Activity Based Costing at Steinway Sons Essay Example

Activity Based Costing at Steinway Sons Essay Literally for generations, Steinway Sons has been crafting fine pianos that are the overwhelming choice for highly skilled musicians worldwide (Steinway   Sons, 2006).   These pianos are created not by the speed of a computer, but by the talented hands of trades people who are experts at what they do.   Perhaps due to this tradition and reputation, Steinway Sons is often not viewed for what it is- a profit driven company that must control costs like any other.   In this paper, the control of cost within Steinway Son’s unique crafting process will be discussed, as well as the consequences of the alternative to controlling and monitoring costs.Activity Based Costing at Steinway SonsActivity Based Costing, which is to say the process of describing, identifying, and assigning costs to the tasks within a manufacturing process, is quite effective, given the right type of company and activity to which it is assigned, but it is not a universal concept that can be applied h aphazardly to all processes and organizations.   For Steinway Sons, the essential question is whether or not the firm is a good candidate for Activity Based Costing.To answer the Activity Based Costing question for Steinway Sons in a few words, the firm should not utilize the practice.   The reasons why they should not are a bit more complex.   First, the Steinway Piano, even in standard models, is unique every time one is made because of the fact that the craftspeople who make them perform many of the crafting tasks by experience and instinct, rather than by machine and blueprint.   Second, because of this unique process of manufacturing, it is very difficult to quantify the actual amount of time and material that each process should take, thereby making activity based costing inexact and largely ineffective.Alternatives to Activity Based Costing-and ConsequencesWhile Steinway Sons appears to be ill suited to Activity Based Costing, there are also some factors that need to be understood which could complicate the use of traditional cost allocation.   Once again, because of the fluctuations in processing time, materials used, and so forth in the creation of a Steinway Piano, a caveat is offered in terms of traditional cost allocation.   The allocation itself must be performed not under the assumption that all costs, even in a unique process, will remain static; true, there are fixed costs that are static regardless of other factors, but to assume that all costs remain the same would be to invite disaster from several viewpoints.When costing calculations are flawed, there is a distinct possibility that the resulting pricing will in turn be incorrect.   If pricing is allowed to be incorrect, one of two things are likely to happen: either the product will be priced too low to cover costs and generate a suitable return on investment, or the price will be hyper-inflated to the point where the company literally prices itself out of business, as cons umers choose a lower priced alternative-even in the case of a top quality item like the Steinway Piano.   This is a financial balancing act, to be sure, but it can be done.SummaryIn closing, perhaps the best takeaway from this research is that in finance and accounting, there are some areas that are not absolute.   For Steinway, and other firms, the challenge will remain to be the proper accounting techniques to guarantee long term viability of the business and a bright future.References(Steinway   Sons, 2006) (Steinway Sons 2006 Factory Tour)Steinway Sons. (2006). A Factory Tour. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Steinway Sons Web Site: http://www.steinway.com/factory/tour.shtml

The Evolution of Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory

The Evolution of Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory Analyzing the Evolution of Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory and Research Organizational knowledge creation involves making available and intensifying knowledge created by individuals and also shaping up and linking it with an organization’s knowledge system.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Evolution of Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The description of knowledge and knowledge conversion triggered research on conducive organization for and the context for knowledge creation. Research particularly found that knowledge, vision, activism, organizational forms and leadership affect organizational knowledge creation. With further evolution of organizational knowledge creation theory, the nature of the firm was made clearer and ‘knowledge strategy’ concept was furthered (Nonaka, Von Krogh Voelpel, 2006). The concept of ba exposed the challenges for the theory of organizational knowledge creation, yielding the concept of ‘knowledge activism’ (Von Krogh, Nonaka Ichijo, 1997). The organizational knowledge creation lays emphasis on ‘knowledge visions’ development in firms (Nonaka et al., 2006). Many organizations followed a combination of the hierarchy form that gave them the high ability needed to solve coordination problems associated with knowledge creation, hence the concept of a ‘hypertext organization’ which refers to a layered structure of activities. The organizational form that best coordinates and enables knowledge creation is a combination of the business system, the project system and the knowledge system layers running in parallel. Scholarly research compellingly defined several theories of leadership by early 1990s (Nonaka et al., 2006). Leadership is about enabling knowledge creation. The purpose of a theory of the firm must be to understand the nature of the firm.Advertis ing Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This calls for a synthetic understanding of the firm, combining subjective perspectives of the firm with objective facts, encapsulating the premise of economic rationality with the principles of social behaviour (Nonaka et al., 2006). Because of its vantage point in economic theory, such an analysis of the knowledge-based theory of the firm symbolizes the intention behind the project of a theory of organizational knowledge creation. Future Advances in Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory Ba is empirically under-explored. There should be more research on factors that potentially affect the effectiveness of ba across all organizations. There should also be more explorations on the effect of plural epistemologies to understand the nature of knowledge, its origin, and the ba. Theoretical and experimental work is needed to further under stand possibilities of and limitations on the distribution of tacit knowledge, or the process of conversion from tacit to explicit knowledge (Gourlay, 2002). There is critical need for more theoretical explanation on how leadership and ba are related in organizational knowledge creation theory. The temporal dimension of organizational knowledge creation theory makes it dynamic. Success and failure of organizations need to be studied along the temporal dimension where disparities can emerge (Probst Sebastian, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Evolution of Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study of the balance in organizational knowledge creation is not only a topic for cross-sectional research, but should also be studied as processes. Organizations could create, lose and restore their balance on the temporal dimension, and it is vital for future research to c omprehend how these processes work. This view is justified by the fact that comparing flourishing and unsuccessful firms will enable better forecasts on the adaptation of firms in times of internal and external changes. A comprehension of relative success calls for a demonstrative view of entrepreneurial knowledge creation context, ba leadership, and eventually, the origin of organizational knowledge. Therefore, epistemology will always be of importance. References Gourlay, S., 2002. Tacit knowledge, tacit knowing, or behaving. Athens: OKLC Conference. Nonaka, I. Von Krogh, G. Voelpel, S., 2006. Organizational knowledge creation theory: evolutionary paths and future advances. Organization Studies, 27 (8), pp. 2-23. Probst, G. Sebastian, R., 2005. Organizational crisis: the logic of failure. Academy of Management Executive, 19(1), pp. 90–105. Von Krogh, G. Nonaka, I. Ichijo, K., 1997. Develop knowledge activists! European Management Journal, 15(5), pp. 475–483.Advert ising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 82

Essay Example Gang and Mafia system prevail and flourish due to drug users as they act the source of all problems related drug trafficking. It is easy to locate the availability of drugs in a school, community and society. The frequent usage has prevailed not only due to swift drug marketing, but also through media which pictured the drug users tough and courageous. This negative impact and message was worldwide and because of which curiosity and attraction of drug usage grew especially among youngsters. Many high school and college students have been involved in its marketing as it makes the earning effortless and swift for them which, consequently promotes gang culture in schools and prostitution among young girls. Bullying in educational institutes has become a common phenomenon lately, which should be eliminated. I personally feel the unpleasant affects of bullying are disastrous and continual of it will produce uncountable psychological problems in everyman of our nation. The victims of bullying suffer to great extent. Bullying exists in many form which are verbal, physical, and psychological and recently a new popular mode; known as cyber bullying. The reasons of which vary, but stereotype behavior and bias, remain the source of it. The increase in violence and peer pressure impacts adversely on a pupil’s life. They feel alone, ensnared, distracted, troubled and perilous. Thus, lack of confidence heightens and their capabilities shrink, which results in low scores. Kids bully due to numerous reasons, violence or negligence at home, frustration due to any deficiency, lack of role model and undue sway, racial biases and conduct turmoil. Bullying affects both the parties negatively it not only harms the victim but, also the abuser as they both are under the process of maturation. Bullying has a long lasting effect on a person’s life. The terrifying and humiliated moments of bullying; haunts a person until the end of his life.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Earnings Misstatements Research Paper

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Earnings Misstatements - Research Paper Example The Fraud This section describes the business activities of Fannie and Freddie before the fraud occurred. Since the 1990s, lenders have been increasingly using automated underwriting systems (AUSs), a technology that changed the mortgage industry (DiVenti, 2009, p.236). These systems executed underwriting criteria and statistical algorithms to foresee the default likelihood of loan applications (DiVenti, 2009, p.236). GSEs became industry leaders in the growth and adoption of these systems, which they used to appraise their loan purchases. Fannie Mae’s system, Desktop Underwriter, and Freddie Mac’s system, Loan Prospector, significantly decreased the expenses and time linked with loan approvals (DiVenti, 2009, p.236). In 2000, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac broadened their procurements to comprise â€Å"Alt-A,† A-minus, and subprime mortgages, aside from private-label mortgage securities (Blackburn & Vermilyea, 2010, p.5). In order to expand their mortgage purchases, Fannie Mae used the Expanded Approval system and Freddie Mac enlarged its Loan Prospector system to contain risk-based pricing (DiVenti, 2009, p.236). ... ly, Fannie and Freddie bought, packaged, securitized, and re-traded residential mortgages into mortgage-backed securities, with an assurance that the principal and interest payments would be paid to investors, thus, making a profit from the disparity between the sales price of the mortgage-backed securities and their first cost of funding (Bonander, 2013, p.843). Since 2004, Fannie and Freddie abandoned their stern underwriting standards and started to purchase and guarantee subprime mortgages, while also investing in subprime-mortgage-backed securities (Bonander, 2013, p.844). They bought more than $434 billion of subprime mortgages from 2004 to 2006 (Bonander, 2013, p.844). Their greatest purchase occurred from 2004 to 2005, when altogether they bought â€Å"$175 billion (44% of the market) and $169 billion (33% of the market) of subprime-mortgage-backed securities, respectively† (Bonander, 2013, p.844). In 2006, lax standards and actions affected Fannie and Freddie, when th e housing bubble burst, thereby pushing them to insolvency (Bonander, 2013, p.844). The problems of Fannie and Freddie are not over yet though. In 2003, Freddie revealed that it used unacceptable accounting practices to inflate its earnings. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise (OFHEO), its regulator during this time, discovered that the company had â€Å"misstated earnings by $5 billion between 2000 and 2003† (DiVenti, 2009, p.237). Freddie underreported its earnings, however, which is the â€Å"interesting† part of the fraud (DiVenti, 2009, p.237). The OFHEO investigated Fannie Mae too, where it learned in 2004 that Fannie overstated earnings â€Å"between 2000 and 2003 by $6.3 billion† (DiVenti, 2009, p.237). OFHEO discovered significant accounting, disclosure, and management concerns that

Profile the general biotechnology development in the USA Essay

Profile the general biotechnology development in the USA - Essay Example The government has increased its funding to the research and development field through the ministry of agriculture. The overall funding has been steadily increasing in the past four decades, for example in the year 1986, the total funding was estimated at USD 4.4 million, an amount that grew the following year to USD 5.7 million. Majority of the funds allocated are thus used in the development of newer technologies like recombinant DNA which help in the creation of genetically engineered organisms and other products that are highly financially viable (United States Office of Technology Assessment, Congress, 1984, p. 118). Since its inception in the 1980s, the biotechnology industry has also enjoyed a heavy support from friendly and protective policies and laws. The US is known for its long history of regulating both the public and the private sectors. These regulations are meant to ensure safety of the public health while maintaining a good public health (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 59). Such regulations include the regulation of the type of products that are produced as a result of the technology. The laws demand that any nascent product should be tested extensively to ascertain its toxicity and efficacy (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 243). The rational regulation of products of the transgenic technology is anchored in the fact that the risks that are posed by the product are far outweighed by the benefits (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 243). The biotechnology field is also heavily supported by the heavy labor force that is present from experienced research scientists and other scholars. Majority of the funds that are allocated in the research and development field are channeled into the field for employing new workers with experience and skills. Historically, records show that the field has employed the most innovative and well trained personnel and entrepreneurs in the research,

The Gender Pay Gaps

The Gender Pay Gaps The U.K gender pay gap is nowadays one of the highest of Europe. Men earn 21, 1% more than woman, based on the average difference between gross hourly earnings (figure 1, statistics.gov.uk, 2009). Even if the pay gap between men and women has fallen quite dramatically over the past 30 years, the headline masks some less positive developments in recent years. UK is used to each generation of women making progress relative to the one before. But this process has slowed with the current generation doing only slightly better than the previous one. After several researches, the complexity of the topic arises; many factors and proofs demonstrate this inequality, thus leading to a high diversity of opinions. This gap varies according to the kind of work; in April 2009 hourly rates for men were  £12.97 for full-timers,  £7.71 for part-timers. For women, hourly rates were  £11.39 for full-timers,  £7.86 for part-timers (R. Barnett, Sky News, 2010). Between the private sector and the public sector, the gap is considerably changing. In 2008, in the private sector the pay gap was 21.7 % while in the public sector it was 13.8 % (The Times, 2008). Paradoxically, as point the Office of National Statistics in 2009, full-times 16-17 years-old females earned 12.6% more than males, on the other hand, part-times females earned 1.3% less than males. Thus, surveys underline real contradictions existing in the English system of payment. The goal of this essay is first to review the possible causes and origins of this inequality by analysing the political and socio-cultural values of United Kingdom relating the pay gap, and secondly show the measures that should and could be taken to fight it. The first part treats of the major discrimination facing females, the stereotyping of womens careers, perception of womens work, and how social roots act on todays women life. In the second part we talk first about the precedent government actions, then the actual actions and state of mind of UK, and the European precautions to fight the pay gap. 1- The reasons of this pay gap. Many causes can explain the pay gap existing in United Kingdom; recent researchers have pursued a number of hypotheses, sometimes exploiting unique features of specific data sets, in attempts to answer this question. The trade Union Congress (TUC) in its report of 2008 explained the UK actual pay gap in terms of 4 explanations. 36% of the pay gap could be explained by differences in lifetimes working patterns, 18 % is caused by labour market rigidities, 38% is caused by direct discrimination and individuals careers preferences, and 8% is caused by the fact that older women had power educational attainment. Discrimination is the most current argument used to explain the gender pay gap. Evidences from a range of sources indicate that recruitment and selection processes, and a substantial degree of job stereotyping, perpetuate an industry profile in which the men dominate the high-earning jobs and women the low-earning jobs. As point the Telegraph magazine the 5 September 2007, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) published a survey founding that mal managers were paid 12.2% more than females in 2007. It shows that with the same job, females are still pay much less than males. Another study published by the UK government called National Equality Panel, states that Women under the age of 44 are better qualified than their male counterparts but receive 21% lower wages. Another idea largely sustained by the professor J. Shackleton of the University of East London. He argue that the differences came down to individual lifestyle preferences (dailymail.co.uk, 2008)  « female graduates tend to choose subjects such as psychology or education, which lead to lower-earning careers, while few opt for maths or engineering, which are more likely to result in lucrative jobs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ » . This idea is supported by a survey of 2007 stating the womens top ten occupations (Table 1) Table 1: Womens top ten occupations, second quarter 200741 Standard Occupational Classification Total in employment (000s) 1 Sales Assistants and Retail Cashiers 1,094 2 Teaching Professionals 873 3 Healthcare Related Personal Services 801 4 Secretarial and Related Occupations 793 5 Childcare Related Personal Services 721 6 Administrative Occupations: Finance 600 7 Health Associate Professionals 586 8 Elementary Personal Service Occupations 567 9 Administrative Occupations: General 556 10 Elementary Cleaning Occupations 483 Total of these 10 occupations 7,074 Total women in employment 13,196 Source: TUC report 2008 The report points the fact that females are more likely to work in service occupations and males to management and skilled trades. Moreover this job segregation is accentuated by the fact that girls are steel stereotyped into careers they should pursue. The neoclassic way of thinking of the 1960s says that there are womens jobs and mans jobs and promotes the disproportionate success of patriarchy and male dominance. Women are only 22% of computing students and 15% of engineering students, and when it comes to the first employment therefore the choice is different, on the womens top 25 preferring graduate jobs, 12 are in the public and voluntary sectors, and in this case high pay is unusual. Moreover, women look for lower first salary than men expect, less likely to attempt to negotiate over pay, less likely to seek promotion and do not look for other jobs in pursuit of higher pay (The Sunday times, 2008). In an international comparison this high UK pay gap exists because a lot of women work. For example, Italy has a gender pay gap half the UKs one, but its overtaxed and overregulated create few opportunities for women to work. But its tending to change, as point C. Hakim in her book Work-lifestyle choices in the 21st century: preference theory (2000) The equal opportunities revolution means that the full range of occupations and activities become accessible to all women For several reasons, the womens work is under-valued. This undervaluation have two facets: females tend to be paid less than males for the same work, and the jobs that they do tend to attract lower wages then mens jobs. D. Grimshaw and J. Rubery of the Machester Business School have identified fives Vs involving to create lower pay. The Visibility, Large and undifferentiated pay and grading bands do not recognise womens skills that conceal different skills and experiences. The Valuation, it means that there is a tradition in the British culture for not giving a high value to womens skills. The Vocation, it determines that the skills of women are natural, which accentuate there low valuation. The Value added, tends to say that jobs of men are more likely to imply a higher value to a process. The Variance, for both employers and women themselves, part times work is often seen as synonymous with unskilled work Another cause of this gender pay gap is that it has been seen that women are more likely to work in part-time jobs. This is quite a big problem for womens pay, as point a survey done by the ONS in 2009, the average hourly wage for a full-time job was  £11.39 and  £7.86 for part-timers. In addition to a lower wage for the part-timers, women have more interruptions to their careers. A research for the Equalities Review found that three kinds of people have disadvantages in getting jobs, the disable people, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women and mothers (R. Berthoud, M. Blekesaune, 2007). A study of 2007 of seven industrial countries found that there were considerable negative effects on mothers wages. United Kingdom had the highest penalty, 8% for one child, 24% for two children and 31% for three children. As point previously, 53.6% of women worked in the top ten occupations in 2007, moreover the influences of gender-stereotyped early environment limited choices for girls at school. Whats more whatever industry or occupations women work for; men were earning more than women with graduations in the same subject. Some studies justify this pay gap because of the better productivity of men over women. First women would be more concern with childbearing, second there is the argument that women are less competitive and more-risk averse than men. As a result they select lower-paid occupations. (fazeer.wordpress.com, 2009) Politically talking, David Laws the Liberal Democrats families spokesman, said that the TUC reports proved the damage done by the Britains society in the 1980s by the Conservative Government Finally, gender pay gap is caused by many little factors contributing on their way to this inequality. While good progress had been made in several areas like childcare and the right to request flexible working, the women and work commission remained disappointed in the deficiency of progress. Mentalities are changing but the persistence of a significant gender pay gap (21.1%) in UK state not only impacts on womens life but also womens continuing experience of discrimination. To fight this phenomenon, national as international organizations such as the European commission or the Government Equality Office of England, plan to use a series of measures aiming to reduce significantly the pay gap. 2- How to fight the gender pay gap? Since the equal pay act of 1970 which aim to prohibit in terms of pay and conditions of employment, any less favorable treatment between men and women, criticized as it fails to address the gap between ethnic minorities, a lot of things have changed. In 1997, the Single Status was intended in order to establish whether jobs were of equal value, and to delete the need for equal pay claims bring in a pay model. Another regulation was bringing to the equal pay amendment in 2003. Nowadays several actions are implemented at the national level as European to deliver real results. The making up 40 years later is not positive; it lacks a requirement for transparent reporting. Several institutions start making pressure on the English government. The Women and Work Commission accuses the government for not having encouraged girls to choose non-traditional jobs and look for the promotion of qualifies flexible and part-time work. (Dailymail reporter, 2009). Several progresses have been done on the public sector, in 2007, in the form of the public sector duties, England welcomed a new generation of equality legislation. The duty tiled the way for greater transparency across the sector, and moved the onus onto public sector employers to address and identify pay inequalities within its workforce. (R. Lewis, S. Smee, 2009). In 2008, the public sector had a pay gap of 13.8 %, the private sector 21.7 % (The Times, 2008). The Equal Opportunities Commission has developed a five step model to be used by company to avoid inequalities. A full pay audits provide a measurement of pay but also they ensure that employer takes action to remove any injustice. The first step decides the scope of equal pay review and identify data required, the second step identify where males and females do the equal work. The step three to identify any pay gaps consists in collecting pay data. In case of gap found the step four establish the causes of pay gaps. The step five consists in developing an equal action plan, reviews and monitors. Today this action plan is already performed by several employers. (R. |Lewis 2009). The government now have to work with the private sector in particular to develop guidance for managers on how to use flexible working in order to bring benefit to their business and employees. The UK government now knows the imperative for raised transparency around pay system, the GEO (Government Equalities Office) in its business plan 2009/10 outlines several reforms and objectives promoting transparency and equality. Among those, develop the cooperation with organisms such as the EHRC (European Human Right Commission) and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) is a priority to better palliate to the pay gap problem. Introduce a new power in the Equality bill to request large private sector employers to report on their gender pay gap if there is no progress made on voluntary reporting by 2013. However, overture within the bill contain a power to require private sector employers with at least 250 employees to report the gender pay gap. That is to say that over 4, 7 millions businesses in UK, approximately 6,000 organisations have over 250 employees, which is quite unlikely to have a significant impact. Looking abroad, France and Sweden inspire good pay equity framework. They have adopted in 2001 compulsory pay legislation. Organisations with 50 or more employees are required to negotiate agreement son equality at work and submit an annual report including information on pay range, number of women in highest paid position, and average monthly pay (R. Lewis, S. Smee, 2009). In order to force European governments to tackle the gender pay gap, the European parliament takes resolutions. In its report of the 10 February 2010, by managing the governments initiative, the social partner initiatives and good practices initiatives, the gender pay gap would progressively disappear. Thus the European commission will put forward a new EU strategy for gender equality for 2010-2015, augmenting sanctions, furnish pay transparency and regular reporting on the pay gap. The commission will also elevate the awareness among employee and employers, encourage the equality at the workplace with equality label awards and charters. In France, in 2004 the label à ©galità © professionel has been created, thus companies can obtain it if they follow a special procedure. Whats more the commission assists the development of tools to help employers understand gender pay gap within their organisation. Germany developed software calculating the wage gap helping employers become aware of the situation. The last objective is to improve the supply and quality of the statistics on the pay gap (europa.eu, 2010) Finally, solutions are multiples to tackle the UK pay gap, organisations and administrations just have to apply the actual and future reforms, the European commission is conducting a study on initiatives, the result will be presented on 5 may 2010. Conclusion This pay gap raises the debate above the nature versus nurture. That is to say, should the UK society take of the individuals innate qualities to fix a wage? The answer is probably much more complex than the previous essay. As seen previously, the causes are multiple and controversy, as old is the debate, mentalities first have to change to completely remove this inequality. As point the surveys and studies of the TUC organisation and the WWC, this discrimination is far to be over. Local and international organizations are mobilizing to close it. United Kingdom will have to take example of others countries experience for remove the pay gap. Finally, only a few initiatives have been done to target female choice of profession, career ad sector. Raising awareness and promoting sectors and professions could help to undertake the root of this problem; UK does not need to reside in a vicious circle.

Financial Aid Is An Important For College students Essay

As we know College costs are rising. But, Future students should not be afraid because there is more financial aid available such as scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and college loans for students. Financial aid is money in the form of loans, grants and employment that is available to a student to help pay the cost of attending. Financial aid comes from the federal government, which is the largest provider of aid, as well as state government. You should apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You will need to apply for financial aid every year by completing a FAFSA. Many financial aid programs have limited funding, therefore early application is recommended. Application should be completed at least one month prior to the semester you are planning to attend. If you apply for funding late, you will receive your funding late. Financial aid is one of the most importance issue for students to process attending College, and the first st ep what student face for attending courses. Have you ever found a solution to your problem? I think may be this financial aid issue is an important for you. How do you overcome these things? Is it the biggest problem facing college students today. How can be resolved it? There is a growing number of older students entering college today. These students have families that they need to support. I know, because I am a family man who has returned to school. I wish to finish my degree at Midlands Tech College. The only problems I face are financial in nature. It is with this in mind that I set about this research. Is financial aid available to older students, and if so, how do they go about obtaining it? Most common issue I found was money, Tuition costs are constantly being raised at high rates. And that’s not including  other expenses like eating out, shopping trips, gas for the car, and the price of textbooks. I found College students drop out of school each year because they cannot afford it. Others are forced to balancing full schedules with full time jobs to make end. It is becoming harder for students to graduate. A Way to solve this problem is by helping students seek more help financially having consolers provide students with small scho larships or help them look for such things can help reduce the amounts of students that drop out of college.

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards Paper Madeline Cates ACC/491 Contemporary Auditing 1 November 7, 2012 Thomas A. House Auditing is extremely important to our businesses, our state and federal government, investors, banks, and our overall economy. Without auditing there would be plenty of room for mistakes. Boynton & Johnson (2006) define auditing as the following, â€Å"A systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between those assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users† (p. ). To break it down auditing follows a certain process of steps using financial statements and tax returns to evaluate an organization in an unbiased way. Once this is done a written report is made by the auditors to give the organization the credibility they deserve. This credibility is passed on to interested users such as; banks, stockh olders, and management. The purpose of this paper is to explain the nature and functions of auditing, and relate them to an organization in which we are familiar. The organization is which I am familiar with is Chili’s Bar and Grill where I have been an employee for over 4 years.Chili’s is owned by Brinker Nation, which is publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EAT. Brinker Nation is audited by independent auditing committee with no relation to the company, they follow the standard of the NYSE as well as the Securities and Exchange (SEC). The Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) are a set of standards that public accountants are required to use. All together there are 10 different GAAS that are used to establish the quality of performance and the overall objectives to be achieved in a financial statement audit. Boynton & Johnson, 2006) The Generally Accepted Accounting Standards apply to financial, operational, and compliance audits. Typically a CPA preforms a financial audit by evaluating a firm’s financial position to see if they are using GAAP. The results are then distributed to the general public. A compliance audit focuses on whether or not a firm is following rules and government regulations, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that requires duel-purpose auditing and compliance audits.Operational audits focus on activities in relation to objectives. This is also known as a management audit. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) affect publically traded companies. The PCAOB is a private sector that was created by the SOX Act of 2002. Basically the PCAOB oversees auditors of publically traded companies to protect investors, creditors, and the general public. According to Boynton & Johnson (2006), the PCAOB was given authority in 5 major areas including, 1.Registering public accounting firms that audit the financial statements of public companies. 2. Setti ng quality control standards for peer review of auditors of public companies and conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms. 3. Setting auditing standards for audits of public companies. 4. Setting independence and ethics rules for auditors of public companies. 5. Performing other duties or functions to promote high professional standards ? for public company audits, and enforce compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.With the help of the SEC, PCAOB, SOX Act, and GAAS we can ensure investors and creditors that publically traded organizations are presenting honest, fair, and straightforward financial information. Auditing is vital to the growth of our businesses, our local and federal government, and our economy as a whole. Resources Boynton, W. C. , & Johnson, R. N. (2006). Modern auditing: Assurance services and the integrity of financial reporting. (8th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Louwers, T. , Ramsay, R. , Sinason, D. , & Stawser, J. R.. (2007). Auditing a nd assurance services. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Italian Heritage Month Celebrations

Italian Heritage Month Celebrations October is Italian Heritage Month, formerly known as National Italian-American Heritage Month. Coinciding with the festivities surrounding Columbus Day, the proclamation in recognition of the many achievements, contributions, and successes of Americans of Italian descent as well as Italians in America. Christopher Columbus was Italian, and many countries celebrate Columbus Day every year to mark his discovery of the New World. But Italian Heritage Month honors more than just Columbus. Over 5.4 million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1820 and 1992. Today there are over 26 million Americans of Italian descent in the United States, making them the fifth largest ethnic group. The country was even named after an Italian, the explorer and geographer Amerigo Vespucci. History of Italian Americans in the U.S. Federico Fellini, the movie director, once said that language is culture and culture is the language, and nowhere is this truer than in Italy. There was a time when speaking Italian was considered a crime, but nowadays many Italian Americans are learning Italian to discover more about their family heritage. Looking for ways to identify, understand, and bond with their familys ethnic background, they are getting in touch with their family heritage by learning their ancestors native language. Most of the Italians who immigrated to the U.S. came from the southern part of Italy, including Sicily. Thats because the pressures encouraging people to immigrate- including poverty and over-population- were greater in the southern part of the country, especially in the latter part of the 19th century. In fact, the Italian government encouraged southern Italians to leave the country and voyage to the U.S. Many ancestors of todays Italian-Americans came due to this policy. Italian-American Heritage Month Celebrations Each year in October, a wide variety of cities and towns with large Italian-American populations host various Italian cultural celebrations in honor of Italian Heritage Month. Many of the celebrations revolve around food, of course. Italians are well-known for their contributions to excellent meals in the U.S. Italian-American heritage organizations often take the opportunity in October to introduce members and others to regional Italian cuisines, which go far beyond pasta. Other events may highlight Italian art, ranging from Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci to modern Italian sculptor Marino Marini and painter and print-maker, Giorgio Morandi. Italian Heritage Month celebrations also provide ample opportunities for learning Italian. For example, some organizations provide language labs for children so that they can discover the beauty of the Italian language. Others offer opportunities for adults to learn enough Italian to get by while traveling to Italy. Finally, many cities- including New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco- host Columbus Day or Italian Heritage parades to mark the Columbus Day holiday. The largest parade is the one held in New York City, which involves 35,000 marchers and more than 100 groups.

buy custom Multimedia in Science Mathematics Education essay

buy custom Multimedia in Science Mathematics Education essay What is Multimedia? Multimedia generally refers to a computer-based interactive process of communication. The use of multimedia in education provides not only variety but also dynamism and easy establishment of rapport through collaboration. But most importantly, multimedia use is non-linear, that is, allows for the use of different multimedia tools and other forms of communication such as sounds, texts, animation, graphics, pictures and video. This is the integrative aspect of multimedia. This facilitates the incorporation of selected topics and visual illustrations in different formats like charts and animations using multimedia tools. The Best Multimedia and Technology Use in Classrooms A lot of students still find difficulty in learning math and science. The decline in the numbers of college graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines in the US, for instance, is partly attributed to the weak performance of the US children in international assessment of science and math (Thiel et al, 2008). While personal aptitude can be part of the problem, it is also due to insufficient or poor teaching-learning environment. One solution to this is the use of interactive and effective multimedia software. As education evolves, a number of researches have been carried out, linking the human cognitive process with the use of multimedia in order to improve performance in these subjects. It is considered very important that individual learning traits be taken into consideration if every student is to be helped acquire knowledge. Unfortunately, due to big classrooms, high number of students, limited teacher time, this is usually difficult. To solve this problem, it has been argued that interactive multimedia can facilitate individualized instructions to students, and can help those who find it hard to learn by conventional means. This has effectively been used to teach other subjects, including mathematics. The performance of learning is influenced by the interaction between ones cognitive style and the instructional materials used, including the content type and mode of presentation. Adopting methods which suit the students specific learning styles helps the students acquire a positive attitude toward the taught subject, thereby improving performance (Burke and Dunn, 2003; Ford and Chen, 2001). The success of a teacher is measured by his/her ability to engage the students in the learning process in a way that excites and encourages them to be curious for learning. When students take active part in constructing new ideas from their experiences, interpretations and interactions with teachers and peers they easily acquire expert understanding of concepts of mathematics and science. Although it is hard to pinpoint a particular multimedia and technology as the best for teaching Mathematics and Science, as these tools do complement each other, the key characteristic(s) of the tools used must be their ability to facilitate interactive learning. This involves project based learning (providing in-depth insight into mathematics and science and facilitates critical thinking); solving real-world problems (facilitates investigative processing of information for finding solutions to problems through discrepant events/experiments and case studies in math). In Mathematics, some of this interactive multimedia includes application packages such as search engines (internet), word processing packages, presentation software, spreadsheets, drill-and-practice software. Other programs such as simulation programs, Java applets, et cetera. In science, theses include the use of technology tools such as models of scientific processes such as protein folding, simulations and virtual labs, video conferencing, e mail and other collaborative tools. Some of these integrative multimedia and technology include; a) Podcasting. Today, students daily use Podcast tools: smart phones, ipods, etc. Integrating these tools in teaching math and science will facilitate using digital devices for mobile and/or student learning. b) Online tools. These tools provide great advantages to math and science teachers as they help the students acquire and further their knowledge through Web 2.0 tools. They facilitate learning by and interaction between students through language skills, inquiring, investigating, hypothesizing, theorizing and efforts to explain findings. c) Modeling and Simulations tools. These facilitate viewing real-world processes and stimulate further understanding. These include; i. MathMol (for molecular modeling). ii. YASARA (a windows program for simulation and modeling, molecular graphics). d) Interactive whiteboard are portable, easy to install, and can work on literally any flat surface. This facilitates easy updating and utilization of existing equipment at low costs. Teacher Competencies The key to helping and guiding students through proper acquisition of technology knowledge is the classroom teacher. It is the teacher who establishes the right classroom setting and prepares the opportunities that facilitate the students utilization of technology in learning, as well as communicating (UNESCO, 2008). It is therefore of key importance that the classroom teachers are well prepared and equipped with the skills through which to provide the right opportunities for their students. In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published ICT Competency Standards for Teachers. In this publication, UNESCO sought to provide a working curriculum framework. This framework set out to; a) Address the underlying Policy Framework, (UNESCO, 2008) b) Examine educational reform components. c) Develop a matrix of skill modules for teachers which correspond to various approaches of policy and components of education reform, (UNESCO, 2008). d) Describe in detail the specific skills that teachers would be needed to acquire within each skill module. The Curriculum Framework This framework is divided into three main levels of education reform, which are based on the development of human capacity: technology literacy, deepening of knowledge and the creation of knowledge. Each of these levels is discussed under the six major components of a sound educational system: policy, pedagogy, curriculum, organization, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and teacher training (UNESCO, 2008). a) Technology Literacy. Teachers must have basic digital literacy skills and be able to select and appropriately use educational tutorials, drill-and-practice, web content and games in computer labs or with only limited classroom resources in order to complement the objectives of standard curriculum, approaches to assessment, unit plans and deducting methods of teaching, (UNESCO, 2008). The teachers must also be aware of the policy objectives and goals of technology literacy. They should in-turn be able to identify the corresponding components of education reform policies/ programs. b) Knowledge Deepening. Here, teachers are expected to be able to manage information, to structure problem-solving tasks, and integrate software tools and subject-specific tasks by using student-centered methods of teaching and projects in which students collaborate in order to facilitate their in-depth understanding of principle concepts and applications to solving real-world problems. (UNESCO, 2008). c) Knowledge Creation. The purpose of this policy is to increase productivity by providing technology knowledge to students, and ultimately a workforce that is perpetually engaged in creation and innovation of knowledge from which they all can benefit. Teachers should take the first strides by creating/designing new ICT-based resources for learning; to facilitate knowledge creation and skills for critical thinking by designing appropriate and relevant classroom activities that facilitate the achievement of these goals. Examples of Best Practices Best practices refer to the multimedia actions undertaken by individuals in mathematics, science or technological fields that enhance good moral values to the individuals practicing them. In this case, we examine two major examples of best practices that are special to both mathematics and science fields. These include the technology and multiple intelligences employed in logical or mathematics. Technology and Multiple Intelligence used in Logical or Mathematics The number smart individuals learn using numbers, reasoning and problem solving. Through the implementation of multimedia in multiple Intelligence, the students and other people are able to establish and operate visuals and develop mental images from many perspectives. The technology involved at this point is the use of computers and videos (Burke and Dunn, 2003; Ford and Chen, 2001). Therefore, the students are able to measure, weight, calculate and organize data in mathematical problems. The multiple intelligence through the influence of multimedia, in this, the computer, gives the students the opportunity to develop or operate data they find in the internet. This also applies when these students are provided with the video camera to record their scientific experiment (David, -2011). This is an example of the best practice in mathematics field that promotes good values to the students because it makes the students to enjoy what they are doing especially in data collection, carrying out experiments and solving problems. Through the use of computers as a multimedia practice, the students are create, databases, spreadsheets, charts, and more other data organization and project calculations that are a contribution to a group. The following diagram illustrates a student using computers to solve mathematical problem. Through this practice, the students take pleasure in problem solving, predicting, measuring, experimenting, preedicting, classifying and collection of data in research projects. I like this value because it helps the students perform excellently in their academics. Therefore, the teachers are advised to employ this system to the students and encourage them to employ other intelligences in the data sharing like creating an analogy or debating an issue. Some of the technology tools employed includes the following (Burke and Dunn, 2003; Ford and Chen, 2001). The calculation tool (spreadsheet), multimedia authoring that shows results and animates (hyperstudio), scientific equipments, graphing calculators and software, video tape for experiments, demonstrations and data gathering among other tools. Link: http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic68c.htm Employing Multimedia in Personal Development Plan When planning for the personal development strategy, I bare in mind Winston Churchills quote, He who fails to plan, is planning to fail. According to several researches, writing down your personal goals has several advantages in measuring effect and raising the likelihood to succeed. There are three main reasons I had to develop my personal plan with the help of multimedia. Clarity this is where I am able to recognize what am doing and try to accomplish it thus giving me a clear picture of what Im working on. Define the why most of the time, I will come across certain situation and tasks along the way that I will not enjoy to do. The only thing that will motivate me to do it is when I define why I am doing it and I will be able to get focused. Through the multimedia and the internet, I am able to acquire inspirational development quotes that will keep me moving. My compass because I am a very ambitious and driven person, I just have to plan what I am trying to achieve in order to remain focused on my target or direction. This will keep me headed towards reaching my goals. After understanding, the three main factors that make me plan, I now move ahead to plan what I have to achieve during my course (David, 2011). These include; Establishing competency Managing emotions Attaining autonomy and interdependence Establishing mature interpersonal relationships Developing integrity Developing purpose I am sure with the help of multimedia like the video tapes, documentaries, and special inspirational quotes I will make it. Link: http://sidsavara.com/personal-development/personal-development-plan Future In order to lay down the long-term goals or dreams, I must be sure with what I want to be in life. This is what will guide me to establish the long-term goals. Just as we know, success needs well calculated goal (Dave, 1999). For example, if I plan to be an engineer in future, I must lay down the short-term goals of working hard and passing in the necessary subjects that will enable me to pursue engineering. This means that goal calculation is not dreaming, it is all about passion and hard work. Through employing computers and iphones or ipads, I am able to be updated on all the details entailed in engineering course and through inspirational quotes by some engineers on the internet, I am able to remain focused and be able to achieve what I want in life (Burke and Dunn, 2003; Ford and Chen, 2001). This also includes, having role models or mentors in life that we admire that we may strive to reach where they are. The best way I have to go about it is by writing down what I want, and w rite down how I plan to get there. This will help me meet my purpose in life. Therefore, in order to achieve my future plans, I have to pay attention to the following steps. My purpose in life- what exactly I want in life My dreams these are the long term goals that inspire me to accomplish my short term goals My believes and values what I stand for is final and possibly what I wish my actions showed me to remain focused to My ideal self having a clear description of the person I want to be; how I live, how I relate, associate with friends, how I act and react to situations and maybe how I respond to criticism. This is what will keep me moving towards my dream (David, 2011) Mistakes and lessons- how I tackle my mistakes and how I will avoid their reoccurrence. The lessons I learn through my mistakes and other peoples mistakes. All these I write down because there are a lot that people learn from their experiences and from other peoples. Success and milestones- the way I identify and try to mend my mistakes is the same way I celebrate my successes. This is where multiple intelligence and technology is highly required. Mathematical concepts are very hard and failing them means failing to meet my dream (Chong, Sharaf Jacob, 2005). Therefore, I have to employ the multimedia system in classroom concepts in order to reach my long-term goals. Sciences also play a major role because science and technology are consistent and their innovations are alike. All of them attempt s to modify the world and make our lives easier. Since the engineering field involves machines and very complicated technological equipments, I must employ the use of multimedia like viewing engineering movies, machines in the internet and machines available in companies in order to keep myself updated with the course (Burke and Dunn, 2003; Ford and Chen, 2001). For example, see the following diagram showing technological machines in a company and how complicated they are! Buy custom Multimedia in Science & Mathematics Education essay

Assessing Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Assessing Culture - Essay Example The four types of organizational culture developed are collaborate (clan), control (hierarchy), compete (market), and create (adhocracy). They have varying characteristics in terms of operation, which correlates with different qualities and features of the organization’s environment. Assessing the culture and subcultures of an organization provides the designers and planners of the workplace with a foundation on which they can structure an environment that supports its expression and function. The role of culture in the educational sector is to determine the effectiveness of institutions within the sector (Carroll, 2010). An appropriate, unique, and strong culture accomplishes several things for the institution. First, it reduces uncertainty of institutional performance through the creation of a common way of interpreting issues and events. Second, it creates a sense of order, where members awareness of expectations placed on them is high. Third, it creates a sense of continuity. Fourth, it provides a unity of commitment and a common identity. Finally, it provides vision for the future behind which, the company can rally. The first step in implementing meaningful change and making the best of organizational culture as an asset to be leveraged in support of the institution’s goals is in diagnosing its present cultural condition. This can be achieved through conducting analysis such as PESTLE and SWOT to gauge the current positioning of the institution. CNCS is a federal agency, which helps over five million Americans to improve the lives of fellow citizens through serving them. The corporation works hand-in-hand with local partners to tap into the can-do spirit and ingenuity of the American people in tackling pressing challenges that face the nation. This is done through investment in thousands of faith-based as well as nonprofit groups geared towards making a difference across the country. The aim of the

Research paper on radiation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On radiation - Research Paper Example Unstable atoms produce the ionizing radiation. Unstable atoms are the atoms with either excess mass or excess energy or both unlike the stable atoms. The unstable nuclei of the atoms provide them with the radioactive properties. These atoms release excess mass or energy in an attempt to gain stability. It is this excess mass or energy that is called as radiation. High voltage devices like the x-ray machines are used to produce radiation. Measurement of radiation is complicated and involves use of different kinds of units. The amount of the emitted radiation is conventionally measured in the curie (Ci). The SI unit for the measurement of radiation is the Becquerel (Bq). â€Å"These units express the number of disintegrations (or breakdowns in the nucleus of an element) per second as the element tries to reach a stable or nonradioactive state. One Bq is equal to one disintegration per second and one Ci is equal to 37 billion Bq† (Crosta). To measure the amount of radiation absorbed by the tissues in the human body, the SI unit gray (Gy) or the conventional unit Roentgen absorbed dose (rad) is used. Radiation finds multiple uses in the field of medicine. Ways in which radiation is employed in the medical imaging include but are not limited to projectional radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, ultrasound, bone densitometry, medical resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Depending upon the way radiation is generated for the clinical purposes, radiation therapies can be classified into grenz-ray therapy, contact therapy, superficial therapy, deep therapy or orthovoltage therapy, supervoltage therapy, and megavoltage therapy (Khan 35-37). â€Å"Medical uses of radiation, particularly diagnostic X rays, result in the largest average annual effective dose from man-made sources† (Turner 12). Ionizing radiation is used in radiotherapy for the treatment of