Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1979. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 121-127. / by Pier Giorgio Romiti. / M.S.

Study project (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this assignment is to develop a method for rate making of construction machines and vehicles. An analysis of the fixed and variable cost of machines and vehicles are made together with the allocation of overhead costs. After anal ising the various cost components a model is developed for the determination of depreciation and finance charges by using the utilization of the relevant plant item. The figures obtained from this model are then used in an asset register. The information needed by the Receiver of Revenue is also included in this register for calculating the depreciation value at the end of the financial year. The maintenance and replacement of plant equipment are also discussed. Before the conclusion the necessity of keeping accurate records and the use of budgets for managing are looked at. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die werkstuk is om 'n raamwerk daar te stel wat gebruik kan word vir tariefvasstelling van konstruksiemasjiene en - voertuie. In Ontleding van die vaste en veranderlike koste van masjinerie en voertuie word gemaak, asook die hantering van oorhoofse koste in die onderneming. Nil die bespreking van die verskillende kostekomponente waaruit 'n tarief bestaan, word die klem geplaas op die berekening van waardevermindering. 'n Model vir waardeverminderingen finansieringskostebepaling aan die hand van die benutting van toerusting word ontwikkel. Die inligting sodoende verkry word saamgevat in 'n bateregister tesame met die inligting noodsaaklik vir die Ontvanger van Inkomste om waardeverminderingafskrywings te maak aan die einde van elke finansiele jaar. Die onderhoud en vervanging van toerusting word ook bespreek. Ter afsluiting word rekordhouding en die opstel van begrotings bespreek en die nut daarvan vir bestuur uitgewys.

Background/problem: Historically, the audit and finance industry have been dominated by men but today the majority of the co-workers are women. Despite this progress, women in both industries are still underrepresented in top positions and are still facing problems in their career advancement. Purpose: The aim of the study is to describe and explain similarities and differences between women’s experienced career opportunities in the audit and finance industry. Method: 12 hypotheses have been derived from previous studies and theories. The hypotheses were tested using telephone surveys with 79 women from the audit industry and 81 women from the finance industry. Conclusion: Women in the accounting profession experience that they have better career opportunities than women in the finance industry. The main factors that influence women in the audit industry are age, family, health, previous working experience and promotion. Where as in the finance industry age, previous working experience and ambition are the primary factors that influence women’s career opportunities. / Bakgrund/problem: Revisions- och finansbranschen har historiskt sett varit mansdominerade branscher men är idag yrken där en övervägande del är kvinnor. Trots utvecklingen är kvinnor inom båda branscherna underrepresenterade på toppositioner och många kvinnor möter hinder för att göra karriär. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva och förklara likheter och skillnader mellan kvinnors upplevda karriärmöjligheter i revisions- och finansbranschen. Metod: 12 hypoteser har härletts utifrån tidigare studier och forskning. Hypoteserna har testats genom telefonenkäter med hjälp av 79 kvinnor från revisionsbranschen och 81 kvinnor från finansbranschen. Slutsats: Kvinnor i revisionsbranschen upplever att de har något bättre karriärmöjligheter än kvinnor i finansbranschen. De främsta faktorerna som påverkar kvinnors karriärmöjligheter i revisionsbranschen är ålder, familj, hälsa, arbetslivserfarenhet och befordran. I finansbranschen är ålder,arbetslivserfarenhet och ambitionsnivå de primära faktorerna för finanskvinnors karriärmöjligheter.

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Tourism and Hospitality Management Faculty of Business Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Environmental management is a new phenomenon, one which affects not only the way that individuals live their lives today but also how businesses operate. Environmental policies cannot simply be introduced, especially in the hospitality industry. Although the industry thrives off customer satisfaction, like any other business it relies on making a profit each financial year for it to stay operational. This research was undertaken to determine if implementing an environmental policy has any effect on the financial statements of a select group of hotels within the Cape Metropole. In answering this question, the researcher was able to establish what the relationship between implementing environmental management policies was and the effect it has on the financial side of a specific group of hotels. “Hotels are also being pressured to move towards triple bottom line reporting (3bl), involving the relationship between profit, people, and planet” (Kleindorfer, Singhal & Van Wassenhove, 2005:482). “To encourage an environmentally more responsible behavior in the hotel sector, it was necessary to demonstrate the cost savings of these practices” (Bohdanowicz, 2005:188-205). The research methodology consisted of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Interviews were conducted with participants from key organizations, and with people who were linked to the hotel industry and environmental management. These included government organizations, SARS, which deals with all tax-related laws in South Africa, Eskom, the country’s energy providing company, as well as with a travel agency which deals with hotel bookings on both a local and international level. A focus group was also undertaken to ensure that the problems being researched were discussed fully by likeminded people, and by those who were directly involved with carrying out these policies in hotels. Questionnaires were sent to all the four- and five-star hotels within the Cape Metropole to assess the current situation relating to environmental management and their financial profit or loss. The research determined that implementing environmental policies has both a positive and negative effect on financial statements, thus proving that there is a direct link between the two. The findings clearly showed that environmental policies, whilst good for the surroundings and the environment, can be financially draining for a business if not properly planned prior to implementation. With correct research, however, this can be done in the correct manner, with results that are positive for both the environment and for the company’s financial statements.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

by Lee H.P., Anthony. / Bibliography: leaf 34 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1983

University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

Operation scales of the travel agencies can be giant or tiny in term of sizes. No matter in Taiwan or abroad, most trvel agents are SMEs (small and medium enterprises), while some large-scale foreign or mainland travel agencies are even bigger than ordinary banks or airlines. Travel agents play a role as an important channel for travelers. They collect a considerable huge amount of money from travelers and pay to the suppliers just like a temporary God of Wealth. Airline tickets and tour fares end up to some hundred millions or even some billions of turn over (in total amount counting method) commonly. This is an industry which charges in advance before providing services. In addition to the shorter term of airline credit, six elements of travel - meals, accommodations, transportations, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainments, are allowed routinely credited periodically, especially tours fares often accumulated to an astronomical figures. This sevice industry is quite different from other manufacture suffered from the "inventories" problem, but with something in common, it has a huge amount of outstanding accounts remain unsettled, or even worse to cause the phoenomenon of financial black hole with "assets virtually inflated and liabilities virtually reduced". Several large tours wholesalers in Taiwan went bankruptcy might be owing to these reasons. Even the subsidiary of TUI, the world's largest tours group, outbroke similar news incident in early 2011. It was not singly but in pairs, Reuters reported that Europe's second largest travel company Thomas Cook facing financial crisis in late 2011, were forced to acquire ¢G 2 billion loan from banks to survive in the coming low winter season. A great amount of accumulated money often causes a crisis of credit expansion, if any ambitious entrepreneur seeks to gain more profits from other reinvestments, intends to get real estates, accquitions, mergers, and other risky investments, possibly resulted in large scale damage with both investments and foreign currency exchange losses, when facing an economy downturn or political turmoils. "Financial management" is always the primary course of business running. Emphasis on the "financial problems management" is not just a slogon, and not just to watch bank deposits closely, but also to realize how and what sholuld be seriously paid attention to. Revenue increasing and cost cutting are always the true value of financial management on business development. The differences of corporate finance from time to time are as same as different figures of human pulse, blood presure, or blood suguar that varies at diffent times or in different conditions. Financial management of a company is just like personal health management, such as people in different stages faces different situations and needs. So companies must grasp the pulse of business development in different stages to plan for the future direction. Many companies seek to maximize profits at the same time, yet ignoring the strong managing and decision-guiding functions of financial management. Newspapers and magazines often report how many employees and consumers are impacted by the closing of plants or travel agencies, many of them are wellknown enterprises. Although the global economic downturns, the failure of business diversification or reinvestment hold-up losses and other factors might take the blames. But as the old saying: "There is no sunset industry but only sunset enterprises." How to survive in the harsh environment? We must strengthen to master financial management, through analysis and control of "financial problems management" to generate necessary resources and to cut the costs to enhance the business performance. "The management of financial problems among travel industry" is really the weakest point of this industry. Practical financial management books or informations for travel agencies are not easy to be found in stores or other resources. In past decades we have seen the rotation of rises and falls in the industry, we strongly believe "Accounting and Financial Management" is the basis for all kinds of management. This thesis contains the examples of Phoenix Tours International and other travel agents among Taiwan travel industry. The real experiences of daily practices are the most important contents. I attempt to integrate academic theories into daily practices, a little theoretical but more practical argument, to provide better healthy informations for the industry. Despite the company accounting system, I had also tried to establish a basic financial training material for my management team. Wish all our colleagues will not repeat the same financial errors of their predecessors. Under the guideline of Taiwan Tourism Bureau which is committed to developing tourism with ¡§Vanguard for excellences and piloting for all projects¡¨, I tried to do my best to write down personal experiences and researches knowledge as basic works. Hope to bring up some echoes and brainstormings, to lead a brighter future and better progress for the industry. All the appendixes to this thesis are important references to the main text. Many of them are also my writings in the past. At last, IFRSs regulations will soon be implemented, we have to find out its impacts on the enterprises that should not be underestimated. Not only affect financial and accounting areas, information system, performance reward systems, investor relations, tax and legal aspects will also have significant impacts. IFRSs conversion or convergence may not only be an easy task, but provides an excellent opportunity for companies to re-examine the existing financial strategies, accounting policies, management systems, process efficiencies, risk managements, internal controls, system functions, corporate governances and investor relations practices, such as whether to meet current and future needs, and take this opportunity to enhance their strengths by improving inadequacies.

Following the recession of 2007-2009, conditions in the housing and finance industries favored an increase in renter occupied homes relative to owner occupied homes. With rental properties comprising an increasing share of the housing supply, the home building industry should consider housing products that meet the needs of renters. This thesis proposes a build-to-rent product for single family home builders, to be offered as a complement to the traditional built-for-sale product. The purpose of the research is to demonstrate that a build-to-rent product is financially feasible under ordinary market conditions. In order to determine the viability of a build-to-rent product under likely market conditions, a financial model has been developed for a single family build-to rent product. The research involves reviewing the literature related to similar investment product types in order to develop a business model for the proposed build-to-rent product. The proposed model utilizes financial parameters currently in the industry, respectively, in the analysis of homebuilding projects and rental property investments. Using the analytical methods used for analogous investment classes, the author calculates a projected market range of input variables for the model. Sensitivity analysis of the model was then used to test the financial feasibility of a build-to-rent product. The analysis showed that the proposed product would be feasible under ordinary market conditions. Additional recommendations for future research has been explored based on the findings of this study.

New federal legislation proposes to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with biofuel production. To comply, existing corn ethanol plants will have to invest in new more carbon efficient production technology such as dry fractionation. However, this will be challenging for the industry given the present financial environment of surplus production, recent profit declines, numerous bankruptcies, and lender imposed covenants. This study examines a dry-mill ethanol firm's ability to invest in dry fractionation technology in the face of declining profitability and stringent lender cash flow repayment constraints. Firm level risk aversion also is considered when determining a firm's willingness to invest in dry fractionation technology. A Monte Carlo simulation model is constructed to estimate firm profits, cash flows, and changes in equity following new investment in fractionation to determine an optimal investment strategy. The addition of a lender-imposed sweep, whereby a percentage of free cash flow is used to pay off extra debt in high profit years, reduces the firm's ability to build equity and increases bankruptcy risk under investment. However, the sweep increases long-run equity because total financing costs are reduced with accelerated debt repayment. This thesis shows that while ethanol firm profits are uncertain, the lender's imposition of a sweep combined with increased profit from dry fractionation technology help the firm increase long-run financial resiliency.