Compensation Walmart- the Increase in Turnover Rates and...

Compensation: The Increase in Turnover Rates and De-motivated due to Low Compensation Name(s): Sukhraj Bhangoo, Nida Aamir, Warda Shafiq, Course: HRM2600 Date: Novemeber 12, 2010 Compensation is a form of pay and rewards received by employees on the basis of their performance. Compensation divides into two parts: direct and indirect compensation. Direct compensation includes employee wages and salaries, incentives, bonuses, and commission. Indirect compensation includes employee recognition programs, rewarding jobs, organizational support, work environment and flexible work hours to accommodate personal needs (Belcourt et.al, 370). â€Å"Wal-Mart† is the biggest retail and grocery chain in the world. Currently,†¦show more content†¦As one possible solution to achieve a fair distribution of bonus funds and to prevent turnover, Wal-Mart should implement a performance appraisal system. Performance appraisal is the process by which organizations evaluate employee performance based on preset standards. The main purpose of appraisals is to help managers effectively staff companies and use human resources, and, ultimately, to improve productivi ty. Health care incentives are a form of direct compensation. The issue raised in the article, U.S. News: Trade Group Challenges Wal-Mart on Health Care --- Federation Urges Members to Take a Stand Against Companys Support of Plan Requiring Employers to Help Pay for Insurance is that Wal-Mart requires its employees to contribute to their own health insurance, or seek other alternatives such as welfare. The month after Wal-Mart announced its support of a centerpiece of President Barack Obamas $1 trillion plan to extend health-care coverage to nearly all Americans, the action was going into a dispute (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=71did=1784367831SrchMode=3sid=1Fmt=4VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1289253857clientId=5220aid=2, 11/2/10). The new expensive health insurance put pressure on Wal-Mart’s profit gains and to compensate, Wal-Mart reduced labour costs: The most liberal proposal to have companies help pay for the health-care overhaul, currently under consideration in the House, would require all but theShow MoreRelatedNordstrom Versus Walmart: Differences in Compensation and Benefits and the Effect on Organisational Performance3011 Words   |  13 Pagesslightly less, around $10.75 per hour. She will make $19,000 a year, calculated over an average working week. Pat will make over $90,000. Pat works at Nordstrom, Lucy is from Walmart, and both are employed at successful companies that offer vastly different compensation and benefits. What is the impact of these differing compensation policies on employee behaviours, and what link (if any) is there to each company’s organisational performance? Nordstrom: Incentivising Service Nordstrom began as a SeattleRead MoreWal-Mart Stores: Every Day Low Prices in China11767 Words   |  48 PagesHKU590 ALI FARHOOMAND WAL-MART STORES: â€Å"EVERY DAY LOW PRICES† IN CHINA China â€Å"is the one place in the world where you could replicate Wal-Mart’s success in the U.S.† - David Glass, former CEO of Wal-Mart Stores1 The beginning of spring 2005 must have left a mark on the corporate strategy of every retailer vying for a share in China, the world’s most populous consumer market. 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General Anxiety Disorder - 2770 Words

General anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent, debilitating disorder recognized by the DSM-5. Some of the symptoms that are associated with GAD are restlessness/ feeling keyed up, being easily fatigues, difficulty concentrating/ having a blank mind, irritability, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep. Excessive anxiety, the most common mental health problem experienced in average youth, causes individual distress and functional impairment throughout children’s lives (Gross Hen, 2004). Anxiety is also a mental status that is elicited in anticipation of threat of some kind. Sensations of anxiety are a normal part of human experiences, but excessive or inappropriate anxiety can become an illness. High levels of anxiety can be accompanied by a set of behavioral and physiological responses including avoidance, vigilance and arousal from a stimuli or stimulus. Children and adolescence of both genders usually experience anxiety symptoms at different levels of intensity that frequently afflicts their everyday life. Anxiety has been treated with drug therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation training and even systematic desensitization. To diagnose general anxiety disorder, one would look for many presenting symptoms, characteristics, and treatments. The DSM-5 has been changed many times in the past, dating back to 18th century. During the 18th century, anxiety was mostly perceived as physical symptoms that produced anxiety profiles as a result of underlyingShow MoreRelatedGeneral Anxiety Disorders and Treatments Thereof1914 Words   |  8 PagesGeneral Anxiety Disorders and Treatments Thereof Blake C Blanchard Southwestern Oklahoma State University Abstract One of the most common disorders in our society today is generalized anxiety disorder. I am going to dive in to the methods of treatment and thoroughly discuss the various ways this disorder is handled. I experience anxiety when it comes to being in large bodies of water and also when I see spiders. Treatment options for anxiety disorders range from herbal remedies to prescribedRead More General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Essay2269 Words   |  10 Pages Mental disorder, two simple words that can stir up a storm of emotions. Habitually mistaken by general society as â€Å"deranged† or â€Å"unstable†, the words mental disorder, often, tend to have a negative cognition associated with them. This should not be the case. The misunderstanding that mental disorder is automatically equivalent of that to being psychotic and erratic leaves many individuals feeling isolated, and distressed to share their helplessness due to fear of social stigma. 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AGL Energy Limited - Comparative Analysis Of Financial Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Analysis of Financial for AGL Energy Limited. Answer: Introduction Ratio analysis is the financial statement analysis, which helps to gather a quick suggestion regarding the financial performance of the firm in several key areas. Ratios can be of different types depending on the liquidity, profitability, market performance, and solvency of the specified firm. In this report, two companies named AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited of the same industry (energy sector) have been selected to analyze the financial condition of both the firms by comparing and contrasting the ratio values and their trends. In order to analyze the trends and ratio of both the firms, the historical value of last two years 2014 and 2015 of both the firms have been gathered from their respective annual reports. Company Background Genesis Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited was founded in the year 1999 and it is a public type company enlisted in both NZX and ASX as GNE. It belongs to the energy sector and is the predecessor of the company named Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (Genesis Energy 2016). The particular company deals with LPG, electricity generation, natural gas and electricity retailing company. Genesis Energy Limited is the largest natural gas as well as electricity retailer in New Zealand as in the financial year 2013-2014, the firm had a market share of 42% and 26% respectively (Genesis Energy 2016). AGL Energy Limited AGL Energy Limited was founded in 1837 as the Australian Gas Light Company; however, later it was founded as AGL Energy in the year 2006. It is a public company enlisted in ASX and is head quartered in North Sydney (Agl.com.au 2016). AGL Energy Limited belongs to the energy as well as utilities sector and its key products are coal seam gas and hydroelectricity, energy, natural gas generation and wind power (Agl.com.au 2016). It has been found that AGL Energy has more than 3.8 million residential as well as business consumers across South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. Profitability Ratio: Return on Assets: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Return on Assets (Net income/ Average Total Assets) 0.013768 -0.027937551 0.013502342 0.029761905 Table 1: Showing the Return on Assets (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) The return on assets of AGL Energy mainly declined from 2014 to 2015 indicating low sales generated from operations. However, the return on assets of Genesis Energy mainly increased, which indicates an effective deployment of management function. After the effective comparison of both the company it could be concluded that based on ROA Genesis energy could be identified as the most valuable stock for investment. Christensen and Nikolaev (2013) argued that during an economic crisis the overall valuation of the company assets and revenue could be hampered, which projects a low ROA of the company. Net Profit Margin: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Net Profit Margin (Net Income/ Net Sales) 0.020415808 -0.036591928 0.024475524 0.050529355 Table 2: Showing the Net Profit Margin (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) With the help of table 2, net profit margin of AGL Energy could be identified as weak compared to Genesis Limited. This reduced net profits margin of AGL Energy could be because of the declining sales or increasing administrative expenses incurred by the company to conduct its operations. Moreover, the rising net profit margin of Genesis Limited could be helpful for investors to receive higher dividends. Stahl et al. (2012) stated that with the help of net profit margin investors are able to identify the overall administrative expenses incurred by the company to generate sale, which might be helpful in achieving sustainable growth. Liquidity Ratios: As commented by Healy and Palepu (2012), liquidity ratios help in vivisecting the capability of a firm in order to write off its existing debts and obligations. Hence, these ratios help in gauging the cash availability of an organisation to convert its assets into cash. Current Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Current Ratio (Current Assets/ Current Liabilities) 1.457648546 1.405013709 1.44534413 1.119354839 Table 3: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been found that the current ratio of both the firms has experienced a marginal decline in the subsequent years. This depicts the increase in the liability base of both the organisations in contrast to the average current asset base (Hoberg, Phillips and Prabhala, 2014). Therefore, it could be inferred that both the organisations are suffering from poor liquidity position as far as the current ratio is concerned. Quick Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Quick Ratio [(cash + cash equivalents + short-term investments +current receivables)/ Current Liabilities] 1.29 1.242 1.064 0.861 Table 4: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been evaluated that the quick ratio of both the organisations has declined over the consecutive years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the ratio has been high compared to the ideal standard and vice-versa for Genesis Energy Limited. This implies that the former organisation has focused on accumulating higher inventory compared to that of the market demand. The latter firm, however, has been struggling to meet off its existing debts and obligations. Capital Structure Fan et al. (2012) mentioned that the process through which the business entity gathers external finance through the various sources of fund has to evaluate by the management of the business enterprise. The debt equity ratio as well as the equity ratio for both the business entities has to be computed . Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to Equity ratio calculates the amount of finance coming from creditors as well as the investors (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Debt to Equity (Total Liabilities/ Total Equity) 0.44323 0.4572 0.4819 0.4827 Table 5: Debt to Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) It can be stated that the ratios of both organizations can be considered healthy in the context of the global market. Robb and Robinson (2012) mentioned that this indicates the strong financial health of the company. In the context of AGL Energy Limited, the debt to equity ratio of the organization was 0.44 in the year 2015. The debt to equity ratio in the context of the Genesis Energy Limited has enhanced from 0.481 in the year 2014 to 0.482 in the year 2015. Therefore, the liabilities of both the firms have shown substantial growth. Equity Ratio The equity ratio is the financial ratio that indicates the portion of equity that facilitates the financing of the assets of the company (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Equity Ratio (Total Equity/ Total Assets) 1 1 1 1 Table 6: Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) From the table, it can be stated that the equity ratio of both the organizations have shown consistency in growth for both 2014 and 2015. From the equity ratio, it can be identified that both the organizations have shown similar trends, and have delivered consistent business performances over a period of time Market Performance: In the words of Loughran and McDonald (2014), the market performance portrays a vivid description of the organisational performance in the target market. Therefore, in order to dissect the market performance of both the firms, the ratios related to dividend per share and earnings per share have been taken into consideration. Dividend per share: This ratio helps in gauging the percentage of the actual net profit, which is distributed to the stockholders on the part of the organisation. AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Dividends per share (Sum of dividend/ No. of outstanding shares) 0.591 0.68 0.079 0.8 Table 7: Dividend per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above figure, it has been inherent that both the organisations have increased their dividend payout to the shareholders over the subsequent years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the dividend payout has increased from 0.59% in the year 2014 to 0.68% in the year 2015. However, this ratio has been high in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the same has increased from 0.079 in the year 2014 to 0.8 in the year 2015. The possible reason behind such increase is the rise in net profit, which might have resulted from the higher amount of sales in the Australian market. Thus, the amount of dividend for both the firms has increased over time due to the higher income earned over the subsequent years. Hence, it could be inferred that both the firms have increased their dividend payouts; however, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage. Earnings per share: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Earnings per share [(Net income Preferred Dividends)/ Weighted average common shares outstanding] 0.33 0.23 0.1 0.12 Table 8: Earnings per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) Based on the above graph, it has been evident that AGL Energy Limited has experienced a decline in its share earnings possibly due to the indifferent motive of the investors to invest in the organisation. However, the scenario has been opposite in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the company has experienced an increase in its earnings per share. Therefore, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage over AGL Energy Limited as well. Comparing AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy limited: Both AGL and Genesis energy are from the energy sector and the ratio comparison effectively helps in evaluating the overall performance of companies. In addition, with the help of liquidity, profitability, market performance, and capital structure the overall performance of both the companies are effectively evaluated. Moreover, Genesis energy limited is mainly identified as the most valuable stock, which could provide investors with adequate invested return. Ally (2013) stated that with the help of ratios investor are able to identify the most favourable stock, which might help in providing higher return from investment. Conclusion It can be concluded that Genesis Energy limited and AGL Energy Limited require more improvements in order to run the businesses successfully in future. It has been noted that both companies need to put more effort on their profitability, solvency and liquidity ratios for improving their financial conditions. Recommendations The investors should invest more in AGL Energy Limited as Genesis Energy has a relatively poor solvency situation. Additionally, it has been found that AGL Energy has a better financial position in liquidity and market performance ratios. Reference and Bibliography: Agl.com.au. 2016.AGL Energy Limited. [online] Available at: https://www.agl.com.au [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Ally, Z., 2013. Comparative analysis of financial performance of commercial banks in Tanzania.Research Journal of Finance and Accounting,4(19), pp.133-143. Callen, J.L., 2015. A selective critical review of financial accounting research. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 26, pp.157-167. Christensen, H.B. and Nikolaev, V.V., 2013. Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), pp.734-775. Fan, J.P., Titman, S. and Twite, G., 2012. An international comparison of capital structure and debt maturity choices. Journal of Financial and quantitative Analysis, 47(01), pp.23-56. Genesis Energy. 2016.Power Company - Electricity Companies - Genesis Energy NZ. [online] Available at: https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Healy, P.M. and Palepu, K.G., 2012.Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Hoberg, G., Phillips, G. and Prabhala, N., 2014. Product market threats, payouts, and financial flexibility.The Journal of Finance,69(1), pp.293-324. Kirkham, R., 2012. Liquidity analysis using cash flow ratios and traditional ratios: The telecommunications sector in Australia.The Journal of New Business Ideas Trends,10(1), p.1. Loughran, T. and McDonald, B., 2014. Measuring readability in financial disclosures.The Journal of Finance,69(4), pp.1643-1671. Robb, A.M. and Robinson, D.T., 2012. The capital structure decisions of new firms. Review of Financial Studies, p.hhs072. Stahl, F., Heitmann, M., Lehmann, D.R. and Neslin, S.A., 2012. The impact of brand equity on customer acquisition, retention, and profit margin.Journal of Marketing,76(4), pp.44-63.

Issues in Cognitive Development

Steps in Language Development While debate is still ongoing about how children acquires language, with naturists arguing that individuals are born with biological inclination for language, and behaviorists projecting that children develop language by emulating the sounds heard within the immediate environment (Maitland 135), consensus seems to have been reached among the two groups on the major steps involved in the development of language in children. This section aims to elucidate the steps involved.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Issues in Cognitive Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There exists broad consensus that humans can communicate from birth, as can be demonstrated by the newborn’s cry alerts when faced with a distressing situation such as pain or wetness. However, it is only after the fourth month from birth that the infant is able to turn these cry alerts, coos, and gurgles into so me form of bubbling, explained as the generation of phonemes which are not in any way related or limited to the child’s exposure to the immediate environment. After the lapse of ten months from birth, the baby is able to narrow down these phonemes to those of the language or languages spoken in the immediate environment (Maitland 134). At the turn of their first birthday, most toddlers progress from bubbling into the use of a holophrase, which can be explained as the usage of one word to communicate meaning. For instance, the baby may point indoors and say, â€Å"Go!† At the turn of their second birthday, most children are able to put together two-word sentences known as telegraphic speech. Available literature demonstrates that this speech is mostly typified by the use of a verb and noun, such as â€Å"go toilet† or â€Å"eat bread† (Maitland 134). Language development theorists are in agreement that it is between two and three years of age that the chil d is not only able to expand the vocabulary exponentially, but the sentences generated increase in length and intricacy. By their third birthday, the young children begin to follow the rules of grammar without necessarily sticking to any conventions of instruction. For instance, a 3-year-old child may say, â€Å"I goed to the shop.† Such sentence construction, although coming from a 3-year-old child, indicates the use of the general rule, also called overgeneralization or over-regularization, that we form the past tense by adding (-ed) to the word or phrase. The ‘overgeneralization’ or ‘over-regularization’ of language witnessed among the 3-year-olds demonstrates that children apply grammatical rules without necessarily making any appropriate exceptions (Maitland 134). However, as time goes and language development becomes further entrenched, young children achieve the capability to express more abstract notions, concepts and ideas that goes beyond t he physical realm around them, not mentioning that they also attain the capability to express their own feelings.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Applying Piaget’s Vygotsky’s Theoretical Concepts to Classroom Experiences Both Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky can be termed as the leading lights in the psychology of cognitive development due their classical works, which have been well documented in literature. It is indeed true that their theoretical concepts can be, and continues to be, used in modern classroom settings. This section aims to discuss five concepts from the theories of both Piaget and Vygotsky, and illuminate how these concepts can be applied to classroom experiences. Jean Piaget was a prominent psychologist of the 20th century mainly interested in aspects of developmental psychology, particularly in respect to how individuals acquire, retain, and develop kno wledge (Wittrock 41). Today, his concepts and theories are used by teachers across the world to enhance students’ learning experiences. In his theory of cognitive development, Piaget came up with the concept of assimilation and accommodation to denote two corresponding processes of adaptation through which awareness of the external world is internalized in the individual. In assimilation, what an individual perceives in the external world is incorporated into the internal world without necessarily changing the structure of the internal world, while in accommodation; the internal world is obliged to accommodate itself to the evidence and facts with which it is confronted, thus triggering an adaptation (Wittrock 43). This concept can be applied in modern classroom experiences by encouraging teachers to take an active, mentoring role towards students so as to enable them share in their learning experiences instead of pushing information to passive and sometimes uninterested stud ents. By observing children to have a comprehensive understanding on their growth and developmental patterns, Piaget came up with the concept of maturation to imply the children’s mounting capability to understand their world and those around them (McInerney 587). This concept further implies that children cannot comprehend or perform certain activities or duties until they are psychologically mature enough to be able to engage in those activities. This assertion has been overwhelmingly used by contemporary educators to form the basis for scheduling the school curriculum with a view to making sure that only those activities or learning tasks that children within a specific age-group can understand are indeed included in the curriculum.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Issues in Cognitive Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In his theory of cognitive development, Lev Vygotsky came up with the conce pt of the zone of proximal development, which was aimed at explaining the idea that development should be defined both by what a child can be able to achieve independently and what the child can be able to achieve when he or she receives assistance from either an adult or a more competent peer (Slavin 47). This concept, along with the two levels of development, is useful for teachers in modern classroom settings to the extent that they can use it to objectively evaluate where the child is at a given moment in terms of learning outcomes, as well as where the child ought to be. In the context of curriculum development, educators and teachers can employ Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development concept to design a developmentally suitable curriculum, where learning activities are designed on not only what the learners are capable of doing on their own volition, but also on what they are capable of learning with other peers who are more proficient (Slavin 47; McInerney 590). Vygots ky’s concept of proximal development further suggests that educators in modern classroom settings must make sure to expose the children to instruction and activities that fall inside the zone of proximal development if effective learning is to take place (Woolfolk 156). For example, if a child is unable to recognize the sounds in a word or phrase even after been exposed to repeated prompts, the child may not be able to take advantage of the instruction in this type of skill. Additionally, extant literature demonstrates that instructors can employ this concept to, among other things, design instruction in such a way that it is capable of providing practice in the zone of proximal development for individual learners as well as for groups of learners (Woolfolk 159). For example, instructors can employ suggestions, clues and prompts that in the past assisted children during evaluation to form the basis for instructional activities. Vygotsky’s concept of cooperative learnin g can be used in the modern classroom setting to plan learning activities by bringing together children who are at different learning levels to assist each other to learn. What’s more, Vygotsky’s concept was later developed in 1976 by Wood, Bruner Ross to operationalize the concept of scaffolding. In its most basic form, the scaffolding concept represents the supportive interactions that take place between an adult and a child with the view to assist the child to accomplish an activity that is beyond his or her independent efforts (Slavin 88). In the modern classroom setting, the concept of scaffolding has been used by teachers to assist learners graduate from assisted to unassisted success at various learning tasks.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In a school biology class, for example, the instructor might utilize scaffolding by first providing learners with exhaustive guidelines that are needed to perform an experiment on osmosis, and afterwards provide them with concise outlines that they can use to structure further osmosis experiments. With time, the teacher might request the learners to perform the experiments exclusively on their own. Works Cited Maitland, Laura Lincoln. 5 Steps to a 5AP Psychology, 2010-2011 Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print. McInerney, Dennis M. â€Å"Educational Psychology – Theory, Research, and Teaching: A 25 –Year Retrospective.† Educational Psychology 25.6 (2005): 585-599. Web. Slavin, Robert E. Educational Psychology: Theory Practice. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon, Inc., 2005. Print. Wittrock, Mike C. â€Å"Learning as a Generative Process.† Educational Psychologist 45.1 (2010): 40-45. Web. Woolfolk, Anita. Educational Psychology. 11th ed. Upper Sad dle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. This essay on Issues in Cognitive Development was written and submitted by user Cann0nball to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.