Working Conditions at Wal

Working Conditions at Wal Wal-Mart Stores is a leading American multinational company. The corporation operates numerous chain stores and warehouses in different parts of the world.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Working Conditions at Wal-Mart Stores specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company competes with different retailers across the globe such as Nordstrom. Wal-Mart â€Å"markets different products such as electronics, house appliances, food materials, jewelries, clothes, shoes, beauty products, and mobile devices† (Gandel, 2013, p. 1). This successful firm has also faced numerous criticisms from different labor unions and community groups. This essay summarizes three articles in order to understand the working conditions encountered by Wal-Mart’s employees. These summaries will give a clear picture of the challenges affecting many employees at Wal-Mart. Article One The article â€Å"Wal-Mart Accused of Violating Worke rs Rights† identifies the major challenges encountered by different workers at this multinational company. According to the article, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had accused the company of mistreating and abusing its employees. The company was discouraging its workers from participating in various protests. Wal-Mart had â€Å"fired nineteen employees for engaging in various demonstrations† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). However, â€Å"the managers at Wal-Mart stated clearly stated that they were addressing all the issues affecting their workers† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). The article goes further to describe how Wal-Mart Stores has been violating various labor laws. The company was also threatening its employees after participating in various strikes. The NLRB stated that such strikes were legal and constitutional. The â€Å"company had also threatened its employees with reprisal if they participated in any protest† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1).Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the managers and leaders at the corporation were against such claims. Wal-Mart Stores â€Å"dismissed Barbara Andridge-Collins after participating in a strike† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). The authors also explain why â€Å"many workers at the company were complaining of reduced schedules, poor working conditions, and low wages† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 2). It is agreeable that the company has failed to support their employees. This situation has affected Wal-Mart’s business performance. Article Two The article â€Å"Wal-Mart Challenges Labor Boards Complaint† describes the responses offered by Wal-Mart after firing its employees. This article explores the actions undertaken by Wal-Mart after its employees engage in various strikes. According to the authors, Wal-Mart has failed to su pport its workers using the best remunerations and working conditions. The company â€Å"was also defending itself after dismissing its employee for participating in different strikes† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 1). According to the company, it was appropriate to set the right examples in order to discourage its employees from participating in such strikes. This situation â€Å"was forcing the company to fire every employee who did not report to work† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 2). The article identifies poor working conditions and low wages as the leading catalysts of these strikes. However, majority of these workers were losing their legal support after participating in such strikes. Many workers â€Å"had lost their jobs during Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 2). This fact explains why it has been impossible for many workers at Wal-Mart to achieve their goals. The company has always treated strikes as forms of disruption. Such disruptions tend to affect the quality of services availed to different customers.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Working Conditions at Wal-Mart Stores specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the article, the NLRB is currently examining the challenges affecting many workers at the company. The approach will be critical towards supporting the demands of every employee at the firm. The practice will also ensure the company offers the best working conditions to its workers. Article Three The article â€Å"Why Wal-Mart Can Afford to Give its Workers a 50% Raise† explains why the retailer should reconsider the needs and expectations of its employees. The article begins by highlighting the major challenges encountered by many employees at Wal-Mart Stores. For instance, the employees encounter pathetic working environments. This malpractice has forced the workers to look for better jobs elsewhere. Wal-Mart is currently a leading retailer in the globe. The company has faced numerous criticisms from different agencies and labor unions for offering low wages to its employees. However, statistics show that the company can offer better salaries to its workers without affecting its performance. The â€Å"company is currently in a position of increasing its wage bill because it makes over $17 billion in profits† (Gandel, 2013, p. 1). The author of the article expects the company to split its profits in a proper manner. This practice will ensure every employee gets the best salary. This practice will ensure the workers achieve their objectives and goals. The strategy will also ensure the workers support the company’s goals. Wal-Mart â€Å"has also been reinvesting its profits in the company’s operations† (Gandel, 2013, p. 2). This practice explains why the company has been opening more stores every year. Many investors and analysts believe strongly that Wal-Mart sh ould be ready to pay its workers better remunerations. According to Gandel (2013, p. 1), â€Å"a 50 percent pay rise can support the company’s goals and eventually make its successful†. This article examines why Wal-Mart continues to face numerous criticisms from different labor unions and government agencies.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The suggestions presented in this article will ensure the company improves the working conditions of its employees. Reference List Banjo, S., Trottman, M. (2014, February 2). Wal-Mart Challenges Labor Boards Complaint. The Wall Street Journal. Web. Gandel, S. Why Wal-Mart Can Afford to Give its Workers a 50% Raise. Fortune. Web. Trottman, M., Banjo, S. (2014, January 15). Wal-Mart Accused of Violating Workers Rights. The Wall Street Journal. Web.

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal statement - Essay Example I feel as though I have always learned lots in school, but never had the grades to reflect my efforts. I also tend to keep to myself when it comes to studying, so I thought studying with others might help me improve my grades. Finally, in high school, I learned that my time management skills were not very good. This often caused stress that I didn’t need to experience. As I look back on these goals, I feel really great because I have accomplished all three. If all goes well, I will have a 3.0 GPA. It may actually be higher if I do well in my most difficult class. I met some great friends on the first week of school and we formed a study group that meets each week. I have never studied with other people and found this to be a great way to learn and to meet people. I hope that next semester will find many of us taking the same classes so we can study together again. I can say that I met my third goal because I did not freak out a single time this semester as a result of forgetti ng or putting off a project, paper or test. I did feel a lot of stress about my grades, but that was simply because I wanted to meet my goal of earning a 3.0 GPA. I would call it normal stress, as opposed to stress caused by wasting my time or procrastinating. Time Management and Study Skills are the topics that meant the most to me this first semester at ASU. I knew that this was a weakness of mine coming into college. My first reaction to the topic when it was introduced in class was something like, â€Å"Oh, yea, this is what I need.† I think that the skills we talked about in class were helpful, but more than anything else, I think I am maturing and realizing that reaching goals is directly connected to decisions I make about work and study habits. I know that for the first time in my life, I actually wrote down assignments in a planner and scheduled set study times. Establishing a study group was a big part of this success, but I actually went to the library on several o ccasions by myself to study for tests. This was not a typical behavior for me in the past. Managing my time this first semester made me feel in control. I was able to think about studying because I blocked time out for studying and stuck to my schedule. Sticking to a study schedule was difficult, but I was able to do it. If I had to point to any one thing that helped me this first semester, it would be scheduling time for studying. My first semester was great. I feel as though I have been successful in many ways. The single most enjoyable thing about this semester was my study group. Having fun people from my classes to meet with made me want to engage in studying more often. I never have experienced this before and I think that it is great. One concern that I have is that I will not be able to meet with the same people next semester. I guess I just need to trust that I’ll just meet more interesting, fun people. One of my biggest challenges this semester was meeting up with b eople that knew me before I came to ASU. I was not the best student and did not always have the healthiest lifestyle. These people were not supportive of my educational goals. All they wanted me to do was to hang out. It was difficult for me to tell these people that I just didn’t want to be that person anymore. It was hard to say to old friends that I had changed and I was moving in a new direction. What gave me the strength to do this was the new friends I met during this first semester. I am excited for the next semester and all of the

The Risks of Sports Doping on Weight Lifters Research Paper

The Risks of Sports Doping on Weight Lifters - Research Paper Example However, doping is rampant some athletes have taken upon themselves and their managers to deceive the doping tests and have a competitive advantage over other athletes. Despite testing being done without advance notification and having a long list of banned substances, cheating by athletes has been rampant and more effective than in the past. It is with the understanding of the rampant cases of doping in sports that this study aims at understanding the risks of sports doping on weightlifters (Saugy et al., January 01, 1996). According to Thieme and Hemmersbach (2010), doping as a word first mentioned in the English dictionary in 1889 despite the attempts at enhancing performance by athletes have been a much older activity. Doping has its origins 5,000 years in China when the use of Ma Huang (an extract from the Ephedra plant) was used to suppress coughing and stimulate circulation (Thieme & Hemmersbach, 2010). Further, eating of testicles was recommended by Indian Physician Sutruta and used by the Huns around 300 BC, hallucinogenic mushrooms in 3 BC show the development of doping in sports. Strong stimulants like cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, and strychnine would later be used by cycles and other athletes to promote endurance (Baron et al., January 01, 2007). Mariani wine that would lead to the conferring of a gold medal to Vin Mariani was also used widely but was banned by Germany in 1920. Start of human tests to reduce athlete doping revealed numerous cases of doping and the start of banning by The Inter national Athletic Federation (IAAF).  

Joyce’s novel Essay Example for Free

Joyce’s novel Essay The novels Mrs. Dalloway and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, written by Virginia Woolf and James Joyce respectively, are tales of persons who are challenged by the society in which they live. The roles traditionally handed down to men and women become elements of restraint for many of the characters within the stories. While convention dictates the actions that the characters should perform, the readers get the impression that the authors are in opposition to these traditions. Throughout the day spent with Mrs. Dalloway and her friends, situations arise in which characters become critical of others’ choices in a way that depicts the ideas of the narrator or author. Likewise, in the experiences of Stephen Dedalus and the other characters of Joyce’s novel, one finds that they often desire to perform actions alien to the stereotypical roles of their genders. In these novels, therefore, we find that there is no apparent desire within characters for males or females to inherit traditional gendered roles. In fact, we discover a desire to occupy a multi-gendered identity. This is important because it gestures at an identity separate from societal construction of gender. Hermione Lee relates that Virginia Woolf sought a â€Å"combination of sensibility and tenacity† in her work (xvii). This suggests a similar mixing of feminine and masculine qualities with which she imbues several of her characters in Mrs. Dalloway. Clarissa Dalloway has become a woman who ostensibly fits perfectly within the role societally configured for her gender. She is the wife of a statesman and the mother of a beautiful daughter. She throws fine parties and does the traditional female jobs of overseeing the servants, visiting the sick, and other things. Yet, Woolf appears immediately to intimate to the reader the undesirability of all this tradition to Clarissa herself, as she is seen at the outset of the novel going on an errand that should normally have been reserved for her servants. Her desire for independence is asserted in the first sentence, â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself (Woolf 1). Though this rebellion is a small one and is buried in the guise of â€Å"womanly† work (going to buy flowers), the commercial aspect of it places her in the position of a business person, just as the errand frees her from the confines of the home. On this walk she thinks of Peter Walsh, a man with whom she once shared her passions for literature and freedom. Her thoughts and desires break through conventions that dictate the subservience of women. She considers marriage in a way that seems alien to its constitution, as she imbues her role in it with the type of independence that one does not usually find in the traditional view of marriage. She explains that her decision against marrying Peter was made because â€Å"In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house; which Richard gave her, and she him† (Woolf 5). This demonstrates the extent to which she desires not to be subsumed by her husband as women often are in marriages. Continuing, she thinks, â€Å"When it came to that scene in the little garden by the fountain, she had to break with him [Peter] or they would have been destroyed, both of them ruined, she was convinced† (6). This tells what she considers her life would have been like with Peter. She seeks to add a portion of masculinity to her role by keeping something of herself and continuing to show herself to the world—a right that is usually granted without reservation to married men, but tacitly withheld from women of that time. Clarissa continues to demonstrate her inner tendencies to throw off the traditional gender role and to fulfill her political and occupational dreams. During that time in England, women’s occupations were limited to household-related chores. She considers other women who had lived non-traditional lives, and longs to have her life to live again so she could make different choices. The first of those choices would have granted her an occupation that would defy her gender. The narrator assures us that Clarissa Dalloway â€Å"would have been, like Lady Bexborough, slow and stately; rather large; interested in politics like a man; with a country house; very dignified, very sincere† (Woolf 8). The use of the phrase â€Å"like a man† is telling, in that it highlights the extent to which Mrs. Dalloway longs to be released from the confines of her sex. She wants to be endowed with the possibilities that attend a man. Also telling is her desire to be â€Å"very sincere† (8). Sincerity is not a trait that has been traditionally accorded to women, as they were encouraged to keep their thoughts to themselves (or perhaps not to have any at all). Therefore, a woman with any ideas or opinions can be considered to have been somewhat forced into insincerity by their very act of subordination to the will of their husband and in their pretence at never having anything to say beyond remarks about the running of the household. Clarissa’s urge to speak sincerely demonstrates her desire to combine traditionally masculine qualities with her feminine ones.

Cognitive Traditions and Communities in Technological Change :: Technology Essays

Cognitive Traditions and Communities in Technological Change ABSTRACT: Many efforts have been made to discover some paradigm-like changes in mathematics, the social sciences, arts, history, etc. Gary Gutting forcefully criticizes the tendency of over-constraining the original conception that mostly led to insignificant analogies. But some applications may fall between correct isomorphic utilization and insignificant analogizing. The paradigm conception of technological change emerged in the early 1980's. This paper shows how fruitful the analogy has been for developing the idea of technological 'paradigms.' But a technological paradigm shows decisive differences which concern the values (which are not only cognitive ones) of technologies, the hierarchical systemic communities, the partly different nature of crises (through 'presumptive anomalies,' by Constant), and the necessarily integrated nature of technological knowledge leading to successful artifacts linked to goal-oriented research. Technological-paradigms-thinking became an established part of evolutionary economics also. According to this, paradigms rival conceptions that show further changes in comparison to the original Kuhnian approach. I conclude by discussing the nature of scientific change from the viewpoint of technological paradigms. Following Kuhn's seminal work paradigms were claimed to be discovered in many scientific fields including sociology, economics, psychology, mathematics, even literature, arts and history. It is well known that Kuhn himself was astonished to see that, for him unexpected, escalation. Garry Gutting rightly emphasized 198O that most of the applications of the paradigm conception led to nowhere but to insignificant, relatively trivial analogies, to assertions that "supertheories" exist. (1) But some application may have overcome trivial analogies. The story of technological "paradigms" is one case for this. The trial to apply the paradigm conception to technological change came 1O-15 years later then the applications to other fields. (2) In an important case study for history of technology (published 198O), E. W. Constant II set up a general model for technological change. (3) In this model technological change is represented by knowledge change and put into an evolutionary epistemology perspective, overtaken from D. Campbell. Constant exploits philosophy of science, mainly Kuhn's paradigm conception. He finds a community structure in technological practice, traditions of practice, normal technology with its puzzle solving character and technological changes initiated by recognizing two types of failure. He claims that, from time to time, technological changes are technological revolutions. "We define a technological paradigm as an accepted mode of technical operation. . . . It is the conventional system as defined and accepted by a relevant community of technological practitioners.

Long Term Financing Paper Final

Running head: Long-Term Financing Long-Term Financing University of Phoenix Online Introduction to Finance and Accounting MMPBL-503 James R. Sullivan November 3, 2008 Long-Term Financing An established company is considering expanding its operations, and to achieve their business objectives, the company will require additional long-term capital financing. Long-term financing involves debt or equity instruments with greater than one-year maturities, and the cost of this long-term capital can be calculated using either the Capital Asset Pricing (CAPM) or Discounted Cash Flows (DCFM) Model. The organization will have to compare and contrast the Capital Asset Pricing Model with the Discounted Cash Flows Model. The skill of comparing and contrasting financial options will help evaluate and organize the debt/equity mix and dividend policy. The organization must then decide what type of long-term finance alternatives will most likely benefit. Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Discounted Cash Flows Model Capital Asset Pricing Model is a linear relationship between returns on individual stocks and stock market returns over time (Block & Hirt, 2005). One use of CAPM is to analyze the performance of mutual funds and other portfolios (CAPM, 2008). Although, more than one formula exists for the CAPM, the most common is referred to as the market risk premium model presented below (Block & Hirt, 2005): r = Rf + beta (Km – Rf) Where: r is the expected return rate on a security Rf = the risk free rate of return (cash) B = beta coefficient, or historical volatility of common stock relative to market index Km = is the return rate of the appropriate asset class The market risk premium formula assumes that the rate of return or premium demanded by investors is directly proportional to the perceived risk associated with the common stock. Beta measures the volatility of the security relative to the asset class. The equation is saying that investors require higher levels of expected returns to compensate them for higher expected risk. This formula can be thought as predicting a security’s behavior as a function of beta: CAPM says that if a person knows a security’s beta then they know the value of (r) that investors expect it to have (see graph below) (CAPM, 2008). [pic] More volatile stocks will have a beta coefficient greater than 1. 0, whereas less volatile stocks will have a beta less than 1. 0. If the risk free rate of return (Rf) and average market return (Km) are considered fixed, then the required rate of return for company stock can be calculated for the required rate of return. As an example, if the market risk premium (Km – Rf) is 6% and a risk free rate of return (Rf) is 4%, then the required rate of return would equal 10% for B = 1 and 16% for B = 2. The Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCFM) is another standard way of determining the cost of equity. It assumes that a firm’s current stock price is equal to the present (discounted) value of all expected future dividends from the investment (Utility Regulation, 2008). Modern financial theory contends that the price of a firm’s stock is the present value of the future cash flows discounted at an appropriate interest rate (Freeman & Gagne, 1992). To calculate the current stock value, calculate the present value of future dividends and growth in the value of the stock at some future date. The discount rate used for this present value calculation is the weighted average cost of capital for the firm. Both the CAPM and DCF models involve applying data from a single or group of companies, to evaluate the current stock value of a single company. CAPM is more objective and complicated, and requires more calculation and data from the market. DCF is more subjective and simplified. One such DCF assumption is that future dividends will grow forever at a constant rate. Since this assumption is not always true, the DCF method gives a more qualitative estimate of the cost of capital. Limitations of CAPM includes, model uncertainty, it is difficult to know for sure if the use of the model is theoretically correct. Input uncertainty, is another limitation, it is difficult to estimate the appropriate risk premiums accurately (CAPM limitations, 2008). Limitations of the DCF model include miss growth options, options to expand and options to redirect (DCFM, 2008). Debt/Equity Mix Debt/equity mix is a financing strategy used by companies to help fund the business or other investments. Most companies use a combination of both in order to ensure stability and to keep long-term cost down. Debt is the borrowing of money from other lenders such as finance companies and banks. â€Å"Corporate debt has increased dramatically in the last three decades. † (Block & Hirt, pg. 468) Other forms of debt include issuing bonds and leasing. Debt has become a common item on balance sheet for many companies, including those just starting out. Debt financing allows companies to finance without having to sell stock or bring in more partners. The major benefit for debt financing, unlike with equity financing, the owner retains full ownership of their business. Bringing in more partners or stockholders in a company causes the loss of primary ownership and possibly the loss of the reason the company was created. Equity is another form of financing. Equity is also used by large and small companies. Equity is financed by other people. With equity financing the initial owner/borrower has a greater risk of losing their company to the partners that have become involved. On the other hand the borrower in an equity finance loan has flexibility on repayment terms and the form of repayment (ie. cash, stock, bonds or services). However, most major corporations have a mixture of debt and equity with making sure they do not have to much leverage in either one. The formula for figuring out what a company’s debt-equity ratio is: (Block & Hirt) Debt/Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities Shareholders’ Equity Dividend Policy A company’s dividend policy is up to the company and the profits that are made. If the company is just starting out they may not want to pay dividends to their stockholders. A beginning company may want to reinvest any earnings that are made in order to help the company expand. â€Å"In choosing either to pay a dividend to stockholders or to reinvest the funds in the company, management’s first consideration is whether the firm will be able to earn a higher return for the stockholders† (Block & Hirt, pg. 547). When deciding on a dividend policy the stockholders preference must be considered. The stockholder may or may not want to receive dividends and may only have concern with the value of their investment at relinquishment time. If expanding a business the dividends that are normally sent out will possibly be lower to help cover the cost of expanding. The expansion may also cause the dividends to increase. Some investors care about he future earnings and the increase that may occur because of the expansion and earnings increase. Characteristics and Costs of Debt and Equity Instruments The purchasers of equity instruments have the rights to vote on issues, gain ownership and future earnings of the business. Examples of equity instruments are common stock, preferred stock and retained earnings. Ask Dr Econ, 2008) Common stock is a form of equity instruments, advantages are the common stockholders will share in the company’s profitability, does not have to repay investment, dividends, and the votes can influence management. The disadvantages of common stock, the vote may dilute the management’s interest in the corporation’s growth, and the non-management stockholders can increase in the vot ing power, and the maximum risk falls on the investor. (Raymond, 2002) The cost of common equity is important as â€Å"the ultimate ownership of the firm resides in common stock† (Block & Hirt, 2005). The cost of issuing new common stock is expressed as: Kn = D1 / (Po – F) + g D1 = First year common dividend, Po = Price of common stock, F = Flotation selling costs, g = Constant growth rate in earnings (Block & Hirt, 2005) Preferred stock is another form of equity instruments, advantages are stocks offers stipulated dividend on an annual or semi-annual basis, preference rights over common stock and dividend payments and liquidating distributions. The dividends can accrue at a certain rate and paid on a cumulative basis. The disadvantage â€Å"includes a subordination of dividends to be paid on common stock and limitations on the use of corporate fund to the extent that pre-established dividend payments. † (Raymond, 2002) The cost of issuing new preferred stock is: Kp = Dp ( Pp – F) Where Dp = Preferred dividend, Pp = price of preferred stock, and F = Flotation selling costs. (Block & Hirt, 2005) Retained earnings are equivalent to â€Å"past and present earnings of the firm minus previously distributed dividends† (Block & Hirt, 2005). In order to convince shareholders that earnings will equal larger dividends and equity later, it is important to calculate the present value of projected future cash flow. The equation for cost of retained earnings is equivalent to the cost of existing common stock Ke = D1 / Po + g This can be used to reacquire outstanding treasury stock at market price. The cost of retained earnings does not include the flotation or sales cost associated with new issues of common or preferred stock. (Block & Hirt, 2005) Debt instruments are requires a fixed payment with interest, examples are bonds, government or corporation and mortgages. Ask Dr Econ, 2008) Bondholders do not gain ownership, paid before other expenses, less risky and not entitle to future profits in the business. (Raymond, 2002). Disadvantages include potential restrictions on operations, limitations on the use of working capital† (Raymond, 2002). Bond financing includes the zero-coupon rate bond and the floating rate bond. T he cost of debt is measured by the after-tax cost of debt and must be calculated as follows: Kd = Yield (1 – t) where Yield = yield to maturity and t = tax rate The yield to maturity of a bond is dependent on a number of variables: annual interest payment, principal payment, bond price and years to maturity. The yield to maturity for a bond can be calculated using a bond table, or using the equation below: Y' = annual interest payment + (principal payment – bond price) / years to maturity) (Block & Hirt, 2005) Evaluation of Long-Term Financing Alternatives Organizations have several opportunities for  alternative long-term financing to help the organization expand and grow, raise capital depleted by inflation and to supplement insufficient funds generated internally by the organization. Debts for organizations have risen over the past three decades. Organizations are faced with the task of continuing to raise capital to cover the organization’s debts. Organizations can use bonds, stocks, leasing and other options as options for long-term financing Bonds Most large organizations use corporate bonds for long-term financing. â€Å"The bond agreement specifies such basic items as the par value, the coupon rate, and the maturity date† (Block & Hirt, 2005). The initial value of a bond is the bond’s par value or face value. The interest rate on the bond is the coupon rate. The fluctuation of interest rates in the market affect the coupon rate of the bond after the bond has been issued. The ending date in which repayment of the principal of the bond is due is the maturity date. The bond agreement or indenture is the legal document that covers the bond from issuance to repayment. Organizations can put up a secured bond offering such as a mortgage agreement, where specific assets are promised to bondholders should they default on the bond or choose an unsecured, or debenture bond offering which doesn’t specify a specific asset. Stocks Common stock is on way an organization can secure long-term equity financing. Common stock is issued at a price per share to relatives, friends and investors. The funds are used by the organization to help the organization grow. The organization can issued to stockholders as dividends to show a payback on the capital investment. The remaining funds after the organization pays out dividends become retained earnings for the organization and are reinvested back into the organization. Individuals who have ownership in the organization can hold preferred stock. Preferred stock holders are repaid first should the organization file for bankruptcy. Leasing Organizations can lease assets instead of financing them. Leasing can give an organization that is short on funds or is not credit worthy enough to borrow funds a way to obtain assets. Leasing an asset is generally more expensive than purchasing the asset. By leasing assets, the organization reduces cash outflow so they can use those funds for other ventures. Organizations can lease assets such as furniture, equipment and land. The organization can choose a Capital Lease agreement where the organization purchases the asset at the end of the lease period. Organizations in a higher tax bracket can take advantage of a depreciation write-off tax advantage by purchasing an asset and leasing the asset to another organization in a lower tax bracket. Other Alternatives Organizations can use Factoring to borrow capital. The factor generally charges higher interest rates than banks. Factors generally review credit history, but the organization may still be able to borrow due to the quality of the organization’s collateral rather than their project projections. Conclusion Expanding a company can be a big step and many plans must be laid out and consider before the final decision can be made. Cost is the biggest factor that must be considered when expanding. The second factor to consider is who or how the cost is going to be covered. Most companies consider there finance options. Financing option that should be considered include taking on more debt, issuing bonds, and selling stock. With these options the interest rate, the selling price of the stock and how much of the company they would like to give up all must be considered when choosing an option. The better option would be to do a mix of all of the financing options to keep the balance sheet leveled, and the company in good financial standing. References Ask Dr Econ. (2008) † Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco:What are the differences between debt and equity markets? † Retrieved October 31, 2008 from http://www. frbsf. org/education/activities/drecon/answerxml. cfm? selectedurl=/2005/0510. html Block, S. B. , & Hirt, G. A. , (2005). Foundations of Financial Management (11th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill. Capital Asset Pricing Model, (2008). Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. moneychimp. com/glossary/capm/htm. Capital Asset Pricing Model

The Battle of the Seelow Heights in World War II

The Battle of the Seelow Heights was fought April 16-19, 1945, during World War II (1939-1945). Part of the larger Battle of the Oder-Neisse, the fighting saw Soviet forces attempting to capture Seelow Heights to the east of Berlin. Known as the Gates of Berlin, the heights were assaulted by Marshal Georgy Zhukovs 1st Belorussian Front. Lasting three days, the battle saw extremely bitter fighting as German troops sought to defend their capital. The German position was finally shattered on April 19, opening the road to Berlin. Background Since fighting began on the Eastern Front in June 1941, German and Soviet forces were engaged across the width of the Soviet Union. Having halted the enemy at Moscow, the Soviets were able to slowly push the Germans west aided by key victories at Stalingrad and Kursk. Driving across Poland, the Soviets entered into Germany and began planning for an offensive against Berlin in early 1945. In late March, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, traveled to Moscow to discuss the operation with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Also present was Marshal Ivan Konev, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, whose men were positioned to Zhukovs south. Rivals, both men presented their prospective plans to Stalin for the capture of Berlin. Listening to both marshals, Stalin elected to back Zhukovs plan which called for an assault against the Seelow Heights from the Soviet bridgehead over the Oder River. Though he supported Zhukov, he informed Konev that 1st Ukrainian Front should be ready to strike against Berlin from the south should the 1st Belorussian Front become bogged down around the heights. With the fall of Kà ¶nigsberg on April 9, Zhukov was able to rapidly redeploy his command to a narrow front opposite the heights. This corresponded with Konev shifting the bulk of his men north to a position along the Neisse River. To support his build up in the bridgehead, Zhukov constructed 23 bridges over the Oder and operated 40 ferries. By mid-April, he had assembled 41 divisions, 2,655 tanks, 8,983 guns, and 1,401 rocket launchers in the bridgehead. German Preparations As Soviet forces massed, the defense of the Seelow Heights fell to Army Group Vistula. Led by Colonel-General Gotthard Heinrici, this formation consisted of Lieutenant General Hasso von Manteuffels 3rd Panzer Army to the north and Lieutenant General Theodor Busses 9th Army in the south. Though a sizable command, the bulk of Heinricis units were badly under strength or composed of large numbers of Volksturm militia. Colonel-General Gotthard Heinrici. Public Domain A brilliant defensive tactician, Heinrici immediately began fortifying the heights as well as constructed three defensive lines to defend the area. The second of these was located on the heights and featured a variety of heavy anti-tank weapons. To further impede a Soviet advance, he directed his engineers to open dams further up the Oder to turn the already soft floodplain between the heights and the river into a swamp. To the south, Heinricis right joined with Field Marshal Ferdinand Schà ¶rners Army Group Center. Schà ¶rners left was opposed by Konevs front. Battle of Seelow Heights Conflict: World War IIDates: April 16-19, 1945Armies Commanders:Soviet UnionMarshal Georgy Zhukovapproximately 1,000,000 menGermanyColonel-General  Gotthard Heinrici112,143 menCasualties:Soviets: approximately 30,000-33,000 killedGermans: approximately 12,000 killed The Soviets Attack At 3:00 AM on April 16, Zhukov commenced a massive bombardment of the German positions using artillery and Katyusha rockets. The bulk of this struck the first German defensive line in front of the heights. Unknown to Zhukov, Heinrici had anticipated the bombardment and had withdrawn the bulk of his men back to the second line on the heights. Surging forward a short time later, Soviet forces began moving across the inundated Oderbruch Valley. The swampy terrain, canals, and other obstructions in the valley badly impeded the advance and the Soviets soon began to take heavy losses from German anti-tank guns on the heights. With the attack bogging down, General Vasily Chuikov, commanding the 8th Guards Army, attempted to push his artillery forward to better support his men near the heights. Soviet artillery during the Battle of Seelow Heights, April 1945. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-E0406-0022-012 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 With his plan unraveling, Zhukov learned that Konevs attack to the south was having success against Schà ¶rner. Concerned that Konev might reach Berlin first, Zhukov ordered his reserves to move forward and enter the battle in the hope that added numbers would bring a breakthrough. This order was issued without consulting Chuikov and soon the roads were jammed with 8th Guards artillery and the advancing reserves. The resulting confusion and intermixing of units led to a loss of command and control. As a result, Zhukovs men ended the first day of battle without achieving their goal of taking the heights. Reporting the failure to Stalin, Zhukov learned that the Soviet leader had directed Konev to turn north towards Berlin. Grinding Through the Defenses During the night, Soviet artillery successfully moved forward. Opening with a massive barrage on the morning of April 17, it signaled another Soviet advance against the heights. Pressing forward throughout the day, Zhukovs men began to make some headway against the German defenders. Clinging to their position, Heinrici and Busse were able to hold until nightfall but were aware that they could not maintain the heights without reinforcements. Though parts of two SS Panzer divisions were released, they would not reach Seelow in time. The German position at the Seelow Heights was further compromised by Konevs advance to the south. Attacking again on April 18, the Soviets began to push through the German lines, though at a heavy price. By nightfall, Zhukovs men had reached the final line of German defenses. Also, Soviet forces were beginning to bypass the heights to the north. Combined with Konevs advance, this action threatened to envelop the Heinricis position. Charging forward on April 19, the Soviets overwhelmed the last German defensive line. With their position shattered, German forces began retreating west towards Berlin. With the road open, Zhukov began a rapid advance on Berlin. Aftermath In the fighting at the Battle of the Seelow Heights, the Soviets sustained over 30,000 killed as well as lost 743 tanks and self-propelled guns. German losses numbered around 12,000 killed. Though a heroic stand, the defeat effectively eliminated the last organized German defenses between the Soviets and Berlin. Moving west, Zhukov and Konev encircled the German capital on April 23 and the former began the final battle for the city. Falling on May 2, World War II in Europe ended five days later.