Saturday, August 31, 2019

Role of Professional Institutions in Architecture and Quantity Surveying

Introduction In the building industry used to follow the professional body’s direction and keep the moralss and codification of behavior to measure the map of the industry. So that client ever expect the advice from the professionals and copy the professionalism to derive the high quality terminal merchandise, today universe is globalising really fast. Because of that it is straight consequence to the building industry. In today building industry is confronting planetary alterations and therefore they demanding. Changing accomplishments from assorted building related professions. Professionals in building industry are forced to keep their duties and run into the demand procedures with quality. A Professional Institution besides called professional organic structure is an assembly of people in an educated profession who are entrusted with keeping organize or inadvertence of the lawful pattern of the work. In this Report I target to look into and professional institute which serves the reinforced environment sector. And besides I briefly explain of the professional establishment. Professional establishments are assisting to assorted classs of constructional personal to upgrade their accomplishments and overall impact of such professional establishment in the building industry. Membership of a professional establishment, as a legal demand, can in some professions from the primary formal footing for deriving entry to and puting up patterns within the profession.Role of the professional InstitutionEliot Freidson presents the statement that while all businesss contain some blend of accomplishments, cognition, making and competency, professions involve a â€Å"special sort of co gnition†¦ believed to necessitate the exercising of discretional judgement and a foundation in abstract theory and concepts† what Michael Young would mention to as powerful cognition. ( Daniels 2007 ) Professional establishment plays a major function of building industry. And besides it maintains the criterions of the professions in the building industry. Professional establishment maintains universe category cognition base because people in same profession run into each other in one topographic point to make a web of communicating to broaden the cognition to heighten the professional relationship and respond to altering environment to run into current and future runing demand. Therefore many professional establishments are involved to in the development and monitoring of professional educational plan and the upgrading of accomplishments. Professional establishment can better service to members and upgrading services to industry. Membership of a professional establishment, as a legal required, can in some professions from the primary footing entry to and puting up patterns with the profession. Peoples who are eligible for the professional development program if they have satisfied their academic demand of the professional establishment which they are be aftering to rank. There are many advantages of being a member in professional establishment They are,Networking OpportunitiesAttending to conference and seminarsGet the privilege to utilize on-line resortFree instructionAbove all the fact explains about how to better the service member in professional establishment. Professional establishments are promoting sustainable building. Because the universe is globalising really fast and it’s straight consequence to the building industry and besides it publication the magazine, books and other publications to better the cognition of members. Because members are the bosom of that professional establishment. Besides maintain and better the quality of the built environment.Professional Institutions are assisting to assorted classs of Constructional PersonalThere are many professional establishments related to the buildingRoyal Institute of charted surveyorsCharted Institute of BuildersAssociation of Project ManagersBritish Institute of Facility ManagersCharted Institute of Architectural TechnologistEach and every professional e stablishment is assisting to several of contractual personal to upgrade their accomplishments with rank and enfranchisement. PDP is the following phase in deriving professional makings and force on entering direction experiences and accomplishment. Every member to follow with consist of RICS pattern statement in the involvement of the keeping the highest professional establishment. Every building has different rank benefit for illustration.RIBA ( Royal Institute of British Architecture )Functions and DutiesMaintain world- category cognition baseRe-position architecture as suppliers of both sound and inventive solutionsAn RIBA Client Adviser who is a qualified designer is non the chief designer in such undertakings but Acts of the Apostless as an independent advisor. They:supply strategic adviceaid clients to accomplish their aimsmeet clients outlooks on public presentation and design quality ( RIBA )Maximize part of members and staffWork to better the design quality of public edifices, homes/ communications. ( Royal Institute of Brtish Architects )SLIA ( Sri Lanka Institute of Architect )It has alone benefit for each rank. They have 7 type of rankHonorary Fellow MembersFellow MembersAssociate MembersHonorary MembersRegistered MembersAlumnus MembersStudent Members( Sri Lanka Institute of Architect )PMI ( Project Management Institute )As a PMI member, you gain so le entree to PMI publications and our planetary criterions, networking options with our chapters and on-line communities of pattern, and leading and voluntary chances. You can besides happen price reductions on enfranchisement tests and inventions, every bit good as our professional development offerings received. ( Project Managment Institute 2014 )AIQS ( Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors )Role of AIQSEnsure that practising Quantity Surveyors are dedicated to keeping the highest criterions of professional excellenceTransporting research about the aggregation of cost informationsPublication of current building costsKeeping Australian Standard method of measuring( Role of AIQS ) Benefit of a memberPromote as a Building EconomistProvide Technical articlesPractices noted and policy statementsPromoting Members to possible QS clientsFee free Gold recognition card, place loan and life insurance for AIQS members( Role of AIQS )AGS ( The Association of Geotechnical and Geo environmental Specialists )The Benefits of AGS MemberMembership of Representative organisationProvides a voice on the Ground Forum, the organic structure that represents the chief industry participants in Geo techniques and the Geo environmentProvides the agencies to buttonhole Government and the building clients Forum via the Ground Forum and the building Industry council( The Benefits of AGS Member ) If they get the rank benefit it is help the update their accomplishments with rank. So there is assorted type of method to update their accomplishments with rank. They are conducted the preparation plans. Introduce some flexible rank fee, Conduct e- acquisition plans, Arrange some group treatment, Get some undertaking and dividing in group members..etc.Overall impact of such professional establishmentProfessional Institution has impact in the building industry many ways. Better the quality, better the accomplishments of the members presenting new ways how to analyze regulations and ordinance new chance to take right way and construct good building site. Therefore Professionals in building industry are forced to keep their duties and run into the demand and processs with quality. So that professional establishment helps to better the quality of the building site. And besides in professional establishment is a topographic point where people from the same profession meets each other and so portions their thoughts, accomplishments. So professional establishment is aid to develop accomplishments of the people in the building site. Professional establishment is helps to derive new accomplishments and cognition needed to pull off staff develop concern. In professional establishment meet to same professional people and so manner portion their new engineering, new experiment and present new ways and besides in that ways they selected better things above all the assemblage information and item if they shared. So it is help to take determination to acquire a right portion of the building site. Memberships of a professional establishment, as a legal demand, so every member know the regulations and ordinance. It is aid to carryon and develops regulations and ordinance in building site. Above all the inside informations professional establishment is impact to construct a good building site.DecisionThe happening the research indicates that professional institute has a direct consequence on the quality of building industry. It has so many boundaries. Professional boundaries are of import to heighten professionalism withi n the building industry. Such asRelationshipCommunicationSelf-DiscoursesExploitationsBreachs of confidentiallyAnd besides professional institute are assisting to upgrade their accomplishment with rank and enfranchisement. But it is overall impact in the building industry. So in this study, newsman can foreground those things of professional direction in the building industry. MentionDANIELS, H. , Lauder, H. , Porter, J. ( 2007 ) . Young. In:The Routledge Companion to Education. London, Routledge, Faculty of Humanities & A ; Social Sciences.Project Managment Institute.( 2014 ) . [ on-line ] . Last accessed 03 March 2014 at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.pmi.org/Membership.aspx[ online ] . Last accessed 3 March 2014 at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.architecture.com/JoinTheRIBA/BecomeACDA/Requirements.aspx # .UxnEifmSySo[ online ] . Last accessed 02 March 2014 at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rnconstructions.com/strength.htmRole of AIQS. In:Construction Professional Studies. ICBT, p.34.Royal Institute of Brtish Architects. In:Construction Professional Studies. ICBT, p.27.[ online ] . Last accessed 03 March 2014 at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.slia.lk/[ online ] . Last accessed 04 March 2014 at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ags.org.uk/aboutmembership/benefits.php

Friday, August 30, 2019

Walt Disney: the Quintessential American

Disney: The Becky Tashkulova Mr. Brown American History 25 May 2011 Walt Disney: The Quintessential American You’re riding a rollercoaster in a Disney theme park in Orlando, Florida. You look around at the incredible architecture and imagination that is flowing throughout the park. You start wondering if your childhood would be the same without the man behind all this greatness. Walt Disney was a man full of charisma, joyfulness, and positivity. He never backed down or felt discouraged after failing.He was a man who knew what he wanted and ended up getting it; he was a go-getter. His legacy is celebrated every year by the making of new Disney movies and he is appreciated throughout the world. If you ask an average person who is the quintessential American, his or her response would be someone like George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, or Abraham Lincoln. Although those are great examples, they don’t portray the same traits as America would. This paper will show how Wal t Disney is the quintessential American.Just like America, Walt Disney is prejudiced, catalytic, and persistent. Many people use â€Å"racist† in a wrong form. To be racist is to keep one race from doing something; while Walt Disney never did that. He was prejudiced against other races, which means unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group. Although there is no hard proof to show that Walt Disney was prejudiced, he did show it in his creations, or so we think (Gabler). The Three Little Pigs† featured the wolf dressed as a Jewish peddler. The American Jewish Congress protested that the characterization was so â€Å"vile, revolting and unnecessary as to constitute a direct affront to the Jews. † According to Walt Disney Archives, Walt referred to Italians as â€Å"garlic eaters† and used a variety of crude terms for blacks. To this day, many critics assume that the crows in Dumbo are shown as stereotypes. But Walt was no closet racist. At home he always preached racial, religious and ethnic tolerance to his two daughters.Under his supervision, Disney studios was inhospitable to many minorities, few of whom said to worked there, said that they were virtually verboten on the screen (Gabler). Everyone sees America as this â€Å"welcoming† and â€Å"interracial† country, but no one remembers all the terrible and hypocritical things that America has done in its history. Some would say America is paradoxal, or hypocritical, or contradictory, and while all those words do describe America, no one seems to describe America as prejudiced. The Chinese Exclusion Act was brought up in Congress due to the overflowing population of Chinese in the United States.The US needed workers to build the Transcontinental Railroad, so they brought in the Chinese to build it. After it was all done, no one knew what to do with the Chinese that were left in the coun try and the incoming ones. So Congress decided to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which permitted the Chinese entering the US starting from 1882. Congress passed the National Origins Act in 1924 because of the crazy amount of immigrants moving to the US. It excluded any Eastern and Southern Europeans and almost all Asians and other nonwhites from entering the US.This act instituted admission quotas by using the 1890 census to determine the population of a particular nationality group; the government then only allowed 2 percent of that population into the nation. After the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt had issued an order to â€Å"punish† all the Japanese living in the United States. The order gave the military broad powers to ban any Japanese citizen from a fifty to sixty mile wide coastal area stretching from Washington state to California and extending into southern Arizona.The order also authorized transporting these citizens to assembly centers, or concentration camps, hastily set up and governed by the military in California, Arizona, Washington state, and Oregon (Executive Order 9066). What does it mean to be persistent? According to the modern day dictionary it means, persisting, especially in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc. , persevering, lasting or enduring tenaciously. Walt Disney was seen as determined and hard working, never giving up, and always having faith.His views and visions came from the fond memory of yesteryear, and persistence for the future. Disney’s brothers, Roy and Raymond, had gone off to war and although he was too young to enlist his parents insisted on him not going to war. So he forged his parents’ signature on a passport to go over to France as part of the Red Cross Ambulance Corps (Cole, 21). This particular action shows that Disney would not take no for an answer. He wanted to help out, so his determination showed the most during this event in his life.After completing a set of his 1st cartoons, and working every night in his garage with a borrowed camera, he sold his first set of cartoons to a local theater in Kansas City, Newman Theatre: Newman Laugh-O-Grams† (Cole, 25). His 1st production of Alice in Wonderland had failed, so he started working on his other cartoons but when his first animations company had failed, declaring bankruptcy in the spring of 1923, he had asked Margaret Winkler, who was previously interested in Alice in Wonderland, to distribute the money in the creation (Cole, 28).Although there was a nasty court case after, Disney focused on the positives and kept on moving forward. After his bankruptcy in New York, Disney moved to California, but he was simply too young and inexperienced. So he started the same business as he did in Kansas City and started advertising his cartoons. At first, he had trouble-finding buyers, but finally he sold a serious to a local theater (Cole, 30). His life motto, â€Å"Keep Movin g Forward† was included in a Disney creation of â€Å"Meet the Robinsons† to show Walt’s persistence and optimism.It meant to never stop, never give up, and just to â€Å"Keep Moving Forward†. This motto also shows that Disney chose to stay positive. He was never pessimistic and tried his hardest to give his all. He worked hard and even after having failed attempts at starting his own animation company, he never gave up and just kept on going. All of his hard work paid off, and we can see his magnificent work and amazing determination today. When you think of America, what is the first thing that comes to mind? First man on the moon, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the Apollo Program, and the struggle during the Cold War perhaps?All those things were achieved by America because, America always needs to be the best of the best and beat everyone in anything. Russia sends in a man in space, America tries to override it by sending rockets in space and trying to land on the Moon. The Apollo Program was commenced because of this crazy race/competition going on with the U. S. S. R. The program was designed to land humans on the surface of the Moon. Six of the missions completed their task by landing on the moon, while the others only orbited Earth’s surface. This shows how hard America tried to get someone on the Moon, in which they succeeded (Williams).The first man on the Moon was the result of the Apollo Program. The legendary man’s name was Neil Armstrong. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface. After the tragic events of 9/11, there was a hunt to find the leader of the Al-Qaeda. After a crazy and hectic search for Osama bin Laden, the elite American forces had found him in a custom-built hideout, not far from a Pakistani military academy. It was long believed that he wa s hiding in caves around the world.His body was quickly buried at sea with a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run (Osama bin Laden). Despite the inconclusiveness of the Korean War, the existence of Cuba as a Soviet satellite 90 miles from Florida, the draft dodgers and Weathermen terrorists, despite the American retreat from Vietnam, the Watts riots of 1964, the Watergate, the humiliating 1979 occupation of the U. S. embassy in Tehran, from 1947 to 1989, the U. S. successfully contained and defeated the Soviets in the Cold War's long and tedious struggle (Bay). That took extraordinary persistence.It took resilient, adaptable, creative and able military and security services. But most of all it took the basic, consistent support of the American people. The ones, who go to work, pay the bills; wear the police and military uniforms. And as John Kennedy once said â€Å"bear any burden †¦ to assure the survival and the success of liberty. † (Bay). â€Å"It all star ted with a mouse† is what everyone says about the Disney franchise. If you think about it, Disney had drastically changed our lives. Walt Disney can be described as catalytic, which means to be relating to or causing or involving catalysis; â€Å"catalytic reactions†, revolutionary.The Disney franchise is a big part of American culture. Kids would do anything for tickets to one of the theme parks. Florida is the top tourist city in America and the only reason it is, is because of the Disney theme parks. Just like America has affected the world with its charm and magic, so has Walt Disney. We celebrate his birthday and his accomplishments every year. His legacy will remain forever. Walt Disney has affected our generation so much and it all started when a mouse character appeared in his series of cartoons, â€Å"Oswald†.When Steamboat Willie opened at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928, Walt knew that he created something that will change the whole world (Crafton, 5). It signaled the beginnings of animation history. Most people credit Walt Disney as the one who started the animation history, however some critics say that animations have been around since late 1800s (Crafton, 6). If you travel to any country abroad, everyone would know of America as these â€Å"cowboys† who run around with lassos, on horses, chasing Native Americans. That, dear readers, is the magnificent influence of America all over the world.Although everyone sees Americans as these fat, lazy, stupid human beings who eat McDonalds and watch television everyday, Europeans, Asians, Indians, Africans, etc. , praise the United States. Believe it or not, American culture has been so influential everywhere, that everyone wants to live in the US. The culture and entertainment are huge aspects of the influence that America has had on these second world, third world, and even first world European countries. There are KFC’s, McDonalds’, and other â€Å"typical† American fast food restaurants all over the world.America is so powerful, that the celebrities, movies, and any television shows are shown in, almost, every country in the world. Entertainment and culture are not the only features that America has brought over to the rest of the world. After the all-known Revolutionary War, War of Ideas was going around the world. And what it was is that, all the countries that were ruled by kings and queens were starting to ponder upon their rulers. They wanted independence and freedom of speech. The French Revolution that happened shortly after America gained independence from Great Britain can prove that.Now all these countries were starting to revolt because they thought if an underdog, like America, can defeat and break away from a powerhouse, like Great Britain, so can they. To be the quintessential is to be the essential part of something. Walt Disney is indeed the essential whole of everyone’s lives. America and Walt have both been persistent, catalytic, and prejudiced to the world. And although they’ve been the bad guys sometimes, they have tremendously affected the whole world by their great determination and willpower.They have done great things like the Apollo Program, creating Mickey Mouse, landing a man on the Moon, leaving a tremendous legacy behind, etc. And as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, â€Å"To be great, is to be misunderstood † (Emerson) Works Cited Bay, Austin. â€Å"RealClearPolitics – In Praise of American Persistence. † RealClearPolitics – Opinion, News, Analysis, Videos and Polls. Creators Syndicate Inc. , 3 May 2011. Web. 11 May 2012. . Bell, Elizabeth, Lynda Haas, and Laura Sells. From mouse to mermaid: the politics of film, gender, and culture.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print. Cole, Michael D. Walt Disney: creator of Mickey Mouse. Springfield, N. J. , U. S. A. : Enslow Publishers, 1996. Print. Crafton, Donald. Befo re Mickey: the animated film, 1898-1928. University of Chicago Press ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Print. â€Å"Executive Order 9066: The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation. † History Matters: The U. S. Survey Course on the Web. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2012. . Gabler, Neal. â€Å"Walt Disney–prince or toad?. † Los Angeles Times 22 Nov. 2009, sec.Entertainment: n. page. Los Angeles Times-California, national, and world news. Web. 14 May 2012. â€Å"Osama bin Laden is dead – CBS News. † Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News – CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. , 1 May 2011. Web. 17 May 2012. . Peet, Bill. Bill Peet: an autobiography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989. Print. Williams, Dr. David R. â€Å"The Apollo Program (1963 – 1972). † Welcome to the NSSDC!. N. p. , 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 17 May 2012.. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self reliance. Hoboken, N. J. : BiblioBytes, 199. Print.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Answer some question Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer some question - Research Paper Example The annual reports provide a detailed account of the operations of the corporations and disclosure of corporation’s financial position (Sherman 64). Basically, the annual reports contain income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statements and statements of shareholders equity. Financial ratio analysis guides the equity investors in assessing the performance of their investments. It helps them to compare the performance of their companies over time and across the industry. In regard to the short term creditors, financial ratio analysis enables the creditors assess the potential of the company to meet its short term credits obligations (Sherman 82). On the other hand, financial ratio analysis will enable long term creditors to assess the company’s ability to repay the borrowed loans and loan interest within the stipulated time. When making an investment by depositing money in the bank that pays compound interests, it is better to choose an option that results to frequent compounding. Therefore, the best option in this case is the one that pays compound interests on a daily basis (Sherman 109). This is because compounding the interests daily results to additional capital from the interest earned for the next

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Family Violence Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family Violence Law - Case Study Example This paper analyzes the arguments in favor of and against treating Marcia as guilty. The Case Marcia Norman, 39, and her husband, Mitchell, had been married for 25 years and had several children. Mitchell did not work. He forced Marcia to make money by prostitution, and he made fun of that fact before family and friends. He beat her if she resisted going to a truck stop and offering her body. On a few occasions, he made her eat out of the pets’ bowls and insisted that she bark like a dog. He threatened to kill or maim her numerous times.   Marcia and Mitchell got along very well when he was sober. But early one morning, he was intoxicated when he went to a highway rest area where Marcia was prostituting herself and assaulted her. He continued beating her all day after they got home. She called the police and was told to come in and file a complaint, but she was afraid that he would kill her if she had him arrested. She ingested a bottle of pills, then panicked and called EMS . Her husband cursed her as the paramedics treated her and urged them to let her die. After they left, Mitchell continued to slap, kick and throw objects at Marcia. At one point, he put a cigarette out on her upper torso, causing a small burn. After he fell asleep, Marcia took their baby to her mother’s so that she would not wake him, returned with a pistol and killed him.   At trial, Marcia pleads self-defense, which is defined as â€Å"the necessity, real or reasonably apparent, of killing an unlawful aggressor to save oneself from imminent death or great bodily harm† (Given Case). When we consider the case North Carolina v. Judy Ann Laws Norman, we can argue that Marcia is not guilty even though she killed her sleeping husband. Judy Norman suffered a lot from the hands of her husband. Her husband forced her into prostitution and when opposed, she suffered a great deal of physical and psychological abuse from her husband. It was difficult for her to defend herself when she and her husband were in a physical encounter. So she killed him while he was sleeping. â€Å"A three judge panel of the intermediate appellate court, in a unanimous opinion held that there was sufficient evidence to support a charge of reasonable self-defense† (Angel 21). The above verdict is applicable in the case of Marcia also. She had no other way to escape from the brutalities of her husband. It should be noted that Mitchel (husband), disrespected her individuality and identity and forced her to live in accordance with the guidelines given by him. He used his physical and domineering strength to attack her both physically and mentally. Mitchel was denying Marcia the right to live on an equitable level as him. If Marcia had failed to kill him, he would have killed her. Using the â€Å"Self-Defense† argument could be a reasonable defense within this case. Under these circumstances, Marcia can argue that she tried to save her life from a certain death. Accor ding to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito â€Å"self-defense is a basic right, recognized by many legal systems from ancient times to the present† (Killing in Self-Defense). â€Å"The general criminal law allows for the use of deadly force anytime a faultless victim reasonably believes that unlawful force which will cause death or grievous bodily harm is about to be used on him†(Hobart). Marcia believes that her life is in danger and her husband may kill her at any time. It is reasonable for Marcia

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

CORPORATE RESEARCH PAPER about US airways Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CORPORATE about US airways - Research Paper Example The company’s maximum frequency is between New York, Boston and Washington D.C., where it provides hourly services. In order to diversify their operations internationally, the US Airlines decided to merge with American Airlines in February 2013. From the research it was found that if the merger is successful then it has the potential to create the largest airline in the world in terms of global market access. The deal is expected to close by the end of third quarter this year. The key shareholding pattern of the merger is that US Airways would hold 28% stake of merged company where as the American Airlines will hold the remaining 72%. It was also decided between the shareholders’ of both the companies that the merged entity would carry the name and brand of American Airlines and the holding company will be named American Airlines Group Inc. The airline company has reported operating income over USD 425 million for the year ending 2011, with net income over USD 71 millio n. The total asset of the company was found to be USD 8.34 billion for the year ending 2011. The subsidiaries of US Airways are Piedmont Airlines, Inc., Shuttle inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., US Airways Express, Material Service Company, Inc., Airways Assurance Limited, LLC, Mesa Air Group, and Potomac Air, Inc. The following table highlights the breakdown of sales assets and income of US Airways and their involvement in international trades: B. Foreign Exchange (FX) Risk Management Policy The company is centrally managed and the management actively participates in corporate governance. The company also has many subsidiaries that are located in the domestic market as well as the international markets. The subsidiaries of US Airways are Piedmont Airlines, Inc., Shuttle inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., US Airways Express, Material Service Company, Inc., Airways Assurance Limited, LLC, Mesa Air Group, and Potomac Air, Inc. In order to maintain accountability between various divisions, the Board of Directors is represented by the chairman of the company who is the most important individual regarding execution of strategic decisions taken by the Board. The chairman of the company is assisted by vice chairman and many professionals belong to different areas of expertise such as the Finance committee, labor committee, and so on. The parent company of US Airways is the US Airways Group which is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The company operates in Aviation sector which requires fuel consumption. The underlying of fuel is the crude oil prices that are very volatile and uncertain. This exposes the company to transactional risk. Also, the company has prominent exposure in international markets which implies that US Airways operates in different currencies. Any appreciation or depreciation of home currency with respect to foreign currency may turn out to be favorable or unfavorable, ultimately exposing the company to translational risk when the company would prepare its consolidated financial statements from collecting data from different subsidiaries (Triantis, pp.558-562). In order to manage these risks the company used currency hedge and forward contracts prior to the year 2008 and reported them in their consolidated financial reports using hedge accounting at fair value of hedged assets and liabilities. C. Use of Derivatives for Funding, Investing and Other price Risk After the third quarter of 2008, US

Monday, August 26, 2019

Contract Creation and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contract Creation and Management - Essay Example It also shows how serious the leasing contract is being broken. The executives of Quick Takes video are extremely much surprised on learning of the news of the lawsuit. They argue that the contract was not viable since they did not sign it as they are the owners of the company and that they had not authorized Janet, the secretary to sign any contract that was binding them with Non-Linear Pro in the leasing of the equipment. The Quick Takes Videos’ attorney argues that Janet was acting as an agent to the company, and thus the argument cannot work since an agent is permitted to conduct business on behalf of the principal who was away during that time. The executives also try to argue that Non-Linear Pro brought faulty junk equipment and hurriedly gave the secretary the contract to sign. Janet said that she signed the contract because she taught it was a delivery. The equipment that was brought was to be on a trial basis for a month, and then they would sign the lease. That was s upposed to be the agreement that was made by the Quick Takes Video executives and Non-Linear Pro. ... This shows how the Non linear Pro is misrepresenting its equipment and its product in general. The other issue is that the secretary of Quick Takes Video, Janet acted on behalf of the company’s executives in the level of an agent and signed the lease by mistake thinking it was a delivery paper that she signs all the time. She did not take her time to read what was in the paper before signing it. This in turn, is souring up the two company’s relationship and it is making it worse. One of Quick Takes Video executive Hal says that piece of equipment that was supplied by Non Linear was a piece of junk and that the equipment that was brought was supposed to be one month trial equipment and not the real lease. Administering of Contracts In this case, the executives of the Quick Takes Video did not define to Janet on who was responsible to signing off some specific contracts in the company. During creation of contracts and managing them, business owners are supposed to define to their employees on who is responsible for signing contracts that bind the company to legal terms. Quick Take Video should define to Janet on what her authority in the company actually is. She should be told on what contracts she is responsible for signing and which contracts are her natures of signing. In the video, the executive of Quick Takes is to blame since they directed the Non Linear Pro to finish all the arrangements with Janet. They did not however, limit the sales person that specific contractual signing was to be made by the executives alone. This is where the problem arose from. The Non Linear Pro sales person might have thought that Janet had the authority to sign off these contracts. On looking at both companies allegations against each other, they both have strong cases against

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Pros and Cons of Social Networking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pros and Cons of Social Networking - Term Paper Example They are many who declare them to be beneficial for the society, while there are almost as many others who condemn their use, stating that the risks clearly outweigh the advantages. Thus, it is better to hear both sides of the story before drawing up our own conclusions. Individuals in favor of social networking present an argument that to those with access to computers and the internet, social networking sites are of great advantage. Online interactions encourage both long and short distance communication with friends and family, help people in gaining important skills regarding use of computers, and provide a medium that promotes creativity and innovation through instant messaging, blogs, photo sharing, event and product advertising and numerous other different services among its users. Not only that but it brings together people with a common interest, profession or even with computer skills and help them overcome their social worries, by creating suitable opportunities and provid ing exposure to fresh ideas and thoughts. (Coyle and Vaughn, 2008) It is also a great stage of communication for those who are unable to express themselves in person. The development and expansion of social networking sites has brought about great benefits for the society. For students, it is a medium to discuss educational topics of all sorts such as career and educational planning and allows them to communicate with more experienced students around the globe. It has also brought about benefits in the field of health by dealing with life altering diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction, weight loss etc. by interacting people having similar issues and providing them guidance and... The development and expansion of social networking sites has brought about great benefits for the society. For students, it is a medium to discuss educational topics of all sorts such as career and educational planning and allows them to communicate with more experienced students around the globe. It has also brought about benefits in the field of health by dealing with life altering diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction, weight loss etc. by interacting people having similar issues and providing them guidance and encouragement. Election campaigns throughout the world have received an unprecedented edge when they took the help of social networking. Some might think of it as insignificant but these sites do bring a significantly positive effect on the person standing in the election. The best example that springs to our mind are the 2008 election of Barrack Obama as the 44th president of the United States, in which he depended heavily upon social sites such as Facebook to gain popularit y among the masses, especially the younger generation. Businesses and organizations have also realized that the use of social networking to promote their objectives can help them gain a competitive edge over their rivals in the market. (Ally, 2011) Moreover, there are some who say, and I myself have to agree with them, that the internet is making an impressive contribution in helping to bring about world peace. Well, if I had a dozen Facebook or Twitter friends living in a certain country, I would think twice about invading it?

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Accounting Implications to Enron Corporation Case Study

Accounting Implications to Enron Corporation - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the Enron Company had a robust outlook of accounts; it was highly valued stock, and it had a good reputation for making profits. Being a fast-growing company with high promotion activities, Enron was heading for great heights in business. These characteristics are ideal for any person who wants to invest, and therefore, Enron had many investors coming. The accountants did not lay out their true and fair financial records. The accountant’s application of creative accounting practices to manipulate the accuracy of the records was a common practice. The management did this by establishing many limited liability special purpose entities in order for Enron’s accounting officers to transfer liability. This bid to ensure all accounts appear without liabilities was a strategy that seeks to maintain a robust and increasing stock price, thereby keeping its investment grade credit ratings. The role of the accountant is to ensure the m aintenance of accurate books of accounts, a role that the accountants clearly did not perform. Confidence in the financial information produced by professional accountants is one of the main driving forces for public investments. Accountants have the role of safeguarding the public’s interest by providing information that is true and fair for investors’ decision-making. The manipulation of accounts in order to favor the company and thereby deceive the public to rush to invest is unethical. There is a conflict of interest in these dealings. The accountant has to oversee the maintenance of the image of the organization and at the same time protect the interest of the public. This context becomes worse when an accountant also has personal interests in the dealings of the organization. In such instances, accountants should declare any form of conflicting interests and seek guidance when working during such situations. However, this was the fraud by the organization; the pu blic interest should take precedence over personal and organizational interests.

The Arrest of Shiite Cleric Nimr Al-Nirm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Arrest of Shiite Cleric Nimr Al-Nirm - Essay Example Analysis The cleric has always been critical of the government. In fact in 2009 he had called for the secession of the Eastern province. As things stand now Nimr’s role has been elevated from a mere regional cleric to the main focal point of the many disgruntled Shiite youths. The matter is complicated further by the fact that he resides in the town of Awamiya which is a hotbed of radicalism and is rife with weapons (Matthiesen, 2). There has been some information that the rise and prominence of the cleric had been instigated, boosted and funded by elements within the ruling family itself. It is believed that Nimr has been covertly encouraged and even financed by the hardliners in the royal family in order to scuttle the attempt by the king to reach out to the Shiite through the interfaith dialogue that he had initiated. Hardliners in the inner circle like Prince Naif bin Abdullazziz. The Interior Minister did not want to see this peace initiative succeed (Press TV, 1). The part that raised questions is the timing of the arrest. It is more than two years now since he started his so called campaign against the ruling family. Protests that had been taking place in the Eastern province had all but died down. Much of the mass actions in terms of demonstrations had fizzled out. In fact, there had been no significant protests in the region since November 2011.The protests had largely lost steam and the region was relatively calm. So it is difficult to comprehend the decision to arrest the cleric now.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Average education on workers and opening business time in Tel aviv Essay

Average education on workers and opening business time in Tel aviv - Essay Example Investors should also register their companies with tax authority where all the necessary details of the company should be provided by filling form number 4436. A corporate tax should be paid to the Israel tax authority. Moreover, investors should also be aware of the social security contribution for their employees. The law requires employers to withhold some part of their employee’s income and submit it to the National Insurance Institute for purpose of providing employees with a medical cover. Finally, investors should be aware of the two types of incentives provided by the Israel government to encourage investors namely; declining corporate tax and investment incentives (Ministry of Economy State In Israel, pp.1-3) The average education on workers is 83 percent among men and women between the age of 25 and 64 years who have attained an equivalent of high school degree. Research indicates that having a good education is an important factor of getting a good job in Israel. Research further indicates that the quality of education score stood at an average of four hundred and ninety seven whereby average boys perform less than girls by eleven points (Publishing and OECD,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Brand Loyalty - Thesis Proposal Essay Example for Free

Brand Loyalty Thesis Proposal Essay The current financial crisis has spread around the world and no consumer has stayed untouched. In economic downturns, consumers are trying to better manage their expenses due to uncertainty for the future. In such cases, their brand loyalty might be shaken. Especially for UK consumers, whose purchasing power is lower than the other nations, the situation in the beginning of 2010 seems to be much more difficult. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of the current recession on UK consumers’ brand loyalty. A quantitative method will be employed and the empirical data will be collected through questionnaire survey with a sample of fifty UK consumers from the area of Thessaloniki. The questionnaire survey will be distributed to different people regardless of age and demographic characteristics, backgrounds and attitudes. The results of the study will aim to show that not all consumers’ brand loyalty has been shaken the same by the recession but some types of consumers were more affected compared to others. Furthermore, the research will aim to indicate that brand loyalty varies over products so some product and service categories lost a big part of their market share. The findings might be interesting and useful to several companies that would like to be aware both of the profiles of the customers that are more likely to switch to cheaper brands and the products that will easily lose a part of their market share during a recession so that can formulate the appropriate marketing strategy. In the highlighted part right the name of the area where it will be easier for to distribute fifty surveys and get them back. What Influences brand loyalty towards cigarette brands in the UK market? Brand loyalty has been a one of the biggest issues in the world of marketing over the last years. The two topics of brand loyalty and cigarette smoking have rarely been linked. A possible reason for this is that researchers might feel that it is in some way unethical to provide managerial suggestions for tobacco producers. The aim of this study is to clarify that matter and get knowledge about which product-related, psychographic, health-related and demographic factors influence the brand loyalty among smokers and to what extent. By examining brand loyalty towards cigarette brands, those factors which in fact decrease brand loyalty can be identified. In the literature review, the necessary background will be referenced to answer the research questions. The research will be conducted on a quantitative basis. The main research method used will be questionnaire survey. It is the researcher’s belief that this study will provide new and interesting perspective on the topic of brand loyalty, as well as the researcher hopes that the results will be beneficial for social marketers in their fight against cigarette smoking. What effect does sponsorship have on brand loyalty: A case study of Vodafone customers An increasingly larger marketing budget is allocated to sponsoring in companies. This has triggered the attention of the academics to research what the exact effects of sponsorship on a sponsoring brand are. This study fills a gap in the sponsorship literature by focusing on both current customers and looking at sponsorship from both negative and positive perspective. It researches what the effects of sponsorship are on brand loyalty for current customers concerning a sponsored party. Prior literature on both sponsorship and brand loyalty is explored to establish a sound theoretical reference. The review will demonstrate that negative and positive incidences as the context has a negative and positive effect respectively on attitude change toward the sponsored party, which in turn influences change in brand loyalty. The established theoretical reference is tested by means on a questionnaire survey. The sample will consist of Vodafone customers, which are tested on the change in attitudes toward the sponsored team (McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 team for Vodafone) and on the change in attitudes and behavior toward the sponsoring brand.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Statistics Essays Histogram

Statistics Essays Histogram A histogram is often used for representing data from a continuous variable which are summarised as a grouped frequency distribution. We use Excel to generate a Box to represents both the original and the corrected sets of data. The result is the following diagram: The different methods of diagrammatic representation of statistical data are bar chat, histogram, steam and leaf, and lineplots. The bar chart is more appropriate to data from a discrete distribution that are summarised using a frequency distribution. A histogram is often used for representing data from a continuous variable which are summarised as a grouped frequency distribution. A histogram is therefore similar to a bar chat, but is used to present continuous data. Steam and leaf gives a visual representation similar to the histogram but has the advantage that it does not lose the detail of the individual data point in the grouping.   All these diagrams serve to examine the general shape of the distribution of data and help in making conjecture about values of quantities such as the median, the mean or the interquartile range. The last one, the lineplot, is often appropriate for smaller data sets, and can be useful for example to check whether toe data sets have a common varianc e. We denote by   and   the mean of the original set and the corrected set respectively. Then we have: i.e. . i.e. . Since we have an even number of observation, the median in this case will be the midpoint of the two middle observations. That’s: For the original set the median is ; For the corrected set the median is . The standard deviation of each data set is given by , where ,   are the different values in each data set. Hence: For the original set, , and for the corrected set . The lower quartile is defined to be the th observation counting from below, and the upper quartile is the same but counting from above. The interquartile is simply the difference between the upper and the lower quartile. We have the results in the following table. Original set Corrected set Lower quartile 3.815 3.7475 Upper quartile 3.3925 3.3925 Interquartile 0.4225 0.355 Question 2 Theoretically, the fact that 9 and 12 can be made up in as many ways as 10 and eleven 11 means that both sets of numbers should have the same probability to appear. The first thing that should be noted here is the fact that this is true if and only if when we throw a dice, all the numbers have the same probability of appearance, which if not always the case in practice when if when we need to allow consideration such as the on uniformity of the surface on which the dice is thrown, the angle and the velocity at which the is thrown, and even any deformation on the dice which all have an effect on the number that we will get. This problem thus highlights the impossibility of the probability to be an absolutely precise science as oppose to the other branches of mathematics. Question 3 The probability that a film processed on machine X is . Also, the quality of a film is independent of the quality of all the films processed before it. Thus the probability that three films randomly chosen from a batch coming from machine X is simply . Let’s denote by  the event â€Å"the batch came from machine X†,   the event â€Å"the three film are all of good quality†. Clearly, what we are asking for is the probability that     and occur at the same time, which is the probability that the three films are all of good quality and the batch came from machine X. Using the theory of conditional probabilities, we have: . Since all   of all films are processed on machine X, then .   is simply the probability the probability that we calculated above. Thus . Hence: . Question 4 At each question only two things can happen: 1-the student can answer the correctly, and we denote by the probability that this does happen; 2-or the student can choose the wrong outcomes among the five possible, and we denote by   the probability that this does happen. Obviously we must have . Given that only five outcomes are available at each question, only one of which being correct, we have , and . The experiment that consists in answering a single question can therefore be viewed as a Bernoulli experiment with parameter . Hence, Taking all the multiple-choice examination can be viewed as Binomial experiment with parameter , where . Let’s   be the random variable representing the number of correct answer achieved by the student. Clearly, the distribution of   Binomial with parameter . The probability that the student passes the test is the , which is equivalent to . But: , where for each , . Hence,. This gives us , and thus the probability that the student passes the test is . Question 5 Bayes Formula Let E, F be subsets of some sample space S, and let Fc be the complement of F in S. We can express E as because in order for a point to be in E it must be either in E and F or in E but not in F. As EF and EFc are mutually exclusive we can write Applying this to the conditional probability equation gives . Consider the following problem: We have three boxes labelled U1, U2 and U3. Each of them contains a mix of white and red balls. The proportion of white balls is each of them is as follows: 30% for U1, 60% for U2, 40% for U3. We draw one ball from U1; if it is a white ball then we draw a ball in U2, otherwise we draw a ball in U3. We would like to find the probability that the first draw gives a red ball knowing that the second draw has given a given a white ball. We denote by the event â€Å"the second draw is made in the box Ui†,   the event â€Å"the second draw gives a white ball†. Clearly, if the first draw gives a red ball, then the second can be made only in U3. Thus the probability that the first draw gives a red ball knowing that the second draw has given a given a white one is exactly the same as the probability that the second ball comes from U3 knowing that it is a white ball, which is nothing else than . Using the Bayes’ formula, we have .     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (1) It can be easily seen that   and   are mutually exclusive as a the second draw can not happen in both U2 and U3 simultaneously. Also since the second draw can happen only either in U2 or U3, then   gives all the possibility on where the second draw can happen. That is why . The top of the fraction (1) is simply application of the conditional probability. Hence:

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Stylishly Reborn Alice In Wonderland Film Studies Essay

Stylishly Reborn Alice In Wonderland Film Studies Essay The original version of Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a well-known fairy tale for describing a fantasy world populated by peculiar creatures. A girl named  Alice  who falls down a rabbit hole connected to a  fantasy world described as Wonderland. The newly released movie Alice in Wonderland in 2010 by the director Tim Burton portrays a nineteen-year-old Alice who, 13 years after her previous visit, returns for the first time as a young girl. Tim Burton has a recognizable and distinctive style and thematic content which turn his work into an  oeuvre  and themselves into  auteur which means that Tim Burton slightly changed the original Alice to his style of Alice by adding some different story in the movie. Burton is one such filmmaker, a director who has earned the status of auteur. By portraying grown up Alice, Tim Burton addresses some of both dark and bright sides of the adults society in a stealthy way described as Underland in the movie with visu al elements under the predominant perspective in the shape of fairy tale. In other words, there are hidden sides of Alice in Wonderland such as the use of drugs, gender roles and social hierarchy buried under the fairy tale. This paper analyzes how Tim Burton expresses visual elements to imply hidden meanings of the dark and problematic side and some of the bright side of the adults real society. Kim 2 The movie Alice in Wonderland, released in 2010, brought freshness to the storyline and came out with even deeper meanings implied visually keeping the classic story of Alice in Wonderland by the director Tim Burton. The film adapts many elements besides Carrolls book, rendering it digressive and derivative in the storyline. The movie should not be considered only as a fairy tale for children. Because of the directors style and narrative choices, the movie contains more actual emotional connection by using high quality techniques such as camera movements, colors, angles and lightings. The movie remains a fairy tale but under the surface of the story, it also contains deep psychological structures expressed by the director Tim Burtons style of visual elements such as graphics, camera movements, the contrast between light and shade, and textures in the frames having some deeper messages such as the use of drugs or the dictatorship according to the social class. These visual elements al low the director to represent some hope for the future real society and some of the corrupted adults world hidden under the innocence of a fairy tale. I have naturally thought that no matter what is shown on the movie screen, Alice in Wonderland should always be for innocent children with full of imagination. However, the movie Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton should be regarded as a story of illustrating some parts of corrupted society with the aesthetic visuals shown on the screen. Cleaver and Erdman, who wrote Changing Images Of Alice, reported that analysis of images of Alice found that although the character  of  Alice  was presented differently through time, there were no major changes to the story (Screen 12). The reason is because there had been no remarkable changes in the story of Alice in Wonderland other than Tim Burtons version of it. Tim Burton Kim 3 tried adapting some new point of views by illustrating Alice as a nineteen-year-old girl which implies that she is going to be an adult and enter the adults society soon so that Tim Burton can address deeper messages into the movie with his own style. Daniel Sieden who is engaged in education scholar said that Tim Burton explained the goal of the movie Alice in Wonderland is to try to make it an engaging movie with real emotional connection that he had never felt in other Alice stories (Examiner). The reason why Tim Burton made the film is because to make the original Alice in Wonderland even unique with his own story line making it as Alices second trip to Wonderland which is changed to Underland for grown up Alice. Tim Burton sets up the situation that she does not remember ever being there in the past. Alice mistakenly called Wonderland to Underland in the movie so it is called Underland through the movie which I think was great transition word from Wonderland which implies more c hildrens world with full of curious to Underland which more implies adults dark side of the real world. By setting Alice not remembering visiting Wonderland, Tim Burton connects emotional attachment of being in real Underland reflecting the real world in his style. Moreover, according to Niemiec, author of A Wonderland Journey Through Positive Psychology Interventions, said that though it is a continuation of the classic story in many respects, it is also a unique tale in its own right.  Alice  is now a 19-year-old, in the movie and she must decide whether she wants to accept the marriage proposal of Hamish, the son of a lord.  As she wanders away from the engagement party to reflect on the proposal, her curiosity leads her down the rabbit hole into  Wonderland  which was referred as Underland in the film.  Alices  emergence as a heroine is not only about helping others but also about identity, autonomy, competence, and self-development.  Burtons version is superior in creativity and Kim 4 depth, as well as more resonant with the themes of positive psychology (2). As Niemiec mentions, Tim Burton described well in fantasy way by setting up Alice as a grown up woman. Tim Burton added a chain of a connection between teenagers turning to adults and entering the real grown-up world. Tim Burton pursues his own style of Alice in Wonderland not only with the story of it but also astonishing visual elements generated based on the computer-animated skills. He uses a variety of formal structures such as camera movements, angles, lighting styles, colors, shot framings and visual transitions in each scene in his movie. These various uses of the techniques support discovering some hidden meanings such as the use of drugs, gender roles, and social hierarchy under the surface of the storyline. Throughout the whole movie, there are hundreds of scenes that represent the adults society such as the use of drugs, gender roles and social hierarchy. There are some brief examples showing the use of drugs, gender roles and social hierarchy. Simply, smoking Caterpillar is one of the scenes that shows the use of drugs. For the gender role, First of all, the genre of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton is an adventurous fantasy. Therefore, there were a lot of scenes that can never happen in the real world even if the movie actually reflects the real world. Thus, there were a lot of scenes that can be interpreted to the use of drugs. When I decided to criticize Alice in Wonderland in my own argument, I personally thought that the film has some sort of allegory for a drug trip which I had never thought of when I read the original Alice in Wonderland in a book when I was a child. It was hard to not see all of the use of drugs once I realized they are in the movie expressed well by visual elements. According to the Unreality Magazine, actually many scenes can be interpreted as the uses of the drugs in Alice in Wonderland such as cocaine, nitros oxide, LSD, crystal meth, marijuana and some more. Almost every scene implied some popular drugs that are big problems in the real world. The way of drawing each scene with the various uses of colors, camera movements, and angles, some characters in the movie can be discovered as using drugs by some changes of their behaviors. For example, almost right after entering the Underland, Alice looks for the Caterplillar called Absolem. The Caterpillars house was hidden by a smoke which seems to be a smoke from cigarettes. At this moment of the scene, the audience can notice that the Caterpillar is definitely smoking a cigarette. When Alice meets the Caterpillar, the Caterpillar is holding a pipe while he talks with Alice. Alice coughs several times because of the smoke from the cigarette. This scene is fairly obvious that the Caterpillar is smoking a cigarette which contains nicotine. Also, Ti m Burton sets Alice and the Caterpillar face each other while talking to each other when the Caterpillar is smoking. This scene reflects the real world that adults smokes in front of people while talking with some people even if they are children no matter how young they are. It implies that adults do not really care the danger of smoking cigarettes to growing up children. This scene addresses problematic side of the corrupted world. People do not actually realize cigarettes are also a kind of drugs. Therefore, they just smoke cigarettes in front of children and the scene shows how adults are not aware of children. Unlike some of the other movies of my childhood such as  The Little Mermaid  or  Beauty and the Beast, Alice had no inclination to find her way to Prince Charming. She instead embraced a childlike curiosity that got her both into trouble and out of it. The gender roles  played out in Disneys newer, live action version of  Alice in Wonderland  are a bit different than both Carolls original book and Disneys original film, however. The fact that the new  Alice in Wonderland features a much older Alice, on the verge of marriage, exposes a bit of our societys infatuation with portraying a much older image as favorable (can kids just not be kids anymore?) This idea of marriage helps exemplify the gender roles present, however. There is much pressure on Alice to not only marry the geeky red-headed aristocrat, but his mother also assumes she will fill her proper gender role by spouting off all of his dietary needs at the very start of the film. Alice seems to go along with it at first, but later catches her sisters husband cheating-this seems to be the turning point in her attitude, and possibly the cause of her running away after the proposal. It is important to note that within  Alice in Wonderland  most of the leadership roles are fulfilled by women-the Queen of Hearts is, of course, the particularly brutal ruler. The White Queen, on the other hand, is the softer, feminine queen that is slowly gaining discreet support. The gender roles of these two queens are very important, especially when you take into consideration the effect their predicament has on Alice. The Queen of Hearts demonstrates that in order to get ahead you must take on a violent and fear-inducing persona-traditionally masculine in our society. The White Queen embraces no such violence, and states a few times within the film that acting violently is against her vows. However, she has no qualms sending others to do her dirty work-hence sending Alice to slay the Jabberwocky (cutting off his head, no less). Though the main leadership roles of  Alice in Wonderland  are held by females, it seems the brains behind the operation in both cases happen to fall with men-the Red Knight for the Red Queen, and most ironically the Mad Hatter for the White Queen. This gives the gender roles an interesting place. The Red Queen is comically shown to be quite stupid-and rather naÃÆ' ¯ve as well. The manipulative Knight rules Wonderland through the Queen. The White Queen may be the ruling figurehead trying to rise up in power, but it is the Mad Hatter that leads and organizes the resistance against the Red Queen. Really, the White Queen does little other than stand as a symbol. I commended the makers of  Alice in Wonderland  at first for allowing the White Queen to retain her femininity, but it was because of her particular lack of action that I was a bit saddened. She needed Alice to save her kingdom and stand as her champion, but again, Alice had to take on masculine traits in order to do this. Now, I have no problems with females embracing courage within childrens movies. Empowering girls is a great action to take, but I feel at the same time that it is a bit archaic that in order to succeed one must take on masculine characteristics. In this way, the gender roles within  Alice in Wonderland  are a bit hegemonic in nature-perpetuating the idea of masculine as ideal in our society. This ideal is perpetuated in the end of the film. I loved that Alice did not end up marrying, and became a part of the company her father left behind-a positive message showing that Alice indeed has the adventurous nature of her father. But forsaking the traditional female gender role to embrace a more masculine version also isnt the answer. What would have been the proper ending for  Alice in Wonderland? There is no easy answer here. I dont believe that the ending was improper, or sexist. It is obviously attempting to empower young girls to seek new horizons, which I entirely support. My suggestion is perhaps to not make the contrast between feminine and masculine quite so sharp. It shouldnt be settle down and be a housewife vs. adventure with your fathers trade route and see the world, after slaying a hideous creature. Gender roles today should be much more fluid in their interpretation, I believe. Why such a stark dichotomy between masculine and feminine within  Alice in Wonderland, as well as our own culture? Im not saying we should perpetuate historical female gender roles, but we shouldnt demonize them either. The point is to consider all gender attributes to be equal, and just as likely within every person.  Alice in Wonderland  does a good job of showing females embracing masculine characteristics (in bot h positive and negative ways), but they do little in showing men with fluid gender roles, positively embracing typically female gender attributes. I think  Alice in Wonderland  made a good effort at empowering young girls to overcome their traditional gender roles to broaden horizons. I believe by giving the White Queen highly feminine traits, and the Red Queen negatively violent traits, we see a step in the right direction in getting away from idealized aggressive masculine traits. Though there are some obvious issues, I would say  Alice in Wonderland  did a relatively good job in promoting healthy gender roles to the youth of our culture. But more work is still yet to be done.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Pretentious Mothers in Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and Amy Tans’ Two

In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan, a theme of embattled control is established through the association with their children. William’s long-winded Amanda is an overpowering, delusional Southern belle mother. Dead set on finding her slightly handicapped daughter Laura a suitable husband, and dictating how her creative, yet bored, son Tom should conduct himself in life. Amanda, through her nagging and domineering instructions over everything each of her children do, from how they eat, to how they should live out their lives, pushes them into mental seclusion. The subsequent overbearing behavior by Amanda in due course drives Tom away leaving Laura in complete solitude with her mother. In a likewise manner, Tan depicts her character Suyuan as a very ambitious overconfident Chinese mother with visions of grandeur for her daughter Jing-Mei. Suyuan after being influenced by a television show decides th at Jing-Mei is to become a child prodigy. Through strict educational instructions, she drives Jing-Mei to a point of contentious revolt. The consequences of Suyuan’s authoritarian treatment to make Jing-Mei a star result in an outburst, after a talent show, causing a deep rift of silence between the two that lasts for twenty years. The parental domineering nature of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie and Suyuan in â€Å"Two Kinds† ultimately fail to force any lasting influential direction on their children, compelling them to follow entirely contradictory paths than the ones preferred by their mothers, forcing their children into rebellion. Nonetheless both mothers wield strong authority over their children, and the motives behind their dictatorial control are directly rela... ...ious physical and mental control over her daughter to become a child prodigy results in a belligerent resistance by Jing-mei. The confrontation between Suyuan and her daughter ultimately drives a rift between the two that lasts for many years. In summary Amanda and Laura would appear to have yielded similar disappointing results by their endeavors to control the destinies of the children. Works Cited Tan, Amy. "Two Kinds." Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Seventh Edition. Ed. Karen Mauk. 7th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Michael Rosenberg, 2009. 694-702. Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Seventh Edition. Ed. Karen Mauk. 7th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Michael Rosenberg, 2009. 1628-1677. Pretentious Mothers in Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and Amy Tans’ Two In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan, a theme of embattled control is established through the association with their children. William’s long-winded Amanda is an overpowering, delusional Southern belle mother. Dead set on finding her slightly handicapped daughter Laura a suitable husband, and dictating how her creative, yet bored, son Tom should conduct himself in life. Amanda, through her nagging and domineering instructions over everything each of her children do, from how they eat, to how they should live out their lives, pushes them into mental seclusion. The subsequent overbearing behavior by Amanda in due course drives Tom away leaving Laura in complete solitude with her mother. In a likewise manner, Tan depicts her character Suyuan as a very ambitious overconfident Chinese mother with visions of grandeur for her daughter Jing-Mei. Suyuan after being influenced by a television show decides th at Jing-Mei is to become a child prodigy. Through strict educational instructions, she drives Jing-Mei to a point of contentious revolt. The consequences of Suyuan’s authoritarian treatment to make Jing-Mei a star result in an outburst, after a talent show, causing a deep rift of silence between the two that lasts for twenty years. The parental domineering nature of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie and Suyuan in â€Å"Two Kinds† ultimately fail to force any lasting influential direction on their children, compelling them to follow entirely contradictory paths than the ones preferred by their mothers, forcing their children into rebellion. Nonetheless both mothers wield strong authority over their children, and the motives behind their dictatorial control are directly rela... ...ious physical and mental control over her daughter to become a child prodigy results in a belligerent resistance by Jing-mei. The confrontation between Suyuan and her daughter ultimately drives a rift between the two that lasts for many years. In summary Amanda and Laura would appear to have yielded similar disappointing results by their endeavors to control the destinies of the children. Works Cited Tan, Amy. "Two Kinds." Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Seventh Edition. Ed. Karen Mauk. 7th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Michael Rosenberg, 2009. 694-702. Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact Seventh Edition. Ed. Karen Mauk. 7th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Michael Rosenberg, 2009. 1628-1677.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

juniper :: essays research papers

Western Juniper’s Growing Influence in Eastern Oregon Estimated Acreage  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1936  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1988   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  > 10 percent cover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  420,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2 million   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total area with juniper  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 million Volume of current stand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  --------  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  467 million cubic feet Private landowners own 58 percent of the area and 49 percent of the volume BLM is the principle owner of public lands with juniper – 79 percent of publicly owned juniper forest Over  ½ of the present juniper forest became established between 1850 and 1900 (greatest increase came between (1879 and 1918).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rate of Establishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1650 – 1800  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2900 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1800 – 1850  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8200 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1850 – 1900  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23,100 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1900 – 1940   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6000 acres/year 52 percent of juniper grows in the 10 – 15 inch precipitation zone 41 percent of juniper grows between 4000 – 5000 ft. in elevation Juniper crown intercepts more that  ½ of the annual precipitation Juniper transpires water year round compared to seasonal transpiration of other vegetation Juniper roots can extend several times the crown diameter Almost 50 percent of juniper forests have crown covers 10-20 percent Juniper woodlands have up to 10 times the erosion rate of sagebrush – grass ecotypes (Buckhouse et. al.) Average cubic volume of wood per acre in juniper forests is 200 cubic feet Over half the area of juniper forests have fewer than 50 trees per acre Counties with more that  ½ million acres of juniper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  857,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harney  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  884,000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  539,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jefferson  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  582,000 Information from: Gedney, D.R. et.al. (1999). Western Juniper in Eastern Oregon. USDA Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report, PNW-GTR-464, November 1999. Buckhouse, J. et al. (1982). Potential Sediment Production within Vegetative Communities in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Vol. 37, Number 2. Pgs. 120 – 122. Tim Deboodt OSU Crook County Extension Agent Prineville, OR The Drying of Oregon Potential water use of Western Juniper within current juniper area 500,000 acre feet to 920,000 acre feet per year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the equivalent of a river flowing year round at 680 to 1000 cfs per day

What Do We Really Know About The Beginning Of Time? Essay -- Essays Pa

What Do We Really Know About The Beginning Of Time? Most people take for granted important discoveries, such as the Big Bang. It is widely accepted that the Big Bang created the universe, and while most people can explain the basic theory behind it, little else is common knowledge. Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes called it â€Å"The Horrendous Space Kablooie,† but many people do not grasp the enormous concept (Milne). How exactly do you prove how time began? A writer for Scientific American put this subject into perspective: â€Å"If you’re religious, this is like looking at God† (Milne). Cosmology is the study of the universe, its workings, how it was made, and what it will become. How the universe began has always been a wonder to humans. One of the first widely accepted theories in the 1700s, called infinite expanse, explained that the universe is infinite, with no beginning and no end. This theory had more to do with the philosophy of the time than actual science; however, there was no way to prove or disprove the theory. It was not until the 1920s that Edwin Hubble was able to study the deep sky, objects very faint and far away. In 1929, Hubble proved that stars are clumped in large galaxies, and many galaxies exist beyond our own in a universe that takes light billions of years to travel across. Not only did Hubble prove that galaxies exist, but by observing redshifts (a shift toward red in the visual spectrum of light because of the receding effect of an object) also proved that the galaxies were getting farther apart. Shortly after Hubble’s discovery, a Belgian priest and mathematics teacher by the name of Georges Lemaitre published his own theory that was based off of Hubble’s observations. He said that if the galaxies in the u... ... as many more significant discoveries are bound to happen in the near future that will help clear up the situation (Milne). It is certainly an age for discovery, and understanding newly published discoveries does not require a doctorate. While astrophysics is not everyday, practical knowledge, it can be very impressive to undersand and explain to others how time began. Works Cited â€Å"Big Bang Theory.† Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2004. 2003 PC ed. Glanz, James. â€Å"Accelerating the Cosmos.† Astronomy.com. 2001. 25 Mar. 2004. Lacey, Jake. â€Å"Milky Way III.† http://members.cox.net/llacey14/jakestars.html. 2003. 29 Mar. 2004. Milne, Rich. â€Å"The Origin Of The Universe.† http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/origuniv.html. 1995. 25 Mar. 2004. Schomaker, William. â€Å"Physicists Put Brakes on Accelerating Universe Theory.† Astronomy.com. 2002. 25 Mar. 2004.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Strategic Management Process

In the current business environment, knowledge evolves rapidly and the useful life span of organizational skills is decreasing, which means survival and competitiveness of an organization is linked to its ability to learn and include its findings in their strategic management process. Having cited the criticality of strategic management on the survival of today's business, it is of paramount importance that in this weeks issue I deal on the subject of Strategic Management Process.Key Definitions I would like to start by defining some key words and phrases that are associated with the strategic management process. A Strategy is a company's long-term plan for how it will balance its internal strengths and weaknesses with its external opportunities and threats to maintain a competitive advantage. Strategic management is the process of identifying and executing the organization's mission by matching its capabilities with the demands of its environment.Strategic planning is the process by which the guiding members of an organization envision its future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future (Goodliest, teal, 1992). This definition takes us away from the notion that strategic landing is a staff Job and focuses us more on process that requires senior leaders of an organization to set its strategic direction. Strategic plans are important because strategic planning to a few elite in an organization, it should be noted that there different levels of strategic planning.These are corporate level strategies, business level strategies and functional level strategies. The concept of strategic management builds on the definition of strategic planning, recognizing that although planning is the prelude of strategic management, it is not sufficient if it is not followed by the plowmen and implementation of the plan and the evaluation of the plan in action. Strategic management is therefore a systems approach to identifying and making the neces sary changes and measuring the organization's performance as it moves toward its vision.It is the process where managers establish an organization's long term direction, set specific performance objectives; develop strategies to achieve these objectives in light of all the relevant internal and external circumstances, and undertake to execute the chosen direction. The strategic management process is Hereford a series of steps that formulates the strategic planning, implementation and evaluation. This process is depicted by many model/drawings which basically depict the strategic management steps. Most of these models only differ in to the extent to which they simplify the process but they generally agree on major elements.Strategic Management Process Model Fig. 1 It can be seen from fig 1 above that strategic management process is an iterative process as depicted by the arrows. Strategic planning comprises (see Figure 3-1) the first 5 of 7 strategic management tasks: (1) Defining th e business and developing a session, (2) Evaluating the firm's internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and Threats, (3) formulating a new business statement, (4) translating the mission into strategic goals, and (5) formulating strategies or courses of action.The entire 7- Step 1: Define the Current Business Every company must choose the terrain on which it will compete?in particular, what products it will sell, where it will sell them, and how its products or services will differ from its competitors'. Therefore, the most basic strategic decisions managers make involve deciding â€Å"what business† their firms should be in: For instance, in terms of the products or services they'll sell the geographic locales in which they'll sell them, and how they'll distinguish their products or services from competitors'.They ask, â€Å"Where are we now in terms of the business we're in, and what business do we want to be in, given our company's opportunities and thr eats, and its strengths and weaknesses? † Managers then choose strategy to drive the company to achieve the vision. This may be better enshrined in a vision statement as a sort of shorthand to married how they see the business down the road. The company's vision is a general statement of its intended direction that shows, in broad terms, â€Å"what they want to become. Two management gurus, Warren Bennie and Bert Mans say, To choose a direction, a leader must first have developed a mental image of a possible and desirable future state for the organization. This image, which we call a vision, may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal or mission statement. The critical point is that a vision articulates a view of a realistic, credible, attractive future or the organization, a condition that is better in some important ways than what now exists.Visions are usually in longer terms, broader images; managers also formulate mission statements to communicate the purpose of t heir (company) present existence. Whereas visions usually lay out in very broad terms what the business should be, the mission lays out in broad terms what their main tasks are now. The mission statement of the company that I work for is; ‘To be the preferred supplier of electricity regionally and abroad. ‘ The mission statement is, to bring convenience to our valued customers through provision of electricity and related services. ‘ Step 2: Perform External and Internal Audits (Environmental scanning).Strategic planning starts by methodically analyzing external and internal situations. The strategic plan should provide a direction for the firm that makes sense, in terms of the external opportunities and threats the firm faces and the internal strengths and weaknesses it possesses. To facilitate this strategic external/internal audit or environmental scanning, we use SOOT analysis. This involves using a SOOT chart to impel and organize the process of identifying com pany Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. When doing internal audits or scan companies should check for their strength and weakness.They should capitalist on their strength to create a competitive advantage in their industry, strengths can be in the form of a hardworking organizational culture which they can ride upon in order to have an edge over other like firms. However companies should also not turn a blind eye on their weaknesses. Weakness doesn't mean that one is incapable but being aware of them calls for a decision to avert them. Weakness can be in the form of lake of strategic objectives that are meant to reduce the effects of the weaknesses. External audits scan for Opportunities and Threats.These can be at micro and macro levels. At macro level businesses should look into the Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environmental and Legal (PESTLE) environment for threats and opportunities. Step 3: Formulate New Business and Mission Statements In light of the situation analysis (environmental scanning), leaders/managers should determine what their new business should be, in terms of what products it will sell, here it will sell them, and how its products or services will differ from its competitors? This may call for establishing or crafting new Mission and Vision statements to stir the company.Step 4: Translate the Mission into Strategic Goals Saying the mission is â€Å"to provide electricity' is one thing; implementing that mission for your managers is another. The firm's managers need strategic goals. What exactly does that mission mean, for each department, in terms of how we'll boost electricity supply? The Government of Zanzibar has recently adopted a new appraisal system or all parallels, government ministries and institution under its new economic blueprint called JIM-ASSET. The system is called Integrated Results Based Management System.Under this system organizational missions are translated into tangible short-term, mid-ter m and long-term goals which are measurable and specific. Strategic goals are the steps to the envisioned future. Not having them is like sitting for a meeting and coming up with no resolutions or action items. Step 5: Formulate Strategies to Achieve the Strategic Goals Again, a strategy is a course of action. It shows how the enterprise will move from the business it is in now to the business it wants to be in (as laid out by its vision, mission, and strategic goals), given the firm's opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses.The strategies bridge where the company is now, with where it wants to be tomorrow. The best strategies are concise enough for the manager to express in an easily communicated phrase that resonates with employees. These are best described as strategic objectives. Keeping the strategy clear and concise helps ensure that employees all hare that strategy and so make decisions that are consistent with it. Specific performance targets are needed in all areas affecting the survival and success of a company, and they are needed at all levels of management.The act of establishing formal objectives not only converts the direction the company is headed into specific performance targets to be achieved but also guards against drift, aimless activity, confusion over what to accomplish and loss of purpose. Step 6: Implement the Strategies â€Å"What we think, know or believe in is, in the end of little consequence. The only consequence is†¦. What we do. (Hands, 1995). Strategy implementation means translating the strategies into actions and results?by actually hiring (or firing) lines.Strategy implementation involves drawing on and applying all the management functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (POOL). According to Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, a model termed the Seven â€Å"S† Model provides a framework of implementation of a strategic change. Structure changes may have to be made to cope with strategic cha nges, while systems may need also with the new strategic direction. Skills may need to be upgraded or reshuffled properly. Style or culture of management may need also to be readjusted accordingly.All these have their energy directed to achieve the strategic goals (Vision) as depicted on fig 2 above. Step 7: Evaluate Performance Strategies don't always succeed. For example, TN-Holdings failed when it massively rolled out its Subs across the nation in order to be closer to where its customers are. The strategy failed dismally in the following year because of a huge liquidity crunch that is currently bedeviling our economy?because of evaluation management quickly re-strategists and came up with a new business model. Managing strategy is an ongoing process.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Decision Making – Cost Accounting

Decisions Involving Alternative Choices Structure: 13. 1 Introduction Objectives 13. 2 Decision Making 13. 3 Types of Costs 13. 4 Types of Choices Decisions 13. 5 Make or Buy Decisions 13. 6 Addition / Discontinuance of a Product line 13. 7 Sell or Process Further 13. 8 Operate or Shut down 13. 9 Exploring New Markets 13. 10 Maintaining a desired level of profit 13. 11 Summary 13. 12 Terminal Questions 13. 13 Answers to SAQs and TQs 13. 1 Introduction In the previous unit we learnt about Marginal Costing.Marginal costing is the ascertainment of marginal cost and of the effect on profit of changes in volume by differentiating between fixed costs and variable costs. Marginal cost is the amount at any given volume of output by which aggregate costs are changed if the volume of output is increased or decreased by one unit. Marginal costing is a very useful tool for management because of its applications. It is used in providing assistance to the management in vital decision-making both s hort term and long term. Differential analysis is the process of estimating the consequences of alternative actions that a decision maker may take.It is used both for short term and long term decisions. Short term decisions relates to fixing price for the product, selecting a suitable product mix, diversification of the product etc while long term deals with capital budgeting decisions. Objectives After studying this unit, you should be able to:  · Explain the steps involved in decision making process  · Know various types of decision choices  · Analyze and interpret various decision choices 13. 2 Decision Making Decision making is the process of evaluating two or more alternatives leading to a final choice known as alternative choice decisions.Decision making is closely associated with planning for the future and is directed towards a specific objective or goal. Decision model contains the following decision-making steps or elements: 1. Identify and define the problem 2. Iden tify alternative as possible solutions to the problem. 3. Eliminate alternatives that are clearly not feasible 4. Collect relevant data (costs and benefits) associated with each feasible alternative 5. Identify cost and benefits as relevant or irrelevant and eliminate irrelevant costs and benefits from consideration. . Identify to the extent possible, non-financial advantage and disadvantage about each feasible alternative. 7. Total the relevant cost and benefits for each alternative 8. Select the alternative with the greatest overall benefits to make a decision 9. Implement or execute the decision 10. Evaluate the results of the decision made. 13. 3 Types of Costs A decision involves selecting among various choices. Non routine types of decisions are crucial and critical to the firm as it involves huge investments and involve much uncertainty.Short term decision making is based on relevant data obtained from accounting information.  · Relevant Cost are costs which would change as a result of the decision.  · Opportunity costs are monetary benefits foregone for not pursuing the alternative course. When a decision to follow one course of action is made, the opportunity to pursue some other course is foregone.  · Sunk costs are historical cost that cannot be recovered in a given situation. These costs are irrelevant in decision making.  · Avoidable costs are costs that can be avoided in future as a result of managerial choice.It is also known as discretionary costs. These costs are relevant in decision making.  · Incremental / Differential costs are costs that include variable costs and additional fixed costs resulting from a particular decision. They are helpful in finding out the profitability of increased output and give a better measure than the average cost. Self Assessment Questions: 1. Relevant Costs are costs which would _________as a result of the decision. 2. ___________ are historical cost that cannot be recovered in a given situation. 3.Opp ortunity costs are _________________for not pursuing the alternative course 4. ____________ is also known as discretionary cost. 13. 4 Types of Choices Decisions The application of incremental / differential costs and revenues for decision making is known as decision situations or types of choice decisions.  · Make or Buy decisions  · Selection of a suitable product mix  · Effect of change in price  · Maintaining a desired level of profit  · Diversification of products  · Closing down or suspending activities  · Alternative course of action  · Own or Lease  · Retain or Replace Change or Status quo  · Export or Local sales  · Expand or Contract  · Take or Refuse order  · Place special orders  · Select sales territories  · Sell at split-up point or process further. 13. 5 Make or Buy Decisions Make or buy decisions arise when a company with unused production capacity consider the following alternatives a) To buy certain raw materials or subassemblies from outside suppliers b) To use available capacity to produce the items within the company. c) The quality and type of item which affects the production schedule d) The space required for the production of item ) Any transportation involved due to the location of production facility f) Cost of acquiring special know how required for the item. Illustration 1: The Anchor Company Ltd produces most of its electrical parts in its own plant. The company is at present considering the feasibility of buying a part from an outside supplier for Rs. 4. 5 per part. If this were done, monthly costs would increase by Rs. 1,000 The part under consideration is manufactured in Department 1 along with numerous other parts. On account of discontinuing the production of this part, Department 1 would have somewhat reduced operations.The average monthly usage production of this part is 20,000 units. The costs of producing this part on per unit basis are as follows. |Material |Rs. 1. 80 | |Labour (half-hour) | 2. 40 | |Fixed overheads |0. 80 | |Total costs |5. 00 | Solution [pic] The company should continue the practice of producing the part in Department1. Illustration 2: ABC ltd plans utilize its idle capacity by making components parts instead of buying them from suppliers.The following are the data available for decision to make or buy: | |Unit cost | |Direct Material |12. 5 | |Direct Labour |8. 0 | |Variable manufacturing overhead |5. 0 | The company purchases the part at a unit cost of Rs. 30. The company has been operating at 75% of normal capacity. Fixed manufacturing cost is 17 lakhs. The cost to manufacture 50000 units is:    |Unit cost |Total cost | |Direct material |12. 5 |6,25,000 | |Direct labour |8. 0 |4,00,000 | |Variable manufacturing o/h |5. 0 |2,50,000 | |Total incremental cost |25. 5 |12,75,000 | |Cost to purchase part |30. |15,00,000 | |Net advantage in parts production |4. 5 |2,25,000 | Inference: The total incremental cost by producing the part in-house is Rs. 25 . 50 while the cost incurred on purchase of the part from suppliers is Rs. 30. 00. There is a clear advantage to the company to produce the part in-house. 13. 6 Addition or Discontinuance of a Product line or Process The decision to add or eliminate an unprofitable product is a special case of product profitability evaluation.When a firm is divided into multiple sales outlets, product lines, divisions, departments it may have to evaluate their individual performance to decide whether or not to continue operations of each of these segments. Illustration 3: The Hi-tech Manufacturing Company is presently evaluating two possible processes for the manufacture of a toy, and makes available to you the following information: |Particular |Process A |Process B | | |Rs. Rs. | |Variable cost per unit |12 |14 | |Sales price per unit |20 |20 | |Total fixed costs per year |30,00,000 |21,00,000 | |Capacity (in units) |4,30,000 |5,00,000 | |Anticipated sales (next year, in units) |4,00,000 |4,00,000 | You are required to suggest: ) Which process should be chosen? Substantiate your answer. ii) Would you change your answer as given above if you were informed that the capacities of the two processes are as follows: A 6, 00,000 units; B 5, 00,000 units? Why? Substantiate your answer. Solution Comparative Profitability Statement |Particular |Process A |Process B | | |Rs. |Rs. | |(i) Selling price per unit |20 20 | |Variable cot per unit |12 |14 | |Contribution per unit |8 |6 | |Total annual contribution (as per anticipated sales) |32,00,000 |24,00,000 | |Total fixed costs per year |30,00,000 |21,00,000 | |Total Income |2,00,000 |3,00,000 | |Process B may be chosen |   |   | |Total contribution (if utilized to present capacity and sold) |34,40,000 |30,00,000 | |Less : Fixed costs |30,00,000 |21,00,000 | |Total Income |4,40,000 |9,00,000 | |Process B may be chosen |   |   | |(ii) Total contribution (if capacity of A of 6,00,000 units and|48,00,000 |30,00,000 | |of B 5,00, 000 units) | | | |Less : Fixed costs |30,00,000 |21,00,000 | |Total Income |18,00,000 |9,00,000 | Process A may be chosen. Illustration 4: Addition of second shift Ulfa Ltd produces a single product in its plant. This product sells for Rs. 100 per unit. The standard production cost per unit is as follows: |Raw materials (5 kgs @ Rs. 8 |Rs. 40 | |Direct labour (2 hours @ Rs. ) |10 | |Variable manufacturing overheads |10 | |Fixed manufacturing overheads |20 | |   |80 | The plant is currently operating at full capacity of 1, 00,000 units per years on a single shift. This output is inadequate to meet the projected sales manager has estimated that the firm will lose sales of 40,000 units next years if the capacity is not expanded Plant capacity could be doubled by adding a second shift. This would require additional out-of-pocket fixed manufacturing overhead costs of Rs. 10,00,000 annually. Also, a night work wage premium equal to 25 per cent of the standard wage would have to be paid during the second shift.However, if annual production volume were 1,30,000 units or more, the company could take advantage of 2 per cent quantity discount on its raw material purchases. You are required to advise whether it would be profitable to add the second shift in order to obtain the sales volume of 40,000 units per year? Solution Decision analysis |Particulars |Profit without expansion |Profits with expansion | |Sales revenue |Rs. 1,00,00,000 |Rs. 1,40,00,000 | |Less: variable costs: |   |   | |Raw materials (Rs 39. 0 x 1,40,000) |40,00,000 |54,88,000 | |Direct labour |10,00,000 |15,00,000 | |Variable manufacturing overhead |10,00,000 |14,00,000 | |Contribution |40,00,000 |56,12,000 | |Less : fixed costs (Rs. 1,00,000 x 20) |20,00,000 |30,00,000 | |Net Income |20,00,000 |26,12,000 | Yes, it would be profitable to add the second shift as it would increase profits by Rs. 6, 12,000.Illustration 5: Assume a company is considering dropping product B from its line because acc ounting statements shows that product B is being sold at a loss. | | | |Product |A |B |C |Total | |Sales revenue |50,000 |7,500 |12,500 |70,000 | |Cost of sales: | | | | | |D. Material |7,500 |1,000 |1,500 |10,000 | |D.Labour |15,000 |2,000 |2,500 |19,500 | |Indirect manufacturing cost (50% of |7,500 |1,000 |1,250 |9,750 | |Direct labour) | | | | | |Total |30,000 |4,000 |5,250 |39,250 | |Gross margin On sales |20,000 |3,500 |7,250 |30,750 | |Selling & Admn |12,500 |4,500 |4,000 |21,000 | |Net income |7,500 |(1,000) |3,250 |9,750 | Additional information: a) Factory Overhead cost is made up of fixed cost of Rs. 5850 and variable cost of Rs. 3900. b) Variable cost by products are: A – Rs 3000, B – Rs 400 and C – Rs 500 c) Fixed costs and expense will not be changed if product B is eliminated d) Variable selling and administrative expenses are to the extent of Rs. 11000 can be traced to the product: A-Rs. 7,500; B- Rs. 1500 and C- Rs. 2000 e) Fixed selling and admn expense are Rs. 10000 Solution: [pic]If the sale of product B were discontinued, the marginal contribution would be lost and the net income would be reduced by Rs. 2,600. Assume that after dropping product B, the sales of product A increased by 10%. The total profit of the firm will not increase by this sales increase. Product A makes only a marginal contribution of 34% (17000/50000) |Sales revenue of Product A |50000 |100% | |Variable cost of Product A |33000 |66% | |Marginal contribution of Product A |17000 |34% | On additional sales of Rs. 5000 the marginal contribution would be Rs. 700 |Sales revenue 10% of 50000 |5000 | |Variable cost 66% |3300 | |Marginal contribution (34%) |1700 | This contribution is less than Rs. 2,600 now being realized on the sales of product B. it would take additional sales of product A of approximately Rs. 7,647 to equal the marginal contribution of Rs. 2,600 mow being made by product B: [pic]= Rs. 7,647 It is possible that dropping product B may res ult in reduction in some of the fixed costs. Products B now contributes Rs. 2,600 towards recovery of fixed costs and expenses. Only if the fixed costs and expenses can be reduced by more than this amount, it will be advisable to drop product B. 13. Sells or Process Further A firm is frequently faced with the problem of continuing with the existing policies or plans or change to new ones. Such change could be in the form of selling a partially processed product (semi finished) or process further. While taking a decision about such matters, the management must keep in mind the long term consequence and the interest of the firm. Illustration 6: A firm sells semi finished product at Rs. 9 per unit. The cost to manufacture the semi finished product is Rs. 6. Further processing can be done at an additional cost of Rs. 3 per unit and the final product can be sold at Rs. 15 per unit. The firm can produce 10,000 units.The analysis is shown below: |   |Sell |Process & Sell | |Sales revenu e (10,000 units) |Rs. 90,000 |1,50,000 | |Less : Manufacturing costs |60,000 |90,000 | |Profit |30,000 |60,000 | There is a net advantage of Rs. 30,000 in processing the product further. The market value of the partially processed product (Rs. 90,000) is considered to be opportunity cost of further processing. The figure of net advantage of Rs. 30. 00 can be arrived at in the following manner also: |Revenue from sale of final product (10,000 x 15) |   |Rs. 1,20,000 | |Less : Additional processing cost (10,000 x 3 ) |30,000 |   | |Revenues from sale of intermediate product |90,000 |1,20,000 | |Net advantage in further processing |   |Rs. 30,000 | 13. 8 Operate or Shutdown Various factors both external and internal affect the functioning of the firm. In such situations it becomes necessary for a firm to temporarily suspend or shutdown the activities of a particular product, department or a unit as a whole.Illustration 7: A company operating below 50% of its capacity expects tha t the volume of sales will drop below the present level of 10,000 units per month. Management is concerned that a further drop in sales volume will create a loss and has under consideration a recommendation that operation be suspended, until better market conditions prevail and also a better selling price. The present operation income statement is as follows: |   |Rs |Rs | |Sales revenue (10,000 units @ Rs. 3. 00) |   |30,000 | |Less : Variable costs @ Rs. 2. 0 per unit |20. 000 |   | |Fixed costs |10,000 |   | |Net Income |   |0 | Suggest the management at what point should the operation be suspended. The fixed cost remains only Rs 4000 if operation is shutdown. The following income statements have been prepared for sales at different capacities: [pic] It would appear that shutdown is desirable when the sale volume drops below 6,000 units per month, the point at which operating losses exceed the shutdown cost. 13. 9 Exploring New MarketsDecisions regarding entering new m arkets whether within the country or other the country should be taken after considering the following factors:  · Whether the firm has surplus capacity to meet the new demand?  · What price is being offered by the new market?  · Whether the sale of goods in the new market will affect the present market for the goods? Illustration 8: The following figures are obtained from the budget of a company which is at present working at 90% capacity and producing 13,000 units per annum. |   |90% |100% | | |Rs. |Rs. |Sales |15,00,000 |16,00,000 | |Fixed Expenses |3,00,500 |3,00,600 | |Semi- Fixed Expenses |97,500 |1,00,500 | |Variable Overhead Expenses |1,45,000 |1,49,500 | |Units made |13,500 |15,000 | Labour and material costs per unit are constant under present conditions. Profit margin is 10 per cent. a) You are required to determine the differential cost of producing 1,500 units by increasing capacity to 100 per cent. b) What would you recommend for an export price for these 1,500 units taking into account that overseas prices are much lower than indigenous prices? Solution |Basic Calculation: |Rs. | |Sales at 90% capacity 15,00,000 | |Less: Profit 10% |1,50,000 | |Cost of Goods sold |13,50,000 | |Less : Expenses (Fixed, semi-variable and variable) |5,43,000 | |Cost of Material and Labour |8,07,000 | |Labour and Material at 100% capacity = |Rs. 8,07,000 x 100/90 | |   |= 8,96,667 | Differential cost analysis can now be done as follows: Capacity levels |90% |100% |Different cost | |Production (Units) |13,500 |15,000 |1,500 | |Material and Labour |8,07,000 |8,96,667 |89,667 | |Variable overhead expenses |1,45,000 |1,49,500 |4,500 | |Semi-variable expenses |97,500 |1,00,500 |3,000 | |Fixed expenses |3,00,500 |3,00,600 |100 | |   |13,50,000 |14,47,267 |97,267 | a) Different Cost = Rs. 97,267 (Rs. 14,47,267 – 13,50,000) b) Minimum price for export = [pic]= Rs. 64. 84 per unit At this price, there is no addition to revenue; any price above Rs. 64. 84 per unit may be acceptable. Note: It has been presumed that i) No capital investment is necessary ii) No export charges are incurred and ii) The export price will have no effect on the home market where the product will continue to be sold at the old price. It has also been assumed that necessary precaution have been taken to ensure that the product is not ‘dumped back’. 13. 10 Maintaining a Desired level of profit When deciding between alternative courses of actions the criterion should be to select the project which yields the greatest contribution. Illustration 9: A company is considering expansion. Fixed costs amount to Rs. 4, 20,000 and are expected to increase by Rs. 1, 25,000 when plant expansion is completed. The present plant capacity is 80,000 units a year. Capacity will increase by 50 per cent with the expansion. Variable costs are currently Rs. 6. 0 per unit and are expected to go down by Rs. 0. 40 per unit with the expansion. The current selling price is Rs. 16 per unit and is expected to remain same under either alternative. What are the break- even points under either alternative? Which alternative is better and why? Solution [pic] The profitability after expansion is very good and hence it is better to expand. Illustration 10: Disposal of inventories ABC Ltd has on hand 5,000 units of a product that cannot be sold through regular sales. These were produced at a total cost of Re. 1, 50,000 and would normally have been sold for Rs. 40 per unit. Three alternatives are being considered. i. Sell the items as scrap for Rs. per unit ii. Repackage at a cost of Rs. 20,000 and sell them at Rs. 8 per unit iii. Dispose them off at the city dump at removal cost of Rs. 500. Which alternative should be accepted? Solution Exhibits the decision analysis [pic] Alternative II should be accepted. 13. 11 Summary  · Decision making is the process of evaluating two or more alternatives leading to a final choice known as alternative choice decisions. Decision making is closely associated with planning for the future and is directed towards a specific objective or goal.  · A decision involves selecting among various choices. Non routine types of decisions are crucial and critical to he firm as it involves huge investments and involve much uncertainty. Short term decision making is based on relevant data obtained from accounting information.  · Relevant Cost are costs which would change as a result of the decision.  · Opportunity costs are monetary benefits foregone for not pursuing the alternative course. When a decision to follow one course of action is made, the opportunity to pursue some other course is foregone.  · Sunk costs are historical cost that cannot be recovered in a given situation. These costs are irrelevant in decision making.  · Avoidable costs are costs that can be avoided in future as a result of managerial choice. It is also known as discretionary costs.These costs are relevant in decision making.  · Incremental / Differential costs are costs that include variable costs and additional fixed costs resulting from a particular decision. They are helpful in finding out the profitability of increased output and give a better measure than the average cost. 13. 12 Terminal Questions 1. Avon garments Ltd manufactures readymade garments and uses its cut-pieces of cloth to manufacture dolls. The following statement of cost has been prepared. |Particulars |Readymade garments |Dolls |Total | |Direct material |Rs. 80,000 |Rs. 6,000 |Rs. 6,000 | |Direct labour |13,000 |1,200 |14,200 | |Variable overheads |17,000 |2,800 |19,800 | |Fixed overheads |24,000 |3,000 |27,000 | |Total cost |1,34,000 |13,000 |1,47,000 | |Sales |1,70,000 |12,000 |1,82,000 | |Profit (loss) |36,000 |(1,000) |35,000 |The cut-pieces used in dolls have a scrap value of Rs 1,000 if sold in the market. As there is a loss of Rs. 1,000 in the manufacturing of dolls, it is suggested to discontinue their manufacture. Advise th e management. 2. The ABC Company Ltd produces most of its own parts and components. The standard wage rate in the parts department is Rs. 3 per hour. Variable manufacturing overheads is applied at a standard rate of Rs. 2 per labour – hour and fixed manufacturing overheads are charged at a standard rate of Rs 2. 50 per hour. For its current year’s output, the company will require a new part. This part can be made in the parts department without any expansion of existing facilities.Nevertheless, it would be necessary to increase the cost of product testing and inspection by Rs. 5,000 per month. Estimated labour time for the new part is half an hour per unit. Raw materials cost has been estimated at Rs. 6 per unit. The alternative choice before the company is to purchase part from an outside supplier at Rs 9 per unit. The company has estimated that it will need 2,00,000 new parts during the current years. Advise the company whether it would be more economical to buy or m ake the new parts. Would your answer be different if the requirement of new parts was only 1,00,000 parts? 13. 13 Answers to SAQ and TQs Answer to SAQ 1. Change 2 Sunk cost 3. Monetary benefits foregone 4. Avoidable cost Answers to TQs: . Discontinue manufacture of dolls | |Readymade garments |Dolls |Total | |Total cost |134000 |13000 |147000 | |Profit (loss) |36000 |(1000) |35000 | 2. Decision analysis : 200000 units – The company is advised to make the new part. The differential costs favouring the decision of making the component is Rs40000 Decision analysis : 100000 units – The company is advised to buy from an outside supplier. Total cost to manufacture 100000 units is Rs. 9,10,000.