Survey Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey Design - Assignment Example Please send back the filled questionnaire within two weeks of receipt. Thank you in advance. The target population for the study is employees and employers in the Department of Veterans Affairs who agree to participate in the study. The reason for the choice of the population are that the employers and employees are mostly affected by workplace conflicts and the ability of resolving workplace conflicts in an amicable manner is beneficial for the employers and employees for work efficiency and effectiveness The chosen sample will consist of 100 employers and employees in the Department of Veteran Affairs. The sample is divided into two strata consisting of 50 employers and 50 employees to ensure the data is collected within the available time and the conclusions are all encompassing in terms of the views and opinions of the employees and the employers. The benefits of the sample chosen include accessibility and allows for the limited time for the research to be enough for completion of the study in a comprehensive manner1. The sampling process to be used is probability random sampling ensuring the selection of an appropriate sample for the study2. Stratified sampling will be in the division of the sample to two strata consisting of employers and employees. The benefits of using stratified random sampling include equitable distribution of the population under study, ensures equitable representation of the two strata in the sample chosen for use in the study, and accounting for the differences in the groups used for the study. The order of the questions has an effect on the responses through providing context for preceding questions. In a survey, having closed-ended questions before open-ended questions result in mentioning of concepts mentioned in earlier close-ended questions in filling open-ended questions. Open-ended questions have order effects in terms of contrast and assimilation effects in questionnaires where

Valuing Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Valuing Wal-Mart Essay In early February 2010, Sabrina Gupta, an investment advisor with a major brokerage firm, was examining Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart) stock and its valuation. Gupta wondered whether to recommend the stock to any of her new clients or to existing clients who did not currently have Wal-Mart in their portfolios. BACKGROUND OF WAL-MART STORES, INC. Based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and founded by the legendary Sam Walton, Wal-Mart was the world’s largest retailer, operating more than 8,400 stores worldwide, including stores in all 50 states; international stores in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United Kingdom; joint venture agreements in China and a stake in a leading Japanese retail chain. Worldwide, Wal-Mart had 2.1 million employees (known as â€Å"associates†), who served more than 200 million customers each week. During the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010, Wal-Mart’s net sales were more than US$405 billion. Exhibit 1 presents a summary of Wal-Mart’s 2009  and 2010 financial statements. Wal-Mart’s strategy was to provide a broad assortment of quality merchandise and services at â€Å"everyday low prices.† It was best known for its discount stores, which offered merchandise such as apparel, small appliances, housewares, electronics and hardware, but also ran combined discount and grocery stores (Wal-Mart Supercenters), membership-only warehouse stores (SAM’S Club) and smaller grocery stores (Neighborhood Markets). In the general merchandise area, Wal-Mart’s competitors included Sears and Target. In terms of specialty retailers, its competitors included Gap and Limited. Department store competitors included Dillard’s, Macy’s and J.C. Penney. Grocery store competitors included Kroger, Supervalu and Safeway. The major membership-only warehouse competitor was Costco Wholesale. Wal-Mart became a publicly traded firm in 1970 with an initial stock price of $16.50 per share and subsequently, in March 1974, declared its first cash dividend of $0.05 per share (after two two-for-one 1 This case has been written on the basis of published sources only. Consequently, the interpretation and perspectives presented in this case are not necessarily those of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. or any of its employees. Analysts generally believed that Wal-Mart would continue to be successful in consistently increasing profits, resulting in the consensus annual earnings growth forecast of 10.40 per cent for the next five years. As of February 2010, according to Bloomberg L. P., Wal-Mart shares were ranked as â€Å"buys† in the coming six to 12 months by 20 analysts, â€Å"holds† by 7 analysts and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sells† by none of the analysts. These rankings (which amounted to an average of 4.41 on a five-point scale) currently exceeded the average buy/hold/sell mix among Standard Poor (SP) 500 firms (at 3.94) and among the hypermarkets and supercenters subindustry (at 4.23). Analysts’ consensus projected Wal-Mart’s target price was $60.50 per share, relative to a recent closing price of $53.48 per share. Over the 2010 fiscal year, Wal-Mart shareholders had generated a total return (including dividends) of 9.69 per cent, and the consensus stock price forecast ranking (as measured by buys/holds/sells) was above that of the overall market. Wal-Mart’s 52-week high stock price was $55.01 per share and the 52-week low was $46.42 per share. Gupta noticed that Wal-Mart shares had a price-to-trailing earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.40 times (based on the last four quarters of earnings) and an indicated dividend yield (based on the current 2010 quarterly dividend and current stock price) of 2.0 per cent. Exhibit 2 presents a graph of Wal-Mart’s stock price for 10 years, and Exhibit 3 provides historical dividend data. In determining whether Wal-Mart was fairly valued, Gupta decided to focus on valuation concepts she had been introduced to in her university business courses and in one of her firm’s training courses: the dividend discount model, the capital asset pricing model (C APM) and price/earnings multiples. DIVIDEND DISCOUNT MODELS Dividends in Perpetuity According to the dividend discount model (DDM), the current stock price of Wal-Mart represents the present value of all expected future dividends, discounted at an investor’s required (or expected) rate of return. Under this approach, a share is valued by forecasting dividends in perpetuity, which is not an easy task. To simplify the daunting task of estimating all future dividends, a growth trend of the dividends can be used in a much simpler version of the model, which is known as the constant growth dividend discount model. According to the constant growth DDM, the current value of a firm’s stock price (P0) is equal to next year’s (expected) dividend (D1) divided by an investor’s  required rate of return (Ke) minus the expected perpetual dividend growth rate (g). P0 = D1/ (Ke – g) Alternatively, by rearranging the model, the required return can be decomposed into two parts: the expected dividend yield (i.e., the dividends anticipated over the next four quarters divided by the current stock price) plus the expected future growth in dividends. Ke = D1/P0 + g In other words, the required return can be thought of as both a dividend portion and a growth portion that are reflected in future capital gains. Authorized for use only by robert lamour in Finanical Analysis at California State University East Bay from Jun 01, 2014 to Aug 29, 2014. Use outside these parameters is a copyright violation. stock splits). It had undergone 11 two-for-one stock splits, and thus, an original lot of 100 Wal-Mart shares had grown to 204,800 shares after the most recent split in April 1999. 9B11N004 Anticipated dividend growth (g) is often estimated in a variety of ways. First, observed historical dividend growth can be assumed to continue in a perpetual fashion. Second, future dividend growth can be estimated on the basis of recent estimates of analysts. Gupta noted that the consensus annual Wal-Mart dividend for fiscal year 2011 was $1.21, and one respected analyst had estimated the expected constant dividend growth (in perpetuity) at approximately 5.0 per cent. When a firm achieves its steady state (i.e., when the annual return on equity is just equal to its cost of equity capital), the sole determinant of the growth in dividends is the annual dividend payout ratio. If all dividends are paid out, the firm’s assets do not increase and therefore the dividend stream will not grow.

Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Essay -- essays research papers

Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country. Canada and the United States are the largest trade partners in the world. It is the result of the geographical position of two countries and the free trade between two countries. It should be a great thing for the economies of both countries, but since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, American businesses almost took over the Canadian economy. When the American companies started to make more business in Canada, it brought more jobs and money to the country in the short-term. But as a long-term effect Canadians became even more depended on the U.S. as the American companies started dominating Canadian companies in Canada. Also, today Canadian manufacturers have little protection from the government when ch... ...m industry, which is the largest in the world. From the movies and shows people see the life style, American life style. They are becoming more Americanized every time when they watch a film where American marines one again save the world. A huge part of American movie industry is based on propaganda movies. And this is not all, bois in the information programs such as CNN and ABC sometimes can be completely misinformed. Finally, if the comparison were ever made a survey, it would really show the full scale of Americanization in Canada. But until now we can only see from the daily life, how American culture is inviting Canada. Today more then ever, Canadians are in real danger of loosing their national identity. It is unfortunate that if the study of this cultural influence will be done few years later, it might be too late to save Canadian culture and identity. Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Essay -- essays research papers Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country. Canada and the United States are the largest trade partners in the world. It is the result of the geographical position of two countries and the free trade between two countries. It should be a great thing for the economies of both countries, but since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, American businesses almost took over the Canadian economy. When the American companies started to make more business in Canada, it brought more jobs and money to the country in the short-term. But as a long-term effect Canadians became even more depended on the U.S. as the American companies started dominating Canadian companies in Canada. Also, today Canadian manufacturers have little protection from the government when ch... ...m industry, which is the largest in the world. From the movies and shows people see the life style, American life style. They are becoming more Americanized every time when they watch a film where American marines one again save the world. A huge part of American movie industry is based on propaganda movies. And this is not all, bois in the information programs such as CNN and ABC sometimes can be completely misinformed. Finally, if the comparison were ever made a survey, it would really show the full scale of Americanization in Canada. But until now we can only see from the daily life, how American culture is inviting Canada. Today more then ever, Canadians are in real danger of loosing their national identity. It is unfortunate that if the study of this cultural influence will be done few years later, it might be too late to save Canadian culture and identity.

Engage in personal development in health Essay

1.1 My Duties and responsibilities as a senior support worker include: following policies and procedures, attending regular meetings in order to progress and in the interest of the service users within the Gofal services, personal care, recording temperatures, administering medication, promoting independence for service users and ensuring a healthy lifestyle, ensuring all domestic duties are complete, delegating tasks, key working tasks, mentoring new members of staff and competing all paperwork daily. 1.2 As a senior support worker I always expect and ensure my work is completed to a very high standard, ensuring all current legislation is complied with via C.S.S.I.W and care standards. I should always be accountable by making sure I can answer for my actions. Promote and uphold the privacy, dignity, rights, health and wellbeing of people who use health and care services and their carers at all times. Work in collaboration with my colleagues to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate healthcare, care and support. Communicate in an open, and effective way to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of people who use health and care services and their carers. Respect a person’s right to confidentiality. Strive to improve the quality of healthcare, care and support through continuing professional development. Uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion. As a Support Worker, I make a valuable and important contribution to the delivery of high quality healthcare, care and support. Following the guidance set out in this Code of Conduct will give me the reassurance that you are providing safe and compassionate care of a high standard, and the confidence to challenge others who are not. This Code will also tell the public and people who use health and care services exactly what they should expect from me as a support worker. 2.1. The importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided is vital as it identifies weaknesses that can then be turned into strengths that will enable staff members to put action plans and guidelines into place to avoid any errors that may occur. This  also enables us to make sure that high standards are met without any errors. Even our service users or us as staff may change and things such as personal care, support or medication may also need to be re-evaluated. It is especially of importance to staff that may have been in the industry for some time as new staff members may be able to visualise things that you may have become too rigid or set about. 2.3. Own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice due to relationship breakdowns or personal problems at home this may have a significant affect on peoples general day to day mood and personality. This without a doubt will have a detrimental affect on the service users we are supporting. This is why you need to keep your personal life and working life separate. Working for a Muslim orientated company we have to respect the Wishes of our services so therefore Halal meat plays a major role within our services. Our meat must be Halal and no pork is to be consumed on the premises. Our service users are able to eat what they want outside of Gofal and whilst out on day services. Working a 24/7 rota can sometimes have an impact on those who have religious beliefs for example. Muslims attend mosque on a Friday where as Christians attend church on a Sunday and it is not always possible to accommodate everyone’s needs as the service users come first and the staff ratio always needs to correct in order to support to a high standard. 4.1. At Gofal we have regular supervision and team meetings where we can discuss anything of importance to us as support workers. If we are having any problems with staff members or service users then this gets discussed. As a result further training may be offered or different technique methods may be offered as well as reading the files again to go over any details that may have been missed or to refresh if you haven’t worked with a certain service user for a long time. In regards to progression I always aim to complete relevant courses and complete qualifications in order to further my career. If I complete my work to a high standard then at Gofal you will get recognised for your achievement and possibly work towards a higher grade. 5.1. Learning activities have affected practice as it builds confidence and experience in knowing what you are dealing with it may be in the form of an observation. Initially when I started Gofal I completed two shadowing shifts and this allowed me to observe different staff members approaches and how it may differentiate between maybe a male member of staff and a female member of staff. Depending on the service user we are supporting it may be a case of someone with a religious belief that may work well and build an excellent rapport with the service user. For example we have a female Muslim member of staff who works excellent with a Muslim service user where as he may not work as well with myself. Appraisals and supervisions play a major role as they reflect on areas of improvement as you may have concerns regarding your support or the support that you are giving the service users. For example the ratio of females/males, age, religious beliefs, drivers and medication trained.

In the Lake of the Woods Essay Essay

â€Å"In the Lake of the Woods† is a non-linear novel by Tim O’ Brien that consists of the themes trauma and insecurity. The protagonist of the text, John Wade is driven into insanity due to his fear of losing the love of his life, Kathy. Throughout the novel, john Wade’s secrets are exposed to the world, this being the reason that ended his career as a politician, which was the final push towards his madness. Wade was not only affected by his shattering moment in his career, but his childhood and experiences of war in Vietnam left him traumatized and feeling unworthy of love. John begins to crave love at an early stage I his life, after he meets Kathy he develops an obsession for her and becomes dependent on her love. He faces many issues with Kathy, trust being the main one; this could potentially be the reason for John’s breakdown of sanity. Although Kathy played a large role in his life and downfall, there was a whole other range of factors that took p art in his fall to insanity. John Wade started off his career with a goal in mind, to become something important in the political world. As he progressed through his career, he became aware of the fact that his past could ruin what he was currently building. Wade, as a child learnt to deal with his problems by bottling them up and pretending nothing had happened â€Å"this could not have happened. Therefore it did not† John believes that if he lies to himself, and continuously blocks out memories of his dirty past, he would be safe from the secrets. His method did not serve to his likings, as his secrets were exposed to the world despite John’s lies to himself. The secrets of his partaking in the massacre of â€Å"Thuan Yen† were exposed during his election, which proved to be a â€Å"career ender†. John used his career as a politician to gain the love and affection he so deeply desired. Growing up, he didn’t receive the love he craved, â€Å"you show me a politician and Iâ₠¬â„¢ll show you an unhappy childhood.† John losing the election was essentially the loss of his source of love and his sense of power and control. This potentially drove John into insanity. As a child, John Wade suffered. He loved his father but didn’t receive any affection in return. His father continuously teased john, referring to him as â€Å"jiggling john†. This makes John feel that if his own father could not love him, then he was unworthy of love itself. At the young age of fourteen, John’s father committed suicide. This traumatized john and led to his â€Å"desire to kill† the night of his fathers funeral. He wanted â€Å"to kill his father for dying† John was clearly angered by his father’s death, but instead of venting his anger in a healthy way, he pretended it didn’t happen, â€Å"It was pretending, but the pretending helped†. As John grew older he enrolled with the army to fight in the Vietnam War. He was registered with a group called â€Å"Charlie company† Unfortunately, John was involved in the massacre of â€Å"thuan yen†, where he witnessed murder, torture and had a first hand experience in taking two lives, one being his mate PFC weatherby. This came back to John as nightmares and flashbacks. He tried to forget and pretend it didn’t happen but it all came back to him during his slumbers, the memories and guilt wil l always be with john, in some way. The failed politician met Kathy in â€Å"the autumn of 1966† at the university of Minnesota. John’s obsession is evident from the very moment he meets Kathy. He is in love with her, and the â€Å"trick† is to â€Å"make her love him and never stop†. John treats life as a magic show, growing up, magic was his only friend, it gave him a sense of power, happiness and was the only thing going right in his life, as an adult John continues to use tricks to solve all of his problems. John, in a sense, manipulates Kathy and develops a fixation on her and doesn’t stop at anything to find out everything about her life. His urgency comes from fear; he doesn’t want to lose her. After his father committed suicide and in a way, abandoned John, he feels that at any moment Kathy can just get up and leave. Kathy had a tendency to â€Å"simply vanish†. She is â€Å"fiercely independent† which intimidated john because he felt that Kathy was too go od for him. John genuinely loves Kathy, but the way he represents their love is alarming; he compared their love to a pair of snakes he’s seen along a trail near Pinkville, â€Å"each snake eating the other’s tail, a bizarre circle of appetites that brought the heads closer and closer† â€Å"That’s how our love feels†. This image, along with his desire â€Å"crawl inside her belly indicates a love that is both obsessive and destructive. His need to control and ‘consume’ Kathy dictates how his obsession for his wife leads to the loss of his sanity. Although John’s fear of losing Kathy is a main part of his downfall, there is a whole range of factors that lead to his mental breakdown. His fear of losing his wife all trails back to his childhood, where his first traumatizing experience takes place. When the fourteen year Old’s father died, he was not hurt in a ‘normal’ way, It seems almost as if john missed the concept of having a father figure rather then his actual father. This becomes clearer when john remembers an idolized and great version of his father unlike the real one, who was â€Å"continuously teasing† John and suffered from alcoholism. John begins his life of pretence from this moment on thinking the pretending â€Å"would help†. As Wade develops into an adult, his ways never seem to change. During his time served in the Vietnam War, John is better known as â€Å"sorcerer† because of his magic tricks and deceit to the rest of his fellow soldiers. John, having started ma gic from a young age, continues to use it in his adulthood, providing him with a sense of control and power and during the time was fulfilling his craving for love. John takes part in a horrific act of massacring in â€Å"Thuan yen† where he kills two human lives, and watches his fellow soldiers in â€Å"Charlie company† murder numerous people. This comes back to traumatize and haunt John, as Post traumatic stress disorder tends to do, it came back as flashbacks and nightmares. His infatuation with Kathy was a major part in John’s demise; however, the various other components in the novel prove to have had an effect on his sanity.

Free Essays on Jane Eyre And Love

towards the woman that eventually makes her leave and Jane is left feeling triumphant. However, during this diatribe Jane lets her aunt know she truly feels: â€Å"You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity†(Brontà «, 3... Free Essays on Jane Eyre And Love Free Essays on Jane Eyre And Love Quest for Love If others don’t love me, I would rather die than live- I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Look here; to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest,- (Brontà «,58-59) These powerful words come from the lips of ten year-old Jane Eyre. Throughout the novel Jane is searching for love: the need to be loved and love she can show to someone else, of the opposite sex, whom she truly loves. There is a problem lying in this simple plan though: Jane keeps running from her possible chances of marriage. This resistance that Jane displays towards marriage is foreshadowed about a third of the way through the novel by a simple game of charades. The answers to two charades in particular are of certain interest: bride and bridewell. These two unsuspecting answers give the reader a subtle warning of what is to come in the future and how Jane’s life will keep unfolding. Jane’s search for love is obvious to the reader from the first page of the novel. We are first introduced to Jane while she is a little girl living with her aunt, Mrs. Reed., at Gateshead Hall. While at Gateshead Jane is subjected to many things by her so called family and love is definitely not one of them. She is beaten, isolated from the rest of the household, and in a very memorable scene locked in a room for a night. Jane’s anger is finally released upon her aunt one night before Jane is sent to school. Jane unleashes a slew of words towards the woman that eventually makes her leave and Jane is left feeling triumphant. However, during this diatribe Jane lets her aunt know she truly feels: â€Å"You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity†(Brontà «, 3...

Find the Job Executive Assistant

Find the Job Executive Assistant The most perfect resume and cover letter in the world wont get you anywhere unless youve found the right job to send them to! The referral experts at CareerStep.com have some suggestions to turn your job search from isolated and unproductive to successful and efficient.Pounding the PavementFirst, a classic- walking your resume and cover letter into the office of a company youre interested in. Its not for every organization; do your research first and make sure they dont have an online application process you should submit through instead. Once youve identified companies that are likely to be receptive (look for smaller organizations that have an on-site hiring manager or HR department) dress professionally, print your materials on high-quality paper, and introduce yourself politely to the receptionist. Even if theyre not hiring at the moment, they may remember you favorably when they next have an opening.Newspapers/ClassifiedsThis one sounds retro too, but you can find some real gems buried in the wanted section of your local paper or papers from nearby towns and cities, if you happen to swing through and find the commute appealing.Online Job Search SitesThis is the most obvious and popular optionand if you dont have access to a computer regularly, there are likely libraries or even public employment offices near you that provide assistance. MediaBistro.com, Indeed.com, Monster.com, and even Craigslist.org (especially if youre looking for less formal or part-time work) all give you the option to create a profile and submit applications for job openings that are updated every single day.If you have a degree already, consider reaching out to your schools career officethey will likely have advisors able to consult on your resume, suggest places to submit, and provide recommendations and other resources for your search.Good luck!Finding Executive Assistant Positions!Read More at www.careerstep.com