Case Study on Entrepreneurship: Larry Page

Business Analysis

The Boundaryless Career: Modern Contemperory Perspective on Career

Human Resource Management

Concepts of Throughput Accounting and Theory of Constraints

Financial Management

Gantt Charts – Tool for Project Planning and Scheduling

Project Management

Kaizen – Understanding the Japanese Business Philosophy of Continuous Improvement

Operations Management

History of Commodity Market in India

The history of organized commodity derivatives in India goes back to the nineteenth century when Cotton Trade Association started futures trading in 1875, about a decade after they started in Chicago. Over the time datives market developed in several commodities in India. Following Cotton, derivatives trading started in oilseed in Bombay (1900), raw jute and jute goods in Calcutta (1912), Wheat in Hapur (1913) and Bullion in Bombay (1920). However many feared that derivatives fuelled unnecessary speculation and were detrimental to the healthy functioning of the market for the underlying commodities, resulting in to banning of commodity options trading and cash settlement of commodities futures after independence in 1952. The parliament passed the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, which regulated contracts in Commodities all over the India. The act prohibited options trading in Goods along with cash settlement of forward trades, rendering a crushing blow to the commodity derivatives market. Continue reading

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Guidelines for Effective Performance Appraisals

The performance appraisal requires willingness and a commitment to  focus on improving performance at the level of the individual or team every day.  Like a compass, an ongoing performance appraisal system provides  instantaneous, real-time information that describes the difference between one’s  current and desired course. To practice sound performance appraisal system,  managers must do the same thing-provide timely feedback about performance,  while constantly focusing everyone’s attention on the ultimate objective of  being the best among the competitors in the market. Well-written performance appraisals are among the most effective tools  for developing people. The following guidelines would be used for effective  performance appraisals to significantly increase your team’s effectiveness and  perceived value within your organization. Increase employees comfort level with performance appraisals. At the  beginning of each review period, explain the appraisal process, rating  system, and appraisal form. Agree on performance objectives and  measurements for the upcoming review period. Start thinking Continue reading

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4 Phases of Hawthorne Experiment – Explained

At the beginning of the 20th century, companies were using scientific approaches to improve worker productivity. But that all began to change in 1924 with the start of the Hawthorne Studies, a 9-year research program at Western Electric Companies. The program, of which Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger played a major role, concluded that an organization’s undocumented social system was a powerful motivator of employee behavior. The Hawthorne Studies led to the development of the Human Relations Movement in business management. The experiment was about measuring the impact of different working conditions by the company itself (such as levels of lighting, payment systems, and hours of work) on the output of the employees. The researchers concluded that variations in output were not caused by changing physical conditions or material rewards only but partly by the experiments themselves. The special treatment required by experimental participation convinced workers that management had a Continue reading

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Earnings Management Practices and Techniques

What are earnings and what is earnings management? Simply stated, earnings are the accounting profits of a company. Stakeholders (current or potential providers of debt and equity capital, employees, suppliers, customers, auditors, analysts, rating agencies, and regulators) use earnings to make important financial decisions. Many investors view earnings as value relevant data that is more informative than cash flow data. Others have suggested that current earnings are better predictors of future cash flows than are current cash flows. In the US, these profits are derived using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) – a system based on the accrual method, which measures the performance and position of a company by recognizing economic events regardless of when cash transactions occur. The general idea is that economic events are recognized by matching revenues to expenses at the time in which the transaction occurs rather than when payment is made (or received). This method Continue reading

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Cost of Capital – Meaning, Significance and Components

Investment in capital projects needs funds. These funds are provided by the investors like equity shareholders, preference shareholders, debenture holders, etc in expectation of a minimum return from the firm. The minimum return expected by the investors depends upon the risk perception of the investor as well as on the risk-return characteristics of the firm. This minimum return expected by the investors, which in turn, is the cost of procuring funds for the firm, is termed as the cost of capital of the firm. Thus, the cost of capital of a firm is the minimum rate of return that it must earn on its investments in order to satisfy the expectation of the various categories of investors who have invested in the firm. A firm procures funds from various sources by issuing different securities to finance its projects. Each of these sources of finance entails cost to the firm. Since Continue reading

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Approaches to Studying Consumer Behaviour

There are two broad approaches to the study of consumer behavior: 1. A Managerial Approach 2. A Holistic Approach A managerial approach views consumer behavior as an applied social science. It is studied as an adjunct to and a basis for developing marketing strategies. A holistic approach views consumer behavior as a pure rather than applied social science. In this view, consumer behavior is a legitimate focus of inquiry in and of itself without necessarily being applied to marketing. Although it may appear that the first view has the most credence for marketers, in reality, a holistic approach also provides a useful perspective to strategy in many cases. A Managerial Approach A managerial approach to consumer behavior tends to be more micro and cognitive in nature. It is micro in emphasizing the individual consumer: his or her attitudes, perceptions, and lifestyle and demographic characteristics. Environmental effects- reference groups, the family, Continue reading

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