Human Resource Planning National University Of Sciences & Technology

HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES and TECHNOLOGY, PAKISTAN ARQUM NAVEED Abstract Human Resource Planning (HRP) is a troublesome theme to talk about, especially at the hour of progressively problematic business situations causing undeniably more aggravation, which increment the pressure between the requirement for arranging and the challenges of forecast. Albeit a troublesome subject, the basic intention is direct, HRP is alluding with having the perfect individuals at ideal spot and with right skills.The intensions of this report are to check the idea of, and how much organizations can deal with this intricacy. For this record, various firms have been utilized so as to recognize if there are any firm-explicit contrasts in regards to HRP conventions. Results from our examination of the considered firms shows that the level of solidness in their individual firms, as far as worker turnover and practical changes, unmistakably influences the manner by which they appr oach HRP. Watchwords Human Resource Management, Strategic Planning, Human Resource Planning. 1.Introduction Organizations are feeling the squeeze to discover approaches to execute their techniques in a quick changing business condition, in which arranging lifecycles will in general psychologist to diminish the ‘time-to-market’ spans. Simultaneously, associations are putting increasingly more accentuation on altering the association and representatives in their endeavor to accomplish business objectives . â€Å"HRP is typically observed as a fundamental element of the perfect sort model of human asset the board, regardless of whether it doesn't generally seem, by all accounts, to be given high need in practiceâ€Å"(Rothwell, 1995).The issue of proficient getting ready for individuals was raised before the presentation of human asset the board. One potential clarification was introduced by Story (1995), who presents that as the creating industry condition powers associ ations to design successfully and effectively for the individuals assets, the fast changes in the business condition likewise makes it hard for associations to design with precision. In the light of this we need to explore how much associations plan for HR in today’s business condition. 2. Human Resource Planning †Concept ClarificationAs in numerous territories of work force the board, there is disarray about the exact implications of the terms used to depict the human asset arranging capacities. As per Taylor (1998), â€Å"The principle qualification is between the individuals who see the term ‘human asset planning’ as having comprehensively a similar importance as the more extended set up terms ‘workforce planning’ and ‘manpower planning,’ and the individuals who accept ‘human asset planning’ to speak to something rather unique. † According to Bramham (1994), â€Å"There is a major differentiation between the two terms.He contends that ‘manpower planning’ is basically quantitative in nature and is worried about guaging the interest and flexibly of work, while ‘human asset planning’ has a far more extensive importance, including plans made over the entire scope of faculty and improvement movement. These exercises incorporate delicate issues, for example, inspiration, representative mentalities and hierarchical culture. † The contrary supposition is that, the term ‘human asset planning’ is basically a progressively current and sexually impartial term with basically a similar importance as ‘manpower arranging. Both are worried about looking forward and utilizing precise procedures to survey the degree to which an association will have the option to meet its necessities for work later on (Taylor, 1998). They are along these lines embraced so as to survey whether an association is probably going to have ‘the perfect individuals, with th e correct abilities, in the correct spots at the privilege time’ (Ibid). As per this definition, human asset arranging is a moderately specific sub-discipline inside the general action attempted by work force administrators. There are various perspectives on the particular importance of HRP.We contend that it is in excess of a quantitative methodology, as we accept that issues, for example, worker maintenance, mentalities and inspiration are fundamental highlights for having the perfect individuals, with the correct aptitudes, in the correct spots at the ideal time. Along these lines, we concur with Bramhams’s see that HRP has a more extensive importance, enveloping â€Å"soft† HR issues and the one is acknowledged with the end goal of this content. 3. The Evolution of HRP Since the beginnings of the cutting edge mechanical association, human asset arranging has been an administration work (Walker, 1980).Division of work, specialization, association of the board into levels, work disentanglement, and use of gauges for choosing representatives and estimating their exhibition were all standards applied right off the bat in modern administration (Ibid). Anticipating the staffing of work to be done isn't something that has gotten well known as of late. This is something that has developed to become what it is today. The moderately advanced methods accessible to the board today are results of a significant stretch of development in rehearses, which began decades back with basic, down to earth, present moment planning.The strategies utilized by the executives would in general fit contemporary conditions and occasions (Story, 1995). During the initial segment of the twentieth century, for instance, the concentration in labor arranging was upon the hourly creation laborer. The point of improving effectiveness through work building and early mechanical brain science applications was predictable with the need to improve profitability and acquaint mo re noteworthy objectivity with faculty works on (Ling, 1965; Merril, 1959; Yoder; 1952). During the Second World War and the post war years, the attention increased on representative productivity.There was likewise more prominent concern in regards to the accessibility of equipped administrative faculty, as there was an ability lack in blend with critical interest for merchandise and ventures. New advancements and interests in social parts of work additionally added complexities to the labor arranging task. In the 1960’s the interest for high ability faculty expanded because of high innovation software engineers, quick corporate development and broadening. So as to deal with this expansion, labor arranging rehearses were centered around offsetting flexibly with request, especially interest for administrative, expert and specialized personnel.According to course readings composed during the later piece of the 1960’s, labor arranging was seen as a framework connecting th e association with its condition (Patten, 1969; Vetter, 1967). Walker (1980) contends that the most widely recognized perspective on labor arranging around then, which additionally overwhelmed the writing until the 80s, was that â€Å"companies estimate their requirements for labor into the future, figure their inward work flexibly for addressing these necessities, and distinguish the holes between what will be required and what will be accessible. Further, labor organizers create plans for enrolling, choosing and putting new workers, accommodate preparing and improvement and envision fundamental advancements and moves (Burack et al, 1972; Geisler, 1967; Henemann et al, 1968; Wikstrom, 1971). The 70s accompanied new enactment, court choices and administrative guidelines. The board consideration at that point went to governmental policy regarding minorities in society arranging and different parts of consistence. While numerous organizations received the strategies that had been pre sented by driving organizations during the earlier decades, ther tried different things with new instruments, for example, profession arranging, action investigation, and reshaping of work (Walker, 1980). Most of organizations, be that as it may, were fundamentally worried about the consistence with the huge new guidelines overseeing segregation, wellbeing and annuities. For the most part, it was an agitated decade, during which directors needed to manage the vitality emergency, unsure expenses and benefits, the easing back of business extension and the expanded concern in regards to women’s freedom and converse separation (Bramham, 1994).However, as per Bramham, it was during this time or decade that â€Å"manpower planning† was comprehensively being named â€Å"human resource† arranging and turned out to be generally settled as a staff action in significant business and administrative associations (Ibid). The term â€Å"human asset planning† inferred an extension more extensive than simply gracefully request adjusting or quantitative anticipating. Human asset arranging moved concentration from being a quantitative methodology, despite the fact that perceiving its significance, to an increasingly complete perspective on the procedure including the two needs guaging and program determining (Ibid).During the 80s and mid 90s, human asset the executives specialists and experts would in general spot more noteworthy accentuation on worker mentalities and on the improvement of faculty techniques to scan for the upgrade of positive representative sentiments and duty (Zeffane and Mayo, 1994). By and large, these systems needed adequate focus on the need to control the progression of staff inside and across hierarchical limits (Walker, 1989). As per Richards-Carpenter (1989), this implied human asset arranging made a retrogressive stride in need setting inside the general human asset the board system.However, due to the inexorably questionab le financial atmosphere during the 90s, it was foreseen that the HRP work was to turn into the central movement, as it was progressively turning into a basic capacity over the association (Zeffane and Mayo, 1994). Damm and Tengbland (2000) contend that later on, the job of the HR work force is to give and build up an alluring authoritative condition in which the individual feels enlivened to develop and build up his/her competence.Furthermore, they state that singular associations won't really be answerable for the individ

Evaluate the Role of Leadership in Business

Assess the Role of Leadership in Business Presentation This paper endeavors to assess the job of initiative, bunch conduct, preparing and advancement and change the executives in the more extensive setting of hierarchical conduct in todays condition. The new real factors that organizations need to confront are globalization, evolving innovation, workers from various segment foundations, clients, speculators and rivalry from both worldwide and little trend-setters. Globalization acquires new chances and difficulties as new markets, conversion scale dangers, exchange and duty obstructions and dispersion challenges. Organizations need to contend progressively with worldwide contenders than neighborhood ones. Clients likewise have more choices while choosing an item. The web has made customers savvier about the items accessible in the market. Upgrades in the transportation and correspondence organize implied that individuals were better educated and portable. An exemplary model is the fall of the iron drapery where the individuals found out about the ways of life of different nations which prompted the breakdown of the communist nations. In this condition, Companies need the capacity to adjust to the progressions that are happening at lightning speed or as begat by Bill Gates in his book business @ the speed of thought. Along these lines associations need to have the best possible pioneers who can drive the business towards their vital objectives. Different variables that organizations need to address are serious rivalry, nontraditional administration rehearses and cultural cognizance of laborers. he job of authority in business In writing the impact a pioneer can practice over adherents in an association is supposed to be the kind of intensity the person can work out. There are five principle wellsprings of intensity; these are reward power, coercive force, real force, referent and master power. Notwithstanding these five, finlay recommends that individual force and association power are likewise factors that should be thought of. (Mullins, 2005). Notwithstanding the above supporters additionally search for trustworthyness, visionary, competancy and moving characteristics in their pioneers. In todays setting despite the fact that being a visionary head is second just to being dependable the quality chiefs world over battle with. So as to be a forward looking individual it is required to initially focus on the present time and place. A pioneer has to comprehend what is happening around him with the end goal for him to concentrate on what should be done to get to the goal. It isn't generally about gathering cutoff times it is seeing what comes after the cutoff time is met or the venture is done that characterize visionary initiative. Administration Types An examination study attempted by a counseling firm and detailed by Daniel Goleman has recognized six kinds of authority. Coercive pioneers (do what I let you know) Definitive pioneers (Come with me) Affiliative pioneers (People Come first) Popularity based pioneers (What do you think) Pacesetting pioneers (Do as I do, Now) Instructing pioneers (Try This) The examination has likewise uncovered that lone four of these styles positively affected representatives. The legitimate style was seen as the best while the affiliative style. The popularity based style and the training style were viewed as positive. Anyway it was additionally uncovered that powerful pioneers frequently utilize more than one of these styles in different extents in their dealings. (Mullins, 2005) pioneers who have aced the over four styles and can apply them in given circumstances have ben seen as more successful than other people who don't. anyway it doesn't imply that different styles of administration are not compelling when utilized in the right circumstance and setting. for instance the coearcive style (requests quick consistence) will function admirably in an emergency circumstance. While talking about administration it is additionally essential to investigate the full range initiative model In the above model the base left hand quadrant depicts avoidant conduct of authority, which can be additionally portrayed as non executing these kind of pioneers keep away from choices or mediation depending on time to mend all ills. In the quadrant is value-based initiative, this is objective and result situated administration. What's more, at the upper right hand corner is the transformational initiative which widen and hoist interests of adherents. In todays associations with the quickly changing business condition the pioneers we ought to create are transformational pioneers. The segments of a value-based pioneer are singular thought, scholarly incitement, rousing inspiration and admired conduct. Diving further into these segments we locate that Individual Consideration; values singular needs, shows sympathy and energizes persistent improvement. Scholarly incitement; challenges existing practices, empowers creative mind and qualities knowledge. There is no uncertainty accordingly that every one of these attributes are required from a pioneer of an association in this day. Change the board Change is regularly said is the main thing that remaining parts steady in associations, and change the board is characterized as the way toward accomplishing the smooth usage of progress by arranging and presenting it efficiently, considering the feasible hood of being stood up to. (Armstrong, 2009) Most organizations established during and before the most recent decade has been saturated with ancient practices that truly don't work in the present. Along these lines if associations should have the option to contend in the present business air organizations should change the central methodologies that they have drilled before and grasp new strategies for the executives. Associations need to initially distinguish why they have to change, the requirement for change can show itself from two bearings one is outer factors, for example, financial, social, natural, mechanical, legitimate and political the other is interior factors, for example, business processers, destinations, innovation, money and structure. In the present setting organizations will as a general rule be impacted by outer elements than interior variables for change. When this is recognized then the association needs to have a dream of the last goal and the holes that should be filled to arrive at the last target. It is additionally significant for associations to get ready for this change and above all make the partners mindful of the significance of this change to the association so as to get their up front investment. Herbert C Kelman clarifies in his paper on disposition change that there can be three procedures of impact. Consistence Occurs when an individual acknowledge impact due to a prize or discipline by acclimating. In this manner the fulfillments got from consistence are because of a social impact of tolerating impact. Distinguishing proof This is said to happen when an individual acknowledges impact since he needs to set up or keep up a delightful self characterizing relationship with someone else or gathering. Disguise This happens when an individual acknowledges impact since it is inherently fulfilling, he receives the conduct since it is compatible with his qualities. (Kelman, 1958) Therfore in an association which is experiencing change all the over three sorts might be experienced, there will be some who consent in light of the prizes or discipline some who will follow change because of their relaqtionship with different individuals from the association and other people who find that the change complies with their qualities. Protection from change Individuals oppose changing at whatever point they feel that the change is a danger to them. Opposition can take numerous structures; it very well may be dynamic, latent, clandestine, clear, forceful, bashful, individual or sorted out. The best ten purposes behind opposing change as contended by A. J. Schuler, Psy. D (A. J. Schuler, 2003) The danger of progress is viewed as more noteworthy than the danger of stopping Individuals feel associated with others who are related to the old way Individuals have no good examples for the new movement Individuals dread they do not have the skill to change Individuals feel over-burden and overpowered Individuals have a solid wariness and need to be certain new thoughts are sound Individuals dread shrouded motivation among would-be reformers Individuals feel the proposed change undermines their thoughts of themselves Individuals envision lost status or personal satisfaction Individuals truly accept that the proposed change is a poorly conceived notion. Managing opposition So as to defeat protection from change a couple of techniques can be utilized, chief is to ensure the representatives security, from there on a decent correspondence plan of the destinations of the change ought to be established. Worries of representatives ought to be examined and comprehended by the administration. Where conceivable the most vociferous resistors ought to be made members of the change supervisory crew. Adaptability ought to be made a catchphrase in the change procedure. Impetuses, for example, prizes can likewise be utilized to change the outlook of workers. In actualizing the change a steady change model can be utilized where at first little changes are done and once the workers have been expelled from their usual ranges of familiarity a greater and increasingly extreme change is made. There can be a few emphasess of this with little times of idleness to permit the progressions to standardize. This methodology will roll out the improvement progressively worthy as wo rkers will have the option to encounter the advantages of each change before continuing to the following cycle. Gathering conduct In associations you will discover a few people framing gatherings to accomplish regular destinations, these gatherings or groups can exist as formal or casual gatherings. At the point when shaped as a conventional gathering they will be a piece of the structure of the association. So as to acknowledge how gatherings act we have to think about the idea of the accompanying. (Armstrong, 2009) formal gatherings; casual gatherings; the procedures that happen inside gatherings; bunch belief system; bunch union; bunch elements; The idea

3.A03 Metalsmithing Throughout Time

3.A03 Metalsmithing Throughout Time At MIT, every student has an advisor in fact, throughout their time here, every student will have multiple advisors! It starts in freshman year with our first-year advisors; once you declare your major, you get a major-specific advisor (or two if you double major :0). I like that at MIT, unlike some other schools, youre required to meet with your advisor at the beginning of the semester and have them approve your course selections, so that you can introduce yourself, get acquainted, and check in. In freshman year, you can choose between either traditional advising (where you and your advisor meet one-on-one occasionally to chat) or an advising seminar. (There also used to be RBA/residence-based advising, where a group of people living in the same place would all have the same advisor, but this doesnt exist anymore.) This post will mostly be about advising seminars, because I am in one and I like it a lot! The idea is that before the school year starts, they publish a whole long list of advising seminars you can sign up for. The seminars last one semester, like a class,01 Technically, theyre 6 credits, or half a class, but I would not say theyre really 6 credits of work. and have titles like Designing Consumer Electronics or Geek Book Club or Prosody: The Music of Language there are so many that it takes two webpages to list them all. You rank a shortlist and right before school starts, everyone who opted in is assigned to a seminar and an advisor! Each seminar counts for 6 units, so approximately one half of a typical class (theoretically 6 hours a week). Some people stick with traditional advising because dont want to take an extra class, or theyre already at the freshman credit limit, or probably tons of other reasons I dont know about, and thats chill. I opted for an advising seminar because I like learning cool stuff but also because I thought it wouldnt be a bad idea to have an adult checking in with me every week, and to know I had someone to talk to if something went wrong. So far, I am LOVING it. You guys every week, we go down to the forge,02 Can you believe MIT has a forge?!? we take metal we hit it really hard we make it pretty its so so cool. Our first project was making a chain link. I turned this: into this: We could pretty much do whatever we wanted to the metal; the only requirements were, essentially, that we use our creativity. I thought it would be cool to have a sky-type thing, with some darkening or pattern at the top, and then constellations with light shining through them. I stamped stars in the metal using a metal stamp03 Weird how the name isnt related at all to the action, I know :P and a hammer, and used a drill press (for the first time!!) to make starter holes for the constellation lines. That brought me to this: I extended each hole into a line using a jewellers saw and then much, much, much hammering occurred. In order to facilitate roundedness, I got the curvature started on a bag of sand, then used a ring mandrill with a long cylindrical prong to get a perfect circle. Once that was finished, I soldered the ring together using an acetylene torch!! It was very different, and a lot more difficult, than the circuits I soldered with my dad as a kid (the solder was much more temperamental). Lastly, because heating up metal makes it look wayyyy weirder than you would expect (see later photos), it was time for polishing. And the final product was shiny as heck!! An arrow pointing right Previous An arrow pointing right Next I really like the feeling of accomplishment that comes when you create something with your hands.  This is my baby! I brought it into the world! Look how beautiful it is!  Plus, I know how much I learned along the way, and its exciting to think of all the future projects I could use that knowledge for. In terms of advising, I think I was right when I made my choice: it is nice to have someone checking in with me each week. I know people who claim that faculty advisors are useless, because upperclassmen are the ones who know whats really going on on campus; to me, it seems like they serve very different purposes. When I want to know if a class is well-taught, or what its 3-hour lab section is like in person, or just how much mathematical maturity I need to take it yes, I would ask an upperclassman (and I love that MITs mixed-year housing makes this so easy). But my advisor is the one who can tell me, Ive seen years of students make that choice and none of them regretted it, or the department actually doesnt want to freshmen to do that and heres why, and who can give me the perspective of life after college. I think thats really valuable, and Im glad that MIT makes it so easy for us to have access to mentoring in this way. Also, Im making a cup. Im making a cup!!! Please regard these lovely pictures of my cup (well I wouldnt be too offended if someone called it a small bowl) coming into existence: An arrow pointing right Previous An arrow pointing right Next The main trick to forming the shape: hit it with a cross peen hammer rather than the ball peen I mistakenly started with. The ball peen distributes force evenly, whereas the cross peen only sends force along its edges, lengthening the metal more in that direction. Its amazing to see the metal move, especially right after its been heated up to ductility, when you hit it with even a small cross peen. The added pattern is done with a small hammer and called chase and repoussé; the added colours are glass enameling, which you spread on in a powder and then heat to melt into glass. Its aesthetic, but also makes my cup/bowl-thing food safe! I plan to fill it with much almond milk ^-^ Next up: a steel trivet for my cup! Weve only worked with copper so far, so Im excited to learn how to work this much harder metal. Post Tagged #advising #metalsmithing Technically, they're 6 credits, or half a class, but I would not say they're really 6 credits of work. back to text ? Can you believe MIT has a forge?!? back to text ? Weird how the name isn't related at all to the action, I know :P back to text ?

Basic Guidelines for Nutrition Essay - 2872 Words

Almost everyone I know thinks that nutrition advice is confusing and contradictory. Those that don’t think so are just not interested in the advice and so ignore it. Students come to class every week with questions about whether they need to take fish oil caplets, drink lots of milk and stock up on pomegranate juice. My answer is usually that the evidence is contradictory. The truth is that â€Å"basic† nutrition guidelines are not confusing and haven’t changed much in thirty years. What you need to eat is lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. You need a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats and you need plenty of fluids, the best of which is water. What you should avoid is food with saturated and trans†¦show more content†¦Preliminary results, however, often do not hold up. Sometimes results are pushed by food and supplement manufacturers trying to increase their market share and profit margins. Convincing you that their products are good for you encourages you to buy them and thus makes good business sense. Companies constantly develop, look for and present evidence, even if it is shaky, to bolster their health claims. So what is a person to do? You could stick to the â€Å"basic† nutrition advice and ignore the media and corporate hype about new developments. No doubt, however, you will start to get curious about the new vitamin drink that your friends say will improve your tennis game. Or you will wonder if the new wheat grass diet will really make losing that extra five pounds you picked up during fall semester effortless. What you need to evaluate claims is a critical and somewhat cynical approach (think it’s all about money) and some idea about the pitfalls of even the best nutrition research. Nutrition information comes from many different kinds of studies, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Epidemiological studies provide broad information about populations. For these studies, researchers look at diseases and diet for a large group of people and sees what patterns appear. For example,Show MoreRelatedExercise And Training Program : The Weight Management And Bmi Questions873 Words   |  4 Pages1. HS 200: Pre-Requisite Test #1 Overall I got an 8.5% on this Pre-Req Test a. Strengths: I think my strengths were in the exercise and training program questions, the weight management and BMI questions, the questions on basic nutrition concepts, and some of exercise science vocabulary questions. Even though I took HS200 a few years ago it was a class I did well in. Also I took a few exercise science classes at my community college, and live an active lifestyle, so I think this helped me on thisRead MoreDefinition of Development Appropriate Practice1100 Words   |  5 PagesHealth, Safety and Nutrition prepares students from early childhood through a group of basic information and theory, practices, and requirements for establishing and keeping safety, healthy learning environment and good nutrition through the training of children to pay attention to their health and their nutrition and safety. Definition of Development appropriate Practice : The definition of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is â€Å" a framework of principles and guidelines for best practiceRead MoreThe National Lunch Program1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthis opinion about school lunches may not know the facts and the guidelines that food and nutrition departments need to follow when cooking for students. Thus, it is important that the lunches served to students are nutritious and healthy for them so that they can perform their best in class and are able to grow to be healthy adults. School lunches that follow the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) guidelines encourage proper nutrition for students because they contain numerous fruits and vegetablesRead More Lesson Plan Essay675 Words   |  3 Pages Math/Nutrition 1. Student Objectives: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To be able to read the contents of a nutrition guideline, looking for specific items nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To be able to compare/contrast the values of calories, fat content, carbohydrates, etc., in nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;different cereal brands and list them nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To be able to graph the results of their comparison/contrasting on a bar graph nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;ToRead MoreNutrition Is Essential For The Development Of Physical And Cognitive Health1394 Words   |  6 PagesNutrition Essay Report â€Å"Optimum nutrition is essential for the development of physical and cognitive health in children, infants and adolescents.† 1. Why did Jamie Oliver begin the â€Å"Ministry of Food†? The ministry of food was introduced in 1942 by the British government to advocate eating nutritious food’s during the time of WW2, when there was sparsity of crops and fresh produce, due to the war effort. It also educated people on ways to feed their families healthy food on a budget. However moreRead MorePublic Health Nutrition ( Phn )1700 Words   |  7 PagesPublic health Nutrition (PHN) is the promotion and maintenance of nutrition related to health and well-being of populations via the organised efforts and informed choices of society (Hughes et al, 2012). Public health nutrition focuses on solving nutrition related problems, however focusing on developing interventions in the population; it also draws upon the principles of health promotion (Caraher and Coveney, 2004). Landman, Buttriss and Margetts (1998) outlines public health nutrition in focusingRead MoreThe Basics of Nutrition1764 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: GETTING TO THE BASICS Nutrition Health Nutrition is the study of the processes involved in the acquisition of substances, called nutrients, needed by a living organism to survive and grow (Healia, 2009). The body of the organism cannot produce these nutrients on its own and must thus be ingested from outside sources in sufficient amounts. Essential nutrients must be ingested on a daily basis from the diet so that the body can perform normal functions on a daily basis. They areRead MoreGood Food Should Be A Right, Not A Privilege Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pages in most parts of the country, fresh food is a â€Å"privilege.† Comparing to packaged food, they are less available and more expensive. While noticing the inaccessible nature of fresh food in America, I also became aware of one of the most pressing nutrition-related issues in America—the obesity epidemic. The country began to see children who are developing type-2 diabetes, an obesity-related disease that was never seen in children until now. The proportion of people classified as overweight or obeseRead MoreThe Importance Of Nutri tion On Our Daily Lives1683 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years we have come to discover the importance of nutrition on our daily lives. Our daily nutritional intake affects every aspect of our functioning, especially as we age. Unfortunately this factor is too often overlooked. It is imperative that we truly understand the impact of proper nutrition on our lives, as aging is a complex process. Over time the human body accumulates damage in many of its major systems. Countless hours of research have gone into studying the human body and how itRead MoreBreakfast - the most important meal of the day Nutrition Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pagesgood health and how to achieve it. Adolescents may be at risk of developing deficiencies or put on excessive adipose tissue if not enough essential dietary requirements are met. (Hark, L. Deen. D. 2007.)The Healthy Eating Pyramid was developed by Nutrition Australia to help people be able to know how to classify each food they regularly eat in the ir diet into three main categories: eat most, eat moderately and eat least. (see Appendix D for diagram). Notably this supplies adolescents an easy picture

How to Ask Politely Where the Bathroom Is in French

Ah la la, this is always a difficult question. Because on top of possibly sounding impolite in French,  you could also end up sounding  totally ridiculous. If you want to ask, Where is the bathroom, and you  go for a literal translation, youd ask,  Oà ¹ est la salle de bains? The problem is la salle de bains  is the room where the bath or shower is. Often the toilet  is  in a separate room. Imagine the puzzled look on your French hosts when they try to figure out why on earth you want to take a shower in their home. Ideally, if things are done properly, your hosts should have discreetly pointed out the bathroom after they took your coat and guided you into the house. Oà ¹ Sont  les Toilettes, S’il te  Plaà ®t? But if that didnt happen, the correct question would be,  Oà ¹ sont  les toilettes, s’il te  plaà ®t? if you are saying tu to your host. Note that the term les toilettes  referring to the bathroom is  always plural. You may also use the word les cabinets.  If you do, youd say, Oà ¹ sont les cabinets, sil te plaà ®t, but its a bit old-fashioned. If the evening is  super formal, you may say something like, Oà ¹ puis-je me rafraà ®chir? (Where may I freshen up?), but talking like that is quite snobbish. And anyway, everybody knows where youre going and what youll be doing once you get there. Also remember that we never say, â€Å"Take your time† in this kind of situation, which always makes me laugh.   At a Dinner Party, Be Discreet If youve gone to this house for a dinner party, keep in mind that you are not supposed to leave the dinner table...and dinner may last for hours. If you absolutely have to use the bathroom, time your exit well, for example, not just before a new course is brought in. It could be at the end of a course since the French dont remove the empty plates right away; just leave the table as discreetly as you can. You may say a soft, â€Å"Veuillez m’excuser† (Please excuse me), but its not at all necessary. And by all means, don’t say where youre going. Everybody knows. At a Restaurant or Cafà ©, Be Polite and Use Vous If youre in a restaurant or a cafà ©, its the same question. You will, of course, be using vous: Oà ¹ sont les toilettes, sil vous plaà ®t? In big cities, you often need to be a customer to use the restroom. If its a big Parisian cafà © with a terrace, walk in, look for the signs, and just go in. If its a smaller place, smile a lot and politely say: Excusez moi. Je suis vraiment dà ©solà ©e, mais est-ce que je peux utiliser vos toilettes, sil vous plaà ®t? Only in a very touristic place would you have a problem. Then, either order and pay for a coffee at the bar (even if you dont drink it) or go to the nearest public toilets. To navigate the niceties of French toilets youll need to learn how French toilets work. For instance, do you know what those weird buttons are on a French toilet?  And make sure you learn all you can about using a public toilet in France  to  avoid a nasty surprise!

Things Fall Apart (Literary Analysis) Free Essays

Things Fall Apart Literary Analysis Okonkwo and his father, Unoka, were two very different people. With just one wife and nothing to leave behind to his only son, Unoka was seen as a failure in the eyes of his village. Okonkwo, however, became a titled man with three wives and a successful harvest every season. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart (Literary Analysis) or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was well respected in his community, despite his impulsive tendencies and rigidness. Although he despised Unoka, Okonkwo would not have grown to be the man that he did if it weren’t for his father. Okonkwo was aware of his father’s chronic laziness growing up and he knew firsthand the consequences of that kind of lifestyle. He learned from Unoka’s mistakes, and as an adult tried to become the opposite of him. â€Å"Okonkwo was ruled by one passion- to hate everything his father had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness. † He didn’t want to be judged based on the faults his father, and he proved that he was indeed everything Unoka was not: Strong, successful, determined and hardworking. Okonkwo also lived in perpetual fear of being perceived as weak, as his father had been. This fear drove him to do reckless things such as kill Ikemefuna, who had regarded Okonkwo as a father-figure. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak. † Such impulsive actions proved him to be tough on the outside, but only weakened him on the inside. Okonkwo came to love Ikemefuna like a son, because he was much more like himself than his own biological son, Nwoye. However, he would never show his affection and later becam e deeply depressed by what he’d done. Nwoye, too, chose a very different path than his father. Okonkwo always thought Nwoye was lazy and feminine, much like Unoka. â€Å"‘†¦ I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is too much of his mother in him. ‘Too much of his grandfather,’ Obierika thought, but he did not say it. The same thought also came to Okonkwo’s mind. † Later in Nwoye’s life, he defied his father’s wishes and joined the Christian church. Upon hearing this news, Okonkwo disowned him as a son. I think this shows that how we’re raised greatly influences the people we become as adults. Okonkwo, who’s father didn’t have many expectations of him, created high expectations for himself. However, Nwoye failed to meet Okonkwo’s high standards and eventually gave up on trying to please him. How to cite Things Fall Apart (Literary Analysis), Papers

Discuss The Use Of Dramatic Irony Essay Example For Students

Discuss The Use Of Dramatic Irony Essay Discuss The Use Of Dramatic Irony Throughout The Play And How Priestley Uses It To Convey His Message Affectively To The Audience.  I am going to be discussing Priestleys use of dramatic irony and how this has helped him to achieve his goal. J B Priestleys goal was to tell us that we are all part of one body, this in the play is referred to as the social message. At the beginning of the play the family are enjoying Sheila and Geralds engagement, at the time the atmosphere was joyful. The Birlings and Gerald croft are in the upper class. Priestley made the atmosphere like a warm welcoming family. The play is about a family that contribute to the death of a young woman who commits suicide. Priestleys main aim is to tell us we are all part of one body. This means that we should look after each other the way that you would like to be treated. Priestley brings out his point by using dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the audience know more than all or most of the characters on stage. Dramatic irony is used well with all the characters, the reason to this is that the audience are watching the play years after it is set (1912) this means that the audience already know what had actually happened. Firstly there is mr Birling he makes several references to unemployment i.e., theres a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the future, MR Birling says that they have passed the worst of all the trouble but the audience knows there was labour unrest and got worse in the 1920s. Mr Birling also states The Titanic sails next week, forty six thousand eight hundred tons, New York in five days every luxury and unsinkable, we know that the titanic sank in 1912 which makes the audience judge Mr Birling very early in the play. We also learn that the family are not close we know this because they keep secrets from each other i.e. Eric was drinking and Sheila never told her mother or father, when the topic of Eric is actually raised and Mrs Birling found out her son drinks she never wanted to hear a word about it. Eric doesnt tell his family about Eva smiths baby or about the money he stole until the inspector forced him to. Mr Birling is very concerned that there is no scandal going on otherwise his chances of having a knighthood would massively decrease. Mr Birling only cares about himself and his family. He doesnt care about the people around him. This brings me onto my next point, If Sheila hadnt gone to the manager of milwards and got Eva smith sacked then the whole mess wouldnt have started. But then Eric got Eva Smith pregnant, which meant that he had to now support her. Eric Stole money from Mr Birlings office and gave it so she had enough money to see her through. When Eva smith found out that she had been taking stolen money she refused to take any more of it. So she then went to Mrs Birlings committee but Mrs Birling Refused to support her because she had been lying about her identity. Mr Birling is a very selfish man he only thinks about himself and his family. Mr Birling tries to hide the truth but all is revealed by the inspector, as he knows all. When the inspector Questions the Birling household mr Birling tries to assert his authority over the inspector. We know that he will lose. The older generation (Mr and Mrs Birling) fail to notice the power of the inspector e.g. Mrs Birling tries to withhold information because shes not present at other interviews. This makes us think that Mrs Birling and her family do not share information. .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .postImageUrl , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:hover , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:visited , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:active { border:0!important; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:active , .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud2043ed959d2f6e07baabb121949606f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Booking letters EssayMr Birling shares information about his possible knighthood. As the play goes on it looks more like theres no chance of a knighthood. As we draw closer to the end of the play we believe that they will not get away with this. We know that they will not get away with this because Eva has committed suicide.  In conclusion I think that Priestley has used dramatic irony very well. I think that the whole Birling household is to blame for Evas death. I also think that when using dramatic irony it helps our understanding of the social message we are all part of one body means that we should look after each other the way we would like to be looked after. As a result of what happened to the Birlings and Eva this makes us see what Priestley is trying to get at. I think that the social message links to dramatic irony because it helps our understanding and helps us to get a clearer view of what happened.

Violence And Pornography Essays (4243 words) - Pornography

Violence And Pornography Violence and Pornography Pornography -- Sex or Subordination? In the late Seventies, America became shocked and outraged by the rape, mutilation, and murder of over a dozen young, beautiful girls. The man who committed these murders, Ted Bundy, was later apprehended and executed. During his detention in various penitentiaries, he was mentally probed and prodded by psychologist and psychoanalysts hoping to discover the root of his violent actions and sexual frustrations. Many theories arose in attempts to explain the motivational factors behind his murderous escapades. However, the strongest and most feasible of these theories came not from the psychologists, but from the man himself, as a teenager, my buddies and I would all sneak around and watch porn. As I grew older, I became more and more interested and involved in it, [pornography] became an obsession. I got so involved in it, I wanted to incorporate [porn] into my life, but I couldnt behave like that and maintain the success I had worked so hard for. I generated an alter-ego to fulfill my fantasies under-cover. Pornography was a means of unlocking the evil I had burried inside myself (Leidholdt 47). Is it possible that pornography is acting as the key to unlocking the evil in more unstable minds? According to Edward Donnerstein, a leading researcher in the pornography field, the relationship between sexually violent images in the media and subsequent aggression and . . . callous attitudes towards women is much stonger statistically than the relationship between smoking and cancer (Itzin 22). After considering the increase in rape and molestation, sexual harassment, and other sex crimes over the last few decades, and also the corresponding increase of business in the pornography industry, the link between violence and pornogrpahy needs considerable study and examination. Once the evidence you will encounter in this paper is evaluated and quantified, it will be hard not come away with the realization that habitual use of pornographic material promotes unrealistic and unattainable desires in men that can leac to violent behavior toward women. In order to properly discuss pornography, and be able to link it to violence, we must first come to a basic and agreeable understanding of what the word pornography means. The term pornogrpahy originates from two greek words, porne, which means harlot, and graphein, which means to write (Websters 286). My belief is that the combination of the two words was originally meant to describe, in literature, the sexual escapades of women deemed to be whores. As time has passed, this definition of pornography has grown to include any and all obscene literature and pictures. At the present date, the term is basically a blanket which covers all types of material such as explicit literature, photography, films, and video tapes with varying degrees of sexual content. For Catherine Itzins research purposes pornogrpahy has been divided into three categories: The sexually explicit and violent; the sexually explicit and nonviolent, but subordinating and dehumanizing; and the sexually explicit, nonviolent, and nonsubordinating that is based upon mutuality. The sexually explicit and violent is graphic, showing penetration and ejaculation. Also, it shows the violent act toward a woman. The second example shows the graphic sexual act and climax, but not a violent act. This example shows the woman being dressed is a costume or being talked down to in order to reduce her to something not human; such as a body part or just something to have sex with, a body opening or an orifice. Not only does erotica show the entire graphic sexual act, it also depicts an attraction between two people. Her research consistently shows that harmful effects are associated with the first two, but that the third erotica, is harmless (22). These three categories basically exist as tools of discerning content. Although sometimes they overlap without a true distinction, as in when the film is graphic in the sexual act and also in violence, but shows the act as being a mutual activity between the people participating. In my view, to further divide pornography, it is possible to break it down into even simpler categories: soft and hard core pornography. Hard core pornography is a combination of the sexually explicit and violent and the sexually explicit and nonviolent, but subordinating and dehumanizing categories, previously discussed. Soft core pornography is thought to be harmless and falls into the category known as erotica; which is the category based on mutuality. In hard core pornogrpahy, commonly rated XXX, you can see graphic depictions of violent sexual acts usually with a man or group of men, deriving sexual gratification

buy custom Health Policy essay

buy custom Health Policy essay Women are believed to be major beneficiaries of health care since they encounter more health problems in every stage of their lives than men. They also encounter health emergencies since most of them face certain circumstances such as rape, pregnancy, and various health issues. However, most of them have no access to health services (Kaiser, 2012). This is why there is a need for a considerable health policy that will take care of their health problems. This health policy will address women with three categories of health problems; these include pregnancy services, women that have been subjected to rape, and other health issues of women, such as common diseases and domestic abuse. Pregnant women often have difficulties when accessing pre-natal and post-natal services. This policy will suggest that women pay a maximum of 10% on health services depending on their marital status. Women with no marriage partners will pay a total of 5% while women with marital partners will incur a total of 10%. These funds will cater for the needs of women during pregnancy, delivery, and even after the pregnancy period. On matters of rape, emphasis will be laid on individuals responsible for this type of sexual abuse. The government will cater for instant health attention after a rape case. Women will receive medical attention, and such includes abortion services if any is needed. The rapist will be forced to account for most of the health funds. The go vernment, in corporation with health centres and other charitable organization, will be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that women who have been raped access guidance and counselling services. In view to other health services, such as medical attention on victims of domestic violence and other health needs, this policy requires that these women provide a fee of a total of 20% annually. There will be no taxes that are going to be charged on all the medical coverage. In demanding the funds for these types of medical cover, the government will consider the economic capabilities of these women. One of the major aspects this policy suggests is the need for health education among women (Garcia et al, 2010). This is important because it equips them with knowledge on how to access healthcare, where to access it, and how their funds are distributed and utilized to care for their health. Women are the major caretakers of homes and they also form an important part of the economic productivity in the country. Therefore, their health is paramount among other issues in the country. The government should make more preparations to ensure that they formulate more constructive health polici es which will ensure that women do access quality and affordable health care. Buy custom Health Policy essay

Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, but all Paul left us was the Essay

Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, but all Paul left us was the church - Essay Example This paper will look at the statement Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, but all Paul left us was the Church and give reasons for either agreeing or disagreeing with the statement. I disagree with the statement Jesus Came Preaching the kingdom of God, but all Paul left us was the church. This is because both Jesus and Paul taught identical things. Settled, Paul concentrated more on theological concerns than Jesus did, but there is nothing that Paul said that is contradictory to Jesus Christ. Therefore, both Jesus and Paul preached the kingdom of God. As recorded in the Gospels, the basic elements in the preaching of Jesus Christ include, one, his teaching on wealth in which He asserts that it is extremely difficult for a rich individual to go to heaven, and also warns against the gathering of riches on a number of occasions. Two, Jesus gave teachings regarding violence. Finally, Jesus gave teachings regarding compassion and forgiveness (Shillington 17). On the other hand, Paulà ¢â‚¬â„¢s teachings included, one, his teachings on faith. Two, Paul taught the lordship of Christ in his letters. Finally, Paul taught justification in his letters. Jesus claimed in Mathew 5:17 that He did not come to put an end to the Prophets or Law, but He had come to fulfill them. Nonetheless, Jesus frequently re-interpreted the laws, or added to them, in various occasions in extremely radical manners. Paul marked a continuation of the message of Jesus. In Mark 10:25 Jesus claimed it was effortless for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to go into the kingdom of the Lord. Jesus continued to claim that the sole way a rich person could go to heaven was if he could sell all his wealth and give it to the less fortunate (Shillington 18). This statement meant that the Lord would only inspire a rich person to modify his way of life and voluntarily give his wealth to the less fortunate. In addition, Jesus Christ, in a number of instances, warned against the accrual of riches. In Mathew 6:19 Jesus asserted that people should not gather wealth on the universe. He also went ahead and claim that a person did not have the ability to both serve God and money. Jesus did not approve of wealth because he presumed that it was not right for a number of individuals to starve while others lived in wasteful luxury. According to Paul, the followers were to attempt to accumulate spiritual wealth, and as the command progressed, it is evident that the followers were to put their material possessions to use in this endeavor. In Paul’s view, the material wealth of the followers was to incorporate a special duty (Horrell 30). For the followers, the standard Christian life of virtuous duties should entail sensible manifestations of generosity and the eagerness to share. Paul also claimed that since all the rich had came from the Lord, they were to possess a proper opinion of their riches and utilize it to help the less privileged. Paul envisaged a s tewardship of the commodities of the world, and the people blessed with these possessions were to be conscientious administrators of the wealth. On violence, Jesus taught that people should love their enemies. This statement has been interpreted in a number of ways. A number of individ

Trends in Contemporary Trade Union Membership Essay

Trends in Contemporary Trade Union Membership - Essay Example They are major organizations that understand the needs and requirements of the working people and help provide them with safe working environment and help negotiate better pay and compensation. Trade unions play major role in the labor market in UK. The statistics of union membership is clear indication of its success as independent bodies that can negotiate successfully for the rights of the working population. BIS, a leading government department, regularly analyses government policies and publishes range of information and data of various public and private organizations to promote transparency. The major aim is to reveal as to how taxpayers’ money is spent and whether resources are better used to deliver value for money. BIS’ statistics on trade union membership is an important aspect that demonstrates its proactive participation in the welfare of the workers (BIS, 2011). But the recent fall in membership has emerged as major concern (Table 1; BIS, 2011) for TUC and government. The membership to unions has fallen from 2008 till 2011 showing its inability in negotiating welfare policies for workers in economic slowdown. The trend also highlights the fact that women have shown greater trust on the unions but membership has declined for workers for 60 years and above for the above period. The Table 2 (BIS, 2011) is hugely significant and shows that public sector has nearly double the union members (60.9%) as against the private sector employees (39.1%). Nearly 78.6% of members are full time workers, whereas only 21.4% of part time workers are union members. Most distressing is the fact that disabled membership of union is only about 17.5%. Moreover, the table gives credence to the fact that workforce with higher qualifications has more awareness and trust in union whereas non-qualified constitute only 3.7% of union members. The recent trend in union membership is distressing for the working population

Determining The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Biology Essay

Determining The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Biology Essay The basic structure of penicillin.The first two steps in cell wall synthesis specifically the formation of acetylglucosamine to from peptidoglycan chains, cannot be inhibited by penicillin. However, in the final step where the crosslinking between peptidoglycan by side peptide chains, the penicillin inhibits this process. This is because penicillin has similar structure to the terminal D-alanine-D-alanine if the pentapeptide, which binds covalently to the active site of the transpeptidase enzyme (Gorbach et al., 2003). Chloramphenicol is another antibiotic and it has the ability to penetrate though cellular membranes and be easily in engagement with the bacteria colonising in human cells to allow its antimicrobial characteristics to take place. Chloramphenicol has a simple structure and the mechanism depends on the propanoeidol moiety and dichloracetamide chain. C:Usersctlee11Desktop12.jpg Figure 2.0: The basic structure of chloramphenicol.What chloramphenicol does is that it inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria, however nucleic acid synthesis in unaffected. Chloramphenicol binds reversibly to the larger 50S ribosome subunit of the 70S ribosome. This inhibits the protein synthesis by preventing aminioacyl-transfer RNA from attaching to the 50S binding site (Gorbach et al., 2003). However, it has been recorded that chloramphenicol affects the mitochondrial protein synthesis. This is because the mammalian mitochondrial protein has strong similarity to bacterial ribosome where both are of 70S, with the mitochondria of the bone marrow especially susceptible (Riviere Papich, 2009). Protein synthesis plays a major role in bacterial growth as there are various cofactors and enzymes needed for multiple metabolic pathways. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the minimum concentration of a drug which inhibits bacterial growth, but does not kill the microorganism. Minimum bacteriostatic concentration (MBC) is the minimum concentration of a drug which kills the bacterial and thus, no longer grows. AIMS This investigation was done to determine Minimum inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bacteriocidal Concentration (MBC) of Penicillin and Chloramphenicol of Escherichia coli as well as; to determine the antibiotics sensitivity against the Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS AND MATERIALS The methods and materials are as per laboratory manual of Medical Microbiology BTH3722 of Monash University Semester Two, Year 2012 of pages 17 20. RESULTS SESSION/DAY ONE There are two sections to this investigation, where there is (i), the MIC and MBC determination of antibiotic Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol against Escherichia coli, and then there is (ii) antibiotics testing towards two microorganisms which are Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the determination of MIC, serial dilutions of antibiotics are done with known concentrations. Then, each tube containing different antibiotic concentration is the inoculated with bacterial culture and incubated overnight. This goes the same for the determination of MBC. Then, for each serial dilution of antibiotic, there would be two control tubes, one positive where the tube is inoculated with bacterial culture and the incubated without antibiotics and then, negative control where the tube is not inoculated but theres presence of antibiotics. For the antibiotic sensitivity testing, there are two Mast rings used and both of them are ready-made device that can simultaneously test for antibiotic susceptibility testing using 8 types of antibiotics. The Mast Rings used in this investigation is MAST M43 to test against MG8 culture: Staphylococcus aureus and MAST M14 to be used to test against MG53 culture: Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All these are done on the MHA plate using spread plate technique. SESSION/DAY TWO The MIC and MBC for each antibiotic type (Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol) is determined by observing the turbidity in the test tube. A turbid medium signifies for bacteria growth. Then all the tubes that are sterile are then poured into respective Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB) bottles including the tube that has the minimum positive bacteria growth to determine the MBC. These bottles are then incubated overnight. Results are on Table 1.0. For the antibiotic susceptibility testing, the annular radii of the clear zones are measured for each antibiotic type and these measurements are recorded. The measurements and interpretation are on Table 2.0 and Table 3.0. Tube Concentration of Antibiotics (c),  µg/ml Growth of Escherichia coli Penicillin G Chloramphenicol 1 125.00 + 2 62.50 + 3 31.25 + + 4 15.63 + + 5 7.81 + + 6 3.91 + + 7 1.95 + + 8 0.98 + + 9 0.49 + + 10 0.24 + + 11 0.12 + + 12 (+ CTRL) 0.00 + + 13 (- CTRL) 0.00 Table 1.0: The table below shows the results of the from the MIC determination of Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol on E. coli. In Table 1.0, it is shown that there are 13 tubes where the 12th and 13th are controls, 12th as the positive (+) and the 13th as negative (-). Positive control is the control which is inoculated without antibiotics and Negative control as the control which not inoculated. On the growth column, + signifies theres growth and thus turbidity in the tubes, while (-) signifies negative growth. It is also that has been determined that the MBC value is 125  µg/ml for Chloramphenicol. Table 2.0: The table below shows the annular radius that was measured form the MHA plate cultured with Pseudomonas aeruginosa using MAST Ring M43. MASTRING ANTIBIOTICS M43 Antibiotics Abbreviation Annular Radius Sensitivity PG Penicillin G 0 R CD Clindamycin 1 R GM Gentamycin 10 S FC Fusidic Acid 20 S E Erythromycin 0 R TM Trimetroprim 0 R SMX Sulphamethoxazole 0 R T Tetracyclin 0 R The general rule is that if the annular radii are more than 6mm in length, then the bacteria are susceptible to that particular antibiotic. However, if the annular radii are 6mm or less than, it is considered resistant to the particular antibiotics. Table 3.0: The table below shows the annular radius that was measured form the MHA plate cultured with Staphylococcus aureus tested using MAST Ring M14. MASTRING ANTIBIOTICS M14 Antibiotics Abbreviation Annular Radius Sensitivity AP Ampicillin 0 R KF Cephalothin 1 R CO Colistin Sulphate 7 S GM Gentamycin 8 S S Streptomycin 8 S ST Sulphatriad 1 R T Tetracyclin 0 R TS Cotrimoxazole 0 R The general rule is that if the annular radii are more than 6mm in length, then the bacteria are susceptible to that particular antibiotic. However, if the annular radii are 6mm or less than, it is considered resistant to the particular antibiotics. DISCUSSION The MIC and MBC value of penicillin G cannot be determined as at all concentrations of the serial dilutions, the bacteria is resistant to the Penicillin G (PG) even from the concentration of 125  µg/ml. This is because there was growth observed from the turbidity of all the serial dilution tubes. However for the antibiotic Chloramphenicol, the MIC is at 31.25  µg/ml while the MBC is at 62.6  µg/ml. At these concentrations, in treating infections that are E. coli related, a rather heavy dosage of PG is needed to be administered. Thus, PG is not really effective in killing E. coli. Besides, the MBC value is always expected to be higher than the MIC value is higher dosage is needed to kill a microorganism (Prescott et al., 2005). As it has been previously mentioned, PG targets the peptidoglycan structure of the cell wall. If the bacteria were able to resist PG, it would be because that the bacteria have a mechanism to counter such actions. True enough, E. coli could be resistant t o PG because it could produce beta-lactamase that inactivates penicillin (Sorbo Marshall, 2006). Beta-lactamase which is also known as penicillinase, acts by hydrolysing the CO-N bond in the beta lactam ring of the penicillin molecule and then the amidase group cleaves the CO-NH bond found within the side chain and the six amino acid groups of penicillic acid group of the penicillin molecule (English et al., 1960). However, not only E. coli is not the only one bacteria that possesses the beta-lactamase gene which can caused by the fact that certain bacteria passed on their DNA to another bacteria during conjugation, or from a virus to a bacteria during transduction or also that the bacteria can take in foreign DNA from their surroundings (Karp, 2009). In the antibiotic testing on the bacteria lawn, it is found that the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is less resistant than Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as S. aureus is susceptible to three kinds of antibiotics (susceptible: CO, GM and S; resistant: AP, KF, ST, T and TS) compared to P. aeruginosa which is susceptible to two types (susceptible: GM and FC; resistant: PG, CD, SMX, T and EM). The reason P. aeruginosa is so particularly so resistant is to most of the modern antibiotics is because of its intrinsic resistance that arises from the permeability and secondary resistance mechanisms such as energy-dependent multidrug efflux and chromosomally encoded periplasmic ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase. At such level of natural resistance, mutational resistance to most classes of antibiotics can readily arise (Hancock Speert, 2000). For instance, the resistance of P. aeruginosa towards PG is because of de-repression of chromosomal ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase and also the overexpression of the MexA B-OprM multidrug efflux pump due to a NalB mutation. Specific plasmid-mediated ÃŽÂ ²-lactamases also infer that the resistance to PG could be a form of introduction of foreign DNA from surroundings or via conjugation with other bacteria (Hancock Speert, 2000). As for S. aureus, the bacteria is resistant towards ampicillin and that would probably due to the act that most strains of S. aureus are able to produce ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase to breakdown the beta-lactam ring of the penicillin-derivate antibiotics. CONCLUSION The MIC and MBC values are important in determining the correct dosage of antibiotics that is supposed to be administered to the patient. However, E. coli was particularly resistant to Penicillin G and thus, was unable to produce any MBC or MIC values. In such cases, an AST can be ran first before testing E. coli against its susceptible drug for MIC and MBC values. IX. REFERENCES English, A.R., McBride, T. J. and Huang, H. T. (1960). Microbial Resistance to penicillin as related to penicillinase or penicillin acylase activity, Proceedings of the Society or  Experimental  Biology and  Medicine, Vol. 104, pp. 547 549. Gorbach, S.L., Barlett, J.G. and Blacklow, N.R. (2003).Treatment of Infectious Disease, Infectious Disease, Lippincott Williams Wilkins, pp. 184 186. Hancock, R. E. W. and Speert, D. P. (2009). Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: mechanisms and impact on treatment, Drug Resistance Updates, 3, pp. 247 255. Karp, G. (2009). The Growing Problem of Antibiotic Resistance, Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments, John Wiley Sons, pp. 105 106. Riviere, J.E. and Papich, M. G. (2009). Chemotherapy of Microbial Diseases, Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, John Wiley Sons, pp. 944 946. Sorbo, L. D. and Marshall, J.C. (2006) Antibiotic Resistance in the Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Care Medicine: Annual Update 2006, Springer, pp. 582 583.

Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest, Inc. Case Analysis Page 1 INDEX 1. Key success factors & company performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. Bank perspective regarding the performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. Bank financing perspective at the end of 1998†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 4. Management perspective regarding the bank financing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 5. Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 6. Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 7. Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 8. Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 9. Exhibit 5 – Forecasting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 10. Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22 11. Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 23 Tudor Team Five Page 2 1. What are the key success factors in this equipment rental business? How has the company performed the past few years? Key Success Factors Five of the key success factors are as follows: First, the locat ion of the business is ideal for handling several projects at once. This is due to their central Boston location. The ability to handle everal projects at once gives the company a competitive edge and allows them to attain a performance as close to the full potential of the company as possible. Second, the company’s leaders have been successful in networking to primary and secondary clients. This has aided in growing a business that is based on a foundation of good company/client relationships. These strong relationships have led to significant repeat customers as a strong basis of the company’s revenue. Fostering these relationships throughout the years of the company’s existence has also led to sustained revenue growth year after year. This revenue growth is shown in the financials and, using the Compound Annual Growth Rate, it can be seen that this growth in revenue has been 14. 26% from 1994 to 1997. Third, the executive management is well experienced in the hospitality industry as well as other industries that relate to the successful operation of a business. Stephen Lizio was involved in the food and wine business prior to founding Be Our Guest in 1983. Al Lovata was previously a banker and began his relationship with Be Our Guest as a financial consultant, later joining the organization full-time as the Chief Executive Officer. Lizio and Lovata together form a foundation of strong knowledge of the hospitality Tudor Team Five Page 3 business and the vital knowledge of finance, thus giving the business a core of understanding both its industry and how to manage the money coming into the company. Simone Williamson was brought on to the team and comes from years of experience in the food service business. She also came to the company with strong networking connections in the catering industry in Boston, which further reinforces the second success factor described above. This management team is made up of members that complement ach other’s strengths, as well as provide the necessary skill sets for running a successful business. The fourth key success factor is that the company identified its business plan early on and held its course throughout the years without deviation to business expansions that would have resulted in higher profits but fewer turnovers. This can be seen in the company’s analys is of the potential of The executive team determined that this entering the tent rental market. market, though highly profitable, would result in time delays and longer turnovers and would split their core business. The team recognised that this split could result in lower profitability and splintering of the core business structure. Rather than expand into a low profit margin business â€Å"tents†, in which the management lacks market expertise, they chose to stick to their initial business plan and focus on their key strengths rather than deviate from the company's set fundamentals. This example illustrates that the company followed its original business plan and complied with its mission and vision from the beginning without deviation. In doing so, the company built a strong foundation and upheld the strength of that foundation. The fifth key success factor identified here is the high quality of service as well as the high quality of the rental equipment provided to clients. The executive team recognised early that they could compete in either price or Tudor Team Five Page 4 quality, and the team chose to compete in quality. Part of this high quality service is seen in the company’s dedication to its clients through its willingness to deliver only one table on short notice if a client is in need. Through high quality service, the company has upheld its networking connections to clients by building strong relationships. This high quality service combined with high quality rental equipment products has allowed the company to obtain a competitive edge over its competition, keep that competitive advantage, and foster strong company/client relationships throughout the years. How has the company performed the past few years? Viewpoint – Independent perspective Be Our Guest, Inc. originated in 1983 and is still thriving in a very competitive and volatile industry 14 years later. Over the past few years the company has shown significant growth. We see that Annual sales revenues have consistently risen from 1994 to 1997 with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14. 26%. 1997 was an impressive year for the company with a 22. 7% increase in revenues. Gross Margins were very consistent year over year for 1994 through 1997. Gross margins for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 were 53. 9%, 49%, 52. 63% and 55. 5%, respectively. Be Our Guest, Inc. is doing a solid job of keeping the Costs of Revenue in line with the Sales Revenue. It is a positive sign to see this growth, because we can be assured that the company is staying competitive, while not completely giving in to the pricing crunch. Annual Sales Revenue has a strong CAGR, but it is important and concerning to note that the CAGR of total Operating Expenses is higher. It is about 5% higher and this is very important, because Be Our Guest needs to stay in control of its expenses. Tudor Team Five Page 5 The high and increasing Operating expenses are cutting into the Operating margins, which also cuts into the bottom line. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet shows good signs of liquidity. Current Ratios for the past four years have remained above 1 proving that the company can handle its current liabilities. The current ratios are not extremely high (19941. 7, 1995- 2. 17, 1996- 1. 15 and 1997- 1. 16), but they can cover the current liabilities. It is important to note that the company is operating on a thin line because the current assets are barely covering the current liabilities. This is particularly unpleasant because we are dealing with a company operating in a seasonal business. It is a concern that the curren t ratio slightly eroded after 1995, and this is primarily due to Be Our Guest converting the bank line into long term debt in 1995. The current ratio in 1995 is an outlier, because 2. 17 do not accurately represent the company. The quick ratio is the same as the current ratio for Be Our Guest because they do not have inventory for all of the rental equipment is under property and equipment. They display a good working capital position as well, which is another measure of liquidity. Cash position is a concern for we can see in 1994 and 1997 that they actually had an Overdraft, and for 1995 and 1996 cash is not very high. However, this company is in an industry that is more of a receivables business, so the cash position is not a high concern, especially given that it is covering the current liabilities. Since this is a receivables business it is important to look at the Receivables Turnover ratio, and we find that this is quite consistent, however when comparing to the Payables Turnover ratio we see that they are paying out more quickly than they are receiving, which is a problem. In 1995 they are paying out twice on average before collecting. Be Our Guest needs to focus on getting its receivables in a more timely manner. Tudor Team Five Page 6 2. As the bank loan officer, Anne Granger, how would you view this company? What concerns might you have about the business and the lending elationship? What factors provide a source of comfort when considering the credit risk? Anne will look at Be Our Guest, Inc. with both an annual and quarterly perspective really focusing in on the company’s liquidity, leverage and how they will match up to the covenant ratios established. The company is liquid, but it is not extremely liquid. Be Our Guest, Inc. is barely covering the current liabil ities, and from a banks perspective we would want to see that there are not any concerns in this area. If the company is to become insolvent, we want to be able to get our outstanding balance back. We know that Q1 is the worst quarter for the company, and you can see that for Q1 1997 the company displays a current ratio of . 88, which is simply not good, and means that during that quarter they did not have the ability to pay all current liabilities, therefore having to access the line of credit during this quarter. Q1 is also the hardest month for this company to retain its receivables, which can sometimes be the cause for liquidity problems. The top line growth is great to see, especially in the competitive space that the company operates in, but we also need to examine the rest of the income statement. It is concerning to see the Operating Profit Margin as well as the Interest Coverage Ratio declining year over year. Operating Profit Margin shrinking is a negative because it indicates that the company is not controlling its operating expenses. Interest Coverage Ratio is especially concerning because this ratio indicates the ease of paying the interest on the outstanding debt, and Be Our Guest, Inc. may struggle paying the interest down the road if the ratio continues to decline. Note that the company is currently fully capable of paying for the interest on an annual and quarterly Tudor Team Five Page 7 basis, but the trend downward will be noticed. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies on debt to build the business as you can see from the long term debt to equity ratios. However, the ratios are fairly consistent and it drops down to . 43 in 1997. The company is more than capable to cover the interest of this debt as noted earlier. Cash Flow is being adversely affected due to the abnormally large increase (56%) in G during 1997. According to the footnote on page 4 of the case, a company the size of Be Our Guest should have G sales in 1997 closer to $565,718 rather than the $840,718 that was reported. The bank will keep a particular eye on Cash Flow/Debt Service Ratio and Debt/Tangible Net Worth Ratio along with the bottom line, since the covenants include requirements regarding these. The covenants require the Cash Flow/Debt Service ratio to not be less than 1/25:1, and the company is in line with this covenant on an annual basis. However, the company does not satisfy this covenant when looking at the quarterly figures. Debt/Tangible Net Worth cannot be greater than 2. 00:1, and Be Our Guest, Inc. satisfies this covenant on an annual and quarterly basis. According to the covenants, the company can’t incur two consecutive quarters of net losses; nor incur a net loss for any fiscal year. The company did incur a loss in Q1 1997, but followed with a strong Q2 net profit, so the company is in compliance with this covenant as well. Be Our Guest, Inc. is in a seasonal industry, which is a concern, but even more of a concern is the company’s inability to produce projections. We understand that projections may not be extremely accurate, but it is possible to project through the use of confidence intervals. The bank becomes a little more comfortable with the seasonality because they feel that Al Lovata (former Banker) is aware of the risks associated and has a handle on them. Tudor Team Five Page 8 The balance sheet is decent, but it is not incredibly strong because it is barely covering the current liabilities. As a banker we would also be concerned about the customer makeup. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies heavily on two particular customers (Customer A and B), which make up over 21% of the company’s sales. These two customers make up 1/5 of the company’s budget, and I would like to know if the company has any backup plans in case they lost either of these customers and has performed the due diligence required to make sure its major customers are not insolvency risks themselves. Other than these top two customers, it appears that the customer base is spread out appropriately. The strong covenants in place are a source of comfort for the bank. Not only do they have strong covenants, but the bank also has virtually all of the company’s assets pledged and the shareholders guarantee the loan. Given that this is an S Corporation, the shareholders’ personal assets would be safe, but since these shareholders guaranteed the loan, the bank can go after the personal assets of the shareholders. Be Our Guest, Inc. is not a start-up company, and it has been in operation since 1983, so there is a level of comfort knowing that this company has been around for over 10 years and has been remotely successful during this time as well. It has great management in place who each contributes strong and complimentary experiences along with a level of expertise. This company is focused and driven to provide the best service they can within the industry, and they have been rewarded for it with the 1997 Small Business Firm of the Year. While Be Our Guest may not be the greatest risk, there are provisions in place and aspects of the company that make Be Our Guest an acceptable risk for the bank. Tudor Team Five Page 9 3. How much total bank financing will the company need at the end of 1998, including both the short-term borrowing under the bank credit line and the outstanding amount of the term loan? For convenience, assume that 1998 sales are $3,000,000. ) In order to estimate how much total bank financing the company will need at the end of 1998, there are two possible ways of forecasting the financial results in terms of balance sheet and income statement. The analysis must take into account the highly unpredictable, seasonal nature of the business. Due to this seasonality, there is high level of uncertainty whichever forecasting method is applied. The first method is to estimate the future income statement based on a trend or horizontal analysis. In this specific case, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for each item on the income statement was calculated for the years 1994-1997. With regards to revenue, $3,000,000 for 1998 was accounted for in the calculation. This analysis shows an increase in G due to the unusual increase in G the previous year (1996-1997) affecting the CAGR in 1998. Consequently, the income statement shows a loss in the Net Earnings when applying this method. The second method is to calculate the costs of revenue based on the percentage impact of each item of cost on the total revenue in 1997 (vertical analysis). This analysis, according to us, seems more logical in itself and also leads to a much more positive outlook for 1998 (Net Earnings of $99,408). The result would be sustainable for the business. Two more steps are necessary to forecast the financing needs for the year 1998: Tudor Team Five Page 10 The first step is repayment of the line of credit for the short-term liabilities ($140,000+$3,498). The second step is better management of the seasonality, especially for quarters 1 and 4 which are the most risky quarters for the business. Given that Net Earnings are around $68,096, the line of credit needs to cover the difference ($75,402). Taking into consideration the seasonality, calculated as operating cash flow (refer to case – covenants), there should be no liquidity problems year-end 1998. The cash flow available at the end of 1998 completely covers the losses in Q1 and Q4. The company should keep the line of credit, because debt is incurred upon the credit line only when used. The management, however, should only use the credit line when absolutely necessary. Finally, the company should convert approximately $75,000 of the $140,000 of the line of credit into long-term debt because it will cost less in terms of interest. In addition, the company should increase the long-term debt accordingly (based on the strategy regarding future investments; see answer to question 4). Assuming that the long-term loan is amortised in a constant manner, with approximately 25% payoff per year as â€Å"current instalment of term note†, shown to be the same figure as 1997 ($75,268) which is calculated based on the term note payable less current instalment of $168,043 for 1998. Tudor Team Five Page 11 Proposed here is a two-step approach for financing the investment: The first step is to obtain another long-term loan of $200,000 to change and improve the phone and IT systems. This will lead to a better position to judge the current market needs to revise and produce a strong strategy for the business in terms of efficiency, profitability and long-term outlook. Once this step is accomplished, by 1999, the company should obtain yet another long-term loan. Regarding the possibility of an acquisition, if Be Our Guest makes an acquisition, it can do so through a leveraged-buyout. Therefore, taking on the debt of the company being acquired and funding the other part of the acquisition by selling part of the equity of Be Our Guest (Following the financial restructuring and the increase in efficiency the value of the stock will increase). Asking for a loan for an acquisition today would not be reasonable, nor is it likely that the bank would agree to issue the loan. Currently, the financial ratios of the company do not justify an acquisition. Therefore, starting off with a smaller loan to improve the company running in terms of efficiency and infrastructure will be of greater value. In total the company should take the following long-term loans: $75,000 (line of credit converted into long-term loan) $200,000 (investment) $168,000 (outstanding long-term loan) Total long-term loans in the Balance Sheet by end of 1998: $443,000 As already mentioned before, the line of credit should remain available at the same level as before ($140,000) since it is only paid for if used (expected 1998: fully available). Tudor Team Five Page 12 4. What should Al Lovata and Simone Williamson ask for when talking with the bank? If the company needs additional bank financing, should the increase be provided by an increase in the credit line, or should the size of the term loan be increased to meet the need? Should they ask for some relaxation or change in the loan covenants, particularly the personal guarantees that they have provided at the bank’s request? Al Lovata and Simone Wiliamson should approach Anne Granger in a confident way. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet is fairly strong and fairly liquid, the income statement shows signs of growth and the company is generally doing well. Hence Be Our Guest can take a confident stand to discuss the covenants openly with the bank in order to reach some relaxation on the strict terms. They need to work with the bank to: *lower the rate *review the requirements of personal guarantees for the loan Be our Guest Inc. can consider the possibility of going to another bank if State Street holds their ground on these strict covenants Considering the current and past status of the balance sheets and income statements it is realistic to assume that Be Our Guest, Inc. would not have much difficulty to find a new lender who would agree on different, more relaxed terms of covenants. The company mainly needs the line of credit to finance the seasonal effects of Q1, which could be reduced by a solid growth or expansion plan or merely revising the company’s HR strategy regarding the full-time staff during Q1. Tudor Team Five Page 13 For example, they could reduce the staff’s hours, which would keep them on a full-time employment base but would reduce the G costs for this particular quarter; or they could put the full-time staff on a strategic rotation plan which incorporates the poor business of quarter 1 but leaves options in case of unexpected business in this time period which would also reduce the general G costs and still leave the company in a good position to handle short-term notice business. Regarding the interest for outstanding borrowings on the credit line as well as the interest for the long-term loan, it has been reliably covered and there is no immediate reason to believe that this will change. Any future increase of the long-term loan to drive the growth of the company in terms of business expansion or increasing assets can only be interpreted in a positive way seeing that the revenues have shown to increase with all previous growth-measures. State Street bank should recognise the company’s solid management foundations and the well-going business over the past years and keep their good standing with Be Our Guest, Inc. Lovata and Williamson want to be prepared for future growth. The way to growth has been identified in two possible options, completing an acquisition or expanding their product line. Both of these strategies need to be supported by a consistent long term plan in order to finance their investment needs. Pertaining to this reason, for funding their growth they should ask the bank to extend their long term lend (clearly cheaper than a revolving credit) and moreover ask to re-negotiate the interest rate (too high especially to be a â€Å"prime rate†). Additionally each growth plan in the first few years needs patience and flexibility in terms of managing losses, therefore it would be crucial to review Tudor Team Five Page 14 at least part of the current covenants, like prohibiting two consecutive quarters of net losses and avoiding a net loss for any fiscal year. Taking into account that they are in a good financial position and that the extra money they would need is for future expansions and growth of the company, refinancing its existing debt to obtain better terms, could be quite reasonable. Moreover the company has a fairly strong balance sheet and profitable growth, so it has plenty of bargaining power to negotiate a better deal with the bank. The only negative item is given by the decrease in the last 4 years of the â€Å"net income†, but again it is an issue suggested by a covenant (distribute more than 50% of the earnings to the principals). It is probably the most useless and most dangerous of the list as it is leading the owners to distribute the profit thereby increasing the G costs. Definitely, another crucial aspect is about liquidity pain, especially for an already seasoned business as that of â€Å"Be Our Guest†. In this case they should consider converting some of their revolving credit to term debt (cheaper) making line of credit available, which is currently fully used (coherently to the 1998 expected cash position, answer 3). In this sense the best deal for â€Å"Be Our Guest† might be to invest in a business that generates revenue during current slow seasons and eases the firm's reliance on credit for working capital. Thus even if the tents business could be apparently external to the â€Å"Be Our Guest† business model this business expansion should be taken into consideration. It is not only a new source of profit but will also enable profits for the current business in the slow seasons (tents are mainly set off in the rainy and cold seasons like fall and winter). However, they should be able to distinguish between long term debt and short term line of credit, using the first one for investments and the second one to manage liquidity pain periods. Tudor Team Five Page 15 Leaving aside its convenience in general, the nature of the long-term debt, makes the development of the financial plan easier by providing the exact future payment scheme. On the contrary the line of credit is extremely useful to manage liquidity pain periods but should be paid back quickly or converted in term loan. Finally while refinanced bank loans for now may be adequate to finance the company, it may not be enough for future plans and therefore curb the expansion (current debt/tangible worth ratio is already higher than 1). They should consider a different way of raising funds e. g. from selling equity. Reviewing the personal guarantees is fundamental in order to attract new investor and to manage the company differently. Be Our Guest was created as a business idea and for many years ran more like a family business but now it is a profitable firm that should be managed in terms of efficiency and profitability. This leads to two necessary actions: one by the State Bank, to get rid of the covenant including the personal guarantee of the loan by the management; and second by Be Our Guest, Inc. to review their company status. In terms of the State Bank, it will be essential to convince Anne Granger to remove the covenant regarding the guarantee for the long-term loan. From the point of view of the management of Be our Guest, Inc. they need to review their company status. Only when they successfully separate the business from the family-business approach on which terms Be Our Guest, Inc. as founded, they can attract future investors. Tudor Team Five Page 16 Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 17 Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 18 Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 19 Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 20 Exhibit 5 – Forecasting Tudor Team Five Page 21 Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 22 Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 23