The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas - 1402 Words

Young adult literature such as The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, emphasizes teenagers using both their actions and their voices to overcome injustices such as racial inequality and police brutality. Racial inequality and police brutality is discussed greatly throughout The Hate U Give, due to the difficulties the protagonist, Starr Carter, endures when her best friend, Khalil, is killed because of him being African American and situated in an unsafe neighborhood. Starr embraces an inner conflict with herself in regards to speaking up and taking action against the presented injustices she constantly faces. The author, Laura M. Robinson, of Girlness and Guyness: Gender Trouble in Young Adult Literature thoroughly explains why adolescents are†¦show more content†¦The feeling of being judged for the experiences an individual faces can be detrimental to the person s personality by that these experiences result in you trying to become someone you are not so that you hide what socie ty feels is your flaw, your race. Starr lives in two completely separate worlds, Garden Heights and the area surrounding Williamson High School. These two worlds hinders Starr’s ability to voice her opinions and thoughts about anything because in both of these areas there is this fear of overstepping boundaries. Overstepping boundaries in either area causes an individual to become threatened, for example, in Garden Heights, Starr silences herself whenever she is around gang members because she is frightened that the gang members will harm both her and her family for her opinions. Starr silences herself when she is at Williamson High School, especially since she is one out of the few African Americans that attends there, because her opinion is outnumbered by the majority of the population who are either ignorant about the issues that affects Starr’s race or cares less to even hear issues that occurs to others beside them. Starr’s race had contributed to this fear of her speaking out because there was this idea that minorities, AfricanShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Angie Thomass The Hate U Give786 Words   |  4 Pagescreatives is New York Times best-selling author Angie Thomas. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The riveting tale is about a 16-year-old named Starr who witnesses her childhood friend get killed by a cop. As Starr navigates the two worlds she lives in — her poor neighborhood and her affluent private school — she struggles with the effects of witnessing the death of a childhood friend. Not only is The Hate U Give a timely message in today’s society, but it’s

Willy Loman as Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman as Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Everybody feels the penetrating presence of fear throughout life. However, people’s reactions to this fear separate the brave souls from the cowards. Mark Twain once said, Courage is resistance to fear; mastery of fear, not absence of fear (Twain 6). In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman fears rejection by his son, Biff, and the business world. His fears master him, creating in him a fantasy world of life as it was eighteen years ago. Willy’s avoidance of reality and his suicide show his cowardice. However, the emphasis he puts on financial success prevents him from realizing the consequences that his suicide would create. Willy’s refusal to face†¦show more content†¦Willy believes that his family will appreciate the twenty thousand dollars insurance money they will receive as a result of his death. However, his motives involve more than helping with finances. Willy thinks his funeral will prove his greatness to Biff. In a daydream, Willy tells his brother, Ben, That funeral will be massive! . . . He’ll see what I am, Ben! He’s in for a shock, that boy! (Miller 1275). Willy disregards the fact that establishing a relationship with Biff will affect him more than money. His cowardice causes him to believe that suicide is the only way to gain his son’s respect. Throughout the play, Willy’s ideas of happiness prevent him from realizing that his acts are cowardly. To him, financial success embodies happiness. His comparisons of himself to others show his idealizations. Mainly, he idolizes Ben, who walked into Africa at age seventeen and walked out four years later as a wealthy man. Willy also compares himself to Dave Singleman, a salesman he met on the road early in his career. Dave prospered as a salesman even at age eighty-four. Willy asks his boss, Howard, What could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people? (Miller 1251). Due to his belief that money creates happiness, Willy feels that money will mend the brokenShow MoreRelated Willy Loman Died a Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman880 Words   |  4 PagesWilly Loman Died a Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman   Ã‚   In his early sixties he knows his business as well as he ever did. But the unsubstantial things have become decisive; the spring has gone from his step, the smile from his face and the heartiness from his personality. He is through. The phantom of his life has caught up with him. As literally as Mr. Miller can say it, dust turns to dust. Suddenly, there is nothing (Internet 1). 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At this critical point in Willie’s existence, his oldest son Biff has returned home for a visit, and Willie’s old desire for his son to be a traditional success in life is rekindled. But the old tensionsRead MoreWilly Loman : the Tragedy of the American Dream2717 Words   |  11 PagesWilly Loman : The Tragedy of the American Dream Prosperity, job security, hard work and family union are some of the concepts that involve the American Dream, generally speaking. Some people think this dream is something automatically granted; or in contrast, as in the story Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller, as something that has to be achieved in order to be successful in life. The play takes issues with those in America who place too much stress on material gain, instead ofRead MoreUnethical Dreams in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gasby1930 Words   |  8 Pagescame in. 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Strategic Human Resource Management Operations

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Human Resource Managementfor Operations. Answer: Introduction Accenture is a global management consulting and professional services company that provides consultancy services to its clients in the field of technology, strategy, operations, etc. The company is a part of the Fortune Global 500 company and has an approximate workforce of 394,000 employees as of 2016. In a recent tide of events, the company decided to put an end to its performance reviews and bring a massive change in its internal operations. The reason for dropping the performance reviews is that the system of reviews failed to fulfil its objective of promoting better staff performance. The firm plans to switch to a system in which all the employees will receive regular feedback from their superiors. Is Dropping the Performance Reviews a Good Idea for Accenture? As discussed above, Accenture is one of the worlds top companies with a lot of capabilities in the consultancy sector. The company has been developing technological solutions for its clients that have helped its clients in increasing their performance levels and becoming more competitive. The company is so efficient in its field that 82% of the employees at Accenture say that their workplace is great. Further, 89% of the employees working at Accenture feel that the management is competent at running the business while 88% of the employees feel that the management is honest and ethical in its business practice (Accenture, n.d.). Therefore, the decision taken by the management to switch to a new performance management system is definitely a calculated move and must have a reason behind it. The decision to drop the performance reviews at Accenture is a great idea for the company because: First of all, the company came to realize that the system, which the company was using to measure the performance of its employees, was not successful as it failed to fulfil its sole objective of promoting better staff performance. It has been found that sometimes, the system of measuring performance can be dysfunctional and can cause greater harm to the performance levels of a company than the benefits of an efficient performance management system (Spekla Verbeeten, 2014). Secondly, the firm itself had doubts related with the efficiency of the system and wanted to switch to a more fluid system of measuring performance that would include receiving regular feedback from the superiors. Thirdly, the company also discovered that the performance review system that it had been using in the past was resulting in a wastage of a lot of important resources. Conducting annual appraisals required a lot of time, money and the entire workforce had to put in a lot of efforts to make it happen. Thu s, this system of performance reviews was getting far beyond the reach of the management and it was becoming difficult for the management to manage such a complex system. Fourthly, the company realised itself the the system of performance reviews was dysfunctional in itself. A system that comprises of forcing rankings along some distribution curve could not be efficient because it might foster a negative feeling amongst those employees who had contributed a lot of their efforts towards the achievement of the organisational goals and objectives throughout the year (Klikauer, 2016). The company also believes that it should place its trust in the employees that it had recruited in the first place and should not undertake strategies where their efforts are reviewed again and again. Rather, the management at Accenture wants to provide freedom, authority and delegation to innovate to all the employees because the company itself has recruited the best possible fits for filling up its workp lace. On the overall, the decision of the company to drop its ongoing system of performance management is a good yet strong decision even though it might involve bringing about a major change in the entire organisation. It is very important for a global company like Accenture to discover redundancies in its operations and human resource management and remove them so that it can minimise its operational costs and can avoid wastage of important resources, which will ultimately help the company in becoming more competitive and efficient. Future Impacts of the Change on the Company Accenture has planned to take a very bold move that will make the entire organisation go through a major makeover that will definitely have some impacts on the company in the future. The company has valid reasons that are forcing it to undertake such a major step and undertaking such a step might also allow the company to bring down its operational costs and save a lot of resources that were earlier being directed towards the performance management system. Although, the results might be in favour of the company to a certain extent, the company might face a number of problems in the longer run that can cost the company more than it is intended to save through its bold move. The issues that might end up increasing the cost of the company because of the change being introduced are discussed below: First of all, a lack of performance ratings can result into decreased job engagement amongst the employees. For an organisation to perform better, it is a must that the employees of the company are engaged in their work and measuring their performance along with an appraisal system is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. The move of Accenture to drop its system of performance rating might reduce the level of employee engagement in the company and bring down the overall productivity and efficiency of the company in the longer run (Adler, et al., 2016). Secondly, another major benefit of having performance ratings and performance appraisals is that it provides an exceptional framework for the company that helps it in analysing the lacking skills in the employees. Using performance measurement systems, companies are able to diagnose the areas where its employees lack competencies and are required to be trained or developed in those areas in order to improve their efficiency. If th e company drops its performance measurement system altogether, it might not be able to assess the training and development needs of its employees in the near future and will lose the ability to continuously increase the competencies of its workforce. Thirdly, many employees are themselves in favour of performance management systems as performance ratings by the management allows them to assess their competencies and compare their performances with benchmarks fixed by themselves. In absence of a performance measurement system, the employees might not be able to identify the areas where they need to improve and might lose interest in their jobs (Chatterji, Durand, Levine, Touboul, 2016). Fourthly, another major benefit of analysing the performance of the employees is that it helps the management in succession planning. It becomes easier for the management to identify employees that have the potential to take up higher positions in the organisation in the future using a system that me asures their performances. In absence of a performance rating system, it might become difficult for the management to identify the employees having the right potential to move up in the organisational hierarchy and the company might also face difficulties in fulfilling its human resource demands internally. Lastly, a major issue that the management might face is related to the motivation level amongst the employees. One of the reasons why organisations use performance management systems is to keep the employees motivated by associating the system with some kind of rewards, such as increase in pay, promotion, etc. but in absence of a performance management system, the employees might feel demotivated and show a decline in the performance level (Gomes Romo, 2014). The above mentioned issues can definitely result in a decline in the overall productivity and efficiency of the company and the organisation might end up paying more than the costs that it intended to save by dropping its performance measurement system. Recommendations for Future Performance measurement Performance management system is a necessary evil that every company has to execute to manage its human resources appropriately. Though performance management systems are time consuming and require a lot of resources but they are also very important from the perspective of human resource management. Therefore, the company should not give up on performance ratings or management altogether as it might cause some serious issues in the near future. some recommendations that the company can use to monitor, assess and improve the performance of its employees effectively is discussed below: 360-Degree Performance Review: As evident from the case itself, the company wants to drop its performance management system and switch to a system where it can evaluate the performance of its employees on the basis of their individual role and performance. Thus, a 360-degree performance review will be one of the best options for the company. In a 360-degree performance feedback system is a process in which employees receive anonymous and confidential feedback about their performance from people who are around them. In such a system, all people i.e. managers, peers, juniors, etc. provide a performance feedback (Karkouliana, Assakera, Hallakb, 2016). In a system where an employees superiors, colleagues, subordinates and even customers provide feedback about the performance of an employee, the results obtained are better and have a higher accuracy. Some advantages of a 360-degree feedback system are discussed below: It will allow the company to have a performance feedback of an employee that is more accurate and reliable (Aggarwal, Sundar, Thakur, 2013) It provides an excellent framework for the employees that can help them in increasing self-awareness as it provides a detailed account of their strengths and weaknesses (Buckingham Goodall, 2015) Using a 360 degree feedback system will also allow the company to continue to assess the training and development needs of the employees even if it drops its system of performance ratings A 360 degree feedback system will provide multiply rated feedback about the employees that would allow the employees to uncover blind spots in their behaviour. A 360 degree feedback system is a relatively new concept that a lot of business organisations have started to implement in their workplace because of its potential to improve their system of performance measurement. This system has a greater efficiency than the traditional performance management systems and also require less resources for executing it. Thus, Accenture can also assess the potential of this system in accordance with its workplace conditions and replace its previous performance management system with a 360 degree feedback system in order to achieve better end results. Conclusion Accenture is one of the top global companies in the world and has been able to achieve this success because of its efficient management techniques and a high performing workforce. The decision of the company to put an end to its time and resource consuming performance management system that was not helping the company in achieving its primary objective of boosting employee performance is definitely a calculated move but the lack of a performance management system might have some serious implications for the company in the longer run. Therefore, the management of the company should definitely come up with a simpler and a more effective performance management system, such as 360 degree feedback, so that it can increase its overall efficiency and can become more competent. Bibliography Accenture. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2017, from reviews.greatplacetowork.com: https://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/accenture Spekla, R. F., Verbeeten, F. H. (2014, June 02). The use of performance measurement systems in the public sector: Effects on performance. Management Accounting Research, 25(2), 131-146. Klikauer, T. (2016, October 19). Eight fatal flaws of performance management. Chatterji, A. K., Durand, R., Levine, D. I., Touboul, S. (2016, August). Do ratings of firms converge? Implications for managers, investors and strategy researchers. Strategic Management Journal, 37(8), 1597-1614. Adler, S., Campion, M., Colquitt, A., Grubb, A., Kevin Murphy, R. O.-K., Pulakos, E. D. (2016, June). Getting Rid of Performance Ratings: Genius or Folly? A Debate. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 9(2), 219-252. Gomes, J., Romo, M. (2014). Advantages And Limitations Of Performance Measurement Tools: The Balanced Scorecard. Smith, M., Bititci, U. S. (2016). Interplay between performance measurement and management, employee engagement and performance . International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Karkouliana, S., Assakera, G., Hallakb, R. (2016, May 5). An empirical study of 360-degree feedback, organizational justice, and firm sustainability. Journal of Business Research, 69(5). Aggarwal, A., Sundar, G., Thakur, M. (2013, February 2013). Techniques of Performance Appraisal-A Review. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 2(3). Buckingham, M., Goodall, A. (2015, April). Reinventing Performance Management. Harvard Business Review. Mone, E. M., London, M. (2014). Employee Engagement Through Effective Performance Management: A Practical Guide For Managers.

Life of Pi Preparation Questions free essay sample

Life of Pi: Yann Martel Analytical questions for holiday work. 1. Read the book carefully and respond to the following question. 2. Some questions will only make sense to students who have already read the book. Students reading it for the first time should leave spaces in order to develop responses after your reading and during class. 3. Also, make sure that you develop a list of question as you read so you can move beyond being the passive reader to the actively involved reader. You will be given a knowledge test on the novel during the first week of Term 3 so be prepared!!!! Author’s Note (remember that this is the fictional persona created by Martel) 1. What is the writer/author’s intent in this section? 2. Describe the author’s character. Give specific examples to support your interpretation. 3. What is the relevance of the reference to Kierkergaard? (research this philosopher) 4. What is the significance of the reference to the French colonization of Pondicherry? 5. We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Pi Preparation Questions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What will supposedly make the author believe in God? 6. Consider the significance of the word â€Å"bamboozle† within the context of this novel. Part 1: Toronto and Pondicherry Chapter 1 * Consider the significances of Pi’s double major in Zoology and Religious studies? * In what ways does Patel allude to his suffering and the influence that suffering has had on him. Many of Pi’s anecdotes relate to human’s cruelty to each other. * How does the description of the survival of the three toed sloth foreshadow other events in the story? * Consider the significance of Pi’s loyalty to both India and Canada. * Discuss his memory of Richard Parker Chapter 2 1. Why is this chapter written in italics? How is Pi depicted at this stage in his life? Chapter 3 1. What is the significance of Pi’s name and how is swimming connected to the survival story? Chapter 4 1. Discuss Pi’s fascination with animal behaviour and interaction and the similarities he draws between humans. 2. Why does he think that animals are better off in a zoo? Chapter 5 1. What is a Sihk? p. 20 (research the religion) 2. Discuss 4 p. 20 3. What does Pi’s focus on his name tell us about his character and what possible significance can this name have in relation to the main ideas in the novel? Chapter 6 1. Why is the author focussing on Pi’s present preoccupation with food? 2. What is the â€Å"siege† of Leningrad†? p. 25 Chapter 7 1. Research Mendel and Darwin p. 26 Why are they relevant in this story 2. How is Mr. Kumar’s atheism expressed? 3. What is Pi’s response to agnostics? p. 28 Chapter 8 1. Discuss Pi’s comments re the danger of animals and the cruelty of humans. 2. What is anthropomorphism? 3. What lesson does Mr Patel teach Ravi and Pi and why? Chapter 9 1. How does this chapter foreshadow the training of Richard Parker? Chapter 10 1. How does Pi’s anecdote about the escaped animal link to Richard Parker? 2. Discuss the significance of Pi’s description of madness. Chapter 11 * What is the relevance of this chapter? Chapter 12 * Why does the writer refer to Pi’s preferences in food? Chapter 13 14 1. What does Pi’s description of lion taming add to our understanding of the deeper issues in this story? . Chapter 15 1. What is significant about the descriptions of religious images in Pi’s house Chapter 16 1. Discuss Pi’s religious development. Complete some research on the Hindu religion. . Chapter 17 1. Discuss Pi’s fascination with the Christian religion. Chapter 18, 19 20 1. .Discuss Pi’s introduction and consequent responses to the Islamic religion. Chapter 21 1. Discuss the nature of the author’s reflections on Pi’s experiences of religion. Chapter 22 1. . What is the relevance in this brief chapter of Pi’s reflection on atheists and agnostics? Chapter 23 1. What different views of god are explored in this section and why? 2. What does Pi mean at the end of this chapter, â€Å"That was my introduction to interfaith dialogue†? p 70. Chapter 24 25, 1. What is Ravi’s humorous suggestion in this very brief paragraph and what dimension does it add to the focus on religions in this novel? 2. Discuss Pi’s response to all of the faiths he has explored. Chapter 26, 27 28 1. . How do Pi’s parents cope with his request to be baptised? 2. What is Pi’s response to his baptism? Chapter 29 1. Discuss the rhetorical questions at the start of this chapter and the ways in which Pi and Ravi respond to the family’s emigration. 2. Discuss the political upheaval and the reasons that Pi’s parent wish to move away from their homeland. Chapter 30 1. What is the purpose for this brief response to the realisation that Pi has a wife? Chapter 31 1. What is the narrative purpose of this encounter between Pi’s atheist science teacher, Mr Kumar and Mr Kumar the Muslim baker? Chapter 32 1. What is the point of the story of Methuselah and the mouse? Chapter 33 1. Why has the writer included this short piece on Pi’s family photographs? Chapter 34 1. Discuss Pi’s interpretation of Westerners in this chapter that focuses on selling the animals and moving the zoo Chapter 35 1. Pi is sixteen years old when he and his family move to Canada. What are his reflections on this? Chapter 36 1. Discuss the reason that the narrator is surprised that Pi has two children. Part 2: The Pacific Ocean Chapter 37 1. Why does Pi feel ambivalent about saving Richard parker? 2. What is meant by â€Å"truly I was to be the next goat†?. p. 99 Chapter 38 1. Discuss Pi’s account of the night the ship sank. 2. What does the ship’s crew do to Pi and why? Chapter 39, 40 41 1. Discuss pi’s responses to his predicament and to his companions on the lifeboat Chapter 42 1. What is the narrative purpose for the inclusion of the demise of Orange Juice? Chapter 43, 44 45 1. Why is the Hyena the worst threat to Pi? 2. Why is Pi afraid? 3. Why does Pi think he will be rescued? Chapter 46 1. Why is the animals’ suffering described so graphically and at times dispassionately? Chapter 47 1. What has Pi discovered by the end of this chapter?. Chapter 48 1. Discuss the significance of Richard Parker’s name. Chapter 49, 50 51 1. What is Pi’s response when he discovers Richard Parker? Chapter52 1. Discuss the significance of the list. Chapter 53, 54 55 1. How does Pi plan to ensure his survival? 2. What is the nature of his plans to get rid of Richard parker? 3. What is meant by †if you wage a war of attrition, you will lose it! †p. 161 Chapter 56, 57, 58, 59 60 1. Discuss the significance of Pi’s statement, â€Å"Only fear can defeat life. † P. 161 2. What is â€Å"Prusten†? p. 163 . Discuss Pi’s new plan and why he is grateful for Richard parker. 4. Discuss Pi’s spiritual revelation. p. 177 Chapter 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 1. What does pi discover about fishing? 2. How long has Pi been at sea at this stage and what his his one key to survival? p. 192 3. What does Pi discover about solar sills? 4. What happens to P i’s skin and his clothes? Chapter66 67 1. Discuss Pi’s transformation from being a vegetarian to eating for survival. Chapter 68 1. In what ways are Pi and Richard Parker like animals in a zoo? Chapter 69 1. How are Pi’s memories of the past generated? Chapter70 1. What is the significance of the description of killing the turtle? Chapter 71, 72, 73 74, 75, 76 77 1. How does Pi train Richard Parker? 2. What does Pi wish he had? 3. How has hunger changed Pi? Chapter 78 1. What does Pi mean by the â€Å"worst pair of opposites† and why? p. 217 Chapter 79 1. Why does this chapter focus on pi’s distress about catching sharks? Chapter 80 81 What does Pi mean by â€Å"I had won†? p. 222 Chapter 82. 1. What does Pi state is the worst form of suffering that he has endured at sea? Chapter 83 1. . What does Pi lose in his chapter? 2. What fortunately is not damaged? Chapter 84. Discuss the significance of Pi’s descriptions of eating the bird Chapter 85. 1. According to Pi, when one is faced with continual terror they are replaced with numbness and completely give up. Chapter 86. 1. How does Pi feel about Richard Parker at the end of this chapter? Chapter 87. 1. What does Pi mean by â€Å"One of my favourite methods of escape was what amounts to gentle asphyxiation†? p. 236 Chapter 88 1. How does Pi attempt to communicate in this part of his journey? Chapter 89 1. . Why does Pi touch Richard Parker for the first time? Chapter 90 1. To what extent is Pi’s suffering mental and physical? . Who is the â€Å"voice†? 3. Discuss the significance of the last sentence, â€Å" something in me died then that has never come back. † P. 253 Chapter 91 1. Why could Pi never find the true identity of the visitor? 2. Discuss the significance of Pi’s confession. p. 256 Chapter 92 1. Discuss the island and its effects on Pi and Richard Parker. 2. Why does Pi decide to leave the island? 3. Why is this chapter so much longer than the others? Chapter 93 1. Why does Pi maintain his faith? Chapter 94 1. What is the significance of, â€Å"I wept like a child†? p. 285 Part 3: Benito Juarez Infirmary , Tomaltan, Mexico Chapter 95 1. Discus the significance of this chapter in italics. Chapters 96, 97 98 1. Discuss Pi’s story as presented in this section. Chapter 99. Note that this is one of the longer chapters 1. Why don’t the Japanese officials believe Pi’ story? 2. What does pi mean by, â€Å"I know what you want. You want a story that won’t surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won’t make you see higher or further or differently. †? 3. What is Pi’s response to the version that the Japanese choose to believe? Chapter 100 1. Discuss the significance of Mr Okamoto’s letter.

Company Profile Kia Lim Berhad Essays

Company Profile Kia Lim Berhad Essays Company Profile Kia Lim Berhad Essay Company Profile Kia Lim Berhad Essay Kia Lim Berhad was set up as the holding company of Syarikat Kia Lim Kilang Batu Bata Sdn Bhd (SKL) and Kangkar Raya Batu Bata Sdn Bhd (KRBB) bricks manufacturers, which had been operating since 1973. SKL has set up a fully automated plant employing German technology. It was incorporated in Malaysia on 8 May 1995 as public limited company and listed in the KLSE Main Board (Industrial Products) on 29 May 1996. Commercial production commenced in mid 1999. KRBB installed a second plant in late 1991, which is fully automated and capable of producing common, block and facing bricks. The Group has diversified its range of products to include clay-roofing tiles, facing bricks and pavers. The Groups products are exported to regional markets like Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and Qatar. Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad is manufacturer and distributor of tin cans and 2-piece aluminium beverage cans. They also produced polyethelene terephalate products, corrugated fibreboard cartons, provision of engineering services, letting of property, provision of share registration and provided management services. Kim Hin Industry Berhad The Company (KHI), which is Kuching-based, started operations in 1975 as a small-scale manufacturer of clay bricks. In 1979 it ceased this activity and ventured into the manufacture of mosaic tiles. It changes its name from Kim Hin Industry Sdn Bhd to present form on conversion. From a single production line, the Company now has three factories with 24 production lines. Today, KHI is one of Malaysias largest integrated ceramics manufacturers. The Group is a fully integrated manufacturer of wall, floor and homogeneous tiles, with installed production capacity of 19m sq m p.a. The Group has invested approximately RM266m in state-of-the-art Italian tile manufacturing plant and equipment. Kris Components Berhad Kris Components Bhd was incorporated on 9 September 1975 in Malaysia as a private limited company but converted to a public company on 2 November in year 1995. Its principal activities are manufacturing and stamping of precision metal parts and anodizing high-end cosmetic surface-finishing metal parts. YTL Cement Berhad YTL Cement Berhad listed on KLSE Second Board on September 6, 1993 and transferred to Main Board (Industrial Products) on June 26, 1997. It is incorporated on 29 January 1977 in Malaysia as a private limited company and converted into a public limited company on 4 May 1992. It change its name from Buildcon Sdn Bhd to Buildcon Bhd on conversion and to YTL Cement Bhd on 26, February in year 1997. The Company manufactures and supplies ready-mixed concrete to the construction industry. The Groups operations are located in Westport, Selangor, Bukit Sagu, Pahang and Pasir Gudang, Johor. Body of Contents Company Analysis Kia Lim Berhad Refer to Table 1, common-size analysis of capital structure shows that the liabilities constitute 76% and equity 24% of the companys financing in 2001 compare with 30% of total liabilities and 70% equity in the companys financing in 1996. Debt ratio and total to debt equity ratio increases sharply in 2001 compare to the previous years. In 2001, the company financed its assets approximately 72% of its debt. It was supported when the trend index of long-term liabilities (391.926%) exceeds its current liabilities (308.003%) and shareholders equity (55.331%) ( refer to Table 2). From Table 2, we can see that cash and bank balances decreases sharply from 99.356% to 2.813%. Yet the companys the companys cash flow adequacy ratio is 0.745, which is less than 1. This implies that the internal cash sources in the company were insufficient to maintain its dividend and current operating growth levels. There is a need for the company to seek for external financing in order to fulfill the requirement of the company. Table 3 shows the financial ratios of Kia Lim Berhad, which indicates that the company is facing liquidity needs. The current ratio of the company dropped over the past 5 years and the inventory turnover decreases. Kia Lim Berhads return on invested capital showed unfavorable level, where every unit of invested capital generates less profits to the company from 1998 onwards. The return on common equity also decreases over the past 5 years. The growth rate is decreasing, which the SEGR drop from 0.062% in Year 1997 to 0.185% in Year 2001. This can be seen from Table 1, which total equity capital is 28% in 2001 compare to 70% in 1996. This indicates that when the indebtedness of the company reaches a risky point, the more financial leverage the company has. The company sales show an average declining trend, which it decreases sharply in Year 2000 (-32.084%) and rebound to 100.529% in Year 2001. The forecasted sales for the next year are RM 32062120.43, which the sales are dropping and the companys net profit is forecasted to decline in Year 2003. The dollar of amount earned on behalf of each share decreases from RM 0.08 (1998) to RM 0.04 (1999) and further decreases to nil. This means there is no earning generate for each share of the company. Similar behavior was found in dividends yield, in which it decreases from 3.14 in year 1997 to 1.58 in year 1999. Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad From Table 4, we can conclude that the highest proportion of total liabilities and equity to total equity capital, are recorded in year 1999. As an overall, the average of total liabilities and total equity constitutes 41.6% and 78.37% each year of Kian Joos financing. Besides that, Table 5 reveals the trend of selected accounts, which year 1996 as the base year. The highest record of net income is in year 1997, which is 80.839%. However, the performance of Kian Joo Can Factory in year 1999 is worsening due to the net income earned are decrease for two consecutive years. A tremendous drop in net income in year 2000, which is almost 44.8% less than previous year reflect the company is overcapacity and may attract the new competitors enter into this industry. In year 1998, we can see that the trends of almost all the account selected are downturn because financial crisis occur in that year. Over these five years, the average of sales is 22.18%. Since the inventory growth is more than sales growth over the 5 years period, the company has more funds to invest in inventory. By reviewing Table 6, we find out the return on invested capital is in increasing trend except for year 1997 and 1998. The highest ratio is in year 1997. A large portion variability of the return on common equity of this company is due to changes in return on assets. Notice that the sustainable equity growth ratio, which relative to the prior year is shrink over the four years period except for year 2001. However, the average of this measurement over the five years period is 0.36%. For the debt ratio, there is a sudden drop between year 1998 and 1999 due to 23.6% increase in long term debts. The total debt to equity ratio record the highest amount in year 1998 due to the economic crisis and the company increase their credit line. In year 2000, there is a sudden drop from RM2 dividends yield to RM1.52. After year 1999, earnings per share are decrease for two consecutive years. This is because reducing in net profit over the years. There is an improvement in PE ratio except the year 20 01. Since economic recession in year 1998, the company must sell their stock in higher price, that is RM28.3 in order to get RM1 earnings. The forecasted sales of this company for year 2003 are RM473, 509,169, which is 1.17% less compare with previous year. However, net income is expected increase 5.97%, which is from RM28, 220,000 raise to RM29, 904,528. In summary, the company will performed better in year 2003 since the forecasted net income is higher. Kim Hin Industry Berhad Table 7 shows a common size analysis of capital structure for Kim Hin Industry Berhad. For year 1996, liabilities constitute 16.702% and this percentage decreases to 0.099% in year 2000, which indicates that the obligations of Kim Hin Industry are reducing. However, in year 2001, this amount increases 0.015% to 0.114%. From the table, it shows the shareholders equity of Kim Hin industry Berhad is stable over years. The reserve of this company reaches its peak in year 1998. This may be due to the economic crisis that makes the company to increase their reserve in the bank to face the contingency in the future. From Table 8, we can see that cash and bank balances increase the most in year 2001 (2492.699%) if compared with the other short-term assets. This indicates that Kim Hin Industry Berhads liquidity needs is improving over the year. Although long term asset and long term liability show a downturn from year to year, they are still remained above the level of total long term assets based on year 1996. From here we can see that sales growth are faster than the inventory growth. This is a good sign for Kim Hin Industry Berhad. This may be due to the better inventory system in this company. Net income shows a rising trend over these six consecutive years except in year 1998, the net income decreased 33.954% if compared with year 1996. Besides, account receivables are growing faster than the sales (118.975% versus 110.042%), this is suggestive for a more aggressive credit policy. After doing the time series forecasting of the value of sales and net income in year 2003, we predict that both categories will be in a decreasing trend, which reach an amount of RM 15,561,322.19 for net income and RM 150,277,952 of sales. From Table 9, the value of cash flow adequacy ratio (CFAR), which is 1.01606, indicates that this company is able to cover these cash without a need for external financing. The debt ratio of this company over five years is decreasing from year to year. This implies that the portion of assets that are being financed by the creditors are keep on dropping. Furthermore, the debt to equity is decreasing from year 1997 (0.352044 times) to 2001 (0.161399 times). The highest ROCE over these five business-operating years is in year 1997 which yield an amount of 27.8%. The growth rate is decreasing, which shows by the SEGR, from 25.03% in year 1997 to -5.827% in year 1998. After year 1998, the growth rate increase steadily from year 1999 (7.116%) to 2001(11.35%). Although the companys earning per share decreases from 0.18 in year 1997 to 0.05 in year 2001, the dividend yield increases from 0.53 in year 1997 to 0.98 in year 2001. In year 1998, dividend yield comes to it highest point of 3.23 which designates that the selling price of each share, the company will get RM 3.23 dividend in return. The PE ratios of Kim Hin Industry Berhad fluctuate over time. The highest PE ratio among these five years is in year 2000, which yields that the company should sell its share for RM 27.90 in order to earn RM 1.00. Kris Components Berhad Table 10 shows a common-size analysis of capital structure for Kris Components Berhad. For year 2001, liabilities constitute 52.1% and equity 47.9% of Kriss financing, while long term liabilities equal l2.41%. Total liabilities is increase from 22.44% in year 1997 to 52.1% in year 2001, whereas total equity capital has decreased from 77.56% to 47.9%. This shows that there is a greater likelihood of insolvency in company since the higher the proportion of debt, the larger the interest charges and debt repayment. Table 11 shows the trend index of selected accounts of Kris Components Berhad. The cash and cash balances was decrease dramatically from 864% in year 2000 to 530.3% in year 2001, whereas inventory is increase substantially from 639.3% to 1049.8%. This shows that the company has more funds invested in inventory in year 2001. However, the inventory growth is less than sales growth from year 1998 to year 2001. Net income is in an increasing trend except from year 1999 to 2000. Therefore, we have forecasted the sales and net income using regression model for year 2003. As the result, estimated sales in 2003 is RM 484,523,776.2 while the estimated net income is RM46,118,828.51. Refer to Table 12, the total debt to equity ratio shows an increasing trend during the 5 years period. This indicates the proportion of the companys capital that derived from debt is larger compared to other sources of capital. The total debt to equity ratio in year 2001 (108.475%) shows that the likelihood of insolvency in the company is greater especially during periods of earnings decline. The debt ratio of the company also increases over the 5 years period. It shows the portion of assets that is financed by creditors is increase from year to year. The return on invested capital ratio is fluctuated over the 5 years period. It shows 12.43% in 1999 indicates the company is able to attract financing compare with previous year. Kriss higher return on common shareholders equity as compared to its return on invested capital reflects the favourable effects of financial leverage. That is, Kris is successfully trading on the equity. Kriss cash flow adequacy ratio for the five-year period is 0.364, implying that funds generated from operations are insufficient to maintain dividends and current operating growth levels and there is a need for external financing. Kris sustainable equity growth rate in year 2001 is 12.14% compare with 10.01% in year 2000, markedly improve relative to prior years. This indicates better future growth in sales and earning. The year 2001 net income of RM19.771 million and dividend of RM 3.711 million leave sufficient funds for reinvestment and internally financed growth. While earnings per share increase from RM0.20 in year 1998 to RM0.42 in year 2001, the PE ratio was fluctuate during that period. Dividend yield was decline. Declining in dividend yield is attributable mainly to increase in PE ratio. YTL Cement Berhad Refer to Table 13, the company total liabilities decreased since 1999 with 65.1% compare to 36.36% (2002). Besides that, the overall total shareholders equity fluctuates each year with a moderate high percentage (63.64%) in 2002. The total debt to equity ratio is decreased from year 1999 to 2002. There is a sudden decreased of almost 70% from 186.506% in 1999 to 57.139% in 2002. Table 14 indicates that the sales and the net income of the company was in good condition for 4 consecutive years with an increment from 79% (1999) to 188% (2002) and net income increased from 21% (1999) to 438% (2002). In addition, we have forecasted the sales and net income using regression model for year 2003. As the result, estimated sales for year 2003 slightly decrease with the amount of RM 382,055,745.50 compare to 2002 with the amount of RM 422,639,071 while there is a rise in estimated net income for 2003 with RM7,454,009.69 (refer to Appendix). From the short-term liquidity ratio of YTL Cement Berhad, we analyze the companys inventory turnover. From Table 14, we can see that the companys inventory turnover increased over 4 consecutive years from year 1999 to 2002. We can also see that there is a sudden increased of almost 50% in 2000 due to an increased in YTL Cement Berhads sales from 109% in 2000 to 188% in 2002. This shows that there is effectiveness in managing inventory by YTL Cement Bhd. Besides that, CFAR for YTL Cement Berhad for 5 years period is 2.33 (refer to Table15). This ratio indicates that the company is able to cover cash needs without a need for external financing. The return on invested capital (ROIC) is increased from year 2000 to 2002. This is cause by the increment in the net income of the company over the past 3 years. Similar to ROIC, return on common equity (ROCE) of the company also increased. This is cause by the rise of the net income of the company over the past 3 years from 113% (2000) to 438% (2002) (refer to Table14). Sustainable equity growth rate (SEGR) recognizes the internal growth for YTL Cement Bhd depends on both earnings retention and return earned on earnings retained. There is an improvement on SEGR for 5 consecutive years from 1998 to 2002 after a sudden drop from 13.52% in 1997 to 1.58% in 1998 due to the occurrence of financial crisis (refer to Table15). From the view of financial market measures, YTL Cement Berhad EPS increased for 4 consecutive years from 0.03 in 1999 to 0.479 in 2002. This shows that the company earnings had improved over the periods. The company had lower PE ratio during year 2002, 2001, 2000 compare with the previous 3 years. This is good for the company. The company highest DY (5.12) was in 1998 compare to other years (refer to Table 15).

Queensland, Australia Geography

Queensland, Australia Geography Population: 4,516,361 (June 2010 estimate)Capital: BrisbaneBordering States: Northern Territory, South Australia, New South WalesLand Area: 668,207 square miles (1,730,648 sq km)Highest Point: Mount Bartle Frere at 5,321 feet (1,622 m)Queensland is a state located in the northeastern part of Australia. It is one of the countrys six states and it is the second largest in area behind Western Australia. Queensland is bordered by Australias Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales and has coastlines along the Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the Tropic of Capricorn crosses through the state. The capital of Queensland is Brisbane. Queensland is most well-known for its warm climate, varying landscapes and coastline and as such, it is one of the most popular tourist areas in Australia.Most recently, Queensland has been in the news due to severe flooding that occurred in early January 2011 and late 2010. The presence of La Nià ±a is said to have been the cause of the flooding. According to CNN, the 2010 spring was Australias wettest in history. The flooding impacted hundreds of thousands of people all over the state. The central and southern parts of the state, including Brisbane, were hit the hardest.The following is a list of ten more geographic facts about Queensland:1) Queensland, like much of Australia has a long history. It is believed that the region making up the state today was originally settled by native Australians or Torres Strait Islanders between 40,000 and 65,000 years ago.2) The first Europeans to explore Queensland were Dutch, Portuguese and French navigators and in 1770, Captain James Cook explorer the region. In 1859, Queensland became a self governing colony after splitting from New South Wales and in 1901, it became an Australian state.3) For much of its history, Queensland was one of the fastest growing states in Australia. Today Queensland has a population of 4,516,361 (as of July 2010). Due to its large land area, the state has a low population density with about 6.7 people per square mile (2.6 people per square kilometer). In addition, less than 50% of Queenslands population lives in its capital and largest city, Brisbane.4) Queenslands government is part of a constitutional monarchy and as such it has a Governor who is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor of Queensland has executive power over the state and is responsible for representing the state to the Queen. In addition the Governor appoints the Premier who serves as the head of government for the state. Queenslands legislative branch is made up of the unicameral Queensland Parliament, while the states judicial system is composed of the Supreme Court and the District Court.5) Queensland has a growing economy that is based mainly on tourism, mining and agriculture. The main agricultural products from the state are bananas, pineapples and peanuts and the processing of these as well as other fruits and vegetables make up a sizeable portion of Queenslands economy.6) Tourism is also a major part of Queenslands economy because of its cities, v aried landscapes and coastline. In addition, the 1,600 mile (2,600 km) Great Barrier Reef is located off of Queenslands coast. Other tourist destinations in the state include the Gold Coast, Fraser Island and the Sunshine Coast.7) Queensland covers an area of 668,207 square miles (1,730,648 sq km) and it part of it extends to be the northernmost part of Australia (map). This area, which also includes several islands, is about 22.5% of the total area of the Australian continent. Queensland shares land borders with the Northern Territory, New South Wales and South Australia and much of its coastline is along the Coral Sea. The state is also divided into nine different regions (map).8) Queensland has a varied topography that consists of islands, mountain ranges and coastal plains. Its largest island is Fraser Island with an area of 710 square miles (1,840 sq km). Fraser Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has many different ecosystems which include rainforests, mangrove forests and areas of sand dunes. East ern Queensland is mountainous as the Great Dividing Range runs through this area. The highest point in Queensland is Mount Bartle Frere at 5,321 feet (1,622 m).9) In addition to Fraser Island, Queensland has a number of other areas that are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Queensland also has 226 national parks and three state marine parks.10) The climate of Queensland varies throughout the state but generally inland there are hot, dry summers and mild winters, while the coastal areas have warm, temperate weather year round. The coastal regions are also the wettest areas in Queensland. The states capital and largest city, Brisbane, which is located on the coast has an average July low temperature of 50ËšF (10ËšC) and an average January high temperature of 86ËšF (30ËšC).To learn more about Queensland, visit the states official website.ReferencesMiller, Brandon. (5 January 2011). Flooding in Australia Fueled by Cyclone, La Nina. CNN. Retri eved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/04/australia.flooding.cause/index.htmlWikipedia.org. (13 January 2011). Queensland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QueenslandWikipedia.org. (11 January 2011). Geography of Queensland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Queensland

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 79

Summary - Essay Example Rituals are well established form of cultural practices or ceremonies that mark a certain social rite in the society. Although modernity or globalization has contributed to some changes in the African societies, many African societies are still attached to cultural practices, traditions and customary issues. Cultural, traditional and ritual practices are widespread in African societies. The Ndebele people are well known for being artistic people because of artistic creativity and decorations of their homestead. Their historical perspective focuses on the ritualistic practices especially male and female initiation and marriage as well as religious practices or beliefs (Sian Tiley-Nel par.1). The Ndebele people are famous because of creativity in art, traditional practices and religious beliefs. They practice male and female initiation ceremonies known as ingoma or wela and iqhude or ukuthombisa respectively. Marriage ceremony is significant to them, and their ancestors, influences their daily practices. The African coming-of –age rituals are viewed as consisting of three main stages, which includes separation from the society, transcription period and reincorporation into community (Hipple par.3). The first phase involves taking boys and girls into the forest, which is notable for ritual activities. The second phase of transition involves initiating learning activities and training boys and girls on significant skills that will help them to participate in the society. For instance, the Krobo of Ghana trains girls for three weeks on various issues such as ways of dancing and art of seduction, female behaviors in the society and the domestic core skills. However, the initial process for girls in the Senufo of Ivory Coast takes a period of seven or eight years. The third phase reincorporation into society, which is the last phase for African coming of age rituals. This stage involves varied ordeals and tests that are usually painful. The