ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Ticker: MESC Recommendation: Buy Price: 18.45 Price Target:14.20 Highlights The revenue and net income of the company declined by a large margin. The revenue declined by about 30% while the net income declined by about 50%. The decline of key components of the financial statements hasserious implications on the profitability of the company. The decline in profitability has significantly impacted on the share prices of the company. The share prices have been declining in the recent past. The trend has a serious implication on the investor confidence. The company has experienced a significant drop in the financial performance between 2007 and 2011. The earnings per share declined significantly. However, the estimates for the next two years indicate the company expects to increase profitability. The price earnings ratio was quite volatile and the management anticipates that the volatility will persist in the coming years. Decline in profitability is attributed to an increase in selling and marketing expenses, depreciation, and finance cost. The net income is expected to grow to SAR13, 317,185 in 2013. The management expects to increase profitability by increasing the amount of sales. The return on average equity and return on average assets declined between 2007 and 2011. This was attributed to the decline in profitability through the years. However, the returns are expected to increase in the next two years. Despite the declining trend in profitability, the ratios for the company are greater than those of the competitors. The liquidity of the company is quite low. The current ratio and quite ratio were fairly stable though less than one. It could be an indication that the company is experiencing difficulties in paying off current debt. The trend is exhibited by the increasing trend in the value of the average payment period. The average collection period also increased over the years. It implies that the debtors are taking longer to pay their debt. The management expects that the liquidity position of the company will remain at the same amount in the next two years. The efficiency of the company significantly dropped during the past five years. For instance, payable turnover declined significantly declined over the years. It is evident that the management is working on improving the values of the ratios (Zughaibi & B. Kabbani General Partnership 1). Debt to equity ratio increased from 358.29% in 2011 to 395.6% in 2008. It implies that the amount of debt in the capital structure is far much more than the amount of equity in the capital structure. The leverage ratio of the company is quite high and it is not a good indication to potential shareholders. The management is determined to reduce the leverage level thought it might take l
Procedures for an Upgrade of VMware Tools According to McCain (2010), the method for upgrading VMware Tools varies between Windows and Linux guest operating systems. It is important to note that upgrades are done either manually or automatically. Besides, Windows “virtual machines are configured to notify you when upgrades that are installed by selecting VM>Upgrade to upgrade the virtual machine, are available” (McCain, 2010, p.2). It is crucial to understand that the update process cannot be stopped or reversed once it starts. In summary, the entire procedure is summed up in powering the virtual machine to install and upgrade the VMware Tools. All menus commands must be selected and used properly. Converting a Physical Machine (PC) to a Virtual Machine using VMware vCenter The procedure involves ensuring that the virtual machine’s infrastructure for accommodating the new machine and the physical machine to be converted are both available (Mishchenko, 2010). To start the conversion process, turn on the conversion wizard by first selecting and configuring the hardware and software of the physical machine to and by creating a destination folder to house the new virtual machine. Configuration is necessary to achieve the desired hardware and software behavior. Ensure that all windows and Linux environment prerequisites are followed. Procedures for creating a vApp The process includes firing a new vApp wizard to start building the new vApp. It is important to use a new name for the just created vApp (McCain, 2010). The next step includes running the software after all the necessary preparations have been done successfully. McCain (2010) notes that establishing the destination folder and assigning resources such as the CPU, and memory to complete the steps enables one to create the necessary environment for the new application. However, once the new vApp has been established, it must be populated with new vApp elements. It is important to add the new name to the ‘Name and Folder’ page to distinguish it from other vApps. Ensure that you click next when each configuration and naming is through to continue to the next step. The destination folder is only selected on a standalone host cluster. However, ensure that the target folder is validated so that the creation and installation rules are adhered to. Procedures for Cloning a vApp The cloning process depends on the status of the deployment situation of the vApp. The prerequisite is to ensure that a connection is established between the vCenter Server system and the vSphere client (McCain, 2010). Also, ensure that the ESX 3.0 provides an environment for a running inventory for the host machine. Select the host list using the clone wizard and ensure that the clone wizard is properly configured. Identify the destination address by selecting the host and clicking next for the installation to occur. Assign it with a name and complete the clone. Procedures for Configuring IP Tools Different methods are used
Introduction Economic issues formed a core axis in defining power structure in the expansive Europe. The French revolution, for instance, was based on economic issues in France. (John 117) After the war, immense ideological shift emerged in the European nations. Most countries realigned their policies and ideology in tandem with the new political and socio-economic dispensation presented by the prevailing post-war conditions. (John 187) After the war, the nations faced humongous economic slump, the pecuniary implications of the war took toll on the European Nations. Industries were affected with decline in business; there was thus an urgent need to resuscitate the civilian apathy in the region. Cold war An ideological dialectics emerged between the USSR and the US that polarized Europe into blocks. Factually speaking it was based on economic issues. The emergent of capitalists who believed on a free market economy and the socialists who emphasised on the need to control the market structures catapulted Europe into an economical and industrial frenzy. The ideological inclination of European countries during the cold war defined the government of the day. (John 78) Emergence of NATO, brainchild of North America, and the Warsaw pact, championed by the USSR led to a significant epoch in the region. The Eastern Europe aligned itself towards the USSR and were signatories of the Warsaw pact. It included such countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania; The NATO housed the Western Europe countries. The orientation of the European nations in relation to the cold war greatly influenced the membership of both the NATO alliance and the Warsaw pact; USSR and the US were in a rush to attract the European nations under their influence. It would be very accurate therefore to argue that the two treaties were based on how the European nations “read and balanced the equation of Communism and Capitalism.”(John 97) The formation of the UN in 1945, delivered an ideology in the post war era that remains significant in Europe’s history. The emergence of Human rights and freedom activism played a leading role in the post war era. European governments responded differently at the inception of this ideology that opened up the socio-political space in Europe, one arm believed in civil liberty based on the respect for human dignity and social emancipation, the other axis of Europe ignored human rights and pursued governance where the civil participation was limited to the lowest level. Germany, United Kin
In a business, the most important is- how it is managed or taking correct administrating decisions in different situations at the correct time. The managerial skill of a manager helps him to deal with problems in different situations. “In today’s environment, managers are under increasing pressure to address organisational issues and manage organisational change.” (Designing organisation to create value, James A. Brickley, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002, page no ix). The case Andersen Vs. Andersen is one of the business situations dealing with the dispute between the holding company and sister concern. The firm Arthur Andersen was founded in 1913 by Arthur Andersen and Clarence DeLany. The firm changed its name to Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1918. Andersen Worldwide is a company with many accounting firms and a consulting firm. By the 1980s, accountancy firms struggled to balance their commitment to audit independence against the desire to grow their consultancy practices. Having established a reputation for IT consultancy in the 1980s, Andersen was no exception. The firm rapidly expanded its consultancy practice to the point where the bulk of its revenues were derived from such engagements. At the same time, audit partners were continually encouraged to seek out opportunities for consulting fees from existing audit clients. The two businesses spent most of the 1990s in a bitter dispute. Andersen Consulting saw a huge surge in profits during the decade. However, the consultants continued to resent transfer payments they were required to make to Arthur Andersen. As a result, the consultants at Andersen Consulting felt they were being underpaid for the work they were doing. So, Andersen Consulting, with 65,000 employees, decides to get separate from its parent company, which now consists entirely of Arthur Andersen, a tax and auditing firm with 77,000 employees. In 2000 an international arbitrator granted Andersen Consulting its independence. A bitter court battle ensued as Arthur Andersen insisted that Andersen Consulting must pay billions of dollars to leave the umbrella organization, Andersen Worldwide. As a result, in 2001, Andersen Consulting was forced to change its name to Accenture. Accenture agreed to pay $1.2 billion in past payments to the Arthur Andersen firm. The decision was seen as a big victory for Andersen Consulting. Guillermo Gamba, who was an international arbitrator, split up the accounting firm Arthur Andersen and its sister consulting firm, Andersen Consulting, ending a nasty battle that goes back nearly a decade. Colombian arbitrator Guillermo Gamba placed the blame for the breakup on the parent company of the two firms, Andersen Worldwide. He said the Andersen Worldwide Co. had not lived up to its obligations to run the organization. He charted the middle ground between the two warring companies and allowed them to break up as two different companies. The decision was already anticipated. The Andersen consulti
Such concept as “user group” can be interpreted as a group of stakeholders who have the capacity to affect the functioning of the company and who are affected by the company (Alexander & Britton, 2004 p 8). There are several user groups that can be interested in the company’s reports: stockholders, investors, employees, customers, governmental agencies (in particular, revenue services), and non-profit organization such as consumer associations, trade unions or environment protection organizations (Wilson, 2007, p 12). However, these people can be interested in different kinds of information; their interest will depend on how the company influences them. Stockholders are most likely to be interested in the financial performance of Wing Tai Properties during a certain period. They usually pay more attention to balance sheet and cash flow statements. Yet, stockholders may want to know how the company is managed, who is responsible for this task. This interest is quite understandable since managerial policies shape the functioning of the company. Similar information can be required by investors who want to decide if it is prudent to invest capital into Wing Tai Properties. Apart from that, these people usually focus on the customer management in the company and the HR incentives of this enterprise. Employees of the organization will be willing to learn more about the initiatives that the company takes to promote their well-being. As a rule, they focus on compensation packages, retirement benefits and pension scheme. For instance, Wing Tai offers shares as a part of compensation to the employees who work in the company for a long time (Wing Tai, 2009, p 11). In other words these people want to know what the company can do for them. The employees may need information about the financial performance of the corporation in order to determine whether it is possible to negotiate for better wages. Furthermore, we need to speak about the customers of Wing Tai Property. These people are most likely to be interested in price and quality benefits provided by the company. In this case, we need to speak about the discounts offered by Wing Tai Properties. It should be mentioned that this organization sells both goods and services to the clients, and they usually pay attention to the pricing policies of the enterprise. Secondly, this user group pays attention to the environmental safe of products, sold by the company. This argument is particularly important when we are referring to garments of Wing Tai (Wing Tai, 2009, p 68). Finally, one should not overlook governmental and non-governmental organizations. This user group includes many actors such as internal revenue service, consumer unions, trade unions, and environment protection organizations. They are usually interested in the following aspects of the company’s work: 1) the integrity of financial reporting, 2) willingness of the management to comply with labor laws of the country, a
Introduction Leaders differ in a number of respects in their focus of attention. Some leaders have emphasized task accomplishment, while others concentrate on driving performance through quality relationships. The behavior of a leader can be explained in terms of how they structure communications and working methods for their teams. Research has shown that most progressive leaders are those who exhibit task and relationship orientation (Yukl, 2010). In respect to tendencies for direction, task, participation and relations orientation, high task-high relationship leadership tend to rely on a leader’s personal attributes and situational contingencies. In this paper, I seek to give a critical examination of my leadership style characterized by high task-high relationship orientations. I shall present justifications for the leadership style while drawing from numerous research literatures that have explored the concept of leadership (Yukl, 2010). Discussion of high task-high relationship leadership style The leadership underpinned by high-task-high relationship concerns with the inclusion of both tasks and relationships. This means that the leader under this grid approaches leadership by considering them as crucial components in driving organizational performance (Yukl, 2010). Many leadership scholars argue that high task-high relationship style of leadership entails coaching toward achievement of workplace goals (Wren, 1995). While it is worth appreciating the difficulty of achieving high-end outcomes, the high task-high relationship incorporates task behaviors and relationship behavior to overcome the temptations of setting unrealistic objectives through seeking communication. The high task-high relationship depicts a leader that emphasizes engaging people in all aspects that seeks high productivity. This means that a high task and high relationship leader is highly esteemed and is motivated by behavior of their subordinates, and combines task together with relationship behaviors. He or she establishes lasting relationships through mutual trust and respect for his followers. This is enhanced through respect and listening to employees’ needs (Wren, 1995). Studies suggest that leaders who have excelled employ a high task-high relationship leadership style. According to Wren (1995), high task-high relationship leaders have excellent planning and organizational skills. Yukl (2010) argued that high task behaviors include high expectations and the need to attain high achievements in life. These leaders tend to import l
Race prejudice can be defined as the act of having prior judgment and or assumption of a person or something without having enough knowledge about the person or something in order to do so. Race prejudice has been here for the last few centuries and though a lot has been done to minimize it, it has not been wiped out entirely. It has been said that it is a product of a group position which is partly true but it is also limited to an individual. Normally, an individual will tend to do things and be around people one is familiar with. Trudging in unfamiliar new grounds and doing things which are out of what someone is used to, in most circumstances will cause resistance and inherent need to eliminate the threat. According to Blumer, racial prejudice comes from different group relationships other than an individual point of view. People from a specific group come together because their way of life is similar and it is easy to get along and live together (Blumer, 1979). This leads to the rise of a group that feels it is more superior, also known as the in-group, and every other group that is deemed less superior becomes known as the out-group. The in-group which is the dominant group discriminates on individuals from the inferior groups which are subordinate. He also argues that the dominant group believes that the subordinate group is fundamentally different and estranged. Believing this is the case, they feel more entitled to some rights, resources and certain standing in society. The superior group has constant threat from the desire of the members of the subordinate group who want to be on the same pedestal as them. Members of the superior group want to maintain their society status, power over the rest of the group and maintain their livelihood, if this is threatened; they develop apprehension, fear, bitterness and resentment. Therefore, prejudice against the subordinate members stems out from these feelings of the superior group. This prejudice is merely a protective mechanism which aims at safe guarding the interest of the dominant group. Blumer never forgot to highlight how race had power to shape and influence the economy and social classes in the society. He did so knowing that other factors like technology and history dynamics played an important role in shaping and maintaining the racial order. In the changing economy, the dominant group will take up key managerial roles and leave the lesser groups to the lower positions. Basically, these clear cut racial systems bring about oppression, hierarchy and inequality. Organized raci
Software applications provide a platform that supports various business practices. Therefore, it is vital for an organization to have efficient software applications. The efficiency of software applications determines the ultimate efficiency and competitiveness of the organization. Therefore, companies spend huge sums of money in implementing software applications that support their business operations. However, implementing IT projects is one of the most daunting tasks of any organizations. The rate of failure of IT projects is usually higher than for other projects within the company. This necessitates a company to device an elaborate strategy that would lead to successful implementation of the IT project. Failure of IT projects may have dire consequences on an organization. It may lead to stalling of the operations of the company. In addition, it may elicit negative publicity, which may damage the reputation of the organization. Enterprise Resource Planning is one of the major IT projects that a company may implement. ERP helps in streamlining the workflow in an organization. ERP affects virtually all organization’s activities. ERP determines the ultimate efficiency of the organization’s activities. Therefore, it is vital for an organization to have a suitable ERP vendor. The success or failure of the ERP implementation project would have significant effects on the business. This is because ERP systems provide the backbone of virtually all operations within the company. ERP systems cost anywhere between hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. Therefore, failure of an ERP implementation project would make an organization lose vast sums of money. In addition, failure may stall the operations of the organization making the organization lose vast sums of money. The scope of ERP implementation projects increases the necessity to have elaborate procedures that would ensure the ultimate success of the project. In most instances, companies overlook certain aspects of the implementation process. This is one of the major factors that contributes to the high rate of failure of IT projects. Successful implementation of ERP system would improve the competitiveness of an organization. Cisco Systems Inc. is one of the few companies that have successfully implemented an ERP system. The inefficiencies of Cisco’s legacy systems necessitated the company to shift to an ERP system. The shift would provide a system that would support the company’s future growth. Prior to the implementation of the ERP system, the company’s systems were on the brink of failure. Malfunctions of the systems resulted in shutdown of the company for two days. This made the company lose huge sums of money. The imminent failure of the company’s systems necessitated the company to develop a new system. Therefore, the company implemented the new ERP system out of necessity. The success or f