Non-Accounting Majors

Various accounting principles plays vital role in the success of efficient management of inventories of any companies. Inventories are important aspect of the company since it is the one the determines the available raw materials for the production of the organization, or it could be that it determine the available stocks of the company on their warehouses to be distributed to the market (Robertson, 1998). So much with the importance of inventory management, let us now pay more attention on the importance of accounting to inventory management. Well, the idea of check and balance of accounting could be used by managers assigned in inventory management. Inventories must be checked every now and then depending on the need of the company, the demand and supplies of raw materials must be on balance in order not to affect the operation of the business. Moreover, inventory managers having knowledge in accounting would enables them to determine the allowable level of ending inventories by the end of every period so as to make the financial condition as well as the assets to be stable. There are also times that there are inventories that are non-taxable, therefore, the inventory manager must know how to present those non-taxable inventories to the accountant of the company. The inventory manager should know this kind of principles in order not for the company to pay too much tax and for the smooth flow of data transfer from one department to another since the inventory manager has to identify first those non-taxable inventories before presenting the report to the accounting division. With this, even simply knowledge in accounting would give companies chances of working things smoothly. I am not saying that inventory managers have to acquire accounting studies as well. But the mere basic principles of accounting would be just enough for us to perform our responsibilities well and to avoid committing mistakes as to the proper ways of presenting the needed data of various departments of the organization. REFERENCE Robertson, L. (1998). Managing Inventory [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved 9-20-07 from http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/july98/mech.htm. Â   Â  

An Idea That Failed

Kamala who worked in â€Å"ICC bank† used to reach her workplace In her car. One day,she was unable to start her car and as she has to report In office 9 o'clock sharp but she did not have time to get the car repaired-So she decided to take a bus. When the bus arrived,it was overcrowded but if she waited for another one,she would have not made it in time. So she boarded it and somehow managed to reach office in time. On reaching the bank,she remembered carrying her cell phone with her. When she checked her Jeans pocket†¦ She was shocked on not finding it there.Her pocket was empty. Maybe It was stolen. â€Å"l should not have boarded a crowded bus. Maybe somebody has picked my pocket there†,she said to herself-Manager Gathers too had just reached the bank-seeing Comma's face she understood that there was some problem. â€Å"What is the matter,Kamala? Why are you looking upset? L's everything all asked. â€Å"Marry,my cell phone has been stolen†,spoke Kamala nervously. â€Å"You did not have any cell phone! â€Å"surprised Gathers said. â€Å"Yesterday was my birthday and It was a birthday gift to me from my husband. He had bought It yesterday†,salad Kamala.Olathe is saddled us go to the Police Station and get a report lodged†,Gathers said. Disappointed Kamala will it matter? I won't get the cell phone back† â€Å"We must get a complaint lodged for every crime. The thief will soon be caught you see and you will get your cell phone back†,the manager assured. 000 so both went to the Police station. Landscape venue who was on duty writing the report inquired,†What was your phone number? â€Å". Then Venue dialed the number from his phone. â€Å"l am sure. You will not get through. The thief either must have taken out the Simi card or must have switched off the phone†,a disillusioned Kamala said.The cleverest of the thief's also commits a mistake somewhere. Maybe your cell phone thief leaves a clue too†,Landscape said. On not getting the number for the first time,the inspector tried again. â€Å"it is said softly and switched on his speaker phone. A voice responded,†Hello,who is speaking? † â€Å"There is a good news for you. Our company rewards a cell phone buyer every month with two tickets to Ago†¦ The winner's name is taken out through lottery. You are the lucky one who has purchased a cell phone yesterday and won the prize. Elf you do not want to avail of the trip,we will offer you a cash of prize RSI. ,OOH,† Venue said. Gathers and Kamala understood that Venue played a trick to trap the thief in the net. And he was successful too. The thief responded,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ will avail of the cash prize. When and where will I get the prize. † â€Å"You can come to our office if you want. Or we could send our officer to hand you over the prize. You will Just have to come and show your cell phone to us†, said the inspector. â€Å"l will come to your the thief â€Å"Anytime. Our address is 8-404,Maharani Bag and my name is Venue An excited thief said,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ will be there in two hours†.Keeping the phone down the inspector said,† The thief seems very greedy. He did not even think where we got his number from. ‘ was apprehending that if he enquired that I would not know what to say. † A surprised Kamala asked,†whose address was the one you gave? † â€Å"The same company's from where you bought your cell phone. Krishna is my friend and he is General Manager of that company†,informed Venue. â€Å"You managed to ensure the thief very Gathers. â€Å"You may leave now. Len an hours time you will get your cell phone and the thief too will be caught,† Venue assured. L forgot to tell you that my cell phone has a small Barbie sticker on its inside by my aught†,informed Kamala â€Å"This will make it easier to identify your cell Venue. One hour later inspector re ached his friend Krishna office and told him about everything. Curtain. SAA has no idea. Speaking arrogantly to Krishna,Parade said â€Å"Did you rang me up? I have come to collect my prize of RSI. 50,OOH† â€Å"Where is your cell phone? â€Å"asked Krishna. Parade showed the cell phone. Krishna opened the cell phone and saw Barbie sticker inside it. He said,†Come out,inspector. The person you were waiting for is here† When Parade saw Venue he was shocked.He could not even dream that he would be aught like this one day. â€Å"How many cell phones have you stolen till now? â€Å"Landscape asked sternly. â€Å"Five hundred†,parade,petrified could not lie. Venue arrested Parade immediately and put him behind bars. Kamala was too happy getting back her cell phone. She praised Venue for his efficiency. â€Å"More than my efficiency it was the foolishness of parade that helped. Elf he had not talked on the cell phone,my plan would not have worked. Parade is very clever but committed a mistake this time†,Venue said. Parade was punished with one year imprisonment. Many of his friends too were put behind bars.They were very happy to see him but when they learnt about his foolishness,they all had a hearty laugh. His best friend Panda said,†Parade,you are so clever. Everyone calls you clever,Parade. How could you commit such a mistake? You should not have talked with that cell phone. You should have at least enquired. After all,the buyer was to get a prize, not you. You had stolen it. You must have thought that you would get RSI. 50,OOH easily. You have not only made a fool of yourself but also let us down too† Parade could not speak a word and sat with a hung face. His accomplices too refused to accept him as his leader. THE END

Classical Humanism and Architecture Essay

INTRODUCTION Classical humanism in architecture is a direct reflection of a human quest of self-realization through ages. As for the recorded evidences one can go back to the periods of Plato, Zeno, Epicurus or Aristotle – the period reigned by Greco-Roman philosophers – when this quest of ‘know thyself’ flourished and established itself as a philosophy to woo the future generations. Thus this essay takes a quick look to expressions of classical humanism through the wonderful architectural remains of Acropolis that contains the signs of evolution in architecture too – before coming into its own conclusion. Classical Division of Greco-Roman Architecture The period in discussion contains three distinctive division of architecture, viz. , Doric, Ionic and Corinthian order. Doric could be termed as the mainstream architecture of Greece, which later gave way to Ionic and Corinthian order, where each of them can be identified through their different finishes at the sections like cornice, frieze, architrave, capital, shaft and base. Out of them two styles still co habit in Acropolis – Parthenon and Erechtheum, while the third, belonging to Roman era, has two of its bright examples in the ‘Temple of the Sybil’ in Rome or in the Charlotte City Hall (Shulman). Classical Humanism It can be identified as the improvised state of early Greek Humanism (1200-750 B. C. ), when the Greeks had evolved with the concept of arete (human excellence), where the guiding elements were â€Å"courage, loyalty, generosity, mercy, dignity, decency, honor, stoicism and strength† (Sunami, 2004). Gradually the depiction of these elements as virtues took shape in architectural details besides other modes of expressions like drama, painting or writing, where a realistic approach dominated the proceedings. It is because of that the human-centered sculptures done by them or the details in their architecture attempts to create near-perfect depiction of figures. Parthenon In spite of its present dilapidated state, Parthenon (447-432 B. C.), the home of Greek goddess Athena Perthenos (the ‘Virgin Athena’) is easily the best example of both Doric architecture and Humanism, where its simple columns and the detailed human figures would reflect a ‘plain living and high thinking’ philosophy. In fact, the Doric architecture relied much on the solidity rather than frills, which is evident in its many expressions, like the shafts of its overall 46 columns or their capitals and friezes besides cornices. As for humanism, it contained many figures, and especially the ‘metops’ (relief-works), which were altogether 92 in number, spread all around to depict the series of mythological events or the successful war ventures of the people of Athens. The near-accurate depiction of various muscuto-skeletal states of humans speaks of the deep thoughts applied by their creators. Erectheum Thereafter, the fascination with mathematics and geometry of the Greeks belonging to the period 500 B. C. – 30 B. C. , led to their advancement in architecture (Sunami, 2004) while maintaining their idea of humanism. A great example of such an evolution could be seen in Erectheum (421-405 B. C. ), which had replaced Doric architecture by Ionic order, a style developed in Ionia region of Greece. The six Ionic columns of its facade beholding six sculpted figures of maidens with large ‘bead and reel’ and ‘egg and dart’ moldings (Osborne), corroborates the fact. Corinthian Order Further departure from Doric is observed in Corinthian order of architectural style, where the capitals of its pillars started having â€Å"flowers and leaves below a small scroll† (Shulman), besides tweaking its shafts and cornices to establish a flattened look, altogether indicating evolution in both architecture and philosophy of humanism, where the later emphasized on nature more than before. CONCLUSION The philosophy of humanism or the trends in architecture are both never-ending subjects, but the wonderful episode of their togetherness in the early era sill serves as food for thoughts like ‘simplicity is the hallmark of elegance’ or ‘every instance of human existence is embedded with history, philosophy and nature’. Ends Works Cited Shulman, B. R. â€Å"Classical Orders. † Retrieved 20 December 2007, from http://www. cmhpf. org/kids/dictionary/ClassicalOrders. html Sunami, C. 2004. â€Å"History of Humanism. † Retrieved 20 December 2007, from http://kitoba. com/pedia/History+of+Humanism. html Osborne, R. â€Å"The Erechtheum†. Retrieved 20 December 2007, from http://www. jact. org/publications/sample_erechtheum. htm.

Language and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language and Culture - Essay Example Both Tan and Rodriguez had to fight with their internal struggles; their desire for speaking their native language and the need to speak the language of the society they lived in. The major difference between them was in their perceptions of the significance of preserving their family language. The titles chosen by both writers for their stories also define their feelings. Tan names her story â€Å"Mother Tongue† which has a more emotional feel to it, whereas Rodriguez opts for a more straightforward title of â€Å"Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood† in which you can’t really feel emotion but the story does explain all his feelings and the emotion is built as the story progresses. It is a recollection of various memories that convey Rodriguez’s point of view. Tan and Rodriguez realize the intimacy of their native language at different times of their lives. During her talk on her book â€Å"Joy Luck Club†, her mother was sitting in the audience. At that time she realized that the way she used English language was different depending on who she was talking to. At home she used a broken form of the language whereas for the society she preferred more formal English. She concluded that it had become a language of intimacy, different English for the family which was a language she had grown up with. Tan understands that she never lost the importance of the family language and the role it had played in her life, as she says â€Å"it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth† (Tan, 431). On the other hand Rodriguez realized the role of his family language when he was much younger. Like Tan his identity also altered as he stepped inside his home. When his mother used to call out to him in Spanish he felt at home and his mother’s words would comfort him. He felt sure of his family identity and feared the language of the society. Rodriguez unlike Tan lost this feeling of intimacy early in life. Both the writers felt guilt when they averred a discriminating identity towards their family. The reason they did that was both their parents could not speak English properly. Tan describes her mother’s English as very ‘limited’. It was this broken language that limited Tan’s perception of her mother. She uses words such as â€Å"broken† and â€Å"fractured† to explain her mother’s English which shows that she is very ashamed by it. Tan believed that the quality of her mother’s English was directly related to the quality of what she said and this must reflect badly on her. She could not express her thoughts perfectly thus making her thoughts imperfect as well. Her beliefs were reinforced by the way people used to treat her mother. T an states plenty of empirical evidence in her story. She wrote that people in stores, restaurants, banks did not give importance to her; sometimes they would even ignore her, pretending that they did not hear her. Rodriguez writes about similar situations; he too was embarrassed of his parents when they spoke the language of the society. It would make him feel that his parents were not powerful and could not protect him. He also supports his feelings with the society’s behavior towards his parents. Rodriguez uses a strong language and some Spanish words as well including â€Å"gringo† and â€Å"pocho†. Both Tan and Rodriguez understood later in life how very wrong they were about their parents, at one point Tan said â€Å"my mother's English is perfectly clear. ... It's my mother

UK Government in Encouraging Sustainability in Businesses Essay

UK Government in Encouraging Sustainability in Businesses - Essay Example This essay stresses that  the concept of sustainability first became prominent with the publication of the Bruntland Report in 1987. The report defines sustainability as â€Å"meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†.From this paper it is clear that  the concept of sustainability has evolved overtime since it was first defined. In earlier days, it was mainly an operational concern that focused on defensive strategies to cut waste and reduce organizational footprint. It then evolved and took a more strategic stance with focus shifting to value chains and innovation from waste and cost reduction. Right now, the concept pervades all organizational decision making.  This trend clearly shows a move towards rendering the term sustainability in business redundant as it will simply be how business is done. However in the present, businesses are consciously incorporating sustainability into their business decisions.   Most businesses express their sustainability goals through corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments. CSR within an organisation is often composed of practises, policies and programs that are integrated throughout the business’s operations from decision making, processes to supply chain, which aim at ensuring current sustainable business operations taking into consideration future impacts.  Governments around the globe have increasingly grown aware of the significance of encouraging sustainability in businesses.... hows that many organizations are actively integrating and incorporating sustainability principles into their business operations, and the reasons behind this go far beyond reputation management. A sustainable business hence genuinely delivers environmental, economic and social benefits simultaneously in its operations while minimising the damage to society and the environment (Nidumolu, Prahalad, and Rangaswami, 2009:1). Most businesses express their sustainability goals through corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments. CSR within an organisation is often composed of practises, policies and programs that are integrated throughout the business’s operations from decision making, processes to supply chain, which aim at ensuring current sustainable business operations taking into consideration future impacts (Petrini and Pozzebon, 2010: 364; Baumgartner and Ebner, 2010:77). Companies are increasingly inclined to incorporate society’s expectations of ethical busines s practices into their business strategies as a way of not only responding to pressures from stakeholders such as employees and consumers among others, but also exploring opportunities that create competitive advantage for the company. Assessment of the role of UK government in encouraging sustainability in businesses as compared to other stakeholders Governments around the globe have increasingly grown aware of the significance of encouraging sustainability in businesses. In the UK, the government has played a critical role in encouraging sustainability in businesses. The government’s role in sustainability adoption often takes a regulatory approach. This is unlike other stakeholders of an organisation which have different key roles to play in encouraging sustainability, for instance, employees

Cuban Collection Against the United States Essay

Cuban Collection Against the United States - Essay Example This paper will also examine if the Cubans are just hedging their bets in case the United States decides to launch a regime change against the communist nation. Plans to purchase Cuba from the Spanish Empire were put forward by the United States. This saw the United States having a strong influence in Cuban’s political affairs (Leslie 1994, 24). However, there had been an intriguing collection of espionage cases on the US department of Defense: Defense Personnel Security Research Centre (Collins 2001, 23). After World War II, there were ‘number stations’ all round the globe which were described as shortwave radio stations characterized by their unique broadcasts (Moreno 2012, 15). The best known of the number stations was the â€Å"Lincolnshire poacher†, suspected to have been run by the SIS (Moreno 2012, 17). Later on in 2001, the United States government arrested the Cuban five on charges related to spying for Cuba. They were alleged to have received messages from a Cuban number station broadcast (Collins 2001, 78). Others even claimed that these stations related to illegal drug smuggling (Leslie 1994, 35). However, this was not the end of all the spying cases on the United States. In 2001, Anna Montes who was a senior US Defense Intelligence agency analyst was arrested and charged for espionage crimes. Anna Montes communicated with the Cuban Intelligence Directorate through messages encoded and received by the encrypted shortwave transmissions from Cuba (Moreno 2012, 34). However, this did not end even before the arrest of Carlos Alvarez, his wife Elsa, and even the arrest of Walter Kendall Myers in 2009. Allegedly, Walter Myers was charged with con spiracy to spy for Cuba by receiving and decoding some messages that were being sent from the Cuban Intelligence Directorate’s number station (Moreno 2012, 39). The Cuban government came up with all these ways of spying on the United States in order to avoid the United States government from

The arctic melting of global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The arctic melting of global warming - Essay Example If the ice melts, then the global temperature would increase because the earth would absorb more heat from the sun. This would then affect the weather patterns not only across the northern hemisphere but also globally. The ice that covers the Arctic region functions as a reflector where it reflects much of the sun’s heat back to space. This helps in cooling the planet and making it habitable and provides a sense of balance by driving atmospheric circulation. If the balance is affected by increase in temperatures at the Arctic region, then there could be devastating results that include cyclones and typhoons, which are responsible for mass deaths. Additionally, if the seas become warmer, they may endanger aquatic life and possibly lead to extinction of certain species. Since melting ice increases the volume of water in the oceans, the ocean level raises leading to a higher possibility of mass deaths mostly caused by Tsunamis if earthquakes strike the coastal regions. This then leads to the conclusion that the Arctic should be protected from melting because the repercussions could be far reaching in that the entire globe would be affected. This region can be protected through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the

Argument for and Against Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argument for and Against Education - Essay Example Such oppositions of education are because of the numerous ineffective educational institutions existing today. These educational institutions have compromised the quality of education and have only opened people’s eyes, but completely closed their minds. This is a worrying situation, as today’s education systems have not achieved their full potential of empowering people’s mind and soul. Our education systems therefore play an important role in hindering the purpose of education today. Nonetheless, education is the main factor that encompassing our lives today. It is instrumental in the stimulation of the human mind, as well as turning inquisitive minds into intellectuals. Institutions of higher learning advance the intellect to a higher level, providing them a deeper understanding of the world around us. The benefits of education are all encompassing, including intellectual, social, and emotional benefits. However, Veblen (1957, p.139) argues that in the busines s world, there is no need for education, basing on confessions of prominent business people, who regarded higher learning as a hindrance, which does not help anyone with successful business aspirations. To him, the money culture, and customer-oriented pervasions of education values have commodified education, measuring its worth by monetary units. This reduces education to nothing, and prevents students and teachers from pursuing knowledge freely, as they only pursue academic credits. Commodification of education in the institutions of higher learning today is an issue that has portrayed education in a negative life. This is what makes most people argue against education today. In today’s age of financial greed, many institutions of higher learning... This essay stresses that our present society has evolved into the culture of materialism and the love for money. This culture has found its way into the learning institutions, thereby causing the commodification of education and the commercialization of researches, thus compromising the quality of education in these institutions. This unfortunate situation in our higher learning institutions is not reason enough to disregard education. This paper makes a conclusion that the role of education and its numerous social and economic benefits in society cannot be denied. Education is a known means to poverty eradication and development. Today’s technological advances and economic development are a result of education. Education remains the only basis for future development. Education programs therefore need to be fully funded, as this is a worthy investment for any country. Redefinition of education to capture its original purpose is necessary today. Governments should be devoted to providing support systems for revamping of their education systems. We need to take our educational systems to their old days, when they upheld values and served their function. This way, the function and quality of education today will be enhanced. However, this should be a collective role for both government and the public. The public should know the requirements of education, and not allow these to be violated by politicians or the media.

Global competitiveness of the company Unilever in Pakistan Research Paper

Global competitiveness of the company Unilever in Pakistan - Research Paper Example The government has developed the policies which could keep the costs of production low thereby, providing benefits to private sector. However, legal framework of Pakistan is very weak because of ineffective policies and weak regulatory structures (Asian Development Bank). Infrastructure Resources in Pakistan are limited and the country’s infrastructure needs are massive. It is because of the limited fiscal space and huge gaps in capacity of public sector to develop infrastructure (IPDF). With the increasing multinational companies, a significant development has been observed. However, infrastructure ratings are mixed such as low rank in electric supply and telephone lines and better rank on transport and railways infrastructure (Asian Development Bank). Macro-economy Table shows that GDP growth of Pakistan is 4.1 percent in 2010 as compared to 2.1 percent in 2009. In 2007 the GDP growth rate was 7.0 percent and in next few years it declined significantly which reflects the imp act of global financial crisis. Exchange rate of Pakistan Rupee is Rs.86.21/1$ in 2010 as compared to Rs.60.16/1$ in 2005. It means that Pakistani Rupee has declined significantly against dollar within a period of five years. Inflation has increased from 9.3 percent in 2005 to 12.90 percent in 2010 (Board of Investment: Government of Pakistan). Pakistan economy has faced two major natural disasters in the past few years including massive flooding and earthquake. Because of poor infrastructure and construction, such disasters actually hurt the Pakistan economy. According to CEO, Ehsan Ali Malik, full-year sales target of Unilever declined by 7 percent in Pakistan because of floods (Sharm). Table: Economic Indicators of Pakistan Source:... Global competitiveness of the company "Unilever" in Pakistan Pakistan economy is facing significant challenges because of security concerns and macroeconomic deterioration. Since private sector plays a very critical role in supporting the overall economy therefore, Pakistani government supports and attracts private sector investments. The government has developed the policies which could keep the costs of production low thereby, providing benefits to private sector. However, legal framework of Pakistan is very weak because of ineffective policies and weak regulatory structures. Resources in Pakistan are limited and the country’s infrastructure needs are massive. It is because of the limited fiscal space and huge gaps in capacity of public sector to develop infrastructure (IPDF). With the increasing multinational companies, a significant development has been observed. However, infrastructure ratings are mixed such as low rank in electric supply and telephone lines and better rank on transport and railways infrastructure. Unilever has been pursuing very aggressive marketing strategies. Since company has developed huge range of products and most of the customers are not even aware of the products which belong to company. Therefore, company should develop advertising strategies that promote company image with products and sales should be promoted by attracting the customers to believe in Unilever.

Analytical reviews Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Analytical reviews - Assignment Example There is a clear agenda to highlight the exploitation of the working classes, called the proletariat, by the ruling classes, called the bourgeoisie. This manifesto is, as its title suggests, a book of political theory but it is also much more than that. The opening line indicates a wider concern with human history on a global scale: â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.†2 What follows is a theory which covers all societies from the classical Roman times of patricians and slaves, through medieval serfs and lords in a feudal system to Victorian industrialization and the huge enterprise network of colonialism, spanning many countries from Europe to India and America. The wide scope of the work and its emphasis on human culture places it firmly in the genre of global history, and it displays remarkable insights into economic and political processes which are far ahead of its time. Many of the ideas contained in the treatise, such as economic determinism, have inspired whole generations of politicians, and the authors are credited with molding the foundations for revolution and the creation of Soviet Russian and many other major modern states. The idea that the working classes in any society are bound to rise up and forcibly seize power was naturally seen as a threat by many European commentators, and it provoked both ardent followers and severe critics. Events in the twentieth century, and now very dramatically in the twenty-first century, have shown that this kind of generic analysis makes perfect sense in describing many specific historical situations. People do tend to rise up against repressive regimes and this manifesto gives them rational arguments and encouragement to do just that. As a complete analysis of human society, however, the manifesto fails to measure up. The world has adopted a largely capitalist methodology, and the predicted rise of the working class has not been universally observed. In fac t there are many examples of how the Marxist working class utopias have turned into a different kind of oppression, where people were trapped in stultifying centrally planned universal poverty. The Communist Manifesto is nevertheless a classic of world literature, homing in on vital issues like labor and its value, forms of government for an industrial age, and the economic inter-connectedness of the modern world, and it is extremely useful as a counterpoint to the currently dominant ideas of capitalism. Part Two: World-Systems Theory: Capitalism, Development, and Under-Development. The important theoretical study entitled World Systems Analysis: An Introduction by Immanuel Wallerstein is a description of the way that our understanding of many disciplines loosely gathered under the title â€Å"social sciences† has changed. Epistemology is a key concern, because any artificial divisions between fields of knowledge can distort the way that we perceive and therefore understand r eality. Wallerstein describes how, until the second world war, scholars operated in separate subject areas like history, geography, politics, economics, sociology, etc. but that by the 1970s the boundaries between these areas had become less fixed. The late twentieth century was marked by

Financial Accounting Week 8 Course Project Assignment

Financial Accounting Week 8 Course Project - Assignment Example This paper tends to illustrate the different methods of depreciation and analyse the comparison between them with their effects in financial reporting in a business (Rezaee & Riley 2010). It is the widely used method in the United States by several companies and firms. This method charges equal amount of depreciation in each accounting period throughout the business period. It is applied by getting the difference between a company’s asset’s historical cost and its salvage value, the outcome is divided by the asset’s useful life. This method has a uniform and stable effect on business revenues and the asset value remains stable and is predictable throughout the accounting periods of the asset’s useful life (Cunningham & Cunningham 2004). This method assigns equal amount of expense to each unit of production of an asset or the service rendered by the asset. It involves determining the depreciation per unit of an asset by getting the difference between its historical cost and the salvage value, then dividing by the estimated units of production during its useful life. The company then determines the expense associated with the depreciation by multiplying the unit depreciation by the number of units produced (Benston 2006). This method of depreciation has varying effects on a company’s assets depending on the units of production. If the units of production are more, then the depreciation expense in the balance sheet will also be more, while less units of production leads to lesser depreciation expense (Rezaee & Riley 2010). Under this method, the amount of depreciation is determined by multiplying the depreciable costs by fractions based on the sum of the asset’s useful life. This method often results in write-offs than the straight-line method; however the write-offs are less than the double-declining method (Cunningham & Cunningham 2004). This method has an effect on the

Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay Example for Free

Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay Nursing has evolved throughout the years. Gone are the days that the existence of nursing geared towards following the orders of senior members on the profession and initiation of routine procedures. In today’s nursing, nurses are valued and needed for their reasoning as well as intellectual skills. The changes in nursing require the desire to be more responsible and contributory to the wellbeing of those that needed care. These changes led to more complex ethical dilemmas that nurses’ encounter. This paper aims to provide a reflection on the Ethical Dilemmas presented on the Ethics Game Simulation, the decision-making steps taken to address the ethical issues, how the ethical concepts influenced the decisions made, and the application of the ethical concepts to a medical-surgical unit. The Case of the Troubled Teen This case illustrates Rachel Banks a 16 year-old teenager who got pregnant out of wedlock and currently on her tenth hour of labor on the OB/GYN unit at Seva Medical Center. She’s accompanied by her parents. Rachel’s parents are instructing the staff nurses to withhold the pain medication as punishment for getting pregnant before getting married. Since Rachel Banks is a minor, legally, the parents can decide for her. The nurses are concerned due to the possible detrimental health effects that the situation can cause to Rachel and her unborn baby, Lily. The nurses also became aware that the parents may not be fully educated on the consequences of their decision. In order to make an ethical decision on this case, I used the Baird Decision Model which provided five frameworks: Step 1: Be attentive, Step 2: Be Intelligent, Step 3: Be Reasonable, Step 4: Be Responsible, and Step 5: Be Reflective (University of Phoenix, 2013). The main issue in this case is how to ensure that Rachel and the baby get appropriate and timely medical care. I reviewed the e-mails and communications gathered in order to get a picture of the situation and see that the best possible solution arise. Upon understanding the main issue of this case, I’ve identified that the primary stakeholders includes; Rachel Banks, her parents, her unborn child, the staff nurse, and the primary nurse because they will be impacted on the decisions made in this situation. After identifying the main issue and the primary stakeholders, using the rights/responsibilities lens I was able to identify that my obligations and duties includes providing the best possible care to Rachel Banks and her unborn child, not to accommodate parents who are harming their child, and also support my staff’s professional improvement. On the results lens, I was able to recognize what would create the greatest good for the greatest number of stakeholders which was to involve the nurses and the parents in assessing need for medication intervention and also provide information for aftercare support and education. I believe that the decision made on this scenario benefits both the patient and her family. By involving the parents in the assessment of Rachel’s medical needs, conflict is alleviated and thus, creates a positive outcome. The Case of the Policies and Politics This case is about Alain Trottier, a patient brought in the emergency room by his domestic partner, Yves. Alain was admitted to the ICU unit and has been unconscious. The day- shift supervisor, Carlotta Baldwin is preventing Yves from seeing the patient and refuses provide information regarding the patient because he is not an actual family member. However, according to the hospital policy, domestic partners are to be treated as married couples for the purposes of access and, most importantly, when it must be determined who can make medical decisions for a patient unable to give their own consent. My duty as the nurse taking care of Alain is to identify the critical issue in this situation which is the equal treatment and access of gay partners at Seva Medical Center as equal to those of straight couples. Upon identifying this as the main issue, it is easier to analyze the problem. Again, the following stakeholders were identified: Alain Trottier (patient), Yves (domestic partner), C arlotta Baldwin, RN (shift supervisor), Amelia Flinch (Director of Nursing), the shareholders of the hospital, and lastly, I the staff nurse taking care of Alain. This scenario has led to the identification of relationship lens. The relationship lens focuses on the community. The main concern of this lens is to provide basic liberties to all people (University of Phoenix, 2013). The three rights represented in this case were: right to participate in decision-making for an unconscious family member, right to have hospital policy regarding participation by family members implemented, and right to be informed that your interpretation of hospital policy is inaccurate. I believe that these rights are the major component of this lens because it focuses on the patient, family, and healthcare providers. Upon understanding the basic rights related to this situation, the following actions such as educating all employees with hospital policies, establishing a taskforce to make sure that the policies are put into practice and conducting yearly audits to make sure that the policies are implemented. These actions will ensure that the patient will benefit greatly on the policies placed on the facility. Lastly, the reputation lens discusses the virtues important for leadership; core competencies such as managing diversity, problem-solving, self-knowledge, decision quality and fairness. These values are important because of the overall positive effect that it can bring to the patient and the facility. My final decision in this case is to note on Alains chart that Yves is to be given access and treated as family. Speak to Carlotta about my decision and let my supervisor know. I believe that this decision has no risk. This decision has demonstrated that I am fully knowledgeable on the hospital policies and also implementing what I know for the benefit of my patient. By assuring equal access will likely improve the hospital’s status in the community. Lastly, by informing Carlotta Baldwin and the supervisor know of the decision can be a message that further education is needed for all employees to be more aware and knowledgeable of the hospital policies. Ethical Dilemma at a Medical-Surgical Unit I’ve been working as a RN at a medical-surgical unit for almost a year now. I still consider myself as a novice nurse and I feel that I haven’t been exposed to a lot of ethical dilemmas. However, I believe that pain management or providing pain relief can be an ethical dilemma for any nurse. The ethical issue is this: can we as nurses undertreat a patient’s pain because we are concerned about the repercussions or because we know that the patient is addicted to the medication. I believe when challenging situations like this arise, I need to be conscious of my own biases and make evidence-based decisions that can provide optimal treatment to the patient. By not being judgmental, I can fully assess what would benefit my patient greatly and include him/her on the treatment plan- giving autonomy. By including the patient I can also decrease the harm because I will have a better understanding of what will work best for my patient, and lastly, by hindering my biases I will be able to treat my patient’s pain in a non-discriminating way possible. As nurses continues to encounter complex ethical dilemmas as the profession and society gears forward, we must still go back on the foundation of nursing in accordance to the mission of Florence Nightingale; nurses are missioners of health dedicated to the advancement of human welfare. References: University of Phoenix. (2013). Ethics Game Simulation [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HCS478 website.

Pollution Levels In The River Nile

Pollution Levels In The River Nile River Nile is the most important rivers. It passes through many countries. It has historical, economic, agricultural important for these countries. In the last period, the River Nile pollution exposure to many pollutants. I will talk in this report about the importance of the River Nile and River, Nile pollution and damage to these pollutants. Finally I will mention the solutions. Nile River: The Nile is a major river in Africa .It the longest river in the world. The total length of the river is 6650 km (4132 miles). Nile Basin covers an area of 3.4 million km  ². Nile Basin countries are Uganda, Ethiopia , Sudan and DRC. Also Burundi , Tanzania , Rwanda , Kenya, Egypt and Eritrea. The Nile has two major tributaries, White and Blue Nile. The river flows through desert almost, from Sudan into Egypt. Egypt civilization has depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along Nile river .Most the historical and cultural sites of Egypt are found along the Nile river. The Nile ends in a large delta and it is go into the Mediterranean Sea. Important of Nile River: Nile Basin constitutes has unique diversified geographically, starting from the highlands in the south and at least freshly hit even up to the spacious plains in the far north. Therefore, the Nile River is the only river which flows from south to north due to the tendency of the earth. Nile is of great importance in the economies of the Nile Basin, in the field of agriculture : in all countries of the Nile Basin water farmers depends on nile water as resources to irrigate their crops. Among the most famous of these crops: cotton, wheat, sugarcane, dates, legumes, and citrus fruits. In fishing, many type of fish abundance in Nile water. fish are favorite dishes of many of the peoples in these countries. the Nile River has many aquaculture animals such as Nile crocodile, which presence in most of the path of the Nile. In the field of tourism in Egypt and Sudan are based upon a type of tourism, Nile Tourism , in both Egypt and Sudan, many ship carrying tourists and visitors to the country each of Qena, Luxor and Aswan, Egypt, and between two mountains, the third and fourth in the north of Sudan, between the Juba and Kochi. Causes of Nile pollution The River Nile is exposed to many types of pollutants from the waste characteristics and makes it invalid to use for drinking and irrigation, which is detrimental to humans and animals. Nile river pollution mean there is a change in physical properties, chemical properties or biological properties of water. *Biological waste: Biological waste mean is the present of organisms with visible or invisible eye that cause pollution in water such as: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, animal and there are phases of minutes (eggs, larvae stages). Some of these organisms are seen bye naked eye, such as some algae and aquatic plants, and others organism can not be seen by naked eye (only with a microscope), such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa. The degree of proliferation of these organisms depends on the nature and size of these organisms. *Organic pollution Organic pollution is a waste of plant and animal which contain chemically into seven groups of substances, namely: 1. Soluble substances in the water, including Algelokoseidat, sugars , amino acids , salts, nitrates, sulfates, chlorides and potassium salts. 2 soluble substances in the ether, including alcohol, include fats, oils and waxes. 3. Alselliozat. 4 .Alheimciliozat. 5. Alganinat. 6. proteins. 7. Minerals that do not dissolve in water including potassium magnesium. *Toxic metals pollution The number of chemical elements are manufactured that more than (1500) type. Many heavy metals are found in industrial .They have bad effects to humans and organisms .For example: Mercury: It is come from waste generated through electrolysis in the manufacture of sodium hydroxide and chlorine gas. It was found that the microbiologist turned inorganic mercury into methylmercury, which binds with the protein strain found in the body by a group (-SH), which exist, and this leads to focus on the food chain. Cadmium Cd It is one of the most dangerous pollutants of comparison .It inhibits the activity of enzymes containing a group replace zinc in some enzymes containing it. Lead pb It is an inhibitor of the functions of many enzymes Symptoms of lead poisoning: Colic, and anemia, headaches, convulsions, and renal colic. Arsenic: As It is enter in many industries, such as: the pesticide industry. Like the rest of the other heavy metals and their compounds, it has a detrimental effect and toxic on living organisms, when concentrations of it up to a certain extent. We see the harmful effect of heavy metals in drainage water, which led to the pollution of crops. *Residues, animal waste and garbage: It is peoples ignorance of the fact of the Nile River and that the source of water .They got rid of the bodies of dead farm animals , disposal of waste and garbage dead birds and infected by bird flu ,and throw them in the river. Long time ago, the Nile flood before the establishment of the High Dam, the constant motion of water and volatile help to out expulsion of contaminants. Effect of Nile Pollution: *Biological waste: Waste waters are carrying many of the microbes especially bacteria. These microbes cause water pollution. The contamination of the water leads to pollute fish, molluscs, crustaceans and others aquatic animals. The contaminated water may lead to poisoning or killing human. The most important disease-causing bacteria: The contaminated water may lead to poisoning or killing of human beings is the most important disease-causing bacteria: Salmonella: It is a type of bacteria causes typhoid . The most important parasites that pollute the water are Ascaris worms and schistosomes . One of the main viruses that found in water pollution is hepatitis virus, which leads to infection of larvae (yellow). *Organic pollution: $ Lead to a lack of Oxgen. That are effecting to organism that live in water. $ Increasing number of microbes significantly in the Availability of organic materials and that is lead to serious damage. $ Anaerobic conditions lead to the formation of toxic compounds affect the growth of Plants. $ Spread of weeds , nematodes, fungal bacterial diseases. *Toxic metals pollution Mercury: Toxicity of inorganic compounds of mercury lead to Nervous Disorder . Injury element mercury leads headache, chills and inflammation of the bladder, memory loss. Organic mercury compounds, especially methylmercury, it is more toxic because of the easy to go in porous membranes. It is concentrated in the blood and affects the mind and central system, the witness here, Minamatas disaster in Japan in 1952, which died in which more than (52) people. The reason for that was the people of this village ate fish in their food, which contained concentrations of mercury compound (CH3.HgS.CH3). Cadmium Cd, Lead pb They inhibit the activity of enzymes in the body of living organisms. Arsenic: As It has a detrimental effect and toxic on living organisms. *Residues, animal waste and garbage: The spread of diseases between humans and animals who depend on drinking water of the Nile. Solutions: Ø ¥ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¸Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ± ØلؠªÃƒËœÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ Ø ¥Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ° Øلؠ­ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚  ØللØØ ªÃƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ © 1 . Work necessary precautions to prevent the leakage of sewage to the waters of the Nile. 2. Emphasis on not throw factory waste in the river, whether liquid or solid in the river. 3. Prohibition and criminalization of dead animals in the River Nile. 4. Do not throw waste solids and plastic in the River Nile. 5. Spread health awareness among the farmer. 6 Spreading awareness among farmers to not wash tools and equipment for spraying pesticides in the waters of River Nile water (irrigation). 7. Take all measures towards the implementation of law to protect of waterways, especially rivers. 8. Built centers measurements fixed the waterways, to control pollution that occurs on them. 9. The need to do special place for the sewage and assembled away from the Nile. 10. Control the pollution which leads to acid rain, which polluted the Nile. 11. Prevent use of water (the Nile and other) to clean the animals and laundered. 12. Dont do wrong practices such as some people on the banks of the Nile, such as washing dishes and clothes. Conclusion Water is very important element we need to live and it is part of our lives. Nile River is impotent source for water. Many reasons cause water pollution. These will destroy the water we drink and will destroy our lives. To prevent Nile water pollution the government should provide strict penalties for people or factories who try to pollute the water. Recourses: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec004_gp5/pollution http://environ.chemeng.ntua.gr/ineco/Default.aspx?t=355 http://www.focusire.com/archives/203.html http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=87416

Implementation of Data Protection Act in Childcare

Implementation of Data Protection Act in Childcare Unit 5 Choose and evaluate four of the 8 Data protection Act principles, providing examples of how these would be implemented in a child care setting. Data should be fairly and lawfully processed. This means data collected must be obtained legally and without any deceit. The child care setting will require written consent from each individual’s child’s parents/ guardian/ carer in order for personal data to be collected and processed. In this respect it will be taken that consent is implied through the following: Clients – by the parent/ carer who signs the registration forms and appropriate consent forms as a ‘contract for nursery care’ for their child/ children. Employees – by completing the job application form at onset of employment, and where the employee has not registered an objection to their data being used. Good explanation. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. This is the third data protection principle. In practice, it means you should ensure that: You hold personal data about an individual that is sufficient for the purpose you are holding it for in relation to that individual, and you do not hold more information than you need for that purpose. You should identify the minimum amount of personal data you need to properly fulfil your purpose. Child carer should identify the minimum amount for children of personal data they need to properly fulfil their purpose. They should hold that much information but no more. This is part of the practice known as â€Å"data minimisation†. Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary kept up to date. This is the fourth data protection principle. Although this principle sounds straightforward, the law recognises that it may not be practical to double check the accuracy of every item of personal data you receive. So the Act makes special provision about the accuracy of information that individuals provide about themselves or that is obtained from third parties In a child care setting, every child care provider shall keep current records of child and family information for each child enrolled during the period of enrolment and for a period of at least two years after discharge, which shall include All child information Parent information Telephone number of the parent or guardian while the child is attending the child care centre Name, address and telephone number of a person designated by the parent or guardian to be contacted in the event of an emergency if the parent or guardian is not available Records of any medical, physical, developmental or emotional conditions relevant to the care of the child Each childs Manitoba Health registration and personal health identification numbers and name of the childs physician Where applicable, copies of separation agreements, court orders or other documents setting out custody arrangements for each child. Parents to keep carer updated with any change of personal change i.e. change of address, divorce, separation, etc. Child care regulations require attendance reports to be kept and available for inspection for a period of two years. However, centres are advised to consider keeping attendance reports longer for other purposes, such as income tax To comply with these provisions child carer should: Take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personal data they obtain. Ensure that the source of any personal data is clear carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of information and consider whether it is necessary to update the information. You could also recognise here, the importance of accurate and up-to-date child information records. Data should be securely stored Personal data and records will be maintained under appropriate conditions of security to prevent any unauthorised or accidental disclosure. Records can be hard copy (paper) format and computer files. Particular attention is paid to the following aspects of the record storage. Hard copy file. Identification of storage; Identification of those employees authorised to have access. Computer file: Password- protection for access to sensitive data files: Who is authorised to have knowledge of these passwords Back up, control and management of what are essentially copies of personal data. In child care setting when personal data is being processed, staff will take reasonable precautions to prevent sighting of data by unauthorised persons: Record files are locked away when are not in use. Where practical computer screens should be tilted towards the user and away from the general office environment; Computers are not left on when not in use to secure the children delete the recording data or either the carer should put separate computer special for children. Good. Evaluate the need for accurate, legible and up to date record keeping, and identify the consequences of non-compliance. It is important to keep records which are up to date to provide accurate, current, comprehensive and concise information concerning the condition and the care required for all individuals. Accurate, legible and up to date record keeping provide the basic for planning and help to insure that children’s natural desire to discover, explore and learn are supported and encouraged. Keeping goods record help staff and carer to see a picture of the whole child over a period of time and understand children as part of a family and as member of the community, also will help other member to carry on if the key person is absent Record should be kept in a clear and logical manner, using clear language that can be understood. Accurate information needs to be recorded so that parents can pass this on to HMRC for the calculation of tax and benefits that they are entitled to. From a healthy and safety accurate records are necessary to insure that correct medication is administered when necessary for children and that allergy information and special requirements are adhered to. A good point. Legibility is also needed because is important from a financial perspective, to insure that correct information is submitted to the HMRC for tax purposes. All records which are produced weather written or electronic must be signed and dated, they must also be stored correctly in accordance with that data protection act 1998. It is vital that records are kept up to date, as this ensures that the individual’s needs are being met, and may also help to reduce the likelihood of abuse. Service users must be involved and informed about any changes made within their personal records and care plan files; this may also include medical or social service records Effective record keeping by health care workers can also ensure that a high standard of health and social care is being provided within the working environment; all information written in files must be clear and relevant and must never be discussed outside of a working environment as this would again breach the customer confidentiality law, the law also states that if it’s not written down, then it never happened, so this is yet another reason as to why it is so important to keep up to date records, regarding an individual’s general health and well-being. It is important to keep the record information clearly so everyone who will ever need to have an access to them will not struggle to understand them or read them. Accurate and up-to-date recording is important especially when there is an emergency and the staff-in-charge is not available due to illness, vacation, resignation, etc. Good records and documentation will facilitate communication between service providers to ensure coordinated, rather than fragmented service. Consequences of non-compliance The record will not be easily searchable. If records are not update in child care setting child carer might be getting the wrong tests and wrong treatments to a child, if they werent accurate, they might get wrong medication dosage and if the writing isnt legible, the child care nurses would not be able to read and carry out the doctors orders. May not have backup unless copied on routine basis or carbon-copied. Requires legible handwriting Pages may fall out – this can be remedied by the use of reinforced whole paper. In child care setting is very important to keep the dada accurate, legible and up to date in case of any absent of someone, anyone in the setting can know exactly what to do as the records shown. Good, an important point discussed. . Explain the difference ways of recording digital and paper records in the child care setting Digital recording is the translation and transcription of sound into an on-off format (binary). This binary transcription is called a digital recording, and is done by an analogy to digital converter (ADC). A digital recording can be translated back into sound by computers and other playback devices. (This is a definition of a digital sound recording and is not necessary for this question) Ways of recording digital and paper records in the child care setting are:- Portable hard drives: This is a piece of equipment that sits outside of a computer or laptop on its own enclosure, the easiest way in child care setting is to use it for backup as it can be plugged in the computer and data recorded or saved onto it, this can be done by saving each individual file or folder for the children and stored securely in a closed cabinet or safe. Computer or laptop is also a digital recording means which used in almost every child care settings. Child carers are using computer program as record keeping devices to keep the record of children’s friendship groups, spontaneous play experiences, attendance records, and children academic progress records. These records can be used in mind mapping exercises to plan for children’s long term learning and development. Child care providers also using digital cameras to assist children to record their own activities or learning experiences when there in the setting. Other devices like USB flash drive and CDs are also used to record digital data in child care settings. These devices can be put together with child’s folder. USB Flash. CDs and DVDs Some centres still favour paper-based methods of recording information. This includes day-to-day snapshot recording done on Post-its. At the end of the session these are transferred into the child’s individual record or on to the planning sheet as a way of planning the following day’s activities, and to take account of individual children’s interests. Some centres adopt a ‘Plan do and review’ approach, and the children are encouraged to record their own interests or what they have done that morning on a large sheet of paper or on a whiteboard. This recording can be done on their behalf by an adult or they can draw their own picture. Child home book. A home book is a book that the child brings from nursery to home and then back again, and is a way of encouraging two-way dialogue. This is helpful for the staff and alerts them on how to prepare the child for whatever changes that are happening at home. For example, in Great ones Nursery the children go to their key worker at the end of the morning to review what they have enjoyed that day. Kylie tells her key worker that she really liked shining the torch through some coloured glass. The key worker writes this down. Timmy says he liked playing with the cars best and he draws a picture of a car to illustrate this point Identify the primary types of data storage for digital and paper records, and evaluate the best option for a home child care setting. Digital storage, would be stored on any normal computer hard drive, as well as backed up at least twice on external hard drives which are stored at various locations Media doesnt truly exist unless there are 3 copies You store these at different locations, stops the loss of data through theft and fire as its spread over locations. Encryption for digital files is also recommended, as it would then be far harder for any thief or unknown person to gain access to any saved data and media Source(s). Paper storage would obviously be in Ring binders or folders in plastic wallets and envelops marked with sticky labels for dates and times etc. sorted numerically. Files should be stored on their spine with the file pin at the bottom of the box. Where a file only consists of individual documents or items and they can be stored flat on the bottom of a box – take care not to stack too many items on top of one another or retrieval may be difficult and damage items at the bottom In a Home child care Settings a dedicated space must be appointed for storage of both digital and paper data storage. The folders or ring binders must be kept in a secured drawer or cabinet which is locker able and easily accessible. The computer and all other files are perfect in child care setting but should be in a specific room (Home Office) that not everybody can access them that is not required or associated with the childcare business this includes members of the family. Ether all are perfect for child care setting but paper records should not be stored on the top of shelving units. Files may be too close to ceiling lights and exposed to dust and in the event of fire, water damage from fire sprinklers. Aisles between shelving should allow easy access to, and transport of records. Suitably sized tables should be located near storage cabinets, so that staff can safely check the contents and retrieve items from boxes and drawers. Storage drawers should be clearly labelled with their contents so that items may be retrieved with a minimum of handling.

The Importance of Globalization Essay -- Outsourcing, Offshoring, Free

In recent years, terms such as â€Å"Global community,† â€Å"globalization,† and â€Å"global awareness† have seemed to roll off the tongues of every newscaster, advertiser, and politician with such ease that the popular phrases have nearly become clichà ©. With the Internet now possessing a rather prominent role in life and with communications faster than ever, it would seem the world’s rapid progress toward international relations necessitates such terminology. However, in America, these optimistic clichà ©s possess a seed of hypocrisy, a false note that clangs discordantly to disturb the practiced cadence of the telecaster’s report. It is not that America does not â€Å"Think globally,† but rather that, to many Americans, America is the extent of their terrestrial sphere. Yet even within the confines of our own country-world, we don’t shed our comfortable, self-imposed boundaries. We don’t see the growing Hispanic and Asian populations in our midst, viewing them—if we acknowledge them at all—as invaders in our world. According to Census 2000, 35,305,818 people of Hispanic or Latino origin inhabited the United States in the year 2000, nearly 13 million more than in 1990. The census revealed the growth rate among the Hispanic population of the U.S. to be the greatest out of any of the minorities at a surprising 57.9%, and the growth of America’s Asian population to be the second fastest, growing at 48.3% in that single 10- year period (U.S. Census Bureau, Table 4). If the trend of the past decade continues, in two years, the Hispanic population will be the largest minority in the U.S, with Asians making up a larger portion of our population as well. Will we then take notice? Or will we still not offer Asian languages i n our high schools, and insi... ...e outside world, we will never be able to expand our horizons. Until we expand our horizons, we shan’t realize the promise of a true â€Å"global community.† Works Cited U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. â€Å"Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: 1990 and 2000 (PHC-T-1).† Available Online. Last updated: April 03, 2001 at 02:19:24 PM. http://blue.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/ phc-t1.html. Table 4. [Accessed 6/3/2001]. Woyach, Robert B. â€Å"World History in the Secondary School Curriculum.† ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education. Bloomington, Indiana. Available Online. Last Updated 1989-09-00 (SIC) http://navigation.helper.realnames.com/framer/1/112/ default.asp?realname=Department+of+Education&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eed%2 Egov%2F&frameid=1&providerid=112&uid=30012423. [Accessed 6/3/2001].

Good Characteristics to Live By in The Chosen by Chaim Potok :: essays research papers

Qualities of a Good Person What are things that make someone a good person? Is it their ability to get along with other people? How about the choices that the person makes? Or is it the way that he or she treats his or herself and others? All of the qualities make someone a good person. In the novel The Chosen by Chaim Potok, Danny and Reuven learn many qualities that make them to be better people. Respect, responsibility, and honesty are all important qualities for one to have in order to become a better person. Respect is a characteristic that all people should show in every aspect of their lives. It is very important to show respect in a work situation. People must show respect to their bosses in order to keep their jobs. Even more important is for people to have a respectful manner when dealing with their clients. If they do not show respect for the client, then the client will find somebody else to do business with. Another place that respect should be shown is at home. Parents must show respect for their children so that the children will listen to them. Disrespectful parents will find it difficult to have a good relationship with their children. Children who show respect for their parents and siblings will find it much easier to receive more privileges. A lack of respect towards the members of one?s family can create a very uncomfortable home life. Having an uncomfortable home life can cause grades to go down and ability to function well with others to decrease. People should also hav e respect for themselves. Having respect for oneself makes that person have better feelings for his or herself. If people cannot respect themselves then how are they going to be able to show respect for others? Also respecting oneself makes it easier for other people to respect that person. The ability to take responsibility for ones jobs and actions is a very important quality for a person to show. One place that it is extremely important to take responsibility for oneself is at work. People are given tasks that they are to perform in order to receive a paycheck. In order to continue to have a job people must take the responsibility to complete their assigned tasks. If they do not take that responsibility, they may just find themselves out of work. Not only does it allow people to have a job, but it can also lead to raises and promotions in honor of their actions.

On torture

In that day and age it was all too easy for criminals to flee from a crime UN accused and unpunished seeing as there was no major arm of law present to further investigate certain crimes or follow up on possible suspects, s a result when an individual was caught for a crime or under suspicion they were tortured as a means to obtain a confession. The Justice system and the practice of torture presented both the victims and the accused with many problems however this was all due to the harsh realities of the 18th century.From a modern point of view torture is seen as outrageous and inhumane however in the 18th century it was practiced as an attempt to set an example for society and lower the overall crime rate, although the barbarity of these acts reflects poorly on behalf the 1 8th century society there were still many people who saw torture for its egregious nature and advocated for more tolerant alternatives.Torture was used since the beginning of collocation however the practice be came extremely popular during the 18th century, an era where using brute force was regularly encouraged. Torture existed well before the eighteenth century; the Greeks and Egyptians also used torture as means of obtaining a confession however torture for the purpose of interrogation was usually conducted in private it was hidden because they were aware of the social and political Implications that followed.As Roman law adapted torture became part of the official Justice system of the 1 8th century, a system where the accused we tried, tortured and executed in public so that everyone was aware of the punishment that would follow crime. Torture was at its peak during the inquisition period where heretics were persecuted and tortured if they refused to change their religion or admit they were not Roman Catholic. It was this period, which were called â€Å"the witch trials† that reintroduced torture to Europe.Slaves and others of lower class were also falsely accused and tortured for petty individual would suffer being stretched on the rack, a public whipping or exposure in the stocks. Torture was used to set an example to others in society as an attempt to lower the overall crime rate and obtain a confession. Most punishments in the 18th century took place in public; torture was an elaborate and shocking practice that was intended to discourage anyone who watched from crime.It was a threat to all criminals and a warning to all citizens, in a day countless amounts of people were tortured to death without a trial or a clear dissertation of their offense. This caused an outrage amongst many members of society who wanted to see change and improvement on a level where issues were approached in a more humanistic manner. Many enlightenment philosophies protested for a more tolerant society, people like Voltaire spoke against the evils of the Justice system and torture until he died.In his writing Scientific Religion he says: â€Å"What horror is this, a secret J udgment a more execrable tyranny than that of spilling blood on a whim without giving the least reason, it is important for everyone that such decisions should be biblically justified† (Brains, 1998) Voltaire biggest issue with torture was the fact that people were not Justified with an explanation for what they had done, they were not given a trial or a chance to defend themselves. It was said that an accused individual would be tortured and if they were indeed not guilty God would save them from their predicament.Torture as a tool of interrogation is not a new phenomenon, in the Greek playwright â€Å"The Frogs† the Aristotelian asked a character which method they should use to torture a slave and he replied: â€Å"In any mode you please pile bricks upon him, stuff his SSE with acid, flay, rack him, hoist him or flog him with a scourge of prickly bristles† (Ramose, Dupes, Zoological, & Careened, 2005) The method of piling bricks on an individual was used to for ce the person into a plea of guilty or not guilty during a felony case.Flaying involved the removal of a portion of the skin from the body, flaying was also used as a method of execution, when a larger portion of skin was removed. The rack was a torture device that consisted of a frame with a roller on both ends the victim was chained by the hands and legs to both ends of the frame ND the rollers were turned which would slowly pull the victim's body in opposite directions causing their Joints to come apart.The process of hoisting an individual consisted of binding the victim's hands and hanging them by a rope attached to their hands causing their shoulder blades to dislocate. Flogging is a method where an individual is struck with a whip tipped with sharp ends meant to tear the victims flesh. The methods that were described in the playwright were used by the Greeks and then adapted and practiced by the 18th century society.A large number of the 18th century torture methods proved to be Just as their cruel abilities, whether they fell victim to torture through their own actions or due to false accusations. Society was no longer running on the basis of obeying the laws to protect everyone but more so obeying to stay alive. Cesar Bacteria spoke out against the corruption of the Justice system, in his essay on crimes and punishment he tries to educate people on the possible alternatives to torture while still for maintaining order and putting crime at bay: â€Å"It is better to prevent crimes that to knish them†¦Do you want to prevent crimes? See to that the laws are clear and simple and that the entire force of the nation is in their defense. See to it that men fear the law and nothing else, the fear of laws is salutary but the fear of men is a fruitful and fatal source of crimes. † (Halls, 1977) Cesar understood that torture would never be the solution to crime and he made it clear in his essay that it was barbaric and outrageous and if there were to be any advancement in the 18th century society torture had to end.From a modern point of view torture is seen as outrageous and inhumane however in the 18th century it was practiced as an attempt to set an example for society and lower the overall crime rate, although the barbarity of these acts reflect poorly on behalf the 18th century society there were still many people who saw torture for its egregious nature and advocated for more tolerant alternatives. Torture was used since the beginning of civilization and then adapted by 18th century Romans however they changed the practice in to something more horrific than it originally was.

How to shear a sheep

As the time wore on, though, I became more and more worried about one bullet point- under â€Å"Items to Bring,† was listed â€Å"A body with the strength and willingness to learn to shear sheep. Willingness, I could handle, but I wasn't so sure about strength. Our classmates, whether farmers or not, would all be bigger and stronger than me- most people are, statistically speaking. Erin had been working out with hearing specifically in mind. I'd spent the three months since January Joking about needing to start, but, of course, never did. In the morning, when Erin and I walked up to the pre-class circle of would-be- shearers, our instructor was saying something about how, used to be, they advised you take the class only If you could bench-press 120 lbs.I assuaged my horrible sense of dread by thinking of when Emily learned to shear (never mind that she was 1 5 then, and I'm 23), thinking of everyone's encouraging tweets and emails, and swearing that, If I made It through with out serious embarrassment (cutting off an ear, very day (which, of course, has yet to happen). After a few shearing demonstrations and a rehearsal of the 5 positions of shearing, there really was nothing left to do but try it ourselves. â€Å"It's Just like learning to swim,† they told us, movie goat Jump in! â€Å".We all split up into groups of four, grabbed a sheep and a pair of clippers, and got to work. To begin with, you sit the sheep up in front of you- this is first position. Starting at the breastbone (we called it the brisket! ), start shearing off the belly wool. Since this is the wool that's dirtiest, it helps to go ahead and get it out of the way. It's important to shear wide enough to make sure that you're well-set-up for farther down the road. After you take off the belly wool, you lean over further and take the wool off the legs and crotch, sort of scooping the clippers up the right leg, across, and down the left leg.The big danger here is accidentally sheari ng off a ewe's teats, so you're supposed to cover them up with your left hand (â€Å"you sure won't shear ‘me off now! â€Å"). Emily helps me navigate a tricky spot. Once the belly, crotch, and legs are clean, you rotate about 90 degrees, change into second position, and start shearing her left hind leg (I'm using the feminine pronoun cause, well, most sheep are ewes). It's also in this second step that you clear the wool off from the tail area, and, since her head is easily accessible, shear off the topknot of fleece from the top of her head. I love how much Rein's smiling in this picture. Shearing is fun!After than, you swing your legs around your sheep and into third position. You're going to move your clippers up from the brisket along the neck, and end your stroke (or â€Å"blow,† as they're called) under the left side of her chin. This is, in my opinion, the most thrilling- I mean that in both senses- part of shearing. You're â€Å"unzipping† the elect a long the underside of the neck, and it definitely looks and feels the coolest, Because (obviously) the sheep is covered in wool, you can't tell where the wool ends and the sheep begins unless you have a very exact knowledge of her specific anatomy and musculature (more on this later).It's pretty terrifying to move a pair of clippers into the unknown- rather, unknown, except for the knowledge that, if you make a mistake, you could cut your sheep's neck pretty badly. If one end of the error spectrum are nicks and cuts, then the other end of the spectrum is second cuts, which are short pieces of fleece that weren't taken off with he first pass of the clippers. Second cuts cause all sorts of problems- if incorporated into yarn, they make it weaker, and cause it to pill more quickly- and so it's important to keep them to a minimum.In fact, our instructors told us that we must not be so afraid of cutting the sheep, because, otherwise, all we'd do is make second cuts. I wasn't so good at n ot being afraid (but, still, I nicked a few sheep). After you've opened up the fleece along the neck, you keep making parallel passes with your shears- up from the chest, along the left side of the neck, ending right under the eye; up the chest, along the neck, end under the ear.This is the part when it's easiest to take off an ear, so, Just like with the teats, you're supposed to find it, get hold of it, and make sure to keep it out of harm's way. Once the left side of the neck is clear, you start working on the left shoulder. Emily showed Erin and I a bit of weight-shifting footwork that helps get the sheep's shoulder in a better position to shear. The more you know about your sheep, the easier she'll be for you to shear- and since she's covered in wool, it can sometimes be hard to tell. If you know she's fat, it'll be, as Emily says, â€Å"Easy, like shearing a beach ball.If she's skinny, you're going to have to work a little harder to navigate around the bony hips, shoulders, a nd spinal processes. Does she have two teats, or are there four (ewes sometimes have an extra vestigial set) to watch out for? If she's a pinewood sheep with Merino heritage (hello, Corm), she's going to be covered in the wrinkles and extra skin that those breeds were bred to have (more skin = more hair follicles = more wool per sheep), and you're going to have to make sure not to nick those. If she's in good health, she should shear easily.If she's doing poorly, though, the lanolin (which usually melts a bit, and helps o lubricate the clippers) won't flow so freely, and instead stays thick, like wax, and gums up your clippers. I was continually amazed at the intimacy of it, and humbled by the amount of strength and knowledge required- I don't think Vive experienced anything like it in my every single inch of every single sheep, and then use that knowledge to navigate a potentially dangerous situation (those clippers are sharp), and end up with a valuable product (7 or 8 lbs of wool per sheep).That said, it's also hot, sweaty, greasy, difficult, dirty, exhausting, poppy, smelly, frustrating, and sometimes bloody. Dragging ourselves back to the hotel after the first day, I told Erin, â€Å"If anyone ever tells me shearing like a beautiful, graceful, athletic dance between the shearer and the sheep, I'm goanna punch ‘me in the face,† and there were plenty of Jokes about, â€Å"Any Job where your read end's goat be higher than your head- that's not a good Job! † So, back to business. Once the whole left side is clear, you slide the sheep down your shin and into fourth position.A big part of learning the positions is making sure the sheep is comfortable- the more comfortable she is, the less she'll struggle and fight, and the easier it is for he both of you. It's time for what's called the long blows, which are some of the easiest parts of shearing to learn (but hardest to master). They also look really cool. You move your clippers right across the body, tail to head. You keep making blows along the back, making sure to keep the comb of your clippers right along the curve of her back, until you're one blow past her spine.After that comes fifth position: swing your right leg around, pick up your sheep, and, holding her nose between your knees, start shearing down the right side- head, neck, and shoulder- rolling the sheep up towards you as you move down her body. Once you're past the shoulder, you start making diagonal passes down the right side- you're almost done! After making those diagonal passes down the sheep's right side, all there is left to do is clear off the right leg and hindquarter. See how Erin is using her left hand to put all her weight into the sheep's right flank?That serves two purposes- 1) it straightens out the right leg, so that it's easier to shear, and 2) it tightens up the skin, so that there's less risk of it getting caught in the clippers. Honestly, there's so much skin-tightening, head-holding, ear-grabbing, leg- threatening, and teat-saving done with the non-clipper-holding-hand, you might as well say that it did all the work! Nevertheless, both Erin and I had pretty sore right 1) vibrate and 2) are dripping with motor oil and lanolin. It's not easy. But, once you've cleaned off that last leg, you're done!Emily actually took videos of both Erin and me finishing our sheep- they're up on Faceable, if you'd like to see more. And so, here I am after my first-ever sheep, grinning like a goofball. She looks like a carpet after it's been vacuumed! But the Job's not over once the sheep's shorn! In their varying levels of wholeness- nagging from the gorgeous waterfalls of wool produced by some of the experienced shearers to the utterly destroyed scragglier produced by all of us beginners- the fleeces were taken to the skirting table and sorted.As someone who erred on the side of second cuts, I felt a little guilty! Erin and I came away from the weekend physically exhausted, but ot herwise wildly enthused about shearing- not only are we planning on tagging along with Emily when she's in Virginia next, but we're also thinking of going up to Maryland for the wool pool (can you imagine seeing a whole state worth of wool, all in one place!? ), and e definitely want to go to Maryland Sheep & Wool, too (anyone have a couch or a spare bedroom for us? ).

International Management Essay

Executive Summary This written case analysis report is prepared for the analysis of the case study of the Tata Group – â€Å"The Last Rajah: Ratan Tata and Tata’s Global Expansion.† (Luthans and Doh 2009). It will first begin with a brief introduction on the Tata Group of India, with the source and the secondary (both short- and long-term) problems of this biggest conglomerate in India, to be identified and discussed next. An analysis of the problems is presented next, followed by the criteria of evaluation. A comprehensive listing of all major feasible courses of action are presented before the recommended strategy(ies) are discussed. The next section will cover the justifications of recommendations followed by the implementation, control and follow up. 1. Introduction The Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate (Luthans and Doh 2009), was founded by 29-years old Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata in 1868. It was first established as a trading company in Bombay and started pioneering businesses in sectors such as steel, energy, textiles and hospitality (Tata Group 2012). In 1904, Sir Dorab Tata, the elder of Jamsetji’s two sons, succeeded Tata Group in Germany after Jamsetji passed on. Ratan Tata succeeded as the chairman, following the death of his uncle – J.R.D. Tata, in 1993 (Tata Group 2012). Today, the Tata group consists of more than 100 operating companies in seven business sectors (Refer to Appendix 1) with operations in more than 80 countries across six continents, exporting products and services to 85 countries. The latest financial figures reflected on its website showed that the total revenue of Tata Group was US$83.3 billion (around Rs 3,796.75 billion) in 2010-11, an increase of 18.8% from 2009-10 (Tata Group 2012). With its devotion to strong values and excellent business ethics, the Tata name has been respected in India for more than 140 years. Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently and is answerable to its own board of directors and shareholders. Moving forward, new technologies and innovation will be Tata Group’s focus, in order to develop its business in India and internationally. Anchored in India with its traditional values and strong ethics, Tata companies are building multinational businesses that will achieve growth through excellence and innovation, while balancing the interests of shareholders, employees and civil society (Tata Group 2012). 2. Source Problems With its wide diversification of business across six continents, Tata faces several challenges. The first problem is to build a consistent vision while being in many different markets and industries. Another challenge is to formulate strategies for over 100 companies in more than 80 countries. Besides this, another problem of Tata Group is the high involvement of Ratan Tata, who is the chief steward of the group of nine senior executives sitting on the boards of the Tata companies, in both the negotiations of major deals and the details of his auto-making, telecom or steel businesses (Luthans and Doh 2009). The next challenge for Tata is on how to absorb the struggling Corus mills. Other challenges for the future include deciding on which businesses to spin-off and which to pursue, what will happen to the conglomerate during an economy slow-down. The most challenge issue for Tata Group perhaps would be to fill the void left behind by the energetic and visionary Mr Ratan Tata – Chairman of the Tata Group, when he retire (Koontz and Weihrich 2010). 3. Secondary Problems 3.1 Long term 3.1.1 Diversification of investments and businesses From the case study, it is evident that a major problem for Tata Group is its diversification of its investments and businesses over so many different countries. The group is subjected inevitably to the different market situations and the culture of each individual market. 3.1.2 The continuation of operation of Corus mills Another long-term problem for Tata Group is whether they should continue operating the struggling Corus mills. As mentioned in the article, the moment Tata Steel took over Corus, it is loaded with a $7.4 billion debt and the high operational cost of Corus weakens the profit margins of Tata Steel (Luthans and Doh 2009). 3.1.3 Sustainability of its business versus sustainability of its corporate social responsibility during economy slow-down Should there be an economy slow-down, the ability of Tat Group to sustain its businesses versus their ability to sustain the social responsible culture, which is developed by Ratan’s ancestors (Griffin and Moorhead 2010), remains a challenge for Tata Group. The Rata conglomerate will have to decide between sustaining its businesses and fulfilling this culture. This will be especially tough with a  $7.4 billion debt already on its books. 3.1.4 Management control in Tata Group As mentioned in the article, Mr Ratan is the chief steward, of his team of nine senior executives in the Group Corporate Office, who negotiates major deals himself and immerses himself in the details of his businesses. Ratan Tata is also the major decision maker in most of Tata Group’s major deals. At the time when the article was written, Tata Group has not found a suitable successor. The fact that Mr Ratan Tata is single and childless (Luthans and Doh 2009) thus poses the toughest challenge of who is to fill the void for Tata Group, when Mr Ratan retires. 4. Analysis 4.1 Diversification of investments and businesses This long term problem will prove to be an obstacle towards its global expansion and the development of the company to its full potential, as there is no one common group strategy with a common objective. The lack of a common corporate strategy may act as a restraining force (Singh 2012; refer to Appendix 2) against moving Tata Group to its desired position in the global market and also against achieving overall productivity of the organization. 4.2 The continuation of operation of Corus mills A first look at this problem of the Tata Group would obviously be to discontinue the operation of Corus mills. However, one of the strengths and competitive advantage that Tata Group has over its competitors, is backward integration (Hill and Jones 2011) like what Hill and Jones (2011, 180) described – steel companies supplying its iron ore needs from company-owned iron ore mines. Having its own abundant coal and iron ore reserves enables Tata Group to produce raw steel at low cost in India, and ship it to Corus’ first-class mills overseas to produce  steel products. Furthermore, by looking at the financial data provided in the case study, Tata Motors was the least profitability business in 2007 for Tata Group. With the acquisition of Corus mills and Tata’s competitive advantage of backward integration, Tata Group can make use of Tata Steel and Corus mills to produce low cost steel car parts in order to reduce the cost of sales for Tata Motors. The gross profit margins for Tata Motors can be increased with the cost of sales reduced (Needles, Powers, and Crosson. 2010). 4.3 Sustainability of its business versus sustainability of its corporate social responsibility during economy slow-down When there is an economy slow-down, it will subject Tata Group’s decision on sustaining its business or still maintain its expensive corporate social responsibility, to a great test. A fast and immediate solution, during an economy down-turn will be to reduce the contributions for charitable causes, such as reducing or terminating the annual $40 million contribution for charitable acts in Jamshedpur, in order to sustain its businesses. However, Tata Group will have to consider about the long-term implications of such drastic immediate reduction or termination of charitable funds. The reputation of Tata Group may receive a beating in the long run, due to negative press and media reportings (Davies et al. 2003), should such measures are implemented drastically and immediately, in order to sustain its businesses. 4.4 Management control in Tata Group From the description of the article, the management style of Tata Group seemed to follow an ethnocentric strategic predisposition and an organizational culture of â€Å"family culture†. A cultural strategic predisposition refers to the particular way which most  multi-national companies (MNCs) have towards doing things (Luthans and Doh 2009; Aswathappa 2010). A MNC with an ethnocentric predisposition will normally depend on the values, and interests of the parent company in formulating and implementing a strategic plan. Their primary emphasis is on profitability and the company will try to run its overseas operations in line with how they are run back at home (Loke 2008; Aswathappa 2010). Tata Group is likened to be run with an ethnocentric predisposition as Mr Ratan Tata is the chief dealmaker who is closely involved in all major deals negotiations and also details of his different businesses. This predisposition will inevitably result in parochialism in Mr Tata, which may affect his logical strategic thinking. Tata Group has adopted a â€Å"family† type of organizational culture. â€Å"Family culture† type of organizations besides focusing on hierarchy, orientation to persons, leader heads the company like a caring parent, the management also takes good care of employees, ensures employees are well treated and enjoy continued employment (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner 1998). This is clearly reflected in their spending of $40 million annually in the company’s home base of Jamshedpur and their excellent employee remuneration policy of workers still getting paid fully till the age of 60 years old and lifelong health care, even if they retire early. This will result in additional expenses for Tata Group in order to fulfill this â€Å"corporate social responsibility†. According to the article, Tata Group has not found a suitable successor at the time when the article was written. The toughest challenge will be finding a suitable candidate of who is able to fill the void for Tata Group, when Mr Ratan retires. 5. Criteria of Evaluation 1. To identify and differentiate between the â€Å"Cash cows† and â€Å"Stars† (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) businesses and the â€Å"Question Mark (or Problem Child)† and â€Å"Dog† businesses (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) within the next 6 months. 2. To reduce the $7.4 billion debt of Corus within the next 5 years. 3. To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending† gradually within the next 5 years, but yet not neglect or forgo their corporate social responsibility. 4. To identify a successor within the next two to three years. 6. Alternative strategies A comprehensive listing of all feasible strategies will be presented for Tata Group before the recommended strategy(ies) will discussed. 6.1 Short term (S): Targeted short-term objectives to achieve within the next few months to 1 year from the time of implementation. S1 To identify and group the businesses into â€Å"Cash cows†, â€Å"Stars†, â€Å"Question Mark (or Problem Child)† or â€Å"Dog† businesses (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) within the next 6 months. S2 To decide on which business(es) to keep and focus on and which business(es) to liquidate. 6.2 Long term (L): Targeted long-term objectives to achieve within the next 3 – 5 years and beyond. L1 To reduce the $7.4 billion debt of Corus mills within the next 5 years by perhaps re-looking into refinancing the debt loan with a lower interest rate, in order to strength their profit margins. This is to convert Corus mills into a profitable business unit which will enable Tata Group to continue building on its competitive advantage over its competitors, of integrating backward integration, with the collaboration of Tata Steel and Corus mills, for Tata Motors. L2 To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending† of S$40 million for Jamshedpur gradually – 5% per year in the first four year and a final 10% in the fifth year, and also to reduce the employees’ benefits gradually. This will enable Tata Group to sustain its businesses better, but yet not neglect or forgo their corporate social responsibility. L3 To identify a successor within the next two to three years and also to gradually change their ethnocentric predisposition way of running the business and also their â€Å"family† type of organizational culture. Strategy statement as per Hofer and Schendel’s characteristics: Tata Group’s strategy for the next 3 – 5 years is to â€Å"tidy up† it’s widely diversified investments and businesses and exploit on its competitive advantage of backward integration (of owning iron ore mines) in order to help its automobile business increase profit margin. By gradually reducing their annual â€Å"charitable spending†, Tata Group will be able to channel these capital to sustain and expand its business globally. By identifying a successor for its chairman, this will ensure the sustainability of the Tata businesses and also to bring Tata Group to the next frontier. 7. Recommended strategy(ies) In order for this business plan for Tata Group to be successful, the strategies presented needs to be both achievable and sustainable with an accurate evaluation of its current resources, core competencies and capabilities. With both short term and long term strategies listed above and analyzed via the Strategy Feasibility Table listed in Appendix 4, the recommended strategies (best 3 out of 5) are as follows: S1:To identify and group the businesses. S2:To decide on which business(es) to keep, which business(es) to liquidate. L2:To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending†. 8. Justifications of recommendations After analyzing the alternatives strategies via the Strategy Feasibility Table (Refer to Appendix 4), it was decided that the most feasible strategies are S1, S2 and L2 to resolve the source and secondary problems above. Strategies S1 and S2 are chosen to best resolve the diversification of businesses that resulted in the absence of a common group strategy with a common objective for Tata Group. The next strategy for Tata Group to implement is the reduction of their annual â€Å"charitable spending†. This will free up more capital for Tata Group to redirect them to boast their â€Å"Stars† businesses. The remaining two long-term strategies of L1 and L3, with a slightly higher score of 15 and 14 respectively, in the feasibility test, may be considered to be implemented concurrently with lesser priorities. This is because it will not be easy for Tata Group to reduce the $7.4 billion debt within a short period of time and also not easy for any company to source for, identify and appoint a successor for its Chairman and to change the culture within a short period of time too. The most critical issue now is for Tata Group to conduct the most effective and efficient strategies. 9. Implementation, Control and Follow-up For any MNCs, e.g. Tata Group, it is not easy to implement business consolidation like S1 and S2. S1 and S2 described above will only be the â€Å"identification† stage to determine the type of business each belongs to. The physical implementation of the consolidation has to be executed with extreme caution as consolidation may result in employees redundancy. After  the consolidation exercise is successfully, the Group Corporate Office (GCO) of Tata Group will have to ensure that they do not launch massive business diversification plans without careful considerations. The follow-up on the implementation of S1 and S2 will have to be monitor by the GCO closely with a clear timeline listed out as a guide to prevent any procrastination or delays. As for the implementation of strategy L2, Tata Group has to execute it with caution too. It is not be implemented too hastily to prevent any damage to the company’s image due to any to negative press and media reportings (Davies et al. 2003). Any other future â€Å"charitable spending† will have to be discussed and decided more stringently. As stated above under Section 6.2, L2, the reduction will be done gradually over a timeline of 5 years and the GCO of Tata Group will have to adhere closely to this timeline. (2,220 words excluding Executive Summary, headings, sub-headings, in-text citations, and this sentence.) 10. References Aswathappa, K. 2010. International Business. 4th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Dk4SWsWbbaMC&pg=PA332&dq=Strategic+predisposition&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9nIlT5jIN5GzrAfIhryyCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Strategic%20predisposition&f=false. Change Management Coach. 2012. Change-Management-Coach.com: Force Field Analysis – Kurt Lewin. http://www.change-management-coach.com/force-field-analysis.html. Davies, Gary, Rosa Chun, Rui Vinhas da Silva, and Stuart Roper. 2003. Corporate Reputation and Competitiveness. 1st ed. New York, USA: Taylor & Francis Group. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=eU4bVJmmKC4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=reputation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9j85T4aVCdGrrAeRsYHWBQ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=reputat ion&f=false. Griffin, Ricky W., and Gregory Moorhead. 2010. Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations. 9th ed. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=RidV6vh08xMC&pg=PA349&dq=Culture+of+Tata+Group&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Q8QjT_mKCcfPrQef-IiNAg&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Culture%20of%20Tata%20Group&f=false. Hill, Charles W. L., and Gareth R. Jones. 2011. Essentials of Strategic Management. 3rd ed. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=VdG243upAqwC&pg=PA180&dq=backward+integration+in+strategic+management&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3NQ3T4PxEsHirAe2vfjVBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=backward%20integration%20in%20strategic%20management&f=false. Hofer, Charles W., and Dan Schendel. 1982. Strategy Formulation: Analytical Concepts. 8th ed. Eagan, Minnesota, USA: West Pub. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=8VcIfAEACAAJ&dq=Strategy+Formulation:+Analytical+Concepts&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pasjT9_BCIjMrQf0x7GeCA&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA. Johnson, Debra, and Colin Turner. 2010. 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Appendix Appendix 1: The seven business sectors of the Tata group The seven business sectors of the Tata group: 1) Communications and information technology 2) Engineering 3) Materials 4) Services 5) Energy 6) Consumer products 7) Chemicals (Tata Group 2012) Appendix 2: Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Source:http://www.change-management-coach.com/force-field-analysis.html(Change Management Coach 2012) Appendix 3: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Growth Share Matrix Source:http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ (QuickMBA 2010)