Thursday, October 31, 2019

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of Literature review

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of published financial information and the information content - Literature review Example Moreover, it has been proved that financial information and information content of earnings have the power to affect the investors’ decision making process. The interaction between the overall model of investor’s decision making and the published financial information, as well as the information content of earnings, is critically discussed in this paper. The justification of the above model in the context of the current financial crisis is evaluated. In order to secure that all the issues discussed above are covered, the paper has been divided into several sections, highlighting the various aspects of this paper’s subject. Apart from the introduction section, where the overall scope of the paper is presented, of particular importance are the literature and the Discussion sections. In the literature review section the following issues are addressed: the key characteristics of market research and its value on financial reporting, the published financial information and the information content of earnings as factors influencing investors’ decision making and potential use of the model of investors’ decision making within modern market which is under the continuous pressures of global financial crisis. The value of the literature findings in the context of the present crisis are further analyzed in the Analysis and Discussion section, so that valid assumptions are developed in regard to the study’s key subject. In the last section of the paper, Conclusion and recommendations, the key findings of the research developed for the issues addressed in this paper are summarized and recommendations are made, as appropriate, so that future failures are avoided. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Market research – characteristics and relation with financial reporting Market research is employed in a variety of business activities. For example, when having to decide in regard to the entrance of the business in a new market or in regard t o the development of a new product/ service market research is used for gathering information related to the host market or the consumer preferences as related to the new product/ service (Wahlen et al. 52). In regard to financial reporting and investment decision making, market research has a similar role. It helps to gather information required in developing a firm’s financial statements so that the position of the firm and its competitiveness is made clear (Wahlen et al. 52). Market research can be developed through a high range of research methods, such as surveys and field studies (Wahlen et al. 52). Preferably, market research should be based on empirical research methods, aiming to show the current market trends in regard to one or more critical business sectors. Capital market research is part of market research, it its broad meaning. Capital market research focuses on the review of ‘value-related information, such as share prices’ (Wahlen et al. 52). At this point it would be necessary to explain the key context of financial reporting, as a key activity in all organizations. Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford note that financial reporting is a process ‘for gathering information that will be used by investors or creditors for developing their investment or credit decisions accordingly’ (Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford 62). In general, financial reporti

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Conscious Performance Analysis or CPA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Conscious Performance Analysis or CPA - Essay Example In fact, being a skeptic, I would say that there is plenty of evidence to support the notion that most people do not invest any time into going beyond the Wondering Operation that involves attending to what interests them and ignoring what is of no interest. Critical Operations follow for those who find CPA a useful exercise, but unfortunately, most people find interest only in superficiality of the bag of chips they are devouring while sitting on their couch in front of their big screen watching Dancing with the Stars. The popularity of such superficial and meaningless programming as well as the rising obesity rates proves this assertion, or at least makes a very strong argument in favor of the assertion. The real value in CPA comes from the fact that it can lead people out of that inattentive, lazy place into a more enlightened, more examined life that truly is worth living. Americans especially, but I am sure that it occurs in other countries too, are lazy. The effort required to perform CPA and to do so on a regular basis is much more than most people have in them. So, those who do actively seek meaning, objectivity, knowledge, truth, reality, and value, even if they do not realize that they are performing CPA, are few and far between. To me to assume that most people do want to find greater meaning in their lives seems optimistic. One would have to credit the general population with a lot more gumption than I am willing to credit them with, but only because I see the results of the general ennui of society. Nobody cares for each other and only in a genuine concern for each other can life actually have meaning. People only care about themselves and it is proven day in and day out. Take Black Friday for example. Shoppers stepped around and over a dying man and sprayed each other with pepper spray just to be first to get a cheap video game console so they can go home and resume being lazy in front of the television. These sorts of examples do not bode well fo r the future of humanity These pepper-spraying, bargain hunting people are only one kind of people, of course, and CPA does â€Å"distinguish types of subjects by the kinds of meaning they’re most interested in, the kinds of knowledge they most desire, the domains of reality they inhabit and in which they’re most comfortable, the kinds of values that concern them most† (87). Another kind of subject would be those at the other end of the spectrum, those who genuinely seek meaningful purpose in their lives through self-knowledge and self-possession. These people exhibit a basic commitment toward meaning, objectivity, knowledge, truth, reality, and value by wondering about the way they approach the events of their lives, and by critically analyzing not only the content and sequence of the events, but also their method of experiencing the events. Using CPA allows a person to experience life’s events more fully. After learning about CPA, I thought of some of t he past moments of my life and realized that some of them passed by and now I have few memories of them. For instance, I only vaguely remember my high school graduation. That is a pretty important day, but I just remember being nervous and not really wanting to walk across the stage in my clunky shoes to get my diploma. I thought for sure I was going to trip and fall. I do not remember being proud, just glad that I was finished with that portion of my life and ready to move on with the next. I do not remember any great feeling of achievement either. However, now looking back I see my high school graduation as a sign post in my life. When the principal of my school handed me that

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Management in Creative and Cultural Organisations

Management in Creative and Cultural Organisations How important is team composition for innovation? Discuss your answer with reference to theory and examples from any creative or cultural organisation(s) Introduction: The essay presents about how the team composition is significant for the innovation. This is presented by using the theory and the examples from the creative and the cultural organisations. Team composition signifies the mix of the different character people in a team, or the one that has the unit of two or more individuals who could interact in an interdependent way so that they could achieve the common objective framed. The team composition could be homogenous (where all share the same characteristics) or heterogeneous (where each individual is different from the other) (Cohendet Simon, 2007). This is considered as the key factor which is influencing the performance outcome of the team. Though there are many, kind of the works which is related to the team work the current study focuses only on the significance of team composition in innovation which is related to the creative and the cultural organisation (Marotto Roos, 2007). Team composition in innovation (Discussion): The collaborative process is the ones that need some kind of the interaction and the coordination with the person in the group or with the team members. The collaborative pairs achieve more eminence in the creative domain. Collaboration is very popular in the educational environments where the students shall be working on different projects. These collaborative processes are involved in the creative and also the similar collaborative processes. Creativity is the process by which the new ideas or the process is created (Gilson, 2017). The creativity is considered more of the exploration process which includes the alternatives while the innovation could be categorised more as the exploitation process where one shall be trying to implement the data in an effective way. The creativity is focusing more on the alternatives exploration (Taylor Greve, 2006). Team creativity could be considered as the sum of the creative output of the individual group members. The group members shall be influencing the potential of their peers potential for being creative and this shall be affecting their cognitive and also the motivational processes (LevickaitÄ-, 2011). The idea that is shared by the peer shall have potential for cognitively stimulating the other member in the group to be more creative. In order to hear the group member complaining on the potential one need to lower ones motivation for working hard on the task. Thus, the creativity of each of the individual in the group shall be influencing the others. At the same time the group members complain will have the effect on the others and this might lower their motivation to work hard (Marotto Roos, 2007). Thus the work of the one member in the group shall be affecting the other group members as well. The team work plays a remarkable role in the creative and also the innovative industrie s (Cohendet Simon, 2007). The videogame industry has a rapid growth and they have the major role in the emerging economy of the creative industries. They shall be producing more influential cultural icons and also the best selling products which represent a substantial portion in the entertainment industry. The products in the video game industry are captivating the entire generation. They are also fascinating the business world through the upsurge of the profitable markets (Cohendet Simon, 2007). As a cultural product, video game is considered as the complex mix of technology art and also the interactive way of the story telling. The technological part in the artefact need to disappear beyond the magic scenario, the smoothness of the controls and incorporates the realism of the simulation (Gilson, 2017). Thus these video gaming involves many activities like the development and integration of scenario, designing the interactivity, programming activities, music, integration, etc. The video games industry thus hires the innovators who belong to the different communities as the specialists (LevickaitÄ-, 2011). They shall be into the work of the script writers, game designers and the graphic artists in the 2D and 3D and also the highly talented software programmers. This cultural product is the results of the team work of the individuals and this is not possible by the individual. The team work that incorporates diverse minds, intelligence and the creativity is essential for the combined goal to be achieved in the organisation. The team implemented this through the common tasks, creative discussion and also the interactions (Marotto Roos, 2007). The performance of the group has been traditionally put forward as the conceptualisation of the input process- output model. In such kind of the models the knowledge of the group members, their individual knowledge and also their skills, the composition of the team and the task objectives which is set with the support systems and the interactions that is made among the group members shall be explaining the performance of the group members (Taylor Greve, 2006). This mode is further developed so that this shall be stressing on the need of the context of the innovation from the perspective of the leadership teams. This shall also stress on the significance of the team composition and also the organisational support that is provided for the team output (Cohendet Simon, 2007). The peak performance in the group is very closely related t the Maslows (1968) notion of the peak experience. This shall be referring to the brief and also the transient moments of bliss, ecstasy with related to the time and the space (Marotto Roos, 2007). This is the natural phenomenon which is prompted by the large variety of the triggers. They are elaborated in the subsequent sections. These are the triggers that shall be including the moments of the inspiration of discovery, the unity that is assumed with the nature, exercise and movement, aesthetic perceptions more so in the performance of the fine arts (Cohendet Simon, 2007). The group level peak performance implies that the group is very much active in collectively executing the task. In these types of the cases the group level peak performance shall be transcending their ordinary level performance and experiences to the sense of communities and timelessness. Given the team work as well as the cooperation which has been emphasised it shall be useful for studying the timeless in the group level (Taylor Greve, 2006). The groups and also the team study shows that rather than being an individual they shall be working best on group with regards to efficiency in the productivity, their response time, quality, satisfaction of the customer and also the innovation. The groups shall be sharing the extremely tight bonds among their members and however this is not necessary that all in the group shall be having the personal affinity for one another. The personal feelings have the secondary option to the task that needs to be done (LevickaitÄ-, 2011). The team creativity could originate with either the idea or the suggestion of the single individual and further they are developed, worked and elaborated by the team. In many of the teams the organisation is considered as the lead creator and this is where the ideas are considered as the seed for their projects and the teams shall subsequently develop (Cohendet Simon, 2007). Example: many of the Apple products are on the basis of the ideas that are generated by the individuals like Stephen Wozniak, Burrel Smith or Jony Ive as these are the ideas which are further developed and also worked on by the individuals. On the converse aspect the creativity could also generate from the collective aspects. The idea could emanate from the unit and the unit as the team could work for refining and also developing these ideas. Example: in the case of the string quartets the role played by the second violinist shall be critical for the creative ideas which is bring brought forward and further sele cted and the ways the conflicts are handled and the paradoxes are addressed so that the ultimate success with the quartet (Gilson, 2017). Though the creativity is considered as vital in almost all the jobs the definition of the creativeness could vary and this shall range from the minor (or incremental changes) adaptations or the changes in the work that is performed or this could move to the more radical breakthroughs with the introduction of the complete new process or the products. Though it is argued in many of the articles that the creativity and the innovation are different they are argued in the interchangeable manner in reviews (Taylor Greve, 2006). But for the teams who are in the creative industries to distinguish between the creativity and the innovation is salient as some of the process shall be stifling for the preparation while the generation of the other novella and the useful suggestions may not be similar with the ones that is hindering the implementation. If the team is engaged in the creativity then they need the members who shall be able to generate lots of ideas on the free wheel and they must hav e the ability to take risks (Cohendet Simon, 2007). On the other hand if the team is engaged in the aspect of the innovation then they must be inclined to more rational decision making and need to gauge the appropriateness in relative to the novelty for the minimising of the foolishness (Marotto Roos, 2007). This line of the demarcation gets further blurred when the team is working in the virtual world. These are the findings which suggest that since the communication shall be more often focused in the technology mediated teams and the generation of the idea could be interwoven on the basis of the development, refinement and also the evaluation and implementation (Cohendet Simon, 2007). To have the team members they shall be bringing up a completely new or the radically different kind of the suggestions and the stop for the process or the product which is flawed so that there are time to play with these ideas and the challenge for the status quo so that they shall be discussing these ideas which might be once considered as unrealistic get passed. The study by (LevickaitÄ-, 2011) also stated that the number of the ideas which is created by the individuals is lesser compared with that of the group. For the teams who are working in the creative industries this gives an idea that often exposed the idea that is required for the cooperation which is essential for the success of the teams under certain kind of the conditions or even by the other pressures and the deadlines where they shall be able to focus their attention on the provided task. The main goal for the employees is in freely engaging in the process of the creation so that they are not driven by the budgets, production schedules or the bottom line. In the case of the creative industries these are the distinctions that happen always (Cohendet Simon, 2007). Example: in the Fashion houses they look for the developing of the testing the new looks and the styles (which is a radically creative outcome) for the catwalk through their couture lines and at the same time they shall be maintaining a ready to wear (i.e., an incrementally creative outcome) which has the mass appeal and the ones that which can be sold on the high stre et so that profit could be made in return on the funds through the cutting edge creations made (Marotto Roos, 2007). The tensions and also the paradoxes which have been discussed earlier have the designers who seek in the creation of the outfits which shall make the headlines than that of filling the cash registers. Conclusion: Team work is considered as the paramount here and it is argued that greater creative firms like the Georgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent which will not be a success had they did not have a successful teams. Team diversity however could be considered as the double edged sword as they are more likely to have a negative effect than the positive performance. Hence, Teams however contribute more for the innovation and the creativity compared with that of the individual performance. References: Cohendet, P. Simon, L., 2007. Playing across the Playground: Paradoxes of Knowledge Creation in the Videogame Firm. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28(5), pp. 587 605. Gilson, L. L., 2017. Creativity in Teams: Processes and Outcomes in Creative Industries. 1st ed. London: Industries. LevickaitÄ-, R., 2011. Four Approaches to the creative economy: General Overview. Business, Management and Education, 9(1), pp. 81 92. Marotto, M. Roos, J., 2007. Collective Virtuosity in Organizations: A Study of Peak Performance in an Orchestra. Journal of Management Studies, 44(3), pp. 387 413. Taylor, A. Greve, H. R., 2006. Superman or the Fantastic Four? Knowledge Combination and Experience in InnovativeTeams. The Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), pp. 723 740.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Nitrogen as a Fertilizer, Nutrient, or Pollutant Essay -- Nitrogen Bio

Nitrogen as a Fertilizer, Nutrient, or Pollutant Nitrogen can always be a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant depending on the circumstances and the environment it is in. As a fertilizer, nitrogen can be extremely useful in aiding the growth of many plants. As a nutrient, nitrogen is essential to many plants growth and survival. As a pollutant, nitrogen can not only affect the plant at the given time but be very detrimental many years down the road. No matter where you go nitrogen will always be either a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant. Nitrogen can be considered as both a fertilizer and nutrient under the right constraints. I will use citrus plants as one of my examples. For citrus growers applying nitrogen to plants is a common and needed practice. â€Å"Spring is the best time to apply nitrogen to citrus. Research has shown that the demand for nitrogen in citrus is highest from bloom through June and most of the supplemental nitrogen fertilizer should be applied during this time period.† It is a major key to plant growth and development. Nitrogen is crucial to citrus plants for optimal growth and yield. Without nitrogen you can see suffering results for many years down the road. Citrus responds readily to nitrogen nutrition. Current and past research shows that if nitrogen is maintained in fall-sampled citrus leaves between 2.4 and 2.6 % on a dry-weight basis for oranges, and between 2.2 and 2.4 % for lemons, a good balance is struck between yield, size and fruit quality. The evidence linking nitrogen to puff, crease, smaller fruit size and staining does exist, but these negative effects are most significant at nitrogen levels greater than 2.6 % nitrogen. Some growers have decreased nitrogen applicati... ...le harming crops up to 8 years later. Nitrogen is an important element, whether it is in water or some other form, but either way it can easily be a vicious pollutant. What category do you think nitrogen should be in--fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant? Should you take into account how much nitrogen can help a plant like with fruit size or yield? Or should you weigh heavily on how much nitrogen can hurt a plant and for such an extended period of time? There are many ways to dispute either of these choices for or against but none of them are a perfect fit. Works Cited Craig Kallsen. http://cekern.ucdavis.edu/Custom Program143/Citrus Nitrogen Fertilizer.htm. Power, Sally A.; Green, Emma R.; Barker, Chris G.; Bell, J. Nigel B.; Ashmore, Mike R. "Ecosystem recovery: heathland response to a reduction in nitrogen deposition." Global Change Biology 12

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

â€Å"Experience in the cities shows that the cycle of violence is a self-perpetuating phenomenon, constantly generating new violence from within itself. † (Enns 2002 p. 3). When we observe our nation of children, as a whole group, we see a higher and higher incidence of violence among them, not to mention that it occurs at an earlier and earlier age. It is becoming almost commonplace to hear of pre-teens who have committed acts of violence, and we now are beginning to hear of children as young as six and seven committing violent acts.It is a fact that violence begets violence, and our children are exposed to unimaginable acts from parents and caregivers. Drugs are rampant in our nation, and poverty and domestic violence are merely a way of life for many children today. According to author Kathy Sitarski, â€Å"we all tend to take out our pain on others to one degree or another, even if only in fantasy. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 1). This phenomenon does not occur because we a re in some way inhuman, but rather because we are unable to deal with the feelings of terror and rage that come along with memories of our own pain.When we feel helpless and powerless, or when terror threatens to overtake us, acting out toward others makes us feel more in charge in some strange way. Of course there are those who consciously choose not to take their rage and pain out on another human being, and, in many cases, turn it against themselves in the form of abusive relationships or endangering their own lives. (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Violence can isolate us as human beings because it brings shame into our lives.We are ashamed to have hurt another or we are ashamed that we have allowed ourselves to be abused; â€Å"a beating feels shameful and humiliating and the survivor often internalizes that he or she somehow deserved it. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Even witnessing violence against another can cause us to feel shame as we feel powerless to stop it. Most rapists can rec all rape and physical abuse in their own histories, then they later act out the same form of violence on another. How likely is it that today’s abused, neglected and ignored children will become tomorrow’s violent offenders?According to the National Institute of Justice it is extremely likely; results of a detailed study show that childhood abuse and neglect â€Å"increase the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 29 percent. † (National 2001 p. 1). Further statistics are equally appalling: the abused or neglected child has a 59 percent increased likelihood of juvenile arrest, and 28 percent increased likelihood of adult arrest, and 30 percent increased likelihood of having committed a truly violent crime. These statistics give us an idea of what the â€Å"cycle of violence† leaves in its wake.Nationwide, the incidence of neglect is some two and a half times that of physical abuse. Neglect can also have the potential to be even more damaging to the development of a child than physical abuse. (National 2001 p. 3). When we think of abuse and neglect, we rarely think of malnutrition. Some children are literally starved of the basic nutrition and food their bodies need to grow as small children. Malnourished children will later show attention deficits, reduced social skills, and poorer emotional stability than the comparison group.Unfortunately, our system of incarceration fails miserably in the sense that the â€Å"punishment phase† of prison is meant to â€Å"blame, shame, ridicule, beat down and break the spirit of people who have broken the law. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 3). While most all of us would certainly agree that those who commit violent crimes must be incarcerated, must be kept from the population at large, we are punishing these people in the same ways that actually turned them to violence in the first place. Those long-held feelings of terror and rage, rather than being relieved in some way, only increase with every day spent in the violent atmosphere of prison.If we really believe in the rehabilitation theory of prison, a long hard look needs to be taken at our prison system, and some practices put into place to actually break this vicious cycle of violence that will continue to repeat itself until interrupted. Early intervention is the key to stopping this destructive cycle; children at risk need to be identified early and swift measures need to be taken to try and relieve some of the terror and rage felt by the abused and neglected child.When this takes place, one link in the cycle is broken, perhaps leading to another and another. Works Cited About Domestic Violence (2003). Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www. edvpor/aboutDV/cycle. htm Enns, Fernando (2001). Breaking the Cycle of Violence. From the Ecumenical Review, Volume 53, Issue 2. Retrieved December 9, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com Hopper, Jim (1997). Factors in the Cycle of Violence: Gender Rigidity and Emotional Constriction. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www.jimhopper. com/cycle National Institute of Justice (February 2001). An Update on the Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 8, 2006 from: http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894. pdf Siris, Karen (2004). Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying and Victimization in the Elementary Classroom. From Phi Delta Kappan, Volume 86, Issue 4. Retrieved December 9, 200 from: http://www. questia. com Sitarski, Kathy (2004). The Wheel of Violence. From The Humanist, Volume 56, Issue 3. Retrieved December 7, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Audience Analysis Essay

â€Å"Audience analysis gives you the tools you need to shape your product and your message† (Locker & Kienzler, 2008, p. 41). When presenting the company’s quarterly sales information it is important to evaluate the audience so that you can tailor the message to their needs. Considering the characteristics of the audience; the more you know about the audience, the more you can focus your presentation on what they need to know. You will also need to determine which communication channel is the most effective to present this information. It is almost important to understand the diversity of the audience so that you aren’t focusing on one group of people. If you spend the time analyzing your audience you can ensure that your sales presentation is effective. The more you know and understand your audience the better your message will be; you can start by identifying the characteristics of your audience. According to Locker and Kienzler (2008), the demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, religion, education level, and income may be relevant when analyzing the audience. Because the sales presentation is for the stakeholders of the company, particularly managers, sales, and the customers, the demographics of the audience may be irrelevant for this case. When analyzing the stakeholders for this presentation, it is important to evaluate what they have in common and what is important to them. For example, stakeholders have a stake in the company so they want to see the company succeed; the sales data should be detailed enough to see the true performance of the company. Performing an audience analysis can be simplified by focusing on who they are, what their needs and expectations are, and how they will use the information. Managers need the sales information to gauge the performance of the company and to help make decisions on the day-to-day operations. The sales staff can use the information to see if they are meeting their sales goals and customers want to know that their suppliers are operating consistently and solid. Knowing the specifics needs you audience needs will help you when you are organizing your information for the presentation. Effective communication is based on selecting the appropriate communication channel to convey your message. Communication channels are the methods that are used to send a message to the audience. These methods can vary in efficiency and speed to the number of people who are reached (Locker & Kienzler, 2008). These messages can be sent through brochures, letters, e-mail messages, telephone conversations, video conferencing, and face-to-face meetings (Communication Channels, 2011). You are currently planning your sales presentation for a face-to-face meeting with the stakeholders. By meeting face-to-face you can combine some of the communication channels for a more effective message. The written part of the message includes presenting the sales information in a PowerPoint that allows you to include detailed information incorporating graphs and charts. You can communicate the information orally providing a narrative that supports your PowerPoint slides. This can be a very effective method of highlighting specific points of the presentation to what the audience needs to capture. Other methods that can be used effectively in this scenario are a video conference or a conference call combined with Net meeting in order for everyone to access the PowerPoint during the meeting. Emailing this type of information is fast and efficient, but it would be ineffective. There is too much information that could get overlooked and misinterpreted regardless of how much effort you put into the audience analysis. Email channels are more appropriate for routine communication such as day-to-day activities. Selecting the proper channel can contribute to the success of the message. When preparing your presentation it is important to take into consideration the diversity of the audience. Living in a multicultural society it is important to recognize and be sensitive toward the different cultures and ethnicities of people. In addition you should understand the organizational culture. Organizational culture is a set of values and attitudes that can change from company to company. It can be an important part of delivering a successful sales presentation by understanding the culture of the company. In the sales meeting with the stakeholders you have a diverse audience of internal company managers and sales staff and you have external customers. You need to take this into consideration when determining the level of detail that you want to share in the meeting. With the presence of outside people, you may want to be cautious of how much sales information you present in the meeting. Too much information could be damaging; you don’t want your customer to have more information than necessary to get the message across. Analyzing your audience will prepare you for the diversity of your audience. In order to communicate effectively with your audience, you need to understand who they are, what groups they belong to, and what values they hold† (Locker & Kienzler, 2008, p. 41). One way to ensure that you deliver an effective message is to start by performing a thorough audience analysis. Organize the information that you are including the key points that you want to get across. Creating visual aids like graphs and charts that support your ideas can help to keep the attention of your audience. It is also helpful to know your material and have good speaking skills so that you can relay the information without interruption. When meetings run long you can start to lose the attention of your audience; keep the presentation to a time length appropriate to get the message across. Create an interactive meeting and ask questions; this way you will know immediately if the audience is clearly receiving the information that you are presenting. Presenting quarterly sales information requires a little bit more than throwing numbers on a slide and showing them to the managers, sales, and customers present in the meeting. To ensure that you are delivering an effective message put in the extra time to do the research. Evaluate the audience so that you can focus the presentation on what type of data and information that each group of stakeholders need. Prior to scheduling the face-to-face meeting; consider different communication channels to present the sales data, this will help to determine which method is the most effective. Include enough information to ensure that you deliver an effective message that benefits your audience. â€Å"Audience analysis is the first step in any communication process: it gives you the tools you need to shape your product and your message† (Locker & Kienzler, 2008, p. 41).