Thursday, October 31, 2019

Project management yara1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project management yara1 - Essay Example The company should sponsor the project because the product will bring revenue to the company in case of success. The issue of the project manager should be given to the person who best qualifies to be a manager. The considerations may include past performances and characters in the job market. The department cannot be specified because it might limit the talent needed in carrying out a new project. The results of a new project are numerous. The project is expected to add the items in the purchase list of the company (Figge & Schaltegger, 2011). The project is anticipated to increase target market of the company. This will in turn create more revenue for the company. It will create new employment opportunities. Other expectations are new consumer tastes and preferences. The project charter will spell out the scope of the project, the goals and objectives and the participants. The project will show that the reasons for undertaking it are the expected results as mentioned earlier. The main objective is to earn more revenue in order to benefit the company. The participants include the design department, production department, purchasing, shipping, and sales and the marketing departments. The projects value is that the company will not only create more choices for its customers but also compete with other business entities. This is because the variety of the company’s products will be added. This will raise the company’s bargaining position especially in the market. The problem that the project will solve is (Post, 2002) that of quantity. The customers will have options of buying bigger plastic storage, but with significantly better features. This will increase the demand of the container. The ramifications that are involved in not carrying out the project are devastating. This means that there will be no product creation or development in the company. There will also be no motivation of the employees who came up with the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Crisis Prevention & intervention in healthcare (management of Essay

Crisis Prevention & intervention in healthcare (management of assualtive behavior) - Essay Example The meaning of crisis can be expanded by defining crisis, assaultive behavior and violence. According to Aguilera (1998, p. 12), crisis occur when a person is unable to deal with problems that do not have a way out. The unresolved problems give way to anger, emotional unrest, tension, anxiety and stagnation. Chou et al (2001, p. 139) notes that, assaultive behavior happens if the problem becomes persistent. The issues the person bears become intolerable because the coping methods and accessible resources are inadequate. Crisis is viewed as a psychological instability that result from extreme situation or condition where the resolution is not attainable by means of common remedies. Crisis is a word used to define to a situation where assaultive behavior or violence has occurred. Crisis is used to refer to assaultive behavior when it is extremely negative, unpredictable, uncontrollable and unacceptable in the society. Assaultive behavior requires an opportunity that the person in crisis can use to inflict injury or abuse another as Chou et al (2001, p. 139) mention. Violence is defined as the use of physical force with a motive to inflict injury. It is destructive, turbulent and forceful. Violence causes confusion and reveals accumulation of anger (Richter and Whittington 2006, p. 2). The word crisis, violence and assaultive behavior are used interchangeably. Assaultive behavior can occur anywhere including the hospital. Medical departments have incidents that tantamount to assaultive behavior. The incidents of assaultive behavior in medical departments are on the increase and need to be addressed. Crisis in the form of verbal abuse and physical abuse have occurred in different departments. The waiting area, mentally disturbed departments and emergency departments are common areas where abuse can occur as Salmon and Varela (2007, p. 3) note. People without any history of assaultive behavior or psychiatric condition can suddenly become

Sunday, October 27, 2019

A Case Study Of Cadbury Schweppes Marketing Essay

A Case Study Of Cadbury Schweppes Marketing Essay Cadbury Schweppes was formed by a merger in 1969 between Cadbury and Schweppes. Since then the business has expanded into a leading international confectionery and beverages company. Through an active programme of both acquisitions and disposals the company has created a strong portfolio of brands which are sold in almost every country in the world. Cadbury Schweppes has nearly 54,000 employees and produces Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Its products fall into two main categories: Confectionery Beverages. Its portfolio of brands include leading regional and local brands such as Schweppes, Dr Pepper, Orangina, Halls, Trebor, Hollywood, Bournvita, and of course, the Cadbury masterbrand itself. These Products are sold in a range of countries depending on consumer preferences and tastes. The core purpose of Cadbury Schweppes is working together to create brands people love. It aims to be judged as a company that is among the very best in the business world successful, significant and admired. The company has set five goals to achieve this, one of which relates to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) To be admired as a great company to work for and one that is socially responsible to its communities and consumers across the globe Cadbury plc is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. It has number one or number two positions in over 20 of the worlds 50 largest confectionery markets. Cadbury also has the largest and most broadly spread emerging markets business of any confectionery company. With origins stretching back nearly 200 years, Cadburys brands include many global, regional and local favourites including Cadbury, Creme Egg, Flake and Green Blacks in chocolate; Trident, Clorets, Dentyne, Hollywood, Bubbaloo and Stimorol in gum; and Halls, Cadbury Eclairs and The Natural Confectionery Company in candy. (Cadbury, 2010). Impact of social welfare and industrial policy initiatives on Cadburys and the wider community In the UK social expenditure accounts for between 50% -60% of government spending and includes- pension, unemployment, sickness/disability, heath/medical care. Investment involves business organisations recognising that they have a responsibility both to their local areas and society in general. For a company, being socially responsible means using its resources and its influence to shape the lives of fellow citizens for the better. The Cadbury Schweppes group has a Corporate Community Investment strategy of Creating Value in the Community. This focuses on creating community partnerships that generate real, sustainable added value in: * Education and enterprise * Health and welfare * The environment. EIRIS (Ethical Investment Research Service) survey 2002 commended the company for its carefully structured community involvement programme. CTB is also a member of the Business in the Community Percent Club; CTBs community contribution was around two of its UK pre-tax profits. In 2001 CTB launched its Community You Can Make a Difference programmes to maximise the impact of the business, its employees and community partners. Over 1,500 of the companys 7,000 workforce have been involved so far. Stakeholder expectations Cadbury Schweppes core purpose is Working together to create brands people love. The success of the organisation in meeting this purpose can be measured in terms of the value created for shareholders. However, this success is achievable only if the company respects its commitment to every one of its stakeholders. CTB believes in creating prosperous, educated and socially inclusive communities, not only because this is part of the companys heritage but because it is the right thing to do and makes good business sense. Corporate Community Investment has always been a core part of CTBs business philosophy. It is also something that its stakeholders expect. Stakeholders are the groups and individuals that play a part in an organisation. Stakeholders Enlightened companies see their stakeholder groupings as partners who help to shape and inform company plans and policies. The external environment Successful businesses seek to create a fit between their line of business, way of operating and external environment. In recent years, there have been attempts to make UK society more inclusive. Groups that used to be treated as outsiders (e.g. disabled people, single parent families, people living in areas of poverty and educational disadvantage) are being brought into the mainstream of social and economic activity. The current UK government is promoting social inclusion and the part that businesses can play in bringing it about. For example, the government has encouraged businesses to work in partnership with government agencies and the local community to: * Improve education and training opportunities * Support small local businesses * Promote housing projects * Create employment opportunities through Welfare to Work programme. Active citizenship In the modern world the obligations of business to society have broadened and companies like CTB are building on a heritage of good citizenship in a more strategic way. CTBs community contributions take many forms e.g. cash grants, sponsorship, donations in kind, as well as the time, effort and skills that CTB people put into the communities in which they live and work. Impact of macro-economic policy and the influence of global economy on Cadburys. Here is a terrific example of how a long established business sees an emerging economy not just opportunity for growing sales and profits but also as a centre for production. Spurred on by rising incomes and consumer demand, Cadburys is hoping to consolidate its dominant position in the Indian chocolate market by encouraging coconut plantations to switch production and establish a much bigger cocoa production capacity in India. The incentives to expand cocoa supply in India are strengthened by the 30% tariff imposed on imports of cocoa into India from countries such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The FT reports that Cadburys is hoping to source all of its cocoa beans domestically by 2015 and coconut farmers may hold the key as cocoa seedlings grow alongside coconut palms in southern India and therefore do not require fresh clearing of forests for plantations. The FT article claims that Cadbury controls more than 70 per cent of the chocolate market in India with a presence in 1.2m stores while Nestlà © controls about 25 per cent. It enjoys a dominant position in a market where sales are rising by more than 20 per cent per year. Reinforcing that market dominance is key for Cadburys it has spent heavily on marketing revamped chocolate brands in the Indian market including heavy cricket-related sponsorship but having a domestic supply chain will do more that pure marketing plays to keep their profits rising. Strengths Cadbury is the largest global confectionery supplier, with 9.9% of global market share. High financial strength (Sales turnover 1997,  £7971.4 million and 9.4%)[1] Strong manufacturing competence, established brand name and leader in innovation. Advantage that it is totally focused on chocolate, candy, chewing gum, unique understanding of consumer in these segments. Successfully grown through its acquisition strategy. Recent acquisitions, including Adams, 2003, enabled it to expand into important markets like the US market. Weaknesses The Company is dependent on the confectionery and beverage market, whereas other competitors e.g. Nestle [2] have a more diverse product portfolio, where profits can be used to invest in other areas of the business and RD. Other competitors have greater international experience Cadbury has traditionally been strong in Europe. New to the US, possible lack of understanding of the new emerging markets compared to competitors [3] . Threats Worldwide there is an increasingly demanding cost environment, particularly for energy, transport, packaging and sugar. Global supply chain in low cost locations [4]. Competitive pressures from other branded suppliers (national and global). Aggressive price and promotion activity by competitors possible price wars in developed markets. Social changes Rising obesity and consumers obsession with calories counting. Nutrition and healthier lifestyles affecting demand for core Cadbury products.[5] Opportunities New markets. Significant opportunities exist to expand into the emerging markets of China, Russia, India, where populations are growing, consumer wealth is increasing and demand for confectionery products is increasing. The confectionery market is characterized by a high degree of merger and acquisition activity in recent years. Opportunities exist to increase share through targeted acquisitions [6]. Key to survival within the FMCG market is increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Cadbury Fuel for Growth[7] and cost efficiency programmes seek to bring cost savings by: 1) Moving production to low cost countries, where raw materials and labour is cheaper ii) reduce internal costs supply chain efficiency, global sourcing and procurement, and wise investment in RD. Innovation is key driver. To respond to changes in consumer tastes and preferences healthier snacks with lower calories need to be developed. RD and product launches have led to sugar-free centres filled chewing gum varieties and Cadbury premium indulgence treat. Low-fat, organic and natural confectionery demand appears strong. The mission and values statement for Cadburys Cadburys means quality: this is our promise. Our reputation is built upon quality: Our commitment to continuous improvement will ensure that our promise is delivered. (Wikianswers, 2010). Aims and objectives: To improve the quality of their chocolate gets the word out about the business going fairtrade. The important aims are: To survive in the market. Have loads of stores worldwide To be an ongoing company. The future mission of Cadbury. The companys business strategy hinges on following for driving its future growth: Increase the width of chocolate consumption, through low price point packs and distribution focus. Increase depth of consumption, targeting regular chocolate consumers through generating impulse and a dominant presence at Point of Sale. Maintain image leadership through a superior marketing mix. Be a significant player in the gifting segment, through occasion linked gift packs. Build critical mass in the sugar business by introducing value-added sugar confectionery products. Future revenue growth will be through increasingly higher volumes rather than price increases. The management believes that price increase can only be a short term objective. It is volumes, which are very important to achieve the long-term goal of having a wide consumer base. Cadbury Online Annual Report Accounts 2008 Welcome to Cadbury. We create chocolate, gum and candy treats people love brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Trident and Halls. Our vision is to be the biggest and the best confectionery company in the world. 2008 highlights Revenue growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Operating margin* EPS growth** Dividend growth Financial highlights Base business revenues up 7% Underlying operating margins up 150 bps Performa EPS from continuing operations up 16% Return on invested capital up 110 bps Full-year dividend 16.4p, up 6% Strategic highlights Transformation of the business into a category-led pure-play confectionery company Vision into Action business plan well underway Simplified organisation from 2009 The company sees its growth in future in market expansion and new product launches. Increased reach, new launches, higher marketing spend and intensive promotions the mix, Cadbury is looking at to fuel its future growth. The company is also looking for acquisition of brands, and its huge cash reserves might be utilized for the purpose. The company manufactures and sells. 1Conduct our business in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. Even where we are in full compliance, our objective will remain the control and reduction of the environmental impact of our operations reflecting industry best practice. 2 Implement programmes and reviews to evaluate our operations and check compliance against this policy. Management are required to have programmes in place to determine appropriate local targets and demonstrate continually improving Performance. 3 Adopt programmes to ensure efficient use of energy, raw materials and natural resources across all segments of our business and to minimise the quantity of waste and pollutants associated with our activities. 4 Work with relevant organisations, government bodies and public groups to promote efficiency in solid waste management through recycling, reuse and energy recovery of material. 5 Provide employees with a healthy and safe environment together with effective information and training to encourage the individuals contribution towards environmental responsibility. 6 Promote consideration of environmental concerns throughout the supply chain and with our business partners. In addition, we promote awareness of our environmental policies more generally. 7 Assign management responsibility for the environment throughout the business and maintain the organisation and operational procedures to ensure successful implementation of these policies. 8 Review and update our Environmental .Policy on a regular basis. Environmental Aspects Environmental Impacts. Group Environmental Management Reduction of environmental impacts and opportunity for better environmental performance Communication Training Good environmental understanding at all levels and co-ordination of activities thus minimising the risk of potential environmental harm. Water Integrity Protection of one of our primary raw materials Water Consumption Depletion of natural resources Wastewater Potential threat of pollution to water courses and damage to aquatic ecosystems Energy Use Contribution to global warming through greenhouse gases and depletion of natural resources Emissions to air Contribution to atmospheric pollution and global warming Solid Waste Occupation of landfill space; air emissions from incineration and landfill gas; potential contamination of land, groundwater and surface water Packaging Material Conservation Use of materials, waste, resource conservation and disposal to landfill Refrigerants Depletion of ozone layer by CFCs, HCFCs and Other ODSs (Ozone Depleting Substances) Source (Corporate register.com) Stakeholders analysis by Mendelows Matrix for Cadburys A Stakeholder Analysis is an approach that is frequently used to identify and investigate the Force Field formed by any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the objectives of an organization. Stakeholder Analysis identifies the ways in which stakeholders may influence the organization or may be influenced by its activities, as well as their attitude towards the organization Typical stakeholders Owners and stockholders, investors Banks and creditors Partners and suppliers Buyers, customers and prospects Management Employees, works councils and labour unions Competitors Government (local, state, national, international) and regulators Professional associations, Industry trade groups Media Non-governmental organizations Public, social, political, environmental, religious interest groups, communities The power and influence of stakeholders: The extent to which stakeholders affect the activities of an organisation depends on the relationship between the stakeholder and the organisation. Mendelows matrix provides a way of mapping stakeholders based on the power to affect the organisation and their interest in doing so. It identifies the responses which management needs to make to the stakeholders in the different quadrants. Following categorisation of stakeholders in a manufacturing company: Low + Low : Small customers, Small Shareholders High + Low: Major Customers, Central Govt, Media Low + High: Employees, Environmental Groups, Local Community High + High: Institutional Investors, Local Planning Authority Responsibilities of Cadburys to its stakeholders and the strategies To stakeholders, key legal responsibilities eg consumer employment, disability discrimination and health and safety, diversity and equal opportunities, stakeholder pensions; wider responsibilities including ethical, environmental and ethical practice. (HNC Business, 2010). Cadbury Cocoa Partnership: In 2008 Cadbury set up the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership to secure the economic, social and environmental sustainability of around a million cocoa farmers and their communities in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean, through: Improving cocoa farmer incomes: by helping farmers increase their yields and produce top quality beans Introducing new sources of rural income: through microfinance and business support and introducing additional income streams Investing in community led development: to improve life in cocoa communities Working in partnership: Farmers, governments, NGOs, international agencies and local organisations will work together to decide how the funding is spent and turn plans into action This ground-breaking initiative, which is carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners, marked 100 years since the Cadbury brothers first began trading in Ghana and aims to holistically support the development of sustainable cocoa growing communities. Cadbury is investing  £45 million over 10 years. In June, 2009 Cadbury awarded Gold today for sustainable business practice by Business in the Community in their Corporate Responsibility Index, launches its Geography online educational resource this month. Skills Space supports the work of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership and the Cadbury Dairy Milk Fairtrade certification. Skills Space enables students to learn about Ghana, how cocoa is grown, the lives of cocoa farmers, the interdependence between Ghana and chocolate manufacturers, and discover more about sustainable farming. Alex Cole, Global Director of Corporate Affairs at Cadbury said: As a global company, we have access to a huge amount of information and resources that can inspire and have real value to young people studying business and associated subjects. We have always received a large number of enquiries from teachers and pupils looking for real-life case studies to support learning in the classroom. Skills Space has been developed in specific response to this demand, and we hope that this new online resource will prove to be a useful tool in their studies. Through Skill Space, Cadbury reflects that it is more important than ever for businesses to acknowledge the impact they have on society and the environment, and commit to tackling the issues, not just because they should, but because its good for business, as acknowledged in the BiTC CR Index. Main Aspects of Porters Five Forces Analysis The original competitive forces model, as proposed by Porter, identified five forces which would impact on an organizations behaviour in a competitive market. These include the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The rivalry between existing sellers in the market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The power exerted by the customers in the market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The impact of the suppliers on the sellers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The potential threat of new sellers entering the market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The threat of substitute products becoming available in the market. Understanding the nature of each of these forces gives organizations the necessary insights to enable them to formulate the appropriate strategies to be successful in their market. (Thurlby, 1998). Force 1: The Degree of Rivalry: The intensity of rivalry, which is the most obvious of the five forces in an industry, helps determine the extent to which the value created by an industry will be dissipated through head-to-head competition. The most valuable contribution of Porters five forces framework in this issue may be its suggestion that rivalry, while important, is only one of several forces that determine industry attractiveness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ This force is located at the centre of the diagram; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is most likely to be high in those industries where there is a threat of substitute products; and existing power of suppliers and buyers in the market. Force 2: The Threat of Entry: Both potential and existing competitors influence average industry profitability. The threat of new entrants is usually based on the market entry barriers. They can take diverse forms and are used to prevent an influx of firms into an industry whenever profits, adjusted for the cost of capital, rise above zero. In contrast, entry barriers exist whenever it is difficult or not economically feasible for an outsider to replicate the incumbents position (Porter, 1980b; Sanderson, 1998). The most common forms of entry barriers, except intrinsic physical or legal obstacles, are as follows: Economies of scale: for example, benefits associated with bulk purchasing; Cost of entry: for example, investment into technology; Distribution channels: for example, ease of access for competitors; Cost advantages not related to the size of the company: for example, contacts and expertise; Government legislations: for example, introduction of new laws might weaken companys competitive position; Differentiation: for example, certain brand that cannot be copied (The Champagne). Force 3: The Threat of Substitutes: The threat that substitute products pose to an industrys profitability depends on the relative price-to-performance ratios of the different types of products or services to which customers can turn to satisfy the same basic need. The threat of substitution is also affected by switching costs that is, the costs in areas such as retraining, retooling and redesigning that are incurred when a customer switches to a different type of product or service. It also involves: Product-for-product substitution (email for mail, fax); is based on the substitution of need; Generic substitution (Video suppliers compete with travel companies); Substitution that relates to something that people can do without (cigarettes, alcohol). Force 4: Buyer Power: Buyer power is one of the two horizontal forces that influence the appropriation of the value created by an industry (refer to the diagram). The most important determinants of buyer power are the size and the concentration of customers. Other factors are the extent to which the buyers are informed and the concentration or differentiation of the competitors. Kippenberger (1998) states that it is often useful to distinguish potential buyer power from the buyers willingness or incentive to use that power, willingness that derives mainly from the risk of failure associated with a products use. This force is relatively high where there a few, large players in the market, as it is the case with retailers an grocery stores; Present where there is a large number of undifferentiated, small suppliers, such as small farming businesses supplying large grocery companies; Low cost of switching between suppliers, such as from one fleet supplier of trucks to another. Force 5: Supplier Power: Supplier power is a mirror image of the buyer power. As a result, the analysis of supplier power typically focuses first on the relative size and concentration of suppliers relative to industry participants and second on the degree of differentiation in the inputs supplied. The ability to charge customers different prices in line with differences in the value created for each of those buyers usually indicates that the market is characterized by high supplier power and at the same time by low buyer power (Porter, 1998). Bargaining power of suppliers exists in the following situations: Where the switching costs are high (switching from one Internet provider to another); High power of brands (McDonalds, British Airways, Tesco); Possibility of forward integration of suppliers (Brewers buying bars); Fragmentation of customers (not in clusters) with a limited bargaining power (Gas/Petrol stations in remote places). The nature of competition in an industry is strongly affected by suggested five forces. The stronger the power of buyers and suppliers, and the stronger the threats of entry and substitution, the more intense competition is likely to be within the industry. However, these five factors are not the only ones that determine how firms in an industry will compete the structure of the industry itself may play an important role. Indeed, the whole five-forces framework is based on an economic theory know as the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) model: the structure of an industry determines organizations competitive behaviour (conduct), which in turn determines their profitability (performance). In concentrated industries, according to this model, organizations would be expected to compete less fiercely, and make higher profits, than in fragmented ones. However, as Haberberg and Rieple (2001) state, the histories and cultures of the firms in the industry also play a very important role in shaping competitive behaviour, and the predictions of the SCP model need to be modified accordingly. Cadburys objectives of three major stakeholders There are many stakeholders in a business. Ideally all stakeholders will have common views at what the corporate should be. This is, in reality, most unlikely .The reason of groups having a stake in any business are so fundamentally different that their will be many occasion when their interests diverge or conflict. A business have to find a way of satisfying these different interest especially those of powerful and influential stakeholders but there is no sure or safe route through this dilemma. Some of issue involved when considering the objectives of certain important stakeholders. The objective of other stakeholders The objectives of the business Stakeholders Investors clearly want to be rewarded for their stake in the business. This reward must be at least equal to that which would be available elsewhere and should also reflect the measure of risk associated with investing in a particular business, e.g. Investors in Bio Tech businesses expecting highly rewards because of the risk associated with this type of research, it may not be commercially successful. Shareholders reward comes from annual dividend and increased the prices for share they owned. The extent of reward to shareholders is dependent on number of factors. the size of after tax profits determined by companies performance but also by the gearing ratio of the business as interest on lone is always paid before tax, and therefore before dividend s the plans of the directors to retain profits to development for future of the business the prospect for the company and the economy in general will be the main driving forces behind the share price charges. Shareholders are protected by law because their positions thought to be weak compare to the business itself, the main right they have are: to receive annual accounts Stakeholders Main objectives Work force * To receive fair wages * To ensure good working condition. * To ensure their jobs through the survival and expansion of the business. Customers * To obtain good value for money from the goods and services purchased. * To receive high level of customer services * To receive after sale-service and supply of spare from a business which survives in the future. Suppliers * To continue to sell profitably to the business * To be paid promptly and fully for goods supplied Schweppes plc

Friday, October 25, 2019

Schools and Education - Junior College is the Best Option :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Junior College is the Best Option   Ã‚  Ã‚   Oftentimes we hear negative opinions and comments about attending a junior college over a university. Through my experiences I feel there are many benefits in attending a junior college. The benefits I have found include: convenience, educational benefits, and financial savings.      Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, attending a junior college is convenient in many ways. For example, if a student attends a junior college there is a better chance of having someone that you know in a particular class. Knowing someone in a class is a little less scary than being in it all alone. It is also convenient to attend a junior college to be closer to home. If a student decides to attend a junior college, he or she could choose to live at home, which saves money. By attending a junior college a person does not have a long drive home for holidays or weekends. Furthermore, attending a junior college is convenient because students will be able to keep their high school jobs. If they are not able to keep their high school jobs, they are more familiar with other job openings in the area.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Educational benefits is another good reason for deciding to attend a junior college instead of a university. I feel that a student can learn more and get more out of a class lecture when there are smaller classes. It is easier for me to ask questions when the class size is 30 versus 300 students. Having a smaller class means that the instructor will have a little more time for one-on-one meetings and discussions. In one of my classes this semester at Sauk Valley Community College, the professor goes over the tests after grading is done with each individual student. I am sure you won't find this at a four-year college. The classes at a junior college are held in classrooms, and at universities they are often held in big lecture halls. Another educational benefit to attending a junior college is the smaller campus. The campuses at most universities are huge! It takes less time to get from one class to another at a junior college. Most of the time the junior col lege has one main building that holds all the various classes offered.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Regionalism in India

On 15th of December 1953, when Potti Sriramulu succumbed to death not able to sustain 52 days of marathon fast that was undertaken to demand a separate state for Telugu speaking people, little did he realize that his death would become a launch pad for the dawn of Political Regionalism in India – that would in course of time alter the whole landscape of India. But the brand of regionalism that evolved after Potti Sriramulu’s death was legitimate, genuine and logical. It reflected the aspirations of people at that time. It stood for fulfilling the longstanding desire of people to have their own linguistic state. Thus, Andhra Pradesh became the first linguistic state of India. Today, Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh is renamed as Potti Sriramulu. After the death of Sriramulu, reluctant Nehru was forced to accede to the various cries from other parts of the country with similar demands. In 1954, a States Reorganization Committee was formed with Fazal Ali as its head, which recommended the formation of 16 new states and 3 Union Territories based on the language people spoke in those respective regions. This heralded a new phase in the Indian politics. The subsequent movements for separate states and territories gave birth to slew of regional parties which eventually became prominent in national level and thus started coalition culture in Indian politics. Regionalism: Meaning Regionalism is a feeling or an ideology among a section of people residing in a particular geographical space characterized by unique language, culture etc. that they are the sons of the soil and every opportunity that exists in their land must be accorded to them first but not to the outsiders. It is a sort of Parochialism. In most of the cases it is raised for expedient political gains but not necessarily. Growth and Development Regionalism in India can be traced back to Dravida Movement started in Tamil Nadu. The movement initially focused on empowering Dalits, non-Brahmins, and poor people. Later it turned against imposition of Hindi as sole official language on non-Hindi speaking areas. Finally, the movement for some time focused on seceding from India to carve out their own Dravidastan or Dravida Nadu. The movement slowly declined and today they have become prominent regional parties after many splits and factionalism. Throughout India regionalism persisted. In Maharashtra Shiv Sena against Kannadigas in the name of Marathi pride and recently MNS activists against Biharis; in Punjab against non-Punjabis that gave rise to Khalistan Movement and earlier Akali Movement; in Andhra, Telangana Movement with an aim of separate state; in Assam ULFA militants against migrant Biharis and Bengalis; in North-East against other Indians. It can be traced that regionalism slowly turned from non violent means to violent means to achieve their goals. From Potti Sriramulu’s non violent means of fatsing to Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena (MNS) and ULFA’s violent means, regionalism has come a long way. Regionalism in present day India is readily used for political gains by petty politicians and secessionist organizations. Economic reasons are exploited for political dividends. When violence is used against people in the name of regionalism it is a criminal act and is punishable. Article 19 of the Constitution of India provides a citizen of India to move freely throughout the territory of India, to reside and settle in any part, and to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business. When ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) militants or MNS(Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) activists used violence against poor migrant workers, they clearly violated law of the land and also the Constitution which is above all, even above the Parliament. Do we need to fear Regionalism? No. Regionalism in India is only a short cut to attain the political ambitions by emotionally exploiting the sentiments of the people. The fear of Balkanization is void of any logic. India is bound by a common culture that has flourished on this land many thousand years ago. I may be Kannadiga or Tamil but I am an Indian first. My identity outside India is that of an Indian. The states which fought for complete independence are now part of Indian Union and they have renounced for some extent violence; they include Mizoram, Nagaland, Kashmir, Bodoland, Tamli Nadu. India is too big for these states to fight against and win. Today regional parties define how the governments are formed and conducted both at the centre and the state level. Indeed it is a good development as some political entities such as RJD, BSP, LJP, DMK, AIADMK, BJD have to some extent represented those people who were neglected in the political process for long time. As long as they thrive for regional development without discriminating against outsiders, regionalism is good for India. Every Indian is a son of this soil. A Bihari becomes Mumbaikar when a bomb explodes in Mumbai and a Mumbaikar becomes Bihari when Kosi wrecks havoc in the plains of Bihar. We are united by an idea called India and that unity is imperative if we want to do a ’Chinese’ thing in future – that of actually walking on the path to becoming a global superpower instead of daydreaming

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Globalisation on Jamaica Essay

1. Causes of globalization affecting Jamaica: * For Jamaica, the main reason for globalization was darker. The energy Crisis of the early 1970s forced the Jamaican Government to take out loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to cover the rising expenses of fuel based imports. However they weren’t interested in cooperating with Jamaica in developing native infrastructure and resources, so they enforced a short-term repayment of the debt, budget cuts in areas supporting long term development, and removing all trade barriers that favored local industry and farming. Thus, this started the forceful movement of â€Å"globalization† in Jamaica. Three negative globalization cases with causes and effects: * The first one involved Jamaica’s dairy industry. Due to free trade agreements between the United States and Jamaica, dairy farmers in Jamaica had to directly compete with American farmers without any subsidy aid from the government. This resulted in the influx of cheaper powdered milk into Jamaica from the USA, destroying its entire dairy industry altogether and farmer selling cows to the slaughterhouse at a loss. The effect of globalization on Jamaica in this case, only fostered dependency on other nations rather than focusing on its own economic development. * The second case is caused by the â€Å"Banana Wars† between Europe and America. Britain had a long-standing trade agreement with Jamaica that favored their banana exports as a way of compensating for their legacy of colonialism. This brought about complaints to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the USA backed up by large agricultural multinational corporations like Dole, Chiquita and Delmonte who at the time already had 95% of the world’s banana trade, citing it as unconstitutional and against WTO’s policy. The ruling of WTO in USA’s favor and an international penetration of trade into Jamaica’s biggest banana market ensured yet another downfall upon one of the country’s most profitable industries due to the lack of production efficiency. * The third case came about due to the increasing economic stagnation and poverty in Jamaica. To combat this, the government agreed to create Free Trade Zones in Kingston where governmental enforcement does not apply. Ships would unload materials cut in the USA and Jamaican workers would sew garments in huge textile assembly plants near the docks for Hanes, Brooks Brothers and Tommy Hilfiger at $30 per week. These wages were not enough to sustain their standard of living and when protests emerge, the owners simply closed down their shops and relocated to Mexico, where a cheaper work force can be found. This is an example of the â€Å"race to the bottom† stemming from the effects of globalized capitalism. As a result, it leaves Jamaican citizens with lose or lose situation to either comply with unfair demands of employers or risk unemployment. 2. 3 examples in making Global Labour fair * In order to make Global Labour fair, three sectors of society, government, multinationals and civil societies must work together using their own sets of expertise. * The first example involves the Clinton administration regarding their stance on trade in 1996. The government provided the resources and the stage to gather civil societies such as human rights NGOs and trade unions, industry leaders, and its own department of labor to discuss about responsibilities in Global Labour. Civil societies present at the meetings gave ideas and insights about developing a global code of conduct in making labour fair as well as NGOs such as the Fair Labour Association provided awareness to the public about this matter. Then multinationals and industry leaders collaborated by implementing this code of conduct throughout their supply chain, terminating contracts from their suppliers if specific labour conditions are not met. Thus forcing the improvement of Labour standards. * The second example involves the New Zealand Recognized Seasonal Employers Scheme (RSE) to relieve seasonal shortages in the NZ horticulture and viticulture industry through an overseas labour force. The NZ government collaborated with other governments of the Pacific Island Regions to provide the legal requirements and immigration processes to facilitate the influx of workers. Businesses provide employment opportunities to the migrant labour force. On top of that, the government established an evaluation board which includes NGOs such as The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions to monitor key activities, evaluate outcomes and ensuring equity and respect for migrant worker rights. The collaborations between this three sectors of society (government, businesses and civil societies), made sure the benefits of global trade between NZ and Pacific Island Countries are mutual. * The last example includes the consumer goods multinational, Unilever who has taken significant strides in sustainable living regarding the 2001 mercury poisoning in Kodaikanal, India. NGOs such as Greenpeace were responsible of raising the issue to Unilever about scrap glass containing mercury from a Unilever thermometer factory being sold to a scrap dealer located nearby. This was a breach of Unilever’s procedures as workers’ health and then environment could be adversely affected. Unilever immediately closed the plant and removed the glass scraps and the soil beneath the scrap back to the factory. After negotiations, the Indian and US governments were responsible for providing Unilever legal permits for transporting and recycling these hazardous materials in the United States. The commitment of Unilever in ethical choices combined with the cooperation of civil societies and government organizations help prevent a potential fatal disaster that protected the welfare o f international labour. 3. Joseph Stigliz’s plans or conditions for making globalization work: * Eliminating or reducing poverty through more foreign assistance from advanced industrial countries to 0.7 percent of their GDP. Although I feel it’s a good idea for countries to redistribute wealth to disadvantaged nations in order to help make globalization work, I also think that imposing a general level of GDP assistance without consideration of a country’s individual economic conditions is unfair. In recent years, we saw the EU struggling with the financial collapse of Greece and the spread of investor uncertainty throughout its member nations. In this case, I felt that a reduction of foreign aid to focus on own problems is understandable because if developing nations lose a big trade partner such as the EU due this matter, results will be worse off in the long run for both parties. * Stigliz also suggested that this foreign assistance should be given in forms of grants instead of loans as well as and an altered approach to conditionality. I agree with this Idea as we saw earlier with Jamaica, most developing countries face the same problem of debt. Jamaica was forced by the IMF and the World Bank to open up trade barriers which forced dependency on other countries and the destruction of local industries. In addition to that, most governmental spending as well as any foreign earnings from exports is used to service this debt and its ever-growing interest instead of investing in the country’s long term development. This severely limits Jamaica from restarting its own economy, making globalization benefits one sided. * Making trade fair is also on Stigliz’s agenda. For example, removing trade tariffs of developed countries before imposing them on disadvantaged countries. I agree upon this idea and my argument can be built again based on the collapse of Jamaica’s agriculture industry. Potato, onion, carrot farmers have to directly compete with USA on a level playing field by removing trade barriers. However whether this situation is equal is questionable since the USA still maintains its large agricultural subsidies to aid its own farmers forcing down prices of their own produce. This renders Jamaican farmers uncompetitive due to high borrowing costs and lack of governmental aid. I feel this is unfair as this undermines the living standards of developing countries such as Jamaica and advanced countries only benefit from the trade. Lowering trade tariffs in developed countries first allows developing countries a fair chance to adapt to changes in the economy. * Stigliz acknowledges the limitations of liberalization are important. This is shown with the Washington Consensus based upon the concepts of liberalization forged between the World Bank, IMF and U.S Treasury which focused on the downscaling of government, deregulation, and privatization. Argentina who followed the Consensus initially had expansion of investment and export volumes. However what followed was a disappointing increase in unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and violence. I feel that the reason the consensus failed to revitalize the economy was that they employed a one-size-fits-all mentality. There was an overemphasis on GDP measures which was inefficient in measuring living standards, growth sustainability and equality. Thus these factors are ignored and contributed to the failure of the policy. Therefore, I believe that understanding the local market, government and their individual economic problems apart from just imposing liberalization is crucial in order to make globalization work. * Stigliz mentioned protecting the environment is a growing concern for globalization. The success of economic development in China and India increases the need for energy usage and the use of resources. I agree with Stigliz’s notion that the world’s environment would not able to sustain this change. This year, there was a public outcry of Beijing’s air pollution when the Air Quality Index in the city saw a staggering reading of 755. As a comparison, any reading above 100 is considered hazardous for sensitive groups. This is attributed to the exponential increase in industrial activity in China. Although China benefits from an economic boom, I feel people must realize the cost of this endeavour to its citizens as it is irresponsible to ignore the negative health effects it causes. Enforcing people to work under these conditions is no different to taking advantage of unfair Labour consistently found within the poor working conditions in developing countries.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Financial Crisis

The Financial Crisis Introduction Even though many intellectuals held that deregulation, poor supervision, lack of liquidity, casino banking, and Gaussian copulas are some of the factors that caused the financial crisis, failure to view the crisis from a multilateral perspective further heightened the situation. This is evident from the roles that international governments like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) play.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Financial Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, risk management within the banking industry did not have to stop within the UK. In addition, managing the risks ought not to have been left solely to the bank employees and management. For proper risk mitigation, all stakeholders ought to have learnt all the possible risks that may occur in the sector. In this line, the financial institutions would have distributed the risk to all the st akeholders. Instilling financial literacy in stakeholders only could have been a positive move towards risk management strategies. On the other hand, some risks are extremely complex, thus may require the attention of expertise or technocrats. This may be absent in some stakeholder, hence making collaboration difficult. Having been used in the implementation of Basel II Accord, collaboration allows specialists to devise their own risk management approaches (Who was responsible for the financial crisis? n.d.). With this nature of approach to risk management, all stakeholders need to acquire basic financial literacy. Notably, creating a network of risk managers eliminates unknown risks, popularly referred to as Black swans. Moreover, the network enables individuals to question assumptions in the risk management process, avoid overreliance and belief on models, as well as impart skills to distinguish between predictable and unpredictable risks. For proper risk governance, individuals m ust interrogate the validity of the rules put forward for implementation; this eliminates instances of failure in managing risks. Banks might have had limited resources to recognise the extent of the financial risks. The involvement of many players in the management systems of banks makes it out rightly difficult to blame banks for the financial crisis. The intertwined system makes it difficult for banks to act outside the outlined frameworks. To manage such financial crises effectively in future, there is need for wider responsibility using the concept of knowledge supervision. Therefore, the United Kingdom’s government and international governments are also to blame for the failure of risk governance.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They ought to have involved expertise in the entire process, as well as trained all stakeholders on financial lite racy (Who was responsible for the financial crisis? n.d.). In essence, risk management requires a collective approach to avoid massive financial catastrophes. Risk Management Process The consequences of the financial crisis have made banks and other financial institutions to employ stringent measures of managing risks. However, the stern measures lacked strong implementation forces, as well as a centralised point to coordinate the entire process. Risk identification and categorisation use modelling, brainstorming, interviews, and analysis of project plans and different scenarios as key methods. After identification of risks, evaluation and ranking occurs in order to prioritise risks for management and effective allocation of resources in any sector. Under risk management, there are four key stages irrespective of the sector of application. Risk awareness, assessment, evaluation, and absorption are the four stages of managing any form of threat. In the banking industry, risk manageme nt remains the best option to curtail possible financial scarcity. If the banks could have understood the liquidity issues and the need for effective regulation, they could have put up necessary measures to curb the eventual financial meltdown. From the manner in which the banks dealt with the situation, it is evident that lack of unrivalled coordination was absent. Under risk awareness, identification of possible risks that can affect the banking industry is examined. After proper risk awareness or identification, it becomes easy to assess all the sources of such risks. In this stage, each risk receives a specific assessment procedure to ascertain its level of influence in case it occurs. The uncertainty perspective approach is the most preferable approach in the risk identification segment given that it does not only determine all possible sources of threats, but determines also all possible sources of positive risks or opportunities. With increasing changes in the banking industr y, there are always unrelenting follow-ups and frequent updating of the identification lists as per the knowledge and comprehension of the business atmosphere. If the approach could have been applied, the financial crisis could not have occurred.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Financial Crisis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Risk assessment helps firms to group risks according to their severity. The process helps financial strategists to prioritise risks as per their occurrence probability, as well as address uncertainty through effective decision-making. After risk assessment, vivid evaluation and estimation in terms of the probability of occurrence and consequence take place. Here, a clear comprehension on the major effects of the risks on the operations of financial institutions is imperative. Evaluation and ranking occurs in order to prioritise risks for management and effective allocation of re sources. The financial institutions ought to have evaluated all possible causes of financial crises, as this would have made it possible for the sector to absorb all the risks, which led the country to one of the worst financial crisis. In risk analysis within the banking industry, remedies like holding greater amounts of capital reserves in terms of liquidated assets could have minimised the extent of the crisis. Notably, the entire risk management process requires the inclusion of several numbers of actors; the actors should have sufficient skills in financial operations. This could have ensured that there is complete accountability and authority, shared responsibility, interdependence, and coordination of government’s roles. Shareholders, customers, government, and SMEs have close tie with banks; these stakeholders ought to have adequate knowledge on bank operations in order to be in a position to avert such disasters (Who was responsible for the financial crisis? n.d.). I n the case of stakeholders, there are voluntary and involuntary groups. For instance, the government can set boundaries for its financial institutions to follow in their operations. This did not occur at the time of the crisis. Since no single stakeholder can provide knowledgeable supervision on banking risks, the entire group of stakeholders ought to have taken full initiative of providing supervisory duties to the banking industry. Moreover, a systematic approach to managing risk as opposed to event-focused approach works well for the banking industry, as the former involves monitoring of signals, making use of existing knowledge, instead of searching for the unpredictable aspects.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though financial institutions had put in place some risk management strategies to curb the crisis, less was done to move the whole process to completion. This made the risk management process ineffective, thus failing to address the crisis. Conclusion In essence, the government’s coordination role, shared responsibility, interdependence, and authority versus accountability are the basic principles in controlling the occurrence of financial shocks in an economy. International governments and financial institutions, such as banks have to understand that financial literacy has to cut across the masses in order to support risk governance using both the old and new models. Since the society establishes the boundary of bank operations, it remains vital that knowledge supervision should be part of the society and those within the banking industry. The crisis required a collective approach to avert its massive effects on other sectors of the economy. Reference Who was responsibl e for the financial crisis? n.d..

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Role of Offshore Outsourcing in Contemporary International Business The WritePass Journal

The Role of Offshore Outsourcing in Contemporary International Business Introduction The Role of Offshore Outsourcing in Contemporary International Business Introduction Offshore outsourcing is a term most widely used in today’s international business prospective describing the companies contracting or subcontracting their service or manufacturing oriented jobs and business functions to a location beyond their national boundaries. The trend started in 1980s with the amplified import of materials used in basic US manufacturing industry from about 10.5% to 16.2% and in hi-tech manufacturing such as electronics and computers from 26% to 38%. These created a hint of belief in the western companies about the benefits of using offshore outsourcing to their advantage and reduce their cost and enhance the product quality. The incentive seen by western companies was the low cost manufacturing driven by cheap labor cost abroad especially in the eastern part of Asia such as China, Taiwan, and Philippines etc. In today’s scenario offshore outsourcing is majorly motivated by the relocation of service based business process such as call centers, info rmation technology, document management, accounting and tax processing to the emerging economies such as India and China. Reduced communication costs, standardized software and international procedures have fuelled offshore outsourcing to immense extent. The dissembling of production process and introduction of value chain system boosted the need of globalization and with it outsourcing by adding value to a single product at different parts of the world. All major corporations over the world are striving for economies of scale and to capture and fulfill demands of every possible segment of the market, regarded as a major reason behind offshore outsourcing. According to XMG Global the outsourcing market value is in tune of US$ 373 billion with its portfolio ranging from banking, travel, automobiles and telecommunication etc.( www.businessweek.com, 25 Sep 2009). In global prospective China is leading the way in production offshoring and India in service offshoring. The western companies which were more financially sound and capable than their counterparts in rest of the world started the trend of offshore outsourcing. They realized that focusing on their core competencies will bear them more lucrative fruits in long run rather than spending their critical resources on processes which were categorized as strategically less important. Ever increasing globalization, swiftly changing technology, increasing demand and constant shift in taste of consumers forced managers to differentiate their offerings and increase operational efficiency of the firm. They started segregating the components involved in the business process and outsourced them to places around the globe at lesser cost with almost equal qualitative delivery. The larger dollar value compared to the currencies of the emerging economies made the offer attractive for both the customer firm and the vendor. Services are usually measured to be very labor concentrated and are not regarded unde r core competency for majority of the firms is the key target for outsourcing to low cost economies (Elmuti and Kathawala, 2000;  Purcell, 1998). While labor cost constituted almost 70 per cent of call center costs in the USA, they only account for approximately 30 per cent of costs in India.(Loh and Sharma,2009) Western companies take benefit of these differences by using capital equipment more intensively (more shifts), using cheaper (unbranded) capital equipment, and reducing automation (replacing capital with labor) (The McKinsey Quarterly, 2003) cited in (Loh and Sharma,2009). The fees in service outsourcing are usually charged as per usage basis changing the fixed cost into variable costs proving advantageous for them. Western Companies can add extra market value and increase their savings significantly through outsourcing, while focusing majorly on their core proficiency. Apple Inc used this feature to its success and is a prime example of a firm concentrating on its core c ompetency and outsourcing rest of the process to remote location. The product designing is done at its California headquarters while the manufacturing is done in China and the delivery is completed by a different vendor, every procedure is done under a strict quality control making Apple an untouched leader in its segment. There are major risks also involved with the outsourcing of the services to an unknown vendor in the other part of the world. Risks range from privacy and security violations, diminished technical returns, hidden costs, loss of expertise and difference in cultural values of the vendor and the consumer nations. There is always an emphasis on meeting of the Service level agreements to maintain the quality of the services being delivered. The North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) gave a big thrust to shifting of manufacturing related process from US to Mexico, the trend later benefited China which offered the same products on more competitive cost because of the very low wages, few workers rights and higher value of US dollar compared to fixed valued Yuan. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. the biggest retailer in the world is the emblem of Chinese export to the US market. It is expected to increase its imports from China to US$ 18 billion up by 20% compared to last year (China Daily, 18 March 2011), this shows the advantage of offshore outsourcing with increasing sales revenue for the firm and better strategic opportunism by getting its goods just in time and of the superior quality as demanded by the Wal-Mart. So far 70% of the products sold in Wal-Mart are imported from China. (China Daily, 18 March 2011). The workforces concerned with the Western Companies are majorly affected if the company decides to go for offshore outsourcing. Almost 3 million manufacturing job has been relocated from the developed economies to the emerging low cost nations due to offshore outsourcing(Whalen, 2005), the figure is 3.4 million for the service industry further inducing fear and stress in a major chunk of population to lose their job in near future(Associated Press, 2004). Another concern is the workers losing their jobs due to Outsourcing have to forcefully settle for almost 20% less reduction in pay. (Whalen, 2004)  . The supporting division of offshore outsourcing believes that outsourcing has created new positions domestically. By displacing one thousand jobs to India in 2003, Delta Airlines reduced its cost by $25 million. This money was utilized to create 1200 new reservation and sales jobs in US (Weidenbaum, 2004).  Outsourcing the low skill jobs has shaped an opportunity to create a niche and expert workforce in the core ield of the company. In some cases the employees of the customer firm are hired by the outsourcing vendor to get the insight technical expertise. The emerging market companies were the second beneficiaries of the globalization and offshore outsourcing. The examples of offshore outsourcing in the manufacturing are the electronic components, Apparels, toys and consumer goods in China, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, India and Malaysia. While the service sector offshore outsourcing is mainly done from India, China and Philippines. The emerging market companies have the chief advantage of cheap labor compared with their western counterparts which reduces the production costs significantly. Emerging market companies can move up the ladder from low value to high value in the global supply chain and gain invaluable technical expertise which it can use for further developments and acquiring new customers.   India gained with this recent development from its huge pool of technically efficient and English speaking manpower. There are around 2.5 Million IT/ITES professionals in India (NASSCOM, 2011) .Western Multinational Companies are int ensifying offshore operations insistently in India, even as offshore vendors continue to grow at home (Associated Press, 2007) and abroad (Hamm, 2007) cited in (Sharma and Loh, 2009). In India the total value of Outsourcing is valued at US$ 88.1 billion in FY2011 up significantly from US$ 76.1 billion in FY2010 and it has become a noteworthy part of national GDP with a contribution of 6.4% (NASSCOM). The important companies being Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam. Narayana Murthy, cofounder and chairman of Infosys states that India has a competitive lead and that successful offshore outsourcing involves the development of distinctive capabilities, rather than simply offering low labor costs. (Strategic Direction,2004) The offshore outsourcings have also created some challenges for the emerging market companies which are of great concern to both nation and society. The growth shown is not very well spread and concentrated on a very few parts of country and population. The companies are more focused on catering the needs of foreign multinationals thus neglecting the domestic market needs. There is a huge amount of investment required in training and keeping up to date with the needs of overseas customers. If the service delivery of the vendor is not as per the customer requirement and if the privacy and security issues are compromised there is a possibility of legal hassle between them. The workforce involved with the emerging market companies has the opportunity to enhance their career with the growing market needs and acquire more knowledge and expertise in their field. The disadvantages of offshore outsourcing are sometimes the exploitation of the workforce in terms of long continuous working hou rs and very low salary. The poor condition of workers in factories producing leading apparels in Indonesia is the prime example of this type of exploitation. The workers are mostly bounded by legal contracts to serve their company for a longer period of time barring them to move to better jobs. The offshore outsourcing has thus created wealth for both western as well as for the emerging market companies and bridged the gap across the national boundaries. It also has created many challenges for to be overcome in the near future and derive the world towards a better future and prosperity. Bibliography: Associated Press. (2004) Study: Offshoring of U.S. jobs accelerating.  MSNBC.  Retrieved October 8, 2007 from www.msnbc.com/id/5003753. associatedcontent.com/article/2183103/the_effects_of_outsourcing_does_it_pg3.html?cat=3 [Accessed: 17th March 2011 ] Ellram, L and Tate, W. 2009. Offshore outsourcing: a managerial framework. Journal of Business Industrial Marketing 24(3/4). Pp. 256-268 Elmuti, D., Kathawala, Y. (2000), The effects of global outsourcing strategies on participants attitudes and organizational effectiveness,  International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 21 No.2, pp.112-28. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 2004. The rise of offshore outsourcing to India. Strategic Direction 20(4). pp: 14-16 Frank G. and Tafti, M. 2005. Risks factors associated with offshore IT outsourcing. Industrial Management Data Systems. 105(5). pp:549-560 Kumar, S. et all. 2009. Risk mitigation in offshoring of business operations. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 20(4). pp: 442-459 Patricia, L and Sharma, A. 2009 .Emerging trends in sourcing of business services.Business Process Management Journal 15(2). pp: 149-165 Purcell, K. (1998), In-sourcing, outsourcing, and the growth of contingent labour as evidence of flexible employment strategies,European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 7 No.1, pp.39-59. (The) McKinsey Quarterly (2003), Offshoring and beyond,  The McKinsey Quarterly, November businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/sep2009/gb20090925_476872.htm [Accessed: 17th March 2011 ] Weidenbaum, M. (2004, June). Outsourcing and American jobs.  Weidenbaum Center breakfast presentation at Washington University in St. Louis.  Retrieved October 6, 2007 fromhttp://wc.wustl.edu. Whalen, C. (2005) Research note offshoring: still a threat to workers.  WorkingUSA,  8(6), 717. Retrieved October 5, 2007 from Business Source Complete database. chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/29/content_395728.htm [Accessed: 17th March 2011 ] nasscom.in/upload/Publications/Research/140211/Executive_Summary.pdf [Accessed: 17th March 2011 ] Associated Press (2007), India IT cos to hire 1 lakh In 07-08,  Express India, April, available at: www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid =85509 (accessed 17 August 2007), Hamm, S. (2007), Guess whos hiring in America,  Businessweek, June, available at:www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070613_771470.htm?chan=search (accessed 17 August 2007), . (The) McKinsey Quarterly (2003), Offshoring and beyond,  The McKinsey Quarterly, November

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What Is Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Dosage, Effects, and Safety

What Is Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Dosage, Effects, and Safety SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you recently started taking Clonidine 0.1 mg pills or been told that you’ll be prescribed them to treat a specific illness or symptom? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll explain what Clonidine HCL is, what it treats, how to take it, and what you need to know to safely use the drug. What Are Clonidine 0.1 Mg Pills Used For? Clonidine HCL is a drug used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Clonidine is a type of drug known as a central alpha agonist that works in the brain to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. Clonidine HCL Dosage and Administration Clonidine pills come in three different dosages that each have different markings and colors, though all are circular in shape. Check out the chart below for more information on Clonidine HCL tablets. Dose (mg) Color Marking 0.1 Tan BI 6 0.2 Orange BI 7 0.3 Peach BI 11 As you can see from the chart, Clonidine comes in three doses: 0.1 mg, 0.2 mg, and 0.3 mg. Your doctor will determine your dosage in order to properly treat your symptoms. Typically, you’ll take Clonidine by mouth twice daily, once in the morning when you first wake up and once at bedtime. If you have two different doses, you should take the larger dose at bedtime to minimize side effects. You can also receive Clonidine as a transdermal patch worn on your skin. Clonidine HCL’s effectiveness may diminish over time. If you’re taking Clonidine over an extended period of time, you may have to increase your dosage. Do not stop taking Clonidine suddenly, or you may experience adverse withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor will be able to help you safely stop using the drug. Clonidine HCL Brand Name and Manufacturer Catapres is the brand name of Clonidine HCL tablets, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. There are also several generic versions of Catapres that are approved for use. The following manufacturers also produce Clonidine 0.1 mg tablets: Actavis Elizabeth Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Alembic Pharms LTD Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Frontida Biopharm Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Impax Labs Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg MYLAN Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Prinston Inc Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg UNICHEM Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Yung Shin Pharmaceuticals Doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, 0.3mg Clonidine HCL 0.1 Mg Tablets Side Effects As with any drug, Clonidine HCL 0.1 mg pills can cause both minor and major side effects. Some side effects do not require medical attention and may disappear with time. Others are more serious and require immediate medical care. If you’re concerned about a side effect you’re experiencing while taking Clonidine HCL, you should contact your doctor. Minor Side Effects The following side effects are minor and do not require immediate medical care. However, if you experience any of these side effects and they worsen, are bothersome, or if you have any questions about them, you should speak with your doctor. Constipation Darkening of the skin Loss of appetite Nausea or vomiting Decreased sexual ability Dry, itching, or burning eyes Major Side Effects The following side effects are more severe and require medical attention from your doctor. Mental depression Swelling of the feet and lower legs Chest pain and discomfort Disorientation and confusion Anxiety Pounding, slow heartbeat Hyperventilation, Trouble with sleeping Fever Skin Rash Shortness of Breath Symptoms of Overdose It’s possible to overdose on Clonidine HCL. If you or someone you know experience any of the following side effects, you should seek immediate emergency medical help. Extreme dizziness or faintness Feeling cold Pinpoint pupils Extreme tiredness or weakness Precautions for Taking Clonidine 0.1 Mg Pills Before starting a new drug, it’s important to keep your doctor informed about your medical history so he or she can prevent any potentially dangerous side effects. In particular, make sure you inform your doctor about allergies and any history of kidney disease or heart rhythm problems. Interactions to Avoid While Taking Clonidine HCL Clonidine HCL can make you dizzy or drowsy, so you should avoid operating heavy machinery or driving while taking the medication until you’re sure that you won’t have bad side effects. You should also avoid drinking alcohol while taking Clonidine HCL. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking any medications that may also cause drowsiness, such as narcotic pain relievers, antidepressants, antihistamines, or cough-and-cold products, as these may increase the likelihood of you experiencing severe drowsiness while on Clonidine HCL. Recap: What Is Clonidine 0.1 Mg? Clonidine HCL is a medication used to treat high blood pressure. It relaxes your blood vessels so that blood can move through your body more freely. Clonidine HCL comes in three standard doses: 0.1mg, 0.2mg, and 0.3mg. Your doctor will work with you to determine the dosage that’s right to meet your needs. As with any drug, Clonidine HCL has potential side effects, ranging from minor, such as constipation, to major, such as mental depression. If you’re experiencing any side effects that cause you discomfort or seem particularly dangerous, you should contact your doctor.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Positive and Negative Effects of Outsourcing Research Paper

The Positive and Negative Effects of Outsourcing - Research Paper Example However, outsourcing impact on the economy is widely debated in order to ascertain its inevitability or otherwise. In American society, the debate has not lasted as yet and both sides have some solid evidence to favor their arguments. Although the argument that denies the inevitability of phenomenon claims it to be a major cause of unemployment in America, the positive impact of outsourcing on the economy cannot be rejected altogether. As a matter of fact, there is a fair amount of subjectivity in the questions like where, when and how outsourcing should be employed and the detrimental effects of outsourcing on US job market are a reality but another reality is the importance of these outsourcing companies to the US economy. Although cost is the key factor while making a decision of outsourcing, it must also be a strategic decision at the same time. A strategic decision takes into account the capabilities of company's resources, challenges at hand, benefits and key factors that favor outsourcing. The strategic outsourcing prevents the outsourcing of goods, services, and labor that are critically important to the function of the company. At the same time, strategic outsourcing can take into account the expected impact of an outsourcing decision on a national economy. The establishment of a separate formal Officials authority might be a good idea to evolve a regulating mechanism and to strike a balance in outsourcing decisions. Nevertheless, purging it all together is not an option.   Pacing with rapid changes in business dimensions has become a demanding challenge for business leaders in diminishing geographical limitations. Technology in general and cutting-edge communications in particular drastically redefines business operations in terms of resources. The globalization has vast and vivid repercussions on business domains and business leaders have to be very knowledgeable and current on prevailing trends in human resources, purchases, and supplies to manage these effects in their specific domain. The globalization of businesses and advancement in technologies to support these global business operations have reduced the geographical limitation of engaging low cost human and material resources while managing supplies of products produced overseas in the spur of the moment they are required by the businesses. Today, the stage is all set for businesses to engage low-cost resources through outsourcing; a concept that can considerably slash the production and service costs while targeting the profit maximization. Companies all over the world are now striving hard to reduce the cost of their products or services by efficient management of resources, purchases, and supplies. Jacques1 defines, â€Å"Outsourcing means more than just the purchase of raw materials and standardized intermediate goods. It can be defined as a long-term, result oriented partnership of company with an external provider for activities that would otherwise have been pe rformed in-house.†Ã‚  Ã‚  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Microbiology Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microbiology Work - Essay Example They also contribute to patient’s treatment as well as the control of infection in the community and hospitals. However, Microbiology is rapidly changing. In the late 1970s, HIV and AIDS were unknown, but by the year 2000, approximately 22 million HIV related deaths had occurred globally. Ebola and Legionnaires viruses were also unknown, but a year later, they were making headlines. Microbiologists decided to go to the laboratory to find the virus behind AIDS and other diseases. The laboratory categorized the samples and dealt with each sections of the virus depending on the site and nature of collection. In this regard, this paper aims at explaining microbiology work in HIV, identifying the problems or issues that face scientists today as well as identify science influence or contribution to today’s culture in terms of technology, advances, and infectious disease controls (Gustavo, 2001). HIV/AIDS is said to have spread rapidly. There are roughly 33.4 million people li ving with the virus, 2 million deaths from and 2.7 new infections of AIDS. Microbiologists discovered that HIV virus causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The virus is said to infect cells which are critical to the immune system, and as a result, destroy the ability of the system to fight infections. Therefore, it was found out that people who have AIDS do not have the ability to fight infections by other bacteria and viruses, which cause diseases in healthy people. Because of this, AIDS patients die from such infections that the scientists regard as harmless. Some of them develop cancers in their systems (Basic information about HIV and AIDS, 1999). The Microbiologists first discovered the agent which causes AIDS in 1983. In about 24 years, there were abnormal infection clusters that were found in homosexual men and approximately a million of Americans have contracted HIV. This epidemic has now afflicted both female and males in all ethnic groups. Spencer and Ragout (2 004) claim that, scientists acknowledge that the epidemic is growing rapidly among women and minority population. There are over 20 million deaths and the epidemic is spreading in all geographic regions. However, there is hope in finding the cure for AIDS because, Microbiologists are doing all they can to discover it. They have managed to stabilize it because of the ARVs that they initially discovered for its control which has helped in avoiding deaths. To add to this, they claim that when a person becomes infected with the HIV virus, there is a substantial lag time, for example, a decade before the person fully develops the AIDS symptoms, although the anti-HIV drugs can help delay the symptoms. However, afterwards, infected individuals start experiencing symptoms of Flu and are said to go for many years without the symptoms being detected (Basic information about HIV and AIDS, 1999). During this phase, the virus is said to continue replicating within the body, in addition to transm itting to other individuals if there is a direct contact with body fluids such as blood and semen. This time there is a steady but slow depletion of the cells, known as CD4 positive T cells which are infected by HIV. A Microbiologist found out that a normal person usually has 1000 CD4 Tcells in a blood milliliter, which HIV infects, and once the cells fall to 200 cells the person infected enters another phase which is now called AIDS.

Effective Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effective Leadership - Essay Example Effective leadership is highly important in an organizational setting. A leader of an organization plays a significant role in the success of an organization. There have been prominent examples in the past in relation to the success of organizations merely due to effective leadership of those organizations (Lussier, 2009). Leadership is different from the management of an organization. The management of an organization directs the workforce of the organization without involving the employees in the decision making. The management merely directs the employees and it does not take into account the will or commitment of the employees to complete the task. A manager only wants a specified task done in accordance with the specific set of directions given by the manager within a rigid deadline. This can be frustrating for the employees and it may affect their efficiency. Thus, due to the lack of efficiency in the employees, the organization as a whole may lag behind and there may be lack o f motivation among the human resource of the organization. On the other hand, a leader does not impose any duties to his staff or his subordinates. Unlike a manager, a leader involves his subordinates in the decision making processes and exceeds his expectations towards them in order to acquire feedback from his subordinates. In this manner, the subordinates not only get motivated to perform the task more effectively and efficiently but they also perform their valuable opinions in the decision making process. It is one of the basic traits of effective leadership that the leader makes all the decisions collectively. Due to the involvement by the subordinate staff, there are a number of different options that come up, thus the leader is provided with a number of options so that he may choose the best option. Thus, in an organization with an effective leadership, there is high level of motivation among the subordinate staff and this high motivation results in the increase in the overal l efficiency of the operations of the organization (Armstrong, 2006). A leader may involve the subordinate staff in a number of ways. Different manners of involvement of the employees by the leader work for different organizations. In some organizations, a leader might present his own opinion and try to sell it to the subordinate staff by presenting the arguments in favor of his opinion. He may also seek feedback from the subordinates in order to ensure that they have been convinced by his opinion and they accept it completely. In another case, the leader might ask for the opinions of the subordinates along with their supporting arguments and he may choose the option after taking feedback from the subordinates and the option that he seems as best. A leader might also provide his opinion and ask the subordinates for any feasible modifications in the leader’s plan. Therefore, it can be said that a leader plays a highly important role in an organization for the efficiency and su ccess of the organization. An effective leader is also very convincing among the employees of an organization therefore it is in the hands of the leader to drive the organization on its way to success. In case of a change in the organization, an effective leade

Global Issues- Global Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Issues- Global Revolution - Essay Example Most employees these days prefer to hire children to adults. I hope u know I got married. My dear Sarah works at the nearby postal office. However, at the moment, she is not at work since the postal workers are on strike demanding for increased wages. The working conditions in the factory where I work are not very human. There is a lot of smoke and we are not provided with any protective gear from the heavy machines. I must confess to you that I rarely have any spare time I can call leisure. I work in the factory for over twelve hours a day and cycles for one hour to reach my abode. The government seems to have totally forgotten about us and its focus is on annexing foreign territories across the oceans. Surely Maxwell, I find no reason why I should be staying in pathetic living conditions just because the government has no clear policies on settlement. The lighting is very poor and I am not even assured of my security. Let me not talk about many ills here lest you accuse me of a misconceived mindset. I nevertheless believe that England is a great country. At least we can boast about the good roads that are coming up and the railway industry that seems to boom. Most people can also find work despite the low

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Principles and Practice of Leadership and Management in a Learning Essay

Principles and Practice of Leadership and Management in a Learning Disability Context - Essay Example It is common for these individuals to have some extra needs in care and communication, and helping them reduce stress and feel comfortable is one of the major responsibilities of their caregivers (Clements 1987). It is normally necessary to have the disabled people live in areas where they have easy access to both medical and psychological care. This is mostly done in institutions or in the context of the community (Turnbull 2004). Consequently, it is the responsibility of those charged with managing institutions that care for these individuals to put in place measures that ensure that these people are awarded the most conducive atmosphere with as little discomfort as possible (Dalby & Knifton, 2012). During my training as a learning disability nurse, I have been to various institutions and have met varying management styles. In analyzing the qualities a manager should possess, I will first review two different institutions and their managers to try and draw out the reason why manage ment is an important factor in the success or failure of these programs. A success story One of my initial placements took me to an institution caring for people who needed psychiatric care. On getting to the facility, I was introduced to my supervisor who took his time to introduce me to all members of staff, a situation that helped me feel welcome. I was then handed a set of papers that outlined what was considered best practices in the institution, and was informed that the first item on my itinerary would be to attend a two hour seminar where I would be brought up to speed with the requirements the managers set for all the staff at the institution. I was impressed with the level to which the management went to ensure compliance with the best practice guide, and immediately understood why the institution was ranked among the best in psychiatry care in the country. The manger had set guidelines which he insisted strict adherence to. The seminar was supposed to; Plant a deep workin g knowledge of all issues regarding psychiatry. In this aspect, one was always encouraged to consult with their peers or those senior to them in case they encountered a situation or issue they were not familiar with. Explore how difficulties in communication were manifested in the mentally disabled, and how to make the best out of whatever channels were available to communicate with the patients in an individual level. To educate the staff on consent and capacity issues with respect to people with psychiatric needs and on how best to navigate around the issues Inform the managers and support staff on the resources available to them in the hospital, and on other organizations that offer psychiatric services. The manager was a stickler to detail and insisted on the highest levels of discipline. He led by example in implementing the guidelines on treating people with learning disabilities as equals. In my early days, one case stood out that engraved the importance of having staff and d epartments organized in a conveyance belt model for service provision as spelt by Gates (2009). In the witnessed case, an emergency rescue team had called in on a patient who had recently been discharged, but who had had a recurrence, was physically aggressive and had inflicted some injuries on her body which needed a minor surgery. Since the institution

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Pediatric Issues Paper (Health Brief) #1 Research

Pediatric Issues (Health Brief) #1 - Research Paper Example The Issue- The number of adolescents aged 10-19 years who underwent bariatric surgery tripled from 2000-2003 (Tsai, 218). The number of obese adolescents is increasing due unhealthy eating habits. The high consumption of junk food among adolescents increases cholesterol deposits in the body. According to Pollan, most American meals contain meat and products made from high fructose corn syrup (8). The number of adolescents involved in physical activities has also reduced drastically. Lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits increase the chances of becoming obese. Between 1999 and 2003, adolescents consumed an average of two 12-ounce cans of carbonated drinks. The consumption of soda and other carbonated drinks increases the amount of calories in the body. Bariatric surgery provides a medical procedure of losing excess body fat. The surgery involves gastric bypass that helps the patient lose several pounds in a healthy way (Encinosa, 710). The number of deaths reported during this period was 0.2 percent, which indicates that the surgery is a safe method of losing body fat. Programmatic Bottom Line/Policy Implications- The following recommendations can reduce obesity cases among adolescents. School systems and other organizations catering for adolescents should stop the sale of soft drinks in hallways, shops, and cafeterias (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 770). Adolescents should replace sodas and fruit juices with club sodas, tap water, or mineral water. Including adequate levels of fiber in the diet reduces cases of obesity. Spending less time in sedentary pursuits and engaging in physical activities helps burn excess calories in the body. Organic food products contain less cholesterol compared to junk food and industrial food products. The consumption of organic foodstuff lessens the level of cholesterol deposits in the body (Maziak, 38).

Principles and Practice of Leadership and Management in a Learning Essay

Principles and Practice of Leadership and Management in a Learning Disability Context - Essay Example It is common for these individuals to have some extra needs in care and communication, and helping them reduce stress and feel comfortable is one of the major responsibilities of their caregivers (Clements 1987). It is normally necessary to have the disabled people live in areas where they have easy access to both medical and psychological care. This is mostly done in institutions or in the context of the community (Turnbull 2004). Consequently, it is the responsibility of those charged with managing institutions that care for these individuals to put in place measures that ensure that these people are awarded the most conducive atmosphere with as little discomfort as possible (Dalby & Knifton, 2012). During my training as a learning disability nurse, I have been to various institutions and have met varying management styles. In analyzing the qualities a manager should possess, I will first review two different institutions and their managers to try and draw out the reason why manage ment is an important factor in the success or failure of these programs. A success story One of my initial placements took me to an institution caring for people who needed psychiatric care. On getting to the facility, I was introduced to my supervisor who took his time to introduce me to all members of staff, a situation that helped me feel welcome. I was then handed a set of papers that outlined what was considered best practices in the institution, and was informed that the first item on my itinerary would be to attend a two hour seminar where I would be brought up to speed with the requirements the managers set for all the staff at the institution. I was impressed with the level to which the management went to ensure compliance with the best practice guide, and immediately understood why the institution was ranked among the best in psychiatry care in the country. The manger had set guidelines which he insisted strict adherence to. The seminar was supposed to; Plant a deep workin g knowledge of all issues regarding psychiatry. In this aspect, one was always encouraged to consult with their peers or those senior to them in case they encountered a situation or issue they were not familiar with. Explore how difficulties in communication were manifested in the mentally disabled, and how to make the best out of whatever channels were available to communicate with the patients in an individual level. To educate the staff on consent and capacity issues with respect to people with psychiatric needs and on how best to navigate around the issues Inform the managers and support staff on the resources available to them in the hospital, and on other organizations that offer psychiatric services. The manager was a stickler to detail and insisted on the highest levels of discipline. He led by example in implementing the guidelines on treating people with learning disabilities as equals. In my early days, one case stood out that engraved the importance of having staff and d epartments organized in a conveyance belt model for service provision as spelt by Gates (2009). In the witnessed case, an emergency rescue team had called in on a patient who had recently been discharged, but who had had a recurrence, was physically aggressive and had inflicted some injuries on her body which needed a minor surgery. Since the institution

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Kevin Stevenson retires as AASB Chair Essay Example for Free

Kevin Stevenson retires as AASB Chair Essay This media article is about the accomplishments and achievements of Kevin Stevenson regarding his retirement from Chairman of the Australian Accounting Standards Board on 30th June 2014. (Media releases, 2014) While Kevin Stevenson was in his position, he ensured the long traditions of financial reporting was being supported both internationally and domestically and that counseling was provided for the issues raised about FRC. (Media releases, 2014) Mr. Stevenson was the first to research, develop and create Accounting Standards Advisory Forum which is dealt within International Accounting Standards Board. The AASB’s Research Centre was established while Stevenson worked as the Asian-Oceanian Standard Setters Group’s chair. His leadership focus was mainly on the interest of the public. This was stated by Lynn Wood, FRC’s chair and trustee of the IFRS Foundation. Ian Mackintosh, the former Chair of the PSASB of Australia and Deputy Chair of IASB was in agreement with this statement. (Media releases, 2014) According to Mackintosh, Mr. Stevenson has largely contributed to have Asian countries to join IFRS, like Nepal and Korea. From the beginning of the 1970s, Stevenson has put all his attention in setting principal based standards and developing a Conceptual Framework to be used in financial reporting. Mr. Stevenson supported accounting regulations as it was evidenced by his organisation and also by Australian Accounting Research Foundation. He has also been appointed as a director of AARF while watching AARF grew with it’s development of regulations. He was a leader and was in the most important position when setting the international pace to develop the common accounting standards for both the public and the private sectors. (Media releases, 2014) Stevenson has contributed in the formation of the Public Sector Accounting. He took a significant role in the establishment of International Financial Reporting Standards in 2005 and this Standard has widely been used in Australia and the entire Europe. (Media releases, 2014) Concepts, ideas and facts There are two important components that need to be satisfied to offer accounting services exhibiting high efficacy and quality. These are teamwork and leadership. Management models in accounting services need to employ strategic human resource techniques to teams in accounting teams and leadership positions in order to provide high-quality services in the shortest time possible. The operation of accounting services operates under a clear and concise manner and performs its measurement. Therefore, to provide the best accounting services and not get involved in fraud accounting, there needs to be an ultramodern investigation that uses scientific leadership when working as a team with major stakeholders (Topic 2, 2014). Stevenson was leading in the right direction by using new techniques in accounting. These techniques of accounting were important steps which need leaders with efficient skills to apply concepts like efficacy, cost benefit analysis, economies of scale and cost-effectiveness analysis that will progressively measure improvement. To resolve a core issue of the organization and get a competent solution, it is important to acquire efficient leadership. Strategic leadership in accounting provides quality and up to date accounting services to an organization. Leadership like that of Stevenson, brings together all of the incomplete system consisting of thousands of accountants working within a fragmented system of organizations. (Topic 7, 2014) Advanced fraud investigation is developed through effective teamwork and leadership in accounting. Leaders’ decisions are encouraged to be made by considering social and moral implications so it will have a positive effect on the shareholders and customers of the organization, such as the leadership of Stevenson’s. (Topic 7, 2014) Every employee bears an ethical responsibility to act in an ethical manner and make sure that their company does is tax compliant and allows reasonable deductions. Employees should ensure that the company appropriately allocates the importance of the business activities. The Accounting Issue The best way to improve the truthfulness in accounting and financial reporting is by ensuring that ethical standards are used through efficient manners of reporting, sufficient financial management and a strong system of governance. Maintaining a right to the truth is an ethical practice in financial reporting and accounting. Both the clients and stakeholders of an organization have the right to information that is true and accurate when making any investment discussions. It is the legal obligation of any accountant to provide services that are professional and competent and this should be done within their required skills. It is a common argument that a large number of accountants do not have the ability to recognize and solve ethical dilemmas in an ethical manner. This has made it necessary to incorporate ethics education as a key element in the accounting profession. Early initiation of the inclusion of professional values and ethics should be emphasized in the accounting profession. Major issue of the article Stevenson clearly shows that ethical management and taking responsibility to act in the best interest of the company that they are providing accounting services for, relates with providing accurate and truthful records. This beneficial not only to the organization, but also to the society in general (Media releases, 2014) Management should be ethical by being honest, accurate and complete when dealing with financial data and have ethics held in place. Every employee bears the responsibility to make decisions that are wise and up to date for the future well-being of the company. The accounting standards are useful in financial reporting and accounting as they are critically examined when processed. (Topic 2 , 2014) In order to uphold the highest code of ethics, organizations should emphasize on the major functions because shareholders and customers often make their decisions based on financial and accounting reports. Mr. Stevenson’s case is a clear demonstration of the importance of legal and ethical factors in accounting and financial reporting. It is through these two issues that Mr. Stevenson was able to establish effective departments of accounting and financial reporting and design specific rules that govern general functioning of any company. Relevant topics and theories Positive Accounting Theory plans for the future and gives information of what is currently not known. Financial reporting has its history with Positive Accounting Theory applied. It has focused its major interest on various aspects of accounting techniques which has provided an informative background with in depth details of the functionality of accounting in financial reporting (Topic 2, 2014) The application of financial reporting and accounting is concerned with all the future business of a company that relates to any economic unit. There are four main ethical elements involved in accounting and financial reporting. These elements are truthfulness, objectivity, autonomy and competence and they require employees in the accounting and financial reporting profession to act independently towards the clients to whom they offer their services. They should ensure that their desire to attain better living and to acquire more wealth should not be an obstacle to their financial responsibilities. Obligations of ethics greatly affect the decisions of accounting and financial reporting. Also helps solving unfair situations that may alter information symmetry. (Topic 2, 2014) The decision by Nepal and Korea to join the IFRS was based on the financial guidelines that govern accounting and financial reporting. Every employee in the accounting and financial reporting profession, whether in a private or public company bears an ethical responsibility to act in a manner that is loyal and impartial to his or her obligation when reviewing both the financial or individual reports of an organization. It is quite normal for accountants and financial reporters to encounter possible ethical violations when working. As a result, one should maintain carefulness and desist from manipulation of financial records as this is a violation of ethical guidelines. The important elements of normative accounting theory are the integrity and being open to public scrutiny. For some companies to maintain certain public image they may receive pressure from management. Most companies in the public sector are faced with the pressure to be seen as highly successful. Consequently, it becomes an ethical concern for the company to maintain ethical reports of the company assets because the pressure from management could fail them to resist the temptation (Topic 2, 2014). Management should not manipulate the company’s financial records and alter the figures in an effort to create an image that falsely portrays the company as successful. This is often temporary because it only portrays the prosperity of the company on a short term basis before the fraud is detected by the Securities and Exchange Commission (Topic 2 , 2014). Such manipulation, which is often based on poor decision making skills aims at putting up a false image of the financial status of the company and only has negative effects on the well-being of the company. Accounting professional should by all means disregard such practices. Despite the temptation associated with manipulating financial records, management should act as the last defense tool against accounting fraud. For these reasons, accounting theories assert that companies should maintain their ethical vigilance in order to avoid any potential breach of conduct (Callahan, 2014). Every individual engaging in any activity relating to financial reporting and accounting should uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior. It is through these standards that guidelines and rules are set to guide employees in performing their professional responsibilities. Question 2 In comment letter 1, the Financial Reporting Committee of the IMA wrote this letter to express its opinion on financial accounting standards, to simply the income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. The FRC is in charge of several accounting books of different companies. This basically means that FRC has the responsibility of making timely responses to statements, pronouncements, research legislation, proposals and pending legislation. Their main concern in this comment letter is the complexion of financial statements within FASB. They support the simplified financial statements adopted by the board which is easier for common people to understand CITATION Sch l 1033 (Schroder, 2014). Their support is on the elimination of very unusual items as in most times this criterion is not satisfied. Their proposal to simplify the income statement gets rid of the tedious work in the preparation of financial documents. Their support is based on the fact that the allocation of time in preparing income tax reduces to a great extend by eliminating the occurrence of other income items. They thus advocate for a thorough examination of the details of this suggested proposal CITATION Sch l 1033 (Schroder, 2014). In comment letter number 2, Marcum Accountants and Advisors write to the FASB to simplify the income statement by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items regarding the proposed accounting standards. Their letter is generally a response to several questions regarding the process of simplification of the income statement. They support the concept of elimination of extra ordinary items from the General Accounting principles. Their argument is based on where the extra ordinary items make the application difficult in accounting practice CITATION Giu14 l 1033 (Giugliano, 2014). They thus support the application for extra ordinary items in previous accounting periods. A sudden change of the rules would otherwise lead to confusion in the accounting practice CITATION Top14 l 1033 (Topic 2 , 2014). The ease of application with the proposed update makes it easy to make these recommended changes to adopt. They thus suggest the immediate adoption of the proposed update. They agree with the decision made by the board which was to comply with the principle of separate disclosure of infrequent transactions. They also suggest the importance of offering guidance on deciding the unusual item. CITATION Giu14 l 1033 (Giugliano, 2014) Proper definitions should be provided of the unusually occurring items. In comment letter 3, Ford Motor Company also writes supporting the simplification of financial report assessed and initiated by FASB. Their agreement is based on the reasonable evaluation, identification and improvement of the generally accepted accounting principles CITATION Cal14 l 1033 (Callahan, 2014). This thus means that by reducing the complexity and simplifying the income statement, it will possibly reduce the cost of application. They are also in agreement with the board that such an update would not lead to data loss. The overall benefit would be to the end users of such financial statements. References Callahan, S. (2014). Comment Letter No. 6 (1st ed.). FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/CommentLetter_C/CommentLetterPagecid=1218220137090project_id=2014-220 Callahan, S. (2014). Comment Letter No. 6 (1st ed.). FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/CommentLetter_C/CommentLetterPagecid=1218220137090project_id=2014-220 Giugliano, G. (2014). Comment Letter No. 5 (1st ed.). MARCUM LLP. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/CommentLetter_C/CommentLetterPagecid=1218220137090project_id=2014-220 Media releases,. (2014). Kevin Stevenson retires as AASB Chair. Proposed Accounting Standards Update. (2014) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org Schroeder, N. (2014). Comment Letter No.2 (1st ed.). IMA/FRC. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/CommentLetter_C/CommentLetterPagecid=1218220137090project_id=2014-220 Topic 2 The role of ethics in accounting. (2014). Topic 6 International Accounting. (2014). Topic 7 Normative Accounting theories. (2014). Source document