UCF Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

The University of Central Florida is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 43%. UCF has the largest enrollment of any Florida college and is one of the nations largest public universities. University of Central Florida offers over 220 degree programs with top majors including engineering, computer science, psychology, and biology. The UCF Knights compete in the NCAA Division I American Athletic Conference. Considering applying to UCF? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, University of Central Florida had an acceptance rate of 43%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 43 students were admitted, making UCFs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 41,816 Percent Admitted 43% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 40% SAT Scores and Requirements UCF requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 69.5% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 590 670 Math 570 670 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of UCFs admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to University of Central Florida scored between 590 and 670, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 670. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 570 and 670, while 25% scored below 570 and 25% scored above 670. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1340 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at UCF. Requirements UCF does not require the SAT writing section. Note that the University of Central Florida participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. At UCF, SAT Subject tests are not required. ACT Scores and Requirements University of Central Florida requires all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 30.5% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 24 30 Math 22 27 Composite 25 29 This admissions data tells us that most of UCFs admitted students fall within the top 22% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to University of Central Florida received a composite ACT score between 25 and 29, while 25% scored above 29 and 25% scored below 25. Requirements UCF does not require the ACT writing section. Note that UCF does not superscore ACT results, your highest composite ACT score will be considered. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA for incoming UCF freshman was 4.01. These results suggest that most successful applicants to the University of Central Florida have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph University of Central Florida Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of Central Florida. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances The University of Central Florida, which accepts fewer than half of applicants, has become increasingly selective. Most accepted students have above average test scores and grades. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most successful applicants had B or higher averages, SAT scores of 1100 or above, and ACT composite scores of 22 or higher. The difference between a rejection and an acceptance might be the result of your high school preparation or the specific requirements of your planned program of study. UCF gives extra weight to AP, IB, AICE, and Dual Enrollment courses as well as other advanced college preparatory classes. If your grades and test scores are borderline for UCF, it is worth submitting the optional application essay. Whether you use the  Common Application  or the University of Central Florida application, make sure you put time and care into your essay so that it strengthens your overall application. All admissions data had been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of Central Florida Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 7 Free Essays

I turned and saw Roman sitting over in a corner of the small lobby. He looked striking in a deep green turtleneck, his dark hair brushed away from his face. He smiled at me when I caught his eye, and I walked over to sit near him. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Jesus, you really are a stalker.† â€Å"Well, well. Aren’t you presumptuous. I only came for my coat.† â€Å"Ah.† I blushed, feeling foolish. â€Å"How long have you been waiting?† â€Å"Not too long. I actually tried the bookstore first, thinking that might be a little less stalker- ish.† â€Å"It’s my day off.† I looked down at the riotously colored blossoms in my arms. â€Å"Thanks for the flowers. You didn’t need to bring them to get your coat back.† Roman shrugged, those blue-green eyes wreaking havoc with me. â€Å"True, but I figured they might induce you to go out for a drink tonight.† So he did have another motive. â€Å"Not this again – â€Å" â€Å"Hey, if you’d wanted to avoid ‘this,’ you shouldn’t have lured me in last night. Now it’s too late. You might as well avoid the long, drawn-out pain and get it over with quickly. Sort of like taking off a Band-Aid. Or cutting off a limb.† â€Å"Wow. Who says there’s no romance left in the world?† In spite of my sarcasm, I found Roman’s easy repartee a refreshing change from the halting atmosphere with Seth. â€Å"So, what? Does that mean you finally concede, general? Truly, you’ve fought a worthy battle in eluding me thus far.† â€Å"I don’t know. You showed up at my home. I apparently didn’t do that much eluding.† When he only waited expectantly, my smile faded. I sighed, studying him and trying to figure out his motivations. â€Å"Roman, you seem like a nice guy and everything – â€Å" He groaned. â€Å"No. Don’t start that with me. It’s never a good sign when a woman says ‘you’re a nice guy’ It means she’s getting ready to let you down easy.† I shook my head. â€Å"I’m just not interested in getting serious with anyone right now, that’s all.† â€Å"Whoa, ‘get serious’? Slow down there, sister. I’m not asking you to marry me or anything. I just want to go out with you sometime, maybe catch a movie, have dinner and drinks, that’s it. Kiss at the end of the night if I’m lucky. Hell, if that still freaks you out, we’ll just shake hands.† I leaned my head back against the wall, and we stayed like that a moment, each of us sizing up the other. I knew it was perfectly possible for men and women to go out on dates without automatic sex, but my dates generally didn’t work that way. My instincts drove me to seek sex out, and looking at him, I realized that urge might be strong independent of any sort of succubus need to feed. I liked the way he looked, the way he dressed, and the way he smelled. I especially liked his goofy attempt at courtship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t turn off the destructive succubus absorption, even if I wanted to. It would happen of its own volition, probably strongly with him. Even the kiss he joked about would still steal some of his life away. â€Å"I don’t know anything about you,† I said finally, realizing I’d been quiet too long. He smiled lazily. â€Å"What do you want to know?† â€Å"Well†¦ I don’t know. What do you like to do? Do you even have a job? You must have lax hours to be able to hang around me all the time.† â€Å"All the time, huh? You’re being presumptuous again, but yes, I do work. I teach a couple of community college linguistics classes. Short of when I’m there, I get to make my own hours with grading and stuff.† â€Å"Okay. What’s your last name?† â€Å"Smith.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Way.† â€Å"That hardly goes with Duke Roman.† I tried to think of another appropriate screening item. â€Å"How long have you lived in Seattle?† â€Å"A few years.† â€Å"Hobbies?† â€Å"I’ve got some.† He paused and cocked his head toward me when no more questions came. â€Å"Anything else you want to know? Should I dig out my college transcripts perhaps? A full curriculum vitae and background check?† I waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"I have no use for inconsequential information like that. I only need to know the really important stuff.† â€Å"Like?† â€Å"Like†¦ what’s your favorite song?† The question obviously caught him by surprise, but he recovered immediately, just as he had last night. I loved that. â€Å"The last half of the Beatles’ Abbey Road.’ â€Å"The last half of Abbey Road?† â€Å"Yeah, there are a bunch of songs, but they sort of blend into one song – â€Å" I cut him off with a quick gesture. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the album.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, that’s a pretty good answer.† I tugged at my ponytail, wondering how best to navigate this. He nearly had me. â€Å"I – no. I’m sorry. I can’t. It’s just too complicated. Even the one date. It’ll turn into a second date, then another, then – â€Å" â€Å"You really do jump ahead. What if I gave the super-secret Boy Scout promise to never bother you again after one date?† â€Å"You’d agree to that?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Sure, if that’s what you want. But I don’t think you will once you’ve spent an evening with me.† A suggestive tone in his voice did something to my stomach I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Before I could fully process this, my cell phone rang. â€Å"Sorry,† I apologized, digging it out of my purse. Glancing at the Caller ID display, I recognized Cody’s number. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Hey, Georgina. Something weird happened tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord. That could mean anything from another death to Peter shaving his head. â€Å"Hang on a second.† I stood up and looked at Roman, juggling the vase of flowers as I did. He rose with me, looking concerned. â€Å"Is everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I mean, no. I mean, I don’t know. Look Roman, I need to go upstairs and take this call. I appreciate the flowers, but I just can’t get involved right now. I’m sorry. It’s not you, it’s me. Honestly.† He took a few steps toward me as I started to walk away. â€Å"Wait.† He dug in his pockets, pulled out a pen and piece of paper. Hastily he scrawled something and handed it to me. I looked down and saw a phone number. â€Å"For when you change your mind.† â€Å"I won’t.† He simply smiled, inclined his head slightly, and left the lobby. I watched him only a moment before heading upstairs, anxious to hear Cody’s news. Once inside, I set the flowers on my counter and put the phone back to my ear. â€Å"Still there?† â€Å"Yeah. Who’s Roman and why’d you use the old ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line on him?† â€Å"Never mind. What’s going on? Is someone else dead?† â€Å"No†¦ no. It’s just, something happened, and Peter doesn’t think it’s a big deal. Hugh said you thought there might be more going on than we think.† â€Å"Tell me what happened.† â€Å"I think we were followed last night.† Cody related how, not long after leaving my place, he’d kept hearing footsteps following him and Peter on the street. Whenever he’d turned around, no one was there. Peter had written the matter off, as they had sensed no other being present. â€Å"Maybe you don’t know what a vampire hunter feels like.† â€Å"I’d still have felt something. And Peter certainly would have. Maybe he’s right, and I was imagining things. Or maybe it was just a regular mortal, wanting to mug us or something.† I doubted that. We couldn’t sense mortals the same way we could sense immortals, but one would be hard-pressed to sneak up on a vampire. â€Å"Thanks for telling me. You did the right thing.† â€Å"What should I do now?† A strange, anxious feeling played through me as I thought about some freak stalking Peter and Cody. Dysfunctional they might have been, but I loved them. They were the closest I had to family anymore. I couldn’t let anything happen to them. â€Å"What Jerome said. Be careful. Stay with others. Let me know immediately if anything happens.† â€Å"What about you?† I thought of Erik. â€Å"I’m going to clear things up, once and for all.† How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 7, Essay examples

Political Determinants Affecting the HK Insurance Market free essay sample

Introduction This part of the paper will analyse the external environment of HK insurance market through the use of PESTEL and Five Forces Analysis. PESTEL Analysis It can be noted that the HK Insurance market has always been dependent on international business climate as well as its product cycles. Consequently, the HK Insurance market has been deliberated as one of the growing industries throughout the years. The following figure shows the analysis of the political, economical, socio-cultural and technological, legal and environmental attributes and determinants affecting HK Insurance market. Figure 1 PESTLE Analysis Political| Economical| Socio-Cultural| * Taxation Policy of Hong Kong * Foreign trade Regulations * Political status and condition of Hong Kong and the global market| * Product life cycles * Business Cycles * Rate of unempoyment * Disposable income| * Lifestyle of the target market * Income distribution * Cultural diversity| Technological| Legal| Environmental| * Rapid transition in technology * Speed of technological transfer| * Laws and regulations about that covers apparel industries * Following regulations in the foreign trade| * Awareness of environmental protection * Existence of Green Products| One of the political determinants that affect HK Insurance market is the diverse taxations which surrounds Hong Kong market which lead to re-imports. In this regard, the vehicles are being bought overseas, re-imported to the locale market which influence the price of the product. In the period of economical issues, clients do not substitute their financial and insurance products and services offerings. On one hand, there are some insurance firms which are common in the market environment which expresses a new way of providing their services to their clients. In line with technological determinants, HK Insurance market nowadays is being quiker in line with the business standards as well as considers information system for data records management. In addition, so as to cope with the environmental determinants, further consolidation of the HK Insurance market is expected and consideration of insurance products must be given emphasis. Aside from PESTLE analysis, the HK Insurance market will also be analysed through the consideration of Porter’s five Forces model. 1. Suppliers. In the case of the insuranceindustry, speficifically in the current objectives and plans of HK Insurance market, decision-makers of the corporation must have a clear comprehenson of the business dynamics in which employees are directly involved in. Such consider the employees’ concentration or and core corporate interests, diversity of the products as well as the designs being offered as well as the alternative resources that are accessible for the HK Insurance market in terms of business partnerships. Hence, it is most proper to build win–win relationships with employees or have an agreement on the use of multiple employees in array to protect the interests of both ends. 2. Power of BuyersThe power of clients/buyer s describes the implicate clients/buyer s/buyer ss have on an industry. When buyer power is robust, the relationship to the producing industry becomes closer tomarket conditions wherein the buyer has the most influence in shaping the price. In this regard, the insurance company should be able to provide the need of their clients specifically in lique with information system. 3. New Entrants and Barriers of Entry. The plausibility of new corporations entering the industry influences the pace of the industrial competition. Therefore, the key is to analyse the entry technique as well as exit approach of the new player to the HK Insurance market. Although any corporation must be able to enter and exit the sector, each industry presents diverse degrees of complexity influenced by economics. In terms of insurance market. 4. Substitutes. â€Å"Substitute products† as those that is accessible in other industries that meet an identical or similar demand for the end user. As more substitutes become obtainable as well as price affordable, the demand becomes more elastic since clients/buyer s/buyer ss have more optonss. The threat of substitutes often implicates price-based competition since substitute products may restrict the capability of corporations within an industry to raise prices and improve margins. 5. Industry Competitors. A considerable number of corporations have developed into an essential part of the period of global competition, increasing enhancement, enhanced corporate paradigms, and corporate restructure. The continuous transition from the conventional corporate framework with its hierarchical corporations to a worldwide, knowledge-founded financial system as well as intelligent corporations demands business management to realign and relocate its techniques (Oliver, 1997). Along with the intense marketing nowadays, corporations are faced with the challenge to sustain their own competitive edge so as to survive and be successful. Techniques and marketing tactics are carefully planned and executed to gain the ultimate goal of all: corporation growth (Porter, 1990). Among the HK Insurance market player the management of each company should be able to sustain their competencies. Reference Oliver, C 1997, Sustainable competitive advantage: Combining institutional and resource-Based views.   Strategic Management Journal18(9): 697-713. Porter, ME, 1980,  Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Free Press, New York.

A Complete Guide on How to Write an Autobiographical Essay

One of the most common types of essays that students have to write is an autobiographical essay. Some students dont find this task that difficult while others struggle with the basic requirements that need to be followed in the writing process. Many students get confused asking the same question: â€Å"How to write an autobiographical essay about myself for a scholarship?† To help you with that, we have compiled several guides that will lead you through every step of the work and will provide you with useful tips. After reading this article, you will know what types of an autobiography essay are and how to complete each of them in properly.    By the way, have you seen our guide for writing a scholarship essay? Open it in the new to tab, so that you wont forget to read it. What Is an Autobiographical Essay? Every assignment that your teacher gives you has its purpose. In the case of an autobiographical essay assignment, it is meant to teach you: How to describe events, characters, and atmosphere How to put your emotions into your writing How to be more genuine in your writing When you are writing an autobiographical essay, you dont need to make up a story, analyze literature or historical facts or compile statistics. This is the assignment which can really show your writing skills, as you need to describe one of the stories that happened in your own life. The choice of the story, as well as the emotions that were put into writing, can tell a lot about your personality. If you struggle with writing this or any other type of essay, you can also check out our useful tips on how to improve your writing skills. How to Pick the Topic There are two types of autobiographical essays which high school students have to perform. The first one implies describing a single story from your life or a significant event. The second one requires writing a brief description of your life from your birth. If you need to choose only one story to describe in your essay — pick the one that: You have a vivid memory of You have a lot to say about Brings a lot of emotions while thinking about it Examples: Your accomplishments – winning the competition, getting exceptional feedback on your achievements, creating the best piece of something (so far), meeting certain goals in studying, sports or hobby, etc. Entertaining or unusual stories of your life – a funny or an interesting situation that has imprinted in your memory. Some meaningful and significant event that happened for the first time in your life – meeting your soulmate, riding a bicycle or getting a pet. You can make up some minor details to make your autobiographical essay sound more exciting, but the topic itself should genuinely and honestly describe some true story from your life. How to Write an Outline Every essay requires an outline. Before actually writing your essay, write down the main points of the story that you are about to tell and significant details that should be included. Organize your ideas in the order in which you want to evolve them and start building your essay around this basis. If you are writing a complete autobiography, its necessary to use chronological order. But if you write about a particular event, you are not obligated to do this. How to Write an Introduction for an Autobiographical Essay Start an autobiography with a catchy sentence. The way you begin your story always defines the following content, so you need to get the readers attention and make your introduction interesting and exciting. The first sentence of an autobiography might be: An anecdote A quote An intriguing question A short introductory sentence You can also start from the end of the story and tell your readers about its finale first and then about previous events. For example: â€Å"It was the day when I met my best friend and my soulmate.† Dont make your introduction part too long. The best option would be to jump in the actual story as soon as possible. This way you can keep your reader interested in the plot of the story. A tip: Dont forget that you should use a first-person narrative mode for an autobiographical essay. Use prepositions â€Å"I,† â€Å"me,† â€Å"my† when telling your story. How to Write Your Story in a Compelling Way If you struggle with the style of your essay and the number of details that you need to include, dont worry, we can help you. Dont be afraid of using  vivid details as they help to make your story more interesting for the reader. Use the description of the setting and environment to help your readers imagine the situation better. Use the description of characters or yourself in the story. For example, the description of clothes, hair, mood, etc. Add a little humor to the text. Describe your emotions when talking about some significant events. For example, â€Å"When my father walked into the room holding a golden retriever puppy in his hands, I burst into tears of happiness.† When writing an autobiography, its essential to define the key moments or individuals who had a significant role in your life. You need to make it clear why you choose to describe particular events – write about what youve learned from this experience or how your life has changed after that. If you are going to write an autobiographical essay that covers the story of your life from birth to the current moment, speak about the most significant event or stages of your development. In this case, your essay shouldnt be as detailed, but the chronological order and the reasons for mentioning particular events should be clear for the audience. Do you find it challenging to focus on finishing your essay? We have a few pieces of advice for students who want to procrastinate less. How to Write a Conclusion to Your Autobiographical Essay When you need to finish your essay, its important to give a good impression as a conclusion is the most memorable part. Finish your story with the conclusion you made out of the story. For example, you can end your story about getting your first pet with: â€Å"This puppy grew up fast and became my defender and companion, following me everywhere I go. Ive never thought that I could get such a loving and devoted friend.† After finishing your essay, proofread it and make your edits. No matter what type of paper you need to complete, each one has to be thoroughly checked for grammatical and punctuation errors, as well as for plagiarism. So dont forget to perform these steps or ask a  professional writing service to do that for you.

Appraising Investment Decisions and Affects of Non Financial Factors The WritePass Journal

Appraising Investment Decisions and Affects of Non Financial Factors 1. BACKGROUND Appraising Investment Decisions and Affects of Non Financial Factors 1. BACKGROUND2. LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Investment2.2 Investment Decision2.3 Investment Appraisal2.4 General or Conventional Appraisal Techniques2.4.1 Payback period2.4.2 Return on Investment2.4.3 Discounted Cash Flow Methods2.4.3.1 Net Present Value (NPV)2.4.3.2 Internal Rate of Return (IRR)2.5 Limitation of Conventional Techniques2.6 Strategic Investment3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3.1 Research Objective3.2 Research Questions3.3 Research Philosophy3.4 Research Approach3.5 Research Design3.6 Research Strategy3.7 Data Collection Techniques3.8 Qualitative Research4. TIME PLAN4. CONCLUSION5. REFERENCESRelated 1. BACKGROUND The search for reliable techniques for project appraisal is an aged activity. Still it is of prime importance because the survival of a corporation is predominantly determined by its ability to revitalize itself through the allocation of capital to productive use (Arnold and Hatzopoulos, 2000). Inadequate use of decision tools expand the possibility of less return then the cost of capital, resulting in destruction of firm’s value (Copeland et al., 2000). A successful investment can make profits, increases market share and adds value to the firm, but on the contrary, if it is unsuccessful the firm will experience a loss. An incorrect investment decision may even lead to closure of a firm or bankruptcy. Therefore, the decision to invest or not is very crucial to any firm as it determines its future, and at the same time, this decision signifies the importance of investment evaluation techniques accordingly. Due to importance of such decision and extensive research, there is no shortage of tools and techniques to analyze an investment. Numbers of tools are available to find out the extent of profitability of an investment to help managers in making this vital decision (Akalu, 2001).   The most popular techniques are the net present value, internal rate of return, return on investment, benefit/cost ratio method and payback period (Remer and Nieto 1995). Scholars and some other sources tend to emphasize discounted cash flow methods, especially NPV approach, as superior to other methods (Tatsiopoulos and Tolis, 2002; Kaplan and Atkinson, 1998; Zimmerman, 1997). However, these conventional appraisal techniques (especially DCF methods) sometimes misinform when they are improperly used, estimation of cash flows are inaccurate, rough identification of discount rate or when vital non-quantifiable aspects of projects are omitted (Kaplan, 1986; Dugdale and Jones, 1995). In literature almost all of the proposed techniques are not free from criticism. The most common and major argument made by scholars is that conventional methods of appraising investment does not give adequate information due to risk and uncertainties; and they are not even appropriate to analyze strategic investments (Bierman, 1980; Brealey et al, 1992; Cox et al, 1985). Risk can be reduced if identified and uncertainties may even be dealt with research, but it’s almost impossible to eliminate these factors from investment. To deal with these factors scholars have proposed some additional methods like sensitivity analysis, simulation analysis, scenario analysis, probability analysis and portfolio theory (Pike and Neale, 2006). Though, in regard to strategic investments, conventional appraisal techniques fall short because they don’t capture intangible or non financial project attributes (Busby and Pitts, 1997; Dempsey, 2003). Butler et al. (1991, p. 402) noted: â€Å"In making decisions on strategic investments, quantifiable financial performance factors (whether measured by discounted cash flow techniques, payback period, or impact on sale and profits) were viewed as of secondary importance by most respondents. Product quality, fit with business strategy and improving the competitive position of the firm were the most important factors considered by all informants.† Some special methods for appraising strategic decision are also established and described by scholars. Among these, the balance scorecard, real option analysis, value chain analysis, benchmarking and technology roadmapping are of vital importance (Kaplan and Norton, 2001; Hoque, 2001; McCarthy, 2003; MacDougall and Pike, 2003). However, continuous usage of conventional appraisal methods, despite their recognized limitation, leaves us in a vague situation and inclines us to explore more. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Investment Investment is employment of funds or capital with the aim of making future benefit. In literature and corporate world this activity is also referred as capital investment. G.H Lawson and Richard Pike (1981) describe it as: â€Å"Capital investment usually refers to the commitment of funds to fixed capital expenditure in the anticipation of returns that compensate for the risk of the investment and the delay in the enjoyment of funds, i.e. consumption.† 2.2 Investment Decision It is the process where managers or investors decides whether or not, when and how to spend money on the project. The heart of all investment appraisals is to calculate the value of spending money, by comparing the benefits with the costs. If this is done incorrectly, it could hammer the investor or firm’s growth (Mott, 1982). 2.3 Investment Appraisal The most important step to start appraising the investment is the identification of cost and benefit associated with it. This step requires immense of experience and expertise as it is an anticipation and mainly this reason has also forced Aggarwal (1993) to argue that â€Å"evaluating capital investment is close to an art and father from a science than is desirable†. Hence it can be said that investment appraisal techniques can never replace managerial judgment, but they can help make judgment more sound (Lumby and Jones, 1999). The major questions to be asked while investment appraisals are highlighted by Campbell (2006), these are: What return on capital employed will the project deliver? How quickly will the project pay for itself? Will the project add value to business? 2.4 General or Conventional Appraisal Techniques 2.4.1 Payback period This non-discounted appraisal techniques seeks to assess how quickly the positive cash flow recovers the initial capital investment. It is calculated by estimating the timely cash flows and at what time the project over comes the investment by the later returns. The project is accepted if it is equal to or less then the predetermined acceptable time or the one with lesser recovery time among available alternatives is accepted (Mott, 1982; Campbell, 2006). 2.4.2 Return on Investment Return on investment or return on capital employed is another non-discounted method for project appraisal. It is a ratio indicator which tells how well the investor or firm is utilizing the capital to generate revenue. The calculation is done by taking profit before tax and divides it by the difference between total asset and current liabilities (Lumby and Jones, 1999). This method has also some disadvantages but is a useful technique as well. 2.4.3 Discounted Cash Flow Methods These methods covers the issue of time value of money, which is, the future money is worth less than money at present. DCF technique converts the future cash flows value into the value of present day. In this manner we can worth the investment at the point when we are actually making it (Brealey et al, 2009). Among the family of discounted cash flow techniques net present value and internal rate of return are vital. 2.4.3.1 Net Present Value (NPV) Net present value is calculated by converting all future cash flows in today’s date and then deducting it from today’s investment. Positive NPV implies that the project is worth to create value and generally the project is accepted when NPV is greater than zero or the one with higher NPV is selected among available alternatives (Campbell, 2006). 2.4.3.2 Internal Rate of Return (IRR) It is that rate at which the net present value is zero. It is complex and difficult to calculate manually, as it is a trial and error method. Generally the project is accepted if the IRR is greater than the hurdle rate, discount rate or in simple terms the opportunity cost (Blank and Tarquin, 1989). 2.5 Limitation of Conventional Techniques Although every technique has its own and unique limitations but here general limitations are mentioned. The non discounted methods are normally criticized due to time value of money and discounted methods are argued due to its complexity. The most common errors found in applying DCF methods are: pre tax calculation of discount rate; anticipation of non-economic statutory in discount rate which may leads to error and incorrect results; interest charges are included in cash flows; cash flows are specified in today’s money (excluding inflation); use of single cut of rate instead of rate reflecting project risk (Pike and Neale, 2006). A major limitation of these techniques, which I have also mentioned earlier, are incapability to include the non financial factors into consideration like risk, uncertainties and factors involved in strategic investments. It has been argued that every single benefits of strategic investment are difficult to quantify and some other approach is required for strategic investment decisions, other than conventional financial techniques ((Butler et al., 1991; Covin et al., 2001). 2.6 Strategic Investment Strategic investment decisions mainly concerns long term investments in asset. Common type of SIDs includes: new product development, new market development, new technology or infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions (Harris et al., 2009). Strategic investments does not only brings economic value to the firm; benefits like increase in product quality, better competitive position, fit with business strategy, increase in customer loyalty can an advantage of strategic investment (Butler et al., 1991). 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Objective The main purpose of this research is to examine the importance of non-financial factors that could affect the investment appraisal process.   The research aims to analyze and study conventional investment appraisal techniques and highlight their limitations. Moreover, the research shall investigate the non-financial factors that are considered important in evaluating strategic investment projects.   Lastly, the study shall investigate whether recently developed analysis tools such as those that aim to integrate strategic and financial analysis, being used to evaluate strategic investment projects. 3.2 Research Questions The research questions that this study shall attempt to answer through the analysis of empirical data are as follows: What are the limitations of conventional investment appraisal techniques? What non-financial factors are considered important in investment evaluation, especially in strategic investment decision? Do organisations use conventional appraisal techniques for evaluation of strategic investment projects or prefer using recently developed strategic analysis tools in order to evaluate? 3.3 Research Philosophy The research philosophy adopted by the researcher is one of ‘subjectivism’.   Morgan and Smirchich (1980) state that subjectivism perceives reality as a â€Å"social construct†.   Saunders et al (2009) state â€Å"the subjectivist view is that social phenomena are created from the perceptions and consequent actions of social actors†. In this case, the social actors are the company’s that shall be studied.   Strategic investment decision making shall be analysed and investigated in this research based upon the actions of views of these ‘social actors’. Saunders et al (2009) state that for a researcher to understand any action he should explore the subjective meanings motivating those actions. This research aims to investigate the reasons behind implementation of modern strategic analysis tools by identifying the weaknesses of conventional strategic analysis methods and understanding how non-financial factors affect investments. Remenyi et al (1998) also emphasise on this issue and discuss the importance of studying the details of a certain situation in order to understand the ‘behind-the-scenes’ reality. 3.4 Research Approach Deductive approach is defined as developing a conceptual framework by studying the theory and testing this through either confirming or rejecting the hypothesis developed based on the theory by studying the empirical data collected (Bryman and Bell, 2007).   An inductive approach, as defined by Bryman and Bell (2007), is one where theory is the outcome of research. According to Saunders et al (2009) in an inductive approach the theory follows from the collected data unlike in a deductive approach where it is the other way around. This research shall collect empirical data on strategic investment appraisal techniques using the methods mentioned below and the researcher will draw a conclusions based on the collected data by studying the inherent patterns   and thus, this study shall adopt an inductive approach. 3.5 Research Design Research design is defined by Collis and Hussey (2003) as planning procedures for conducting research in order to obtain the most adequate results. The purpose of implementing an appropriate research design is to make sure that the data collected for the purpose of the research enables the researchers to answer the research questions proposed. According to Saunders et al (2007) there are seven types of research designs and each can be used for explanatory, descriptive or exploratory research.   Since this research aims to highlight the limitations of conventional investment appraisal techniques and investigate the use of modern techniques, an exploratory research needs to be conducted.   An exploratory research is used when there are no existing models to use as a basis for the study. 3.6 Research Strategy The research strategies as discussed by Saunders et al (2009) are experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory, ethnography, and archival research. The research strategy adopted for the purpose of this study is ‘case study’. Stake (2000) defines case study as an organised and systematic way of producing information on a certain topic. Cooper and Morgan (2008) define case study as â€Å"an in-depth and contextually informed examination of specific organizations or events that explicitly address theory.† Case studies help analyse the experience or activities of a particular event of phenomena. This research aims to investigate the use of recently developed strategic analysis tools and thus shall conduct an in-depth study of an organisation in order to investigate whether the said organisation implements such techniques. The company selected for the purpose of this research is Engro Corp. Engro Corp is one of the largest conglomerates in Pakistan and since I have family working within the organisation at reputable posts I have access to the company and shall be able to obtain the required primary data rather easily. Due to the fact that there is very little data on the use of recently developed strategic analysis tools and the data required for this research is not reported externally, this research shall use primary data collected through a questionnaire.   For this particular topic, only primary data can assist in answering the research questions posed and the objectives stated. 3.7 Data Collection Techniques The research shall primarily use primary data.   Some secondary data will also be used to support the primary data collection. Primary data used for this study shall be collected through a survey. An open-ended questionnaire shall be used to collect the data required for the research.   The questionnaire shall be self-administered and E-mail to the appropriate personnel within the company. The in-depth questionnaire shall explore the use of investment appraisal techniques within the company and if required, the researcher shall also issue a follow up questionnaire in order to collect further data for this research. 3.8 Qualitative Research Cresswell (1994) stated that qualitative research assists in understanding social or human problems by building a complex picture formed using words which report detailed views of informants.   Qualitative research involved the use and collection of a range of empirical data and involved an interpretive approach towards the subject. Hence, in this case qualitative research methods shall be used due to these aforementioned characteristics which are deemed suitable for this research. 4. TIME PLAN 4. CONCLUSION Choosing investment decision for research is due to my interest in the topic. However, it is also a part of my degree program and as per my knowledge there are some gaps which need to be filled. I will try me level best to add valuable input to this area of study. This research will definitely increase my knowledge, skills and will give me a worthy experience. 5. REFERENCES Aggarwal R. (1993). Capital Budgeting Under Uncertainty: New and Advanced Perspectives. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Akalu M (2001). Re-examining project appraisal and control: developing a focus on wealth creation. International Journal of Project Management; 19(7):375–83. Arnold G, Hatzopoulos P. (2000). The theory-practice gap in capital budgeting: evidence from the United Kingdom. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting 27(6): 603–626. Bierman, H (1980) Strategic Financial Planning Free Press, New York Blank, L.T. and Tarquin, A.J., (1989). Engineering Economy, 3rd. ed. McGraw-Hill, New York. Brealey, R S et al (1992) Principles of Corporate Finance 2nd Canadian edn, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd, Toronto, Canada Brealey, R. Myers, S. Marcus, A (2009). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 116-274. Bryman A. Bell E. (2007). Business Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Busby, J.S., Pitts, C.G.C., (1997). Real options in practice: an exploratory survey of how finance officers deal with flexibility in capital appraisal. Management Accounting Research 8 (2), 169–186. Butler, R., Davies, L., Pike, R., Sharp, J., (1991). Strategic investment decision-making: complexities, politics and processes. Journal of Management Studies 4 (28), 395–415. Campbell, I. W. (2006), Business Economics and Accounting, MBA Module Manual- Accounting Finance 2005-2006, Bradford University School of Management.Collis J. and Hussey R., (2003), Business Research: A practical approach for undergraduate and post graduate students. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Cooper, D. J., and W. Morgan. (2008). Case study research in accounting. Accounting Horizons 22: 159-178. Copeland T, Koller T, Murrin J. (2000). Valuation. Wiley: New York. Covin, J.G., Slevin, D.P., Heeley, M.B., (2001). Strategic decision making in an intuitive vs. technocratic mode: structural and environmental considerations. Journal of Business Research 52 (1), 51–67. Cox, J C (1985) An intertemporal general equilibrium model of asset prices. Econometrica 53, 363-384. Dempsey, M.J., (2003). A multidisciplinary perspective on the evaluation of corporate investment decision making. Accounting, Accountability Performance 9 (1), 1–33. Dugdale, D., Jones, C., (1995). Financial justification of advanced manufacturing technology. In: Ashton, D., Jones, C. (Eds.), Issues in Management Accounting, second ed. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 191– 213. Harris,E, Emmanuel,C and Komakech, S (2009). Managerial Judgement and Strategic Investment Decisions. London: CIMA Publishing. 10-35. Hoque, Z., (2001). Strategic management accounting: concepts, procedures and issues, Chandos Publishing. Kaplan R, Atkinson A. (1998). Advanced Management Accounting (International edn.). Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Kaplan, R.S., (1986). Must CIM be justified by faith alone? Harvard Business Review March April, 87–95. Kaplan, R.S., Norton, D.P., (2001). Transforming the balanced scorecard from performance measurement to strategic management: Part 1. Accounting Horizons 15 (1), 87–104. Lawson, G.H and Pike, R.H (1981). Capital Investment: Theory and Practice. Bradford: MCB Publications. 10-35. Lumby, S. and Jones, C. (1999), Investment Appraisal and Financial Decisions, Sixth Edition, International Thomson Business Press, London. MacDougall, S.L., Pike, R.H., (2003). Consider your options: changes to strategic value during implementation of advanced manufacturing technology. Omega 31 (1), 1–15. McCarthy, R.C., (2003). Linking technological change to business needs. Research Technology Management 46 (2), 47–52. Morgan, Gareth, and L. Smircich (1980). The Case for Qualitative Research Acad. Management Rev., 5 (1980), 491-500. Mott, G. (1982), Investment Appraisal For Managers, The Macmillan Press Ltd; Bath. Pike, R. and Neale, B. (2006), Corporate Finance And Investment- Decisions and Strategies, Fifth Edition, Pearson Education Ltd, Bath.Remenyi et al (1998), Doing Research in Business and Management; an Introduction to Process and Method.   London, SAGE Remer D, Nieto A (1995). A compendium and comparison of 25 project evaluation techniques. International Journal of Production Economics 1995; 42(1):79–96. Saunders, Mark N.K.; Lewis, Philip Thornhill, Adrian (2009). Research methods for business students (5th edition). London: Financial Times Management. Stake E. Robert (2010). Qualitative Research: Studying How Things Work. New York: The Guilford Press. Tatsiopoulos I, Tolis A. (2002). Technical and economic evaluation and feasibility study of biomass energy. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development 1(2): 142–159. Zimmerman J. (1997). Accounting for Decision Making and Control (2nd edn.). Irwin-McGraw-Hill: Boston.

Physiological and psychological traits of two primates Assignment

Physiological and psychological traits of two primates - Assignment Example Physiological and psychological traits of two primates This observational activity was conducted in Fort Worth Zoo in Texas during which physiological and psychological traits of two primates were studied and compared. However, body hairs were not visible on the face, hands and feet of this animal. He also had silver grey hair as well on his bak which showed that this gorilla was in his late 20s. Same hair color was visible on its thighs and chest as well. The weight mentioned on the board was 40 kg which is fairly regular for this genus. Average height was supposed to be around 65 inches. There were three more gorillas kept in the same setting however major focus of this session was on the male Gorilla who appeared to be the leader of the herd and had a silver back. An interesting fact about the outlook of this gorilla was his lower jaw protruding the upper one. This particular primate was kept in an open area which had concrete floor as well as grassy area. However, the animal appeared more comfortable on the grassy land. He was being fed with bananas and other fruits whereas he was also occasionally picking grass and chewing it. There were some big insects visible on the grassy land which were picked by Gorilla and taken into his mouth. The Gorilla had its arms longer than legs and was moving on four limbs with major support given by the hands with curled digits. The male Gorilla did not appeared to be interested in interacting with the visitors and was showing less receptiveness to the food given or noises made by them. Throughout the observation, a single instance of low growling sound made towards the visitors was witnessed. The gorilla had made a small nest of plants and shrubs which he was using for occasional sitting. The weather on the day of visit was sunny and subject being studied appeared to enjoy sunlight. However, he kept on moving between shadows made by artificial rocky walls and open ground. Another interesting observation made was about little interest shown by Silver back gorilla regarding acti vities taking place in its habitat. Rest of the gorillas who appeared as female due to their smaller height and weight were roaming around freely towards food provided by zoo employees however they were just interested in food supply and not the individual feeding them. Unlike them, male gorilla only moved towards food once other gorillas had taken their share. Furthermore, he was picking up fruits thrown by some children. Some of the edible items were removed by zoo members and they were also told not to throw food inside gorilla’s habitat. The male Gorilla also appeared a little offended due to noise made by visitors to attract a smaller gorilla that seem to be attracted by the food offered by visitors. Therefore, when the smaller gorilla tried to move towards walls of its living arena in order to get closer to the visitors, the male Gorilla who was the subject of this activity quickly made a forceful growl in order to warn him. This production of sound was further followed by few quick leaps as well. Later on, the smaller Gorilla was taken to the nest of shoots where it was handed over to other female Gorillas. It was also noticed that the male Gorilla was paying relatively no attention to the water reservoir present in its living area. Although he moved towards it several times but did not touch the container with its mouth. On the contrary, he dipped his hands in the container and then put them in his mouth which quenched his thirst for the time being apparently. Perhaps, the reason for such low consumption of water is high use of vegetation which already has sufficient percentage of water. Male Mandrill Another subject

Among B-Boys Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Among B-Boys Film - Essay Example The chief premise of the film Among B-BOYS, charts the progress and acculturation of this specific community. The film comprises of a compendium of dance battles with a generous flavor of B-Boy styling. The Hmong community living in the Fresno area in California is portrayed in Woon’s film and traces the day to day activities and the lives of those living there. In his earlier film, the director sheds light on the after school activities of the Hmong B-Boys and in his present film he shows how those same characters have grown up and have now moved on to greater things. For example, one of the characters named Sukie those with his elder brother to North Carolina just to escape the hard life in Fresno. Unfortunately, they are forced to settle in Tulsa, Oklahoma and soon find themselves hoped up with a group of Hmongs once again. Twin characters Steven and Michael to go to college at Long Beach State and manage to distinguish themselves during the bee B-boy competitions conducted regionally. However, they remain grounded close to their family. Meanwhile, the older Hmong’s in Fresno, who are in their late twenties still continue to nurture a healthy B-boying attitude instead of resorting to crime, drugs or gang activities. Among B-BOYS Is considered to be a revelation in itself because it has brought to the audience the bigger picture of an American community by cohesively weaving together the modern and the traditional. After viewing the screening of the film Among B-BOYS and discussing in the class on the intricacies of its presentation, I have come to understand the B-BOY culture of hip-hop in a much better manner. On analyzing the film, I could say that it was not only entertaining but also very interesting and informative. Through our discussions in class we came to understand about what views and ideas the others in the group had and the opinions they had formed. Besides learning more about the lives of people in this community we also came to u nderstand about the identity and beliefs shared by this group. 2) Enemies of the people Enemies of the People is a scintillating 93 minute film that took almost a decade to finish. This film is co-directed by Cambodian investigative journalist Thet Sambath and Ron Lemkin. The slaughtering of nearly two million people by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia is explored in the deeply moving documentary titled ‘Enemies of the People’. A winner of the Sundance World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary, this documentary is a watershed account of the genocide that took place in Cambodia. The film is a result of the long and arduous journey of investigative journalist Thet Sambath who devoted a good part of his life to elicit confessions from the leaders and cadres of Khmer Rouge about their role in the genocide. The contents of the film stir the audience by offering a chilling account on how orders were passed down to lower cadres to kill people. In the film the emotional turmoil o f two such executioners is prominently figured. For the first time the number two authority of the Khymer Rouge, Nuon Chea also known as Brother Number Two gives details of how the enemies of the state were killed. These people were executed on orders from Pol Pot and Nuon Chea. This landmark documentary sheds light on the human nature and the capacity of some human beings to do some of the most terrible things