness of a firm on the basis of the long term financial strength measured in terms of its ability to pay the interest regularly as well as repay the installment of the principal on due dates or in one lump sum at the time of maturity.The long term solvency of a firm can be examined by using leverage or capital structure ratios. It may be defined as financial ratios which throw light on the long term solvency of a firm as reflected in its ability to assure the long term lenders with regard to (1) Periodic payment of interest during the period of the loan and (2) Repayment of principal on maturity or in predetermined installments at due dates Ratios based on relationship between borrowed funds and owner’ capital: A. Debt –equity ratio:The financing of total assets of a business concern is done by owner’s equity as well as outsider’s debts. The relationship between borrowed funds and owner’s capital is a popular measure of long-term financial solvency of a firm. The relationship is shown by the debt equity ratio. This ratio indicates the relative proportions of debts and equity in financing the assets of a firm the formula we use is Total long-term debts by Shareholders fund. Total long-term debts include mortgage loans, long term loans; debentures etc. hare holders fund includes Preference share holders, Equity share holders, capital reserve, revenue reserve etc. Debt equity ratio = Total long term funds/Share holders fund Debt equity ratio = Total long term funds/Share holders fund Significance of the ratio: Acceptable norm for this ratio is considered to be 2:1. A higher debt-equity ratio is allowed in the case of capital-intensive industries, a norm of 4:1 is used for fertilizer and cement units and a norm of 6:1 is used for shipping units. A high ratio shows that the claims of creditors are greater han that of owners. A very high ratio is unfavourable from the firm’s point of view. A high debt company, also known as highly leveraged or geared, is able to borrow funds on very restrictive terms and conditions. A low debt-equity ratio implies greater claim of owners then creditors. From the point of view of creditors, it represents a satisfactory capital structure of the business since a high proportion of equity provides a larger margin of safety for them. This ratio shows the extent to which debt financing is used in the business. Debt –assets ratio:Another approach to calculating the debt to capital ratio is to relate the total debt to the total assets of the firm. The total debt of the firm comprises long- term debt plus current liabilities. The total assets co nsist of permanent capital plus current liabilities. Thus, Debt to total assets/capital ratio= total debt/ total assets Debt to total assets/capital ratio= total debt/ total assets c) Equity assets ratio: Still another variant of the debt/equity ratio is to relate the owner’s/proprietor’s funds with total assets. This is called the proprietary ratio.The ratio indicates the proportion of total assets financed by owners. Symbolically, it is equal to: Proprietary ratio = Proprietor’s funds / total assets x 100 Proprietary ratio = Proprietor’s funds / total assets x 100 Proprietary Fund to Fixed Assets Proprietary ratio relates shareholders’ funds to total assets. It is a variant of debt equity ratio. This ratio shows long term or future of the business. It calculated by dividing shareholders funds by the total assets. Proprietary ratio = shareholders funds/ Fixed assets Proprietary ratio = shareholders funds/ Fixed assets Preference share capital and equity share capital plus all reserves and surplus items are called shareholders fund. Total assets include all assets including goodwill. Significance of the ratio: The acceptable norm for the ratio is 1: 3. The ratio shows the general strength of the company. It is very important to creditors as it helps to find out the proportion of shareholders funds in the total assets used in the business. Higher ratio indicates a secured position to creditors and a low ratio indicates greater risk to creditors. Proprietary ratio is also analysis in the following manner Ratio of current assets to proprietor’s funds:It shows the relationship between current assets and Shareholders funds. The purpose of this ratio is to calculate the percentage of shareholders funds invested in current assets. It found by dividing current assets by proprietors funds. Significance of the ratio This ratio can be expressed in percentage or as a proportion. Different industries are using different norms and h ence the ratio should be carefully used. c) Coverage ratios: It measures the firm’s ability to pay certain fixed charges. These ratios are computed from information available in the profit and loss account.For a normal firm, in the ordinary course of business, the claims of creditors are not met out of the sale proceeds of the permanent assets of the firm. The obligations of a firm are normally met out of the earning or operating profits. 1. Interest coverage ratio: It measures the firm’s ability to make contractual interest payments. Interest coverage = EBIT / interest Interest coverage = EBIT / interest It is also known as ‘time-interest- earned ratio’. This ratio measures the debt servicing capacity of a firm insofar as fixed interest on long term loan is concerned.It is determined by dividing the operating profits or earnings before interest and taxes by the fixed interest charges on loans. 2. Dividend coverage ratio: It measures the ability of a firm to pay dividend on preference shares which carry a stated rate of return. This ratio is the ratio of net profits after taxes and the amount of preference dividend. Thus, Dividend coverage ratio = EAT/ PREFERENCE DIVIDEND Dividend coverage ratio = EAT/ PREFERENCE DIVIDEND 3. Total fixed charges coverage ratio: It measures the firm’s ability to meet all fixed payment obligations.The total coverage ratio has a wider scope and takes into account all the committed fixed obligations of a firm, that is, 1) Interest on loan 2) Preference dividend 3) Lease payments 4) Repayment of principal Symbolically, Total fixed charges coverage ratio = EBIT + Lease payment/ interest + lease payment + (preference dividend + installment of principal) / (1-t) Total fixed charges coverage ratio = EBIT + Lease payment/ interest + lease payment + (preference dividend + installment of principal) / (1-t) . Cash flow coverage ratio: Total cash flow coverage = EBIT+ lease payments + depreciation + non-cash expenses / lease payment + interest + (principal repayment)/(1-t) + (preference dividend)/ (1-t) Total cash flow coverage = EBIT+ lease payments + depreciation + non-cash expenses / lease payment + interest + (principal repayment)/(1-t) + (preference dividend)/ (1-t) The overall ability of a firm to service outside liabilities is truly reflected in the total cash flow coverage ratio: the higher the coverage, the better is the ability 5. Debt services coverage ratio:Debt service capability is the ability of a firm to make the contractual payments required on a scheduled basis over the life of the debt. It is considered a more comprehensive and apt measure to compute debt service capacity of a business firm. It provides the value in terms of the number of times the total debt service obligations consisting of interest and repayment of principal in installments are covered by the total operating funds available after the payment of taxes: Earnings after taxes, EAT + interest + depreci ation + other non – cash expenditure like amortization. 3.Profitability ratios: The profitability of a firm can be measured by its profitability ratio. Apart from the creditors, both short-term and long terms, also interested in the financial soundness of a firm are the owners and the management or the company itself. The management of the firm is naturally eager to measure its operating efficiency. Similarly the owners invest their funds in the expectation of reasonable returns. The operating efficiency of a firm and its ability to ensure adequate returns to its shareholders/ owners depends ultimately on the profits earned by it. a) Gross Profit Ratio:Gross profit is the result of the relationship between prices, sales volume and costs. It measures the percentage of each sales rupee remaining after the firm has paid for its goods. A change in the gross margin can be brought about by changes in any of these factors. The gross margin represents the limit beyond which fall in s ales prices are outside the tolerance limit. Further, the gross profit ratio/ margin can also be used in determining the extent of loss caused by theft, spoilage, damage, and so on in the case of these firms which follow the policy of fixed gross profit margin in pricing their products.A high ratio of gross profit to sales is a sign of good management as it implies that the cost of production of the firm is relatively low. It may also be indicative of a higher sales price without a corresponding increase in the cost of goods sold. It is also likely that cost of sales might have declined without a corresponding decline in sales price. A relatively low gross margin is definitely a danger signal, warranting and careful and detailed analysis of the factors responsible for it. Gross profit ratio= gross profit x 100 Sales Gross profit ratio= gross profit x 100Sales Net profit ratio: It measures the percentage of each sales rupee remaining after all costs and expenses including interest an d taxes have been deducted. The net profit margin is indicative of management’s ability to operate the business with sufficient success not only to recover from revenues of the period, the cost of merchandise or services, the expenses of operating the business (including depreciation) and the cost of the borrowed funds, but also to leave a margin of reasonable compensation to the owners for providing their capital at risk.The ratios of net profit (after interest and taxes) to sales essentially express the cost price effectiveness of the operation. A high net profit margin would ensures adequate return to the owners as well as enable a firm to withstand adverse economic conditions when selling price is declining, cost of production is rising and demand for the product is falling. A low net profit margin has the opposite implications. Net profit ratio = Net profit x 100 Sales Net profit ratio = Net profit x 100 Sales a. Return on capital employed: The ROCE is the second type of ROI.Here the profits are related to the total capital employed. The term capital employed refers to long- term funds supplied by the lenders and owners of the firm. It can be computed in two ways. First, it is equal to non –current liabilities (long term liabilities) plus owners’ equity. Return on capital employed= Net profit x100 Capital employed Return on capital employed= Net profit x100 Capital employed SUMMARY OF FINDINGSRatio analysis is an important tool for financial statement analysis. Here we studied various ratios relating to measurement of the financial performance such as current ratio, quick ratio, debt equity ratio, proprietary ratio, gross profit ratio etc. In the previous chapter we made a detailed analysis of the Angel Broking Limited from 2005 to 2009. The major findings are given below * The study shows there is a continuous changes in the current ratio and also it is not satisfactory when compare to actual standard of 2:1. * Current ratio in the year 2005, it is showing 1. 5% and later on it went on increasing way i. e. in 2006 – 1. 44%, 2007 – 1. 36, 2008-1. 37%. * Current ratio in past three years it was getting to meet the standard, but in the year of 2009 again it went down to 1. 07%. * The quick ratio for this company is same as mentioned in the above table. Because as there is no inventory and prepaid expenses to deduct in this company as it is insurance company we cannot find inventory. * The study shows that the net working capital in the company is Rs. 52,669,000 in 2005, Rs. 1,182,432,000 in 2006, in 2007 – Rs. ,420,039,000, in 2008 – Rs. 2,324,559,000 and in 2009 again it decreased to Rs. 614,591,000. * The study shows that the debt equity ratio is satisfactory from the creditors point of view that is in the year 2005 the percentage of ratio is 2. 65%, in 2006 – 3. 73%, in the year 2007 – 5. 50%, in 2008- 6. 33% and in 2009 it is 5. 29%. * The study shows that the propri etary ratio to fixed assets is 2005- 4. 37%, 2006- 10. 53%, 2007- 11. 36%, 2008- 9. 96%, 2009- 12. 73%. * The study shows that the proprietary ratio to current ratio is in 2005-2. 79%, 2006- 1. 64%, 2007- 1. 5%, 2008- 1. 55%, 2009- 1. 91%. * The study shows that gross profit ratio of the company was went on decreasing but it is recovering from more loss to less loss and the percentage of ratio is, in the year 2005 is -0. 13%, in 2006 it is -0. 08%, in 2007 it is -0. 04%, in 2008 it is -0. 05%, in 2009 it is -0. 09% * The study shows that the net loss was went on decreasing from the year 2005 to 2008. But in the year 2009 it has incurred more loss than 2006, 2007, and 2008 but less than 2005 (i. e. 2005 = -0. 27, 2006= -. 20, 2007= -. 16, 2008= -0. 14, 2009= -0. 2) * The study shows that the return on capital employed is not good because every year it is earning negative returns and also the percentage of negative returns went on increasing way (i. e. 2005= -58. 80%, 2006= -49. 99%, 2007= -52. 88%, 2008= -51. 90%, 2009= -64. 62%. CHAPTER 5 SWOT ANALYSIS 5. 1 Strengths * It is a pioneer in online trading with a turn over of Rs. 220. 5 billion and Over 6810 sub-Brokers ; Business Associates. * Angel Broking provides multi-channel access to all its customers through a strong online presence with www. angelbroking. om,144 share shops in all over India and a call-center based Dial-n-Trade facility. Nation-wide network of 21 Regional Hubs Presence in 124 cities. * Above 6th lakh client in all over India * 100+ member research ; advisory team comprises of experienced fundamental and technical analyst, sector specialist, derivative strategists. * Angel Broking has dedicated research teams for fundamental and technical research, which constantly track the pulse of the market and provide timely investment advice free of cost to its clients which has a strike rate of 70-80%. Angel Broking Ltd. Announced that it is planning to invest around INR 300 million this financial y ear for expanding its branch network. The company is looking to invest around INR 250-300 million in this financial year for expanding its network by 50 branches. * The company has been increasing at a compounded growth rate of 100% every year. 5. 2 Weakness * Localized presence due to insufficient investments for countrywide expansion. * Lack of awareness among customers because of non-aggressive promotional strategies (print media, newspapers, etc). Lesser emphasis on customer retention. * Focuses more on HNIs than retail investors which results in meager market-share as compared to close competitors. * Not listed in stock exchange. 5. 3 Opportunities * With the booming capital market it can successfully launch new services and raise its client’s base. * It can easily tap the retail investors with small saving through promotional channels like print media, electronic media, etc. * As interest on fixed deposits with post office and banks are all time low, more and more small investors are entering into stock market. Abolition of long-term capital gain tax on shares and reduction in short term capital gain is making stock market as hot destination for investment among small investors. * Angel Stock Broking Ltd. plans to finalize INR 2 billion – INR 2. 5 billion fund raising plans between December 2009 and March 2010. Dinesh Thakkar, Angel Broking’s CMD said, â€Å"We are got active interest from the US and UK-based institutions. We are open to diluting a significant stake. † * Increasing usage of Internet through broadband connectivity may boost a whole new breed of investors for trading in securities. . 4 Threats * Aggressive promotional strategies by close competitors may hamper Angel Broking’s acceptance by new clients. * Lack of sufficient branch-offices for speedy delivery of services. * More and more players are venturing into this domain, which can further reduce the earnings of Angel Stock Broking Ltd. CHAPTER 6 CONCL USION ; SUGGESTIONS 6. 1 Conclusion On the basis of the study it is found that Angel Broking Ltd. is better services provider than the other stockbrokers because of their timely research and personalized advice on what stocks to buy and sell.Angel Broking Ltd. provides the facility of Trade tiger as well as relationship manager facility for encouragement and protects the interest of the investors. It also provides the information through the internet and mobile alerts that what IPO’s are coming in the market and it also provides its research on the future prospect of the IPO. Study also concludes that people are not much aware of commodity market and while it’s going to be biggest market in India.From the above survey and observation it is found that most of the people who are trading in share market belongs to the employee group, next comes the business men and other class of income people. As the share market value goes on increasing day by day the investor who wants to invest in shares also increasing. But investing in shares is as risky as earning yield. Trading in online trading firm is easy as it all delivered with internet and within a few minutes the customer can buy and sell shares which save time as well as reduction of paper work.Hence trading in share market is increasing day by day and investors are ready to invest their investment in share market only. I got the knowledge about the customer’s needs and their references for having a particular product. The need of customers differs from person to person, area, locality and occupation. Customer always wants more service by paying less. They expect all the information such less rates, less brokerages, highly returns and better service level without delay. W