Saturday, November 30, 2019

World Message Essay Example

World Message Essay Can a global message be created? The answer is positive. Because of the globalization, a world message is demanded by the citizens on the earth, and also, human beings are really intelligent enough to be creative on a world-wide slogan or message. However, there are still some predictable barriers in the way of the creation of the global message. One is the language barriers, and the other is culture conflicts. The language barriers are obvious because there is no such a widely-used global language in the world. Even English cannot be treated as the world-wide language tool for all the people. That is to say, a translation is required for the major company. But no one can be sure of a reasonable substitute for the local name, and then the problem occurs. In China, there is a famous toothpaste brand called Hei-Ren, which means exactly black man or negro in English. The Chinese company tried to spread the good product to the US at one time. Atfirst, the word negro was chosen to be the English version for the product, but soon after, a lot of black people in the US began to protest to the name of the toothpaste. At last, the product was given the name Hei-Ren and never got an outstanding selling. Similarly, a same word or sentence sometimes cannot commute freely through different cultures. For instance, although the slogan Im lovin it. can be accepted by most Chinese young people, a lot of mid-aged and aged individuals always take it as a childish expression. Another example is the slogan for the 7 up. In China, its slogan is Yi-Dian-Jiu-Tou (China advertisement forum), which has two meanings: the explicit one which shows even a drop can make you feel cool and implicit one which is a Chinese traditional phrases. Maybe only Chinese can understand them well because of the rhetorical usages. In the US, the

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Habits and Traits of Braconid Wasps

Habits and Traits of Braconid Wasps Experienced gardeners love braconid wasps, the beneficial parasitoids that so visibly and effectively kill their despised tomato hornworms. Braconid wasps (family Braconidae) perform an important service by keeping pest insects under control.    Description Braconid wasps are an enormous group of rather tiny wasps that vary greatly in form, so dont expect to identify them accurately without the help of an expert. They rarely reach more than 15mm in length as adults. Some braconid wasps are inconspicuously marked, while others are brightly colored. Certain braconids even belong to Mà ¼llerian mimicry rings. Braconid wasps look similar to their close cousins, the ichneumonid wasps. Members of both families lack costal cells. They differ in having just one recurrent vein (2m-cu*), if present at all, and fused second and third tergites. Classification: Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – HymenopteraFamily - Braconidae Diet: Most braconid wasps drink nectar as adults, and many show a preference for nectaring on flowers in the mustard and carrot plant families. As larvae, braconids consume their host organism. Certain subfamilies of braconid wasps specialize on particular groups of host insects. Some examples include: Aphidiinae – parasitoids of aphidsNeoneurinae – parasitoids of worker antsMicrogastrinae – parasitoids of caterpillarsOpiinae – parasitoids of fliesIchneutinae – parasitoids of sawflies and leaf-mining caterpillars Life Cycle: Like all members of the order Hymenoptera, braconid wasps undergo complete metamorphosis with four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The adult female usually oviposits into or on the host organism, and the braconid wasp larva emerges ready to feed on the host. In some braconid species, like those that attack hornworm caterpillars, the larvae spin their cocoons in a group on the body of the host insect. Special Adaptations and Defenses: Braconid wasps carry the genes of polydnaviruses within their bodies. The virus replicates within the braconid wasp eggs as they develop within the mother. The virus doesnt harm the wasp, but when the egg is deposited into a host insect, the polydnavirus is activated. The virus prevents the host organisms blood cells from recognizing the parasitoid egg as a foreign intruder, enabling the braconid egg to hatch. Range and Distribution: The braconid wasp family is one of the largest insect families, and   includes over 40,000 species worldwide. They are widely distributed throughout the world, wherever their host organisms are present. * See Insect Wing Venation Diagram for more information on the recurrent vein. Sources: Bugs Rule: An Introduction to the World of Insects, by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak.Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th Edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd Edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Family Braconidae – Braconid Wasps, Bugguide.net. Accessed online April 4, 2014.Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera), University of Maryland Extension. Accessed online April 4, 2014.Braconidae, Tree of Life Web. Accessed online April 4, 2014.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How To Keep Your New Years Resolution

How To Keep Your New Years Resolution It’s been 11 months since you made that new year’s resolution and now it’s almost time again. Once we get past the holiday season of excess cookies and extra spending, it’ll be self-improvement time again. Turns out, we might all benefit from a little help- at least according to a recent analysis in Psychological Bulletin. Having back up- or an audience- might be more important than we thought. We’ve always known that keeping track of our progress is essential to making it. But overwhelming evidence now suggests that doing so in public is the most effective way to help us reach our goals.Dr. Benjamin Harkin analyzed 138 different studies and experiments about motivation and discovered that holding yourself publicly accountable and reaching out for the support of social media can make all the difference in whether you change your diet†¦ or change your diet and succeed at losing weight.Bottom line: it’s important to monitor your progress, but- as Dr. Harkin writes- â€Å" some methods of monitoring are better than others.† So go ahead and tell your friends. This year, try making your resolutions public. Be specific. Share your goals. Use social media to hold you accountable for keeping them. And make your progress public too.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Country project analysis ( Saudi Arabia) Research Paper

Country project analysis ( Saudi Arabia) - Research Paper Example In the Ramadan month Muslims fast for 29/30 days continuously, after that they celebrate the festival of ‘Eid-Al-Fitr’. On this festival people meet with each other including their relatives. Holidays are given on this festival + other national holiday. The Hajj brings the Muslims all over the world to Makkah, which is followed by the festival ‘Eid Al-Adha’, in which Muslims slaughter a sheep in memory of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Another very old tradition, where hospitality and Kindness is offered by Saudi’s to strangers, in that they provide coffee in small cups along with Saudi dates and sweets. (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 2014) Saudi Arabia being the birth place of Islam also holds an important place in its arts, including both the arts of Bedouin nomads and the sedentary peoples of regions such as the Hejaz, Tihamah, Asir and the Najd. Ka’aba, as it is otherwise known the house of Allah (God) draws hundreds of thousands of people of different beliefs from all over the world to Makkah throughout the year, increasing the number of tourist visiting the country and doubling tax revenues. The mosque of Islam ‘Quba’ in Medina, which was also known as the house of prophet is the most original form of architecture, where Muslims worship Allah. Most importantly the floor and carpets used in this mosque are touched by the heads of the Muslims. The Wusum are the tribal symbols of Bedouins, which is found as the pre-historical art which is engraved on the rocks in the hills and deserts of Arabia. Mohammed Said Farsi, who became the mayor of the city Jeddah, in 1972, made Jeddah city as one of the largest open-air art galleries in the world. (Khan, 2000). It is the largest Islamic country in terms of number of schools, Wahhabis and Salamis, which holds the strong base and thought of Islam religion. The two famous Holy mosques which are visited by millions of Muslims

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Organization change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization change - Assignment Example Employees will follow the guidance of a leader they believe in. Getting the respect of the employees is important in order to gain their trust. A leader must have superb communication skills to facilitate the change process in an organization. Often change requires that the employees gain new skills and capabilities to be able to handle the work challenges. The manager of a company can facilitate change by providing the employees of the firm with training and development opportunities. The use of training and development can help the employees accept change because the employees become better prepared. A technique that can be used to implement training and development faster at a lower cost is online training. Another technique that can be utilized to facilitate change at an organization is the use of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. To motivate the employees to achieve greater production the company can offer financial rewards to the employees. It is important to demonstrate to the employees that the company cares about their work-life balance. The use of flexible time is a way to change the operations of an enterprise to allow the employees to be able to better meet their family responsibilities. Change can also be enha nced at a company through the implementation of teamwork. Teamwork enhances the leadership and communication abilities of the employees and it offers the workers a new dynamic work environment. Teamwork has become a critical success factor in the work environment of the 21st century. The employees of a company can also get involved in the change process of the organization. The managers must keep the lines of communication open with the employees at all times. A way for the workers to get involved in the change process is through the implementation of a feedback system. Sometimes the employees are intimidated by the managers and they do not feel comfortable giving feedback. Implementing

Saturday, November 16, 2019

“The Origin of Species” Response Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The Origin of Species† Response Essay In â€Å"The Origin of Species†, Charles Darwin painstakingly explores the different character traits exhibited among species. He looks at natural selection as a way of explaining extinction and adaptation and tries to prove evolution as the main theory of human origin. He states, â€Å"this whole volume is one long argument† (362), and that is exactly what this book is. There are no definite answers provided to the question of the origin of existence, but instead, many unanswered questions are posed and explored. Darwin argues on the issue of variance, stressing that it is most likely that any single species may derive from one common ancestor. He goes on to state that although not everything is known or can be proven about origin in ‘modern’ times because of ignorance about current climatic effects on our universe, it is most likely that the Earth itself affects certain groups of descendants of a certain species, making them extinct, while other migrated groups continue to thrive. In other words, species who remain in one area are bound to become extinct due to environmental factors, while those who migrate, or move from their homeland may have a better chance of survival. In doing so, roots become harder to trace, and changes in the species are inevitable due to their new surroundings. Darwin also believes that the world has had more groups of species than we will ever be able to uncover in our lifetime, so we will never truly know all that walked or lived on the Earth. I am personally fascinated with Darwin’s theories, experiments, and unanswered questions. It is intriguing how Darwin questions and test life and the origin of life. Many times in my own life I have wondered about the origin of life and questioned the religious answer versus the scientific answer. It was courageous and bold of Darwin to explore this issue the way that he did, especially since he came up with no true answers, merely a very educated and studied argument with sections of admitted ignorance on certain subtopics. The language is highly technical and â€Å"stiff†, so it does not make for a very fun read, but once the reader gets used to the content, it becomes easier. I agree with the concept that ‘only the strong survive’ and believe that natural selection is inevitable or the world would be uninhabitable. I disagree with Darwin’s explanations of complex questions, stating things such as, â€Å"I can answer these questions and grave objections only on the supposition that the geological record is far more imperfect than most geologists believe† (365). This weakens his argument, but still allows room for possible validity in his argument. However, it is noble that Darwin stuck to his theory and defended it, despite his lack of ability to actually prove it, â€Å"Grave as these several difficulties are, in my judgement they do not overthrow the theory of descent with modification† (367). From reading The Origin of Species, I learned how complex science can be. I learned that theories need to be tested and explored, and sometimes even if they fail, the original hypothesis remains unchanged. I learned that one must acknowledge the weaknesses in one’s own argument in order to make it stronger or more valid and I also learned that sometimes in life, there are no answers; some of life’s questions will always remain unanswered. Works Cited Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. Spark Publishing: New York. 2003.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Aust Prohibition Act :: essays research papers

Various international treaties and conventions (e.g. International Narcotics Control Board), has provided Australia with guidelines and regulatory measures that the Commonwealth government must put into action within the criminal justice system. Australia became a part of significant treaties and conventions to uphold strong alliances with other nations (Such as the U.S.). The preparedness of Australian Governments to sign these various treaties, and modify domestic drug laws accordingly, seems largely to have been a function of the country’s subordinate status on the world stage, and its desire to be seen as a good ‘international citizen’, rather than being driven by concern within Australia about the problems posed by illicit drugs (Brereton, D. 2000:90). The Act or drug laws within particular treaties and/or convention was based on basic offenses such as (to name a few), cultivation, possession, trafficking, and supply. The need for such drug laws was however, a consequence for external development, not so much required in Australia. Countries such as the U.S. prompted such regulation and seem to hold greater power in pushing these developments forward. A number of concerns have arisen over the last decade into reasons why certain drug policies have been passed within National and International boarders. To help and explain how prohibition became the only means of limiting drug use and regulation of drugs. Drug use was seen to increase public costs and deduct time and profit from employers and within society according to certain governments. The economic argument centres on the profits to be made by the sellers on the one hand and the losses sustained by employers of users and/or society in general (Brown, Farrier, Egger and McNamara. 2001:1070). This suggests that not only would drug use be seen as a problem within State and National boarders, but also internationally. Therefore it was believed that if all Commonwealth government were under the same treaties and/or convention this would decrease the use of Psychotropic substances, and also, deter drug trafficking, supply and demand. Another important factor that increased prohibition of only certain drugs within Industrialized Western Countries was argued by Brown et al (2001:1071) we can derive a powerful and historically sustainable argument that those drugs which are currently legal in Western Countries are those in which there is an indigenous history both of use and capital investment, while those which are illegal are those which are produced in Third World Countries, where the costs of use exceed the profit to be to be made.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Soc Week 4 Paper

Week 4 Assignment 1 Soc 100 July 29, 2012 In this paper I will be discussing the article â€Å"Study of delinquent, diverted, and high-risk adolescent girls: Implications for mental health intervention†. I will start by giving a brief summary of the article I have chosen. Followed by discussing the type of article this is and my conclusion I have drawn form the information found in this article.Lastly I will discuss how this article fits into our sociology class as well as how this article differs from non-scholarly periodicals The article begins by describing the issue of increasing numbers of adolescent girls being entered into our nation’s juvenile judicial system. The study aims to assess the most common risk factors that are affecting adolescent girls being entered into the juvenile judicial system. It also aims to find the effectiveness of the prevention factors in place to keep adolescents out of the system.For the study a survey was administered over the course of nine months to a hundred and fifty-nine adolescent girls. These adolescent girls were broken into three categories delinquent, diverted and high-risk. Delinquent girls are the girls that have been entered in the juvenile justice system in some form ranging from home care to a penitentiary. The diverted girls group consists of girls that have engaged in behaviors that have brought them to the attention of the juvenile justice system but instead of being entered into the judicial system were referred to some form of community-based services.Lastly is the high-risk group which are girls are receiving services in programs as a result of problems or behaviors that have them at risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system. The risk factors assessed included delinquent behavior, experiences of discrimination, negative life events, child trauma such as abuse or neglect, depression and suicide attempts just to name a few. Some of the protective factors assessed included mental hea lth services used, positive school experiences, positive peer involvement and rational coping behaviors.The results from the surveys provided the information that on average the girls in all program types reported mild to moderate levels of depression, but girls in closed residential juvenile justice placement were significantly more depressed than girls involved in the home-based programs. Another surprising result was that nearly one third of the total sample had reported that they have considered suicide. In almost every scenario girls in closed residential juvenile justice placement experienced higher numbers in child trauma, negative age and peer relations, delinquent behavior etc. he only factor that all the girls represented similar experiences were in the form of discrimination. All girls reported some form of discrimination but no one group reported increased amounts. This article is a combination of previous research and new data because though this research added the elem ent of high risk adolescents there has been previous research done dealing with delinquents and diverted adolescents.I also like the article stated find the research to be incomplete in that no true definitive conclusions can be drawn from the limited samples taken solely in this study. From this article I believe that there should be more focus on understanding the risk factors that contribute to delinquency in adolescents. I also believe there should be more preventive programs in place to help promote proper mental health for our adolescents which I believe will lead to less adolescents in our juvenile judicial system.Though we may not be able to stop the predisposed risk factors such as impoverished conditions, having unstable family systems, living in multiple out-of-home placements we can change the programs in place to better support adolescents in these situations. I believe this article enforces the concepts we have learned in chapter five on socialization. This article pro ves how much early childhood experiences and the family element play a role in development of adolescents. I believe more research in the mental development of underprivileged adolescents needs to be done.I am a firm believer that there are not enough programs in place to aid underprivileged children in this country and that we take too much of a one size fits all approach in development of our adolescents. Research like this proves there are mental development differences dependent on your upbringing and early family element and more work needs to be done to aid these adolescents. From my experience I generally find the material in scholarly periodicals has more reliable information than non-scholarly periodicals.I find that the scholarly periodicals are usually written by or reported by the people actually performing the research. Non-scholarly periodicals are generally written for the general public and usually are a summary of information found elsewhere. I find both scholarly a nd non-scholarly periodicals to be very similar in many aspects simply because the main goal is to get the information out. This being said it not uncommon to find flashy titles or distinguishing fonts to help draw and audience.I believe this paper provides a clear explanation of the concepts expressed in the article as they pertain to adolescent girls involved in the juvenile judicial system. From the results of the study I believe that it is clear that this is a rising issue and without a push to better the situation it will only get worse. Work Cited: Ruffolo, Mary C. , Sarri, Rosemary. , Goodkind, Sara.. â€Å"Study of delinquent, diverted, and high-risk adolescent girls: Implications for mental health intervention. † Social Work Research 4(2004):237. eLibrary. Web. 29 Jul. 2012.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Toyota Compensation and Benefits

Toyota Compensation and Benefits Trends in Human Resources Management Teresa Hall U8a1 Instructor: John Devellier Toyota Motor Corporation has never faced an issue with their employee compensation and benefits packages. Part of their philosophy has been people are their greatest asset and they treat them as such by paying them a good salary and empowering their employees. How can they attract top talent? Well even the top executives at Toyota do not make a seven figure salary. Wages are determined with a fair market value in mind, but it is the â€Å"me† versus â€Å"we† attitude that drives Toyota's success.Describe the formal pay structure within the organization. Toyota has long marched to a different drummer when it comes to wages and compensation. Now with the economy turning upside down, Toyota has been forced into cost cutting measures to align hourly wages more closely with state manufacturing wages of where the plant is located. They have always followed the po licy of pay your employees well and they will perform better and be more productive, but also promote a policy of equal payment for each job. Describe any benchmarking activities undertaken by the organization.Include information as to whether the organization offers a competitive compensation structure. Describe incentives offered by the organization. You can take a page by the introduction of the Toyota Way to employees in the Camry Plant of Kentucky (Kentent, 2009). Initially high wages allowed Toyota to hire the cream of the crop. Daily, monthly and yearly goals were outlined for each department and offered a bonus system if goals were achieved. The bonus was distributed to each member regardless if a profit was made and not by individual performance thus enhancing the team concept.The company used also non-monetary awards, as letters of â€Å"thank you† from the president, recognition on Toyota publications, and daily recognition from their peers and supervisors. One of the highlights of the Camry plant was to build a gym, cafeteria and a nursery for the children of the employees. The upper management also does not have special parking places or any other perks to enhance the feeling of equality with their fellow employees. Describe any profit sharing, stock ownership programs that are available.While owning part of the company is not an option for most Toyota employees, profit sharing is with the gains consistently being passed on to workers throughout the years (Miller & Novak, 2008) often making Toyota employees the highest paid workers in the automaker industry. Describe how benefits are communicated to employees. Benefits are communicated to employees on their day of hire with the Toyota Handbook which explains company policy wages, benefits, health care packages, retirement and pension plans and the company mission.Also included is the (Toyota, 2003) Toyota mindset of Kaizen, continuous improvement and employee respect. Describe any problems associated with compensation policies of the organization. Some of the problems associated with compensation result in the low wages paid to employees versus other automakers. Initially Toyota offers high salaries in an effort to attract the best talent, but there it ends. Even top executives in Toyota rarely receive more than a seven figure salary. After all the training and development Toyota puts into its employees, some can be wooed away from other companies with the promise of more money.Describe the environmental factors that have influenced compensation and benefits of the organization. Toyota believes in â€Å"green† and that is passed on to its employees by making them socially aware of establishing a low carbon society. There is no waste of any kind at Toyota and sometimes that means eliminating positions and tasks that may potentially harm the environment. But that does not mean that the employee is discarded along the way. They are just retrained into another job. Describe any current issues faced by the organization as they relate to compensation and benefits. The current recession has made Toyota consider the â€Å"unthinkable† for them and that is laying people off. In previous articles this has never been an issue for Toyota as people are their most valuable asset. They have managed to avoid it thus far by reducing man hours, moving people to different operations and rethinking their benefit packages. They are in favor of tailoring an individual benefit plan instead of offering the comprehensive group plans they now offer.References: Kentent. (2009). Toyota production system. Retrieved from http://kentent. hubpages. com/hub/Toyota-Production-System Miller, J. , & Novak, V. (2008, December 11). Auto worker salaries. Retrieved from http://www. factcheck. org/2008/12/auto-worker-salaries/ Toyota. (2003). Toyota environmental and social report. Retrieved from http://www. toyota. co. jp/en/environmental_rep/03/jyugyoin03. html Toyota. ( n. d. ). Toyota motor corporation. Retrieved from http://www. toyota-global. com/sustainability/environmental_responsibility/

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Research Proposal Topics #038; Ideas

Research Proposal Topics #038; Ideas The research paper is a kind of work that is aimed at studying a specific issue or question. The research proposal is the text that represents and justifies exploration of the specific topic. The main goal of such paper is to prove the necessity of the theme studying and its importance for education. A professor, who also adds all details and instruction regarding writing the paper, mainly defines the topic for the research proposal. However, choosing a topic yourself can become a challenge for a student due to the variety of issues and aspects to analyze. The following list includes interesting and specific topics that can be used while writing a research proposal. Topics and Ideas for a Research Proposal Effect of Obesity on Human Health This topic is curious to explore due to its importance in modern society. Various experts conducted researches regarding the impact of particular food and lifestyle on a human body. The research proposal on this topic should be based on statistical and scientific data regarding obesity. For example, such work can state the problem of children obesity and methods of dealing with it. The Problem of Animal Testing The problem of animal testing is quite a topical issue of discussion currently. A lot of famous brands and companies are prohibiting animal testing in order to protect the rights of animals and produce ethical production. The research proposal should depict the importance of the topic, concentrate attention on its recent recognition, and represent contributions of different states to the issue and companies that do not test their products on animals. The Role of Technology in Education Modern technological progress provides improved conditions for education and different kinds of academic activity. Of course, different experts define the advantages and disadvantages of technologies in education. The research proposal on this topic should include an explanation of tech use in the sphere of education, its positive and negative impact on students, and the importance of technological skills for students. Influence of Social Media on Children Social media and networks are considered the tools for socialization and communication for children. However, experts are concerned about the problem of addiction and time wasting in using social media by children. Such aspects as the importance of the issue, its popularity nowadays, the problems it causes, and benefits of social media use should be included in the research proposal on the topic. Anthropogenic Factor in Global Warming Numerous experts study the problem of global warming defining the influential role of the human in the development of this problem. The research proposal can be based on the description of the damaging activity of people that can make an impact on the environment. Besides, it is important to show the historical development of the anthropogenic factor and describe the modern tendencies of global warming. The Theory of Overpopulation in Modern Studies The problem of human overpopulation developed in interconnection with limited capacities of the environment and the increasing amount of people on the planet. This problem is quite disputable and controversial due to different approaches to the issue. The research proposal on the topic of overpopulation should explain the concept of overpopulation and define problems connected with the development of the phenomenon. The Problem of Moral Standards in TV Shows Modern TV often shows controversially represent traditional moral standards of human society. Besides, there are different approaches to this problem because experts provide a specific evaluation for every TV show. The research proposal should define the topicality of this issue, its spreading in modern media, and the importance of morality as a part of different TV shows. Can Online Sources of Information Replace Newspapers? There are more than 4 billion active users of the Internet in 2018 that often refuse reading printed newspapers. It is comfortable for people to read news online because of the constant information update. The stated topic is quite controversial because there are people that prefer printed press to online sources and vice versa. The research proposal on the topic should represent the problem and its current importance. Enactment of Gun Control Laws The problem of gun control is topical for the society of the United States due to numerous problems connected with the aspect. This issue is connected with personal safety and comfort, and with public security because guns can be used for both protection and attack. Such aspects as an explanation of the problem, provision of its national specifications, and determination of its role should be included in the research paper proposal. The Idea of the World without Wars This problem is connected with the sphere of idealistic philosophy of international relations offered by Immanuel Kant. The importance of the topic refers to its possible influence on different conflicting states and regions with a high number of conflicts. The research proposal paper should be based on the explanation of this concept, consideration of main approaches, and its implementation for the modern international community. The Problem of Violence against Children Different psychologists trying to develop techniques for dealing with violence against children study this issue. The research proposal paper can include a depiction of the problem, various approaches to the problem, and possible ways of its solution. The topic is crucial because attitude to children in families often becomes the reason for their inability to socialize. Dealing with Mental Breakdowns This topic should include consideration of how to deal with mental breakdowns and how to treat people with mental breakdowns. The research proposal paper should convince the professor that the issue of mental breakdowns is essential to investigate in order to treat such people and assist them in returning to a normal life. The research proposal can also include the evolution of the mental breakdown concept and problem solutions. The Effectiveness of Self-driving Cars Self-driving cars are becoming more and more popular among influential companies. The key goal of such cars is to make the lives of people more comfortable and transportation quicker. The problem of self-driving cars invention, the popularity of such cars, and tendencies or risks of the sphere development can be included in the research proposal paper. The Future of Artificial Intelligence The modern development of artificial intelligence provides extensive opportunities for technological progress. The research proposal paper should include a description of the technology development and its impact on the future of the humankind. Artificial intelligence is quite a controversial issue due to different risks and problems connected with work in the sphere. The Roots of Antisemitism The problem of antisemitism brought many historical challenges for Jewish people. Nowadays this ideology still exists; thus, it is essential to consider this problem from different point of views. The research paper should include an explanation of the ideology and its main concepts, the history of its development and the most famous followers of antisemitism ideas. The Greek Culture Influence on the Ancient World The development of Greek culture determined the state of the general culture of the ancient world. The culture of this country is considered to be valuable because of the variety of artifacts and achievements. The research proposal paper should establish interconnections between Greek culture and the cultures of other countries. Influence of Pop Culture Trends Modern pop culture is represented by various trends and tendencies that are supported by whole communities. Variety of such trends is impressive, and it is impressive to explore its influence on society. Such aspects as specifications of pop culture trends, the popularity of such ideas, and their influence on different communities should be included in the research proposal paper. Ethical Dilemmas in Business Activity The problem of moral dilemmas is topical for different spheres of human activities due to the necessity to make quick and effective decisions. Business activity is connected with different ethical dilemmas because of financial issues and the decision-making process. The research paper proposal should include a description of fundamental ethical dilemmas and the importance of these issues influence on business. Leadership Strategies in Business Management and leadership strategies determine the efficiency of the business. The modern theory of leadership represents different strategies and tactics of teamwork that are aimed at the organization of effective work. Explanation of leadership strategies importance, the role of such ideas for an effective leader, and the variety of such strategies should be a part of the research proposal paper. Causes of WWII A wide range of reasons stand behind WWII, which initiated many devastations all over the world. The research proposal paper should be based on facts and arguments, which are considered to be reasons for WWII. Investigation of such topic is significant for historical memory and experience aimed at avoidance of the same occasions in international relations. Conclusion The research proposal paper is considered the basis for a future research paper on the topic. A student can choose one of the topics and make it more specific or narrow. Besides, the research paper should be written accurately and specifically like any academic work in order to provide all significant details regarding the problem. Writing the research proposal paper, the student should remember that the text should be well structured and well developed. The primary aim of such paper is to prove the importance of the issue investigation and provide a short outline for writing further paper.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Budgetary Process Essay Example for Free

Budgetary Process Essay â€Å"Identify and describe the key features that a budgetary process should achieve to achieve managerial goal congruent behaviour. However if budgets are over emphasised myopic behaviour may be observed where a manager (or groups of managers) takes action(s) that improve budgetary performance in the short term but may cause long term harm to the organisation† Discuss. A budget is a short term, often one year, business plan, usually expressed in financial terms (Atrill, Mclaney, 2011, p.314). There are three broad functions of budgeting, these are: quantification of plans, help in financial planning, and monitoring and controlling scarce resources through performance measurements. Throughout this essay I shall be discussing these three areas, breaking them down into seven more specific features of budgeting. Furthermore I shall discuss how myopic behaviour can cause long term harm to an organisation. Goal congruence means developing and maintaining the various activities within the enterprise in proper relationship to each other (Welsch, Hilton, gordan, 1988 p.50). From a managerial point of view this is better explained by making sure they are aware of the different goals set by multiply departments within the organisation; as well as making sure their own goals are in line with the organisations overall plans. There are seven key features that a budgetary process should achieve in order to achieve managerial goal congruent behaviour. The first key feature is authorization, this makes managers accountable for their actions/spending and helps prevent fraud in an organisation (Atrill, McLaney, 2011). For an organisation it is important to make the right choice between a centralised control of the budget, where the organisations overall aspirations are at the heart of any decision making, or to delegate the responsibility to subordinates who will have a better understanding of their local environment. Usually a mixture of centralised and delegated control is chosen, giving some responsibility to subordinates to maintain motivated (Berry, Broadbent, Otley, 2005 p.108). Goal congruence is best achieved by using authorization in the budgetary process to keep Managers / Subordinates clear on what is expected of them from a financial point of view. The next four functions come into effect when planning a budget. Forecasting is critical in preparing an organisation for what is to come in the future, â€Å"looking ahead must be better than moving forward with eyes closed† (Garrett, 2010). It involves calculating many variables in order to predict future economic conditions as well as how governments and competitors will behave. On top of this, the company needs to forecast how the relationship between price and demand will change. Planning links in closely with forecasting as both use secondary data to help organisations determine what to do next. Drury (2004) states that managers are encouraged to plan whilst preparing the budget so that they can consider what changes may occur and how they can respond. An organisation needs to plan out how they are going to treat upcoming circumstances, for example seasonal changes, trends in the market and the likely hood of the company incurring growth or decline. A combination of forecasting and planning enables managers to remain goal congruent as they are aware of what is expected from them and what is expected to happen to the market or organisation in the future. This allows them to have a better understanding of how they are going to achieve their goals and helps keep them focused and in line with the organisation. Berry, Broadbent, Otley, (2005) states the budgetary process provides, in different ways, a focus for forecasting and planning, whilst serving as a channel for communication and coordination. Communication is a critical part of the budgetary process as it is vitally important that each area of the organisation is given a budget that is relevant to the overall goals of the organisation as well as to their specific needs. It is extremely difficult to keep every area of the business content with the budgetary targets and goals set. Individual areas in a business will be competing with each other when relating to funding, resources etc. Goal congruence is achieved through communication by making sure communication is efficient between the different hierarchical levels and between each department. Most organisations form a budgetary committee which includes the senior management that are responsible for designing the strategy; they also receive the initial budgets from each functional man ager (Weetman, 2010, p.319). This will enable swift and clear transparent communication when negotiating the budget, resulting in the best possible budget for each area of the business, whilst achieving the organisations overall aspirations. The final feature of a budget that comes into effect during the planning stage is control / coordination. I have touched upon coordination in the budget process whilst talking about communication as there cannot be effective control/coordination without effective communication and vice versa. Control is critical in planning budgets, as it is important to make sure each area of the business is accountable for its actions, as well as being able to link the budget/targets for each area together to compensate for possible weaknesses in the organisation. Such weaknesses arise when one area of the organisation is relying on another area that cannot commit to what is needed (Weetman, 2010, p.325). Having coordinated budgets allows superiors in the organisation to realise where there are weaknesses early on and counteract the negative effect. An example of this would be out sourcing if the work load for one area of the business is more than it can handle. Budgetary control is often implement ed through cost centres or profit centres. Profit centres allow centralised responsible for revenue, expenses and profit. Whereas a cost centre enables responsibility for mainly costs (expenses) (Welsch, Hilton and gordan, 1988 p.597). These again support goal congruence as the business as a whole is able to see how each specific sections of the organisation is financially performing and whether or not they are helping to achieve the company’s aspirations. Motivation and evaluation are features of budgets that come into effect once the budgets are active. Motivation in budgeting can make or break how goal congruent managers are as motivation in budgeting is an extremely tricky procedure. It has been proven that budgetary targets can indeed improve staff motivation. However too soft a target will make it too easy for staff to achieve and therefore staff performance may fall, whereas setting targets that are deemed unachievable are also likely to decrease performance. Geert (1968) reached the conclusion that provided the budget does not exceed the highest target acceptable to an individual; the results will increase in line with increasing difficulty. A budget allows organisation to set targets and goals that are then compared with actual performance and evaluated. When using budgets (that have been used for motivational purposes) for evaluation, managers need to be careful not to look on small deviations to harshly. A motivational budget is harder to achieve as it is there to improve performance and efficiency in the organisation (Drury, 2004, p.595). Managers should remember that the budget is financially based and evaluating areas such as innovation, corporate social responsibility, staff moral and customer satisfaction are also important to the organisation when evaluating good performance. â€Å"In the context of dynamic demand analysis, habit formation is defined to be â€Å"myopic† when in each period the individual takes into account his consumption history but does not recognise the impact of his present consumption decisions on his future tastes,† (Pashardes 1986).Myopic behaviour is where individuals, organisations or managers focus solely on the short term. In an accounting context this can be extremely detrimental to an organisation’s long term goals, as managers are more focused on achieving their short term budgetary plans than looking at the company’s overall targets. A myopic mind can bring many problems to an organisation’s none financial goals. If managers are too focused on ach ieving there budgetary targets it can stifle the creativity and risk taking culture of the organisation (CIMA, ICAEW, 2004). This intern can have dramatic long term effects on an organisation’s creativity and entrepreneurial ability, as it is critical for them to move forward and develop as an organisation. A prime example of this can be seen with the demise of Woolworths, â€Å"history might have been different had woolworths not clung to its time-served ‘pic and mix’ business model† (Boje, Burnes and Hassard, 2012, p.332). In the retail industry it should be critical for managers to remain focused on keeping their store modern. It is proven that modernised stores can set higher prices, leading to larger profits, due to a higher net value added (Hemashree, 2008). Clearly Woolworth lack of enthusiasm towards modernising their stores and being too focused on cutting costs lead to a negative operating environment, hindering their chance of survival. A myopic approach to budgetary goals leads to a concentration on cost reduction and not value creation for managers. For any retailer like Woolworths, managers know that staff take up a huge amount of the companies costs. In the short term it becomes increasingly tempting for managers to enforce staff redundancies to help achieve those targets set by superiors (Berry, Broadbent, Otley, 2005). The actions of cost cutting by retail managers including Woolworths, for example reducing staff during seasonal change (e.g. after Christmas), would cause long term costs to the organisation. Instead of paying high costs due to seasonal staff redundancies and staff training, organisations could reduce staff hours during low points in trading then increase staff hours in line with increasing sales. As well as hindering the organisations ability to think of new ideas, the budgetary process can also have an effect on future development that is already in the pipeline. New projects are often put on hold by organisations which become more worried about meeting financial targets, than trying to expand the company and launch into new markets or create new products. IBM’s budgetary process became so long during the 1970’s that it took 18 months to complete their ‘annual’ planning cycle (Hope, Fraser, 2003, p.7). IBM’s management were affected by another budg etary related issue; becoming excessively inward focused to the point where they were unaware of competitor’s behaviour. Due to their high planning cost this lead them to be unable to, and lacking the agility and ability, to counteract (CIMA, ICAEW, 2004). Whilst competitors like Apple were becoming innovated and pushing through their new ideas involving personal computers, IBM were too busy focused on how they, as market leaders, were going to launch the next big thing. IBM misread the personal computer revolution and was unable to react to lower cost advanced computers created by competitors (Hope, Fraser, 2003). â€Å"Keeping an eye on the potential risks and changes in the operating environment is essential – as one delegate noted, budgeting may provide you with a map but if you drive with your eyes closed, you will crash anyway,† (CIMA, ICAEW, 2004). There are many methods or remedies that IBM and Woolworths could off used to prevent the budgetary problems associated with myopic behaviour. Beyond-budgeting is a modernised version of the traditional budgeting process that allows botto m up empowerment. This seems to be the best way for organisations to adjust to the fast changing world of the information age (Hope and Fraser, 2003). IBM were affected by being inward focused and unaware of competitors actions. If IBM had been aware of the new beyond-budgeting process they would have been setting their goals in relation to beating their competitors and not the budget (principle 7) (de Waal, 2005). This would of kept them market focused and enabled them to react faster to their competitors actions instead of misreading the market. Driver based planning and budgeting would of, again benefited IBM by helping to shorten their ‘annual’ budgetary process. Incorporating operational drivers would have meant IBM could reforecast on request and would have been agile enough to adapt to uncertain trading conditions (Barrett, 2005). This process as well as enforcing beyond-budgeting principles could off shortened the planning process involving three thousand people that IBM had in place. Woolworth main problem, like many organisations suffering from managerial myopic behaviour, was a lack of innovation. They became too focused with cost cutting practices, trying to achieving budgetary goals. â€Å"Everybody has a sandpit to play in. my sandpit financially is my control plan, If I stay within it, I’m free to play† (Marginson, Ogden, 2005). Keeping innovated and flexible is critical to achieve the organisations long term goals as well as meet short term budgetary targets. In conclusion, traditional budgets are seen as being incapable of meeting the demands of the competitive environment and are criticized for impeding efficient resource allocation and encouraging dysfunctional behaviour such as myopic decisions (deWaal, Hermskens-Janssen, Van de Ven, 2011). I have demonstated how individual beyond budgeting principles can add to traditional budgeting to support organisations, using examples of IBM and Woolworths to demonstrate. De Waal (2005) states that research shows the more beyond-budgeting principles an organisation implements, the better it performs. A combination of budgeting and beyond-budgeting principles allows managers to balance the inherent rigidity of their budgets with the more organic processes of innovation. (Marginson, Ogden, 2005). Using the key principles of beyond budgeting enables managers to focus on achieving long term goals, in line with the organisation’s overall objectives, as well as helping to speed up and modernise the traditional budgetary process. It is however important to remember that the features of a traditional budget are extremely important to most organisations. â€Å"Budgeting provides an overall framework of control without which it would be impossible to manage,† (CIMA, ICAEW, 2004). References Atrill, P., Mclaney, E., 2011. Accouting and Finance for non specialists. 7th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Barrett, R., 2005. Budgeting and Reforcasting, Financial Management. Berry, A. J., Broadbent, J., Otley, D., 2005. Management Control. 2nd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Boje, D., Burnes, B., Hassard, J., 2012. The Routledge Companion to Organisational Change. Oxon: Routledge. CIMA., ICAEW., 2004. Better Budgeting. London: Silverdart Ltd. de Waal, A., 2005. Insights from Practice is your Organisation ready for Beyond-Budgeting?, Measuring Business Excellence. Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 9 (2) (November) pp. 56-67. de Waal, A., Hermkens-Janssen. M., Van de Ven, A., 2011. The Evolution Adoption Framework. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Drury, C., 2004. Management and Cost Accounting. 6th ed. London: Thomas Learning. Garrett, K., 2010. Budgeting. ACCA. Geert, H., Hofstede., 1968. The Game of Budget Control. London: Tavistock Publication. Hemashree, A., 2008. A Study on Working of Modern and Traditional Retail Outlets. Dharwad: University of agricultural sciences. Hope, J., Fraser, R., 2003. Beyond Budgeting. United States: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Marginson, D., Ogden, S., 2005. Budgeting and Innovation, Financial Management. Pashardes, P., 1986. Myopic and Forward Looking Behaviour in a Dynamic Demand System, International Economic Review. Wiley, 27 (2) (June), pp.387-397. Weetman, P., 2010. Management Accounting .2nd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Welsch, G. A., Hilton, R. W., & Gordan, P. N., 1988. Budgeting – Profit, Planning and Control. 5th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Budgetary Process. (2017, Feb 04).

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 26

Research Paper Example Their first entry is recorded to be around 793 CE during which they ambushed the Christian monastic community who were residing in the Lindisfarne Island. There well designed long ship helped them move around the coast invading and attacking inhabitants of the Europeans coasts, in harbors and other river settlements. However, the aim of the paper is to describe in details the ‘Vikings art’ during the period between 800 CE and 1100 CE. The Vikings artist focused majorly on the durability of the material they used hence most of their artwork are made of stone, wood, metal ,bone, ivory and textiles. In some cases, they use human skin to present their art inform of Tattoo’s. Wood: This is the material that dominates the Vikings art due to the well-known advantages of wood to the art industry like easy to carve, durability, cheap cost and availability. Evidence of the extensive use of wood is in the Oseberg ship burial carvings in the 9th century, and the Urnes stave church (Grancsay, 21). Stone: use of stone began late in Scandinavia and a few memories of its use are like in the Gotlandic stone pictures and the royal monuments at jelling in Denmark though most of its use came late in the middle of 10th century. The spread of use of stone in the Viking art is related to the spread of Christianity (Grancsay, 59). Metal: Various archaeological evidences showed the presence of various decorations especially of metallic ornaments. The use of metallic art was also reflected on the jewelry that was worn by both men and women. The respectable women were identifiable from the matching brooches that were used just below their shoulder. Therefore, the evidence of the metalwork decorations were in the regained artwork in various designated graves. This is because they believed in accompanying the dead with material possessions. Therefore, it was common to extract jewelry, tools, household goods and weapons from the Vikings graves. Other