British Petroleum (BP) Strategic Change Management

How I Stumbled Across Universal Literacy

I obtained, through being a piece of numerous talks that, in the long run, everything interfaces. I had constantly heard something very similar, â€Å"Graduate from a decent school and discover a penny living, and you'll be cheerful and effective. † Ha! What a free enterprise, manufacturing plant delivered, fantasy to tell susceptible kids, I thought. No, I was more astute than that. I would be the one to take the street less traveled†to run contrary to the natural order of things and carry on with my own life how I would have preferred to. After scarcely graduating secondary school with a GEED (or a GEED proportionate actually†¦ ), I took off to LA to turn into a music-producer.I would have been huge. I took in the exchange, worked inside multi-million dollar studios, and framed a band. I had It in order and I was going to how everyone that school was for fools. Similarly as with everything throughout everyday life. This Intoxicating achievement didn't last. I star ted to feel something was absent. Here I was, experiencing the fantasy that I had envisioned for myself, but then, I didn't feel a lot of satisfaction. Bills were stacking, the sweetheart was getting removed, and the energy of living all alone gradually started to corrupt with each spending day.Soon, I could no longer make enough to bear the cost of living all alone. Thus, I got together and get back to the Bay Area. Life had vanquished me, or so It felt, and I needed to reconsider what I needed to do with mine. That is the point at which the surprising occurred: I began returning to class once more. I started paying attention to courses and I discovered that, in addition to the fact that i was quite acceptable at the vast majority of the stuff, I truly enjoyed it. I found that a dark subject like analytics, could be applied to something significantly increasingly cloud like PC programming. I learned exercises in swimming that helped me figure out how to socialize.Hell, in the event that I took a broad seminar on rock-paper-scissors, I could locate a concealed exercise that could sound valid In another examination. I surmise you could state I gradually acknowledged how to learn, as opposed to what to realize. All things considered, James Paul Gee writes in his paper, Ð'â «owing† involves â€Å"knowing how to proceed† (â€Å"go on†) in explicit social interactions† (Discourse and Coloratura Studies in Reading, 196). When I understood that I had a plenty of information and beneficial encounters at my disposal as of now, exploring through new regions in life started to be significantly more agreeable and rewarding.An startling piece of life had appeared In my life also: religion. In the event that you had the reasons amiss with the Bible and how there couldn't in any way, shape or form be a God. Receptiveness facilitated my hardheadedness. I needed to â€Å"hear out† what every one of these individuals in Christianity needed to state. As I went to lessons, I abandoned all Judgments tuned in. I recall the expressions of an insightful educator I had in secondary school. He instructed us to exhaust our cups†to be prepared to fill it with more information. I found that what they lectured in chapel was absolutely appropriate to someone not strict at all.Instead of considering the to be as a programming clique, I started to comprehend it as a type of charitable effort. These individuals were here for help, or to help. How might I talk contrarily any longer about something that people ought to accomplish for one another? I kicked up a feeling of humbleness from submerging myself in strict talk. It was not just Christianity that I inquired about. I began emptying my interests into Buddhism, Shamanism, and Islam. In every one of these religions, they show a comparable reason: recuperating. Recuperate yourself, mend others, and mend the Universe.Within you, without you. We are every one of the one, yet incredi bly remarkable. All these â€Å"Faceable†-lines pseudo jibber jabber began to sound good to me! Attempting new thoughts had given me a satisfaction that I Just couldn't depict. I felt like a researcher, and that my field of study had now been moved to getting life. The entryways that scholastic and strict talk opened for me resembled gazing into a passage that had considerably all the more intriguing and one of a kind ways to be opened. That could never have been accessible to me had I not glanced in their area and remained open.James Paul Gee puts it exquisitely, â€Å"Analogously, one can extend the knowledge by taking progressively more profound perspectives on what translation means† (Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics, 540). On occasion, I can at present feel blue, discouraged, or Just plain lethargic; subsequent to having experienced these kinds of circumstances previously, some multiple occasions more awful, I discovered that inevitably, everything will urn ou t alright again†it needs to. Material science demonstrates this, religion talks about this, and there are platitudes I'm certain you've heard before like, â€Å"the sunrise is darkest before the day. Perceiving this encourages me manage the inescapable issues that we as a whole offer, and how to worry in a sound way. A major piece of life for me is music. I would not have ventured out to LA with such total surrender, were it not for the enthusiasm and fuel that music gives me. I recognized vigorously with the punk-(counter)culture during my young years. I despite everything do, except once more, with a new point of view on the network. Punks look scaring to many individuals. They have chaotic hair, spikes toward each path on their apparel, and an affinity for pulverizing things.The incongruity is, these very individuals are frequently the ones who are uncertain, striking, and generally understanding. Obviously, there are special cases to the standard, and a few punks are Just dicks, yet being encircled by a culture of rebels where most of individuals inside felt they were not directly for the â€Å"mainstream discourse†, drove me to investigate the state of affairs set up. I saw a ton of distrustfulness in the network, and I needed to confront my own. Allow me to clarify. Distrustfulness, toward one side of the range, can persuade things like, in 1969, America organized the entire moon landing.Or that the Pope is actually a reptile. In any case, on the opposite finish of the range, total naivet㠩â © can persuade that banks have your wellbeing as a main priority, or that weed causes passing. Some place in the middle of them is an inward parity much like the yin and yang in Buddhism. I discovered that I uncovered when the individuals spreading a thought can figure out how to impart all around ok without culpable another's thoughts. We should tune in to others too, and figure out how to be dead to change our own thoughts. How might we do this? Ho w might I be certain that the shading red appears to be identical to me, as it does to you?And all the more significantly, how might we discover a .. That perusing and composing can't be isolated from accord? Hmm contends, † talking, tuning in, and interacting† (Reading as Situated Language: A Cognitively Perspective, 714). He makes a somewhat rich point here in that it's anything but a matter of â€Å"street smarts† vs†¦ â€Å"Book smarts†, rather, it is a marriage of the two that is fundamental for correspondence. â€Å"Eventually, everything connects† was said by Charles Names, a fashioner. An application on the telephone called, â€Å"Dots, A Game About Connecting†, shows his statement prominently.Each time I play this game, I consider the numerous approaches to achieve one basic objective: draw an obvious conclusion. There are good and bad times, lefts and rights. Be that as it may, there are likewise boxes and crisscrosses. The more exceptional ways you find to come to an obvious conclusion, the simpler and increasingly fun the game becomes. Taking in numerous devices from hands-on life-encounters incredibly expands the satisfaction I feel for them. They support my certainty, urge me to eat more advantageous, to do well in school, and to live more joyful with family. You can say Vie quit revolting like I used to, and to that, I would need to agree.But I'm additionally defying numbness. I'm opposing biased molds society can put on us, and I'm defying vanity. It's a ceaseless interest, however it's significantly more desirable over never seeking after. James Paul Gee says, † . .The ace talk isn't Just the whole of its parts, it is something additionally well beyond them† (Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics, 537). Maybe once we've associated all the spots, we are as yet not done. We may never be done, and to me, that is an energizing idea.

How to Write a Term Paper in APA Format

How to Write a Term Paper in APA Format Originally designed to help students to format and style their social science assignments, The APA provides students with a standardized form of formatting their term papers. Since its inception, the APA style has evolved and adopted progressive changes to make it accommodate the modern trends that are shaping the way students write, style, and submit academic papers. In our discussion, you will learn tips that will guide you in the process of writing a term paper APA style. Stay with this post to discover more so that you can boost your proficiency in using this style. Here are APA style term paper requirements in details This section part of our discussion shall discuss various aspects of APA format paper writing requirements. Look at how students are supposed to format their term papers according to the APA styling rules. Margins Margins are critical in helping you in the formatting of your term papers. Proper margins will help your instructors to read your papers easily. Here are mandatory requirements to abide by when handling your margins. It is mandatory to give your paper a 1 ½ to 1-inch spacing from the right, left, top, and bottom of your assignment Font size and style In matters regarding fonts, it is mandatory to utilize the New Times Roman script. The size of the font should be12 points. It is also mandatory you utilize the same typeface in your entire assignment. Spacing Regarding APA format term paper, spacing is a significant pillar in matter relating to the formatting of your papers. By spacing your papers properly, you give your tutors neat pieces of writing they will joyfully desire to read. To achieve the above goal, it is essential to use double spaces in all your writings within the term paper. After using a punctuation mark such as a comma, colon, or semicolon within a sentence, you are required to leave a single space and a double space where these punctuations end your sentences. Aligning and indenting your texts In matters regarding alignment and indenting, you are supposed to flush your texts to the left of your term paper or align them to the left. Headings As you format your term papers using this formatting style, it is mandatory you utilize headings to separate its sections and establish a hierarchy of the information you are presenting to your readers. Just ensure that the headings of your term paper APA style are in order with level one and follow the main heading with other smaller ones to separate the subsequent subsections. Title page This section of your term’s paper has to include these details: A running head and title that need to be flushed to the left with the page number flushed to the right at the page’s top Draft the title of your term paper while ensuring you capitalize the first, last, and all the important words Your name and the name of your learning institution You should also remember to feature all the affiliations your academic institution has if told it has any. Where there are no affiliations, just include your city and state/country Since your title page will take the place of your paper’s first page, you are required to type and center it in the page while remembering to use double spaces everywhere You should also include the author’s note containing information regarding their department’s affiliation plus any acknowledgment for all the moral or financial assistance you received Abstract When drafting this critical section of your term paper APA format, pay attention to the following: Write the term “Abstract” in the center of your term paper’s initial line Make it around 150-250 words There is no point indenting your abstract’s first line Don’t feature any citation in it since it isn’t the introductory part of your term paper Running heads and shorts titles Running heads are the short titles that appear at the top of your term paper’s pages. Short titles are three-word shortened versions of your paper’s title. When writing the two, you should remember to flush your running head to the left at the top of your pages and flush your short title to the right. In addition, it is compulsory to keep the length of your running heads within the 50-character range including spaces plus any punctuation mark. References When writing APA format term paper, references have a critical place in your assignment. It is therefore important to abide by these referencing requirements: You need to type the word “References” in the middle of a separate page to begin your references If you are citing works with more than seven authors, you have to list the first six authors followed by ellipses You need to double space all your references in an even fashion Enter all references in their alphabetical order Enter all your references using hanging indents Unless you are dealing with an abbreviation or a proper noun, it is necessary to capitalize the opening word of your paper’s references You should not include classical and personal communications you cited in the references list Using the active voice Initially, APA requirements did not allow students to use the active voice. But as times have kept changing, students are now allowed to use first person terms like “we” and “I” to add the flavor of liveliness and activeness to their papers. When writing APA format term paper, mastering the usage of this formatting style is critical in enabling you to present your tutors with term papers that are stylistically sound and easy to handle. In addition, abiding by the formatting rules of this style allows you to give your readers and instructors an easy time reading and navigating your term paper. We believe that the tips and ideas we have shared in this post will go a long way in sharpening your formatting skills and proficiency in using APA formatting guidelines.

The Sales Market The Total Boxed Chocolate Market

INTRODUCTION The overall confectionery market remains robust and of significant size at  £3.9 billion and it maintained a 2% growth in value over the past year, driven by price rather than volume. Thorntons’ focus within this is the total boxed chocolate market, which grew 3% over the past year to  £748 million. In the UK Commercial channel, Thornton retained their position as one of the top three brands within the boxed chocolate market with an 11.5% market share (2013: 11.9%) and also remained a clear leader in their core inlaid boxed chocolate market, with a 34.5% share (2013: 35.2%). The total gifting market, at  £39.4 billion, is more than ten times the size of the confectionery market and similarly grew at 2% over the past year. Thorntons is a British chocolate company established by Joseph William Thornton in 1911. Turnover in its annual report of 2014 was declared at  £222.4 million with 260 stores and cafes across the UK and Ireland and 175 franchises. Thorntons has transformed into an international multi-channel fast moving consumer goods (â€Å"FMCG†) company with a strong UK multi-channel retail presence in 2011. Because of this reason, Thorntons has changed its strategy to reflect the continually evolving nature of shopper behaviour reflected in today’s multi-channel retail environment. Today’s companies find themselves operating in an environment that is changing faster than ever before. Therefore, organizations have to analyze these changes and modify themselves toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Thorntons Case Study.Doc5972 Words   |  24 PagesSTUDY THORNTONS PLC Introduction In September 2003 Thorntons, the Uk’s largest manufacturer and retailer of specialist chocolates, completed a three-year planning period aimed at achieving a turnaround in the company’s performance. While company turnover had been increased to  £167m (= â‚ ¬250m) providing Thorntons with an 8 percent share of its core market, boxed chocolates, profit after tax had declined to the lowest level for seven years (Exhibit 1). During that time Thorntons had set out toRead MoreShare Analysis of Thorntons Plc1988 Words   |  8 PagesPart 2 The chocolate industry in UK Britain really is a nation of chocolate lovers. Among the whole world, UK has the seventh highest consumption of chocolate. A British eats an average 17.49lbs of chocolate per year (The World Atlas of Chocolate, 2011). Switzerland takes the top spot. In Britain, an estimated 660,900 tones of chocolate are eaten per year which is an average of 11kg per person. The UK chocolate industry is worth  £3.6billion and sales of chocolate just keep growing and growingRead MoreStrategic Management Analysis for Thorntons, the UKs largest manufacturer and Retailer of specialist chocolates5576 Words   |  23 PagesStrategic Management Thorntons Case Study THORNTONS PLC CASE STUDY STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT COURSE ï ¿ ½ OUTLINE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 1.0. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 3 1.2. CURRENT STATUS 5 1.2.1 SALES BREAKDOWN 5 1.2.2 STOCK INFORMATION 6 1.2.3 CURRENT STRATEGY 8 1.2.4 IMPROVED MARGIN AND COSTS 8 1.2.5 THORNTONS CAFÉ 9 2.0. CASE ANALYSIS 10 2.1. SCOPE OF BUSINESS 10 2.2. THE FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK 10 2.3. STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES 12 2.3.1 RESOURCES 12 2.3.2 COMPETENCIES 12Read MoreSupply Chain Management and Time Series Methods1280 Words   |  6 Pagesproduct will be required, in what amount, and when they will be needed. The demand forecast becomes the basis for companies to plan their internal operations and to cooperate among each other to meet market demand. All forecasts deal with four major variables that combine to determine what the market conditions are likely to be: * Demand * Supply * Product characteristics * Competition environment 4.9.2 How –simulation method There are many ways to createRead MoreCadbury Media Planning6000 Words   |  24 PagesCadbury Roses Chocolate | November 22010 | Pre Christmas media planning campaign | | Introduction Cadbury Roses Boxed chocolate is one of the famous Cadbury product range. This boxed chocolate have filled New Zealand home with happiness for many years. This chocolate boxed are inexpensive chocolates which containing a small proportion of cocoa solids and high proportion of vegetables fat. A large packet can be bought cheaply which make this chocolate boxed as a common stand byRead MoreSees Candies Inc.2494 Words   |  10 PagesSEE’S CANDIES INC. Swiss Market Strategy MGMT 335 – INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Professor: ALFRED SIU 1 INTRODUCTION Charles See founded SEES Candies Inc. in 1921 in the city of Los Angeles, California. Charles See was a visionary who approached the confection business with a simple view. He decided that no image would better reflect the personality of this venture than that of his mother. Apart from using her recipes as a foundation, See knew that keeping things in the family was the onlyRead MoreStrategic Management: An Integrated Approach Essays11838 Words   |  48 Pages(aliciali0626@gmail.com)  © 2015, 2013 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning Cae 1 The Cherr Lad Chapter Introduction 1-1 The Chocolate Industry 1-1a Market Size 1-1b Inputs and Traits of Chocolate Products 1-1c Competition 1-1d Demand 1-1e The Premium Chocolate Segment 1-2 Alicia’s Background 1-2a The Origin of Tart Cherry Caramels 1-3 The Cherry Lady 1-3a Product Line 1-3b Markets 1-3c Production 1-3d TCL’s Financial Resourcesand Performance 1-4 Growth Opportunities Chapter 1: The Cherry Lady ChapterRead MoreHaigh s Chocolates : An Australian Confectionery Industry Organization2520 Words   |  11 PagesHaigh’s Chocolates is an Australian confectionery industry organization offering excellent chocolate and related items to consumers in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The organization is situated in Adelaide, South Australia, it is a private company which was established in 1915 by Alfred E. Haigh. Alfred Haigh opened the first Haigh’s chocolates store at 34 king William street, Adelaide. He started mixing his specific flavor and producing chocolate – covered fruit centers. Which they still makeRead MoreChocolate Industry3650 Words   |  15 PagesCHOCOLATE INDUSTRY IN UK CADBURY, UK The Chocolate industry in the UK has been facing many challenges in recent times. The escalation of prices of the main ingrediants such as cocoa, milk and sugar has forced companies to increase prices. Customers showed resistance to higher prices which prompted brands such as Cadbury amp; Masterfoods (Galaxy) to reduce packaging sizes. Concerns among the public regarding obesity has also led chocolate companies to bring out smaller sizes of chocolate. Read MoreMarketing Environment And Strategy Of Haigh s Chocolate2564 Words   |  11 PagesExecutive summary This report is about analyze the marketing environment and strategy of Haigh’s chocolate. Doing this report, it gives a closer and practical view at the strategic sector of existing business organization and that is â€Å"Haigh’s Chocolate†. This report improves the knowledge regarding the strategies of a chocolate business on products, place, promotions, pricing, sustainability practices, competitors, services, and to build up a case for analyzing the problems through SWOT and to find

The Field Of Organizational Behavior And Leadership

Introduction â€Å"Leadership is the most important topic in the world today. . . It plays such a pervasive role that it is easy to overlook its impact on our day-to-day behaviors† (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2012, p. 609). For this reason, it makes sense to study this subject in detail. Man does this so he can understand how to reproduce the processes and achieve the outcomes of great leadership. Even though leadership is thought of as a science, it is also an art which does not rely on solid facts, figures, hypothesis or theories—sometimes it’s just a gut feeling or an intuition one gets when the situation presents itself. As a leader, one must use intuitive instincts as well as facts and reason because leadership is complex and requires the use of many different action and behaviors in order influence others. Overview This paper explores topics from the field of organizational behavior and leadership. Part one of this paper provides my personal definition of leadership and the rationale behind the definition. Next, is the discussion of virtual teams and leadership, an emerging issue of leadership in the study of organizational behavior. Part two will highlight what I gained from this course, how I might apply what I learned and conclude with my personal plan of action. Part I Definition of Leadership. My definition of leadership is taken directly from the U.S Army; â€Å"influencing others to accomplish a mission, while taking care of people and improving theShow MoreRelatedWhy Leadership Is A Fundamental Part Of Organizational Behavior979 Words   |  4 Pagessupported leadership development They transformed their followers. (Kreitner Kinicki, 2014). In this paper, I will explain why leadership is a fundamental part of organizational behavior, discuss what leadership theory I align with and why, and explain why my leadership theory is effective within my organization. â€Å"Organizational behavior...is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and managing people at work† (Kreitner Kinicki, 2014 p.6). The study of organizational behaviorRead MoreArticle Review: Authentic Leadership and Behavioral Integrity as Drivers of Follower Commitment and Performance by Simons, Palanski, and Leroy736 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Authentic Leadership Article Review Authentic Leadership Article Review The article is about authentic leadership and about being an authentic person so that authentic leadership can come about. The authors also refer to authentic living as behavioral integrity. Behavioral integrity by the authors definition means to be true to oneself to be honest with oneself internally as well as for ones thoughts, actions, and words to be united in intent and content. Behavioral integrity additionally refersRead MoreLeadership Influences Organizational Culture And Employee Commitment1502 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"There is a need for greater attention to be paid to understanding the mechanisms and processes through which leadership influences organizational culture and employee commitment, in order to develop a more complete understanding of the inner workings of leadership† (Bass, as cited by Aolio et al 2004 p.952) . Ellemers, Gilder, and Haslam (2004) agree that â€Å"additional understanding of work motivation can be gained by incorporating insights int o social identity processes† (p. 459). Since motivationalRead MoreThe Course Managerial Decision Making For Health Care Organizations952 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction In the course Managerial Decision Making in Health Care Organizations, students present critical incidents that have happened in healthcare facilities. They also examine the decisions that were made by the leadership of these facilities to resolve the incident. Each incident had different dynamic events than the other. Because of that, the diversity of decisions which were made by the leaders of these facilities was unique and professional. Although there were guides and policies inRead MoreThe Chicago School Of Professional Psychology Essay1342 Words   |  6 Pagesbenefited is as important as how many are benefited (IIT, 2016). In the article â€Å"The Need for Ethical Leadership,† Butcher (1997) stated that â€Å"things that affect free enterprise affect the whole society† (p. 86). Additionally, Aleksic (2013) wrote the article â€Å"How Organizations Achieve Longevity† and suggested that â€Å"change management can be considered as an important determinant of organizational longevity† (p. 65). Moreover, Khan (2014) stated in the article â€Å"The Longevity of Large Enterprises:Read MoreToyota: a Glimpse of Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Organizational Structure836 Words   |  4 PagesToyota: A Glimpse of Leadership, Organizational Behavior, and Organizational Structure Courtney Berry Organizational behavior is the study of application of individuals’ behaviors within structured groups within an organization (Robbins Judge, 2007). The field of study identifies behaviors within specific groups and individuals in organizations and how the structures of organizations play a role in behaviors (Robbins Judge, 2007). In the past several months, the leading company in the carRead MoreThe Theories Of Leadership Styles1445 Words   |  6 Pageswhich leadership styles are best suited to mitigate the effects of a decline in financial compensation, it is imperative to understand leadership theory. One of the first pioneers in leadership theory was Kurt Lewin. Kurt Lewin (1890–1947), was a prominent figure in psychology in his generation. He provided a solid foundation to the teachings of organizational development. In many circles he was known as the father of organizational development. He was best known for the development of field theoryRead MoreUndersta nding Human Behavior1257 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Understanding Human Behavior: As a critical aspect for many organizations, the study of human behavior and the interactions between people and the organization is usually described as organizational behavior since its mainly geared towards understanding and forecasting human behavior. For organizational leaders, understanding human behavior is a critical skill that has direct impacts on the success of the organization. Therefore, the ability of an organizational leader to be successful is closelyRead MoreHow Personality Traits and Leadership Styles Influence Organizational Leadership1288 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction of findings Researchers correlate effective organizational leadership with certain characteristics. McHugh (2009) stated that â€Å"there may be no other feature of American life that contains as much bias toward extroversion as leadership.† This means that debate still exists whether or not introverts may be effective as leaders compared to extroverts. Some researches would argue that introverts are more reserved and prefer to work alone without the aid of anyone else. Introverts areRead MoreImpact of Structure on Organizations891 Words   |  4 Pageson Organizations Impact of organizational structure There are several factors that influence organizations activity, presence within the business environment, and success on the market. Such a factor is represented by their organizational structure. This organizational structure refers to the hierarchy within the organization, to the lines of authority and communication, to the rights, but also to the limits of competence within the organization. The organizational structure influences the assignation

Wgu Fin Analysis Task 1 Free Essays

In order to ascertain how well a company is performing, analyses must be done in regard to the business being stable, including its’ ability to pay debts, how much cash or other liquid assets are available, and whether the organization is viable enough to continue operations. These analyses typically look at income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow, where current and past performance will be studied with the goal of predicting how the company will perform in the future. There are four ways in which the Competition Bikes will be evaluated. We will write a custom essay sample on Wgu Fin Analysis Task 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now First, we will look at a horizontal analysis. This is a comparative study of a balance sheet or income statement for two or more accounting periods, to compute both total and relative variances for each line item. (businessdictionary. com) Second, the company will be judged based on a vertical analysis. This is done by way of financial statement analysis in which each entry for the three major categories of accounts — assets, liabilities and equities in a balance sheet, is represented as a proportion of the total account. (investopedia. com) The third method we will use to evaluate the bike company is through trend analysis. This type of analysis is often employed to identify current and future movements of an investment or group of investments, and may involve comparing past and current financial ratios as they relate to various institutions in order to project how long the current trend will continue. (wisegeek. com) And last, a ratio analysis will be studied by looking at the broad method by which financial data is converted into simple mathematic ratios for comparison. (ratioanalysis. org) Horizontal Analysis When looking at Competition Bikes Inc, we will be comparing their sixth and seventh years, and then their seventh and eighth years. This will allow us to gauge the performance over a significant period of time to see if the organization’s business is rising, staying steady or falling. For example, if net sales were ten thousand dollars in year one, and eleven thousand dollars in year two, this would be seen as a ten percent increase. Using the horizontal analysis worksheet, we see that Competition Bikes realized an increase in net sales between years six and seven by over thirty percent. This was followed in years seven and eight by a decline of fifteen percent. While the net sales in year eight were better (+13%) than year six, sales did fall from the previous year. Another key indicator to look at is gross profits, where the difference between net sales and the cost of goods sold is calculated. In our case, for years six and seven we see an increase of over thirty seven percent, but a decrease of over sixteen percent between years seven and eight. This could be caused by either selling less, through an increase in the cost of goods sold, or a combination of the two. One very important aspect when examining how any business is able to make and sustain profitability is the operating cycle. This looks at how quickly a company is turning over their receivables, inventory and payables. By lowering the operating cycle, businesses are able to manage their assets more efficiently. Using figures derived from days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding, a business can determine how long inventory is staying in the pipeline, and how long it is taking to sell and collect payment on that inventory. This is done by finding the cost of goods sold (from income statement) and dividing by 365, which will yield the sales per day. Then determining the average inventory (from balance sheet) by adding previous inventory plus ending inventory and dividing by 2, and finally, taking the result of the average inventory and dividing by the cost of sales per day. For Competition Bikes this results in a figure that shows a decrease over the course of two years. Lower is better, and clearly signals that sales are increasing in comparison to inventory. Another promising sign is the cash conversion cycle. This is a metric expressing the time (in days) that it takes a business to translate resources into cash. In this case it calculates out to a lessening conversion cycle, which points to asset liquidity through a short receivables time span with a long payables period. This is another sign that Competition Bikes is efficiently managing its’ resources. Lets take a look at the expenses listed under â€Å"general and administrative† on the horizontal analysis worksheet. These particular expenses are costs a business incurs when performing normal operations. For years six and seven there was an increase of a little over 20%, or approximately 156 thousand dollars. Then in years seven and eight there was another slight increase. In order to maintain consistent or increased profits without raising prices and/or selling into new markets in order to increase sales figures, a business would have to cut expenses. Next comes â€Å"operating income†, which is revenues minus operating expenses, and generally referred to as EBIT, or earnings before income and taxes. In other words, this is a measurement of a company’s profits before all relevant deductions have been made. In our case, there was a significant increase of nearly 155 percent from year six to seven, and then another increase of over 60 percent in year seven to eight. The net earnings of Competition Bikes is up well over 300 percent for the first years of comparison, but declined over 80 percent between year seven and eight. This clearly indicates that factors have changed during the last two years that are directly impacting the bottom line of the business. Moving on to company assets, the â€Å"cash and cash equivalents† portion of the income statement shows a decrease of nearly 55 percent on a decline of over 142 thousand dollars, but during the year seven and eight horizontal analysis there was a significant increase in cash assets by almost 350 percent. These are assets that are cash, or can be readily converted into cash. Balance that with the â€Å"total liabilities† which is the combination of all debt Competition Bikes is liable for. As can be seen on the worksheet, the liabilities increased a small amount from year six to seven, but decreased over the next two years. Increasing assets and decreasing liabilities of any company means the long-term sustainability is good. And last, we look at stockholder’s equity. This refers to how much capital investors have put into the business. In other words, this should represent positive differences between assets and liabilities. For Competition Bikes, from year six to seven this margin increased by a little over 3 percent, or approximately 70 thousand dollars. While slightly increasing, investors prefer to see a larger gain. Between years seven and eight the equity increased by almost one and a half percent. While not a large increase, at least this was a step in the right direction. Vertical analysis Through a vertical analysis, we can take a look at entries for assets, liabilities and equities. These are represented as a proportion, or percentage of the totals for any given year. The main advantage of a vertical analysis is that it is easy to read, clearly understandable and charts changes in the operations of a business on a yearly basis. By looking at a vertical analysis a person can see financial performance over a period of time. Lets start by looking on the revenue side. By calculating what the relationship is between net sales less cost of goods sold, we can see that our gross profits are remaining steady at roughly 27 percent. In other words, the cost of goods sold is approximately three quarters of the amount of net sales. These two measurements would probably be considered the best barometer of how efficiently a company is operating. Likewise, when we consider the operating expenses for selling products and running the company, we see that they are relatively steady with only a slight fluctuation of a few percentage points either up or down, with all the variation coming from differences in general and administrative expenses. Given the minor fluctuation of expenses over time, there seems to be a good internal control system in place. This holds costs in check while being able to concentrate on sales. Generally, the percentage of â€Å"total liabilities† has been declining over the three years shown. This represents the company’s ability to retire debt, and as the worksheet shows, the proportion of total stockholder equity has been holding steady as well. By holding the line on expenses, retiring debt and maintaining stockholder equity. Competition Bikes has been able to operate in a very efficient manner, while growing the company’s assets at a rate of 5 to 6 percent per year. Trend analysis The goal of performing trend analysis is to collect information over a period of time, and to use that data to spot a pattern, or trend. Under this scenario of comparative analysis, the finances of a company are evaluated over in order to predict future potential based on past performance. When we look at Competition Bikes historical data for net sales, there is a year over year gain, with the exception of year 8. To start, from year 6 to year 7 there was a significant uptick in sales by a little over 33 percent. While net sales declined in year eight by approximately 17 percent from the previous year, they still represented a gain over year 6. For each subsequent year following the eighth, there should be a steady rise in sales. Because there is very little change in expenses, even though sales dropped off, the profitability of the company remained strong. This trend is predicted to hold through the remainder of years 9 through 11. Given the steadily increasing sales, the company would be attractive to investors looking for steady but reliable future growth. While sales are rising slowly, the net income continues to see increases that are in tandem. Ratio analysis Ratio analysis is the conversion of financial data into simple math ratios in order to use for comparing with other, similar businesses. Data from past years that is widely available through public financial statements can be analyzed and compared to other organizations, and the results of these comparisons can provide vital information when making decisions. For the case of Competition Bikes, I will be using four different metrics to calculate the financial well being of a company. They are liquidity ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on equity ratio and net profit margin ratio. There are three types of liquidity ratios that we will look at. The current ratio is considered to be a barometer of a company’s liquidity, and shows the relationship between working capital and its availability to meet present obligations. It is calculated by doing the following: current assets ? current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303/105,080= 9. 8 Year 7 1,353,044/233,700= 5. 8 Year 8 1,575,831/300,200= 5. 2 The current ratio of Competition Bikes is decreasing slightly over the three-year period shown, but the ratio that is commonly thought to be acceptable would be anything above 2, and higher current ratios are always better. Since these ratios calculated out to well above that figure, this business would have no problem meeting its short-term debts. Next, another type of liquidity ratio is the quick ratio or acid test. This is used to measure the liquidity of a company, and its ability to meet financial obligations. The quick ratio is used to determine a company’s financial strength or weakness, where higher numbers mean there is a stronger probability, while lesser numbers mean weaker probability, of ability to pay off short-term debt. Quick ratios are calculated as follows: (current assets – inventories) ? urrent liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303 – 203,300 = 826,003/105,080 = 7. 85 Year 7 1,353,044 – 219,068 = 1133976/233,700 = 4. 84 Year 8 1,575,831 – 221833 = 1353998/300,200 = 4. 5 The quick ratio is an indicator of a company’s short-term liquidity. It measures the company’s  capacity to meet  its short-term debts with  the mos t liquid of assets, but is more conservative than the current ratio because it excludes the inventory. This is done for the reason that companies may have difficulty converting inventory into cash should an immediate need arise. The higher the quick ratio,  the  better the position of the  company, where a value of less than 1 may mean the business might have difficulty meeting its short term obligations. While Competition Bikes has a declining ration, it is still well above what is commonly considered acceptable. This points to their ability to pay their short-term debt. The last type of liquidity ratio is the cash ratio. This ratio is generally the most conservative calculation of liquid assets because it removes inventory and accounts receivable from the equation, and is the best measurement of a company’s liquidity. By using this ratio, it is possible to determine if a business can pay off its short-term debt. Typically this is the measurement that will be used by creditors to determine how much credit they would be willing to extend, and is simply the ratio of  a cash assets to current liabilities. Cash ratios are calculated as follows: cash + short term investments/current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 261,000 + 198,500 = 459500/105,080 = 4. 37 Year 7 92,376 + 220,000 = 312376/233,700 = 1. 34 Year 8 414,038 + 220000 = 634038/300,200 = 2. 1 The cash ratio is a further refinement of quick and current ratios, and ndicates a company’s liquidity. This is done through the measurement of cash on hand, cash equivalents and short-term investments in relationship to current liabilities. Cash ratios are the most conservative of the liquidity ratios because it only looks at the assets that are highly liquid. It is unusual for companies to have the cash on hand to cover all current li abilities, and these ratios are generally lower than other measures of liquidity. When compiling financial reports, these ratios are not used very often because it is realistic for a company to maintain the levels of cash necessary to pay off all current liabilities. It is generally accepted that businesses do not hold large amounts of cash. Competition Bikes has a very good cash ratio, and while it had declined from year 6 to year 7, the ratio has improved in year 8. This company is highly liquid. A  class of financial metrics that are used to assess a business’s ability to generate  earnings as compared to  its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor’s ratio or the  same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. The debt-to-equity ratio is a measurement of how much a company’s creditors have committed versus what the shareholders have committed. This ratio is calculated by dividing  total liabilities  by  stockholders’ equity, and indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Debt-to-equity is calculated as follows: total liabilities ? shareholders’ equity Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,995,080/2,204,223 = . 905 Year 7 2,018,700/2,274,344 = . 887 Year 8 1,980,200/2,305,631 = . 858 The debt-to-equity ratio is a key financial analysis ratio that is used to evaluate a company’s financial standing by measuring their ability to repay debts. The optimal debt-to-equity ratio should be about 1, where liabilities are equal to equity. However, these ratios can be tied to particular industries, where companies with more long-term investments have higher ratios. If the debt-to-equity ratio is increasing, creditors are financing the company. This is not the preferred situation in regard to both lenders and investors, because less debt to creditors means interests are better protected in the event of a business decline. Typically, having a high debt-to-equity ratio means not being able to draw additional lending. The lower the debt-to-equity ratio, the better. Competition Bikes debt-to-equity ratio is very good, and has held fairly steady over the three-year analysis period. This demonstrates that the company relies on shareholder equity to do their financing, rather than through loans. These factors point to minimal long-term borrowing needs, meaning the business doesn’t use long-term debt to finance its operation. Maintaining a low ratio is the usual approach, because future solvency is not impacted. The return on equity ratio indicates the returns, by way of net profits, to the shareholders of the company, and is measured as a percentage of shareholder equity. This ratio measures how much  profit a company is able to generate  with money that shareholders have invested, as opposed to what creditors have loaned a business. It is also a useful ratio at determining success with managing resources, and is especially useful for privately owned businesses that have no easy way of determining the market value of owners’ equity. Return on equity ratios are calculated as follows: net income ? shareholders’ equity Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 41,148/2,204,223 = . 0186 or approximately 1. 8% Year 7 170,121/2274344 = . 0748 or approximately 7. 5% Year 8 31,286/2,305,631 = . 0135 or approximately 1. 3% The ratio of return on equity from year 6 to 7 improved substantially through the realization of a large gain in net income, while at the same time having shareholder equity remain largely unchanged. Then from year 7 to 8 the ratio nosedived to below what is was in the first year of comparison. This declination in ratio is indicative of the inability of the company to make profits with the investments made by its shareholders. The company seems to be trending downward, and is unable to produce sufficient earnings for its investors. There are many analysts that view return on equity to be the most important ratio for stockholders to look at, and is indicative of how well a company’s management is performing. Lower numbers mean Competition Bikes may not be spending wisely, and is not very profitable. The net profit margin is a ratio measuring the profits of a company, and is used to measure how well a company controls costs. This calculation refers to money left for the owners, after all sales, expenses and taxes are paid. Higher net profits mean the company is more effective at translating sales into actual profit. Net profit margins may also provide clues into a company’s pricing policies, costs and efficiency of production. This ratio is useful in looking at performance over a period of time. It is calculated as: net profit ? net sales Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 41,148/1,191,000 = . 0345 or approximately 3. 4% Year 7 170,121/5,980,000 = . 0284 or approximately 2. 8% Year 8 1,286/5,083,000 = . 006 or approximately . 6% In looking at these net profit margins over the course of three years, Competition Bikes is in a severe decline. While the drop off between year 6 and 7 was only a little more than half of one percent, going from year 7 to 8 showed well over 2 percent less. This means the company is not efficient with in controlling costs, and must get a handle on their expenditures. The rise in costs could be attributed to raw materials costing more, rising salaries, declining sales or lowered sales prices due to competition. The bike company needs to gets its costs under control if it expects to survive. Working Capital Working capital is the amount of current or liquid assets a company has, after subtracting its current liabilities. Working capital is sometimes called operating capital, and is a valuation of liquidity the organization has to run and build their business. In general, companies with greater amounts of working capital are better able to achieve success by utilizing their assets to invest back into the business. While a business may have a large amount of assets, it may be very difficult to convert them into cash in order to take advantage of opportunities that require fast action. If current liabilities are more than current assets, a working capital deficit is created, and a business cannot survive for long when in this situation. The calculation is as follows: current assets – current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303 – 105,080 = 924,223 Year 7 1,353,044 – 233,700 = 1,119,344 Year 8 1,575,831 – 300,200 = 1,275,631 The working capital of year six was 924,223, with year seven posting a gain up to 1,119,344. This was again increased in the year eight results at a total of 1,275,631. This equates to an increase from year 6 to 7 of over 21%, and another increase from year 7 to 8 of approximately14%. The rising amounts in working capital demonstrate that the company has been steadily increasing their working capital during the three-year period. The consistent rise in available liquid assets confirms that the business has sufficient working capital to make advances in creating more profits. There are several ways in which to improve the working capital. Since more profit and/or more cash on hand equates to more working capital, steps should first be undertaken to increase profit through reduction in expenses. This could be accomplished by systematically auditing all processes and procedures of the business and streamlining wherever possible. Second, by issuing more stock, the company could increase their available working capital. Third, replacing short-term debt by converting to long-term debt would lessen the amount of current liabilities, and free up funds to invest in something else. Four, by converting all non-cash liquid assets into cash, the organization could make available, additional funds to spend. And last, by speeding up the accounts receivables cycle, and collecting money more quickly, the business would be able to have this money in hand. By maintaining a positive working capital the business would be able to undertake initiatives to improve their profitability. These liquid assets could be used to increase production, hire more employees, purchase other businesses, or expand the operations into additional buildings in order to accommodate an increase in orders. By spending money on the â€Å"latest and greatest† equipment in order to increase efficiency you will realize more productivity from workers. This can include things such as better computer systems that are able to automate the sales process, as well as manufacturing equipment that has a higher production capability. Growing a business can be done in many ways, but the easiest ways are by spending money in order to make money. One method is to increase the number of new clients by hiring more salespeople that can cover more territory. Another way is to increase the amount billed for each transaction, by offering sales incentives. And last, you can use marketing dollars to increase the frequency at which purchases are made by way of repeat business. Purchasing system evaluation Every business must have internal controls in place to create a system of checks and balances that safeguard company assets and resources. These controls include things such as audits, reviews and procedures, all of which are designed to allow the organization to conduct business in an orderly and efficient manner. These controls also serve to deter and detect errors, prevent theft/fraud and promote accuracy of the accounting data. In the end, the business must be able to produce up-to-date and reliable information that is readily accessible to those making business and financial decisions. Competition Bikes has a few internal purchasing controls in place that are designed to streamline their ordering. The steps that are taken by the purchasing department when buying items for Competition Bikes are: ) Purchasing is instigated through the use of monthly budget projections 2) Purchasing gets bids from three sources for similar quality materials and selects low bidder 3)Purchasing issues a PO to chosen supplier 4) PO is sent to the supplier by purchasing on the first of projected month 5) Upon receipt of goods, materials are brought to production line for use during the month 6) Unused parts are sent to the raw materials inventory stores on last day of month 7) Purchasing sends suppliers invoice t o accounting ; accounting writes check to pay As we can see, the company has put some checks into place when purchases are made. First, the orders are based on budget projections that mirror the amount of needed raw materials. This ties the employees doing the purchasing, to a system that can be checked for accuracy. Because there will be a record of the monthly projections and the corresponding order that was placed, there will be an audit trail that can verify validity. Next, there is a requirement of getting three bids before an order can be placed. This removes the temptation of doing underhanded deals with a particular vendor. Then, as materials are received the items are delivered to the production line for use. This allows the purchasing department to check the items received against the items ordered, to make sure the order is complete before it is made available for use. At the end of the month whatever parts are left get sent to the storage area that is used for excess material. The last internal control that is in place is the accounting department being given the invoice by purchasing for final payment. This process puts in place, the appropriate oversight by the accounting department, whereby the same person(s) ordering are not writing the checks. If this were not the case, there would be potential for financial improprieties to occur. While there are some controls in place, there is a general lack of process centered around accounting for the inventory. The purchasing department buys raw materials based on the projected budget for the month. If they were to balance projected material needs against the amount of material left over from the previous month, the system would be less wasteful and more manageable. This would also allow them to keep tight reign on the already purchased materials inventory by carrying the remaining inventory forward. Then the company would be able to save money by reducing the material in storage, eliminating the need for storage space and buying things as the need arises. In addition, there is no procedure for signing off on receiving material, getting approval to move material to storage at the end of the month or for signing in order to have the invoice paid. There should be a method creates a paper trail over the entire course of tracking the purchases. I recommend the following course of action: 1) Purchasing is instigated through the use of monthly budget projections 2) The required amount based on projected budget is checked against the leftover inventory on the production run 3) The amount of materials left in inventory should be used to reduce the new order 4) Purchasing gets bids from three sources for similar quality materials and selects low bidder 5)Purchasing issues a PO to chosen supplier ) Supervisor checks work of the procurement clerk and signs off on order 7) PO is sent to chosen supplier by purchasing, on the first of projected month 8) Upon receipt, materials received are compared against the order and a supervisor validates what was purchased/received 9) If correct, order is taken to production floor for use 10) Purchasing sends invoice to accounting department to write check to pay 11) Accounting supervisor gives OK fo r invoice to be paid 12) Cycle begins all over the next month by taking inventory of what still remains on the production floor. There are several risks at play in light of the company’s internal controls. First, since there are no procedures in place for managing the inventory, the company is opening itself up to the possibility of theft. Once the raw materials leave the purchasing department and get taken to the production floor, there is no way to account for what has been used. Then, at the end of the month when the left over parts are taken to inventory storage there is no way to determine exactly what is left. Another area of risk is the lack of approval process, and no supervisors being given the ultimate responsibility for creating checks throughout the process. In conjunction with this same area of threat, there is no system in place for accounting to cross check the purchases before they receive the invoice. If the accounting department was required to sign off on the order before it went out, they would be able to provide another check to see if budget lined up to orders, and carried through to the invoice being paid. Sarbanes-Oxley compliance Back in 2002 the federal legislators felt they needed to act in the wake of the Enron and Worldcom debacles. These two companies were caught falsifying their accounting records to cover up misdeeds. Because the falsified information was published in the balance sheets, income statements and annual reports, people invested their money and lost millions of dollars. The resulting action was creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) that is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This was a piece of legislation that was designed to protect shareholders and the general public from errors in accounting and unscrupulous financial practices. The act provided rules and requirements for the retention and storage of electronic documents. These rules impact the financial side of companies, as well as IT departments that are charged with storage of electronic records. This act specifies that electronic records and electronic messages must be saved for at least five years. There are three rules associated with SOX. The first rule makes it a crime to alter, destroy or falsify records or documents. Second, this legislation lays out rules for accountants performing audits. When auditing a company that issues securities through the SEC, all paperwork that is produced during the audit must be retained for five years. And last, the act specifies the type of documents that must be stored. This includes any audit related documents, electronic communications created or received during the course of an audit and any financial data. In regard to Competition Bikes and its compliance with SOX, the company believes they are adequately addressing the requirements of the legislation. However, there has been an audit finding that points out the possibility of â€Å"material misstatement† on the company’s annual or interim financial reports. In short, this means there is the chance that false information is reported in the financial statements. This could be either accidental or intentional, but could impact the company’s stock prices. Based on the available information, this is possible because of the lax control over the materials inventory. There exists a loophole in the purchasing process whereby at the end of each month the remaining production materials inventory is sent to storage without accounting for what has been used. This opens up the company to theft of materials without even knowing something has been taken. Another area that is problematic is not having a system of checks and balances in place when creating orders and paying for them. The purchasing department does the buying without getting higher-level approval, and the accounting department pays the bills strictly on the authority of the purchasing people. This leaves the door open for fraudulent purchases because no one is overseeing what is being bought, and nobody is checking to see if the inventory has been received. Competition Bikes should put some procedures in place that more tightly control the purchasing and inventory of materials. One that controls how much gets ordered, who oversees the process, and how the vendors get paid once the products arrive. First, the purchasing department should account for any remaining inventory at the end of the month and only purchase additional materials that are needed. The current practice has materials being put into storage at the end of each month without being inventoried, with complete replacements being ordered based on projected needs. By scrutinizing raw materials, and how they get purchased, overspending and theft opportunities are alleviated. Second, before orders are placed, a single responsible party needs to sign off on all purchases, thus creating a system of checks and balances. Third, the accounting department needs to be involved in the receiving/inventorying in order to maintain oversight of products and the associated payments. And last, the accounting and purchasing departments need to work collaboratively in order to create oversight of each purchasing/inventory/payment process. By having the separate departments involved in each step along the purchasing process, the opportunity for improprieties to exist is greatly lessened. References Horizontal Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In businessdictionary. om Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/horizontal-analysis. html Vertical Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In investopedia. com Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www. investopedia. com/terms/v/vertical_analysis. asp Trend Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In wisegeek. com Retrieved February 25, 2013, from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-trend-analysis. htm Ratio Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In ratioanalysis. org Retrieved February 25, 2013, from http://www. ratioanalysis. org/ How to cite Wgu Fin Analysis Task 1, Essay examples

One Of Americas Biggest Problems Today Is The Overcrowding Of Prisons.

One of America's biggest problems today is the overcrowding of prisons. This began when the population of inmates started to soar in the 1980's. With the increase of rapist, murderers, and drug dealers skyrocketing, there is no reason to this overpopulation. The nation responds to this by building prison at a fast pace. But the construction has not kept pace with the soaring population of inmates. The number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of Federal correctional authorise at the end of 1991 reached a record high of 823,414. The increase for 1991 brings a total growth in the prison population since 1980 to 493,593 - an increase of about 150 percent in the 11-year period. California's increase of about 4,500 prisoners in 1991 was the largest gain in the number of prisoners in any single jurisdiction. The overall increase in 1994 is 8.6 percent, but Texas and Georgia reported increases of more than 20 percent. The largest increases occurred in Texas, up 28.5 percent, and Georgia, up 20.3 percent, according to a justice department report. Eight state prison systems were so crowded that they sent at least 10 percent of their inmates to local jails in 1994. The largest ever one-year increase in state and federal prison population occurred in 1989, when the number grew by 84,764, said the study of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. State and federal governments are struggling to cope with overcrowded prisons that fail to rehabilitate and often release inmates early to make room for new offenders. Inmat es that are over the age of 55 have a higher cost for health care than young inmates, so in some states prison officials are letting out prisoners over the age of 55 to let in the new offenders. The health care for these prisoners come from the taxes we pay, but officials let them go so we do not have to pay higher taxes. In 1990, correction officials in New Jersey came up with a program to solve the overpopulation in their state by having inmates wear ankle bracelets as they were free to about in society. Up to this point, thing went well for a time period of a little over two years and enrolling 1,700 inmates. That was until in April of 1992, a drug dealer, who was part of the program, stabbed a man to death. The drug dealer moved around freely, after tampering with the ankle device and getting it loose, for four months. One month later another program participant was charged in a beating and another was charged for selling heroin. If this problem is not solved soon the overcrowding will keep rising and the taxes will rise to buy beds and build more prisons as fast as construction keeps up with the population.