The Benefits and Limitations of Budgets

A budget is a comprehensive, formal, coordinated, detailed, quantitative plan that estimates the probable expenditures for acquiring and using financial and other resource for an organization over a specific time period. Budgeting describes the overall process from preparing budget, using budgets during the business operation, and later performance evaluation. It provides us the valuable tools for planning and control of finances and affects nearly every type of organization-from governments and large corporations to small businesses-as well as families and individuals. A small business generally engages in budgeting to determine the most efficient and effective strategies for making money and expanding its asset base. Budgeting can help a company use its limited financial and human resources in a manner which best exploit existing business opportunities such production expansion and acquisition that might otherwise miss. A good and through understanding of how budgeting works is a must for ambitious business executive if Continue reading

Meaning of Life Insurance and Types of Life Insurance Policies

Life insurance is popularly referred to as life assurance. In the case of life insurance, the underwriter agrees to pay the assured or his heirs, a certain sum of money on death or on the happening of an event dependent upon human life in consideration of premiums paid by the assured. Section 2(11) of the Insurance Act, 1938 defines Life Insurance business as follows: “Life Insurance Business” is the business of effecting contracts of insurance upon human life, including any contract whereby the payment of money is assured on death (except death by accident only) or the happening of any contingency dependent on human life and any contract which is subject to the payment of premiums for a term dependent on human life and shall be deemed to include: The granting of disability and double or triple indemnity accident benefits if so provided in the contract of insurance. The granting Continue reading

Case Study: Acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors

In 2008 Tata Motors, an Indian automaker wanted to expand its product portfolio and diversify its market base. It acquired the two iconic British brands Jaguar and Land Rover from the American automaker Ford Motor Corporation. This acquisition gave the company access to premium cars, a chance to add two iconic luxury brands to its stable and a global footprint. It gave struggling Ford a chance to rid itself of two loss-making vehicle units. The deal was transformational. It catapulted Tata Motors from a commercial vehicle and small-car manufacturer to a global player with marquee brands in its portfolio. The scale of the acquisition also was large relative to the size of Tata Motors. The purchase especially that of Jaguar, by an Indian company was viewed as toppling of the world order and many critics expressed doubts about Tata’s ability to retain the quality and standard of Jaguar Land Rover. Continue reading

Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Strategic Management

When any group of people live and work together for any length of time, they form and share beliefs about what is right and proper. They establish behavior patterns based on their beliefs, and their actions often become matters of habit which they follow routinely. These beliefs and ways of behaving create the culture of the organisation. Culture is a pattern of shared tacit assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, which has worked well enough to be considered valid in organisation and it is necessary to be taught to new members as the correct way to think, perceive, and feel in relation to those problems that occur in many organisation today. Culture also influences the selection of people for particular jobs, which in turn affects the way in which tasks are carried out and decisions are made in Continue reading

Introduction to Financial Instruments

Often investors invest through financial assets or financial instruments or securities. Investments that represent debt, ownership of a business or a legal right to acquire a part of ownership interest in business are called securities. There are a number of financial instruments which are traded in the money market. The important financial instruments are Treasury Bills, Certificates of Deposits, Commercial Bills, Commercial Papers, etc. The money market instruments have maturity period upon one year. Money market instruments are highly liquid, short-term debt instruments which mature in less than 12 months, and normally pay continuously varying returns. These involve no or very little degree of risk. The money market instruments pay return to investors in the form of discount at the time of issue. On the other hand, Capital market has instruments of longer maturity period. These instruments are : Ownership Securities : Equity Shares, Preference Shares, and Cumulative Convertible Preference Continue reading

Estimation of Working Capital Requirements

In estimating working capital needs, different people adopt different approaches. Some experts suggest that the working capital should be greater than the minimum requirements of the firm. The management should feel safety. It would be able to meet its obligations even in adverse circumstances. However, the excessive capital may lead to waste and inefficiency. On the other hand, some experts suggest that the working capital should be lower than the requirement so that no idle funds shall be invested in the current assets and it ultimately leads to increase in profitability of the company. However, in such case the firm always have risk of technical insolvency as it may not meet its obligations as and when they falls due for payment. So the question is what the proper amount of working capital is?. It is not an absolute amount. It depends upon the needs and circumstances available in the firm. Continue reading