Gear Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Gear Ratios - Essay Example When we connect different sizes of gears, they will have to act like an axle and a wheel in order to modify the forces. Such force modification is observed clearly in the speed at which the each gear wheels turn. For instance, When a thirty teeth gear wheel is connected to a ten teeth gear wheel, it will be observed that the smaller wheel will spin faster as compared to the larger wheel in the gear system. By considering this, a machine could be slowed down or sped up through the changing of the gear sizes used, or through â€Å"changing gears.† Torque is a tendency measure of force to rotate an object about the axis (Elies and Lemarquand). A torque is known to be relevant only in regard to a given axis. In this case, torque about the motor shaft etc. In order to create a torque, the force is required to act at a certain distance from the pivot point or axis. The torque amount that is applied to a bolt or nut can determine the clamp load. The clamp load is seen to be a determi ning factor in the assembly performance. The applied torque to a fastener with compounds that are ant seize and which are reapplied to the threads will enable uniformity during the whole process but it will raise the clamp load when compared to an unlubricated bolt (Atallah and Howe,2001) In the current experiment the gear wheels were used to discover how force can be modified and transferred in the gear system which was a lifting device. In this case, to create a lifting device, several equipment were used that included battery, circuit,6 gears,2 sprockets In the experiment, a motor and great kit was used to create a lifting device. This was created from several pieces that included battery, circuit, 6 gears, and 2 sprockets. In this case the battery provided power to rotate the gears The gear and sprocket were both used to transmit power within the lifting device, or to move objects through interlocking with them. Despite a gear and a sprocket tends to be similar,

Finance Homework Chapter 04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance Homework Chapter 04 - Essay Example Its initial inventory level is $375,000, and it will raise funds as additional notes payable and use them to increase inventory. How much can its short-term debt (notes payable) increase without pushing its current ratio below 2.0? The analysis reveals that while Barry’s liquidity is well within the industry standards, it is not collecting on its receivables efficiently. Most companies have a 30 day payment policy and the industry standard here is 35 days. It is taking Barry over twice that amount of time to collect. This presents a negative indication of the way the firm is being managed, one that is confirmed by the total assets turnover margin; it is half of the number which is standard for the industry. This means that sales are not what they should be. The management issues presented here also explain why, although Barry’s net profit margin is slightly higher than other companies in the industry, its return on assets and return on equity are significantly under the standards. The Extended Du Pont confirms this conclusion. Barry’s strengths are in its profit margin and liquidity; but if it doesn’t get its A/R collections on track and increase sales, its weaknesses could become o verpowering. Had Barry Computer doubled its sales, inventories, A/R, and common equity during 2005, the affect on this ratio analysis would be mixed. Doubling the company’s sales is not effective if Barry is not collecting on its receivables. If its customers are having difficulty paying their bills, Barry may not get paid at all. Accordingly, having more sales and product, as well as more A/R, will only positively impact Barry if management succeeds in collecting the money owed the company. If Barry was able to double the indicated categories without additional debt, then the debt-to-assets would improve beyond industry standards and, presumptively, the ROA and ROE would increase to a point closer to industry levels. Again,

A Case study on St Xaviers college in India

A Case study on St Xaviers college in India St. Xaviers college is located in South Bombay or SoBo as its called which has a very distinct culture of its own. Kids come to this college not only from different parts of Mumbai, but India and even from foreign countries. Each brings with them their own culture that eventually pours into the seething, dynamic culture of Xaviers enriching it. We can deconstruct the culture of Xaviers under the following topics which will eventually lead us to the impact of Xaviers culture. A common thread running through activities at Xaviers is excellence both academic and non academic. Academia at Xaviers follows the state syllabus (before autonomy) and has now expanded to include newer schools of thought and added research. The existence of the Honours programme which is an extra credit course is a manifestation of the need for something extra. Each department is allowed a week in which to showcase the work theyve done and share it with the college students and even students of other colleges. Apart from that each department has a film week dedicated to them where all Xavierites are encouraged to attend and contribute. Theyre all for a holistic education. This just means that students, their parents and professors at Xaviers always expect and contribute more than what is stipulated. Every activity/talent at Xaviers is encouraged at some form or another. There are various clubs for film studies, theatre, photography, the Indian Music Group and even social work with t here being a tangible goal every club works to towards the end, like a festival of sorts. Perhaps one of the biggest of these events is Malhar, the annual college festival of Xaviers with colleges from all over India participating and some from abroad. This is one of the biggest mixers and icebreakers that Xaviers kids have since each vertical recruits in the beginning of the college year. Xavierites are also active participants in other college events and more often than not winning accolades and other merit. Students are encouraged to be a part of AISEC and the Mumbai chapter of the MUN. Xavierites play every sport imaginable and the gym is always buzzing with activity. Every class is allowed a Khadala trip, to the Xaviers villa at Khandala to conduct a seminar. This is significant especially for first year students because this is where they actually get to know each other better and settle down as a class picking friends who theyll spend 3 years with and most often stay friends for life with. Another event is the rural camp which the Social Service League (SSL) organizes. Apart from this they have exchange programmes with foreign colleges. They also have tie-ups with local NGOs where students are expected to undertake 60 hours of voluntary social service as part of their Social Involvement Programme (SIP). PHYSICAL ARTIFACTS One of the main enduring images of the culture at Xaviers is the building with its Gothic architecture and rough stone walls. Every arch and gargoyle is dear to kids studying there even years after they pass out. Shobha De, an alumnus of the college, speaking at the 140th anniversary celebrations said, the very edifice and rock of Xaviers, apart from the memories, is why we hurry back whenever theres an opportunity. To see the lives we celebrated here, our glorious years, the walls now resound with 140 years of stories and whisper it to us when we listen closely. Sitting in a high-ceilinged, wooden floored classroom as a fan spins lazily overhead while students intently listen to or discuss in class is what most people remember about the classes. In terms of physical spaces, the foyer, woods (ironically with 2 and a half trees), the arches, library and chapel are places where the kids spend free period or hangout after class. This is where they interact with each other, not just people from their class or department. The foyer is a hive of activity and is where most of the eating takes place. Oddly enough, so is Father Terrys room. Father Terence Quadros is perhaps one of the luckiest priests on campus. This on campus counsellor is who most of the women (and some men) on campus turn to to pour their heart out, sift through their troubles or just take a nap. His office has cushions, rocking chairs, lazy chairs, blankets, medicines, soft toys and a willing ear. BEHAVIOURAL PSYCHOLOGICAL To be very honest, Xavierites have an air about them. Theyre not necessarily snobbish but as Pearl Fernandes, a Third Year Mass Media student, puts it, We feel we have a right to act the way we do because somehow we feel superior. It isnt a superiority complex but were cool like that. People assume that if youre from Xaviers that makes you automatically smart, socially responsible (fill in any superlative adjective). Everything conveys this attitude, from the way they talk to the way they dress. Xavierites are distinctly divided into groups irrespective of what theyre studying. Each group dresses and behaves similarly but all-in-all theyre coloured with the same Xaviers brush. You have the Jocks: kids who play multiple sports and have a fit, athletic toned body. It doesnt only refer to men but the women also. They usually dress in track pants (or shorts in the morning if theyre playing) and vests. Then you have the cheerleaders. Theyre not really cheerleaders but theyre size is in binary digits i.e. either 1 or 0 and they dress like models (actually some even are models). They are characterized by styled hair, manicured hands, a la mode dressing and perfect accessories and make-up. The drama-lit group are people who are part of the drama club and people who write irrespective if theyre taken English lit or not. They usually congregate on the hostel steps and tree trunks to sit and discuss a new book, movie or play. They dress in kurtas and jeans and tote jholas. The women pr efer having an Indian look about them be it wooden earrings or a thick metal kada with their hair tied in a bun. Then theres the science group whore busy completing journals all through their break trying to stuff their mouths with something before another long session of practicals begin. They may or may not be wearing lab coats but in their bags they have all hokum pokum stuff like nichrome wires, vials of goop to test and petri dishes or something. Then there are the musicians. People who belong to a band either in Xaviers or outside or play an instrument are part of this group. Theyre easily identified by their guitar or violin cases and in some situations even the odd synthesizer or drum-sticks. Theyre also trailed by their groupies who could also be part of the cheerleaders. These guys sit around the BCR (boys common room) practicing or singing or doing something musical. Then you have the Goths and sloths. People whove made crumpled clothes a fashion statement. Theyre fashionably messily dressed, mismatch day is every day and theyre generally socially inclined. Another large group is the behenji group. These are kids (mostly women) who dress simple, oil and part their hair and behave like theyre already 40. Then there are the dope-heads who more often than not also belong to the abovementioned groups (excluding the behenjis whod get a heart attack if accused of such a thing). There are also the dancers who include the cool b boys, hip hop, contemporary dancers etc that win every competition and perform at every occasion. They look lik e theyve just finished shooting for Step Up 2: the streets. Everybody at Xaviers in highly sociable and talk to each other but there are clear cut definitions of who will talk to who. Like the dancers would never talk to the behenjis who would never talk to the dope-heads who would be ignored by the cheerleaders etc. like every organization, Xaviers has its own pecking order and politics is rampant. Peer pressure has a huge impact on the way people behave at Xaviers. At this age, friends are everything. People wont date someone their friends dont approve of etc. The Holy Trinity i.e. the CP, and 2 VCPs of Malhar are treated like Gods. Theyre the most coveted positions in all the land. Student council be damned, people pray to be elected to the top 3. Its almost like being president and ruler at the same time. One weird custom that Xavierites have is when theyre hanging out in the foyer and a glass bottle breaks they all clap. Shuba, a third year Microbiology Student says, no matter how stupid you think it is in your head, when the bottle breaks all your snobbishness goes out of the window and you clap just like the rest, grinning all the while. Its fun. VALUES, SCHEMAS MEANINGS Xavierites, on campus, are highly disciplined. They have this ingrained discipline bone that doesnt allow them to be truly disruptive. Not to say that they dont toe the line or dont rebel when they feel it necessary, they do. But catch one of them driving drunk or brawling in the street. It hasnt happened yet. Theres an unwritten code of ethics that no one need tell you. You just feel it when youre initiated as a student. Another sort of common understanding is that no one plays any game in the first quadrangle (1st quad) during college hours. It isnt forbidden by the admin but the kids realize that the first quad is surrounded by classes and it might get disrupted. The kids also have a no littering policy and kids who litter soon learn they have to obey the norm or peer pressure will see that they conform. The kids are also highly intolerant of extremist ideologies or inclinations other than Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and Gossip Girl. They respect peoples opinions but wont have it thrust on them. Which is also why poor little Aditya Thakeray finds himself friendless and alone after his protesting debacle. 2. Its mission proper is its dedication to research, teaching and the various forms of cultural service, as the indispensable horizon and context for a genuine preservation, renewal and communication of knowledge and human values, to strive for an intellectual endeavour that focuses on critical and creative thinking, with the aim of social transformation. Functional Aspects of St. Xaviers College 1. Attendance: St. Xaviers very particularly follows the 75% attendance rule for each subject as dictated by the Maharashtra board of Education the University of Mumbai. Attendance is strictly taken by the professor in charge at the start/ end of each lecture in order to ensure that no proxy attendance is given. At the end of each month they come up with a black list of attendance defaulters as a warning to those falling short of attendance. And at the end of each semester they come up with a defaulters list which includes the names of students who have defaulted on attendance throughout the semester. Such students are then requested to meet with the principal of the college and are also required to call their parents to college for a meeting with the principal. So strict they are about their attendance that many defaulters of attendance at the 12th Grade in the college are refused admissions to the degree college at St. Xaviers. 2. Beyond the Text Book: In line with the research inclination that St. Xaviers possesses, even students are encouraged to seek knowledge beyond what is achieved from the prescribed text books. For this they have in place an Honours Programme- a one of its kind programme which isnt offered by any other college in the city of Mumbai. Here students are encouraged to engage into small scale research studies, do paper presentations, attend seminars and lectures organised by the college for which the students are given credits. Thus this gives the students an opportunity to learn beyond their own specializations as credits across verticals can also qualify the student for the Honours Certificate. Thus St. Xaviers is an organisation that greatly emphasizes vitality and growth 3. Cultural Activities: St. Xaviers College, Mumbai has been judged the best college for all round development by many surveys conducted only because of the attention it pays to extra-curricular activities like performing arts literary arts. It also plays hosts at Malhar- the oldest and most popular under graduate college festival where it encourages students from other colleges to participate in the various events that take place during Malhar. The college also gives a platform to students who are interested in theatre to display their talents during the theatre festival -Ithaka. There are numerous opportunities provided to the students to display their talents both on and off campus. Active encouragement and financial support is provided to the students for the same. Students are provided platforms to display their managerial abilities by organising Malhar, Ithaka Jan Fest- the annual classical music concert held on campus each year. Thus St. Xaviers contrary to popular belief doesnt incline itself only to western values and art but encourages its students to be sensitive to other cultural and traditional forms of art. They have a strong sense of purpose which is excellence in the fields of academics and beyond. 4. Sensitivity to the less fortunate: Being an institution run by Jesuit priests, St. Xaviers has been very actively involved in the upliftment of less fortunate people and others with special needs. They have a number of social societies on campus like the social service league that undertake blood donation drives and visits to old age homes on a frequent basis. This develops a sense of sensitivity among the students to those who arent as blessed as them. In addition to this, St. Xaviers also houses the Xaviers Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) which provides equipment and other aids for the visually challenged students to learn and make the whole process of learning, reading and writing easier. St. Xaviers College therefore is an institution that believes that world class education is the right of people even with physical handicaps and undertakes efforts to minimise the discomfort they may experience in a setting where everyone else does not face the problems they do. St. Xaviers College has the Soci al Involvement Programme (SIP) which is a mandatory prerequisite to be eligible for the Honours Certificate at the end of Degree College. Under this programme students have dedicate a certain number of hours per week working at non profit organisation or undertake any other form of social work and maintain a diary with their learnings from the same. St. Xaviers College therefore makes its students realise that for all that they are gaining from the society; they are liable to give back something to it as well. Thus St. Xaviers tries to emphasize growth not only in externally and mentally, but spiritually as well. 5. Mentorship There is an informal mentorship program in place for all students at St. Xaviers. No faculty or admin member is inaccessible to the students of the college. There is constant guidance given from various people be it spiritual, career guidance or even counselling. Students are constantly made aware of newer career opportunities and are encouraged to hone their skills in various fields. They provide guidance not only during the time they are in college but also after they pass out. The areas of discussion are not related just to academics and careers but also move beyond them like relationships and families. Professors behave more like friends rather than teachers. The aim of all round development of the students trickles down to the lowest level of the teaching hierarchy, which is the aim in almost every student- teacher interaction. Thus there is great tolerance for expression which is reason they believe that it is central to all round development of each student. Dysfunctional Aspects of St. Xaviers College 1. Lack of transparency at the time of selection of volunteers at Malhar. The hierarchy at Malhar is such: President Vice President (Conclave) Vice President (Management) Vice President (Events) OCs (Organising committee) OCs (Organising committee) OCs (Organising committee) OGs Organiser OGs Organiser Reservation Volunteers Volunteers At the presidential and vice presidential level, appointment takes places after the faculty members interview potential candidates. Selection therefore takes place on the basis of merit after considering the achievements and credentials of each candidate. However as one moves lower in the hierarchy, selection is up to the discretion of the people just above them. as a result appointment to the OC, OG and volunteer level mostly takes place on the basis of favouritism. Malhar therefore for quite some time has had a bad name for the politics underlying the selection procedure as there are no set rules, guidelines or standards for selection into the various verticals. Therefore sometime students are left pretty confused as they have no reasons as to why they did not get into the departments of their choice. It is a little bewildering for the freshers in the college, especially because there is a lot of ambiguity in the selection procedure and they are not aware about what exactly needs t o be done to get into the department of ones choice. 2. No hostel for girl students. St. Xaviers College is a very popular college for many aspiring students all over the country. There are many students who do not belong to Mumbai but come from as far as the North East and Kerala. This includes an equal mix of both boys and girls. However they St. Xaviers College does not have provisions for a girls hostel on campus. Even during the days preceding Malhar, when it is absolutely essential to have manpower on campus to ensure the smooth execution of the festival, permission is easily granted to boys to stay over on the campus, but not for women who are expected to look in the vicinity outside campus for accommodation. This is done because of some traditional and moral values that the Jesuit priests adhere to religiously. They do not encourage the intermingling of sexes beyond a certain point. And even though it may be troublesome for the girl students at times like these, they are quite unwilling to bend the rules. 3. Too much stress and few seats for desired specializations St. Xaviers College is one of the best colleges for arts and science in the country. However the number of seats available for the most popular and in demand specializations is very few. Therefore there is immense competition and stress in order to get those coveted seats. The level of stress is very high during the second year of Degree College which is the most crucial part of the entire 3 year degree course. Students are expected to be actively involved in the department work, make paper presentations and excel in academics. A minor glitch in any of these areas may cost them a seat in their choice of specialization. Thus the level of stress is very high during this period. It breeds competition among peers and creates and unease which is only placated only after final selection. 4. Reservations St. Xaviers College being a catholic institution was built for the purpose of serving the minority Christian community. Under provisions made by the central government, educational institutions can reserve up to 50% of their seats for minority communities. Therefore St. Xaviers College also applies the same and 50% of the seats are reserved for the Christian community. This is a situation that is prevalent among most other educational institutions in the city. It creates an unfair advantage to those who belong to the particular community. In the same class there can be students who havent done equally well in the same exam and have been admitted because of the reservation system. The level of achievement and intelligence is not the same among the students. And the same parameters are not placed equally for all students to gain admission to a particular course. 3. ACTIONS PLANS: 1. Lack of transparency in the selection procedure for Malhar: a. Formalise a set of rules, procedures and pre- requisites essential in order to qualify for the various positions at Malhar. b. Have an admin/ faculty member preside over each selection procedure after college hours. c. Undertake a training programme to sensitise the students higher up in the Malhar hierarchy to the various nuances and aspects of the selection procedure. This would enlighten them on how to effectively select people who would be an asset to the various verticals. d. Establish a punitive system or a watchdog or some sort of feedback system in place in order to ensure that the set procedures are being followed. e. Conduct orientation sessions for the volunteers on the process of selection and the people to approach in case the procedures arent being followed. f. However it is essential that the students in the organising committees have some say in the selection procedure. There should always be room for them to use their own intuitions and discretion. Malhar shouldnt become a centrally controlled organisation as it has always been a student run body in the college. 2. No hostel for girl students. a. firstly there is a great need to enlighten both faculty and students on the rationale behind the refusal to permit girls to stay overnight on campus. b. a dialogue must take place between these parties putting forward their concerns and reasons their respective requests and demands. c. the administrations must consider relaxing the rules under special circumstances when it is absolutely essential that the girl students stay on campus. For instance, the days preceding Malhar Jan Fest. d. The college must also have tie ups with various womens hostels in the vicinity and must assist female student in acquiring accommodation. When a particular hostel is vouched for by the management of the college, the parents of these students are more likely to find them reliable and will probably not worry about the safety and well being of their children. 3. Too much stress and few seats for desired specializations a. given the rising amount of stress and the consequences faced among students of standard tenth and twelfth, it has become imperative that the college increase the number of seats for the most popular and in demand specializations. No person should be denied a seat in any specialization since it is the question of their careers and marks obtained in an exam are too shallow a deciding factor in imposing a life changing decision on a particular candidate. b. it is essential to have occasional briefing sessions on the progress of each student during the entire year and let him know his chances of making it to the department of his choice. He/ she should be told explicitly of what are the necessary requirements to get the specialization. c. the teachers must be trained to identify signs of stress among the students and must seek professional help (which is available on campus) lest it get worse. d. professors must consider reducing the burden on the students in terms of the number of assignments and paper presentation which the student believe are mandatory to get the specializations of their choice. Rather it would make sense to have an aptitude test and interest tests at the end of the second year of college to seek the people who have the most aptitude and interest in the specific area of study. 4. Reservations a. The college must refrain from having a reservation system in place as it does not create a level playing field for all aspirants into a particular course. If St. Xaviers aims to be a world class educational institution it must aim to seek the best minds in the country, which would only be possible if all the students have the same level of aptitude, intelligence and achievement. b. Even if the college finds it absolutely essential to have a reservation system in place, in keeping with the purpose of establishment of the institution, it is necessary for them to make sure that there is a minimum cut off of marks obtained by the student in order to ensure that the best minds who are par with each other are interacting in class. It seems a little unfair when a student with 70% (as a result of the reservation system) is in the same class with the student who has scored 85% and has struggled to barely make it to the course. It would inculcate among the students a belief that hard work is essential when one aims to rub shoulders with the best in the country in a premier institution for humanities and sciences in the country. c. It would also be beneficial if St. Xaviers had an independent aptitude exam that for all aspirants to the various courses in the college. This would reduce any discrepancy if any among people coming from various boards of education and among people applying under different quotas. This creates a level playing field for all aspirants and ensures that the college has selected candidates after putting them through an in house reliable aptitude exam.

Flag Football :: essays research papers

Whether it's running around and grabbing the opponents flag, or running around and pushing people out of the way for the touchdown, flag football is a great sport to increase adrenaline. Playing flag football gives players energy and helps keep them in shape. The constant movement helps work ones cardio and keeps one active. It is fun to play because players gat to play with friends and meet new people. It helps players work together and have competition. Everyone who likes doing a variety of exercises and likes to have fun could enjoy flag football in more ways than one. Flag football is not only a great sport, but it is also getting exercise in without one knowing it. Flag football requires moving around all the time. It keeps cardio up and keeps one on the move. Running around with a football gets the players? legs moving and other players as well because they chase the football. Flag football keeps ones arms active. Throwing a football or catching it can help the players? muscles in their arms. Most players like using their arms and legs to play which makes flag football a popular sport. With flag football being a well-known sport, most students want to try it out. Other students will most likely end up playing with people they know or can get to know. When playing with friends, players will get more active and try harder. It gets more out of them because they are excited to play. Trying to impress someone with mad throwing skills or speed could increase a player?s performance. Some players may meet new people and get new friends. Flag football is a social yet active sport that helps players get together. With friends, enemies, and other players playing flag football, most players will get along and work together. When not working together, there is even competition. Players need to throw a ball to get it across the field. They have to plan with teammates how to do that. In flag football, there is good, clean competition. To get some one tagged, all the players have to do is pull the flag without hurting the players.

Overview of Accounting Essay

The audiences of financial statements and managerial reports include the shareholders, employees, prospective employees, customers, suppliers, the government, the stock exchanges, investors, lenders and the public at large. What is important is that each audience has a different perspective in reading the financial statements and managerial reports. For example, a lender would like to know the leverage of the company, if it has the capacity to service debt and if the loans to the company would be well secured. There are several purposes served in preparing financial statements and managerial reports. The financial statements are designed to show its audience, the companies finances, that is how the company got its finances, what it was used for and where is it being currently used (Luecke, R. 2002). For this purpose there are four main financial statements that is the income statement, the cash flow statement, the balance sheet and the statement of shareholders equity. In general an income statement has the purpose of showing how much revenue a company earned in a period of time, the balance sheet shows the company’s assets, liabilities and shareholders equity, the cash flow statement shows the inflow and outflow of cash and the purpose of the statement of shareholders equity is to show changes in the ownership of company’s shareholders over a period of time. The nature of the income statement is in the form of a report that shows the costs and expenses that the businesses incurs in order to earn its revenue. It gives the net earnings of the company. The nature of balance is such that it provides point wise information about the assets, liabilities and shareholders equity. The nature of a businesses balance sheet is such that it is set up like the basic accounting equation. Usually on the left hand side the companies list the assets and on the right hand side they list their liabilities with the shareholders’ interest at the bottom. This arrangement differs from country to country. For instance, in some countries the assets are listed on the right hand side. However, the basic nature of the balance sheet remains the same. The nature of the cash flow statement is such that it can inform its audience if the business generated cash or not. The cash flow statement is a report that shows cash changes over time instead of exact currency amounts at a point in time. It simply uses and rearranges information from the balance sheet and income statement of the business. The most important report that is issued by the management of a company is the annual report (Stittle, J. 2003). The nature of this report is such that it has detailed financial and business information required by law of the country in which the company is registered, modern annual reports have impressive pictures and stories that eulogize the company’s performance in the past year. The information contained in this report can help the audience make informed and ethical decisions. In the USA the SEC requires that the audited annual report be sent to every shareholder at the end of the year. In this the management comments about the future. Form 10-K required to be filled in the USA ha more detailed financial information. The company’s financial performance is described in a section of the quarterly or annual report that is called â€Å"Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation,† In this section of the Annual Report the management describes its own understanding of the financial condition of the company. The management in this section of the annual or quarterly report describes what it understands of the current financial condition of the business. It also gives its view of the relevant trends and challenges that the business faces. This allows the audience to see the financial condition of the business from the perspective of management and allows the audience to make informed and ethical decisions. In other words it provides the audiences the background that is required to study and understand the financial statements. Financial accounting information can be used in making informed and ethical business decisions. How? The income statement shows the earning per share, a calculation that tells you how much you as a shareholder would receive if the company distributed all its earnings. This allows you to make an invest/ non invest decision. Giving more information about the financial health of the company is the cash flow statement. It divides cash flow into flows from operating activities, investing activities and financing activities. This informs not only the investors but also the management, employees, suppliers and customers about the source of cash for the company and allows them to make better decisions. The footnotes of the reports give important information that helps make efficient and ethical decisions. The footnotes refer to stock options, pension plans, income taxes and important accounting policies and practices. For example, a company may be showing an inflated profit figure because its accounting practices have changed but reading the footnotes helps the audiences make better decisions and ethical decisions with regards to the company. To make ethical and informed decisions it is important to read between the lines of these reports. How is this accomplished? By doing ratio analysis! Commonly the ratios that are examined are debt-to-equity ratio, inventory turnover ratio, operating margin ratio, P/E ratio and working capital. Consider this, well before the Enron scam exploded; several investors were able to smell by examining the ratios that something was wrong with the company. They decided to sell off their stocks and avoided losses. To sum, the intention of the financial statements and management report is to inform the different stakeholders of a business. If these statements are carefully analyzed and understood they help these stakeholders make an informed and ethical decisions.

Moral Living Synoptic Question Essay

In this essay it is my intention to examine the theme of moral living within the Old Testament and the Celtic Church. Morality refers to ethical issues. It is the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct. It is a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct. There are two interlinked themes of religious morality and social morality under moral living. The foundation of moral living within the Old Testament is the Sinai Covenant. Whereas, the basis of morality in Celtic Church is Saint Patrick; his moral base was always routed in his scriptural beliefs. Moses, for example, made a covenant with Yahweh on Mount Sinai, the principles from which are the foundation for the Judah Christian faith today, where he received the Ethical Decalogue (10 Commandments). As Drane states, â€Å"the commands were essentially moral requirements. Honesty, truth and justice were more important to Yahweh than the performance of religious rites.† Love of God and Love of Neighbour were the two commandments at the core of the Ethical Decalogue. The first three commandments central religious morality however, the last seven focus on Love of Neighbour and Social Morality. Winward states, â€Å"no man could be in a right relationship with God who was not in a right relationship with his fellow men.† The people of Israel had an obligation as the chosen people to obey the Ethical Decalogue. Abraham was called by God to give up his polytheistic ways. God promised Abraham that he would never give up on him. As Heinsch states, â€Å"he had to journey to a foreign land alone trusting in God’s guidance.† If Abraham fulfilled this request God promised him three things, Great Nation, Land (which was Canaan) and Protection. At this time, Abraham worshipped the popular moon god, â€Å"sin† and was to break with idolatry and become monotheistic. Epstein stated that, â€Å"Abraham turned to the service of the one and only God whom he recognised as the creator of heaven and earth.† Abraham’s love of the one true God and his change from idolatry reflects similarities with Saint Patrick. Patrick arrived in Ireland to a pagan country. The people of Ireland were idolaters in that they worshipped as many as 400 gods, with the main god being the Dagda (the father). The Celts held such things as the sun, trees, groves, water and birds to be sacred. Joyce states that they had the tendency to â€Å"find the divine in all of created nature.† Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland to transform the pagan people to monotheism. He wanted them to worship and love the one true God. Patrick adopted pagan practice to Christian tradition, for example, he changed the worship of the â€Å"sun† to the â€Å"son.† Patrick wanted the people to become monks and virgins for Christ. He advocated that true worship of God required to be newly baptised (converted from paganism to Christianity.) Patrick wanted the people to convert freely; they were never forced as the decision to become a Christian had to come from the heart. When Patrick left a place he made sure he left a building (church) to be used for communal worship. Like the Old Testament prophets, Patrick expected his ordained to be good role models to the people. Unfortunately in the Old Testament the religious leaders did not always do this. Ezekiel, for example, was to inform the people that God was going to hold the religious leaders responsible as they had led the people astray instead of encouraging them to worship only Yahweh. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the leaders, â€Å"shepherds have been feeding themselves, should not, you the shepherds feed the sheep.† In tandem with this, the prophet Elijah also had to deal with the people of Israel’s idolatry. He was aware that there was a lack of steadfast love due to the people worshipping both Yahweh and Baal (god of fertility.) Elijah challenged the people about this saying, â€Å"how long will you go limping with two different opinions?† The people needed to stop worshipping both Yahweh and Baal and were to only worship the one true God, Yahweh. Elijah had little sympathy for the people worshipping both Gods. He challenged King Ahab to a contest on Mount Carmel between Yahweh and Baal to determine who the true God is. Elijah had a great victory as Yahweh won, usually this would be celebrated but instead, Elijah went to Mount Horeb as he knew the people’s change of heart of Yahweh as the one true God was temporary and this was not good enough. True love of God was required. In line with this, Patrick also challenged the pagan people’s ways through their worship of Dagda and Lugh. It took a long time for the pagan people to convert to truly worshipping one God. Paganism continued to exist alongside early Christianity 100 years after Patrick. Amos spoke out about social injustices, he stated, â€Å"let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.† Amos spoke about respect for marriage, something which King David lacked. He had an affair with Bathsheba and committed the sins of lust, adultery and murder. He was punished for this as Yahweh was to â€Å"raise up evil against you out of your own house.† David’s son died as a result of his sins. Similarly, Patrick also showed a respect for life. He spoke out about injustices such as slavery and condemnation of wealth in his letter to Coroticus. Patrick respected women and this was reflected in the Letter to Coroticus. In L19 Patrick expresses his concern for women. The women were taken as captives, to be distributed â€Å"as prizes.† Patrick makes it clear that the fate of Coroticus and his men is to be â€Å"lorded over† for all eternity by those whom they regarded to be â€Å"barbarian Irish.† In L4, Patrick also speaks up against murder and slavery – he grieves for those captured and killed and calls the perpetrators themselves â€Å"captives of Satan† the punishment met out to them will be â€Å"external life in hell.† To conclude, Christianity is now one of the leading world religions and therefore the mission of both the prophets and Patrick was successful. There will always be a call for people to repent and convert to Christianity with a return to a moral life.