What motivates people at work? Essay

There have been a large number of theories looking into motivation at work and the factors which affect it. In this essay I will be exploring three key theories in the area, each provides a very different angle on what motivates employees at work. To begin I will look at a need theory of motivation, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959), as the name suggests need theories concentrate on the need’s of the employee as the main source of motivation. Herzberg built upon Maslow’s hugely influential Hierarchy of Needs (1954). Conducting research on 203 American accountants and engineers he looked at what makes employees satisfied and dissatisfied at work. Contrary to Maslow’s theory Herzberg suggests that motivation is not measured on one linear scale from satisfied to dissatisfied, but rather the two are independent of each other and form separate scales. The first group which determines dissatisfaction (or de-motivation) are named Hygiene factors which include our basic needs such as our pay and safety. The addition or improvement of hygiene factors can only lead to contentment in employees and not motivation. The second group which determines satisfaction are named Motivators, these include our internal needs such as our need to achieve, to be recognised and given responsibility. A decline or lack of motivators will not de-motivate employees, but adding them can lead to increased motivation. Research on the theory has provided both support and criticism. To begin with the theory is supported by the number of successful replications as reported by Hodgetts and Luthans (1991), these replications have taken place across the world and in a wide variety of different job sectors and still achieved the same results. The main area of criticism for the Two-Factor theory targets the methodology of the research it was derived from. Soliman (1970) pointed out that the tendency of subjects to give socially desirable answers would have impacted the answers participants gave to Herzbergs open ended questions. In addition there is a tendency for people to attribute negative situations to others and posit ive to themselves e.g. â€Å"I felt satisfaction  when ‘I’ achieved and was recognised for it† or â€Å"I was dissatisfied when ‘the company’ paid me late†. This biased attribution of satisfying and dissatisfying situations is another example of a problem with the methodology. More problems with the methodology are shown by House and Wigdor (1967). After re-analysing Herzberg’s original results they concluded that factors described as being either a hygiene or motivator were not mutually exclusive. In many cases the addition of Hygiene factors can act to motivate people, likewise a lack of Motivator factors can causes dissatisfaction. However as well as looking at the empirical research on the theory we must also think about its value when practically applied to the workplace. In support of the theory it does, to a certain extent makes sense. If one month you miss out on pay or are required to do something dangerous you would be dissatisfied. At the same time employees do not feel satisfied or motivated by safe working conditions or being paid on time because it is what they expect. The same goes for Motivator factors, an employee would feel more satisfied if they received a personal compliment from the boss but it is unlikely that they would feel dissatisfied if it didn’t happen. They certainly wouldn’t expect it every day. Yet one key problem with the theory is that it fails to take into account the difference between satisfaction and motivation. An employee may be satisfied at work, they may obtain all the ‘motivator’ factors outlined in the theory but this does not mean they will automatically be motivated to be as productive as they can be. Another criticism is that the theory does not account for individual differences, employees are not all the same, some may be more materialistic and be motivated more by monetary reward. Some strive for achievement and are willing to do anything to gain the respect of their peers and high status within the business while others may be content with their job and just wish to keep their heads down and get on with it. Put simply, while being given responsibility may satisfy some people others may find it an unpleasant addition to their job. In summary the Two-Factor model and its supporting research have been found to have good re-test and cross cultural reliability but has been heavily criticised for its validity and methodology. Although this weakens the value of the theory it has still been extremely influential and can be practically applied in most organizations as a method by which staff motivation can be monitored and improved. Next I am going to look at the Goal Setting Theory Locke (1969). The basic premise of the theory is that by setting a goal you can increase a person’s motivation and performance. This increase in performance is due to the motivational influence of goals in 4 key areas (as cited in Woods 2010). The first is that goals help to focus a person’s attention and behaviour in the correct direction. Secondly goals have the effect of increasing the effort a person is willing expend. Thirdly the addition of a goal increase the amount of a time a person will spend on a specific task. Finally they motivate an individual to seek out and apply relevant knowledge and skills in order to complete the goal. This is how the goal setting theory explains why we are motivated by goals. In addition to this Locke and Latham (1990) put forward 5 key features of a goal which determine how motivating it is, to be effective goals must be; 1) Specific, a goal which gives a specific target is more motivating then goals which simply require a person to ‘do your best’. 2) Measurable, a measurable target enables a person to track their progress towards the goal and alter their effort and method accordingly. 3) Time-Bound, applying a deadline to achieving the goal enables a person to better manage their time and effort. 4) Challenging, it is unlikely that an easy goal will motivate a person to put in maximum effort. By making the goal challenging people are push and required to work harder in order to achieve. 5) Attainable, having a goal which is impossible to achieve is likely to de-motivate a person, why would a person put effort in if they have no chance of success. It must be realistically possible to achieve goals. The theory provides a good detailed description of both how and why people are motivated. It has been one of the most widely researched areas within motivational psychology and is still very much an evolving area. Research by Latham and Baldes (1975) put the core assumption of the goal setting theory to the test in a real world setting. They introduced the goal of reaching 94% efficiency in the loading of trucks (previously at just 60%) to a group of employees in a logging company. The employees were motivated by the goal and successfully achieved (and often surpassed) it and continued to work consistently at the target rate. To have achieved the same increase in efficiency without Goal theory (by purchasing more trucks) would have cost the company $250,000. Another example of research supporting the Goal  setting theory comes from Blumenfeld and Leidy (1969). They found that 55 engineers in charge of soft drinks machines checked considerably more machines when set a goal then when no goal was set. Furthermore it was found that engineers checked more machines when set a challenging goal then if set an easy goal. A key problem with the methodology of both pieces of supporting research above is that there was little control over extraneous variables. For example Latham and Baldes (1975) did show a huge increase in productivity, but this may not have been due to the addition of a goal. Perhaps the competitive nature of the loggers lead to an increase in efficiency, it may also have simply been down to the increased supervision the workers received at the time. Again it is important to look at the theory in terms of its practical application in the workplace. Its key strength is that it does appear to work as a method of increasing motivation, however again the theory fails to account for individual differences. Employees who are already highl y motivated at work would benefit from goals being set; it would push them and enable them to prove themselves. However other less confident employees may not enjoy the competitive nature of workplace goals and targets, it could even cause stress and discomfort and leads to a reduction in motivation. In addition, when you direct a person’s attention and effort towards one specific goal you may get a decrease in performance in other tasks. A goal may not increase motivation but just direct it. For example if you give hospital staff the target of seeing all patients within 10 minuets they may achieve the target but at the cost of service and quality of treatment. This would obviously be detrimental to the quality of work on the whole. A final point to consider is that all employees have different levels of ability so in order for goals to push an employee but still remain achievable they must be individually tailored. As well as being impractical in a large business Equality theories (discussed next) would suggest that giving some people easier targets than others may actually lead to a reduction in motivation. On the whole Goal Theories are very useful and practical when applied in the right circumstances. Perhaps one weakness of both the theory and supporting research is in its inability to account for causes of demotivation in an organization. However the research shows that goals do motivate people at work, yet when applied to an organizational environment we see possible  drawbacks and potential difficulties which are difficult to overcome. The final theory I am going to examine is the Organizational Justice Theory which builds upon the equity theory put forward by Adams (1963). The Organizational Justice theory has been constructed from theory and research contributed by a significant number of psychologists, certainly too many to list in their entirety. However two key contributors worth noting are Greenberg (1987a) who coined the term Organizational Justice and conducted much of the early research and Mowday (1987) (cited in Greenberg 1990) who has had a significant impact on the theory. The core belief of the theory is that employees can be motivated (or de-motivated) by their perception of how fairly they are being treated at work in comparison to their colleagues. The theory suggests three different types of justice which can be perceived. The first is Distributive Justice, which looks at the extent to which an employee thinks they are being fairly rewarded for the work they put in compared to others, the theory s uggest that a person will either increase or decrease their level of input in order to balance out and restore equality. The second is Procedural Justice, this looks at how fair a person feels the procedures and systems are within a business, for example is holiday date allocation fair. The third is Interactional Justice, this is the least researched area and compromises of two parts; Informational Justice describes how well informed a person is about the decisions taken within a business, using holiday as an example again it may be explained to an employee why they can not have the holiday they asked for. Interpersonal Justice describes the extent to which someone feels they are treated with respect. As with the Goal setting theory there has been a considerable amount of research put into Organizational Justice theory. In a recent study Zapata-Phelan, Colquitt, Scott and Livingston (2009) (cited in Woods 2010) looked at how procedural and interaction justice effected motivation and in turn performance. They found that when a person perceived high procedural justice in an organization there was an incr ease in motivation, leading to an increase in performance.

Ap Gov

AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS SYLLABUS: C (American Government: Continuity and Change. ) INTRODUCTION: Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum is designed to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. Students will study both general concepts used to interpret U. S. politics and examine specific examples. The AP Government course requires students to learn facts and concepts and understand typical political processes.The course will require students to master historical and analytic skills, including; chronological and spatial thinking, historical research and interpretation. Students will evaluate viewpoints presented through major print and electronic media, understand statistical data and analyze trends related to significant political events. Emphasis is placed on applying problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, interpreting graphs and tables, organizing information, evaluating information, and communicating orally and in writing.The course aims to help the student to participate effectively and democratically in the American political society COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that direct the daily operation of our government and shape our public policies. The express purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the AP Exam for U. S Government and Politics. The course is for all intents and purposes taught on a college level and it requires a substantial amount of reading and preparation for every class.The objectives of this course go beyond a basic analysis of how our government â€Å"works. † Students will develop a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens. In addition to described content, the course will also work to refine important skills. They include analyzing data and writing and presenting written and oral arguments. In or der to help students master the ability to write a good political science essay the course will concentrate on the instruction of several essential skills: †¢ Effective writing style The ability to make arguments †¢ The ability to evaluate critically and to compare scholarly works †¢ The ability to synthesize political science data †¢ The ability analyze, interpret, and respond to stimulus-based data including charts, graphs, cartoons, and quotes The course will cover a large amount of content. The study of American Government is both historical and contemporary. Therefore, it is essential that students remain aware of what is happening in the world.It is suggested that regular reading of newspapers and news magazines as well as the regular viewing of news broadcasts be maintained throughout the course. COURSE STANDARDS: 1. Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U. S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. 2. Students evaluate the scope and limits of civil rights and obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured. 3. Students evaluate the fundamental values and principles of civil society (i. . , the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society. 4. Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U. S. Constitution. 5. Students summarize landmark U. S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments. 6. Students evaluate issues regarding national, state and local elective offices. 7.Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, and local governments. 8. Students evaluate the influence of the media on American political life. 9. St udents analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles. 10. Students formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance between the following concepts: ajority rule and individual rights; liberty and equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial; the relationship of religion and government. TEXTBOOK: O'Connor, Karen, Sabato, Larry J. American Government: Continuity and Change 8th edition. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2006. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: Matthews, Chris. Hardball. How Politics is Played Told by one who Knows the Game. Free Press; 1st Touchstone Ed edition (November 2, 1999) Woll, Peter. American Government: Readings and Cases.Longman; 14t h edition 2004. The Enduring Debate-Classic and Contemporary reader. C-Span in the classroom. Cnn. com/SPECIALREPORTS http://www. nytimes. com/learning/index. html – on-line current events quiz Primary Source Documents as selected by the instructor from the 100 Milestone Documents collection at the NARA website http://www. ourdocuments. gov/ Articles from: NY Times, Congressional Quarterly, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor and other sources Collegeboard. com/ap website and various test preparation books. Quia. com- flashcard activities for key terms in each chapterYahoo. com/briefcase- PowerPoint presentations for each chapter Teacherweb. com – provides all assignments as documents for student downloads. Also provides essential links for informational research, etc. Access for this syllabus. Summer Reading: †¢ Select one book from list of current political viewpoints and issues with lit log. †¢ Collect 8 articles from Op/Ed section of various ne wspapers. †¢ Watch and write four reviews of political shows: Hardball, Meet the Press, Washington Journal, etc. †¢ Oral book report for chosen book. Unit I: Foundations of United States Government (8 Weeks)Objectives: What is the purpose of government? What was the founders’ view of the purpose of government and the role of the citizen in the American Republic? How does the Constitution underpin the U. S. government? What was the impact of the enlightenment thinkers on the development of the U. S. Constitution? In which ways did the framers deal with the following: pluralism, popular sovereignty, republican ideals and elite theory. Students will explore American political culture and characteristics of American democracy. Reading: Text: O'Connor-Foundations of Government Chapters 1-6Chapter 1-The Political Landscape †¢ Origins of American Government: What it is and why we need it †¢ Roots of American Government; Where did the ideas come from? †¢ Amer ican political culture and the characteristics of American democracy †¢ Changing characteristics of the American people †¢ Ideology of the American public †¢ Current attitudes toward American government Chapter 2-The Constitution †¢ The origins of a new nation †¢ The first attempt at Government: the articles of Confederation †¢ The miracle at Philadelphia: Writing the Constitution †¢ The U. S. Constitution The drive for ratification †¢ Methods of Amending the Constitution Chapter 3-Federalism †¢ The roots of the federal system: Governmental power under the constitution †¢ Federalism and the Marshall Court †¢ Dual Federalism: The Taney court, slavery, and the Civil War †¢ Cooperative Federalism: the New Deal and the growth of national government †¢ New Federalism: returning power to the states. Chapter 4-State and Local Government †¢ The evolution of State and local governments †¢ State government †¢ Loca l government †¢ Grassroots power and politics †¢ Relations with Indian nations State and local finances Chapter 5-Civil Liberties †¢ The First Constitutional Amendments: the Bill of Rights †¢ First Amendment guarantees: Freedom of religion †¢ First Amendment guaranteed: freedom of speech, press, and assembly †¢ The Second Amendment: the right to keep and bear arms †¢ The right of criminal defendants †¢ The right to privacy Chapter 6-Civil Rights †¢ Slavery, abolition, and winning the right to vote, 1800-1890 †¢ The push for equality, 1890-1954 †¢ The Civil Rights Movement †¢ Other groups mobilize for rights †¢ Continuing controversies in civil rights.Assignments and Activities: Readings on Locke and Hobbes-internet sources The ACLU: Freedom Files-video segment AP United States Government and Politics; Origins of Constitutional Principles and Rights. Chapter 1 Canon, Coleman & Mayer. Constructing the Government: The Fou nding of the Constitution Federalist Papers 10 & 51 Lanahan Reader; Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America Learning About Rights and Responsibilities- Washington Post Shay's Rebellion Can the People Be Trusted to Govern Themselves? PowerPoint: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montisqueu PowerPoint: teacher-all chapters.Put on-line Constitutional Power Grab Constitutional Numbers Document-Based Activities-Due Process-Using the Internet to Study Civil Rights and Liberties/Miranda Rights. Canon: The Enduring Debate, Debating the Issues: Racial profiling and fighting Terrorism Standard Deviant Government: video Origins of government, types of government, monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, direct democracy, indirect democracy, Components of American Democracy, popular consent, popular sovereignty, majority rule, individualism, Socratic Seminar based on Woll reading Assessments: Chapter essays with short essaysPowerPoint-Philosophers impacting development of the Constitution Government Treasu re Hunt-online activity Citizenship Test Fish Bowl Activity-peer evaluation Federalist # 10 Writing Assignment Timed unit essay. Collegeboard rubric Cornell notes Unit II: Institutions of Government (7 weeks) Objectives: Students will understand the three major branches of government and how they are organized. They will also learn how they function as separate branches, controlled by a system of checks and balances. Students will understand the interdependency of these branches to stabilize the powers within each branch.Students will also be able to recognize the evolving government and how the U. S. Constitution has been interpreted to allow these changes. Reading: Text : O'Connor-The Constitution, Chapter 7-10 Chapter 7- Constitution †¢ The Constitution and the legislative branch of government †¢ How Congress is organized †¢ The members of congress †¢ How members make decisions †¢ The law-making function of congress †¢ Congress and the president â₠¬ ¢ Congress and the judiciary Chapter 8- The Presidency †¢ The roots of and rules governing the office of the President of the United States †¢ The constitutional powers of the president The development and expansion of presidential power †¢ The presidential establishment †¢ The president as policy maker †¢ Presidential leadership and the importance of public opinion Chapter 9-The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy †¢ The executive branch and the development of the federal bureaucracy †¢ The modern bureaucracy †¢ How the bureaucracy works †¢ Making agencies accountable Chapter 10-The Judiciary †¢ The Constitution and the creation of the federal judiciary †¢ The American legal system †¢ The federal court system †¢ How federal court judges are selected †¢ The Supreme Court today Judicial philosophy and decision making †¢ Judicial policy making and implementation Additional Readings & Resources: Advan ced Placement: U. S. Government & Politics, 2: Why Great Men Are Not Chosen President. Lanahan Readings. Pork: A Time-honored Tradition Lives On Canon. Enduring Debate. Checking and Balancing â€Å"All the President's Men† PBS- Presidents series (segments from modern day presidents. ) PBS-Supreme Court Assignments and Activities: Cornell Notes-study guides for each chapter Creating a Bill/defending and promoting position State of the Union essay analysis. -video of speech -span or whitehouse. gov Essay- student selected case. Supreme Court Case Analyses Standard Deviant Video; all three branches C-span in the classroom: three branches of government Writing/debating a bill Supreme Court Justice report. Cornell notes/per chapters Survey: politicalcompass. org with evaluation Assessments: Unit II Essay Exam-Collegeboard rubric-timed response Essay. In response to the State of the Union Research: landmark Supreme Court case Multiple Choice Exam w/short essays Chapter tests with s hort essays. Cornell notes Unit III: The Electoral Process (8 weeks) Objectives:Students will analyze political parties with regard to the mechanisms that allow citizens to organize and communicate their interests and concerns. Students will focus is on the historical evolution of the US party system, the functions and structure of political parties, and the effects they have on the political process. Explore the historical evolution of the U. S. party system. Compare the functions and structures of political parties, and their effects on the political process. Reading: Text: O'Connor-Political Behavior, Chapter 11-16 Chapter 11- Public Opinion and Political Socialization What is public opinion †¢ Efforts to influence and measure public opinion †¢ How political socialization and other factors influencer opinion formation †¢ Why we form political opinions †¢ How public opinion is measured †¢ How polling and public opinion affect politicians, politics, and pol icy Chapter 12- Political Parties †¢ What is a political party? †¢ The evolution of American party democracy †¢ The function s of the American parties †¢ The basic structure of American political parties †¢ The party in government †¢ The modern transformation of party organization †¢ The party in the electorate Third-partyism Chapter 13 – Voting and Elections †¢ The purpose of elections †¢ Kinds of elections †¢ Presidential elections †¢ Congressional elections †¢ Voting behavior †¢ Reforming the electoral process Chapter 14 – The Campaign Process †¢ The structure of a campaign †¢ The media and campaigns †¢ Campaign finance †¢ Bringing it together: the 2004 presidential campaign and election Chapter 15 – The Media †¢ The evolution of journalism in the United States †¢ The U. S. Media today †¢ How the media cover politicians and government †¢ The media's influe nce on the public †¢ The public's perception of the media Government regulation of the electronic media Chapter 16 – Interest Groups †¢ What are interest groups? †¢ The roots and development of American interest groups †¢ What do interest groups do? †¢ What makes an interest group successful? Additional Readings and Resources: Hardball American Polity:Kurtzman-Spin Cycle-† â€Å"Outfoxed†-DVD Assignments and activities: Chapter reading Cornell Notes Hardball Dialectic Journal Nominations, Primaries, and Elections Simulation Socratic Seminar based on Hardball Survey: Political opinion Research any interest group/political powerUnit Essay-timed writing-collegeboard rubric. Chapter tests with short essays. Cornell notes Assessments Chapter tests with short essays Unit essay: timed writing using Collegeboard rubric Propaganda PowerPoint project Chapter reading Cornell Notes Political Party website analysis/oral report The Living Room Candidat e website campaign commercial analysis Political Party guest panel Socratic Seminar, Woll reading Unit IV: AP Review (4 weeks) Final dates to be determined In-class exercise: AP released exam multiple choice with immediate discussion and feedback regarding â€Å"why this answer? This will establish a diagnostic baseline for ongoing AP exam review. Students will Research/Write out Answers to 35 Previous U. S. Government Free Response Questions. Teacher Follow Up with Rubric/Answer; Discussion; Teacher Created Review Exercises. Current Event/AP Outline Matrix Practice Test-65 Question released M/C and Free Response essay Selected Topics: See Units of Study TEACHING STRATEGIES This is a large lecture course and, as such, the teaching strategies used focus on giving students opportunities to analyze and respond in class, to write mini-essays of 50 words or so reacting to provocative statements, and o do short role-play simulations. Instructions are given throughout the course on the fo llowing: †¢ Essay organization diagram for free-response questions †¢ Essay tasks for AP Exam free-response questions †¢ List of directive terms used in free-response questions †¢ Reminders for answering timed essay questions †¢ Essay frame †¢ Generic free-response scoring guidelines STUDENT EVALUATION Quizzes are given on the reading assignments. Occasional outside-of-class assignments may also count as daily grades. Test formats are objective (multiple choice), free-response questions (Essay Exams).Most objective tests consist of 60 to 65 multiple-choice questions and a 25-minute essay question, and are timed to approximate the time allowed on the AP Exam. Homework is accepted before students begin to take the unit exam. The homework consists of unit terms and/or outlines; questions about readings, notations, and/or assigned primary and secondary sources; charts that pertain to the unit and applicable historical maps, diagrams or political cartoons. W ell-completed terms and course themes demonstrate a student’s effort and most students find this to be indispensable in maintaining a high grade point average.The unit exams are a requirement of the AP Government and Politics course. A final semester comprehensive exam for all material covered will be given at the end of the term. The AP Government and Politics exam is comprehensive, covering material from the entire semester. Students who are enrolled in the course are expected to take the AP United States Government Exam. Class time and after school reviews are held prior to the AP Exam. In addition, many students participate in informal study group review sessions.

Romanticism and Death

Death Death is something that cannot truly be defined. It in fact is a word with a plethora of meanings. Some feel that death is something good for you because you will now be with God and spend a beautiful eternity in the afterlife. Some feel that it is a negative concept because you are leaving those you love and you are Just gone. Others are confused, not knowing what happens after you die and are actually scared of the hold concept. These different meanings were thought out during many different literary eras such as the Renaissance, Neoclassical, Romantic and VictorianThe Renaissance was a time period in which had a much more calm way of eras. Looking at death. Yes they were a bit fearful of what happens after death, but they also viewed it as a way out for them, a place where they could go in order to lose all the pain they were feeling. Death was known as a sense of relief to the people, it was an escape from reality. William Shakespeare was a writer during the Renaissance and as one could tell from his pieces, he as well viewed death more positively versus negatively.In the Neoclassical Era, death was viewed as a portal to the afterlife. In a writer's perspective, they usually spoke about it leading to heaven instead of hell, but the people of this time knew that heaven wasn't the only place they could go, they knew hell was an option too. One writer is John Done who wrote â€Å"Death be Not Proud†. In this pieces of literature, Done speaks of death like it's a human, telling it that it isn't as scary as it thinks. One could tell that Done is from the Neoclassical Era when he says, â€Å"One short sleep past, we wake eternally'.This shows how the people of this Era thought. That no matter how or when you die, you will awake in the afterlife and live on forever. In the Romantic Era, death was focused more on an emotional approach, rather than on the actual action. Authors such as John Keats wrote to express and share their feelings towards death. Keats does so in Ode to a Grecian Urn, he says, She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, forever wilt thou love, and she be fair! † The Romantic period thought death was a negative action.As shown in the quote above, people couldn't stand watching their loved ones pass. Keats expresses devastation when he sees that his beloved is passing, showing a whole new view on the definition of Death then we have seen so far. The Victorian Era was more similar to the Romantic, but they mourned a lot more about the passing of their loved ones. The way the people in this Era viewed death is more of what we see in today's society. When someone passed, in order to honor them, the people would mourn. Everyone, even children were aware of what was going on when a person passed.Death was the only thing people knew would definitely append to them, so they taught their children that as well. A piece called Richard Core by Edwin Arlington Robinson shows that everyone is destined to die wh ether they are rich or poor. A man named â€Å"Richard† is viewed as a â€Å"king† because of all his money. The townspeople all envied him, but in the end found out he killed himself because he wasn't â€Å"happy'. The Victorian Era was one in which brought death to a reality. They knew it existed and that it would happen to everybody so they decided it was best to honor those that passed by mourning over them.The view on death as changed in the past hundreds of years and I believe the views are based upon experiences that happened to those people. The definition on death changes with what one experiences causing them to see things differently. These days we see death as possibly all four of the examples I listed. Some believe it's something to be a bit fearful of because we don't know what happens after we die, some believe we go to heaven or hell, normally we are affected emotionally over our loved ones and lastly we all know that death is destined for each and eve ry one of us.

What's Under the Veil - Ottoman Women Research Paper

What's Under the Veil - Ottoman Women - Research Paper Example What many people might find interesting is that these women probably wore and owned the most extraordinary and stunning jewelries and clothes of their time. In this research paper, I want to go back in time to the Ottoman Empire and examine what the traditional Ottoman woman wore - jewelries, clothing etc. - and show that there is so much more to discover about them under the veil. Over the centuries, the most important feature of a Turkish female dress was that they wore traditional clothing. We know about the various aspects of a woman’s dress between the 12th to 14th centuries because of tiles, miniatures and the stone carvings that they have left behind and have been discovered. Ottoman clothing is the fashion followed and worn by the Ottoman Turks. It changed over time, but it remained as lovely as ever. Even though the women covered themselves with the ferace – a black long upper dress like a cardigan with full sleeves and no collar – before going outside, they were dressed up beneath this layer (Inal 263). They wore the most beautifully made clothes with exquisite jewelry. The styles and designing of the clothes were the same, the class and religious difference only being apparent due to the quality of the cloth used to make their clothes. The rich made their dresses of a fine cloth called barami. Guillaume Postel, a professor, was sent to Istanbul by King Francois the First. He kept a travel log in which he has written: â€Å"The materials used are gold and silver satin, brocade, damask and many kinds of silk. These are the fabrics chosen by the rich and the city aristocrats, the city poor and villagers dress very badly† (Ministry of Culture and Tourism). The women, in hopes for making a way for themselves in the Empire, did embroidery. They wove intricate designs and used these cloths as headscarves, etc. They were quite proud of their appearance and wanted to look their best. Later in the period, they started wearing a two- layer long entari, too, which is a gown. They also wore tul, a shawl of velvet around their heads. Even later on in the century, an entari was worn inside beneath a caftan-shaped dress which was short-sleeved (Besse and Morris 176). The basic accessories worn by the Ottoman women were jeweled belts made of gold, crystal, silver, mother-of-pearl or even ivory. Belt buckles were worn around the waist or at times over the hips. These had floral or geometric designs and were bedecked with gems like diamonds, turquoise, emeralds and others. Beneath it they wore salwar  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a kind of loose pants (Inal 252). These were mostly made of taffeta. They wore leather shoes which were usually yellow in color, probably because of the gold embroidery (Kia 216) and the toes were quite narrow and so very tight. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the English ambassador to Turkey had this to say about their clothing whilst her stay over there: â€Å"The first piece of my dress is a pair of drawers, very full, that reach to my shoes and conceal the legs...They are of a thin rose color damask brocaded with silver flowers, my shoes of white kid Leather embroidered with Gold. Over this hangs my Smock of a fine white silk Gause edg'd with Embroidery...The Antery is a waistcoat made close to the shape, of white and Gold damask, with very long sleeves....My Caftan of the same stuff with my Drawers is a robe exactly fitted to my shape and reaching my feet...† (Kamps and Singh 101) As Muslim women have been advised to cover themselves in front of any male who is not their husband or close relative, the women used to wear veils or, at least, covered their heads. These were made of silk for the summers and of wool, lined with fur for the colder seasons. Over time

Financial Aspect within any Organisation Research Paper

Financial Aspect within any Organisation - Research Paper Example Financial aspect within any organization is considered to be an internal review and the financial managers are the ones responsible for financial planning in such a way that it is embedded within the entire strategic plan to give favorable results for the organization both in the long-run and the short-run. Financial managers are supposed to manage a firm’s resources so that it can meet its goal and objectives. The major aim of a financial manager is to examine the financial data of any given organization and to give the recommendation to the top management regarding strategies that would improve the financial performance of a company. The different role of a financial manager includes capital budgeting decisions, capital structure decisions, providing tactical advice over merger and acquisitions, dividend policy decision and all other investment decisions that may involve portfolio management as well. All these different roles and functions merge together to form the basis of any strategic plan and these financial matters help in understanding the growth that a company will make with reference to its profitability and long term growth. Sales Forecast Forecasting is usually used by companies to estimate future results. Although these estimates are not 100% accurate, they usually give an insight into many issues such as an idea about the future drawn by using different assumption and techniques. Sales forecasting is one such technique whereby any company predicts the volume and the number of sales that may be achieved by different sales staff through different regions in which the company operates. There are three different approaches that are adopted in sales forecasting. These are: Top-down Sales Forecasting; it is a technique whereby the sales figure are planned by the top level management and these figures are forwarded to lower level management in form of sales quotas/limits/targets which the lower level management should attain Bottom-up Sales Forec asting; is an approach whereby these sales figure are put in by the employees responsible for the sale. The sales team forecast a target which they think they can sell and after this target forms the basis for the entire company’s revenue plan. Hybrid Sales Forecasting; is an approach whereby both the top-down and the bottom-up approach is used. The top management derives the sales figure at the corporate level whilst the sales staffs derive it at the operational level. Both these figures are compared together and any discrepancies between the two are henceforth amended. The benefit of using this hybrid approach is that it tends to eliminate any discrepancy or a biased judgment of sales and both the top and the bottom level management work together for the success of the organization. The hybrid approach produces variability and it also creates participation from the lower level management which as a result increases motivation. The disadvantage of this technique is that it c onsumes too much time of both the top and the bottom level management (Kahn, 1998).

Multiple Intelligences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Multiple Intelligences - Essay Example Multiple intelligences developed by Howard Gardner have a great impact on education process explaining the ways of thinking, problem-solving and logic. Typically these skills cross the disciplines and include such things as communication, collaboration, information management, and higher-order thinking skills such as problem solving. These types of outcomes cannot be measured by written tests; they require performance measurement. Educators who assess by performance believe that being able "to do" is parallel to saying that a student has really learned something, rather than simply memorized it. The impact and role of intelligences in education was widely discussed in the literature during 1980s. The first attempts to define and explain this process made by Alfred Binet (1900) who tried to create a measure to predict which youngsters would do well in the primary grades of Parisian schools (Kagan and Kagan 1998). In the mid-1980s, Howard Gardner challenged the belief that IQ was fixed with his work at Harvard University, which was explained in his book Frames of the Mind (1985). He hoped to see society move from testing people to growing people, by focusing on the diverse ways people develop skills important to their lives. He redefined intelligence as the ability to solve problems and fashion products that are valued in a culture or community. His research showed intelligence as more complex, more diverse, and less fixed than originally thought. Garner (1985, 1997) and Sternberg (1985) have argued for specific, multiple domains of intelligence. Today, intelligence is being more broadly conceptualized and defined (Kagan and Kagan 1998). At the beginning of the 21st century, researchers applied Gardner's Theory to instructional technology and distance-based education, to different learning strategies and learning environments. For instance, Milheim and Osciak (2001) examine advantages and benefits of multiple intelligences within online learning environment and come to conclusion that it "can provide multiple avenues for learning based on an individual's preferred style regardless of the discipline or the geographic dispersion of the intended learners" (4). Another layer of literature examines practical application of multiple intelligences in different fields including leadership and employees training, physical education and gifted children. For instance, Kernodle and Mitchell (2004) analyze the benefits of multiple intelligences in teaching tennis at the secondary level or in a college. They find that "offering a variety of activities that enhance different intelligences also helps students who are weak in certain intelligences by giving them the opportunity to improve themselves in those areas" (32). Some researchers examine the role of multiple intelligences in development of gifted and talented children (Fasko 2001); identify sex difference in learning process and perception in children (Furnham and Ward 2001). They find that the role of the teacher is acknowledged in this perspective but only in the context of co-constructing meaning for content and skills. Thus, Kagan and Kagan (1998) admit that this is still the realm of procedural thinking. The

SPSS Homework Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SPSS Homework - Statistics Project Example line and therefore meets the direction, magnitude, unit inter-distance, and absolute zero properties of the ratio scale (Frankfort-Nachmias and Leon-Guerrero, 2011; Anderson, Sweeney and Williams, 2011). The statistics suggests longer training among Michigan officers than among Ohio officers. The difference means of the two groups, with mean being considered the most reliable measure because of its consideration of rank and magnitude of data points, is large and therefore supports this. From the measures of dispersion, it can be concluded that training among Michigan officers is more differentiated to include a wider range of hours. A majority of Michigan officers are however trained for longer period than officers from Ohio are. Standard deviation, skewedness and inter-quartile range values shows this. I would choose the disciplinary board because while its mean has been low, its standard deviation has also been low and promises a confidence interval of less than 1. This means that the number of days will be barely 100. The warden offers an average of 115 days and with a low confidence interval of less than four, the number of days cannot be as low as those for the disciplinary board. I will therefore choose the board because its sentence will always be lower than that of the

Employability and PDP Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Employability and PDP - Coursework Example It is a transactional contract where continuous learning is essential to enhance performance. Compensation is based on explicit and discreet exchange for work. One has to be employable and one has to take responsibility for one’s career. One has to be willing to develop the personal and professional skills to enhance employability (Raybould & Sheedy, 2005). Knowledge becomes obsolete in no time and hence life-long learning is emphasized upon. Work is no more merely a source of income but a source of fulfillment (Romaniuk & Snart, 2000). Learning opportunities are available now which help in career development through self-directed planning. It is a transition from dependence to independence. However, this requires identifying the strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs, preferences and interests. The shift from the traditional career to the modern career forms is challenging. This requires that I engage in self-reflection. It is essential that one is at the right job, which means the skills should match the job role. I would need to understand what exactly motivates me, what I expect from the company and what am I prepared to give. In fact, I think one should focus on what one can give to the company. Once we have the necessary skills and give our best, the results are bound to come. However, we must be ambitious, we must have a wish list, we must know the strengths that we can utilize and we must know how to rise up the career ladder. Salary is necessary only up to a certain point and beyond that contentment and fulfillment is what one seeks. I would strive to keep upgrading my skills through continuous learning. I would however not like to switch jobs for small raises. I do not consider that as a career progression. In fact this could be detrimental in the long run. As a l ong-term strategy, I would like to hone up my skills and focus on what gives me fulfillment. Careers and the labour market have changed

Integrated Communication Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Integrated Communication Marketing - Assignment Example Samsung Electronics, a company that is currently dominant in the mobile industry releasing Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which comes with a special feature of a digitalized watch dubbed Samsung Galaxy watch. Even though the phone and the watch have incomparable syncing and multi-functioning features thereby beating its competitors, it is evident that the price tag of the product has been placed at the high end (Spears, 2014). This means that only individuals who have either a passion for the latest technology hence sacrificing on other needs or those that are financially capable of purchasing them are the ones that can access these products. This means that even though I am loyal to Samsung as a brand, the price of the product has been ranged beyond the normal quarters and would require me to save more than I could for other products that are close to this kind of technology. This may also pose as a disadvantage for the company considering the East market which has recently been producing si milar products as those from the West but with better affordability in terms of prices as compared to those from the West (Nicolau,

Home Health Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Home Health Care - Research Paper Example The system provides a majority of advantages and as well as they provide information security to some extent. To be more specific, the paper speaks mainly of AllScripts software, the information management system used by the Residential Clinical Services. It addresses some of its features, weaknesses along with its strengths and security level. The Residential Clinical Services situated in Merrillville, in northwestern Indiana was established in 1987. This home care facility was established to provide commitment to excellence in patient care. The Residential Clinical Services main mission is to help patients and their families make the transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible. The facility is administered by Aileen M. Ellicott NP and has a total of 23 employees working there. It also serves a wide populous in the Indiana state, inclusive of; Northwest Indiana to include Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Newton and Jasper counties. The agency offers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social services for financial or psychosocial counseling and identification of appropriate community resources. Home health aides are also available for those patients who are unable to manage their own personal hygiene, prescribe exercises and meal preparation. Additionally, their services include a comprehensive Oncology program with nurses highly competent in the total care and instruction of the patients with cancer. Programs such as Pain Management, Education, Supportive Care, Infusion Therapy, Chemotherapy, Antibiotics, Hydration and Nutritional Support are available for those patients in need. They also have a policy with local hospitals that enable the administration of blood and blood products to those patients already at home whose alternative would be an admission to the hospital or ambulance transport to an out-patient setting for an 8-10 hour stay. Home health care services

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Analysis - Case Study Example Moreover, Starbucks will operate in a joint venture with the Tata group which has knowledge of the domestic market. 1. The pricing of CCD is lower as compared to Starbucks and there is a difference of almost Rs. 400 in the prices of the two companies. Therefore, CCD has a clear advantage over the Starbucks as far as the pricing is concerned. The products of both the coffee chains are up to the market. Both the companies deliver the quality product to its customers but even then Starbucks has slightest advantage over CCD as far as the products are concerned due to its global standing. 2. The supply chain of the Starbucks as well as CCD varies to great extent. CCD works on backward integration and instead of buying the coffee from the suppliers it manufactures coffee for itself. All the activities of the supply chain are controlled by CCD itself. CCD has neither any franchises nor it hires the staff through the third party. All the outlets of the company are controlled by itself and the employees are also hired and trained by CCD itself. On the contrary, Starbucks buys the coffee from the manufacturing countries instead of from the manufacturers. So the supply chain of the Starbucks starts from the buying of the coffee from the manufacturing countries and ends with the delivery of the coffee o the consumers. 3. The customers of Starbucks are much greater than that of CCD as far as its global operations are concerned. However, in India the current customers of CCD are much greater. CCD attracts all types of customers due to its effective pricing and diverse offering. The potential customers of CCD are also projected to be higher due to the trend of taking coffee among the youth of India and the pleasant environment provided CCD. At present the existing customers of Starbucks are lower but they might increase in future due to expansion of its network. 4. The customer service of CCD is great and helps it in retaining the large number of

Stages of Life Cycle Development Essay Example for Free

Stages of Life Cycle Development Essay Stages of Life Cycle Development Raytheon I believe that Raytheon is in the elaboration stage of life cycle development. The elaboration stage is described as mature stage of the life cycle in which red tape crisis is resolved through the development of a new sense of teamwork and collaboration. Raytheon employs a process of Integrated Product Teams. IPTs are focused on improving communication amongst team members. This structure creates an atmosphere where each employee is within close proximity and everyone knows what is being discussed at every stage in their area of responsibility. IPTs are broken down into four tiers that are integrated but independent with a customer support leader, production program leader, design engineering leader, and value stream leader that keep things flowing smoothly. Through the use of IPT production teams managers develop the skills necessary for confronting problems and working together. This in turn reduces the need for addition formal controls. Raytheon has achieved collaboration throughout the organization by employing IPT teams. Raytheons leadership employs a Six Sigma business model and is routed within the acets of Raytheon management. This philosophy is embedded within the fabric of Raytheons business plan. It is used as a method for increasing productivity, growing the business, and building a new culture. Raytheon Six Sigma is the continuous process improvement effort designed to reduce overall costs. Structure and Control Raytheon is one of the largest military defense contractors in the world. The Raytheon Company designs develops manufactures integrates and supports technological products services and solutions for governmental and commercial ustomers in the United States and internationally. It is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts and employs about 73,000 people. Raytheons leadership employs a business model know as Raytheon Six Sigma is the philosophy of Raytheon management, embedded within the fabric of our business organizations as the vehicle for increasing productivity, growing the business, and building a new culture. Raytheon Six Sigma is the continuous process improvement effort designed to reduce costs. (Raytheon 2008) Six Sigma was developed by a rocess of benchmarking other companies and leveraging internal best practices. The philosophy of Raytheon Six Sigma is to bring a goal of making customer success a strategic focus for the company increase productivity transform the culture and grow the business. Raytheons employs a business model known as OpenAir which enables all ot its partners to contribute and capture value. It succeeds in bringing together innovators in a range of fields including academia large and small businesses and Raytheon customers. Raytheons OpenAir fosters collaboration. One key aspect of the OpenAir oncept is competition because the opportunity exists for suppliers of all levels to get involved in the overall design and production effort collaboration and creativity increase. This in turn drives costs down and accelerates time to market. As a result Raytheons customers receive best of breed and affordable solutions in a shorter span of time. The OpenAir business model will be a key enabler in Raytheon meeting or exceeding customer expectations. The concept will be used on all new captures which will allow Raytheon to deliver the most innovative products and affordable rices to different markets. The model can also be applied to existing programs driving Raytheon to higher levels of efficiency than ever before. (Raytheon 2007) The OpenAir concept unites diverse partners and encourages complementary efforts. For example a smaller supplier with an innovative technology may lack the infrastructure to bring the product to market. Under the guidelines set by the OpenAir model this same company can partner with a larger business that has the ability to integrate the new innovation and then market and sell the solution. Raytheon 2007) Raytheon also transformed its operating system from a traditional purchasing and supply chain organizations to an integrated supply chain. We intend to link our engineering groups and our performance excellence groups with our supplier base as early as we can in the process when building relationships with our suppliers. We need our suppliers to be an extension of ourselves. When dealing with our suppliers was focused on costs quality and schedule. (Bernstein 2005) Raytheon employs a process of Integrated Product Teams. IPTs are focused on mproving communication amongst team members and keeping them up to speed on their area of concern while also fostering a sense of responsibility for a given function or step.

Root Causes Of Excess Waste Output

Root Causes Of Excess Waste Output In the recent years, it was brought to everyones notice that one in two camels are dying in the desert from consuming plastic bags (Attwood, 2008). Camels being an important part of the culture of the UAE gained significant conservation programs one of which were to reduce plastic bags and eventually ban their usage by the year 2013. Wastes like these are discarded by inhabitants which not only damages the environment, threatens biodiversity, but also causes societal issues. UAE is subjected to a rapid growth in population and an immense development to its environment. These two consistent factors result in generation of excess waste. Throughout the developing phase, UAE has faced the adverse effects of uncontrolled waste dumping. Moreover, the recycling techniques were yet at par, pended with no serious thought. Introduction to a few new waste management practices were laid but they did not seem to be effective due to scarcity of modern techniques (State of the Environment, Abu Dhab i, 2011). To have it recorded for improvement; an official centre for Waste Management activities was opened in different emirates and made responsible for controlling and coordinating waste. Concluding from the report, the UAE has been ranked second in generating massive amount of household waste. The very next items consisted mainly of the construction waste, accounting for dominating the waste mass (Todorova, 2010). The amount of waste per person generated rises with consumption. The waste, however, is not limited to domestic waste but includes the by-products leaving the factories and organizations, as well. The electronic waste (e-waste), medical waste, hazardous waste, demolition and construction waste, marine waste, etc. all are different categories of the general term waste that need to be taken care of. The increase in the UAE population and economic growth has made it more mandatory to overcome the environmental problem with intelligent and safe techniques. Excess of waste disposal in UAE has always been termed as a very groovy task which results in greater effect to the environment. This result in affecting the overall improving living standards of the UAE and international recommendations of the land for quality living. An important thing to note here is that proper disposal of waste is very essential. It is a cycle in which humans use and produce waste; however, the waste is never thrown away but, it finds its way back to the environment and to use via different means such as through the food chain. The reason for choosing this issue is because excess waste generation is a well noted problem around the world. Moreover, it exhibits its importance for sustainable growth and quality living. In addition, it is a growing problem as cities run out of space to dump waste. For instance, Dubai has filled two of its landfill sites and is aiming at zero output of waste by 2030 (Al-Khan, 2012). This issue might make people more aware of the unhygienic activities and would educate them to evaluate the consequences of excessive consumption resulting in waste generation. This discussion is entirely based on socio economic reforms involving strategic development, taking waste management systems into account and their application for reduction. Further more, this discussion could be used to highlight improving methods and gaining responses from the authorities who are responsible for environment protection. Root Causes Of Excess Waste Output It is crucial to understand the root cause of excess waste generation in the UAE. The main causes of excessive waste generation seen in UAE are: increasing the population, increasing the demand and consumption, and advancements of new technology with no proper know-how of disposal. Moreover, from the interview conducted with Mr. John Schneider, who is a contract specialist at The Center of Waste Management, it appears that the leading cause of excess waste generation is the fast developmental stage UAE is in. Abu Dhabi for instance generates the greatest amount of demolition and construction waste in the Abu Dhabi Emirate in relation to Al-Ain and Western Region (The Center of Waste Management Abu Dhabi, 2011). First of all, the population of the UAE has been increasing rapidly since the last few years by the high rate of births and by migration from different countries to the UAE for employment opportunities and high quality of life. The high population increases the consumption of products and materials which in return produces more waste. Second, the materialistic perception and constant attractive advertisements of luxurious life has augmented the demand for many products regardless to whether it is needed for survival. The demand on products makes the producers manufacture more of their products and the increasing rate of expending these products generates more waste. Furthermore, it is not only the utilization of these products that lead to waste generation, but the waste released during the production process, resource acquisition, and unwanted by-products are also leading components of waste in the UAE (Schneider, 2012). Overconsumption is considered a serious problem in UAE that un equivocally makes the production line and imports to intensify and consequently lead to excess generation of waste. Especially the electronic gadgets and quick shift to technology in UAE has lead to more e-waste which is one of the wastes hardest to dispose and get rid of. People in the UAE are discarding gadgets to have latest ones associated with luxurious lifestyle. Lastly, as per the interview with Mr.John Schneider, it appears that Abu Dhabi in particular has a high demolition and construction waste than any other. The reports tell that construction and demolition waste from Abu Dhabi city itself constitutes 85% in the whole Emirates and more than 50 percent in the total daily quantity of waste in the city (The Center of Waste Management Abu Dhabi, 2011). Effects Of Surplus Waste Generation Waste is not just an unpleasant sight but has an awful smell, too; furthermore waste has an adverse effect on our resources if it is not properly dealt with. Not only this, but all kinds of waste can cause health issues in humans, animals, and plants (Ministry of the Environment, 2012). As aforementioned causes show how waste is adding on in our environment, it is important to note the effects it may have on an individual, society and the world if it is not aptly discarded (EDU Green, 2007). 3.1 Individual level: The consequences of excess waste production can affect the human health in two ways: directly or indirectly (Ministry of the Environment, 2012). For instance, toxic gases from the dump areas are likely to pollute the air leading to respiratory issues in inhabitants. UAE has a harsh humid climate that is also favourable for pests, pathogens and, microbial infections. Indirect impacts can be seen when pollutants from wastes in soil decrease the efficiency of soil and influence the feature of crops (Ministry of the Environment, 2012). Moreover, according to what is stated in a news article published in The National, the hazardous waste incineration is endangering human health. The Northern Emirates have been a victim of waste dumping that is not properly managed and is leading to health issues among the residents (Hassan, 2010). 3.2 National level: Excess waste generation day after day leads to additional landfills to be built (Solid waste impacts on human health, 2012). Eventually the city runs out of space to dump waste and exports to other cities (Disposal site , 2012). Dubai, for instance, is running out of space to build more landfills. Two of the already current landfills have been closed as they have exceeded the limit and the other one is expected to last for only seven years time (Al-Khan, 2012). Excess waste output also affects the economy nation-wide. For instance, it was projected in the Green Middle East website that the UAE economy faces a significant loss of about 1.5 billion AED annually as a result of improper recycling (Green Middle East, 2012). 3.3 Global Level It must be comprehended that most waste dumped areas contribute significantly to the green house gases. Methane is one of the most released green house gas from waste sectors contributing to global warming (Waste and Climate Change, 2012). According to a report published by Environment Protection Agency about Global Mitigation of Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases, 12% of methane emissions world-wide are from the landfills of municipal solid waste. Furthermore, if nothing is done about it, the emissions will increase by 9% between the year 2005 and 2020 (Environment Protection Agency). Considering this, the UAEs waste output, in relation to its size, is extensive. UAE contributes 22% of household waste to the 22.2 million tones of waste from GCC countries which makes it second highest in waste generation next to Saudia Arabia (Todorova, 2010). Efforts Made By UAE Government The UAE has developed extensively in the past decades; however, this development has not come without a price. According to Mr. John Schneider, to face this national crisis, the municipalities of the emirates have been struggling with drafting strategies and policies. Abu Dhabis Center of Waste Management (WMC) has been lucky in numerous ventures to manage excess waste output. The establishment which effectively has been in operation since 2009 has taken many positive steps such as renewing contracts to companies, taking over the waste management of all the companies in the Emirates as well as pest control (Schneider, 2012). Moreover, it follows standard operational procedures and technical guidelines for collecting and managing waste. WMC endorses and accepts waste energy henceforth; efforts to generate waste energy have been taken up. Also contracts with outsourced recycling facilities have been established to recycle items (Schneider, 2012). UAE government initiated several public awareness campaigns to direct their citizens toward better waste management. One of the waste management campaigns highlighted by Mr. Schneider (2012) was the idea brought up by 11 year old Cameron Oliver who won the Abu Dhabi Award for Everyday Heroes. His idea urges UAE citizens towards a more responsible use of plastic to save desert animals generally and camels especially. Other campaigns were the product of collaboration between nongovernmental organizations and the UAEs government, together they educated the public about the benefits of waste management and the three Rs reduce, reuse, and recycle. In addition, WMC provided various recycling waste pins at eyeshot around the country to facilitate the recycling assignment for the individual citizen (Schneider, 2012). Furthermore, stricter policies and proper implementation by employing inspectors and contract administrators on daily basis have allowed WMC to deal with illegal dumping of wast e (Schneider, 2012). In an attempt to create awareness and deal with extra waste output, the Government of Sharjah installed reverse vending machines that takes in plastic bottles and aluminum cans which can be recycled accompanied by recycling awards via loyalty cards or other prizes through online accounts (Sharjah to Launch UAEs First Reverse Vending Machines, 2012) Another initiative was taken up by the hotels in the UAE by practicing a new technique of waste management where different rooms and suites are given bins with different colors, each for a particular type of waste. The recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste are separated before they end up in the main garbage dump; consequentially, less waste ends up in the landfill thereby improving new green techniques for keeping the environment clean (Todorova, 2012). The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has been looking forward to reduce waste that ends up in landfill. Landfills have been filling up at a very rapid pace which needs to be slowed down. For this reason, Abu Dhabi government has launched recyclable material programs (Schneider, 2012). In addition, numerous companies in UAE are required to register with the tariff regime of the Central Waste Management (Abu Dhabi To Divert 90% Of Waste From Landfills, 2011). Moreover, Abu Dhabi is imposing a fee for few industries that generate excess waste which is not properly managed. This would compel organizations to adopt recycling and reusing as one way of managing their waste (Abu Dhabi Imposes Waste Management Fees, 2012). Understanding the drawbacks of dumping waste in landfill, Ajman has decided to take up on a new strategy. The emirate has planned to build an incineration facility to acquire energy from waste (Todorova, 2010). Mr. Schneider also highlighted about the current recyclable facilities present in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that are active in collecting recyclable materials such as plastic, paper agricultural waste, textiles, demolition waste, and steel. In future, WMC aims to develop ways to recycle agricultural waste in order to use it as an animal feed for the livestock (Schneider, 2012). Recommendations: It should be dually noted that waste cleanup is a lot more expensive than waste prevention. Following are some other methods that can be used to resolve this issue: 5.1 Individual Level Every individual makes a difference. If every individual changes his habits and actions, collectively, they can bring a huge change in any sector of the society. Citizens should refrain from littering around and throw the trash in proper trash cans. They should prefer buying recyclable and biodegradable products and dispose of recyclable items in the proper recyclable bins. Spread the word, inform, and educate others about this issue. Re-use as much as possible, including bottles and plastic bags 5.2 National Level Governments should do their level best to provide awareness campaigns and advertisements informing the public of the disastrous consequences of excess waste and garbage (Schneider, 2012). Provide recycle bins all over the region Place taxes and fines on companies that produce extra waste above acceptable rate (Schneider, 2012). In addition to enacting laws to stop public littering (Schneider, 2012). Subsidize organic and biodegradable products. Invest in research to study microbial action on breakdown of waste or using waste to release energy (Schneider, 2012). Provide benefits, rewards, and privileges to those industries that best recycle their excess waste and/ or most efficiently convert the waste into energy. 5.3 Global Level: Well developed countries could initiate projects where industries coming from poorly developed countries can market materials that are secondary at a price paid per tonne. A recycling business venture can not only add to the economic system boosting international relations but also improve the environment, on the whole (Bhada-Tata Hoornweg, 2012). Moreover, UAE can enter a legally binding protocol with the neighboring countries such as Bahrain, Iran, Qatar, etc to regulate what waste enters the Persian Gulf since it shares common borders. Well developed countries can assist developing nations by financing proper management of waste. E-waste that is exported to less developed nations should be minimized and proper ways of disposal need to be looked into when manufacturing the product in the first place. Trading substances that are non-biodegradable and persistent in the environment should be stopped or the custom charges should be increased in order to discourage their supply and demand. VI. Conclusion In summary, from the research conducted and insight of Mr. John Schneider, it is quite obvious that UAE is suffering from excess waste output. It also is highlighted that UAE generates tones of waste that is dumped in landfills, mostly. However, the leaders of the UAE are well acquainted with this devastating cycle of waste generation and have adopted ways to deal with it. Nevertheless, this mission of zero-waste output cannot be achieved nationally unless every citizen makes an effort. With collective decrease in consumption and methods of managing waste such as reusing and recycling, UAE can contribute globally to the world in minimizing hazards of waste output.

Theatre Essays Samuel Beckett

Theatre Essays Samuel Beckett Discuss Samuel Becketts handling of identity in his plays Waiting for Godot and Happy Days. The work of Samuel Beckett can be seen to span both the Modernist and Postmodernist paradigms (Bradbury and McFarlane, 1991; Green and LeBihan, 1996), on the one hand being influenced by such canonical Modernist writers as James Joyce and Luigi Pirandello (Knowlson, 1996) and on the other relying heavily on Postmodern notions such as the transgression of the body, the performative identity and the failure of grand narratives such as language and truth. This point is made by Richard Begam in his study Samuel Beckett and the End of Modernity (1996): â€Å"Becketts conception of his undertaking, what we would now call his postmodernism, recognized that an absolute break with the past, a complete supersession of what had gone before, was itself the product of a teleological or modern form of thinking. Proust and Joyce therefore became not figures to be replaced or surmounted but telling points of reference in an ongoing dialogue between past and present.† (Begam, 1996: 14) Beckett’s position as a liminal writer, spanning two distinctly different but obviously connected intellectual regimes, allows us to examine not only his work but the larger context of critical and performance theory. With this in mind, in this essay I would like to look at two main areas of Beckett’s work that are both metonymous with changes in post-War theatre (and perhaps literature) as a whole. Firstly I would like to concentrate on the notion of Postmodernism as it relates to performance, looking at leitmotifs and tropes as they appear in Waiting for Godot (1955) and Happy Days (1961), and secondly I would like to go on to look at the whole notion of identity and its dissolution in these same texts before drawing conclusions as to what this treatment says about the place of performance in contemporary theatre and, perhaps, the wider context of society itself. First of all, however and as a foundation for my later exposition, I would like to offer a brief summary of Postmodernism. Postmodernism, as Fredric Jameson points out, can be best understood through its relationship and difference to Modernism, a philosophical and artistic concept that had it roots in the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century (Bradbury and McFarlane, 1991). In an artistic sense, the Modernist work was characterised by experiment and a rejection of the Romantic subjective self. Works such as T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1989) and James Joyce’s Ulysses (1977) exemplify both the Modernist propensity for innovation and the removed authorial voice and we can certainly see this in many, if not all of Beckett’s theatrical works. Postmodernism, as Jean Francois Lyotard declared in his essay â€Å"The Postmodern Condition† (1991) reflected the breakdown and disillusionment felt by the failure of the very foundations of Modernism; foundations that included such hitherto accepted givens as truth, the self, the homogeneity of Literature and the Arts and many of the other systems of thought that Lyotard termed the ‘metanarratives’ (Lyotard, 1991: 36). Whereas Modernism sought newness and innovation, Postmodernism resulted in the adoption of style over content (Robertson, 1996: 3), the questioning of accepted constructs of knowledge (Foucault, 1989) and the language (Derrida, 2004) and, as we shall see with Beckett the exposure of the artistic machinery. This last point, I think, is crucial to an understanding of Beckett’s place as both a Modernist and a Postmodern writer. As I have already stated, we can recognise certain Modernist images and leitmotifs in Beckett’s work (Eagleton, 1992: 186): the starkly bare characterisation, the dour vision of humanity that we also find in Eliot and Woolf and the conscious effort to experiment and innovate but, underneath this, we also detect a distinctly Postmodern sensibility; one that delights in the deliberate exposure of the performative nature of both the theatre and life. In Waiting for Godot, for instance, there is a constant comic antagonism created between actor and audience, as ideas and lines of narrative are picked up and abandoned without the usual dramatic sense of resolution (Schechner, 1988). In the first Act for example, Estragon begins a joke that is never finished: â€Å"Estragon: Tell it tome! Vladimir: Ah, stop it! Estragon: An Englishman having drunk a little more than usual goes to a brothel. The bawd asks him if he wants a fair one, a dark one, or a red-haired one. Go on. Vladimir: Stop it!† (Beckett, 1955: 16)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The antagonism and frustration engendered by this un-ended joke is more than a mere literary device it is also a performance device that sets up a markedly different actor/audience relationship. Unlike, say, classical Aristotelian dramatic theory that asserts the imperative of the â€Å"incentive moment† (Hartley and Ladu, 1948: 14) the â€Å"rising action† (Hartley and Ladu, 1948: 14) and the resolution, here Beckett (as indeed he does throughout the play) creates a deliberate anti-climax that immediately calls in to question the binary between reality and performance. The same also could be said about much of the dramatic structure of Happy Days, as the workings of the performance are constantly exposed to the gaze of the audience. Here, for instance, Winnie second guesses the thoughts of the audience members as she talks to a passer-by: â€Å"Winnie:†¦What’s she doing? He says – What’s the idea? He says – stuck up to her diddies in the bleeding ground – coarse fellow – What does it mean? He says – what’s it meant to mean – and so on.† (Beckett, 1961: 32)  Ã‚   Here Beckett deconstructs the very essence of the performance itself, exposing the bewildered reaction of the audience to his own drama. In a Postmodern dissolution of identity boundaries, the performer here becomes playwright, audience, character and actor as not only are the thoughts of the character exposed but so too the thoughts of the audience. This is not the only deconstruction of performance Beckett employs in the play. We see, for instance, the questioning of dramatic convention; Happy Days is, for all intents, a monologue but it features two characters, it is about the movement of time but, ironically, the main actor is static throughout and although it is primarily a play about words and not actions it is peppered with pauses and space. All factors that point to both plays as being as much rooted in Postmodernism as Modernism. We have touched upon it already but the overriding sense in both Waiting for Godot and Happy Days is the search and struggle for identity and this also, as we shall see, has a marked impact on the performance of the play and what it means regarding the audience/actor dialectic. The social background to Happy Days was described, in an affective way by Harold Clurman in an early review: â€Å"Beckett is the poet of a morally stagnant society. In this society fear, dismay and a sort of a stunned absent-mindedness prevail in the dark of our consciousness, while a flashy, noisy, bumptious, thick-headed complacency flourishes in the open.† (Clurman, 1998: 235) It is against this backdrop that the characters in the play struggle to maintain their scant identities. Even before the action begins we are made witness to the difficulties in establishing an individual existence as the characters’, names, Winnie and Willie, straightway blur their respective personal boundaries. We see this also to a greater extent in Waiting for Godot, as Gogo, Pozzo and Godot, combine to form a linguistic homogeneity that suggests a group rather than an individual identity. The mise en scene of Happy Days is part Eliotesque wasteland: â€Å"Expanse of scorched grass rising centre to low mound. Gentle slopes downto front and either of stage. Back an abrupter fall to stage level† (Beckett, 1961: 9)   part Postmodern irony, as the backdrop reveals itself to be a self conscious trompe-l’oeil that represents â€Å"unbroken plain and sky receding to meet in far distance.† (Beckett, 1961: 9). Within this, Winnie literally stands as part of the scenery, only half visible that is, in itself, a symbolic representation of both time passing and the extent that she has already lost a great deal of her personal identity. As I have already hinted at, Winnie deconstructs the notion of movement and stasis; on a psychological level she moves quickly between times as in this passage where she and us are taken back into her personal history prompted by the news of a death of a friend: â€Å"Winnie: Charlie Hunter! (Pause) I close my eyes – (she takes off spectacles and does s, hot in one hand, spectacles in other, Willie turns page) – and am sitting on his knees again, in the back garden at Borough Green, under the horse-beech.† (Beckett, 1961: 14) Physically however she is literally trapped, unable to move or stop the flowing of time swallowing her completely. Her identity becomes fashioned by her memories as at first, in the initial Act, they form a reasonable homogeneity and then, in Act Two become more and more diffuse, more and more fractured until by the end of the play she exists as merely snapshots of a life that has been: â€Å"Winnie: Win! (pause)Oh this is a happy days, this will have been another happy day! (Pause) After all (Pause) So far. Pause. She hums tentatively beginning of song, then sings softly, musical box tune.† (Beckett, 1961: 47)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As John Pilling suggests in his study of Samuel Beckett (1976: 85), the playwright twins the enormity of the search for identity in an alienating world with the minutiae of everyday living, as Winnie spends a great deal of the play’s time conducting worthless searches for toothbrushes, or lipsticks or many of the other incidental objects of existence. Ultimately, her search for a personal identity is proved fruitless as she becomes subsumed in that which surrounds her, perhaps a particularly twentieth century vision of the struggle of the personal psychology in the face of the modern city. Waiting for Godot, I think, concerns itself with similar themes and similar characters. Martin Esslin characterised Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as â€Å"concerned with the hope of salvation through the workings of grace† (Esslin, 1968: 55) and we can see that is certainly a major thread in the play. However, we can also note that it concerns itself not with a general salvation but with a very a personal one, with each character desperately searching for their own identity amid the alienation and ennui of the surrounding environment. Most of the play’s linguistic rhythm arises out of the characters’ attempt to assert their own identity in the face of the others: â€Å"Vladimir: Charming evening we’re having. Estragon: Unforgettable. Vladimir: And its not over. Estragon: Apparently not. Vladimir: Its only beginning. Estragon: Its awful. Vladimir: Its worse than being in the theatre.† (Beckett, 1955: 34)   The tooing and froing of the dialogue here is a perfect example of this point, with neither Vladimir nor Estragon willing to surrender themselves to the other. The same can be seen in a more graphic sense with the Pozzo/Lucky relationship that is, at its heart a Hegelian dialectic of the master and slave, with each party attempting (and failing) to break away from the other. In the comic scene towards the end of the play that depicts Vladimir and Estragon exchanging symbolic identities in the form of their hats (Beckett, 1961: 71-72) we can note Beckett’s observation on the ironies of Postmodern life: â€Å"Vladimir takes puts on Lucky’s hat in place of his own which he hands to Estragon. Estragon takes Vladimir’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky’s hat on his head. Estragon hands Vladimir’s hat back to Vladimir who takes it and hands it back to Estragon who takes it and hands it back to Vladimir who takes it and throws it down.† (Beckett, 1955: 72)      The absurdity of this scene arises from the fact that each hat is the same, or at least very similar, so that it makes very little difference which hat ends up on which head. This is, I think, symbolic of the larger treatment of identity within the play; with the playwright suggesting the absurdity of the search for personal individuation. Are not identities much like hats, asks Beckett, remarkably the same? If Happy Days is a study of the search for identity under the crushing weight of time passing, Waiting for Godot is the search for identity within the lightness of forgetfulness. Time in the latter is meaningless, it passes with no affect in fact Estragon can not even remember the events of the day before. Within this, the characters desperately cling to the remnants of their identities whether that be in the form of an oppressive relationship to another, an item of clothing or the feint hope of someone who will never arrive. We can see then that the treatment of identity within Beckett’s two major plays mirrors the questions arising out of Postmodernism, questions that concern the nature of identity and the Self. For Postmodern theorists like Judith Butler (1999) and Michel Foucault (1990) the Self is a performative construct, both given to us by society and adopted as a mask and we note some of this sense in Beckett. Ultimately, then, Beckett’s work deconstructs the very notion of a theatrical performance, suggesting that this is merely one of a number of performances that occurs at any one time. The relationship, then, between the audience and the actor changes from one of passivity to one of dialogue as the former is exposed as relying as much on performance as the latter. This can be seen to be a reflection of Antonin Artaud’s assertions on the Theatre of Cruelty in his second manifesto: â€Å"†¦just as there are to be no empty spatial areas, there must be no let up, no vacuum in the audience’s mind or sensitivity. That is to say there will be no distinct divisions, no gap between life and theatre.† (Artaud, 1985: 84)   Beckett’s work says as much about the identities of the audience as the characters and as much about the performative nature of the wider society as the performance of the theatre. References Artaud, Antonin (1985), The Theatre and its Double, (London: John Calder) Beckett, Samuel (1961), Happy Days, (London: Faber and Faber) Beckett, Samuel (1955), Waiting for Godot, (London: Faber and Faber) Begam, Richard (1996), Samuel Beckett and the End of Modernity, (Stanford: Stanford University Press) Bradbury, Malcolm and McFarlane, James (eds) (1991), Modernism: A Guide to European Literature 1890-1930, (London: Penguin) Butler, Judith (1999), Gender Trouble, (London: Taylor and Francis) Cormier, Ramona and Pallister, Janis (1998), â€Å"En Attendent Godot: Tragedy or Comedy?†, published in Culotta Andonian, Cathleen (ed), The Critical Responses to Samuel Beckett, (London: Greenwood Press) Clurman, Harold (1998), â€Å"Happy Days: Review†, published in Culotta Andonian, Cathleen (ed), The Critical Responses to Samuel Beckett, (London: Greenwood Press) Eagleton, Terry (1992), Literary Theory: An Introduction, (London: Blackwell) Esslin, Martin (1968), The Theatre o f the Absurd, (London: Pelican) Foucault, Michel (1990), The History of Sexuality: Volume 1, (London: Penguin) Green, Keith and LeBihan (1996), Critical Theory and Practice: A Coursebook, (London: Routledge) Hartley, Lodwick and Ladu, Arthur (1948), Patterns in Modern Drama, (London: Prentice Hill) Jameson, Fredric (1991), Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, (London: Duke University) Kenner, Hugh (1973), A Reader’s Guide to Samuel Beckett, (London: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux) Knowlson, James (1996), Dammed to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett, (London: Bloomsbury) Lyotard, Jean Francois (1991), â€Å"The Postmodern Condition†, published in Jenkins, Keith (ed), The Postmodern History Reader, (London: Routledge) Pilling, John (1976), Samuel Beckett, (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul) Robertson, Pamela (1996), Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna, (London: Duke University) Schechner, Richard (1988), Performance Theory, (London: Rout ledge)

Alzheimers Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made. Doctors need a sure way to diagnose the disease before treatment or studies can be done. The diagnosis is an autopsy of brain tissue examined under a microscope. In addition, medical history, a physical exam, and mental status tests are used for diagnosis (Posen, 1995). Often, tests are done to rule out other potential causes of the dementia. This allows the identification of other causes of thinking and behavioral changes to be made before concluding that the patient has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The tests that are requested to be done include CT and MRI scans to rule out strokes or brain tumors which could account for change in memory and behavior; thyroid and psychological tests which can also detect thinking and behavior problems (Posen, 1995). Alzheimer’s is a result from a combination of factors that cause progressive brain deterioration that affects the memory and behavior of an individual. There are two known risk factors. The first risk factor is age. Alzheimer’s usually affects people older than 60, and rarely affects those younger than 40. The average age ALZHEIMER’S 3 of diagnosis is about 80 years old (Johnson, 1989). The incidence is about the same for all races, but women are more likely than men to develop the disease, because they live longer. The second factor is heredity. Family history plays a role in about forty percent of people with early onset of Alzheimer’s (Johnson, 1989). If your parents or a sibling developed the disease, you are more likely to, as well. But there are cases of families with several people who have had this disease and other members are not affected. These two factors are the only proven factors, but environmental research is being done to help with a possible protective effect for the disease. As of now, more research is needed to confirm any be... ...sion of the disease. In addition, the risk factors and preventive measures are quite clear. These can help those who are unaware of what Alzheimer’s disease is or how it progresses. Future studies may prove to be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of Alzheimer’s, or at least the severity of its’ progression. Informing people of this disease, the risk factors, and preventive measures at a younger age, can only prove beneficial in the decrease or possible elimination of this physically and mentally altering disease. Living a healthy life now can only increase your chances of having a healthier life in old age. ALZHEIMER’S 6 Remember: A rolling stone gathers no moss, So exercise your brain now to reduce future loss. ALZHEIMER’S 7 References Johnson, Barbara S. (1989). Psychiatric mental health. (2nd ed.). New York. J.B. Lippincott Company. Posen, P.B (1995, Apr.). Alzheimer’s disease. [ www.document]. (Visited March 12, 2000). URL:Http://www.mayo.edu/research/alzheimers.center. Wallace, Robert. (1998, March). Alzheimer’s disease. [www.document]. (Visited March 12, 2000). URL: Http://www.alzheimers.org/pubs/adfact.htm).

The main differences I am going to look at are the management styles :: Business and Management Studies

The main differences I am going to look at are the management styles related to each of the companies. Introduction This report is looking at the key differences between the two companies that I have been independently researching. The main differences I am going to look at are the management styles related to each of the companies. It also looks at the different structures within the company such as the hierarchy of the company and the range of managers. Ethics is also going to be a key difference between the following companies as they have very separate ideas of what are good/bad behaviors for a business. Both companies are worldwide and well-recognized businesses with thousands of employees and multimillion-dollar profits. Company X In 1975, two teenage friends formed a company. It sold a form of computer language for a self-assembly kit computer based upon Intel processors. The friends were Bill Gates and Paul Allen, they named the company Microsoft. Revenues and profits rose dramatically in the early years. Windows 95 was what really put Microsoft on the map as they started to make billions of dollars in profit each year. Now Microsoft is one of the most profitable companies in the world and Bill Gates is the wealthiest man in the world! Microsoft is now installed in nearly all computers around the world; personally I have never been on a computer that isn’t being run by Windows. That gives you an idea about how big Microsoft really is. Another big issue that concerns Microsoft is the fact that on your average high street there will not be a Microsoft shop. There are not many Microsoft shops in the whole of the U.K. but it is used in nearly every large companies and shops in the world. The Microsoft headquarters are found in the USA but also have separate smaller headquarters around the world. Company Y McDonalds is the world leading food services in the world today; it has 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries and serves 47 million customers each day of the week. It is also one of the most well recognized companies such as Microsoft. It all started in 1955 a good 20 years before the likes of Microsoft. McDonalds is a franchised company meaning a different person owns each restaurant but all have to pay McDonalds main company at one time or another. They’re about 2,800 employees under the McDonalds name. The headquarters for this company is just outside Chicago, in Oak Brook. Each country has its own individual headquarters but all report back to the one in Oak Brook. Even though these two companies seem the same they are very

Audit – Solutions for Chapter 2

* Solutions for Chapter 2 * Corporate Governance Review Questions: 2-1. Corporate governance is defined as: â€Å"a process by which the owners and creditors of an organization exert control and require accountability for the resources entrusted to the organization. The owners (stockholders) elect a board of directors to provide oversight of the organization’s activities and accountability back to its stakeholders. † The key players in corporate governance are the stockholders (owners), board of directors, audit committees, management, regulatory bodies, and both internal and external auditors. -2. In the past decade, all parties failed to a certain extent. For detailed analysis, see exhibit 2. 2 in the chapter and repeated here: Corporate Governance Responsibilities and Failures Party | Overview of Responsibilities| Overview of Corporate Governance Failures| Stockholders| Broad Role: Provide effective oversight through election of Board process, approve major initiativ es, buy or sell stock. | Focused on short-term prices; failed to perform long-term growth analysis; abdicated all responsibilities to management as long as stock price increased. Board of Directors| Broad Role: the major representative of stockholders to ensure that the organization is run according to the organization charter and there is proper accountability. Specific activities include: * Selecting management. * Reviewing management performance and determining compensation. * Declaring dividends * Approving major changes, e. g. mergers * Approving corporate strategy * Overseeing accountability activities. | * Inadequate oversight of management. * Approval of management compensation plans, particularly stock options that rovided perverse incentives, including incentives to manage earnings. * Non-independent, often dominated by management. * Did not spend sufficient time or have sufficient expertise to perform duties. * Continually re-priced stock options when market price decline d. | Management| Broad Role: Operations and Accountability. Managing the organization effectively and provide accurate and timely accountability to shareholders and other stakeholders. Specific activities include: * Formulating strategy and risk appetite. * Implementing effective internal controls. * Developing financial reports. Developing other reports to meet public, stakeholder, and regulatory requirements. | * Earnings management to meet analyst expectations. * Fraudulent financial reporting. * Pushing accounting concepts to achieve reporting objective. * Viewed accounting as a tool, not a framework for accurate reporting. | Audit Committees of the Board of Directors| Broad Role: Provide oversight of the internal and external audit function and the process of preparing the annual accuracy financial statements and public reports on internal control. Specific activities include: * Selecting the external audit firm. Approving any non-audit work performed by audit firm. * Selecting and/or approving the appointment of the Chief Audit Executive (Internal Auditor), * Reviewing and approving the scope and budget of the internal audit function. * Discussing audit findings with internal auditor and external auditor and advising the Board (and management) on specific actions that should be taken. | * Similar to Board members – did not have expertise or time to provide effective oversight of audit functions. * Were not viewed by auditors as the ‘audit client’. Rather the power to hire and fire the auditors often rested with management. Self-Regulatory Organizations: AICPA, FASB| Broad Role: Setting accounting and auditing standards dictating underlying financial reporting and auditing concepts. Set the expectations of audit quality and accounting quality. Specific roles include: * Establishing accounting principles * Establishing auditing standards * Interpreting previously issued standards * Implementing quality control processes to ensure audit quality. * Educating members on audit and accounting requirements. | * AICPA: Peer reviews did not take a public perspective; rather than looked at standards that were developed and reinforced internally. AICPA: Leadership transposed the organization for a public organization to a â€Å"trade association† that looked for revenue enhancement opportunities for its members. * AICPA: Did not actively involve third parties in standard setting. * FASB: Became more rule-oriented in response to (a) complex economic transactions; and (b) an auditing profession that was more oriented to pushing the rules rather than enforcing concepts. * FASB: Pressure from Congress to develop rules that enhanced economic growth, e. g. allowing organizations to not expense stock options. Other Self-Regulatory Organizations, e. g. NYSE, NASD| Broad Role: Ensuring the efficiency of the financial markets including oversight of trading and oversight of companies that are allowed to trade on the exchange. S pecific activities include: * Establishing listing requirements – including accounting requirements, governance requirements, etc. * Overseeing trading activities,| * Pushed for improvements for better corporate governance procedures by its members, but failed to implement those same procedures for its governing board, management, and trading specialists. Regulatory Agencies: the SEC| Broad Role: Ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and fairness of public reporting of financial and other information for public companies. Specific activities include: * Reviewing all mandatory filings with the SEC, * Interacting with the FASB in setting accounting standards, * Specifying independence standards required of auditors that report on public financial statements, * Identify corporate frauds, investigate causes, and suggest remedial actions. * Identified problems but was never granted sufficient resources by Congress or the Administration to deal with the issues. | External Auditors| Broa d Role: Performing audits of company financial statements to ensure that the statements are free of material misstatements including misstatements that may be due to fraud. Specific activities include: * Audits of public company financial statements, * Audits of non-public company financial statements, * Other accounting related work such as tax or consulting. | * Pushed accounting concepts to the limit to help organizations achieve earnings objectives. Promoted personnel based on ability to sell â€Å"non-audit products†. * Replaced direct tests of accounting balances with a greater use of inquiries, risk analysis, and analytics. * Failed to uncover basic frauds in cases such as WorldCom and HealthSouth because fundamental audit procedures were not performed. | Internal Auditors| Broad Role: Perform audits of companies for compliance with company policies and laws, audits to evaluate the efficiency of operations, and audits to determine the accuracy of financial reporting pr ocesses.Specific activities include: * Reporting results and analyses to management, (including operational management), and audit committees, * Evaluating internal controls. | * Focused efforts on ‘operational audits’ and assumed that financial auditing was addressed sufficiently by the external audit function. * Reported primarily to management with little effective reporting to the audit committee. * In some instances (HealthSouth, WorldCom) did not have access to the corporate financial accounts. | 2-3.The board of directors is often at the top of the list when it comes to responsibility for corporate governance failures. Some of the problems with the board of directors included: * Inadequate oversight of management. * Approval of management compensation plans, particularly stock options that provided perverse incentives, including incentives to manage earnings. * Non-independent, often dominated by management. * Did not spend sufficient time or have sufficient expe rtise to perform duties. * Continually re-priced stock options when market price declined. 2-4.Some of the ways the auditing profession was responsible were: * Too concerned about creating â€Å"revenue enhancement† opportunities for the firm, and less concerned about their core services or talents * Were willing to â€Å"push† accounting standards to the limit to help clients achieve earnings goals * Began to use more audit â€Å"shortcuts† such as inquiry and analytical procedures instead of direct testing of account balance. * Relied on management representations instead of testing management representations. * Were too often ‘advocates’ of management rather than protectors of users. 2-5.Cookie jar reserves are essentially liabilities or contra-assets that companies have overestimated in previous years to use when times are tougher to smooth earnings. The rationale is that the funds are then used to â€Å"smooth† earnings in the years when earnings need a boost. â€Å"Smooth† earnings typically are looked upon more favorably by the stock market. An example of a cookie jar reserve would be over-estimating an allowance account, such as allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance account is then written down (and into the income statement) in a bad year. The result is to increase earnings in the subsequent year. 2-6.Users should expect auditors to have the expertise, independence, and professional skepticism to render an unbiased and justified opinion on the financial statements. Auditors are expected to gather sufficient applicable evidence to render an independent opinion on the financial statements. 2-7. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was designed to â€Å"clean-up† corporate America, especially in the realms of financial reporting. The overall intent was to encourage better corporate governance; to make the audit committee the auditor’s client; encourage the independence and oversight of the board, a nd improve the independence of the external audit profession.There were certainly many factors that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, but the failures at Enron and WorldCom will probably be pointed to in the future as the major factors that led to the act being passed when it was. The Congress intended to develop a new reporting process that would provide just cause for the public to again trust financial statements and the audit processes leading up to the audit opinion. 2-8. The PCAOB is mandated by Congress to set standards for audits of public companies and perform quality control inspections of CPA firms that audit public companies.In order to carry out these responsibilities, the PCAOB requires all firms that audit U. S. listed (public) companies to register with it. It performs annual inspections on all audit firms that audit more than 100 public companies each year. It performs less frequent inspections, usually once every three years, for audit firms that audit less than 100 c ompanies annually. The PCAOB issues Inspection Reports for each inspection that is performed. The first part describes problems they encountered in their reviews of audits and that part is made public.The second part describes problems that the firms have with their quality control process. The second part is not issued publicly unless the firms fail to address the problems pointed out within a reasonable time frame – usually no more than a year. 2-9. Management has always been responsible for fairness, completeness, and accuracy of financial statements, but the Sarbanes-Oxley Act goes a step further by requiring the CEO and CFO to certify the accuracy of financial statements with criminal penalties as a punishment for materially misstated statements.The CEO and CFO must make public their certifications and assume responsibility for the fairness of the financial presentations. It thereby encourages organizations to improve their financial reporting functions. 2-10. Whistle bl owing enables violations of a company’s ethical code to be reported to appropriate levels in an organization, including the audit committee. Because of its presence, potential violators know that there is a real possibility and simple avenue by which inappropriate actions may be revealed.As such, it contains a preventive component that is indirectly helpful to the audit committee in fulfilling its corporate governance role. 2-11. There are a number of provisions that are designed to increase auditor independence. First, Rule 201 of the Act prohibits any registered public accounting firm from providing many non-audit services to their public audit clients. Second, the audit committee became the â€Å"client† instead of management, and only the audit committee can hire and fire auditors. Third, audit partners are required to rotate every five years.Finally, the auditors are expected to follow fundamental principles of independence that have been enacted by the SEC (more details in Chapter 3). 2-12. Management is responsible for issued financial statements. Although other parties may be sued for what is contained in the statements, management is ultimately responsible. Ownership is important because it establishes responsibility and accountability. Management must set up and monitor financial reporting systems that help it meet its reporting obligations. It cannot delegate this responsibility to the auditors. 2-13.An audit committee is a subcommittee of the board of directors that is composed of independent, outside directors. The audit committee has oversight responsibility (on behalf of the full board of directors and its stockholders) for the outside reporting of the company (including annual financial statements); risk monitoring and control processes; and both internal and external audit functions. 2-14. An outside director is not a member of management, legal counsel, a major vendor, outside service provider, former employee, or others who may have a personal relationship with management that might impair their objectivity or independence.The audit committee is responsible for assessing the independence of the external auditor and engage only auditors it believes are independent. Auditors are now hired and fired by audit committee members, not management. The intent is to make auditor accountability more congruent with stockholder and third-party needs. 2-15. The primary point of this question is for students to understand that the audit committee’s role is one of oversight rather than direct responsibility. For example, management is responsible for the fairness of the financial statements.Auditors are responsible for their audit and independent assessment of financial reporting. The audit committee is not designed to replace the responsibility of either of these functions. The audit committee’s oversight processes are to see that the management processes for financial reporting are adequate and the audito r’s carry out their responsibilities in an independent and competent manner. 2-16. The audit committee has the ability to hire and fire both the internal auditor and the external auditor.However, in the case of the internal audit function, the audit committee has the ability to hire and fire the head of internal audit as well as set the audit plan and budget. The audit committee does not control regulatory auditors, but should meet with regulatory auditors to understand the scope of their work and to discuss audit findings with them. 2-17. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act applies only to public companies. Therefore, the Act does not require non-public companies to have audit committees. That is not to say that it does not happen or is not a good idea, however.Most stakeholders want an independent party to ensure that their interests are being considered. The AICPA recommends audit committees for smaller public companies. 2-18. The external auditor should discuss any controversial accou nting choices with the audit committee and must communicate all significant adjustments made to the financial statements during the course of the audit. In addition, the processes used in making judgments and estimates as well as any disagreements with management should be communicated.Other items that need to be communicated include: * All adjustments that were not made during the course of the audit, * Difficulties in conducting the audit, * The auditor’s assessment of the accounting principles used and overall fairness of the financial presentation, * The client’s consultation with other auditors, * Any consultation with management before accepting the audit engagement, * Significant deficiencies in internal control. 2-19. The audit committee needs to ensure that the auditor is independent with respect to the annual audit.In order to ensure that independence, the audit committee must consider all other services that might be performed by the external auditor and app rove any such services, in advance. If the audit committee approves the services, they are in essence saying that the provision of the services will not impair the auditor’s independence. 2-20. Good governance is important to the external auditor for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to the following. Good governance * usually leads to better corporate performance, reflects a commitment to a high level of ethics, integrity, and sets a strong tone for the organization’s activities, * requires a commitment to financial reporting competencies and to good internal controls, * reduces the risk that the company will have materially misstated financial statements. If a client does not have good governance, there are greater risks associated with the client. For example, their poor performance may lead to financial failure and lack of payment of the audit fee.Or their poor governance may lead to improprieties in financial reporting, which puts the auditor at risk in terms of litigation (if the improprieties go undetected by the auditor). 2-21. The auditor might utilize the following procedures in determining the actual level of governance in an organization: * observe the functioning of the audit committee by participating in the meetings, noting the quality of the audit committee questions and responses, * interactions with management regarding issues related to the audit, e. g. * providing requested information on a timely basis, quality of financial personnel in making judgments, * accounting choices that tend to ‘push the limits’ towards aggressiveness or creating additional reported net income, * the quality of internal controls within the organization. * review the minutes of the board of directors meetings to determine that they are consistent with good governance, * review internal audit reports and especially determine the actions taken by management concerning the internal auditor’s findings and recommendations , * review the compensation plan for top management, review management expense reimbursements to determine (a) completeness of documentation, (b) appropriateness of requested reimbursement, and (c) extent of such requests. * review management’s statements to the financial press to determine if they are consistent with the company’s operations. 2-22. Good corporate governance is correlated with increased corporate performance as measured by return on equity, or return on capital. Generally, good corporate governance reduces audit risk as it is less likely that the organization will suffer from problems of management integrity, or would have an environment that might allow or permit fraud.Less audit risk implies that the amount of work to render an opinion on the financial statements would also be less than that required for a company with poorer corporate governance. 2-23. The three categories of audit standards are general standards, fieldwork standards, and reporting standards. General standards cover the characteristics of the auditor – technical training and proficiency, independence, and due professional care. Fieldwork standards provide guidance concerning planning and performing the audit.Reporting standards cover the essential elements of the auditor’s communication, including the opinion, the criteria against which the assertions were tested, and an explanation of the basis for the attestor’s opinion. 2-24. Due professional care is the expectation that an audit will be conducted with the skill and care of a professional. The standard of due professional care plays a role in litigation against auditors. Plaintiffs will try to show that the auditor did not do what a reasonably prudent auditor would have done.To evaluate the standard, a third-party also decides whether someone with similar skills in a similar situation would have acted in the same way. 2-25. There are three important dimensions identified in Exhibit 2. 5 : * Scope of Information on which assurance is provided, * Nature of Organizations on which assurance is provided, * Domicile of Company being audited. These three dimensions influence the identification of applicable auditing standards as follows: * A U. S. public company filing annual reports follows PCAOB standards. A U. S. non-public company issuing financial statements, follows AICPA standards, * A foreign company filing financial statements in a different country follows International Standards or the standards of that country, * U. S. companies reporting on other than financial information follows AICPA Attestation or Assurance Standards. 2-26. For the most part, the standards issued by the IAASB are quite similar to that of the two U. S. based audit standard setters. They differ in the following major ways: The auditor must assess the appropriateness of the accounting framework against which the audit opinion will be given (U. S. standards require only that the auditor commu nicate if the accounting is not consistent with U. S. GAAP. ) * IAASB utilizes a concept of Professional Skepticism rather than independence. * The IAASB utilizes a concept of ‘reasonable assurance’ compared with the U. S. evidence on sufficiency of audit evidence and due professional care, * The IAASB standards include both audit standards and assurance standards. 2-27.The IAASB Audit Standards are quite consistent with that of the PCAOB as well as that of the AICPA. Most of the concepts are the same, but are stated differently. They are very similar in the following ways: * Requirement of independence, * Gathering and evaluation of sufficient evidence, * Documentation of audit work, * Audit designed to minimize audit risk, * Due professional care vs. reasonable assurance, * Nature of the audit report The AICPA and the IAASB have announced a plan to work towards convergence of existing and future standards. The PCAOB has not yet announced a plan for convergence. 2-28.A n audit engagement applies to the development of an opinion on an organization’s financial statements. It is planned that the financial statements will be used by third parties who do not have direct access to client data. The audit engagement is a form of ‘positive assurance’ in which an opinion must be rendered. An assurance engagement differs from an audit in a number of important dimensions: * It can apply to almost any assertion that management wants to make as long as there is agreed-upon criteria by which to test management’s assertion. It is preferable that the criteria are generally accepted. An assurance engagement generally requires a third party (although assurance can also be provided to the audit client), but it is an identified third-party as opposed to a potential user of financial statements, * Assurance can be given on individual items of a company’s financial statements, rather than the full set of statements. 2-29. Assurance enga gements are designed to provide ‘positive assurance’, i. e. the item being attested to is either properly presented, or is not properly presented. For example, one of the Big 4 firms provides assurance to the audience that the votes are properly maintained and counted for the Emmy Awards.A ‘limited assurance engagement’ does not contemplate a full audit or assurance engagement such that sufficient information (evidence) is gathered to warrant a positive statement about whether the item being assured is, or is not, properly presented. Rather, based on a more limited amount of work, the auditor either states that ‘nothing came to his or her attention – based on the limited procedures – that indicates something is not fairly presented’. This is often referred to as ‘negative assurance’. An even more limited assurance engagement is one in which the accountant expresses ‘no assurance’ whatsoever on the item be ing reported. -30. * Auditing Standards apply to the auditor’s task of developing and then communicating an opinion on financial statements and, where applicable, independent opinions on the quality of an organization’s internal control over financial statements to the board, management, and outside third parties. * Assurance Standards apply the auditor’s task of developing and communicating an opinion on financial information outside of the normal financial statements, or on non-financial information to management, the board, and outside third-parties.Assurance services are engagements in which a practitioner expresses a conclusion designed to enhance the degree of confidence of the intended users about the outcome of the evaluation or measurement of a subject matter against criteria. * Attestation Standards is a term used by the AICPA to describe assurance services that involve gathering evidence regarding specific assertions and communicating an opinion on th e fairness of the presentation to a third party. Compilation and Review Standards refer to AICPA Standards that apply only to non-public companies where the board or a user has requested some assurance on the fairness of presentation of financial statements. These are referred to as negative assurance standards because the auditor does not gather enough evidence to support a statement as to whether the financial statements are fairly presented. 2-31. Independence means objectivity and freedom from bias. The auditor can favor neither the client nor the third party in evaluating the fairness of the financial statements The auditor must be independent in fact and in appearance.Independence in fact means the auditor is unbiased and objective. An auditor could be independent in fact if he or she owned a few shares of common stock in an audit client, but might not appear independent to a third party. Independence in appearance means that a third party with knowledge of the auditor’ s relationship with the client would consider the auditor to be independent. Professional skepticism, as used in the standards promulgated by the IAASB, has a broader meaning in that it refers to all of the factors that would affect an auditor’s ability to exercise proper skepticism in an audit engagement.The factors to be considered vary from those associated with the individual, such as objectivity, to those associated with the structure of the firm. These are similar to the independence standards that emphasize both audit firm relationships to the client as well as objectivity. However, the IAASB emphasis on professional skepticism goes a bit further: an auditor could be objective, but not necessarily exercise professional skepticism, i. e. being open to potential explanations of events that are not consistent with the auditor’s prior experiences. Professional skepticism appears to be a broader term than independence. 2-32.PCAOB – sets audit standards for the audits of all public companies that are registered with the SEC AICPA * sets audit standards for audits of non-public companies * sets attestation standards for areas other than public company reports on internal control sets standards for assurance services that are less in scope than an audit, such as reviews and compilations IAASB – sets standards for financial statement audits on an international basis. Right now, the international standards are being increasingly accepted by all political jurisdictions, but particularly in Europe and many developing countries. Harmonization with U.S. will continue to be an objective. GAO – sets the standards for financial audits of governmental entities within the U. S. and certain other organizations that receive Federal financial assistance. Goes beyond financial statement audits and also provides standards related to program audits for economy and efficiency of operations. IASB – sets standards for the professional prac tice of internal auditing around the world. Incorporates other standards by reference where applicable. 2-33. General Standards: The audit and attestation standards both require adequate technical training, expertise, and knowledge.They also both require independence and due professional care. The attestation standards differ in that they explicitly require links between assertions and reasonable criteria and a reasonably consistent estimation process; the audit standards implicitly assume this link. Fieldwork Standards: The audit and attestation standards both require planning and sufficient evidence. The audit standards go a step further in requiring an understanding of the entity and its environment. Reporting Standards: The reporting standards are completely different. Each reflects the underlying purpose of the engagement, i. . , the audit is designed to test whether the financials adhere to GAAP, whereas the attestation is designed to test a broader and more diverse set of ass ertions. 2-34. An audit program follows good corporate governance in the following way: Good governance is critical to the development of sound controls in an organization. The stronger the controls, the less risk that the financial statements will be misstated. The development of audit programs follow the standards in determining that sufficient evidence is gathered in order to evaluate the assertions being addressed in the audit engagement.Further, the gathering and evaluation of that evidence must be done by auditors who are independent of the client – in both fact and in appearance. Finally, the work must be carried out by auditors that understand the standards and exercise due professional care in the conduct of the audit engagement. 2-35. The major planning steps are: * Meeting with the audit client * Developing an understanding of the client’s business and industry * Develop an understanding of the client’s financial reporting processes and controls * Dev elop an understanding of materiality Develop a preliminary audit program that identifies the audit objectives defined in chapter 1. 2-36. Materiality is defined as the â€Å"magnitude of an omission or misstatement of accounting information that, in light of surrounding circumstances, makes it probable that the judgement of a reasonable person relying on the information would have been changed or influenced by the omission or misstatement. † Materiality guidelines usually involve applying percentages to some base, such as total assets, total revenue, or pretax income and consideration of qualitative factors such as the impact on important trends or ratios.The base should be a â€Å"stable† account however, making total assets a better choice than pretax income. 2-37. The auditor would take a sample of all additions to PP&E and verify the cost through reference to vendor invoices to determine that cost is accurately recorded and that title has passed to the company. If the company was considered high risk, the auditor might choose to physically verify the existence of the asset. Multiple Choice Questions: 2-38. d. 2-39. d. this is part of the profession’s problem, but not a cause of the failure. 2-40. a. 2-41. d. 2-42. a. 2-43. . 2-44. d. 2-45. b. 2-46. a. 2-47. f. Discussion and Research Questions: 2-48. a. The auditor might use the following approaches to determine whether a corporate code of ethics is actually followed: * observe corporate behavior in tests performed during the audit, e. g. approaches the company takes to purchasing goods, promoting personnel, and so forth, * observe criteria for promoting personnel; for example does performance always take on greater importance than how things are done, * observe corporate plans to communicate the importance of ethical behavior, e. g. ebcasts, emails, and so forth to communicate the importance of ethics, * review activity on the client’s whistleblowing website, or a summary of wh istleblowing activities reported by the internal auditor, * read a sample of self-evaluations by corporate officers, the board, and the audit committee and compare with the auditor’s observations of behavior, * examine sales transactions made during the end of quarters to determine if the sales reflect ‘performance goals’ as opposed to the company’s code of ethics. b. Are auditors equipped to make subjective judgments?This should be a great discussion question because many young people are attracted to the accounting profession because there are rules and relative certainty as to how things are done. However, as the profession is evolving, more judgments are required in both auditing and accounting. Audit personnel need to be equipped to make judgments on whether the company’s governance structure operates as intended and whether there are deficiencies in internal control when it does not operate effectively. The profession believes that auditors ca n make such judgments. . Assessing the competence of the audit committee can occur in a number of ways. Fortunately, the most persuasive evidence comes from the auditor’s direct interaction with the audit committee on a regular basis. The auditor can determine the nature of questions asked, the depth of understanding shared among audit committee members, and the depth of items included in the audit committee agenda. Many audit committees have self-assessment of their activities using criteria developed by CPA firms, or by the National Association of Corporate Directors.The auditor should also review the minutes of the audit committee meetings and determine the amount of time spent on important issues. An external auditor should be very reluctant to accept an audit engagement where the audit committee is perceived to be weak. There are a number of reasons including: * The lack of good governance most likely influences the organization’s culture and is correlated with a lack of commitment to good internal control. * The auditor has less protection from the group that is designed to assist the auditor in achieving independence. The company may be less likely to be fully forthcoming in discussions with the auditor regarding activities that the auditor might question. d. Internal auditing is an integral part of good corporate governance. It contributes to corporate governance in three distinct ways: * It assists the audit committee in its oversight role by performing requested audits and reporting to the audit committee, * It assists senior management in assessing the continuing quality of its oversight over internal control throughout the organization, * It assists operational management by providing feedback on the quality of its operations and controls. -49. a. Corporate governance is defined as: â€Å"a process by which the owners and creditors of an organization exert control and require accountability for the resources entrusted to the organiza tion. The owners (stockholders) elect a board of directors to provide oversight of the organization’s activities and its accountability to stakeholders. † The key players in corporate governance are the stockholders (owners), board of directors, audit committees, management, regulatory bodies, and auditors (both internal and external). b.In the past decade especially, all parties failed to a certain extent. For detailed analysis, see exhibit 2. 2 in the chapter and reproduced below: Corporate Governance Responsibilities and Failures Party | Overview of Responsibilities| Overview of Corporate Governance Failures| Stockholders| Broad Role: Provide effective oversight through election of Board process, approve major initiatives, buy or sell stock. | Focused on short-term prices; failed to perform long-term growth analysis; abdicated all responsibilities to management as long as stock price increased. Board of Directors| Broad Role: the major representative of stockholders to ensure that the organization is run according to the organization charter and there is proper accountability. Specific activities include: * Selecting management. * Reviewing management performance and determining compensation. * Declaring dividends * Approving major changes, e. g. mergers * Approving corporate strategy * Overseeing accountability activities. | * Inadequate oversight of management. * Approval of management compensation plans, particularly stock options that provided perverse incentives, including incentives to manage earnings. Non-independent, often dominated by management. * Did not spend sufficient time or have sufficient expertise to perform duties. * Continually re-priced stock options when market price declined. | Management| Broad Role: Operations and Accountability. Managing the organization effectively and provide accurate and timely accountability to shareholders and other stakeholders. Specific activities include: * Formulating strategy and risk appetit e. * Implementing effective internal controls. * Developing financial reports. * Developing other reports to meet public, stakeholder, and regulatory requirements. * Earnings management to meet analyst expectations. * Fraudulent financial reporting. * Pushing accounting concepts to achieve reporting objective. * Viewed accounting as a tool, not a framework for accurate reporting. | Audit Committees of the Board of Directors| Broad Role: Provide oversight of the internal and external audit function and the process of preparing the annual accuracy financial statements and public reports on internal control. Specific activities include: * Selecting the external audit firm. * Approving any non-audit work performed by audit firm. Selecting and/or approving the appointment of the Chief Audit Executive (Internal Auditor), * Reviewing and approving the scope and budget of the internal audit function. * Discussing audit findings with internal auditor and external auditor and advising the Boa rd (and management) on specific actions that should be taken. | * Similar to Board members – did not have expertise or time to provide effective oversight of audit functions. * Were not viewed by auditors as the ‘audit client’. Rather the power to hire and fire the auditors often rested with management. Self-Regulatory Organizations: AICPA, FASB| Broad Role: Setting accounting and auditing standards dictating underlying financial reporting and auditing concepts. Set the expectations of audit quality and accounting quality. Specific roles include: * Establishing accounting principles * Establishing auditing standards * Interpreting previously issued standards * Implementing quality control processes to ensure audit quality. * Educating members on audit and accounting requirements. | * AICPA: Peer reviews did not take a public perspective; rather than looked at standards that were developed and reinforced internally. AICPA: Leadership transposed the organization fo r a public organization to a â€Å"trade association† that looked for revenue enhancement opportunities for its members. * AICPA: Did not actively involve third parties in standard setting. * FASB: Became more rule-oriented in response to (a) complex economic transactions; and (b) an auditing profession that was more oriented to pushing the rules rather than enforcing concepts. * FASB: Pressure from Congress to develop rules that enhanced economic growth, e. g. allowing organizations to not expense stock options. Other Self-Regulatory Organizations, e. g. NYSE, NASD| Broad Role: Ensuring the efficiency of the financial markets including oversight of trading and oversight of companies that are allowed to trade on the exchange. Specific activities include: * Establishing listing requirements – including accounting requirements, governance requirements, etc. * Overseeing trading activities,| * Pushed for improvements for better corporate governance procedures by its membe rs, but failed to implement those same procedures for its governing board, management, and trading specialists. Regulatory Agencies: the SEC| Broad Role: Ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and fairness of public reporting of financial and other information for public companies. Specific activities include: * Reviewing all mandatory filings with the SEC, * Interacting with the FASB in setting accounting standards, * Specifying independence standards required of auditors that report on public financial statements, * Identify corporate frauds, investigate causes, and suggest remedial actions. | * Identified problems but was never granted sufficient resources by Congress or the Administration to deal with the issues. External Auditors| Broad Role: Performing audits of company financial statements to ensure that the statements are free of material misstatements including misstatements that may be due to fraud. Specific activities include: * Audits of public company financial statements, * Audits of non-public company financial statements, * Other accounting related work such as tax or consulting. | * Pushed accounting concepts to the limit to help organizations achieve earnings objectives. * Promoted personnel based on ability to sell â€Å"non-audit products†. Replaced direct tests of accounting balances with a greater use of inquiries, risk analysis, and analytics. * Failed to uncover basic frauds in cases such as WorldCom and HealthSouth because fundamental audit procedures were not performed. | Internal Auditors| Broad Role: Perform audits of companies for compliance with company policies and laws, audits to evaluate the efficiency of operations, and audits to determine the accuracy of financial reporting processes. Specific activities include: *Reporting results and analyses to management, (including operational management), and audit committees, * Evaluating internal controls. | * Focused efforts on ‘operational audits’ and assumed that fina ncial auditing was addressed sufficiently by the external audit function. * Reported primarily to management with little effective reporting to the audit committee. * In some instances (HealthSouth, WorldCom) did not have access to the corporate financial accounts. | c. There is an inverse relationship between corporate governance and risk to the auditor i. e. he better the quality of corporate governance, the lower the risk to the auditor. This relationship occurs because lower levels of corporate governance implies two things for the auditor: * There is more likelihood that the organization will have misstatements in its financial statements because the commitment to a strong organizational structure and oversight is missing, * There is greater risk to the auditor because the governance structure is not designed to prevent/detect such misstatements, and will likely not be as forthcoming when the auditor questions potential problems. -50. Element of Poor Corporate Governance| Audit Activity to Determine if Governance is actually Poor| Risk Implication of Poor Governance| The company is in the financial services sector and has a large number of consumer loans, including mortgages, outstanding. | This is not necessarily poor governance. However, the auditor needs to determine the amount of risk that is inherent in the current loan portfolio and whether the risk could have been managed through better risk management by the organization. The lack of good risk management by the organization increases the risk that the financial statements will be misstated because of the difficulty of estimating the allowance for loan losses. The auditor will have to focus increased efforts on estimating loan losses, including a comparison of how the company is doing in relation to the other companies in the financial sector. | The CEO and CFO’s compensation is based on three components: (a) base salary, (b) bonus based on growth in assets and profits, and (c) significant s tock options. This is a rather common compensation package and, by itself, is not necessarily poor corporate governance. However, in combination with other things, the use of ‘significant stock options’ may create an incentive for management to potentially manage reported earnings in order to boost the price of the company’s stock. The auditor can determine if it is poor corporate governance by determining the extent that other safeguards are in place to protect the company. In combination with other things, the use of ‘significant stock options’ may create an incentive for management to potentially manage reported earnings in order to boost the price of the company’s stock. The auditor should carefully examine if the company’s reported earnings and stock price differs broadly from companies in the same sector. If that is the case, there is a possibility of earnings manipulation and the auditor should investigate to see if such manipula tion is occurring. The audit committee meets semi-annually. It is chaired by a retired CFO who knows the company well because she had served as the CFO of a division of the firm before retirement. The other two members are local community members – one is the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the other is a retired executive from a successful local manufacturing firm. | There is a strong indicator of poor corporate governance.If the audit committee meets only twice a year, it is unlikely that it is devoting appropriate amounts of time to its oversight function, including reports from both internal and external audit. There is another problem in that the chair of the audit committee was previously employed by the company and would not meet the definition of an independent director. Finally, the problems with the other two members is that there is no indication that either of them have sufficient financial expertise. This is an example of poor governance because (1) it s ignals that the organization has not made a commitment to independent oversight by the audit committee, (2) the lack of financial expertise means that the auditor does not have someone independent that they can discuss controversial accounting or audit issues that arise during the course of the audit. If there is a disagreement with management, the audit committee does not have the expertise to make independent judgments on whether the auditor or management has the appropriate view of he accounting or audit issues. | The company has an internal auditor who reports directly to the CFO, and makes an annual report to the audit committee. | The good news is that the organization has an internal audit activity. | The bad news is that a staff of one isn’t necessarily as large or as diverse as it needs to be to cover the major risks of the organization. The external auditor will be more limited in determining the extent that his or her work can rely on the internal auditor. The CEO is a dominating personality – not unusual in this environment. He has been on the job for 6 months and has decreed that he is streamlining the organization to reduce costs and centralize authority (most of it in him). | A dominant CEO is not especially unusual, but the centralization of power in the CEO is a risk that many aspects of governance, as well as internal control could be overridden. The auditor should look at policy manuals, as well as interview other members of management and the board – especially the audit committee. The centralization of power in the CEO is a risk that many aspects of governance, as well as internal control could be overridden. This increases the amount of audit risk. | The Company has a loan committee. It meets quarterly to approve, on an ex-post basis all loans that are over $300 million (top 5% for this institution). | The auditor should observe the minutes of the loan committee to verify its meetings. The auditor should also intervie w the chairman of the loan committee to understand both its policies and its attitude towards controls and risk. There are a couple of elements in this statement that carries great risk to the audit and to the organization. First, the loan committee only meets quarterly. Economic conditions change more rapidly than once a quarter, and thus the review is not timely. Second, the only loans reviewed are (a) large loans that (b) have already been made. Thus, the loan committee does not act as a control or a check on management or the organization. The risk is that many more loans than would be expected could be delinquent, and need to be written down. The previous auditor has resigned because of a dispute regarding the accounting treatment and fair value assessment of some of the loans. | The auditor should contact the previous auditor to obtain an understanding as to the factors that led the previous auditor to either resign or be fired. The auditor is also concerned with who led the c harge to get rid of the auditor. | This is a very high risk indicator. The auditor would look extremely bad if the previous auditor resigned over a valuation issue and the new auditor failed to adequately address the same issue.Second, this is a risk factor because the organization shows that it is willing to get rid of auditors with whom they do not agree. This is a problem of auditor independence and coincides with the above identification of the weakness of the audit committee. This action confirms a generally poor quality of corporate governance. | 2-51. a. External auditors are supposed to perform audits of financial statements to ensure that the statements are free of material misstatements. They work for each of the parties to a certain extent and since they are independent, they will not favor any party over the other.The auditors are an independent and objective attestor that evaluates the quality of financial reporting and conveys an opinion to all parties involved in corp orate governance. b. Some of the ways the accounting profession was responsible were: * Were too concerned about creating â€Å"revenue enhancement† opportunities, and less concerned about their core services or talents * Were willing to â€Å"push† accounting standards to the limit to help clients achieve earnings goals * Began to use more audit â€Å"shortcuts† such as inquiry and analytical procedures instead of direct testing of account balance. Relied on management representations instead of testing management representations. c. The term â€Å"public watchdog† implies that auditors will look over the business world and stop bad things from happening. In terms of financial statements, Arthur Levitt said, â€Å"We rely on auditors to put something like the good housekeeping seal of approval on the information investors receive. † The term â€Å"public watchdog† places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of auditors to protect the public’s interests. 2-52. b&c. Cookie jar reserves are essentially funds that companies have â€Å"stashed away† to use when times get tough. The rationale is that the reserves are then used to â€Å"smooth† earnings in the years when earnings needs a boost. â€Å"Smooth† earnings typically are looked upon more favorably by the stock market. An example of a cookie jar reserve would be over-estimating an allowance account, such as allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance account is then written down (and into the income statement) in a bad year.Auditors may have allowed cookie jar reserves because they are known to smooth earnings, and smooth earnings are rewarded by the market. On the flip side, fluctuating earnings are penalized, and present more risk to the company of bankruptcy or other problems. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act addressed the issue by creating an oversight body, the PCAOB, but also addressed the issue in other ways. For example, Congr ess felt that creating more effective Boards would decrease the use of earnings management. Allowing improper revenue recognition is one thing that auditors may have done in their unwillingness to say â€Å"no† to clients.For example, companies shipped out goods to customers at the end of the year for deep discounts and allowed returns at the beginning of the next year. This practice is known as channel stuffing. Since the goods had a great chance of being returned, it would be improper to recognize all as revenue. Again, auditors were unwilling to say â€Å"no† to clients. Greed is probably the reason here. If companies claim more revenue, their stock would grow in the short-term, making management richer, and making management more willing to give pay raises to their auditors.With the establishment of stronger audit committees and certification of financial statements in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, this kind of accounting trickery will certainly decrease. Creative accoun ting for M&A included the use of the â€Å"pooling† method of accounting. Pooling allowed acquiring companies to value existing assets at historical costs and did not require the recognition of goodwill for the acquisition. Because true costs (values) were not shown on the financial statements, management was often encouraged to bid up prices for acquisitions with the result that many of them were not economic.The creative accounting also shielded the income statement from charges that would have otherwise hit income including: goodwill amortization, depreciation, and depletion expenses. Greed, the same reasons as the revenue recognition issue, was most likely the motivation for this creative accounting. Discussion between an educated audit committee and auditor plus certification of financial statements required by Sarbanes-Oxley will certainly address this issue. Assisting management to meet earnings.Too often, auditors confused ‘financial engineering’ with val ue-adding. In other words, auditors often sought to add value to their clients by finding ways to push accounting to achieve earnings objectives sought by management. These earnings objectives then played a major role in escalating stock prices – all desired because of the heavy emphasis of management compensation on stock options. Incentives were misaligned. Most of management compensation came in the form of stock options.Better audit committees, increased auditor responsibility, identification of users as the client of the auditor, and management certification of statements will address the issue via requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. 2-53. a. Some ways that the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act affects the external audit profession: * The creation of the PCAOB puts a watchful eye on the accounting industry. * Reporting on internal controls is required by the external auditor, adding to their workload but also strengthening their value to organizations and giving them more assurance when giving an audit opinion. Auditors can now feel more comfortable taking issues to the audit committee * Audit partners must rotate off every five years. This will create a difficult transition at every client every five years. * With the cooling off period, audit partners or managers cannot take jobs with clients as easily. b. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act encourages effective internal audit functions for all public companies. The internal audit profession has been active in assisting companies in complying with the internal control provisions of the Act. c. This could be argued either way.On one side, the legislation clearly creates a â€Å"watchdog† of the accounting industry, which decreases the power and prestige as the profession is no longer self-regulated. On the other hand, the Act and recent business press has brought a lot of attention to the accounting industry, which has educated the world about the role of accountants in the economy, and possibly incr eased their power and prestige. Now, there is a general feeling that the public accounting profession has reestablished itself as a watchdog for investors and see the audit committee as their primary client.Overall, the consensus seems to be that the profession has regained a great deal of its prestige. 2-54. a. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed responsibilities of management in the following ways: * Requirement that CEO and CFO certify the financial statements and disclosures * Requirement that companies provide a comprehensive report on internal controls over financial reporting * Requirement to describe whether they have implemented a Corporate Code of Conduct, including provisions for whistleblowing, and processes to ensure hat corporate actions are consistent with the Code of Conduct. b. Under The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, management is no longer the â€Å"client. † The auditor reports to the audit committee, who is independent of management. With these changes, the auditor shoul d be able to be â€Å"tougher† on management because the audit committee will be demanding it. However, the auditor still has to work with management to gain access to needed information, as well as understanding management intent as management intent drives some accounting treatments. . The CEO and CFO, as members of management, are ultimately responsible for the financial statements. The chair of the audit committee and the external auditor are then responsible to a certain extent, probably more in the minds of the public than in reality. Finally, the Director of Internal Audit is the least responsible of the group, as they are essentially employees of management and the audit committee. 2-55. a. The audit committee must be comprised of â€Å"outside† independent directors, one of whom must be a financial expert.The audit committee now has the authority to hire and fire the external auditor, and will therefore serve as the auditor’s primary contact, especially for accounting and audit related issues. In addition, the audit committee sets the scope for and hires internal auditors. They must review the work of both parties. b. The audit committee certainly takes on much more responsibility with the new standard. They will now be much more informed about the audit function and financial reporting processes within their company. The auditor must report all significant problems to the audit committee.For auditors, the reporting relationship should reinforce the need to keep the third-party users in mind in dealing with reporting choices. c. The audit committee is basically in a position of mediator, but not problem solver. One member must be a financial expert, but all members must be well versed in the field. This financial knowledge can help the audit committee to understand the disagreement. Ultimately, the auditor has to be able to give a clean audit opinion. If they believe a certain accounting treatment to be wrong, they do not have to give that clean opinion.In this way, neither the audit committee nor management can necessarily solve a dispute. d. The accounting choice is acceptable, and thus, the financial statements are fairly presented in accordance with GAAP. The fact that the auditor believes there is a better treatment should be communicated to important parties as follows: * Management – the communication should be made directly, and the rationale for the auditor’s opinion should be explained to management and documented in the working papers. The working papers should also include the client’s rationale for the chosen accounting treatment. Audit Committee – Both management’s chosen treatment and the auditor’s preferred treatment should be communicated to the audit committee. Preferably the communication would include both verbal communication and written communication. The rationale for accepting management’s accounting treatment should also be communicate d. * Users of the Financial Statement – There is no required communication to the outside users of the financial statements as long as the auditor has concluded that the financial statements are fairly presented in accordance with GAAP. 2-56. . An audit committee is a subcommittee of the board of directors; it is responsible for monitoring audit activities and serves as a surrogate for the interests of shareholders. Audit committees should preferably be composed of outside members of the board, that is, members who do not hold company management positions or are closely associated with management. b. The following information should be discussed with the audit committee: * A summary of the auditor's responsibilities under GAAS. Auditor responsibilities change over time as new standards are issued.The audit committee should always be aware of the nature of the audit function within the organization. * Initial selection or major changes in significant accounting policies that c ould have a material affect on financial statement presentation. The audit committee needs to know how the choice may affect both current reports and future financial reports as well as the rationale for the choice because it is presumed that companies select the accounting principles that best reflect the economic substance of their transactions and are thus changed only when dictated by standard-setting bodies or when the economics of the situation change. The process utilized by management to make significant estimates and other management judgments such as loan loss reserves in banks and savings and loans and insurance reserves in insurance companies. * Significant audit adjustments that may reflect on the stewardship and accountability of management, even if management agreed to make the adjustments. * The auditor's review of and responsibility for other information contained in an annual report (outside of the audited financial statements). * All major accounting disagreements with management, even if such disagreements are eventually resolved to the auditor's satisfaction. The auditor's knowledge of management's consultation with other auditors regarding accounting or auditing issues. * Any significant accounting or auditing issues discussed with management prior to the acceptance of the audit engagement – in particular, any positions taken regarding the proper accounting of controversial areas should be disclosed. * Any difficulties encountered in performing the audit, especially any activities undertaken by management that might be considered an impairment of the audit function. * Internal audit plans and reports and management’s responses to those reports. The extent to which the client has implemented a comprehensive plan of risk assessment and the organization’s plans to mitigate, share, control, or otherwise address those risks. * Any known internal control weaknesses that could significantly affect the financial reporting pro cess. The rationale for this communication is that the board of directors through