Capital Structure Choice And Effects Essay Example Pdf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4830 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Have you clearly indicated the discipline or sub-discipline in which your area of interest resides? One of the most important financial decisions a firm must contend with is the capital structure choice. Its effect on overall firm value was first tackled by Modigliani and Miller (1958 1963 cited in Arnold, 2005). Their findings which stated that due to the effects of the tax shield debt financing will add more value to the firm has formed the bases on many research on capital structure and has thus become a very important aspect of corporate fine. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Capital Structure Choice And Effects Essay Example Pdf" essay for you Create order It is based on the fallout from these further studies that we propose the topic area below; Capital Structure Choice and Performance of Football Clubs: Evidence from the English Premier League 2. Proposed Working Title Yes No Have you clearly indicated the particular focus or areas of focus that you will address within your chosen topic area?   Are you sure this is not a strategic question? (check Fisher 2007, p. 34)   Empirical Investigation Into the Relationship Between Capital Structure Choice and Performance of Football Clubs in the English Premier League. 3. Proposed Research Aims Yes No Have you been explicit about what is it that you are trying to find out or resolve?   This research aims to empirically investigate the capital structure of football clubs and the effect of this debt policy on the financial performance of these clubs. Most literature available has focused on the determinants of capital structure, and has also tried to develop the ideal mix of debt and equity for firms. Whereas some considerable work has been done on the relationship between a firms capital structure and financial performance, these have focused on standard industries and businesses. Largely missing from the body of literature is the focus on businesses with the dynamics of professional football or professional sports industry. This clearly indicates a gap in the literature that this research aims to address. With the significant level of investment required to be successful in the industry, such research will be invaluable to future businessmen who would want to invest in the industry, academics and not least the supporters of these football clubs. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine the effect of the financing decision (capital structure choice) on the overall financial performance of football clubs. It also aims to analyse the financial leverage of these clubs and investigate its relationship with time. 4. Research Context Yes No Have you provided a clear indication of why this is a business and management related topic of interest?   Have you been explicit about the organisation/ the organisational section/ region/nation, and feasibility of data collection?   The football industry has changed significantly over the last decade. Clubs have made significant structural changes, have implemented development strategies and made significant investments to maximise their earnings. Delloites money league 2009 reports combined revenue of the top twenty European clubs to be over ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬3.9 billion. Seven of the clubs from the top twenty were from the English Premier League with combined revenue of about 35% of the total. These figures point to the resistance of football clubs to the recession. Despite this success, there have been concerns about the levels of debt in the Premier league, a total of  £3.1 billion pounds as at June 2009 (Conn, 2009). Conn (2009) further stated that the total debt was despite a four year  £2.7 billion pound TV sponsorship deal to the league. There have also been concerns over the ownership structure, which have been cited as reasons for the enormous debt of the clubs (Press Association , 2010). Delloite in its annual review of football finance in 2009 classified the debt in two as bank loans and interest free loan from owners. The report also indicated that the top ten by net debt in the premiership were either amongst the highest revenue generating and strongest performing, those clubs that benefit from interest free loans from owners, and or newly acquired clubs (Norrish, 2009). ESPN (2010) also report that latest annual reports indicate that only seven out of the twenty clubs made a profit. Premier league clubs are either incorporated as private or public listed companies with dual objectives of promoting football as a sporting activity and running a business. This dual mission distinguishes football clubs from standard businesses. Hamil et al (2004) identify a complex relationship between this dual mission which therefore have implications for corporate governance and performance. In general, the more clubs spend on players, the more they are likely to win, and there is also a direct relationship between winning and revenue (Hamil et al, 2004; Delloite Money league, 2010). Another argument by Hamil et al (2004) is the fact that despite increase in TV revenue and other streams of revenue, football clubs rely on fundamentally on its supporters for revenues. This research aims to contribute to existing literature on the relationship between capital structure or financial leverage or debt policy and performance. Focus will thus be placed on the football industry in the United Kingdom specifically English Premier League clubs. Data collection will be feasible as performance measures from financial statements will be employed. These are available in annual reports, and also on financial databases, for example FAME. 5. Outline Literature Review Yes No Have you provided an overview of work in the field?   Have you ensured you include authors arguments themes?   Have you critiqued in depth, the work of at least two authors in relation to: their choice of research methods, their findings and their conclusions?   Have you ensured that this section links directly to your Research Questions?   Capital Structure and the value of a firm has been one important area of discussion in recent years. Financial leverage is one of the essential financial decisions confronting firms (Glen and Pinto, 1994). The interest in the capital structure of firms increased greatly as a result of the debate started by Modigliani and Millers (1958) seminal work on the effect of capital structure on the value of the firm. They assumed that firms operate perfect markets and perfect competition with no taxes, no transaction costs, investors and managers have symmetric information, investors and corporations borrow at the same interest rate and efficient markets. Under these assumptions, they showed that a firms capital structure does not affect the overall value of the firm (Brigham and Houston, 2009). These assumptions, however, do not hold in the real world or in practice due to the importance of factors such as taxes, agency costs, imperfect markets and competition, risks, cost of financial distress and information asymmetry in explaining the capital structure of firms (Aggarwal and Baliga, 1987). By recognising corporate income taxes, Modigliani and Miller (1963) revised their former stance. They argued that under perfect markets and conditions of certainty firms maximize their value by increasing debt financing due to the tax-shield benefits (interest on debt is tax-deducible) associated with debt. Thus, implying that under such conditions, at the limit the optimal capital structure for a firm is 100% debt. Critics such as Grabowksi and Mueller (1972) disputed the theory on the grounds of the assumption of rational economic behaviour and perfect market conditions, and that owner goals are targeted only at maximizing profits. (Chaganti et al., 1995 cited in Abor, 2007) also criticised the theory for having limited applicability to small firms. Subsequent works carried out by various researchers have suggested alternatives to the Modigliani and Miller theory o f capital structure. For example, the inclusion of the agency theory (Jensen and Meckling, 1976), the pecking order theory (Myers, 1984), and the bankruptcy cost theory (Titman, 1984). The pecking order theory is of the view that markets may undervalue a firms new issues of shares due to the asymmetric information between managers and investors about a firms investment opportunities. This implies that existing shareholders of a firm may be negatively affected by issuing new shares through value transfer from the old to the new shareholders. The pecking order theory therefore implies that profitable firms with a high level of retained earnings are expected to lower their financial leverage relative to less profitable firms leading to a negative relationship between the level of debt and firms performance. The agency theory is of the proposition that higher leverage can be used as a method to mitigate the conflicts between shareholders and managers in the type of investment, amo unt of risk and conditions under which a firm is liquidated.(Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Several arguments have arisen including that of the possible reduction in agency costs by greater financial leverage. Berger and Bonaccorsi di Patti (2005), on the other hand argue that increased leverage has two sides, that is, increased leverage may reduce the agency costs of outside equity, but may in turn increase the agency costs of outside debt due to conflict between lenders and shareholders, and that further increases in a relatively high financial leverage may generate significant agency costs of external debt from a reduced effort to control risk or risk shifting that result in higher expected costs of financial distress, bankruptcy, or liquidation. These leads to debt holders demanding higher returns as compensation for their expected losses or higher risk therefore resulting in higher interest expenses for firms. Thus Bos and Fethersons (1993) argument that capital structure impacts on both the profitability and riskiness of a firm, and that that higher the gearing of a firm, the higher the possibility of failure when there is a reduction in cash flows required to meet debt obligations. These theories show that firms financing decisions may be influenced by many factors and therefore cannot be explained by one theory. It is also therefore worth noting that all these arguments lead to the conclusion that a firms capital structure has an impact on both its operations and performance and therefore on its value as a whole. Existing literature offers diverse views on the effect of the financing decision on firm value. Empirical studies have also been conducted to provide evidence supporting both positive and negative relationships between the level of debt and a firms performance. Examples of empirical studies supporting the positive relationship between the level of debt and a firms performance include (Hadlock and James, 2002; Berger and Bonaccorsi di Patti, 2006). According to Taub (1975 cited in Abor, 2007), there is a positive relationship between financial leverage of a firm and profitability. Petersen and Rajan (1994) also found a positive relationship between debt ratio and profitability but in this case for industries. Hutchinson (1995 cited in Abor, 2007) argued that gearing ratio has a positive effect on the firms return on equity provided that the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to total assets exceeds the firms average cost of debt. He also argued that the extent to which a firms ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to total assets is likely to remain above the breakeven point and the flexibility with which it can adjust its financial leverage, if this ratio falls below average cost of debt, should be an indicator to the level of debt that the firm can commit to at a particular time. Champion (1999) also argued that the use of debt was one way to improve a firms performance. In another study, Rode n and Lewellen (1995) identified a positive relation between profitability and financial leverage as a percentage of the total buyout-financing package of leveraged buyouts. According to Hadlock and James (2002) the anticipation of higher returns by firms is the reason behind their preference for debt financing. There is also the suggestion of debt holders demanding performance-improving initiatives from managers. Evidence of this can be found in the high rate of management turnover in Japan due to poor performance in firms with principal banking relationships compared to firms that do not have this relationship (Kang and Shivdasani, 1995). Other studies also suggest that increasing leverage, by debt financing should, have positive implications for firm value and performance (Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007). In summary, these theories suggest that only managers who forecast a better future performance will opt for debt since increasing debt would also increase bankruptcy and liquidation co sts, as well as agency costs in general. In a survey of Chief Finance Officers, Graham and Harvey (2001) reported managers concern with maintaining financial flexibility and their firms credit rating when considering debt issues. With firm performance being one of the major inputs into credit rating decisions, this provides indirect evidence that managers opt for debt bearing in mind expected future performance. Jensens (1986) agency model suggests that agency problems could be worsened due to the additional cash outside debt brings into the firm. Alternatively, this will not happen if firms use the cash generated by the debt to tackle the gap between investment and financing needs. The subsequent excess free cash flow will be used to pay the periodic interest payments on the debt. Thus, the reducion in agency costs, and therefore improving firm value. Miller and Rock (1985), and Smith (1986) argue to the contrary. They indicate that debt eventually result in decreases in future ope rating performance, and therefore have a negative impact on the firms value. On the contrary other studies providing empirical evidence have shown a negative effect of debt on a firm profitability; (Titman and Wessels, 1988; Booth et al., 2001; Fama and French, 1998). Fama and French (1998), argue that excessive debt in a firms capital structure may create agency problems among shareholders and creditors which could result in a negative relationship between leverage and profitability. Hammes in another study in (2003, cited in Abor, 2005) found a negative relation between capital structure and performance when he compared Polish and Hungarian firms with industrialized countries firms. Mesquita and Lara (2003 cited in Abor 2005) examined the relationship between rates of return and debt and found a negative relationship for long-term financing and a positive relationship for short-term financing and equity. In a similar study by Abor (2007) on the effect of capital structure on the corporate profitability of SMEs in Ghana, he found a negative relation between long-term debt ratio and profitability with a positive relation between the short-term debt ratio and profitability. The above studies imply that a negative relationship could exist between debt level and firms performance (i.e. profitability). Majumdar and Chhibber (1999 cited Emaid, 2009) in their study of Indian firms in relation to capital structure and performance found that leverage has a negative effect on performance. Chiang et al. (2002) also found a negative relationship between high gearing and performance using firms in property and construction sector in Hong Kong. Amongst the various research methods employed for this study include the use of financial ratios to measure performance (Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007; Abor, 2007). This method appears to be the popular method, which may be due to the accessibility and the fact these variables can be applied to all firms. One limitation though is the dependence of information provided by companies which may be compromised. Tobins q (Abor, 2007) and stock market retain and their volatility (Saunders et al, 1990 cited in Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007) have also been used but these methods can only be applied to listed companies thus when analysing unlisted firms, they may not be appropriate. Two sets of data analysis methods that have been used are cross-sectional data analysis (Ebaid, 2009), and panel data analysis (Abor, 2007; Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007). Cross-sectional data analysis is used to measure different subjects without taking into account the time frame. It is however useful when there is limited time to conduct the research (Saunders et al, 2007). Panel data analysis, however is multi-dimensional, in that it considers both the comparison of subjects while taking into account the time frame as well. According to Baltalgi (1995, cited in Abor, 2007), panel data is better than cross-section alone due to the fact that the se veral data points increases the degrees of freedom whiles co linearity reduce therefore improving the efficiency of economic estimates. He further states that panel data also controls individual heterogeneity resulting from hidden factors, which leads to biased results when neglected in cross-section analysis. From the literature, it is evident that numerous studies have been carried out to examine the relationship between capital structure and firm performance. However, these studies have focused entirely on industrialised firms, standard companies with none focusing of a business with the dynamics of the football industry. Most of these researches were also carried out a few years ago and not many from the recession. It also clear that evidence from literature is inconclusive on the effect of capital structure on firm performance. This research, while seeking to contribute to existing literature on the topic area tries to bridge the gap by investigating at an industry (football industry) with completely different dynamics and incorporates the context of an economic downturn. 6. Research Questions (s) Yes No Have you briefly outlined your research question(s) and articulated clearly what exactly you intend to find out.   Do these questions link directly to the work outlined in the Literature Review Section above?   Have you explained what key operationalisable concepts you are interested in using?   Have you expressed your question(s) which can be answered in the time available (feasibility), rather than as vague expressions of what you might do?   Do your questions pick up the key themes explored above in the outline literature and do they link directly to the research strategy that you describe below?   What is the effect of financial leverage (capital structure) on performance of football Clubs in the English Premier League? Previous studies available from literature indicate that there is a relationship between financial leverage (Abor 2005 2007; Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007; Emaid, 2009). However, researchers have established diverse opinions, both negative and positive relationship between capital structure and performance. The concept of performance here is solely financial and is measured by the profitability ratios; gross profit margin, return on assets and return on equity. 7. Research Strategy/Methods Yes No Have you provided a clear description of how you plan to carry out your research?   Have you explained why you have chosen particular research methods?   Have you clearly identified your population and sample(s)?   Have you identified what data you anticipate collecting?   Have you indicated what forms of analysis you propose to undertake?   Have you identified the major sources of risk (e.g. over reliance on a single individual/company, access requirements, time requirements)?   This research will take a realist stance such since we will look to identify the relationship between variables, in this case capital structure and financial performance measures. The realist approach is the most appropriate for this research as we are looking for possible patterns from the relationship between the variables which will allow us to make inferences and establish principles to come up with possible solutions to any problem that may arise (Fisher, 2007). Measurement and statistical methods will be used to establish the relationship between the variables. This approach coupled with the variables to be considered means that the use of quantitative analysis will be the best option. Thus, in relation to this research, a realist approach will allow for clear relationships to be established by the use of quantitative analysis. This will allow for law-like generalisations, which will be useful to investors and businesses (Fisher, 2007) However, as Fisher (2007) notices, there are some drawbacks with using purely statistical methods. While statistics can show the relationship between variables, it cannot prove cause and effect, as it does not identify how a variable influences the other. While this drawback may be important, the realist approach is the best available stance to conduct this kind of research as can be seen from its use in existing literature (Abor, 2005, 2007; Kyereboah-Coleman, 2007) Research Approach. There are two main approaches; deduction and induction. Induction deals with understanding the meanings to events whereas deduction is concerned with the explanation causal relationships between variables (Saunders et al, 2006). This study focuses on establishing the relationship between capital structure and financial performance of football clubs in the English Premier League therefore the deductive approach will be adopted to test the relationship between capital structure and firm performance. Another reason is the appropriateness of the deductive approach to the realist or positivist perspective and it is also to be less time and cost consuming (Saunders et al, 2006). The deduction approach has its drawbacks not least the criticism of it having a rigid methodology and does not allow for alternative explanations however, this enables studies to be conducted to replicate previous studies and allows quantifiable observations to be drawn which enable generalisations (Saunders et a l, 2006). From previous research, it has been established that there is indeed a relationship between capital structure and firm performance (Emaid, 2009; Abor, 2005 2007; Kyereboah Coleman, 2007). These factors justify the adaption of a deductive approach Research Strategy. As already stated, this research will employ quantitative analysis. We will employ the use of secondary data to conduct our primary analysis. This research will be based on case study approach as it may be impossible to assess financial information on certain clubs as they are relegated. The secondary data to be used will be documentary in nature as it will be information taken from annual reports and as well information stored in databases. The use of secondary data is justified in that they are principally used in descriptive and explanatory research and this research will have both features (Saunders et al, 2007). Secondary data can also be used to investigate patterns in data as well (Fisher, 2009). The use of secondary data will also enable us to select a larger research population as the data is readily available. This also allows greater control of the sample population. The focus of this research is on English Premier league clubs, meaning there would not be a constraint with sampling the entire population. However, we have decided to use purposive sampling to include only the football clubs that have never been relegated during the period under study. This decision was taken to eliminate some level of bias from the research. Relegation from the premier league and promotion usually come at a price, which is reduced and increase revenue respectively. Clubs that are relegated or promoted may be carrying a capital structure that will reflect the division they were in previously, therefore that might impact on the results. The limitation of this approach is that which according to Fisher (2007) is lack of randomness ensuring any calculation of margin of error unreliable, is however mitigated as the entire population that have been ever present in the premier league will be sampled. Data Collection and Analysis The research is to investigate the effect of capital structure on financial performance. As discussed in the literature review, we will use financial ratios as our performance measure. The period will be the 2004/2005 2008/2009. A five year period has been chosen to prevent bias while the period 2004/2005 -2008/2009 that is the most recent 5-year period. The independent variable is capital structure. This is the mix of debt and equity, therefore the data we will be looking for it the gearing ratio (ratio of debt to total capital employed) of the football clubs. The debt ratios which will be obtained from the financial statements include; short-tem ratio, long-term debt ratio and total debt ratio, and trade credit. The measures of performance (independent variables) include; gross profit margin (ratio of gross profit to sales [revenue]), return on assets (ratio of net profit to total assets), return on equity (ratio of net profit to shareholders equity). We will pick gross profit, net profit, sales, total assets, and shareholders equity figures from the financial statement. We will also use the control variables; firm size (log of total assets) and growth (log of sales growth) of the clubs. These variables have been chosen because of its wide usage by previous researchers on the same subject area (Ebaid, 2009; Abor, 2007;2005). Panel data analysis as employed by Abor, (2005 2007), since the two studies are similar. We will use the chi-squared test to test the variables. This is because it is most appropriate method to test for relationship between variables (Fisher, 2007). Limitations Like every research, this one is not devoid of limitations. One such limitation is that since the different football clubs under study are of diverse ownership structures, they may employ different accounting policies which will question slightly the reliability of the comparisons. Also, another limitation is the fact that all financial information needed would not be obtained from consolidated annual reports. However, this will not hamper the credibility of the research as the FAME database is a credible source to obtain financial information. The nature of football business means the possibility of the omission of certain parameter (for example transfer fees) from annual reports. These concerns may however balance each other as both the receipt and payment cancel each other therefore will have minimal effect on the research. Another risk is the sole dependence on secondary data. Even though this is a risk, we are confident of obtaining this data, and also previous studies have ut ilised similar data and it has not compromised their research. We are therefore confident that the credibility of this research will not be compromised as a result of this. 8. Ethical and legal concerns Yes No Have you provided a clear description of any potential ethical concerns within your project, including during the collection of data or presentation of findings?   Have you described how you will preserve confidentiality and anonymity of organisations and individual respondents?   Have you ensured you have discussed means for respondents to know about the research and their role within it, and that their participation is voluntary according to the principle of informed consent?   Have you considered whether any  good or harm may be caused by the research to individuals or organisations?   Have you discussed if there any ethical guidelines in the field (e.g. from professional bodies) that you will be following? Have you discussed how you will ensure that any data held on respondents is to be processed according to the Data Protection Act 1998, and stored according to safe practices (e.g. in a secured (electronic) container)?   If you are undertaking any primary research or primary analysis of secondary data, you must give further details below about how you will address any ethical issues within your research: Specific Ethical or Legal Concerns With Your Research Project The data that will be used may not be publicly available information in some cases. It is therefore imperative to abide by the terms and conditions of data usage from the databases. Preservation of Confidentiality and Anonymity The analysis shall be confidential and will be limited to the research in question only. No names of shall be mentioned in the research and all analysis shall be kept as general as possible. The data shall be held according to the Data Protection Act of 1998 Informed Consent Potential Good or Harm Caused by the Research Depending on the findings of the research, the outcome may reduce investor confidence; it may also create problems between fans and clubs depending on the outcome. For listed firms, the outcome of the research may increase or decrease value. There is also the likelihood findings may be commercially damaging. Ethical Guidelines in the Field What guidelines in the field are there that will guide your research ethics and how will these be applied? Processing and Storage of Data Data collected it shall be dealt with vigilantly and processed according to the Data Protection Act 1998 (OPSI, 1998). Upon completion and passing of this research, the information gathered from data shall be destroyed. Furthermore data shall be stored according to the safest of practices in a secured electronic container. 9. Schedule Yes No Have you identified the key stages and dates for activities that must be completed before others can start?   Have you identified what problems with access can you anticipate? Have you identified what activities are necessary in their own right and which are conditional on others being completed?   Submission of the proposal on the 9th of April 2010 is the first stage as without that you cannot progress to the dissertation therefore unable to graduate. The next stage is to wait for the results of the proposal and if it is passed, necessary changes will be made to the proposal to meet the desired standard. The next stage will be to start the link up with your assigned supervisor and plan to start the dissertation. The literature review from the proposal will then be developed and relevant data will be collected from then on with the blessing of the assigned supervisor. Since we do not envisage any difficulty with accessibility of data, data collection should not be a problem. Once data has been collected, the variables will be calculated and the analysis started. The research will be organised and planned by keeping a diary to aid this process. Since the time available is not much, it is imperative to stick to the plan schedule. This will ensure an accurate and successful c ompletion of the research. 10. General Guidelines Yes No   Have you avoided using lists or bullet points?   Have you just described an author or authors work instead of explaining or critically evaluating it?   Have you clearly linked the paragraphs within each section, and the sections themselves?   Have you proof read your work and ensured there are no spelling, grammatical, or copy errors?   Have you ensured that you have included a complete set of references in Harvard format?  Â

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Basketball was first introduced to Nova Scotia as early as 1895 but in the past thirty years the popularity of the sport has really taken off. The high concentration of universities in the province, the tradition and esteem of the high school programs, and the continued support from a large and knowledgeable basketball community have made the game a staple of Nova Scotia life, culminating with the capital city of Halifax becoming known as the basketball capital of Canada. When you talk about basketball in the Maritimes you can break it down into different levels of competition. There are the club systems throughout the province, the regional and provincial teams, then high school basketball, then you have to look at intercollegiate†¦show more content†¦Another first time winner was Halifax West as traditional powerhouses from Queen Elizabeth and St. Patrick’s faced greater competition. Another sign of the game’s popularity was the fact that it was being played in the summer time. After watching rare broadcasts of NBA playoffs, in which one of the halftime events was pitting the greatest players in the game one on one, this format was adopted in Halifax and tournaments were held with the winner gaining bragging rights throughout the city. At the university level, Brian Heaney took over as coach of the St. Mary’s Huskies. The former Acadia superstar took over the Huskies in 1971 and for the next eight years under his reign St. Mary’s replaced Acadia as the premiere basketball squad in the province. During the decade St. Mary’s won the national championships in 1973, 78, and 79 respectively and reached the finals on two other occasions. The Axemen remained highly competitive and won the nationals in 1971 and 1977. They were a formidable opponent for the Huskies, which resulted in one of the greatest intercollegiate rivalries in the province’s history. â€Å"The two strong teams made the Atlantic Universities Athl etic Association the strongest conference in the country for the first time as Acadia or SMU captured five national championships during the decade.† (1) Some of the star university players during that time period were MickeyShow MoreRelatedNike s Global Competitive Strategy For Growth973 Words   |  4 Pagescross-cultural issues (Nikeresponsibility.com, 2017). The commitment to excellence is evident in Nike twitter communication. Trending Nike has 7.6 million followers on twitter. Discussions ranged from the marathon run, new Nike gear coming out for basketball and other sports related tweeting. There were three interesting tweets that exemplify Nike’s differentiation from competitors. The first tweet simply said, â€Å"set the tone† (Twitter.com/Nike, 2017). Nike set the tone for the sports apparel industryRead MoreReaction Paper1157 Words   |  5 Pagesthe next year so we got put on state insurance. The state insurance helped for the most part because neither my sister or I had any major problems throughout that time period but there was a time when I had to get a last minute physical to play basketball and the health clinic we went to didn’t accept the state insurance so we had to pay 110 dollars out of pocket on the spot. Just not being medically insured causes so much stress and is just a horrible problem to face because you never know whenRead MoreGfgdfg1674 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Mil ler, Indigo Nation etc. to offer a wide range of current season merchandise from these brands  [9] Myntra currently offers products from more than 350 Indian and international brands.  [10]  These include shoes for running, tennis, football, basketball and fitness, along with casual footwear from world-renowned industry leaders like Nike, Puma, Converse, Adidas, Decathlon, Reebok, Lee Cooper, Numero Uno, Skechers, Crocks, Asics, Fila, Lotto, ID and many more. There are also casual and dressy footwearRead MoreRelationship of Selected Anthropometric Measurement with the Performance of Basketball Players of Faridabad District (Haryana)2384 Words   |  10 Pagesperformance of basketball players of Faridabad district (Haryana) Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between anthropometric measurements to the playing ability in basketball (Jonshon’s Basketball test). 50 male and 50 female basketball national level players of Faridabad District (Haryana state) were selected as subject for the purpose of this study. Present study exhibited the insignificant relationship with field goal speed test (basketball playing ability)Read MoreEssay about Ethics and Gatekeeping in The Media1533 Words   |  7 Pagesinwards and has seen his fair share of scandals. Viacom has been at the receiving end of racist allegations which have not stopped since Dauman took over the reigns. In August of 2007, radio host Don Imus was sued by a member of the Rutgers womens basketball team after he made disparaging comments about the teams appearance on air, calling them â€Å"nappy headed hoes.† The player, Kia Vaughn, claimed that Imuss comments were sexist and racist and damaged her reputation. Although the suit names Imus individuallyRead MoreExecutive Summary Essay3031 Words   |  13 PagesMarketing Plan: Adidas AG Taylor Fjeldheim Principles of Marketing Executive Summary Adidas AG sells sports shoes, apparel, and equipment in 170 different countries. There focus lies in football, soccer, basketball, running, training gear, golf, and apparel. This is a two billion dollar industry and with Adidas being a main cog. They also specialize in lifestyle goods including SLVR and Y-3 fashion brands. They have trademarked their three-striped logo that has become aRead MoreAre Professional Athletes Overpaid? 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It is through this passion, that sports have the ability to bring the American society together while transcending racial boundaries. Despite these differences, sportsRead MoreEssay on One of the Largest Islands in the Caribbean: Jamaica1929 Words   |  8 Pagesmusic group Salt and Pepper moved from Kingston Jamaica to New York when she was five. The High School Musical star Carbon Blue has a Jamaican father. Slick Rick and Naomi Campbell’s parents are both from Jamaica. Roy Hebert who is a professional basketball player in the NBA was born in Jamaica as well. Other well knows individuals born in J amaica are Busta Rhymes, Sean Kingston, Sean Paul, Diana King, and Devon White. Bob Marley who is the most famous for the island was born in St Anna parish inRead More Performance Enhancing Drugs Essay2287 Words   |  10 Pagespartake in drugs tests† (Parents, Experts Divided on School Drug Testing). â€Å"Recently Forbes magazine valued the New York Knicks at 1.1 billion dollars. 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Why The Obesity Epidemic Is Through Nutritional Education

Today’s way of life is less physically active and more sedentary. Obesity in America has been on the rise amongst our children largely due to unhealthy eating habits. Excessive body fat that is stored in the body and can cause many health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and depression. A step toward curing the obesity epidemic is through nutritional education at a young age because change becomes harder with time, lifestyle changes and decreasing metabolism. Raising and training children to eat fruits and vegetables can be a great start to a healthy living. Obesity is a condition that can be prevented and cured by providing nutritional information in the home, at the workplace and school. Childhood obesity can result to being morbidly overweight as an adult. The consistency of providing healthy food being in the home, school, after school programs and so forth, will be at the forefront of the child’s mind to grab an apple, instead of a snack cake. Domino’s Pizza five for five deal, McDonald’s dollar menu, KFC’s five dollar box and Applebee’s two for twenty meals are convenient contributors to getting full at an unhealthy price tag, especially if it is a daily part of your regiment. Research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity. Most children under the age of 6 cannot distinguish between programming and advertising and children this young is by its very natureShow MoreRelatedGood Food Should Be A Right, Not A Privilege Essay1464 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica—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 obese has been dramatically increasing since the 1980s. The US government spends as much as 147 billion annually on problems directly or indirectly linked to obesity. I could see a cause-and-effect relationship between lack of accessible fresh produce and the obesity epidemic. ProcessedRead MoreHuman Nutrition And Its Effects On The Health Of Obese People1335 Words   |  6 Pageskidney, and gallbladder), etc (Head 1-2). Obesity and overweight are ways to define a person with more than normal body fat, which is measured on the body mass index chart (Harvard School of Public Health). According to the Centers of Disease Control, an adult with a BMI between 25 kg/m2 and 29.9 kg/m2 is labeled overweight, making a BMI of over 30 kg/m2 the label for obesity. In children, overweight falls between the 85th and 95th percentile of BMI, with obesity being over the 95th percentile (CDC).Read MoreFast Food is Unhealthy Food Essay1686 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The medical literature on the causes of food poisoning is full of euphemisms and dry scientific terms: coliform levels, aerobic plate counts, sorbitol, MacConkey agar, and so on. Behind them lies a s imple explanation for why eating a hamburger can now make you seriously ill: There is shit in the meat.†Ã‚   ―  Eric Schlosser,  Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal According to Morgan Spurlocks documentary  Super Size Me, one in every four Americans visits a fast food restaurantRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Is Disturbing The Financial And Social Stability Of The United States1481 Words   |  6 PagesAn Obesity epidemic is disturbing the financial and social stability of the United States. As stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services â€Å"our modern environment has allowed these conditions to increase at alarming rates and become highly pressing health problems for our nationâ€Å"(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Efforts made by authority figures have been enforced to solve this severe crisis. Obesity has become a concerning problem in the United States. 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Socio Cultural Pedagogical Report Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Socio Cultural Pedagogical Report. Answer: Introduction This paper outlines a practical pedagogical initiative developed in response to a socio-cultural educational situation which has been more evident in our communities encountered in the area of gender and schooling by a graduate teacher. Gender and schooling are based on the understanding that variations in the experiences and results in education for boys and girls are as a result of gender on what are the expectations, behaviors, and interests of the two sexes (McClintock Anne, 2013). The impact of gender and schooling acknowledge that boys are valued by the education system over girls in many parts of the world. There most evident cases in the social-cultural area of area of gender and schooling in most institutions (Jones et al., 2012, p. 437). Gender is an aspect that has been distinct in many parts of the world both in schools as well as other fields. Both the initiative and the pedagogical situation are evident in this paper by a rationale which is theoretically informed. The socio-cultural educational situation is set in a huge state high school on the outskirts of Brisbane, along with Racecourse road in Australia. It has been noted that most of the student who joins the institution are boys and also a few female students select subjects related to technical courses. This I observed as a graduate teacher and taking students for year 10 through physics. It was also present in a task force report that was commissioned on gender equity in schools to ensure that all students had equal chances of education and careers (Vavrus, 2009, p. 383). The year ten students are making their subject selection before advancing to year 11. It is astonishing how the girls are performing in physics, and other technical subjects and they drop them. This is due to the perception that certain careers such as engineering suitable for males. This was the response given by the girls upon asking them why they don't opt for physics. They also argued that the community valued tec hnical courses as male careers. The socio-cultural pedagogical situation that is faced with as a graduate teacher is a large number of female students in year ten opting to drop physics despite performing well because it is linked to technical courses that are perceived to belong to males. As a pedagogical initiative to curb this issue, I have decided to sink into educating female students on the need to ignore such perceptions hindering them from subject selection and career choices. This will mainly be mainly through reviewing the lesson plans and putting down new ones. I will also enlighten parents during school meeting on post-school career pathways and bring a session of dealing with school culture in my class and the school at large (McClintock Anne, 2013). Rationale Critics on whether girls should take sciences and the perspective that technical courses are a common thing in most parts of the world affecting gender and schooling of many students. In my case, I am faced with girls in year ten not selecting physics as one of their subjects. The main cause of this was the culture that boys were best suited to pursue careers linked to technical courses. In my class of year 10, I have witnessed some well-performing girls opt to drop physics in claims that it is not feminine subjects based on their careers and also the culture that the society has towards girls who enroll in technical courses (Jones et al., 2012, p. 438). The rationale here is to justify the presence of this scenario in my class as a graduate teach and lay down the suitable means to help the girls under questions fight this articulation that makes them drop physics when proceeding to year 11 (Asher, 2007, p. 66). The rationale will also involve an initiative focused on the school pare nts during the meeting to enlighten them on the significance of providing equal chances to both girls and girls in the Australian community. The educators in the Australian school have to put in practice the regions national curriculum and the teachers have a diverse and complicated role in managing gender questions in all fields in everyday life of students at school not taking any side. There are socio-cultural beliefs that have in the past valued the male child to be highly valued and advantaged compared to the girl child. This is evident in the cases in my class of year ten girls who have been victims of not taking physics and other technical subjects such as chemistry due to the perspective from the community that these subjects were masculine. This nature has largely advantaged the male child over the female. The partakers in this institution and the community at large should be made aware of the Australian policy that had been initialized back in the 1970s up to the late 1980s enabling women to receive same and equal treatment as males (Robinson Davies, 2008, p. 222). Some examples of gender and schooling pedagogical are one study conducted by Forum for African Women Educationalists' (FAWE) that was aimed to utilize cultural norms, role models, and institutional dynamics to inform the creation and application of lesson plans seeking to remove gender barriers in class. It was initiated because girls' barriers in class and setting that may hinder their ability to equally take place and exploit their academic potential (Jones et al., 2012, p. 450). The case of girls of year ten not taking physics and other subjects termed to be masculine is gender sensitive pedagogical and teachers should handle them with care and give proper guidelines and equal chances to all students regardless of their gender (Smith et al., 2014). This was also constituted by myths in the community that male students perform better in physics and other technical subjects compared to females. This was opposed by the fact that girls of year 10 had an overwhelming performance in my subject, i.e., physics compared to girls (Flintoff et al., 2008, p. 73). Thus, girls in year ten were dropping physics for subjects such as arts due to the claims that have been characterized in the gender and education for a long time in the past. Another myth that I will highlight in my rationale is that for creating awareness to parents, students and the community at large to embrace a change in schooling practices so that female can have equal chances for experiencing career subjects as well as males (Vavrus, 2009, p. 383). This rationale will help push for gender equality in the school and Australia at large by making the girl child feel valued and presented with the same chance as boys in the fraternity. Pedagogical Initiative The issue brought about by the high number of girls from my year ten science class not taking physics in year 11 as a result of perceptions about it and other science subjects termed as masculine and the future career is a complex socio-cultural pedagogical situation in nature. The situation is linked to other huge issues in the society of gender and gender inequality. However, the claim that physics and other science subjects are masculine is a belief that has no support base. To demonstrate to my female students, parents and the entire school at large that physics and other science subjects do not have any relevant links for the girls in lives and their career aspirations. I have designed a practical pedagogical initiative that includes strengthening females experiences of the world in my class, school and the community as a whole (Robinson Davies, 2008, p.239). This will take place through revision of the lesson plans and write new ones over the year as time goes by as well as or ganizing enlightening talks to the parents during school meeting and re-organizing specific aspects of the built environment of the science classroom itself. Writing and revising the lesson plans and coming up with learning experiences which actively show young females experiences will target some work units over the course of the coming semester specifically for those which target physics and other science subjects (Jackson Mazzei, 2008). My area of specialization will be the experimentation bit where have noted through a survey that begins major after subject selection. This area is where most girls claimed not to like (Meyer, 2010, p. np) and thus constitutes to poor performance to those who choose physics in year 11. I will prepare few practical lessons in the science laboratory and incorporate the girls to actively take part in measuring volumes of specified objects so that they may gain a better understanding and monitor the necessary concepts in using scientific instruments and obtain the correct measurements. These lessons will be in a series format articulating what the students will cover to real-life situations that will narro w down to career opportunities in future. The practical part will be articulated to economically driven processes of devolution and deregulation present in the current working climate which are regressive to end gender inequality (Yates, 2009). These processes have also opened up new chances for creative feminine intervention with the shift towards active policy schools. There will be a session of talking to the girls about careers. These will be mainly to pass the point that it is not the subject that matters which post-school career choice one makes make but most important the grade scored. Some girls ended up performing poorly in their final exams in physics after putting into consideration the claims and culture that physics and other science subjects guided one to masculine career courses (Liasidou et al., 2014). The school's course guideline should outline that to students selecting subjects so that girls do not feel limited in taking science courses where they could have performed better. Moreover, I will review the national action plan for the girl child education with the year ten science class, the school and the community through a percentage of parents who attend meetings in the school. This will discourage the culture developed towards girls who take physics and other science subjects termed as masculine (Sing Khine, 2008, p.299). The national policy of Australia resulted in the national action plan for the education of girls which involved eight prioritized areas. They include; examining the construction of gender, improving the educational results for girls who benefit least from schooling due to socio-cultural factors and others, eliminating sex harassment for the girl child and reforming the curriculum and teacher practice to end these practices (Robinson, 2014, p. 221). Through the review of this plan, the school and community will be able to see them through which the girls are disadvantaged through their school experiences. This may be used to expound on the fact that at year 10 class, girls were performing better than boys as opposed to their final exams where trends showed girls who had the potential to score highest grades during their final exams ended up underperforming (Yates, 2008). The reasons attributed to this could be the culture that physics and other science were masculine. However, after the increased awareness on gender equality in schools and diversification of careers to fit both sexes, an alarming number of girls will join science courses and achieve better results overall than boys. This plan will enlighten the girls on the continued narrowed definition of gender as reflected in post-career options. Through this, the will be a high number of girls who have the potential to perform better in physics and other science subjects in my class and the school as a whole. In exploiting the plan, I will also teach the girls in my class that the extent that the school achieves in gender equality does not mainly translate into workplace reforms. The entire fraternity and also that schools do not all times teach the skills required to curb post-school barriers hindering equity (Clegg Rowland, 2010, p. 720). I will launch my initiative first to the girls in my class (year 10) and also the boys to educate them on the need for equal treatment and chances across all parties. After creating awareness in my class and aiding the girls who have problems whether to pursue physics and other sciences (Thompson Harbaugh, 2013, p. 301). I will proceed to the school administration to request for permission to address the same issue to parents during the general meeting and the school website. This will help cover wider regions and enlighten people that no careers are feminine or masculine. Conclusion This paper is based on a socio-cultural pedagogical situation, and the initiative laid to solve the problem. The situation in the picture is the low number year ten girls in a school in Australia who choose to proceed with physics and other science subjects despite performing well than boys. This situation is constituted by the belief that science course leads to masculine careers which are not true. Students' career is determined by the overall performance of the student in class regardless of the subject. The initiative has come up with as a graduate teacher is to revise the lesson plan of the girls in year 10 and encourage them to pursue subjects which they perform better despite the socio-cultural situations in the fraternity. Additionally, I will reach out to the community through meeting the parents during school meetings. This will aid in dealing with the inequality that girls face due to the culture that there career that is masculine. Through an analysis of all teachers in the school, those upholding the same pedagogical situation will be able to figure things right and lay down strategies for ensuring equity across all students taking particular subjects and create awareness to others within the institution. References Asher, N. (2007). Made in the (multicultural) USA: Unpacking tensions of race, culture, gender, and sexuality in education. Educational Researcher, 36(2), 65-73. Clegg, S., Rowland, S. (2010). Kindness in pedagogical practice and academic life. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 31(6), 719-735. Flintoff, A., Fitzgerald, H., Scraton, S. (2008). The challenges of intersectionality: researching difference in physical education 1. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 18(2), 73-85. Jackson, A. Y., Mazzei, L. A. (Eds.). (2008). Voice in qualitative inquiry: Challenging conventional, interpretive, and critical conceptions in qualitative research. Routledge. Jones, Tiffany Mary, and Lynne Hillier (2012). "Sexuality education school policy for Australian GLBTIQ students." Sex Education 12, 437-454. Liasidou, A., Maniatis, P., Papageorgiou, I., Pasias, G., Roussakis, Y., Sotiris, P. Pavlidis, P. (2014). Inclusive education and critical pedagogy at the intersections of disability, race, gender, and class. Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies, 10(1). Luke, C., Gore, J. (2014). Feminisms and critical pedagogy. Routledge. McClintock Anne (2013). Imperial Leather: Race, gender, and sexuality in the colonial contest. Routledge. Meyer, E. J. (2010). Gender and sexual diversity in schools (Vol. 10). Springer Science Business Media. Robinson, K. H., Bansel, P., Denson, N., Ovenden, G., Davies, C. (2014). Growing up queer: Issues facing young Australians who are gender variant and sexuality diverse. Robinson, K., Davies, C. (2008). Docile bodies and heteronormative moral subjects: Constructing the child and sexual knowledge in schooling. Sexuality Culture, 12(4), 221-239. Sing, C. C., Khine, M. S. (2008). Assessing the epistemological and pedagogical beliefs among pre-service teachers in Singapore. Knowing, Knowledge and Beliefs, 287-299. Smith, E., Jones, T., Ward, R., Dixon, J., Mitchell, A., Hillier, L. (2014). From blues to rainbows: The mental health and well-being of gender diverse and transgender young people in Australia. Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health Society. Thompson, G., Harbaugh, A. G. (2013). A preliminary analysis of teacher perceptions of the effects of NAPLAN on pedagogy and curriculum. The Australian Educational Researcher, 40(3), 99-314. Vavrus, M. (2009). Sexuality, schooling, and teacher identity formation: A critical pedagogy of teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(3), 383-390. Yates, L. (2008). Revisiting feminism and Australian education: Who speaks? What questions? What contexts? What impact? Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 29(4), 471-481. Yates, L. (2009). From curriculum to pedagogy and back again: knowledge, the person, and the changing world. Pedagogy, Culture Society, 17(1), 17-28.

Aztec Nation Essay Research Paper THE AZTEC free essay sample

Aztec Nation Essay, Research Paper THE AZTEC NATION The Aztecs are Native American people who created a rich civilisation and powerful imperium in cardinal and southern Mexico from the 14th to the sixteenth century. They were one of the largest and most advanced Indian states to of all time be on Earth. The Aztecs life manner was better than many Europeans of that clip but they lag behind in military technoligy. The Aztec state is more alone in its history, economic system, geographics and manner of life so any other state at that clip About three thousand old ages ago little sets of hunting and assemblage folks made their manner across the land span and migrated southerly through Canada and the United States. Finally they settled in the vale of Mexico. For the following two thousand old ages the folk of the vale invariably fought each other for the control of the land. It wasn? T until the 11th century that the Aztec folk began their migration in to the vale. They came from their fabulous cryptic fatherland Aztl? N. The struggle in the Central Valley continued and the Aztecs were invariably at war with their neighbours. It seems at first that the other folk in the country would get the better of the Aztecs, but they would predominate and make one of the most powerful Indian folk in the country. By the fourteenth century the Aztec civilisation flourished they began to build several great metropoliss in the vale of Mexico. In the yearss of the Aztec, the country was covered with a series of little lakes. This included lake Texcoco, which had an island in the centre. The Aztecs built their greatest metropolis on the island. It would go known as Tenochtitl? N and would go their capital. Tenochtitl? N was a pre-Columbian metropolis in cardinal Mexico and capital of the Aztecs. It lies on the site of contemporary Mexico City. It was founded in 1325 originally on an island in what was Lake Texcoco. It became a booming metropolis, protected against inundations by well-built dikes and connected with the mainland by three causeways. Harmonizing to modern estimations it housed up 200,000,000 people, doing it one of the most thickly settled metropoliss in the ancient universe. The Spanish vanquisher Hern? n Cort? s occupied the metropolis in 1521 and razed it. Upon its ruins he founded Mexico City. Aztec society was extremely advanced, it relied on agribusiness and faith to steer it. The Aztec worshipped Gods that represented natural forces and were of import to their agricultural economic system. All Aztec metropoliss had elephantine rock pyramids with pyramids on top where human forfeits took topographic point. Aztec art was an look of faith and warfare. This increased the imperium? s wealth and power. In Aztec mythology several universes are created and destroyed by the Gods before the creative activity of the human universe. Quetzalcoatl was thought to be the Aztec God and legendary swayer of Mexico. The Aztecs made him a symbol of decease and Resurrection and a frequenter of priests. Tezcatlipoca who was the God of the dark sky opposed him and it was believed that he had driven Quetzalcoatl into expatriate. Harmonizing to prognostication Quetzalcoatl would one twenty-four hours return. So when the Spanish vanquisher Hern? n Cort? s appeared in 1519 the Aztec male monarch Montezuma II thought he was Quetzalcoatl returning to his people. In 1519 Spanish adventurer Hernan Cortes and 500 Spaniards landed in eastern Mexico. They were at that place in hunt of land and gold. Cort? s formed an confederation with the Tlaxcalans, which were an enemy of the Aztecs. Then he set out for Tenochtitl? N. The Aztec swayer Montezuma allowed Cort? s to come in the metropolis in order to larn more about him and his purposes. Cort? s found big sums of gold and other hoarded wealth in the metropolis. He feared that the Aztecs would assail his immensely outnumbered force. So he seized Montezuma as a surety. The Spaniards melted down the gilded decorations of the Aztec for cargo to Spain and forced Montezuma to curse commitment to the male monarch of Spain. The Spaniards remained in the metropolis for the following six months. Then the Spanish massacred 200 Aztec Lords who had gathered for a spiritual ceremonial. The Aztec so rebelled seeking to drive the Spaniards out of their metropolis. The Spanish tried to get away through the H2O but three-quarterss of them drowned because they were weighted down with stolen gold. Cortezs retreated to reorganize. He so attacked Tlaxcalans with greater Numberss and finally conquered the metropolis. The Spaniards conquered the staying Aztec peoples and took over their lands, coercing them to work in gilded mines and on Spanish estates. The autumn of Tenochtitl? N marked the terminal of the Native American civilisations that had existed since the first human colony of the part. On the ruins of Tenochtitl? N, the Spaniards built Mexico City. The metropolis? s contemporary cathedral rises over the ruins of an Aztec temple, and the castle of the Mexican president stands on the site of the castle of Montezuma. About 80 per centum of Mexico? s population is made up of ladino who are the assorted race of Spaniards and indigens. Autochthonal peoples make up about 8 per centum of the population. These people are largely of Mayan and Aztecs decent. While Spanish people make up approximately 9 per centum of the population. As most powerful and advanced states and civilizations of history the Aztec state was defeated and merely faded off into poorness and desperation. The Aztecs became powerful in their ain portion of the universe but one time foreigners with better arms and no respect for their manner of life came in to the Aztec universe, their society fell about instantly. Their Mythology besides contributed to their licking by assisting misdirect the Aztec male monarch. Even though their expansive imperium is long gone the Aztecs still live together in peace with their former Spanish encroachers.

Contemporary Intelligence Corruption

Question: What form of corruption did you identify as emergent in your sport of choice? List the 5?10 key factors that led you to assess it as the emergent form of corruption and discuss their relevance and/or significance. Answer: Introduction Corruption can be referred as the misuse of funds and powers for realising personal gains and profits. It means having dishonest conduct and fraud and also includes theft or manipulation of facts. Corruption is spread nowadays everywhere and in almost every country but there are dilemmas between what is legal and illegal. There is a fine line between acceptable and unacceptable actions of corruption. This report contains a new phenomenon which is corruption in sports in Australia. Recently, sports in Australia has seen many illegal activities like match fixing or doping, which are just the examples of emergent corruption in the Australian sports. Body Context Match fixing and illegal sports has become a big threat to the reliability of sports in Australia and there are many attempts made for exploiting the players, coaches or umpires to fix the match. This emergent corruption is seen in the game of Table Tennis in Australia. Corruption is seen in the form of gambling, match fixing or doping in Table Tennis. The actual extent of the corruption in Australian sports is not clear. There are some events which shook the sports of Australia in recent years and which led to its assessment as the emergent form of corruption (Smith, 2010). Corruption comes in categories in sports. It can be match fixing, doping or misuse of information for betting purposes. The factors that led to the corruption in Australian Table Tennis are: Huge money earned by the game: Table Tennis is the game which is loved by all and the game has many sponsors and investors which led to the generation of huge amount of money. This generated money is now misused by the official and is flowed into the illegal channels which led to match fixing activities (Shleifer and Vishny, 2009). Greed for money: The greed for money makes the players and other people including in betting involve into these activities which spreads corruption at a good speed. Corruption established its foot with such a great intensity which is hard to be eradicated from the Australian Table Tennis and from the Table Tennis game of the world. Human beings are the species whose greed does not end at any point of time. Honest people are shadowed by those who are involved into the activities to make huge amount of money and that too through illegal means (Goel, 2010). The environment: The environment of the game plays a very important role in enhancing the chances of corruption in the game of Table Tennis or in any other game. The closed environment gives strength to players and other people to get engaged in such activities because there is no such strong regulation and sometimes the government or the other governing boards and bodies are themselves sharing the contribution in the amounts which are generated in the corruption activities (Dimofte et al., 2012). Salary amounts: The government provides minimum salary to the sport players and the other officials which lead them and encourage them to engage into such activities. In the local and national Table Tennis tournaments, the salaries provided by the Table Tennis board are at such a lower amount which encourages the players to participate in the match fixing schemes. Integrity: Integrity can be referred as to the quality of honesty or degree of honesty of people which determines his/her state of participating into the illegal or corrupting activities. If the person is honest and high in integrity, there would be no or fewer chances of involvement of the person in the corruption activities and in the illegal activities like betting or match fixing (Ewoh, 2013). This factor is important because it shows the possibility of the officials, administrators or other stakeholders to get involved into the gambling or any other corruption activities in the game of Table Tennis. The scope of gambling or illegal activities: Match fixing activities are under the security check of government and media also has attention on it nationally and internationally. It depend that how strong the government or media is in controlling the corruption and legal activities. If the scope is wide, the corruption spreads at a rapid rate and if the control of government is strong, the scope of emerging of corruption activities will be low. Advancement of technology and communications: The advancement of communication and technology allow the people to engage into the corruption activities. It helps the gamblers to place the bets on the matches and its results. It also helps in determining the gamblers that whether the particular outcome will occur or not in a Table Tennis match. These bets can be known as exotic bets which enhance the potential of corruption activities in the industry of Table Tennis sport (Marjit et al., 2014). The emergence of digital technologies at a rapid speed reduced the national boundaries between the nations and the betting cases and illegal activities in the Australian Table Tennis have seen a large increase. Different innovative products and technologies have made betting and other illegal activities convenient and easy for the gamblers. These may include online channels where the gamblers can communicate with each other and this trend is ever increasing in the future because technology is i ncreasing and improving day by day (Aghion et al., 2016). Criminal issues: Sports now have become a platform for criminal activities. People are betting and fixing matches and manipulating the results of the games which makes them enable to earn the profits which are actually illegal (Herrmann, 2012). There are also strong links between the illegal sports gambling and match fixing activities which needs strong government controls to stop the same. These gambling and illegal activities are not only against the main motive of sportsmanship and gaming but also lead to many criminal incidents which are against the real spirit of sports and games. One such example is of the central allegation in the Table Tennis matches in Australia in 2007 in which three matches at Wimbledon are showed in files but there are no such evidences of those matches. Also some suspicious betting activities were found after the game took place between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello. The allegations from these two players were cleared but the investigation was carried on for the long time. Around 16 core group players claimed to have been losing their games when the betting activities were suspected. It was claimed that around 35000 was offered to the players to fix the games (Barcham, et. al., 2012). Conclusion Much can be done to remove corruption from sports in the country but it needs involvement from everyone. There should be openness in the decisions and the policies made. It should be clear to all that what policies are made and how. Anti corruption measures can be adopted in the code of conduct and constitutions. The government can start open bidding processes which prevents corruption by people. Fairness in bids need to be monitored. Ethical in sports can be promoted by the sponsors of the sports events as a part of corporate responsibility programmes taken by them. Media also has a power to awareness among people for the eradication of corruption from the sports. The sports sector can be corruption free if these solutions can be applied. References Smith, T. H. (2010). Corruption: The abuse of entrusted power in australia. Albert Park, Vic: Australian Collaboration. Shleifer, A., Vishny, R. W. (1993). corruption. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 108(3), 599-617. doi:10.2307/2118402 Barcham, M., Hindess, B., Larmour, P. (2012). Corruption: Expanding the focus. Canberra, A.C.T: ANU E Press. Mugarura, N. (2010). The effect of corruption factor in harnessing global anti-money laundering regimes. Journal of Money Laundering Control, 13(3), 272-281. doi:10.1108/13685201011057145 Marjit, S., Mandal, B., Roy, S. (2014). Trade openness, corruption and factor abundance: Evidence from a dynamic panel. Review of Development Economics, 18(1), 45-58. doi:10.1111/rode.12068 Dimofte, G., Bolea, I., Rusu, R. (2012). Corruption - a relevant factor in the international economic crisis. Risk in Contemporary Economy, 1, 447-455. Ewoh, A. I. E., Matei, A., Matei, L. (2013). Corruption, public integrity, and globalization in south-eastern european states. A comparative analysis. Theoretical and Applied Economics, (1), 7-34. Herrmann, D., Ms, Fletcher, C., Ms, Books24x7, I. (2012;2016;). The internationalisation of corruption : Scale, impact and countermeasures. Farnham: Gower. doi:10.4324/9781315556611 Goel, R. K., Nelson, M. A. (2010). Causes of corruption: History, geography and government. Journal of Policy Modeling, 32(4), 433-447. doi:10.1016/j.jpolmod.2010.05.004 Aghion, P., Akcigit, U., Cag, J., Kerr, W. R. (2016). Taxation, corruption, and growth. European Economic Review, 86, 24-51. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.01.012

Chester Barnard Essay Example For Students

Chester Barnard Essay Chester Barnard, a president of the new Jersey Bell Telephone Company, help advance thinkingabout organizations when he published The Functions of the Executive in 1938. Barnard give us a much more realistic view of what really goes on in formal organization. According to Barnard individual have only a limited amount of power. A person can do only so much when acting alone. Barnard theorizes that there are two ways to measure this new cooperation. The first is effectiveness, which is social in character and the second is efficiency, which relates to the satisfaction of individual matters and is more personal in nature. Barnard contribution comes in the areas of communication, decision making, and authority. Barnards four conditions need to be met in order for an individual to accept a communication as authoritative. First , the person must understand the communication, second, at the time of his or her decision, that person must believe that what is to be done is consistent with the purpose of the organization, third at the time of his or her decision, that personal interest and fourth that person is mentally and physically able to comply with the communication. Biographies

Ethics by Linda Pasten

Nintendos Disruptive Strategy free essay sample

With the introduction of their Wii console, they successfully disrupted the dominance of their rivals. However, competitors Sony and Microsoft are quickly gaining on Nintendo’s competitive advantage, forcing the company to monitor and reevaluate its strategies. To maintain a competitive advantage, Nintendo must look toward influencing customers of Sony and Microsoft, continue with developing innovative technologies, and also consider the impact of tablets and smartphones on the gaming industry. History of Nintendo In 1889, Nintendo Co. Ltd began its long history as a Japanese manufacturer of playing cards. The company went public in 1963, and by the 1970s Nintendo had begun directing its focus toward electronic toys and video games. Nintendo became a leader in the video game industry in the ‘80s with its home video game consoles and popular game titles. Competitors began to emerge in the ‘90s; the release of Sony’s Playstation platform broadened the video game market, and the rising popularity and improvement of PC technology led to the use of PCs as gaming platforms. We will write a custom essay sample on Nintendos Disruptive Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While capitalising on the popularity of PC gaming, Microsoft developed and released its Xbox game console in 2001. While the competition focused on technological advancements to make improvements to existing game console, Nintendo developed its newest console with an ambitious design which uniquely competing in the market – The Wii family. The release of Wii in 2006 propelled Nintendo back to the top of the gaming industry thus secured its competitive advantage. However, since the release of Wii, Sony and Microsoft have been trying to play catch up with Nintendo with both companies releasing their own version of Nintendo’s wireless remote controllers called Playstation’s Move and Xbox Kinect respectively. At that point, they were trying to recoup the casual gamer market that was pioneered by Nintendo by publishing similar simpler games like Brunswick Pro Bowling for Sony’s Playstation or Kinect Sports for Microsoft’s Xbox (The Guardian, 2010). Nintendo’s Recent Products – 2008 to 2013 2008| Nintendo launched its viral fitness video game â€Å"Wii Fit† in the US with its unique peripheral platform Wii Balance Board. In the same year, Nintendo also introduced its successor of DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, a revised handheld console with two cameras and wireless access to its Nintendo DSi shop. 2009| Nintendo DSi XL debuted which features larger screens, and a greater overall size than the original DSi. | 2011| Nintendo launched a new handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, which allows users to view 3D content without the use of special glasses. | 2012| The highly anticipated successor of the Wii, Wii U is released in the US market. | Table 1 : Nintendo’s Recent Products (Nintendo, 2013) The Wii U, the first entry in the eight generation of video games console, is the first Nintendo console to support high definition graphics which is on par with Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The Wii U finally has the power that the Wii lacks, they support games like Assassin’s Creed 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. This is maybe the turning point for Nintendo to finally please the hardcore gamer market and putting them in better position to pull them from Sony and Microsoft. The console was released in two versions; a Basic white set which comes with 8 GB of internal flash storage, and a Deluxe black set with 32 GB of flash storage. The Basic set is initially priced at $299 which comes with the basic stuff; the gamepad, a sensor bar and the necessary power and HDMI cables while the Deluxe set is priced at an additional $50 which includes everything in the Basic set with an additional package of a charging cradle, stands for the gamepad and console, and a copy of Nintendo Land (PC Magazine, 2013). Now, even with the graphic advancements and better features incorporated in the Wii U, the real innovation that Nintendo plans to surprise the market is the gamepad. Featuring a built in touchscreen, the gamepad can either supplement or replicate the gameplay shown on the main display. In another way, the gamepad offers asymmetric competition, where the player using the gamepad has one experience and wins in a certain way, while other competing players have different ways to play and win with the Wiimote. You can also bypass the console and stream games directly to the tablet which is basically called the â€Å"Off TV Play† function (Lynley, 2012). Situational Analysis In this twentieth century, video gaming has become a part of the world’s society and culture. Recent socio-cultural trend has shown that the image of video game consoles had been redefined. Since its first introduction, video game consoles sole purpose was only to play video games. At the beginning of this century, game consoles has gradually transformed into a multimedia stations which can stream music, videos, movies, surfing on the internet and online gaming. Evidence shows how the introduction of the Wii Fit by Nintendo extends its values to the society. Dr. Justin Liu, a chairman of Back and Trauma Rehabilitation at St Mary’s Medical, San Francisco, pioneered a Wii-Habilitation program at the hospital. â€Å"Patients love the therapy of Wii-Hab and enjoy the distraction and fun factor of the game as they retrain their weakened limbs,† Liu said. According to him, more than 200 patients have benefitted from the program which primarily uses the unique Wii Balance Board to carry out numerous exercises (Pang, 2008). In the economics point of view, while many developing countries are experiencing a strong economic recovery, Nintendo recorded a decrease of consoles sales by 52. 2 percent in 2012. This may show that its Wii consoles are nearing its product life cycle while losing its momentum in the period of 2006 to 2010. However, with the introduction of the Wii U, the market analysts predicted the compound annual growth rate of the console market to be at an average of . 3 percent in the period of 2012 to 2017 (Games Consoles in the United States, 2013). Recession may be pointed out as the reason the decrease of console sales. Many consumers were also already beginning to spend less money even before the recession began and this includes the middle to upper middle class consumers. Experts believed this new trend began as more consumers started to become more environmental conscious to excessive waste and consumption. However, many experts believed that a trend of increased spending usually follows at the end of a recession or during the beginning of the recovery (Flatters,2009). Nintendo’s SWOT Analysis Strengths| * Established brands generate customer’s trust * Diversified geographic presence * High quality, cutting edge technology| Weaknesses| * Declining financial performances * Dependence on third party manufacturers| Oppurtunities| * Growing online gaming market * Re-engage with core customers| Threats| * Exchange rate fluctuations * Short product life cycle * Intense competition; consoles and mobile gaming| Table 2: Nintendo’s SWOT Analysis (Nintendo, 2013) Strengths A company who has been in the gaming industry since the early ‘80s, Nintendo is the only company among the â€Å"Big 3† of Sony and Microsoft whose focus is only video games (which this is also a threat). They have the expertise and market awareness to generates brand loyalty among its customers. They have produced many world class products or franchises that have made an impact to the gaming world. Game franchises from its early introduction to the market like the Donkey Kong series, Super Mario Brothers or the Pokemon series which until today are still being reproduced and loved around the world. Although Nintendo’s main production plants are located in Japan, they maintain a presence in the Americas and Europe through its many subsidiaries. Its global presence allows the company to tap the potential market opportunities across the world (Nintendo,2013). The presence of Sotoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo Co. Ltd, presents significant intangible asset to the company. His view and direction has guided Nintendo to produce constant high quality and cutting edge technology throughout the years. Weaknesses Nintendo witnessed a decline in its financial performance in recent years. Price reductions on its console and poor sales of the 3DS are the prime factors in its decline. Since its introduction in 2006, Wii gained momentum and continued showing success in financial performance in its early years. Up until 2010, the momentum has marginally slowed down and it did not help when Nintendo introduces the 3DS system. The company faces tough competition from Sony’s Playstation Vita and also from new entrants from its substitute markets such as Apple’s Iphone and Ipad (Buerk,2011). The company’s dependence on outside manufacturers, generally suppliers of electronic components, have more bargaining power than the buyer. The company could not control the supply of the component which results in losses of potential profits due to shortage of products. Opportunities The ever growing online gaming market in the middle of the video game consoles cyclical life presents an opportunity to Nintendo. The company has developed Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Nintendo Network which provides free online play throughout its compatible devices. With the introduction of the Wii U, Nintendo has a chance to reconnect to the hardcore gamer market with giving them what they want in a high resolution and firepower comparative to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Threats Volatile exchange rates could negatively impact the company’s earnings. Nintendo operates its business in foreign currencies but measures its performance in Japanese currency. In the sense of the entertainment world, Nintendo faces a lot of threats from its traditional competitors, Sony and Microsoft, and also with other providers of different form of entertainment including the mobile phones and tablets. The short product life cycle entails to the whole interactive entertainment software market. In a market with frequent introduction of new products, Nintendo must strive to differentiate their products from the others to gain and improve their market share. Part 2: NINTENDO’ STRATEGIES Nintendo’s strategy of expanding the gaming population worked in 2006 with the release of Wii. They have managed to encourage as many people in the world, regardless of age, gender or gaming experience to embrace and enjoy the fun in gaming which constitutes as the casual gamers. However, this strategy is endangering in singling out and damaging their biggest customer base, the hardcore gamers. Prior to the release of Wii, Nintendo has fallen behind in the competition with Sony and Microsoft. With them being over dependent on their own software franchises and tight control over content of the games, Sony and Microsoft have gained the advantage of appealing to the hardcore gamers with their continued publications of sophisticated and epic storyline game softwares with third party game publishers. In May 2008, in one of its move to regain their biggest customer base, Nintendo loosened its tight content policies and launched WiiWare, an online channel for distributing downloadable games by small independent software developers. This strategic move is for the purpose of adapting to the changes in the environment surrounding the video game market thus increasing new business opportunities where they are giving the chance to the independent developers to find the â€Å"next smash hit† (Mokey, 2007). Witnessing the success its competitors had in reaching the market earlier than its rivals, Nintendo had copied this marketing strategy by releasing the Wii U, first game console in the new business cycle in November 2012. Sony and Microsoft are yet to release their Playstation 4 and Xbox 720 respectively at the time of writing. One can argue whether Nintendo is taking the prescriptive or emergent approach in its strategy development and implementation. According to its mission statement, â€Å"Nintendo are committed to producing and marketing he best products and support services available† (Nintendo Corp, 2012) shows that the company has the direction to define its business as fitted to the definition of a prescriptive management by Andrews (1971). However, taking into account the way Nintendo disrupt the game market with its Wii, by completely ignoring Sony and Microsoft and targeting the hole in the market with a simpler and cheaper system, we can see that there are also an element of emergent in its strategy innovation. According to Nag et al (2007), the field of strategic management deals with the intended and emergent initiatives taken by the managers on behalf of owners, involving utilization of resources, to enhance the performance of firms in their external environments. This shows that Nintendo have clear and logical plans in their directions and at the same time, they are also experimenting with other possible strategies. This report can now conclude that Nintendo is adopting prescriptive and emergent processes in its strategy development. Part 3: COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE To explore Nintendo’s basis and its sustainability of competitive advantage, the report will now use Porter’s Five Forces as an analysis. Nintendo’s Porter’s Five Forces Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers have strong bargaining power because of the dependence of Nintendo in its key parts of electronic components which ensure its console performance and production. They also pose as a threat as they could integrate forward and start producing their own gaming consoles as what Sony and Microsoft did. Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers have a fair amount of bargaining power against Nintendo because of Nintendo’s lack of other portfolios in sources of revenue. If the customers decided to change preference in other type of entertainment, Nintendo would not have the capacity to retain them. Threat of Potential New Entrants In an oligopolistic structure dominated by three equally sized competitors; Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo trying to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of the existing market, threats of new entrants is relatively low. High start-up costs and high risks in the industry present the biggest barrier. Threat of Substitutes In an entertainment market, there are strong threats of substitutes. Smart phones, tablets, home computers and online gaming are a few of the many substitute home entertainment products that consumer can use instead. Extent of Competitive Rivalry Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo fighting against each other for market dominance by trying to outperform their rivals with price cuts, marketing strategies and attribute differentiation, the competitive rivalry is very intense. However, in recent years Nintendo has come out on top with a competitive advantage with an innovative technology. Summary The basis of Nintendo’s competitive advantage lies in its management team; the Ramp;D team, marketing team and company’s management, headed by Satoru Iwata. Iwata’s vision and guidance gave rise to Nintendo’s Wii console and Nintendo’s game development house. Nintendo’s economies of scale are produced by the team effort of the company’s Ramp;D capability in innovative technology and its efficient manufacturing processes which enable them to produce the Wii U at a cheaper cost than their competitor’s game systems. Another core competency of Nintendo is its brand. The company has been an image to video gaming which is a very valuable and rare advantage. Part 4: Recommendations and Conclusion This report will now develop several strategic options for Nintendo to consider into the future. 1. Since the release of the Wii U in late 2012, certain features of the game system such as the TVii and the Miiverse, its own online community, has not live up to its potential to challenge its competitors. Nintendo should consider on improving these features to ensure its continued success from its predecessor, Wii. 2. Nintendo should also consider spending more money in aggressive marketing to improve sales while their competitors still yet to release their next game systems. 3. Another way of moving forward is to develop new policies for their game content. With the Wii U, now they have a capable platform to challenge their rivals in producing more mature games software to capture the biggest customer base there is, the hardcore gamer market. Conclusion In this oligopolistic structure, the video game market is growing very slowly and when a company wishes to gain dominance, it must take its sales from its competitors. Nintendo has been successful in identifying new market with its Wii series, but now they must shift their focus from puzzle and exercise games, and broaden their video game genres for more mature audience. However, this could mean breaking their traditional image of family friendly and a probability of backlash from the market. They will also have to shift their in-house game development and improve their relationship with independent game producers. With the Wii U, they now have the platform to gain sustainable competitive advantage over their competitors.