Ethical Treatment of Animals Essay

False advertisements: Many customers have been complaining about McDonalds advertising one thing and doing something quite different. Many customers has been to a McDonald store only to find out different prices than the ones on the advertisements. For instance, sweat tea has been advertised for 1 but is sold for 1. 40 in the stores.  McDonald’s has also made many false advertisements about its products and how they are classed as healthy, nutritious food. Recently, A California non-profit organisation filed a lawsuit against McDonalds for false advertising regarding its announcement they would implement a change to new cooking oil with 48% less trans fat and that the change would be completed by February 2009. They have lied about this change and to this date have not complied by the announcement. A claim from Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which is an animal rights pressure group; states that McDonalds has done nothing since 1997 to improve the life of even one animal. Animals are kept and grown in appalling conditions; just to keep costs down. This shows clearly that McDonald’s does not abide by the animal rights and recently PETA launched a protest in 250 McDonald’s restaurants around the globe to make customers aware of the McDonald’s cruelty towards animals. This has slightly damaged McDonald’s reputation as an ethically responsible company. McDonald’s has been unable to trade fairly in third world countries. Vast areas of land in poor countries are used for cattle ranching or to grow grain to provide raw material to McDonald restaurants. This is at the expense of local food needs. McDonald’s promote the use of meat products therefore wasting more and more food resources. 7 million tons of grain fed to livestock produces only 1 million tons of meat. This has meant that McDonalds is not trading fairly and is causing people in third world countries such as India, Indonesia and Africa to struggle with their basic food needs. Abuse of environment: Forests throughout the world vital for all life are being destroyed at a high rate by McDonalds. The company has admitted to using beef reared on ex-rainforest land, preventing its regeneration and growth. This is a major contributor towards â€Å"global warming† crisis. Farmers and suppliers are also forcing people to cut down further trees in an attempt to satisfy demand.  Violating human rights and consumer laws:  Human rights include discrimination. When a business is discriminating against an individual, they are in fact violating human rights. McDonalds are always opposed to trade unions and may not want its employees to join any as they think they are treating their employees right. McDonalds is said to be discriminating among its employees on basis of their age. Most people aged over 40 are discriminated against as it is very unlikely for them to get a job in a McDonalds’ restaurant. This is because McDonalds claim that it needs fresh, energetic, young employees to be able to cope with the constant hard work. McDonalds has also been caught on violations regarding unsafe working conditions, forced overtime, sub-subsistence wage and failure to pay legal benefits. Their factories are not open to independent monitoring by local non-government human and labour rights organisations to verify if they comply with fundamental human rights. McDonalds is linked to 4 pence-an-Hour Sweatshop in Vietnam, where seventeen year-old women are forced to work 9 to 10 hours a day, seven days a week, earning as little as 4 pence an hour in the Keyhinge factory in Vietnam making giveaway promotional toys–especially Disney characters–for McDonald’s. After working a 70-hour week, some of the teenage women earn just à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 At the end of February, 200 of the workers fell ill, 25 collapsed and three were hospitalized as a result of acute exposure to acetone. The human and labour rights of these workers are being violated by the company. Exploitation of employees: Workers working in the fast food industry has long been exploited and are paid low wages. McDonald’s do not pay overtime rates even when an employee works very long hours. Staffs working in the company restaurants have to work harder and faster therefore the working environment is never free of accidents such as burns. Majority of employees working for McDonalds are people who have fewer job options so they are subjected to exploitation. The company have always been opposed to trade unions. I have used the following websites and book to do my assignment. Bibliography BTEC National Business Book 1 by Roger Lewis & Roger Trevitt 2007 (2nd Edition)  http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Online Marketplace

WHAT IS ONLINE MARKETPLACE? The online payment marketplace is experiencing an explosion of innovative ideas, plans, and announcements, which one commentator has likened to a â€Å"goat rodeo†, a chaotic situation in which powerful players with different agendas compete with one another for public acceptance, and above all, huge potential revenues. Others liken the payment marketplace to a battle among the four platform titans Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon.Each of these titans have their own versions of a future payment system that challenges the other players. And let’s not forget PayPal, the reigning power in alternative online payment, or the credit card companies who process over 70% of online payments, or the telecommunication wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T who make it all happen. All of these players are also competing for a share of the online payment stream. They all want to help us spend money, for a fee.The continuing double-digit growth of e-commerce is certainly one factor driving market participants, but a more important factors is the emergence of the mobile platform of smartphone and tablets that opens the door for new firms to enter the online payment marketplace based on newer technologies and control of the mobile platform itself. WHAT IS PayPal ? PayPal is a global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders.PayPal is an acquirer, performing payment processing for online vendors, auction sites, and other commercial users, for which it charges a fee. It may also charge a fee for receiving money, proportional to the amount received. The fees depend on the currency used, the payment option used, the country of the sender, the country of the recipient, the amount sent and the recipient's account type. In addition, eBay purchases made by credit card t hrough PayPal may incur extra fees if the buyer and seller use different currencies HOW TO BUY The easiest way to remember your credit card number is not having to.Remembering 16 digits isn’t easy and typing them in to pay for something isn’t always secure. Now you don’t need to do either. 1 Sign up for free, and add a bank account or a debit/credit card. 2 Speed through checkout at millions of online stores. Just look for the PayPal button. 3 Stay protected from checkout to delivery with our Buyer Protection. Figure 1. 1 show Ebay the example of website use PayPal. Figure 1. 2 show Hop-shop-go example for PayPal. PAYMENT METHODS Choose how you want to pay. Set up your payment methods quickly and easily. 1 Confirm your email address.This helps protect you if someone tries to register a PayPal account using your email address 2 You can add multiple credit/debit cards and have the flexibility to set one as your default payment source 3 You have the option to withd raw any payments received to your bank account. Simply add a bank account to facilitate it. Add a card You can add a credit or debit card to your PayPal account to make payments instantly. To add a card, 1. Log in and click  Profile. 2. Select  Add or Edit Card for payments. 3. Click  Add card  or  Add another card  and follow the prompts.Top-up my PayPal account You can use PayPal to make payments online card-free. Simply top-up your PayPal balance from your bank account. * 1. Log in and click  Top-up. 2. Select Top-up via RHB bank* account. Withdraw funds to a bank account When you receive payments, you can keep the money in your PayPal account for future purchases or add a bank to withdraw it to your bank account. To withdraw your funds, 1. Log in and click  Withdraw. 2. Select  Withdraw funds to your bank. 3. Enter the amount and follow the prompts. TYPES ONLINE PAYMENT Google Checkout ) Wallet One wallet for online and in-store shopping * Buy online with your phone or computer Make purchases at thousands of online shops by signing in to your Google Account. * Buy in-store with the mobile app Tap your phone to pay and redeem offers, using NFC (near-field communication). NFC payments are currently only available in the United States. * Manage your account Sign in to manage your payment information and view your transaction history. 2) Checkout Increase online sales using Google Wallet New! Google Checkout is now Google Wallet for buyers.Google Wallet is a fast, secure checkout process that helps increase sales by bringing you more customers and allowing them to buy from you quickly and easily with a single account, online or in-store. Sell worldwide. Attract buyers in over 140 countries to purchase your goods and services online using their Google Wallet. Convert more sales. A fast, convenient checkout process helps Google users convert more than shoppers who have not used Google before. Protect yourself from fraud. The Payment Guarantee P olicy protects 98% of orders on average – when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargebackAMAZON Figure 1. 3 show Amazon website Amazon Services works with businesses of all sizes to provide products and solutions backed by the power of Amazon. For example, your business can reach millions of Amazon shoppers by selling on the Amazon Marketplace and then leverage Amazon's fulfillment services to manage shipping and provide trusted customer service. Or, if your business already has a website, you can advertise your products to Amazon. com shoppers to drive qualified traffic to your website, and then improve conversion by making it easy for them to buy on your site with their Amazon account through Amazon Payments.If you need a website, or would like to upgrade your current website, Amazon Webstore makes it easy to build a branded eCommerce website. Whether you'd like to Sell on Amazon. com or make your own website more successful, Amazon Services has solutions to help you build your business successfully online. Increase your business capabilities. Get on board with Amazon. If taking your business to the next level includes selling online, or improving your internet-based business, getting to know Amazon Services could make all the difference in your success.Imagine having Amazon, with its world-class technologies, as an ally in meeting your business goals. Think how much simpler things could be if you could leverage the power of Amazon tools and services for your business. Reach Customers Amazon Services offers two solutions that give you access to tens of millions of Amazon customers. You can sell your products directly on Amazon, or reach Amazon customers through our site display advertisements. Sell on the Amazon Marketplace By joining  Amazon Marketplace, you give customers a familiar, trustworthy shopping experience even as you avoid the time and costs of developing a standalone website.Use the Amazon Marketplace soluti on to help make your business what you dream it could be. Advertise on Amazon Get your products in front of millions of Amazon customers with  Amazon Product Ads  or display ads fromAmazon Media Group. With Product Ads, you get placement in targeted locations across our detail pages, search and browse options, the buy box, and tower ads. With display ads, your marketing messages can reach just the right audience in the numbers and channels where you want to be seen. Build a website with Webstore Build your eCommerce site on Amazon Webstore and put the security and scalability of Amazon's cloud behind your site.Robust site design and inventory management tools, plus easy integration with the other Amazon Services products, make Amazon Webstore the right eCommerce platform for businesses of all sizes. List your products on the Amazon Marketplace When you list and sell your products on Amazon, you can quickly take advantage of the same robust and reliable Amazon site infrastructure , including the many seller features and functionality we have worked hard to build. No matter how many products you list, you're eligible to use Amazon's world-class seller technologies. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS ) What is the value proposition that PayPal offers consumers ? How about merchants ? Do any of the competing proposals match the benefits of PayPal ? ANSWER a. PayPal offers consumers How to buy The easiest way to remember your credit card number is not having to. Remembering 16 digits isn’t easy and typing them in to pay for something isn’t always secure. Now you don’t need to do either. * Sign up for free, and add a bank account or a debit/credit card. * Speed through checkout at millions of online stores. Just look for the PayPal button. * Stay protected from checkout to delivery with our Buyer Protection.Buying is free It's free to use PayPal for online purchases in Malaysia. It's the PayPal sellers who are charged a small fee for each transaction. Your eligible purchases are protected Your eligible purchases are protected wherever you shop and pay with PayPal – at no cost to you. Just in case your item didn't arrive or is significantly different from how it was described, we can help you get a full refund. More ways to pay online You can store your bank details and credit/debit cards more safely with PayPal and choose your preferred way to pay the next time you shop.And you can even do it on your mobile. Accepted Worldwide Shop anytime, anywhere from millions of online stores that accept PayPal. b. PayPal offers merchants Solutions for business We have a wide range of solutions for your business. Sell globally and get paid quickly. Looking to sell occasionally on eBay or through your blog? PayPal helps you get paid faster. Fees at 3. 4% + RM2. 00 MYR With our simple and transparent pricing, you'll never be surprised by hidden fees when you receive commercial domestic payments for goods and services at 3. 4% + RM2. 00 MYR. Keeping every seller saferOur industry-leading anti-fraud technology and a team of specialists help to keep you more secure. We provide all sellers with a convenient process for responding to buyer disputes. c. PayPal Competitor Google Checkout is quite similar to PayPal, but it has grown to only 7% of the alternative payment market. Google Checkout a) Wallet * One wallet for online and in-store shopping * Buy online with your phone or computer Make purchases at thousands of online shops by signing in to your Google Account. * Buy in-store with the mobile app Tap your phone to pay and redeem offers, using NFC (near-field communication).NFC payments are currently only available in the United States. * Manage your account Sign in to manage your payment information and view your transaction history. b) Checkout * Increase online sales using Google Wallet * New! Google Checkout is now Google Wallet for buyers. Google Wallet is a fast, secure checkout process that helps increase sales by bringing you more customers and allowing them to buy from you quickly and easily with a single account, online or in-store. * Sell worldwide. Attract buyers in over 140 countries to purchase your goods and services online using their Google Wallet. Convert more sales. A fast, convenient checkout process helps Google users convert more than shoppers who have not used Google before. * Protect yourself from fraud. The Payment Guarantee Policy protects 98% of orders on average – when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargeback 2) Why would the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move into the payment business? What chance do they have to compete against Google? What’s their advantage?. ANSWER i)Why would the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move in to the payments business?The reason why the telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon want to move into the payment business is because of the h uge potential of revenues and another factors is the emergence of the mobile platform of smartphones & tablets that opens the door for new firms to enter the online payments marketplace based on newer technologies and control of the mobile platform itself ii)What chance do they have to compete against Google? Their percentage of chance that they probably have to compete against Google is 30%-70%,from our opinion. Google system is much familiar to the user than AT&T and Verizon.Google also one of four platform titans and already get the public acceptance. Yet, they still have the chance to compete against Google because Google is much familiar with search engines system. iii) What’s their advantage? AT&T and Verizon advantage is that they are from mobile telecommunications (phone company) which is give them the advantage to get public acceptance that in many parts of the world, the phone company is widely used as a payment system, after they announced a mobile phone-based paym ent system called Isi. Unlike Google, AT&T and Verizon is more to payment that makes by smartphone.So, it is their advantage to make step in Electronic payment market. 3) The smartphone giants Apple and Google control the operating systems and technological features of the devices. Google exercises this control not by actually making the devices but licensing its Android system and demanding device makers include certain features. Which of these smartphones firms has the greatest chance of successfully developing a Web-wide wireless payment service? Why? ANSWER Apple advantages is, like Google has already developed an online payment system to support salles ath the iTunes Store.Unlike Google Checkout and PayPal, Apple has not to date developed an online merchant payment system that could be used across the Web. Some analysis believe Apple is considering the idea of extending its existing iTunes payment system to third-party vendors selling digital goods on the Internet. iPhone users can already use their iTunes account to buy some third-party virtual and subscription goods. Apple’s iTunes Store, which could serve as the mobile digital wallet used to store payment information on a consumer’s payment-enabled device,generated net sales of music, software (apps) and content of about $5 billion in 2010.There are approximately 225 milliom iTunes users worldwide with credit card accounts at iTunes. Apple disadvantages is, Apple does not have a presence in the online merchant payment process, a critical weakness. Four instance, you can use PayPal and Google Checkout at thousands of online retailers, but there is no similar Apple digital wallet that can be used across the Web. It only works at the iTunes Store. This may be a case where Apple’s penchants for building walled gardens of hardware and software like the iPhone and iTunes Store has limited its future growth.Google already made its first foray into the merchant payment market with Google C heckout in 2007. Google Checkout is quite similar to PayPal, but it has grown to only 7% of the alternative payment market. Google Checkout stores a user’s financial information, including credit card information, and then presents this information to merchants when the user checks out. Google advantages is, the customer does not have to fill out forms or reveal credit information to online merchants, but instead clicks on a Google Checkout icon on the merchant’s site, and payment is made through Google’s site.As with PayPal, the user stores value on the Google Checkout site in the form of a verified credit card, or a bank account, and the merchant does not have access to the customers credit card information. Google firms has the greatest chance of successfully developing a Web-wide wireless payment service because, the customer does not have to fill out forms or reveal credit information to online merchants, but instead clicks on a Google Checkout icon on the merchant’s site, and payment is made through Google’s site.As with PayPal, the user stores value on the Google Checkout site in the form of a verified credit card, or a bank account, and the merchant does not have access to the customers credit card information. QUESTION 4) What strategies would you recommend that PayPal pursue in order to maintain its dominant position over the next five years? . ANSWER Strategies to maintain PayPal dominant position over next 5 years Intro : Scott Thompson , president of PayPal outlined a strategy to expand PayPal globally, strengthening its dominant position over the next five years. Here the strategies. 1.Increase penetration on eBay – Projected growth on eBay is a function of seller coverage and consumer preference. A one-percent share increase within eBay results in $17 million in incremental revenue for PayPal. While market share in No America is 79%, it is only 41% Internationally so there is still plenty of room to grow on eBay. And new PayPal users on eBay (growing at a rate of 3 million new accounts per quarter) use PayPal across the Internet 2. Grow share in merchants services – PayPal helps merchants to sell more online – those that enable PayPal Express Checkout experience up to a 14% increase in sales.Today, eBay has approximately a 5% share of global merchant services, as much as 9% if you include eBay volume. PayPal has specific strategies for each segment of the market: sole proprietors, small/medium business, and large merchants. Consumers are increasingly global, and increasingly security conscious. They prefer to use PayPal when they shop online. Note the significant growth among SMEs and large businesses. Merchants have discovered the value of payment choice in encouraging incremental sales and higher transaction values, particularly via Bill Me Later.PayPal anticipates that it will achieve 14% merchant services market share in No America by 2011. International market sh are is estimated to be 5-6% by 2011, citing PayPal’s â€Å"unmatched facility for cross border transactions. † PayPal’s global e-commerce market share is projected to be 12-14% (on and off eBay) by 2011. 3. Adjacent payment markers The third element of PayPal’s growth strategy is expansion outside e-commerce. Thompson estimated the non-retail marketplace online as $1 Trillion. He specifically noted mobile, social networks, and non-profits (government opportunities were cited by Donahoe earlier).PayPal has demonstrated early leadership in mobile payments, experimenting with solutions in lots of mobile segments until there is industry consensus where consumers will go. Although non-profits were positioned as an adjacent opportunity, there are over 100,000 non-profits currently using PayPal. We’ve watched as PayPal has customized its services for non-profits with special on-boarding process, special features, and special pricing. Will this be the appr oach used for other verticals? Not unlike Amazon, PayPal fosters a close relationship with developers that are creating applications for use online and on the go via mobile devices.The PayPal global Internet payments network can be used to exchange value not just on eBay and within e-commerce but beyond. Thompson acknowledged that opening up the developer network while maintaining a secure environment is challenging and that’s why none of the other payment platforms out there has done it [While Amazon has done this, and done it for payments, PayPal does not consider Amazon to be a global payments platform]. PayPal’s global reach, closed loop network, and risk management/anti-fraud capabilities uniquely position it to â€Å"accelerate innovation on the web† with â€Å"PayPal as the engine in the middle. CONCLUSION The online payment marketplace is experiencing an explosion of innovative ideas, plans, and announcements, which one commentator has likened to a â₠¬Å"goat rodeo†, a chaotic situation in which powerful players with different agendas compete with one another for public acceptance, and above all, huge potential revenues. Others liken the payment marketplace to a battle among the four platform titans Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Each of these titans have their own versions of a future payment system that challenges the other players. And let’s not forget PayPal, the reigning power in alternative

A Creative Essay about Love

A Creative Essay about Love There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck. She married for love, and the love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them. They looked at her coldly, as if they were finding fault with her. And hurriedly she felt she must cover up some fault in herself. Yet what it was that she must cover up she never knew. Nevertheless, when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard. This troubled her, and in her manner she was all the more gentle and anxious for her children, as if she loved them very much. Only she herself knew that at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: She is such a good mother. She adores her children. Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They read it in each others eyes. There were a boy and two little girls. They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighbourhood. Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money. The mother had a small income, and the father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these prospects never materialised. There was always the grinding sense of the shortage of money, though the style was always kept up. At last the mother said: I will see if I cant make something. But she did not know where to begin. She racked her brains, and tried this thing and the other, but could not find anything successful. The failure made deep lines come into her face. Her children were growing up, they would have to go to school. There must be more money, there must be more money. The father, who was always very handsome and expensive in his tastes, seemed as if he never would be able to do anything worth doing. And the mother, who had a great belief in herself, did not succeed any better, and her tastes were just as expensive. And so the house came to be haunted by the unspoken phrase: There must be more money! There must be more money! The children could hear it all the time though nobody said it aloud. They heard it at Christmas, when the expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery. Behind the shining modern rocking-horse, behind the smart dolls house, a voice would start whispering: There must be more money! There must be more money! And the children would stop playing, to listen for a moment. They would look into each others eyes, to see if they had all heard. And each one saw in the eyes of the other two that they too had heard. There must be more money! There must be more money! It came whispering from the springs of the still-swaying rocking-horse, and even the horse, bending his wooden, champing head, heard it. The big doll, sitting so pink and smirking in her new pram, could hear it quite plainly, and seemed to be smirking all the more self-consciously because of it. The foolish puppy, too, that took the place of the teddy-bear, he was looking so extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that he heard the secret whisper all over the house: There must be more money! Yet nobody ever said it aloud. The whisper was everywhere, and therefore no one spoke it. Just as no one ever says: We are breathing! in spite of the fact that breath is coming and going all the time. Mother, said the boy Paul one day, why dont we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use uncles, or else a taxi? Because were the poor members of the family, said the mother. But why are we, mother? Well I suppose, she said slowly and bitterly, its because your father has no luck. The boy was silent for some time. Is luck money, mother? he asked, rather timidly. No, Paul. Not quite. Its what causes you to have money. Oh! said Paul vaguely. I thought when Uncle Oscar said filthy lucker, it meant money. Filthy lucre does mean money, said the mother. But its lucre, not luck. Oh! said the boy. Then what is luck, mother? Its what causes you to have money. If youre lucky you have money. Thats why its better to be born lucky than rich. If youre rich, you may lose your money. But if youre lucky, you will always get more money. Oh! Will you? And is father not lucky? Very unlucky, I should say, she said bitterly. The boy watched her with unsure eyes. Why? he asked. I dont know. Nobody ever knows why one person is lucky and another unlucky. Dont they? Nobody at all? Does nobody know? Perhaps God. But He never tells. He ought to, then. And arent you lucky either, mother? I cant be, it I married an unlucky husband. But by yourself, arent you? I used to think I was, before I married. Now I think I am very unlucky indeed. Why? Well never mind! Perhaps Im not really, she said. The child looked at her to see if she meant it. But he saw, by the lines of her mouth, that she was only trying to hide something from him. Well, anyhow, he said stoutly, Im a lucky person. Why? said his mother, with a sudden laugh. He stared at her. He didnt even know why he had said it. God told me, he asserted, brazening it out. I hope He did, dear!, she said, again with a laugh, but rather bitter. He did, mother! Excellent! said the mother, using one of her husbands exclamations. The boy saw she did not believe him; or rather, that she paid no attention to his assertion. This angered him somewhere, and made him want to compel her attention. He went off by himself, vaguely, in a childish way, seeking for the clue to luck. Absorbed, taking no heed of other people, he went about with a sort of stealth, seeking inwardly for luck. He wanted luck, he wanted it, he wanted it. When the two girls were playing dolls in the nursery, he would sit on his big rocking-horse, charging madly into space, with a frenzy that made the little girls peer at him uneasily. Wildly the horse careered, the waving dark hair of the boy tossed, his eyes had a strange glare in them. The little girls dared not speak to him. When he had ridden to the end of his mad little journey, he climbed down and stood in front of his rocking-horse, staring fixedly into its lowered face. Its red mouth was slightly open, its big eye was wide and glassy-bright. Now! he would silently command the snorting steed. Now take me to where there is luck! Now take me! And he would slash the horse on the neck with the little whip he had asked Uncle Oscar for. He knew the horse could take him to where there was luck, if only he forced it. So he would mount again and start on his furious ride, hoping at last to get there. Youll break your horse, Paul! said the nurse. Hes always riding like that! I wish hed leave off! said his elder sister Joan. But he only glared down on them in silence. Nurse gave him up. She could make nothing of him. Anyhow, he was growing beyond her.

Identify the GAAP used to create the financial plan, and provide one Assignment

Identify the GAAP used to create the financial plan, and provide one recommendation for Patton-Fuller Community Hospital based on their 2009 budget statement for improving - Assignment Example A financial plan is a succession of steps or objectives set by businesses or individuals to describe a progressive or cumulative attainment of a certain financial accomplishment (Lucy, 1999). These financial objectives and forecast are aimed at improving the financial position of the individual or organization through acquisition of new assets or elimination of debt. Various GAAP are instrumental in the preparation of GAAP. Principle of continuity- The principle of continuity assumes that the business or financial activities of an individual are continuous (Hirschey, 2009). This principle eliminates complexities that may be associated with discontinuity. Principle of periodicity- The principle of periodicity allows each accounting entry to be split according to periods. The principle also allows accountants to utilize the cyclic nature of business occurrences. Patton – Fuller community hospital has continuously provided quality medical services to people living in Kelsey and the immediate environment since 1975 (Apollo Group, 2006). To maintain its standards of operation, the hospital needs to have an economically viable financial plan. According to the 2009 budget plan, there is lack of consistency and continuity of the financial projections of the hospital. To maintain its position, the hospital needs to balance its organization and institutional roles. Financial accountants assume that a business will remain in operation within the forthcoming business period, when preparing its financial statements. On the other hand, the financial statements should indicate whether the business is likely to close down. In the 2009 financial budget, Patton – Fuller Hospital’s auditor did not evaluate the sustainability of the business in the near future. In this case, the auditor did not evaluate the hospitals

Import and Export Markets in the United Kingdom Essay

Import and Export Markets in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The UK exports most of its goods to Brazil, India, Russia, and China while most of the imports come from china. The use of higher technology manufactured goods has caused a dramatic increase in both exports and imports. However, the recent financial crisis experienced around the world has led to a decline in imports and exports (Reuvid and Sherlock, 2011). In 2009, UK imports and exports totaled to $1,256 billion, which was equivalent to 4.3 of the world trade. The financial crisis has caused a rise in exchange rates of sterling pound, which has caused an 8.6% decrease in exports and 9.1% decrease in imports (Great Britain, 2009). Over the past ten years, the UK has been a net oil exporter, but production has been decreasing consistently over the past years. The oil industry has recorded an average decrease of 5.3% per year in exports. This has converted the UK from an oil export to an oil import land. Oil production in the region is less than demand, which calls for supplements thro ugh increased imports. Imports of other energy sources such as coal, electricity, and gas have increased over the past five years. In 2010, the importation of liquefied natural gas increased to account for 35% of total gas imports, while gas exports have decreased slightly over the same period. Gas has also been increasingly used for electricity supply with the amount required increasing by 47% (Great Britain, 2010). Changes in the financial sector affect business sentiments and investment decisions, which are linked to global trade. Data service exports at the start of 2007 were about 30 billion pounds while imports were about 33 billion pounds. Mid 2008 recorded the peak imports and exports at 40 billion and 34 billion pounds respectively. The rate of imports and exports of data services decreased consistently since 2008 reaching a low of 32 billion in imports and 29 billion in exports in mid 2009. However, an increase was recorded towards the end of 2010 with imports and exports reaching 41 and 35 billion respectively. The deep drop can be attributed to financial crisis experienced during this period. The dramatic drop experienced in 2009 can be attributed to the collapse of Lehman Brothers Company. Global insurance company AIG received below average ratings and mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley was nationalized. These changes caused the drop experienced in 2009. The UK has recorded an increase in intermediate goods trade, with a 40% increase in 2008 for non-fuel products. Production processes are divided between different countries, which have increased the flow of unfinished goods into and out of the UK. Most manufacturing countries have production firms in countries with low labor costs. Products manufactured in these countries are imported as finished or semi-finished goods. The sterling pound experienced strong depreciation between 2007 and 2008. Reports by the Bank of England (2010) suggest that goods and services exports responded differently to the weakening of sterling. Export of goods has been supported by the weakening because export performance is influenced by price. The service industry reported a decrease in exports due to a reduction in global demand. The fall of financial companies reduced the rate of financial service exports, which caused the reduced export services. According to the World Bank (BCC, 2011), trade in professional and technical services has been more resilient than trade in goods during the financial crisis. Most

Human Resource of SCG Limited Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource of SCG Limited - Coursework Example Armstrong (2009), Foot and Hook (2005) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) emphasize that the process of performance evaluation should be based on the organization’s goals and objectives. Condrey and Perry (2010), Armstrong (2010) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) express that the process should be based on job performance as it motivates the employees to work hard. Communication is one of the key features of an effective appraisal system as noted by DeIpo (2007), Armstrong and Applebaum (2003) and Armstrong (2009). Armstrong (2010) further reinforced on the significance of communication in this process. Employee participation is vital in the process as it shows their worth and impact in the business operations as stated by DeIpo (2007), Foot and Hook (2005) and Marquis and Huston (2008). The employee performance evaluation should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner as asserted by Marquis and Huston (2008), DeIpo (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010) further expl ains that there should be no personal bias in the process. The process should be conducted in accordance to set rules and regulations as explained by DeIpo (2007), Lyster and Arthur (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010), DeIpo (2007), Warner (2002) further add that an effective appraisal system should be standardized. External appraisers may also be involved to reinforce its reliability and credibility. Armstrong and Applebaum (2003), Armstrong (2010) and Condrey (2010) assert the need to train appraisers to eliminate the number of errors in the process. Analysis and Discussion SCG is an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is... The intention of this study is SCG as an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is making preparations to do her first performance appraisal. She has taken the necessary measures before the procedure by communicating to the staff members. This is by use of a standard performance appraisal form to be completed before the review meeting and a document containing the date and time of the process as expressed by Condrey and Perry. One of the longest serving employees in the department has received the documentation and is not pleased with the idea of the formal meeting. He had an excellent working relationship with the previous manager and his performance was outstanding as reflected in yearly salary increments. He considers himself as more than competent and has worked well in the previous years. He does not understand the purpose of the company’s strategy and targets fo r the following year and fails to understand how they relate to his job. The manager fears that other employees share the same sentiments as she overheard their discussion. These opinions held by employees worried her as they would have a negative impact on the performance appraisal process. The previous system lacked the features of effective performance appraisal. The new manager, on the other hand, introduced a system where the activities of the employees were governed by a system based on management’s objectives as explained by Armstrong and Applebaum.

WheelWorks Business Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WheelWorks Business Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, employee needs are used to motivate employees across organizations universally. Maslow’s need hierarchy can be explained as below: This is the basic need of every individual. It is concerned with satisfying the primary needs such as food. Until these needs are satisfied, no individual would look forward to satisfy his/her other needs. A famous saying ‘man can live on bread alone if there is no bread’ suggests that human beings first try to acquire necessities for their survival. At Wheel Works, for example, the employees are being given highest possible wages along with bonus and sick pay. Once primary needs are satisfied to a reasonable degree (which is mostly subjective), the second level of needs comes. This need is concerned with the safety of an individual from danger or self-preservation. It is to be noticed that human beings will think of safety of their lives only when their need for food is met. In an organization, safety needs can be met by establishing safety system that ensures employees are free from danger and accidents. In the Wheel Works factory, for example, employees are assured sick pay, health plans. These needs in the ladder of Maslow’s need theory represent the desire for belongingness, which is concerned with human desire to be accepted and appreciated by others. When it becomes dominant, individuals try to create meaningful relationship with others. In an organizational context, where employee supervision and control are stringent, informal groups may be formed to interact among one another in the group. For example, the sales force has the freedom to do the correct job. The esteem needs are concerned with self-respect, self-confidence, a feeling of personal worth and feeling of being unique and recognition. In the context of Wheel Works, employees are given the freedom to work and excel in their work. It is the need to maximize one’s potential, whatever it may be. This is

Global product Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global product - Case Study Example Theodore Levitt (Philip Kotlar, 2000) postulated that corporations that try to sell standardized or global products across diverse global markets are better able to tap in their core competencies and reduce costs through standardization not only of the product but also of the distribution channels and promotional activities. Such a strategy, that Keegan calls Straight Extension1, indeed works with consumer electronics including house-hold goods like washing machines, TV sets, music systems etc. This straight extension involves introducing exactly the same product in a new market (region or country), using the same promotional and distributional strategy that is being used at home. A product that is capable of being accepted per se, and appeals to customers surpassing geographical or cultural difference, would indeed be a global product. It is argued that due to the proliferation of media, Internet, and other means of communication, consumers throughout the world are now exhibiting a taste for common products and services. As such, a truly global product is possible to nurture and maintain in a variety of different world regions. Microsoft had introduced X-Box 360 to three different regions - North America, Europe and Japan, in November last year. (Planet Xbox 360 News, 2nd Feb 2006) The product is aimed at those between 15 and 35 years of age, having disposable incomes, and interested in technology. Microsoft was able to recognize this segment (that spans over three very different continents) and come up with a standardized product and promotional activity to sell it globally. Similarly, the recent introduction of Apple's iPod Nano (Apple.com, and NonStopMac.com) has displayed the proliferation of a global culture that appears to have the hip, trendy, and financially affluent people as its members. This ultra slim and attractive product has caught the imagination of the people world wide - and even given rise to terms like "nanogasm" (urbandictionary.com) - a word coined to mean the utter excitement caused by just thinking about the sleek and trendy iPod Nano. However, there have been more failure than success stories, about how organizations lost millions when they adopted the Straight Extension approach and tried to barge in on the new markets' sensibilities, disregarding the cultural and social nuances. For example, when Philips introduced its large capacity coffee makers in Japan, it found few takers, though Japanese liked coffee and drank it at home too. (Philip Kotler, 2000). It was soon discovered that as Japanese kitchens are smaller, and the Japanese culture is biased towards zero wastage and preservation of food, Philips coffee makers were not welcomed there. By reducing the size of the product, Philip was finally able to make profits in this market. In India, where there is still problem of regular electricity and water supply in even the bigger cities, IFB's fully-automatic front-loading washing machines are not preferred, even by those who believe it to be superior to other brands and makes available in the local market. As can be seen by the above cases, there are many aspects that can prevent a product from becoming a global entity. It is almost impossible, and at times foolish, to

Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Social Responsibility - Essay Example Social responsibility works to the best interest of the society. In other words, social responsibility seeks to promote social welfare subject to the decisions and actions taken by business enterprises. The underlying welfare is defined in terms of social impacts that result from the daily business activities of many and different enterprises. The business fraternity is expected to play a moral and ethical role in developing the society as they progress with their daily activities. This implies that part of their success and benefit should be channeled to the society. Essentially, the three primary factors that social responsibility accounts for include the economy, environment and society (Allen, 2011). The growth, development, and sustainability of these three factors encompass the role of social responsibility. Any enterprise operating in the societal setting needs to consider the economic, environmental, and social implications of its activities. The ultimate objective of social responsibility is to ensure that enterprises do not adversely affect the society. On the same note, the new venture is factored in the process to ensure that social responsibility is realized. The new venture, therefore, drives social

In Search of Dibs Essay Example for Free

In Search of Dibs Essay No one is born a parent; no one really is a perfect parent. Dibs: In Search of Self is a perfect example of this as both parents had no idea how to raise a child in a loving, compassionate home. Dibs’ mother stated from the get go that the boy seemed to have it out for her and he was responsible for ruining her and her marriage. The father was completely wrapped up in his work and studies and made sure he’d made no time for his children. Additionally, his children had been instructed to stay out of his room while he was home. Once Dibs’ sister is born, he is again pushed further away as their mother spoils the little girl. Eventually, however even the sister is sent away to a boarding school. I am not so sure I enjoyed this book as I felt rushed reading it (by the author) and that it were too abbreviated in its entirety. I have read other case studies through my child development studies, and those works were much more detailed. This book felt more like a story being told, instead of in-depth observations. I was expecting the author to elaborate on the issues surrounding Dibs’ behavior, rather than just explaining them away as the mother and father. Dibs was lost in his world with very little connection to any other human beings. His parents’ lack of parenting and nurturing caused his internalization where he couldn’t control his feelings because he could not understand them. Through play therapy, Dibs learned he could control the tap water in the play room sink, he could control who was buried in the sand, he could find himself by working out what his feelings were and what they really meant. However, he couldn’t get the nipple back on the baby bottle. He’d splash in the water, turn it down to a slow trickle, turn it on full force and he would sing to it, yet he repeatedly asked Miss A to replace the nipple on that bottle. (Axline, 1964, p. 159) This showed me that he indeed was an adolescent who desperately needed support, which he was not getting from home. The father’s response to Dibs’ chattering after his Thursday session really bothered me. Instead of interacting with his son, he shut him down, effectively causing Dibs to react negatively. Dibs screamed at his father that he hated him. (Axline, 1964, p. 80) I had my mom read this book to give me some feedback and about half way through it, she’d stated that she’d read it once before. She was about 16 years old in 1978 and her mother was reading it for a college class. They would read it aloud to her and her siblings after dinners during her semester. She recalled how uncomfortable she felt hearing the book. â€Å"In those days, you didn’t talk to people who had children like Dibs. You didn’t look them in the eye, you didn’t ask them anything. You avoided them like a disease, because that’s almost what they were. When people would converse about them, it was always in hushed tones. We would always hear how bad people felt becau se the child was retarded or manic.† During the interview of Dibs’ mother, she stated: â€Å"There was no place we could send him.† (Axline, 1964, p. 87) This intrigued me because it seemed very cold for her to want to just get rid of her child, but again in talking to my mom, that was how it was in that time period. It was standard practice to send problem children off to boarding schools or private practices to keep peace in well to do families. Again, Dibs’ sister was eventually sent to a private boarding school herself, even though she was labeled as â€Å"a perfect child†. â€Å"When I was a child, a problem child or one with disabilities or with any behavior problem was taken out of public schools. We grew up with them for a time, then one day they were gone. We were scolded if we talked about them or asked about them in public. I can remember a little girl I was in Girl Scouts with until we were 12 years old. When we started the 6th grade, she had to go to another school because she couldn’t read or write like she was supposed to. I never saw her again and I remember my mother telling me not to talk about her anymore. I didn’t understand it until I was in my late 20’s. She was dyslexic and had severe learning disabilities. The school passed her up until the 6th grade, when the school system decided she needed more help than they could offer.† (Interview quote from Roberta Baldwin, 04/21/2013) I think it’s interesting how far we’ve come and how much procedure has changed for helping children with disabilities, abuse, emotional issues, etc. I am absolutely relieved  that the change was for the better since I have a nephew with physical disabilities who will have all of the support he will need to become successful in his world!

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay

Organisational Change Of The American International Group Commerce Essay The American international group has a history that dates back to 1919. The company was started when Cornelius Vander Starr established an insurance agency in shanghai the capital city of china. Starr was the first person from the western to sell insurance policies to the Chinese. Starr sold policies until the company which is the current AIG left china in 1949. In the same year the companys headquarter was moved to New York in United States from where it expanded through venturing into other markets in the parts of Latin America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. In 1962 the management of the company moved from Starr to Maurice Greenberg who diverted its concentration from personal insurance sales to high margin corporate coverage where he eliminated agents by bringing in independent brokers whom he used in selling insurance polices. This strategy helped the company to price insurance depending on its probable return even at times when there were reduced sales of certain products and for a long period and still incur very little extra expenses. After Greenberg took over the management of the company it sooner went public in 1969. Starting from 2005 the company was caught up in a series of frauds that were investigated by the justice department of U.S., the office of attorney general in new state and the securities exchange commission. The then CEO Greenberg was suspended and replaced by Martin Sullivan in Feb. 2005. In June 2008 some financial losses were disclosed which led to the fall of AIG share price in the stock market. This resulted to resignation of Sullivan who was then replaced by another CEO Edward Liddy in sep. same year. American international group is the biggest underwriter of industrial and commercial insurance. The financial scandals of 2008 led to great losses to the company which made it suffer a liquidity crisis as its credit rating was downgraded. AIG it a globally recognized insurance company with branches in different parts of the world. Its vision is to be the leader in innovative mortgage solutions while its mission is to be the mortgage insurer of choice through: professional and dedicated staff, entrepreneurial leadership, disciplined risk taking, customer satisfaction, and through solutions to facilitate Canadian homeownership. The companys global benefits network has lately introduced the AIG atlas as one of its strategies. This atlas is a basically a range of products meant to assist in meeting the unique benefit needs of the employees. This will then enhance the utility of the capability of the companys employees in over 100 countries hence be able to provide the best services as well as cost effective solutions to its customers all over the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The unique benefits to the employees will include medical insurance, life insurance and long term disability insurance. The company al so intends to provide full time services through charge-free phone number as well as management and monitoring of emergency medical cases. Strategies of AIG The company is one of the leading international insurance and financial organizations. It has partnered with several business groups including CRM, which is the number one credit management solutions provider in Europe. This partnership has enabled the company to provide better customer satisfaction and hence improving its sales of insurance policies while accomplishing efficiency gains. Currently, American international group operates in more than 130 countries while its member companies serve institutional, commercial, as well as individual customers through the widest property, life, and casualty of any insurer in the world (AIG Group Management Division 2009). The company is thus going through a period of drastic reviews of its of the processes and structure in all its centres so as to maximize and establish its B2C customer management. By making use of its resources more effectively the company aims to improve the efficiency of CRM and provide the best responsive customer care. Having partnered with other outsourcers, AIG realized the importance of outsourcing partners with whom they can combine the breadth of experience by providing well managed and high quality services. In 2002 AIG and finalized a business strategy with Transom with outlined a number of challenges such as developing organizational skills to secure maximum profitability and customer satisfaction. The company also had to act according to the desired outcomes for improved organization, quality and management as well as provide cost effective high quality and fulfilment solutions (AIG Group Management Division 2009). Following the deal between the two companies Transcom began to handle the inbound customer care service on behalf of AIG. Transcom then enhanced the quality of services by dealing with the mistakes in the existing program of AIG. Leveraging its long experience and first class technology, Transcom has been able to strengthen and expand the CRM activities of AIG through addition of telemarketing campaigns. Transcom has also succeeded in bolstering AIGs customer revenue and base through contacting its potential customers and presenting them with persuasive offers to coverage commerce. The general improvement in the quality of service of AIG has come from the enormous improvement in customer relations which has in turn strengthened AIGs image as a professional organization. All this was possible since Transcom kept within the service level boundaries as well as constant customer contact (AIG Group Management Division 2009) Organizational Behavior Analysis Organizational behavior analysis is an evaluation of the way individual work in an organization. The organization does not need to be a business institution like the American international group but can also be a religious institution. The ultimate goal of organizational behaviour analysis is to understand in a better way the relationships between individuals in an organization, the relationship of the employees and the organization and the organizations relationship with the rest of the society (Harigopal 2006). This information is then used by the management of organizations to increase the efficiency and productivity of and achieve the goals and objectives of the institution as a whole. According to Harigopal (2006), by gaining and understanding this knowledge the employee are able to realize the contributions of their individual efforts to the bigger image of the organization. The progress and success of every organization rests on the philosophy of management as well as on its vision, goals and values. These factors then drive the organizational culture that is made up of the social environment, formal and informal organization. The culture then influences the type of communication, leadership and group dynamics within the institution. The employees or workers in the institution then take these aspects as the quality of their work life and therefore they determine their rate or degree of motivation. The ultimate results of these will be individual satisfaction, performance, personal growth and the general development of the organization. Organizations are undergoing exceptional radical change in all systems of operation ranging from decision making to global competitive pressures and technology to acquisitions and mergers(Harigopal 2006). Organizations have therefore to respond quickly and effectively while remaining flexible and transforming themselves for the new world of work. Organizational behavior is therefore written with these changes and it explains through what leaders and managers need to know about organizations as they struggle to bring productivity and success in them. Organizational behavior and leadership development is institution wide responsibility that stretches across all functions and departments. Culture is described as the conventional behavior in a given society that includes beliefs, knowledge, customs and practices. Although it rarely finds its way into the conscious mind, it often affects the behavior of human beings within a given society or organization. Employees in an organization like the AIG usually depend on its culture since its culture gives them stability, understanding, security and the ability to react to a given situation. Organizational culture creates a number of concepts, situations and strategies that affect every level of planning in any institution. Understanding the operation of culture and organizational structure and the machinery that it runs behind the scenes helps the employees to organize and strengthen the effective cultures and remove the bad ones thus establishing and environment that promotes success within the institution. According to leadership theorists, diminishing and weakening of an organization together with the employees resistance to change is usually caused by ineffective leadership (Harigopal 2006). For instance the American international group underwent financial crisis in 2008 as a result of poor leadership. The bad culture of impunity that had been developed in the company led to corruption and mismanagement of funds as well and some other unscrupulous deals. Strong leadership and organizational culture are necessary for long term success in every corporation. However some institutions may show signs of success for a long time even without a strong organizational culture but when the culture starts to erode, the big organizations take only a short period of time to collapse. Strong leadership is necessary for a strong organizational culture although the reverse is also true. Without strong leadership to maintain everything running, a strong organizational culture will only dull and eventually erode. Practising business people and theorists have found out that organizational culture and leadership are tightly intertwined. Leaders require having a clear understanding of the impact and identity of the organization culture so as to determine the kind of adjustments and management systems needed within the organization as well as have the right styles of effectively communicating their visions to rest of the institution. The study of the operation of organizational culture and organizational structure makes the practical study of organizational culture and structure implications important. In all organizations from government groups to sport teams, the study of the impact of culture and structure on the general picture of an organization shows a better way of making an entity work. Good organizational structure ensures balanced distribution of responsibilities among the top management of groups as well as among the workers (Harigopal 2006 p.102). This has shown that good organizational structure with excellent personnel that ensure all are focused at the same goal, works well than excellent but conflicted personnel. Organization structure generally deals with the culture set up. It deals with the working of the management, the specific responsibilities of the supervisors, and the manner in which a complaint is passed through the ranks. Organizational structure ensures that. Managing change in organizations A significant change in an organization occurs when the overall strategy of an organization are changed for success, or when an organization adds or removes a major section or practice or when there is a change in the operation nature. Organizations develop by undergoing through significant changes at different points in their progress. Successful organizational change is usually very difficult to achieve thus it usually calls for skilful leadership in change management. In work organizations there are different approaches in guiding change whereby some are structured, planned and explicit while others are more unfolding, organic and implicit. These approaches work in different styles. Some work from the future to the present for instance when an organization develops a vision to be achieved in the future and then lays down strategies on how to acquire that vision. Some other approaches will work from the present to the future. In this approach the organization will identify its current problems issues and goals and then lay down strategies on how to deal with those priorities and how to achieve them (Harigopal 2006 p.97). The variation in the type of strategies used depends on the culture of an organization or on the leadership style of the managers. When starting from the present to the future the organization looks at its past in relation to the present and then looks at the present in relation to the future and then evaluate whether it can still go on with its activities just like it has been doing. For an organization doing business in this fast changing and advancing environment, doing thins like has been doing before may not help it compete fairly with others in the industry (Harigopal 2006 p.98). Even doing the same thing harder or even fine tuning it may sometimes make no difference. What organizations need to do keep doing things different as the changing business environment demands. In the daily operation of organizations the structures, methods, processes and technologies that were appropriate in the earlier market conditions may not be applicable in the current or future conditions. This implies that organizations may be forced to reset themselves on different assumptions and business prospects that are in accordance to customer focus, innovativeness, competitive intelligence, and competency base. For the best results in a change effort, the change agents should first of all have a comprehensive understanding of the context of the change effort such as the right strategies needed and the kind of results expected. This means that the change managers should have a clear understanding of the basic structures and systems in an organization as well as their typical terms and roles (Harigopal 2006 p.98). The leadership style and management systems of an organization in relation to its culture are also necessary. Change management encompasses thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation of necessary strategies. Before a change is initiated and during the change process the change leaders should conduct extensive consultations with the people affected by the change and also involve them in the change process. The managers should also find ways of aligning the aims of the business with the needs of their people. The managers should check if the people affected agree with or at least understand the need for change and that they have a chance to decide or give views on how the change should be managed. The sensitive aspects of the change management should be handled through face to face communication so as to convey meaning and understanding. According to Harigopal (2006), managing change therefore demand establishing different management structures, like the interim structure to deal with the business of the business, the transition management structure to smoothen the change process and a structure to stream line the new state of the organization (p.95). Before starting the change process, an organization should be clear on its purpose, direction and vision as well as have a clear analysis of its prevailing strengths and weaknesses in relation to opportunities and threats. The dynaminism of business environment will then determine what should be changed and the required pace of change. Impact of technology on business According to (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009), business today is inextricably entangled with technology starting from the smallest business to International Corporation with a number of monolithic applications of legacy. In todays world one cannot be in successful business activities and fail to come across the issues of technology. This is because the way business processes are carried out today is very different from the way they were being carried out 30 years ago. Technological advancements have occurred in several areas from communication, stock market, travel i.e. by air, land and water and technology has also evolved around our lives. Information technology has revolutionised the systems of business operation around the world. Local business have now gone international as a consequence of simple website information technology that than enabled them to advertise internationally (HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert 2009). Information technology (IT) has helped in customer service where big organizations like Microsoft and American international group attend to needs of their customers through online services like email and chart. Internal and external networking in organizations has improved business operations around the world. Through networking staffs and clients in organizations can effectively get in touch with their leaders for feedback and updates on progress and extensions. Communication within firms as well as between firms has really bloomed with the current developments in technology. Business between organizations has even become easier and more effective. For instance the American international group has been able to work with other organizations and improve its services due to improved IT and communication. However due to high technology computer systems in organisations todays business calls for extensive and careful planning. This planning can be done on organised pattern, with formats schedules and Gantt charts. Due to improved computer systems huge data bases can now be managed and stored on network and back up drives for future records. Accessibility of stored data and files has also become easy with the discovery of a series of shared folders and password keys. According to HÃ ¥kansson, Waluszewski Prenkert (2009) Cash transactions are easily made hence reducing delay which then gives liquidity to business and makes the overall processes i n business faster. Information technology has enabled the businesses to put up an easier and effective coordination with their suppliers. This then has enabled them to benefit from production economics when they operate with the large specialized suppliers. Furthermore the drastic reduction of in the IT cost as well as the reduced risk of transaction in explicit coordination has been it possible for extensive application of explicit coordination with the suppliers. The resulting economized transactions and other factors thus enable a long term business partnership with a smaller set of suppliers According to Johnson Redmon Mawhinney (2001), communication is an essential part of any organization regardless of its operation size. It helps in building public relations via effective interpersonal relations and enhancing teamwork for high performance. Effective communication basically entails relaying messages in a clear and precise manner making it easy to be understood without altering the message being conveyed. Communication is composed of a couple of stages: sender as the source of communication, encoding involves the sender internalizing the message, channel of communication, decoding is relaying the message to the receiver. Receiver in this case is the intended recipient of the message and the reaction/feedback of the receiver completes the cycle. The effectiveness of the communication depends on both the degree of attention from both the listener and the recipient of the message. For effective communication one strives to reduce the mistakes likely to occur at every stage of communication discussed above. Encoding involves synthesizing the information to be communicated. The precision and ease with which you communicate will depend on the level at which you internalize the message (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Special attention should be placed on the critical issues, the likely mistaken assumption the communication might generate and the missing information. One should understand well the message he wants to convey, project the likely impact and reaction it will be getting then relay it at the best time possible Wrong interpretations or assumptions may result to communication breakdown. Communication breakdown slows the implementation of ideas and creates stumbling blocks for the path towards the success of an institution. Both the sender and conveyer of the information should have the same understanding of the information. Well conveyed message helps th e listeners understand your thoughts, your perspective on a certain idea. Channels of communication vary from electronic communication electronic communication (fax, internet, video conferencing) face to face, telephone, mails, reports, memo and notices. Choosing an appropriate channel adds value to the information being relayed since each channel has its advantages and weaknesses. Decoding of the message by the listener also requires skill. One should be keen in order to note things like the mood of the sender the feelings in the message and its relevance. Poor decoding which mostly arises from lack of deep understanding of the issue at hand limits the importance of the message. Feedback by the receivers both verbal and non verbal helps in assessing how effective the communication was received. Upon failures it might be important to repeat the message. Circumstances at which you relay your information has impact on the communication. Many organizations like AIG have maintained success and goals achievement due to use of effective communication methods which have enabled participation of all employees towards accomplishing common goals. Removing mistakes from all the stages of communication is very important. The message should be organized, summarized and with minimum or no errors at all. Recent studies point out that communication skill both written and spoken is the biggest factor in isolation that is used in determining managers of cooperation. This is a major boost on the ability to relate well with your subjects and respect you. Poor communication skills will lead stand in the way of career progression as it leads to poor coordination of ideas. Conclusion In todays world, whether an organization is a profiting or non-profit making, it very important that the organization motivates and utilizes its talent. Understanding the organizational behaviour is a major factor for increased opportunity and chances of success in the business world (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). On the other comprehensively understanding the organizations culture ensures continued growth in a diverse manner. In order to attract talents and high quality skills into an organization there is need for a culture of open communication and diversity. Once the institution has the best culture it needs in its activities then it can improve its efficiency and have more widespread viewpoints from which it can learn from hence expanding its systems and operations. However there should be good care to ensure that the organizational culture and structure are in accordance or compatible with the strategic goals of the organization. In todays fast moving global world fro business, organizations need to quickly learn their threats and opportunities and adapt to them. The rate at which an organization learns these factors, affects the speed and efficiency at which the organization handles these opportunities and threats. Effective communication is also a very important factor in the productivity and success of every organization (Johnson Redmon Mawhinney 2001). Communication can either be formal or informal which are both used in all institutions whether directly or indirectly. Formal channels of communication in organizations usually follow the chain of command which is usually from top to bottom. On the other hand the informal channel tends to be more open and spontaneous. Gossip is some form of informal communication. The informal communication is a very effective method of communication and its mostly used by small companies. Investments aimed at increasing the level of explicit harmonization with the outside agents has resulted in enhanced risk to organizations. This has traditionally made organizations to avoid this increased risk by under investing in coordination. However information technology has been found to have the ability of reducing coordination cost without increasing the associated risk of transactions resulting in more outsourcing and less vertically integrated firms. Lower relationship specificity of IT investments and better capability of monitoring, means that organizations can safely invest in information technology. This will then enhance coordination between firms than in traditional investments. The rate and importance of organizational change has not slowed in the past years but it has actually been improving. The continued rapid technological innovations are bringing in changes in organizational processes and systems. The faster growth in internet has enabled much easier and faster access to information and knowledge which has then changed the way people operate businesses. The expectations of employees in their movement from one organization to another have also increased hence necessitating more and more organizational changes so as to meet the current market demand. American international group is a constantly changing organization due to the changing customer demands among other factors. According to AIG Group Management Division (2009), the rate of change portrayed a good culture of AIG that does not show resistance to change in the organization. Although the company experienced some hard times in 2005, its culture of good change enabled it to come out of the crisis. Organizational change has seen the abolition of some of the international market barriers which has then helped many organizations like AIG to venture into partnership with foreign institutions thus improving its market and services. This therefore illustrates the importance of constant organizational change. In spite the importance or organizational change not all the undertaken changes that deliver the expected benefits to the organization. This is the reason why any change in an organization should be carried out through the right procedures. Strong leadership qualities for the managers are also necessary for successful organizational change (Harigopal 2006). Failure for organizational change to deliver is usually brought by reasons such as absence of a change agent with qualifications or the change agent being too junior in an institution. Lack of support by the senior management and their committed executive should be available in any organization. Poor definition of organization objectives and diverse dimensional solutions helps in building confidence in the involved participants hence enabling them to take part in every process of the change. Failed organizational change initiatives do a lot of harm to the employees both in their spirit and strength which creates more difficulty in the accomplishment of the consecutive change initiatives. Actually todays managers face a great challenge in managing change. In order to ensure success therefore all managers are required to understand their organization together with their real needs. According to Harigopal (2006), the change leaders should also understand that bringing positive change in any organization is primarily about changing the employees behaviour in certain ways. Leadership, and powerful management skills like visioning, planning, prioritizing, giving feedback and rewarding are key issues in the success of any organization.

Consumer Behavior Essay -- Business, Supermarket

This essay is based on an analysis of our observation on consumer behaviour which took place at a supermarket. As a means of interpreting the data, the following theories and concepts would be used which are social construction, pester power and independent and interdependent self views...... Social construction PESTER POWER DEFINITION Pester power can be defined ‘as a child’s attempts to exert influence over parental purchase in a repetitive and sometimes confrontational manner’ Nicholls and Cullen (2004:77). Procter and Richards (2002:3) suggest that pester power is ‘the repeated delivery of unwanted requests’. Parents are bombarded with requests, gestures and pleas from their children to buy items like foods, toys and clothes and most often children who carry out this act get what they want (Nicholls and Cullens, 2004). Children might be influenced by either their peers at school (Smithers, 2010) or by advertisements seen on the television (Chandler and Heinzerling, 1998, Smithers, 2010). DEFINITION OF FREUDIAN PERSONALITY THEORY Freudian personality theory is otherwise known as the psychoanalytic theory and it is often used by marketers to influence the purchase decisions of customers unconsciously (Bettany, 2011 and Solomon, 2011). The Freudian personality theory is composed of three categories namely the id, the superego and the ego. The id according to Freud is part of our unconscious being as it functions with regards to the pleasure principle; the pleasure is applicable to the id as it seeks immediate gratification of needs (Bettany, 2011 and Solomon, 2011). Hoch and Loewestein (1991:498) suggest the id is the ‘primary process of thinking’ that is impulsive, stingy and illogical whose aim is to seek pleasure only,... ...essed by Lee and Karen (2000) which reports a strong correlation between ones interdependent self concept and group relationship motives for purchasing goods. Which reiterates’ beliefs that spending so much money on status signifying clothes will be detrimental to groups goals and objectives which may include feeding and other general welfare necessary in a family setting. Strong evidence found by Millan and Renolds (2011) suggests that consumers possessing a high independent disposition were more inclined to shopping activities via regular visits to clothing shops, keeping up with latest trends and information obtainable in at shops thereby spending more money on clothing than interdependent consumers, reason being that consumers with a strong independent self concept tend to satisfy wide variety of symbolic and hedonic needs through this means of consumption.

The Ecstasy Debate: Weighing The Good And The Bad :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Ecstasy Debate: Weighing The Good And The Bad Ever since its first synthesis 80 years ago, the seemingly harmless nature of the drug ecstasy has been the subject of much debate. While many scientists are convinced that there is a darker side to the euphoria-inducing pill than meets the eye, the millions of users insist that no such danger exists. In fact, while I conducted my research on the subject, I discovered that to some extent, the users' concept is true - ecstasy does seem to be far less harmful than any of the other popularized drugs of the century. But why, then, in 1985 was this limitlessly pleasurable drug outlawed (1), with such a weak case against it? Is the scientific world's overly cautious attitude preventing us from experiencing a limitless pleasure unlike anything we have ever known? These were the questions I sought to have answered. 3,4 - Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA as it has come to be called, is a psychoactive drug with a chemical structure similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline, and demonstrates both psychedelic and stimulant effects (3). It was first synthesized by a German company in 1912 to be used to help develop more advanced therapeutic drugs (1). In the 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a group of therapists in the United States (5). Not until the 1980s and early 1990s did the drug gain worldwide popularity as the illicit "ecstasy" (5), the drug that would eventually stir a wave of excitement among young people everywhere. Ecstasy use, which saw its roots in the hippie generation of the 1970s, has since grown exponentially. Ecstasy tablets confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration increased from 13,342 in 1996 to 950,000 in 2000 (4). According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in 1998, 4.3 percent of 8th graders, 7.3 percent of 10th graders, and 11 percent of 12th graders reported they had used MDMA at some point (4). However, by far the age group with the heaviest use (1.4 million Americans) of the drug was reported for those between 18 and 25 years of age (4). So much ecstasy is entering our country at present that the Customs Service has developed an ecstasy command center and is training dogs to sniff out the drug (2). What is it that lures so many people to "experiment" with ecstasy and tantalizes them to want more?

Scarlet Critique Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in 1850. It was based on the Puritans of the 1600's, which were revived in Hawthorne's era. Hawthorne descended from Puritan heritage and harbored a sense of guilt and hatred for their way of life. He used many themes and literary techniques in The Scarlet Letter including symbolism and irony. He emphasized the individual's role in the community and the role of women in society. Hawthorne used romanticism as opposed to the classical correctness of writing. Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the 18th Century and stressed strong emotion and imagination. Puritanism was the belief that all humans are sinful and that it is only though God and the bible that one can find redemption. Hawthorne did not agree with their philosophy. "The tendency of that Hawthorne had for calling unpleasant things 'Puritanic' is an indication that he rejected Puritanism†¦" (Gerber, p.41) He felt they were hypocrites and protrayed them as stuffy and disillusioned. They lived their lives atoning or sins they were born with. Ironically, Hawthorne's writings seemed just that- atonement for his would-be sin, the puritan heritage that he was born with. Even thought The Scarlet Letter set in 1642 in New England, it was written in 1850 at the revival of Puritanism. It focused the role of women in society. Hawthorne had a strong love for women and never portrayed them weak...

English as a second language

Since many years ago in Costa Rica has been implemented English as a second language in educational institutions. Thence, there have been a lot of teachers in order to teach this language to our students during elementary school and high school. However, this goal has been limited and in most cases is not met. This is because many of the teachers do not have basis and rationale for teaching, in many schools across the country many of them do not speak the language or by 50%, do not have good pronunciation, grammar is incoherent and they don ‘t have secretaries skills to teach.Taking this as a starting point we can reach the conclusion of the importance of linguistics and how some of its branches can help teachers improve their classes. Some of these branches that teachers must considered in order to improve their classes are the following: sociolinguistic, phonology linguistic and second language acquisition. All teachers must know how people speak in the society, to understand this topic we have sociolinguistic that is precisely what is responsible for studying the way people speak in a specific society.Sociolinguistic contains many fields which is very important to know because it could help us improve the classes. Why? According with sociolinguistic one of the aspect that it consider is education, the more educated you are the better you speak that is really important; besides, gender is other aspect that you have to dominate especially when you need sort in which we are referring to man or woman, it said women speak better than men, they use more words and sentences it is something we should Consider when you are teaching.In other hands, the idioms should take into account, because we must know that in any region have idioms it means word that simplify a group of words, students must learn about it because may be they will be in contact with foreign people in a Job or they travel to another country.Also, is necessary to know about slang, this is what is known as vulgar vocabulary, as we student usually ask about expressions that they hear, as a teacher we must direct them which of these expressions must use according to the context. In addition, there are phrases that people use to soften the real meaning of a word (euphemism) for example, make love – copulate, teachers should know about these concepts because are synonyms in which is a topic that is taught in Costa Rica ‘s educative system.Race is another aspect very important to know, it determine the way that some people speak a language, for example, if a teacher teach Spanish at USA, especially in a state where most of the people speak Black American English, he or she must know that they reduce vowels, verb to be is deleted, they use â€Å"you was and they was† instead of â€Å"you were and they were†, etc. In order to understand the phrases.Also in sociolinguistic there is an especial meaning which is evolution, this is divided into two categori es nee of them is â€Å"pidgin† (using a language that is not our language is Just to survive) and the other is Creole or native language, this one is very important to take account because here at Costa Rica we have Lemon is a province where most of the people speak Creole from Jamaica, this kind of language is not totally perfect for example; obsolete – me I GU mausoleum – I is good and idiolect – I am good; if a teacher is teaching in Lemon must of knowing interpreter these terms and try to correct them to speak at a correct way.Another aspect teachers must consider is profession, as we know occupations is another topic that needs to be taught at high school, according with professions people use technical words belong to a specific occupations, so teacher must teach to the student how to associate a specific word with an occupation, for example, legal-lower, trauma-doctor.To teach this topic the teacher can use cards, board games combining words adapt ed to occupations related to the profession and the profession name. Phonology study of phonemes-phoneme is the basic unit of sounds (pronunciation, accent, stress); with doubt, if a teacher has enough knowledge about their class will e improved considerably, now days most of the schools in Costa Rica must teach speaking English, to make students acquire a good pronunciation teachers have to emphasize vowel sounds.Also they need to know about diphthongs which is the combination of vowels. There are many kinds of activities to teach vowels especially in school, but the most effective one is audiovisual, fortunately now days the technology is closer to everyone, in most of the schools have video beam, laptops and speakers with these tools teachers can play, songs, videos in order to learn vowel sounds.In other hands, consonants are very important, remember that consonants are divided by two categories mainly which are the following: voiced (vocal cords vibrate) and voiceless (vocal co rds don ;t vibrate), one of the main challenges facing teachers is to get students learn the correctly pronounce the words, so they have to let students know about the differences between consonants; one technique to obtain good results is make students work in groups, where they repeat the words identifying what has vibration and what not.To make easier this teaching the teacher would watch and guide students with the sounds and indicate when are continuant or stop, internal, alveolar-ridge, affricative or fricative and retroflex, certainly not due to give many details about this, but if we can do a little explanation Just let students learn to identify sounds.To end this essay, we must recognize that linguistic is very important and it should be known by teachers to make their lessons better, we know that to teach a second language teachers must know how do people speak in a society determined with all the fields of linguistic, such as, education, gender, idioms, slang, race, evol ution, reversion, it is what we know as sociolinguistic.Also, teachers should implement techniques and activities such as audiovisual presentations to recognize the sounds of the vowels, in the other hand, for recognizing the consonant sounds one very effective technique is group formation where students learn to recognize when the consonants has vibration or not, of course, with the guidance and help of the teacher who must have extensive knowledge of all the implications in the pronunciation of consonants for example when are continuant or stop, internal, alveolar-ridge, affricative or fricative and retroflex.

Financial Analysis Apple Inc.

————————————————- To: ————————————————- ————————————————- By: ————————————————- ————————————————- FINANCIAL REVIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Company Background 3 2. Stock Price Analysis 6 3. Risk Return Analysis 9 5. References11 PART I A. Company Background Apple Inc. long with its wholly-owned subsidiaries designs and manufactures and markets mobile communication, media devices, personal computers and portable digital music players along with a variety of related software’s, services, peripherals and networking solutions. The Company offers a range of mobile communication and media devices, personal computing products, and portable digital music players, as well as a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions and third-party hardware and software products. The most important of which are enumerated below: 1. Phone – iPhone combines a mobile phone and an iPod, Internet communication device in a single handheld product. 2. iPad – is a multi-purpose mobile device, for browsing web, sending and reading email, viewing photos & watching videos, listening music, playing games and reading e-books etc. 3. Mac Hardware Products – includes likes of iMac, Mac-Pro and Mac mini. The iMac desktop has design that incorporates display, processor, graphics, storage, and other components in a single enclosure 4. iPod – line of portable digital media players includes lik es of iPod touch, iPod shuffle and iPod classic. Pod is a flash-memory-based device with a widescreen display, a Multi-Touch user interface. 5. iTunes – is an application, which supports the sale, purchase, download, organization and playback of digital video and audio files and is also available for both the Mac and the Windows based computers. The Company not only sells to retail and bulk consumers, but also to small and mid-sized businesses, and to educational institutions, enterprises and government customers. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Saturday of September and is of 52 or 53-week period.The company has almost 60400 permanent employees and has the second largest market cap after IBM with about 563. 79 Billion dollars and an equal enterprise value, with revenues in excess of 142. 36 Billion dollars and with and EBITDA of 53. 27 billion dollars. B. Business Strategy & Organization The Company’s business strategy is to uniquely leverage its abi lity to design, develop its own operating system, hardware, applications software’s, to its customers, and new products and new solutions with superior usage ease and seamless integration and innovative design.The Company’s strategy, also includes and basically rests on, expanding its distribution network so in order to effectively reach more customers. The Company manages business primarily on geographical basis and has segregated the business locations of its customers into the following 1. The Americas consisting of both North and South America, 2. Europe, Middles East and Africa, 3. Japan, 4. Asia-Pacific, Australia and Asian countries and 5. Retail. It is to be noted that all the above four segments do not include the retail segment figures and strategy.The retail segment consists of stores directly opened by the company and managed by it. C. Competition The products and services offered by the company are a part of highly competitive markets segment it faces stif f and aggressive competition in almost all areas of its business. The market is characterized by very frequent new product introductions and a rapid technological advancement that has substantial capabilities of use of mobile and related communications devices.There is a cut throat competition in the market where the company’s operates, as the competitors are continuously innovating and selling products at extremely low rates. However still the company has been able to maintain its market brand values and sees a good and extremely high level of operating cash flows generation. The Company’s major services i. e. digital content services is facing significant competition from other companies who are promoting their own digital music, services and content products, including free peer to peer video and music services.Some of Apple’s competitors have enough substantial resources and may provide such products and services in market at virtually little or no even prof it to compete with the Apple’s offerings. The most important and major company’s competitors can be classified in various ways as below: However for our study later on, we shall consider HPQ or Hewitt Packard as a close competitor. PART II A. Stock Price Analysis For our stock price analysis, we consider the time period from 16 Mar – 2012 to 6 April – 2012.However it is to be noted that the time frame provided here is not ample for a detailed study and an accurate one for future predictions. We first study the movement of the Apple Inc. stock price movements’ vis-a-vis the S&P 500. From the above figure it is clear that the movement of Apple is less volatile than that of the Index. It is also to be noted that the pattern of movement of Apple’s price show that it is lagging behind or trailing the trend movement of the index. Furthermore in the period under consideration above there seems to be an immediate uptrend developing and sustaining.Al so the major point of astonishment here is during the period post 3 April 2012, the S&P 500 and Apple’s stock prices are moving in opposite direction thereby indicating of some news based movement. This move was probably preempting the Q2 filing by the company which was due later in the next week. However no serious trend or movement is visible in either of the charts above. We do the same comparison of Apple with its peer HPQ for the same period. From the graph above it is quite clear that where Apple’s price movement is positively trending upwards, that of HOQ is a sideways movement without any perfect present trend or direction.The reason being the expectations from the forthcoming Q2 results of Apple, which was an event based movement for Apple, which was absent for HPQ. Now we study the movement of the stock prices on a standalone basis. From the above diagram it is clear that there is no significant or sudden movement in prices or volume of the stock. However the y both show a good trend, and there is not much pressure on the prices of the stock at higher levels which is shown by the build of white candles and an uptrend, which indicates of further upside room present in the stock.However this seems to be news based event and should be properly traded. In all there are five black and ten white candles, which show an imminent uptrend in the stock price, which is also supported by sustenance in the daily volumes. PART III A. Risk Return Analysis We now perform a risk return analysis on the stock. We use the concepts of CAPM model and data for the period as specified in the above segment and calculate different measures as shown below and abridged in the accompanying excel file.From the above calculations we see that the Beta of Apple is lesser than that of HPQ and more close to 1 which resembles that Apple is less volatile than HPQ and more in tandem with the normal or broad market movement. On the other hand HPQ has a high beta indicating tha t the movement in prices of HPQ is more volatile and would yield a higher return, either positive or negative, as compared to Apple. This is also visible in the fact that the Expected return of HPQ is less than that of Apple, which is at least a percentage point or a 100 bps better than HPQ.It is also seen that Apple has been able to give positive returns as compared to HPQ and even the market. This means that Apple has been able to outperform the market. The reason behind the same is the fact that it is expected that the results of Apple for Q2 are going to be better due to the fact that they have recently launched new products and expanded on existing sales and product line, which would result in better revenue e, margins and sales and net profits, which would ultimately react in the EPS.Hence the returns of Apple are positive and more than that of HPQ. This indicates the fact that Apple seems to be an underpriced stock and should be bought as it seems to be giving more returns th an the expected returns and compared to HPA and the index is an outperformer due to more fundamental reasons likes above expectation performance rather than purely and only technical reasons. All this is pretty evident in the Beta and the Expected returns of the stock.PART IV REFERENCES: 1. Thirty Year US T-Bill rate; Available at http://www. bloomberg. com/markets/rates-bonds/government-bonds/us/ 2. Apple Inc. Annual Report and About Company; Available at http://secfilings. nasdaq. com/edgar_conv_html%2f2011%2f10%2f26%2f0001193125-11-282113. html#FIS_BUSINESS 3. Stock Prices Data, Apple, S&P, HPQ; Available at http://finance. yahoo. com 4. Apple Competitors; Available at http://www. nasdaq. com/symbol/aapl/competitors