Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Essay

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Behaviour - Essay Example For that matter, the paper will discuss more specifically on the role of leadership as it pertains to the development of a company. Individual alongside group behaviour is mostly affected by a wide variety of variables. However, it doesn’t matter what setting the individual in question find themselves in. Irrespective of that, within an organization, it is believed that there are many levels that craft behavioural patterns. One of the levels is said to be culture. On the other hand, management techniques are the other level. The next level is human psychology as well as individual communication. All of this are said to contribute to the development of organizational behaviour. In general, organizational behaviour can be defined as the study of behaviours within a business-oriented organization. The study can also observe individual employee behaviour. In addition, the study could also scrutinize behaviours regarding employees as a whole or even the behaviours of the entire organizational structural team. How different organization guide and also influence behaviour is a multi-layered investigation that could be handled from many angles(DuBrin 2008). Usually, individual behaviours are examined within an organizational environment. On the contrary, the examination can also be conducted between co-workers in a defined group. On other occasions, scientists have examined the overarching behaviours that are attributed to the entire organization. The latter included how the organization functions together with its policies as well as ethics. When scientists observe employees behaviours, they can be able to determine the kind of behaviours in a given company. However, the behaviours of employees within a culture are guided by several factors such as ethics and objectives of the company. In addition, education and beliefs can affect the behaviours of a particular organization. To date,

Police Officer Essay Example for Free

Police Officer Essay * Police officers work in partnership with the communities they serve to maintain law and order, protect members of the public and their property, prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life for all citizens. They use a wide range of technology to protect individuals, identify the perpetrators of crime and ensure successful prosecutions against those who break the law. Police officers work closely with members of the criminal justice system, social workers, schools, local businesses, health trusts, housing authorities, town planners and community groups to provide advice, education and assistance to those who wish to reduce crime or have been affected by crime. I chose to research this job because I like to help people and the best way I can imagine doing this is becoming a cop. * Many police departments require that applicants be high school graduates; an increasing number expect some college education. Applicants usually must be at least twenty-one years of age and U.S. citizens. In many communities, applicants must meet minimum requirements for height, weight, eyesight, and hearing. Because most police departments fall under civil service regulations, applicants must pass written tests that measure their analytical skills. Rigorous physical examinations and background checks are also required. New recruits often participate in formal classroom training in police academies. After graduating they continue to train on the job with experienced officers for three to twelve months. In small communities there may be no formal training program. Officers are usually encouraged to continue their education by taking college courses in criminal justice. Police Officers usually wear a uniform while on duty. Police work can be dangerous and stressful. Officers often deal with violent criminals and may be injured or killed. They must make quick decisions while on duty, yet be tactful and patient with people who are in trouble or have been victims of terrible crimes and abuse. Police protection is provided twenty-four hours a day, so officers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Work shifts are usually rotated; however, officers are on call at all times for emergencies. Overtime may be required. Earnings vary, depending on location. In 2004 the median salary for police officers was $45,210 per year. As officers advanced through the ranks, wages increased. The average minimum salary for police sergeants was $49,895 per year, while the average minimum for lieutenants was $56,115 per year. The following are some of the benefits provided to police officers: Family/Domestic partner health and dental plans for active employees and their eligible dependents. Sick leave disability benefits Sworn employees receive twelve days of 100 percent paid sick leave, five days at 75 percent, and five days at 50 percent, upon hiring. Employees may accumulate up to 100 days at 100 percent, 75 percent, and 50 percent paid sick leave. Employees are eligible for a service-connected disability retirement from the date of graduation from basic training.

The Break Through in American Baseball :: essays research papers

The Break Through in American Baseball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball, what is baseball? Baseball is a game about runs, hits and errors; 73 homers by Barry Bonds and seven no hitters by Nolan Ryan, a .367 lifetime mark by Ty Cobb and 511 wins by Cy Young. It’s all about the 15,000 people who have had the privilege to make it in the league and more, from homerun hitting Babe Ruth to the lately retired Cal Ripken Jr., but there is more to baseball then records and fame; the thing, the man, goes by the name of Jackie Robinson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackie Robinson. The name alone is inspiring and pure. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (Jackie) was born on 1919, in Cairo Georgia and quickly found out that life wasn’t going to be easy. When Jackie was one-year-old his father, Jerry, packed up and left his whole family, after his deserting; Jackie’s mother, Mallie, then rounded up her five children and moved to Pasadena, California, where she found work as a maid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not long after moving to Pasadena Jackie soon enrolled at George Washington High School at the age of 17. Not only did he play four sports in high school but he also won the city’s Ping-Pong championship. While Jackie was still young and in high school his brother was way over in Berlin, Germany competing in the Summer Olympics. Mack got second in the 200-meter dash, finishing behind the all-time great Jesse Owens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After graduating high school Jackie then attended UCLA in 1941 and was the first athlete in UCLA history to ever letter in four sports (baseball, football, basketball, and track) in a single year. Not only did he make history there, but he met the love of his life, Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After one year of college, Jackie entered the army for World War II. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and while he was there he was denied entrance into the Officers’ Candidate School because of his skin color. Being the man he is, he protested and protested and stood up for what he believed in and in 1945 was discharged as a lieutenant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being discharged, Jackie met Branch Rickey on August 28, 1945 and Rickey offered Jackie a contract with one of the Dodgers farm clubs, the Montreal Royals of the International League. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the International League, and as you can guess had to overcome a lot of adversity.

Performance management system at TCS Essay

The performance management process involves all levels in an organization. Strategic goals set by the organization filter through the organization and affect the goals and activities of each employee. In addition, the performance management process gathers and updates current employee data to maintain the human resource information system (HRIS). The HRIS contains a skill bank of employee information that enables the HR department to determine if the organization has the right mix of skills and people to achieve the organization’s goals in an ever-changing world. This information is used in all areas of HR decision-making. Effective performance management requires ongoing communication between supervisors and staff. The assessment and review part of the process provides the opportunity for documentation and formal communication. It’s the time for the supervisor and the employee to set developmental goals that reinforce the organization’s strategic plan and, if th ere are areas of problem performance, action plans for improvement. There should be discussion of the employee’s career progress and plans made for training and long-term career growth. Many supervisors see the appraisal process as a motivation tool to improve employee performance. The employee’s main objective is to obtain feedback from the supervisor on his or her work performance. Ideally, employees receive feedback at all times and not just through the review process. The employee will also expect organizational support in his or her career growth.  Together, the employee and the supervisor should identify areas for improvement and set goals for training and skill development. Anything the supervisor can do to enhance the employee’s skills will benefit both the employee and the organization. If the organization links performance appraisal to compensation, most employees will expect a raise as a result of a positive review. Though supervisors generally conduct the review, they may not have a say in the amount of compensation awarded because compensation is normally determined by organizational policy. This can be particularly problematic for supervisors who want to motivate employees through the appraisal process but find the organizationâ₠¬â„¢s compensation to be a de-motivator when increases are not as much as employees would like. For this reason, many supervisors prefer that compensation increases are not linked to the performance appraisal process. Difference between Performance management and performance appraisal Performance Management Performance Appraisal Performance management is a goal-oriented system to ensure that organizational processes exist to maximize the productivity of employees, teams and, ultimately, the organization. A performance appraisal is a formal system of review and evaluation of individual or team performance. Performance management is an ongoing organizational process that is conducted to maximize the productivity of employees with the overall intention of improving the organization’s effectiveness. The performance appraisal is a periodic event to reflect and evaluate past performance with the intent to identify strengths and weaknesses of an employee’s performance and to identify developmental goals. It is strategic in nature and involves every person and all HR processes in the organization. All are directly tied to achieving the organization’s goals. A performance appraisal is just one part of a performance management system. The Importance of Performance Management The employees are an integral and indispensable part of running a business smoothly and efficiently. That’s why, keeping in mind the crucial role of the employees, a recent trend known as Performance Management has come into practice. Using performance management, we can ensure that our employees not only fulfil their responsibilities, but do so to the best of their abilities and up to your expectations. Performance management allows us to tap the full potential of our staff. It can be described as a comprehensive process starting from monitoring and developing the desired traits to rating their progress and rewarding them for their achievements. I. Involve Employees in the Planning Stage The making of plans alone will not help us to run our business successfully. We must also focus on the appropriate ways to get business tasks done. One way of doing this efficiently is to involve our employees in the planning process. This will not only boost their morale and confidence, but also help us avoid any communication gaps in the process. Additionally, it will also help in providing them with a clear picture of what we expect from them and what they need to accomplish. II. Monitoring the Progress of Our Employees Just as revision of business plans is sometimes necessary for the success of our business, measuring the performance of every employee is also important. This ensures that tasks are efficiently completed on time and on or under budget. It also points out to you any shortcomings of either our staff or business plans, and helps us to take the appropriate corrective actions. III. Ensuring All Around Development of Employees Performance management gives us the tools to install the desired qualities in our employees in order to get the job done. Development is not limited to only individuals in our workplace, but also addresses the performance of the team as a whole. All around employee development not only ensures the  personal and professional growth of our employees, but also the expansion and improvement of our business. IV. Evaluation of Individual Performance Evaluating and rating the performance of our employees on an individual basis is essential. This gives them a clear picture of where they presently stand, areas that they need to work on and what they are good at. This way, they can focus more on their weaknesses and work to strengthen those areas. We should make it company policy to issue performance reviews while providing your employees with the feedback that they need to perform better at their jobs. V. Rewarding Our Employees Rewarding and appreciating our employees’ efforts ensures that the level of their performance and consequently the performance of our business is not compromised. It ensures optimum productivity, Performance and maximum profitability. Rewarding our staff for a job well done not only enhance their performance but also serves as a tool to keep them motivated. Therefore, performance management is an effective system that allows us to achieve the financial goals of our small business. Methods of Performance Appraisal There are a variety of appraisal methods available to organizations. The method selected by the organization should fit well with the organization’s goals and be appropriate to the job being appraised. Some organizations use different methods for different positions. Regardless of the system used, regular communication and feedback from managers are more important than the method used. Graphic rating scale A graphic rating scale is the most commonly used appraisal system. Evaluators record their judgments on a scale that includes about 5–7 categories. Categories are defined by adjectives such as outstanding, meets expectations or needs improvement. This method is popular because it is easy to administer and can be quantified, if desired, by adding a numeric value to each description. Ranking method In the ranking method, the evaluator places employees from a particular group in the order of overall performance, starting with the top performer–who is rated the highest–and moving down to the poorest performer in the group who receives the lowest ranking. Paired comparison is a variation of the ranking method in which the performance of each employee is compared with every other employee. The comparison is often based on a single criterion, such as overall performance. The employee who receives the greatest number of favorable comparisons is ranked the highest. This can be difficult to administer if your work group consists of a large number of employees. Forced distribution method The forced distribution method requires the evaluator to assign individuals to a limited number of categories, much like a normal frequency distribution curve. A few individuals will get very high ratings and a few will get very low ratings, with the majority averaging in the center of the curve. Generally, those with very low ratings are subject to termination. As with the ranking method, this system requires the evaluator to place some employees at the bottom, even if their performance is acceptable, and some at the top, even if performance may actually be less than outstanding. The system makes the erroneous assumption that there must be some outstanding workers and some poor workers, even when that may not be the case. Forced distribution is unpopular among managers because many believe it destroys teamwork and fosters cutthroat competition among employees. Critical incident method The critical incident method requires the evaluator to maintain records of employees’ favorable and unfavorable performances. These critical incidents become the basis for evaluation. The incident log must be maintained over the entire evaluation period to eliminate the problem of just evaluating an employee’s most recent Performance. Essay method In the essay method, the evaluator writes a brief narrative of the employee’s performance. The major criticism of this method is that it is very  subjective because the evaluation criteria left entirely to the discretion of the evaluator and the results are dependent on the writing skills of the evaluator. It can be difficult to compare the results of employee evaluations that use the essay method because there are no common criteria used for evaluation. BARS–behaviorally anchored rating scale BARS is a behaviorally anchored rating scale that combines elements of a traditional rating scale and a critical incident method. Various performance levels are described on a scale, and the evaluator compares the employee’s performance to the levels described. The descriptions provided reduce the amount of judgment required of the evaluator and rely on the evaluator’s observations of the employee’s work behavior. MBO–management by objectives Management by objectives, or MBO, is a results-based system that relies on the manager and the employee to jointly agree on objectives, the attainment of which becomes the basis of evaluation for the next appraisal period. TCS- Tata Consultancy Service About The Company Tata consultancy services limited (TCS) is the world-leading information technology consulting, services, and business process outsourcing organization that envisioned and pioneered the adoption of flexible global and pioneered the adoption of the flexible global business practices that today enable companies to operate more efficiently and produce more value. They are part of one of Asia’s largest conglomerates- the TATA Group- which, with its interests in Energy, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Chemicals, provides us with a grounded understanding of specific business challenges facing global companies. The role of HR assumes unthinkable proportions and is subject to mammoth challenges. With this sensitive breed of IT professionals, how has TCS grown to and sustained at the number one position is a question which market watchers have asked themselves a thousand times. There is but one answer- passion for excellence in the workforce practices. TCS has developed an unbreakable bond with sound HR  practices in an environment that defines traditional roles and responsibilities. The TCS-HR group operates with technical experts to create a synergy which is enviable. The role of HR, which is that of a facilitator. So whether it is recruitment or even career development, HR is the catalyst which initiates and institutionalizes processes. To manage all the functions for over 14000 employees is a difficult task but the smoothness of operations is intriguing. The HR structure, which allows flexibility and empowerment, is the solution. Performance Appraisal Criteria at TCS Objective Data relating to performance assessment of employees are recorded, stored and used for different purposes: MAIN PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL General Applications Specific purposes Developmental Uses Identification of individual needs Performance feedback Determining Transfers and job assignments Identification of individual strengths and development needs. Administrative Uses Salary Promotion Retention or termination Recognition of individual performance Lay-offs Identification of poor performers Organizational Maintenance/ Objectives HR planning Determining organization training needs Evaluation of organizational gal achievement Information for goal identification Evaluation of HR systems Reinforcement of organizational development needs Documentation Criteria for validation research Documentation for HR decisions Helping to meet legal requirements Performance Appraisal and Competitive Advantages in TCS The objectives of performance appraisal, point out the purpose which such an exercise seeks to meet. What needs emphasis is that performance evaluation contributes to TCS’s competitive strength. Besides encouraging high levels of performance, the evaluation system helps identify employees with potential, reward performance equitable and determine employee’s need for training. Specifically, performance appraisal has helped the TCS gain competitive edge in the following ways: Improving performance Making correct decisions Ensuring legal compliance Minimizing dissatisfaction and turnover Values and behaviour Strategy and behaviour TCS conducts two appraisals: 1. At the end of the year 2. At the end of a project Appraisals are based on Balanced Scorecard, which tracks the achievement of employees on the basis of targets at four levels: Based on their individual achievements, employees are rated on a scale of one to five (five = â€Å"superstar†). If employees get a low rating (less than two) in two consecutive appraisals, the warning flags go up. â€Å"If the poor performer continues getting low scores then the exit option may be considered. Over the years TCS has found the pattern that leads to the maximum decline in performance. If employees work for more than two years on  the same project, typically either their performance dips or they leave the organisation. To avoid that, TCS shuffles its employees between projects every 18 months or so. â€Å"Performance drops if motivation drops† the employee satisfaction depends upon the fact whether his performance is being appreciated and recognized. TCS’s performance management system has metamorphosed into one that emphasizes objectivity and a system that mandates performance evaluation against pre-determined criteria. What Deserve special mention is the active participation of the senior management in the determination of guidelines for the Performance Appraisal Process. The process ensure buy in of the employees since the guidelines for the rating system and its conversion into money terms is not unilaterally decided by HR but is a consensus of a cross functional team with representation from all levels. TCS’s performance appraisal system is supported by an online system called the Human Resource management system an Oracle Developer 2000 based tool. An employee’s performance history at the click of a button and this accurately maintained for 14000 employees. Right from his entry, an employee in TCS get formal performance feedback once every 2 months till such time that he is confirmed after which the performance feedback is provided twice every year on a formal basis. TCS however widely encourages informal feedback discussions between Project leader & Team Members and this concept have found an overwhelming appeal among the people. Recognition at TCS Guaranteed high motivation levels at TCS through competitive compensation packages, stimulating job content, outstanding development opportunities, and not the least, an innovative recognition mechanism. The various ways in which TCS recognizes its people are listed below: Project milestone parties — to encourage efficient execution of projects. Recognition of star performers / high fliers — to recognize outstanding talent. Nomination to covet training programmes — to encourage self-development. Best project award — to promote a spirit of internal competition across work groups and to foster teamwork. Best PIP award — to encourage innovation and continuous improvement. Best auditor award — to acknowledge participation in critical support roles Spot awards — to ensure  real-time recognition of employees. Recommendations for new technology assignments / key positions — to ensure career progression and development of employees’ full potential. Performance-based annual increments — to recognize high performers Early confirmations for new employees — to reward high-performing new employees Long-service awards à ¢â‚¬â€ to build organisational loyalty EVA-based increments — to ensure performance-based salaries. On-the-spot recognition —to guarantee immediate recognition of good performance.

Wgu Fin Analysis Task 1

In order to ascertain how well a company is performing, analyses must be done in regard to the business being stable, including its’ ability to pay debts, how much cash or other liquid assets are available, and whether the organization is viable enough to continue operations. These analyses typically look at income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow, where current and past performance will be studied with the goal of predicting how the company will perform in the future. There are four ways in which the Competition Bikes will be evaluated. First, we will look at a horizontal analysis.This is a comparative study of a balance sheet or income statement for two or more accounting periods, to compute both total and relative variances for each line item. (businessdictionary. com) Second, the company will be judged based on a vertical analysis. This is done by way of financial statement analysis in which each entry for the three major categories of accounts †” assets, liabilities and equities in a balance sheet, is represented as a proportion of the total account. (investopedia. com) The third method we will use to evaluate the bike company is through trend analysis.This type of analysis is often employed to identify current and future movements of an investment or group of investments, and may involve comparing past and current financial ratios as they relate to various institutions in order to project how long the current trend will continue. (wisegeek. com) And last, a ratio analysis will be studied by looking at the broad method by which financial data is converted into simple mathematic ratios for comparison. (ratioanalysis. org) Horizontal Analysis When looking at Competition Bikes Inc, we will be comparing their sixth and seventh years, and then their seventh and eighth years.This will allow us to gauge the performance over a significant period of time to see if the organization’s business is rising, staying steady or fa lling. For example, if net sales were ten thousand dollars in year one, and eleven thousand dollars in year two, this would be seen as a ten percent increase. Using the horizontal analysis worksheet, we see that Competition Bikes realized an increase in net sales between years six and seven by over thirty percent. This was followed in years seven and eight by a decline of fifteen percent.While the net sales in year eight were better (+13%) than year six, sales did fall from the previous year. Another key indicator to look at is gross profits, where the difference between net sales and the cost of goods sold is calculated. In our case, for years six and seven we see an increase of over thirty seven percent, but a decrease of over sixteen percent between years seven and eight. This could be caused by either selling less, through an increase in the cost of goods sold, or a combination of the two. One very important aspect when examining how any business is able to make and sustain prof itability is the operating cycle.This looks at how quickly a company is turning over their receivables, inventory and payables. By lowering the operating cycle, businesses are able to manage their assets more efficiently. Using figures derived from days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding, a business can determine how long inventory is staying in the pipeline, and how long it is taking to sell and collect payment on that inventory. This is done by finding the cost of goods sold (from income statement) and dividing by 365, which will yield the sales per day.Then determining the average inventory (from balance sheet) by adding previous inventory plus ending inventory and dividing by 2, and finally, taking the result of the average inventory and dividing by the cost of sales per day. For Competition Bikes this results in a figure that shows a decrease over the course of two years. Lower is better, and clearly signals that sales are increasing in c omparison to inventory. Another promising sign is the cash conversion cycle. This is a metric expressing the time (in days) that it takes a business to translate resources into cash.In this case it calculates out to a lessening conversion cycle, which points to asset liquidity through a short receivables time span with a long payables period. This is another sign that Competition Bikes is efficiently managing its’ resources. Lets take a look at the expenses listed under â€Å"general and administrative† on the horizontal analysis worksheet. These particular expenses are costs a business incurs when performing normal operations. For years six and seven there was an increase of a little over 20%, or approximately 156 thousand dollars. Then in years seven and eight there was another slight increase.In order to maintain consistent or increased profits without raising prices and/or selling into new markets in order to increase sales figures, a business would have to cut exp enses. Next comes â€Å"operating income†, which is revenues minus operating expenses, and generally referred to as EBIT, or earnings before income and taxes. In other words, this is a measurement of a company’s profits before all relevant deductions have been made. In our case, there was a significant increase of nearly 155 percent from year six to seven, and then another increase of over 60 percent in year seven to eight.The net earnings of Competition Bikes is up well over 300 percent for the first years of comparison, but declined over 80 percent between year seven and eight. This clearly indicates that factors have changed during the last two years that are directly impacting the bottom line of the business. Moving on to company assets, the â€Å"cash and cash equivalents† portion of the income statement shows a decrease of nearly 55 percent on a decline of over 142 thousand dollars, but during the year seven and eight horizontal analysis there was a signif icant increase in cash assets by almost 350 percent.These are assets that are cash, or can be readily converted into cash. Balance that with the â€Å"total liabilities† which is the combination of all debt Competition Bikes is liable for. As can be seen on the worksheet, the liabilities increased a small amount from year six to seven, but decreased over the next two years. Increasing assets and decreasing liabilities of any company means the long-term sustainability is good. And last, we look at stockholder’s equity. This refers to how much capital investors have put into the business. In other words, this should represent positive differences between assets and liabilities.For Competition Bikes, from year six to seven this margin increased by a little over 3 percent, or approximately 70 thousand dollars. While slightly increasing, investors prefer to see a larger gain. Between years seven and eight the equity increased by almost one and a half percent. While not a la rge increase, at least this was a step in the right direction. Vertical analysis Through a vertical analysis, we can take a look at entries for assets, liabilities and equities. These are represented as a proportion, or percentage of the totals for any given year.The main advantage of a vertical analysis is that it is easy to read, clearly understandable and charts changes in the operations of a business on a yearly basis. By looking at a vertical analysis a person can see financial performance over a period of time. Lets start by looking on the revenue side. By calculating what the relationship is between net sales less cost of goods sold, we can see that our gross profits are remaining steady at roughly 27 percent. In other words, the cost of goods sold is approximately three quarters of the amount of net sales.These two measurements would probably be considered the best barometer of how efficiently a company is operating. Likewise, when we consider the operating expenses for sell ing products and running the company, we see that they are relatively steady with only a slight fluctuation of a few percentage points either up or down, with all the variation coming from differences in general and administrative expenses. Given the minor fluctuation of expenses over time, there seems to be a good internal control system in place. This holds costs in check while being able to concentrate on sales.Generally, the percentage of â€Å"total liabilities† has been declining over the three years shown. This represents the company’s ability to retire debt, and as the worksheet shows, the proportion of total stockholder equity has been holding steady as well. By holding the line on expenses, retiring debt and maintaining stockholder equity. Competition Bikes has been able to operate in a very efficient manner, while growing the company’s assets at a rate of 5 to 6 percent per year. Trend analysis The goal of performing trend analysis is to collect infor mation over a period of time, and to use that data to spot a pattern, or trend.Under this scenario of comparative analysis, the finances of a company are evaluated over in order to predict future potential based on past performance. When we look at Competition Bikes historical data for net sales, there is a year over year gain, with the exception of year 8. To start, from year 6 to year 7 there was a significant uptick in sales by a little over 33 percent. While net sales declined in year eight by approximately 17 percent from the previous year, they still represented a gain over year 6. For each subsequent year following the eighth, there should be a steady rise in sales.Because there is very little change in expenses, even though sales dropped off, the profitability of the company remained strong. This trend is predicted to hold through the remainder of years 9 through 11. Given the steadily increasing sales, the company would be attractive to investors looking for steady but reli able future growth. While sales are rising slowly, the net income continues to see increases that are in tandem. Ratio analysis Ratio analysis is the conversion of financial data into simple math ratios in order to use for comparing with other, similar businesses.Data from past years that is widely available through public financial statements can be analyzed and compared to other organizations, and the results of these comparisons can provide vital information when making decisions. For the case of Competition Bikes, I will be using four different metrics to calculate the financial well being of a company. They are liquidity ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on equity ratio and net profit margin ratio. There are three types of liquidity ratios that we will look at.The current ratio is considered to be a barometer of a company’s liquidity, and shows the relationship between working capital and its availability to meet present obligations. It is calculated by doing the follo wing: current assets ? current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303/105,080= 9. 8 Year 7 1,353,044/233,700= 5. 8 Year 8 1,575,831/300,200= 5. 2 The current ratio of Competition Bikes is decreasing slightly over the three-year period shown, but the ratio that is commonly thought to be acceptable would be anything above 2, and higher current ratios are always better.Since these ratios calculated out to well above that figure, this business would have no problem meeting its short-term debts. Next, another type of liquidity ratio is the quick ratio or acid test. This is used to measure the liquidity of a company, and its ability to meet financial obligations. The quick ratio is used to determine a company’s financial strength or weakness, where higher numbers mean there is a stronger probability, while lesser numbers mean weaker probability, of ability to pay off short-term debt. Quick ratios are calculated as follows: (current assets – inventories) ? urren t liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303 – 203,300 = 826,003/105,080 = 7. 85 Year 7 1,353,044 – 219,068 = 1133976/233,700 = 4. 84 Year 8 1,575,831 – 221833 = 1353998/300,200 = 4. 5 The quick ratio is an indicator of a company's short-term liquidity. It measures the company's  capacity to meet  its short-term debts with  the most liquid of assets, but is more conservative than the current ratio because it excludes the inventory. This is done for the reason that companies may have difficulty converting inventory into cash should an immediate need arise.The higher the quick ratio,  the  better the position of the  company, where a value of less than 1 may mean the business might have difficulty meeting its short term obligations. While Competition Bikes has a declining ration, it is still well above what is commonly considered acceptable. This points to their ability to pay their short-term debt. The last type of liquidity ratio is the cas h ratio. This ratio is generally the most conservative calculation of liquid assets because it removes inventory and accounts receivable from the equation, and is the best measurement of a company’s liquidity.By using this ratio, it is possible to determine if a business can pay off its short-term debt. Typically this is the measurement that will be used by creditors to determine how much credit they would be willing to extend, and is simply the ratio of  a cash assets to current liabilities. Cash ratios are calculated as follows: cash + short term investments/current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 261,000 + 198,500 = 459500/105,080 = 4. 37 Year 7 92,376 + 220,000 = 312376/233,700 = 1. 34 Year 8 414,038 + 220000 = 634038/300,200 = 2. 1 The cash ratio is a further refinement of quick and current ratios, and ndicates a company's liquidity. This is done through the measurement of cash on hand, cash equivalents and short-term investments in relationship to current l iabilities. Cash ratios are the most conservative of the liquidity ratios because it only looks at the assets that are highly liquid. It is unusual for companies to have the cash on hand to cover all current liabilities, and these ratios are generally lower than other measures of liquidity. When compiling financial reports, these ratios are not used very often because it is realistic for a company to maintain the levels of cash necessary to pay off all current liabilities.It is generally accepted that businesses do not hold large amounts of cash. Competition Bikes has a very good cash ratio, and while it had declined from year 6 to year 7, the ratio has improved in year 8. This company is highly liquid. A  class of financial metrics that are used to assess a business's ability to generate  earnings as compared to  its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor's ratio or the  same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well.The debt-to-equity ratio is a measurement of how much a company's creditors have committed versus what the shareholders have committed. This ratio is calculated by dividing  total liabilities  by  stockholders' equity, and indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Debt-to-equity is calculated as follows: total liabilities ? shareholders’ equity Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,995,080/2,204,223 = . 905 Year 7 2,018,700/2,274,344 = . 887 Year 8 1,980,200/2,305,631 = . 858The debt-to-equity ratio is a key financial analysis ratio that is used to evaluate a company's financial standing by measuring their ability to repay debts. The optimal debt-to-equity ratio should be about 1, where liabilities are equal to equity. However, these ratios can be tied to particular industries, where companies with more long-term investments have higher ratios. If the debt-to-equity ratio is increasing, creditors are financing the company. This is not the preferred situation in regard to both lenders and investors, because less debt to creditors means interests are better protected in the event of a business decline.Typically, having a high debt-to-equity ratio means not being able to draw additional lending. The lower the debt-to-equity ratio, the better. Competition Bikes debt-to-equity ratio is very good, and has held fairly steady over the three-year analysis period. This demonstrates that the company relies on shareholder equity to do their financing, rather than through loans. These factors point to minimal long-term borrowing needs, meaning the business doesn’t use long-term debt to finance its operation. Maintaining a low ratio is the usual approach, because future solvency is not impacted.The return on equity ratio indicates the returns, by way of net profits, to the shareholders of the company, and is measured as a percen tage of shareholder equity. This ratio measures how much  profit a company is able to generate  with money that shareholders have invested, as opposed to what creditors have loaned a business. It is also a useful ratio at determining success with managing resources, and is especially useful for privately owned businesses that have no easy way of determining the market value of owners’ equity.Return on equity ratios are calculated as follows: net income ? shareholders’ equity Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 41,148/2,204,223 = . 0186 or approximately 1. 8% Year 7 170,121/2274344 = . 0748 or approximately 7. 5% Year 8 31,286/2,305,631 = . 0135 or approximately 1. 3% The ratio of return on equity from year 6 to 7 improved substantially through the realization of a large gain in net income, while at the same time having shareholder equity remain largely unchanged. Then from year 7 to 8 the ratio nosedived to below what is was in the first year of comparison.This declinat ion in ratio is indicative of the inability of the company to make profits with the investments made by its shareholders. The company seems to be trending downward, and is unable to produce sufficient earnings for its investors. There are many analysts that view return on equity to be the most important ratio for stockholders to look at, and is indicative of how well a company’s management is performing. Lower numbers mean Competition Bikes may not be spending wisely, and is not very profitable. The net profit margin is a ratio measuring the profits of a company, and is used to measure how well a company controls costs.This calculation refers to money left for the owners, after all sales, expenses and taxes are paid. Higher net profits mean the company is more effective at translating sales into actual profit. Net profit margins may also provide clues into a company's pricing policies, costs and efficiency of production. This ratio is useful in looking at performance over a p eriod of time. It is calculated as: net profit ? net sales Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 41,148/1,191,000 = . 0345 or approximately 3. 4% Year 7 170,121/5,980,000 = . 0284 or approximately 2. 8% Year 8 1,286/5,083,000 = . 006 or approximately . 6% In looking at these net profit margins over the course of three years, Competition Bikes is in a severe decline. While the drop off between year 6 and 7 was only a little more than half of one percent, going from year 7 to 8 showed well over 2 percent less. This means the company is not efficient with in controlling costs, and must get a handle on their expenditures. The rise in costs could be attributed to raw materials costing more, rising salaries, declining sales or lowered sales prices due to competition.The bike company needs to gets its costs under control if it expects to survive. Working Capital Working capital is the amount of current or liquid assets a company has, after subtracting its current liabilities. Working capital is s ometimes called operating capital, and is a valuation of liquidity the organization has to run and build their business. In general, companies with greater amounts of working capital are better able to achieve success by utilizing their assets to invest back into the business.While a business may have a large amount of assets, it may be very difficult to convert them into cash in order to take advantage of opportunities that require fast action. If current liabilities are more than current assets, a working capital deficit is created, and a business cannot survive for long when in this situation. The calculation is as follows: current assets – current liabilities Competition Bikes, Inc. Year 6 1,029,303 – 105,080 = 924,223 Year 7 1,353,044 – 233,700 = 1,119,344 Year 8 1,575,831 – 300,200 = 1,275,631The working capital of year six was 924,223, with year seven posting a gain up to 1,119,344. This was again increased in the year eight results at a total of 1 ,275,631. This equates to an increase from year 6 to 7 of over 21%, and another increase from year 7 to 8 of approximately14%. The rising amounts in working capital demonstrate that the company has been steadily increasing their working capital during the three-year period. The consistent rise in available liquid assets confirms that the business has sufficient working capital to make advances in creating more profits.There are several ways in which to improve the working capital. Since more profit and/or more cash on hand equates to more working capital, steps should first be undertaken to increase profit through reduction in expenses. This could be accomplished by systematically auditing all processes and procedures of the business and streamlining wherever possible. Second, by issuing more stock, the company could increase their available working capital. Third, replacing short-term debt by converting to long-term debt would lessen the amount of current liabilities, and free up f unds to invest in something else.Four, by converting all non-cash liquid assets into cash, the organization could make available, additional funds to spend. And last, by speeding up the accounts receivables cycle, and collecting money more quickly, the business would be able to have this money in hand. By maintaining a positive working capital the business would be able to undertake initiatives to improve their profitability. These liquid assets could be used to increase production, hire more employees, purchase other businesses, or expand the operations into additional buildings in order to accommodate an increase in orders.By spending money on the â€Å"latest and greatest† equipment in order to increase efficiency you will realize more productivity from workers. This can include things such as better computer systems that are able to automate the sales process, as well as manufacturing equipment that has a higher production capability. Growing a business can be done in man y ways, but the easiest ways are by spending money in order to make money. One method is to increase the number of new clients by hiring more salespeople that can cover more territory.Another way is to increase the amount billed for each transaction, by offering sales incentives. And last, you can use marketing dollars to increase the frequency at which purchases are made by way of repeat business. Purchasing system evaluation Every business must have internal controls in place to create a system of checks and balances that safeguard company assets and resources. These controls include things such as audits, reviews and procedures, all of which are designed to allow the organization to conduct business in an orderly and efficient manner.These controls also serve to deter and detect errors, prevent theft/fraud and promote accuracy of the accounting data. In the end, the business must be able to produce up-to-date and reliable information that is readily accessible to those making bus iness and financial decisions. Competition Bikes has a few internal purchasing controls in place that are designed to streamline their ordering. The steps that are taken by the purchasing department when buying items for Competition Bikes are: ) Purchasing is instigated through the use of monthly budget projections 2) Purchasing gets bids from three sources for similar quality materials and selects low bidder 3)Purchasing issues a PO to chosen supplier 4) PO is sent to the supplier by purchasing on the first of projected month 5) Upon receipt of goods, materials are brought to production line for use during the month 6) Unused parts are sent to the raw materials inventory stores on last day of month 7) Purchasing sends suppliers invoice to accounting ; accounting writes check to payAs we can see, the company has put some checks into place when purchases are made. First, the orders are based on budget projections that mirror the amount of needed raw materials. This ties the employees doing the purchasing, to a system that can be checked for accuracy. Because there will be a record of the monthly projections and the corresponding order that was placed, there will be an audit trail that can verify validity. Next, there is a requirement of getting three bids before an order can be placed.This removes the temptation of doing underhanded deals with a particular vendor. Then, as materials are received the items are delivered to the production line for use. This allows the purchasing department to check the items received against the items ordered, to make sure the order is complete before it is made available for use. At the end of the month whatever parts are left get sent to the storage area that is used for excess material. The last internal control that is in place is the accounting department being given the invoice by purchasing for final payment.This process puts in place, the appropriate oversight by the accounting department, whereby the same person(s) order ing are not writing the checks. If this were not the case, there would be potential for financial improprieties to occur. While there are some controls in place, there is a general lack of process centered around accounting for the inventory. The purchasing department buys raw materials based on the projected budget for the month. If they were to balance projected material needs against the amount of material left over from the previous month, the system would be less wasteful and more manageable.This would also allow them to keep tight reign on the already purchased materials inventory by carrying the remaining inventory forward. Then the company would be able to save money by reducing the material in storage, eliminating the need for storage space and buying things as the need arises. In addition, there is no procedure for signing off on receiving material, getting approval to move material to storage at the end of the month or for signing in order to have the invoice paid.There s hould be a method creates a paper trail over the entire course of tracking the purchases. I recommend the following course of action: 1) Purchasing is instigated through the use of monthly budget projections 2) The required amount based on projected budget is checked against the leftover inventory on the production run 3) The amount of materials left in inventory should be used to reduce the new order 4) Purchasing gets bids from three sources for similar quality materials and selects low bidder 5)Purchasing issues a PO to chosen supplier ) Supervisor checks work of the procurement clerk and signs off on order 7) PO is sent to chosen supplier by purchasing, on the first of projected month 8) Upon receipt, materials received are compared against the order and a supervisor validates what was purchased/received 9) If correct, order is taken to production floor for use 10) Purchasing sends invoice to accounting department to write check to pay 11) Accounting supervisor gives OK for invo ice to be paid 12) Cycle begins all over the next month by taking inventory of what still remains on the production floor.There are several risks at play in light of the company’s internal controls. First, since there are no procedures in place for managing the inventory, the company is opening itself up to the possibility of theft. Once the raw materials leave the purchasing department and get taken to the production floor, there is no way to account for what has been used. Then, at the end of the month when the left over parts are taken to inventory storage there is no way to determine exactly what is left.Another area of risk is the lack of approval process, and no supervisors being given the ultimate responsibility for creating checks throughout the process. In conjunction with this same area of threat, there is no system in place for accounting to cross check the purchases before they receive the invoice. If the accounting department was required to sign off on the order before it went out, they would be able to provide another check to see if budget lined up to orders, and carried through to the invoice being paid.Sarbanes-Oxley compliance Back in 2002 the federal legislators felt they needed to act in the wake of the Enron and Worldcom debacles. These two companies were caught falsifying their accounting records to cover up misdeeds. Because the falsified information was published in the balance sheets, income statements and annual reports, people invested their money and lost millions of dollars. The resulting action was creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) that is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission.This was a piece of legislation that was designed to protect shareholders and the general public from errors in accounting and unscrupulous financial practices. The act provided rules and requirements for the retention and storage of electronic documents. These rules impact the financial side of companies, as well as IT depart ments that are charged with storage of electronic records. This act specifies that electronic records and electronic messages must be saved for at least five years. There are three rules associated with SOX.The first rule makes it a crime to alter, destroy or falsify records or documents. Second, this legislation lays out rules for accountants performing audits. When auditing a company that issues securities through the SEC, all paperwork that is produced during the audit must be retained for five years. And last, the act specifies the type of documents that must be stored. This includes any audit related documents, electronic communications created or received during the course of an audit and any financial data.In regard to Competition Bikes and its compliance with SOX, the company believes they are adequately addressing the requirements of the legislation. However, there has been an audit finding that points out the possibility of â€Å"material misstatement† on the compan y’s annual or interim financial reports. In short, this means there is the chance that false information is reported in the financial statements. This could be either accidental or intentional, but could impact the company’s stock prices.Based on the available information, this is possible because of the lax control over the materials inventory. There exists a loophole in the purchasing process whereby at the end of each month the remaining production materials inventory is sent to storage without accounting for what has been used. This opens up the company to theft of materials without even knowing something has been taken. Another area that is problematic is not having a system of checks and balances in place when creating orders and paying for them.The purchasing department does the buying without getting higher-level approval, and the accounting department pays the bills strictly on the authority of the purchasing people. This leaves the door open for fraudulent pu rchases because no one is overseeing what is being bought, and nobody is checking to see if the inventory has been received. Competition Bikes should put some procedures in place that more tightly control the purchasing and inventory of materials. One that controls how much gets ordered, who oversees the process, and how the vendors get paid once the products arrive.First, the purchasing department should account for any remaining inventory at the end of the month and only purchase additional materials that are needed. The current practice has materials being put into storage at the end of each month without being inventoried, with complete replacements being ordered based on projected needs. By scrutinizing raw materials, and how they get purchased, overspending and theft opportunities are alleviated. Second, before orders are placed, a single responsible party needs to sign off on all purchases, thus creating a system of checks and balances.Third, the accounting department needs t o be involved in the receiving/inventorying in order to maintain oversight of products and the associated payments. And last, the accounting and purchasing departments need to work collaboratively in order to create oversight of each purchasing/inventory/payment process. By having the separate departments involved in each step along the purchasing process, the opportunity for improprieties to exist is greatly lessened. References Horizontal Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In businessdictionary. om Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/horizontal-analysis. html Vertical Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In investopedia. com Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www. investopedia. com/terms/v/vertical_analysis. asp Trend Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In wisegeek. com Retrieved February 25, 2013, from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-trend-analysis. htm Ratio Analysis: Definition (n. d. ) In ratioanalysis. org Retrieved February 25, 2013, from h ttp://www. ratioanalysis. org/

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Department of Homeland Security - Essay Example The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department under the federal Government of the U.S. The main tasks of this department are to protect the United States from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters. This department works in order to protect the state within, at and outside its borders. The goal of this department can be defined as â€Å"to prepare, prevent and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism†.It was in 2003 that the Department of Homeland Security assumed its duties and now it is running with over 200 000 employees, being the third largest cabinet department of the United States. The formation of this department by President Bush was a response act to the September 11th attacks in the United States. The mission of the office was stated as â€Å"to develop and coordinate the implementation of a Comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The office will coordin ate the executive branch’s efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States†. As a first step to achieve their mission the department had come up with a color-coded terrorism risk advisory scale that provides â€Å"comprehensive information about the various risks to the federal, state and local authorities and to the people†. Actions will be intensified and protective measures strengthened if any area or department’s risk level rises... As a first step to achieve their mission the department had come up with a color-coded terrorism risk advisory scale that provides "comprehensive information about the various risks to the federal, state and local authorities and to the people".  Actions will be intensified and protective measures strengthened if any area or department's risk level rises. (Homeland Security) This is considered to be the largest Government reorganization since the U.S. Department of Defence was created. Any agency under the Department of Homeland Security will be housed in anyone of the four major directorates namely Border and Transportation security, Emergency of preparedness and response, Science and Technology and Information Analysis and Infrastructure protection. The Border and Transportation directorate includes representative agencies from Treasury, Justice, Transportation and Agriculture. The Emergency preparedness and response directorate brings together the Federal Emergency Management Ag ency (FEMA), the Strategic National Stockpile and the National Disaster Medical System (HHS), the Emergency, Justice and the National Domestic preparedness office. The scientific and technology directorate includes the CBRN Counter measures programs, Environmental Measurement Lab, National BW Defense Analysis center and Plum Island Animal disease center (for agriculture purpose). The Information and Infrastructure protection directorate includes the Federal Computer Incident Response Center, National Communications System, National Infrastructure Protection Center, Energy Security and Assurance program.  

Diachronic Analysis of Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diachronic Analysis of Poverty - Essay Example From the 578 documents reviewed in the process of selecting the core definitions of poverty, three broad categories were utilized in the screening of the documents: the main among the had to relate to poverty, secondly, each document had to contain a unique and original definition of poverty, and finally, the authorship to correspond to the key actors involved that is the researcher, donors, government, and NGOs. To uncover the deeper layers of meaning within definitions and changes, the diachronic analysis disaggregated topics, themes, and frames within the definitions. Huckin (2002) states that each definition was first disaggregated into basic component parts or topics, once they were identified they were grouped according to their semantic meaning for example topics such as housing, assets, and clothes were grouped according to material assets or possessions while topics such as food, nutrition, and life expectancy were categorized as physical factors. The definitions varied in t heir length and complexity. Some definitions were formed by a single theme while in more length definitions, the themes were embedded in one another. Â  From the findings, the majority of definitions of poverty were sourced in documents written by development agencies and researchers with fewer non- governmental organizations and national government. One of the reason for this as argued by Edwards and Hulme (1992) reveals that governments and NGOs are largely the implementers of development praxis. Secondly, NGOs and government literature often repeated definitions offered by both researchers and donors, this literature was least original and therefore least represented. Gill (1970) argues that NGOs programmes in the past were more independent and did not mirror donor interests today for example during the 1970s, NGOs were less interested in poverty per se than disaster mitigation and family relief as stated by Gill (1970), Twedt (1998) and Maxwell (2001). Â  

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

Immigration - Essay Example In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, famines, job scarcity, increasing taxes, crop failures and religious and political maltreatment forced people belonging to different parts of the world to leave their countries and immigrate to the United States of America mainly because it was considered to be a land of economic opportunities. Almost 12 million immigrants arrived and settled in United States of America during 1870 to 1900 with elevated hopes for their bright future. The majority of the immigrants belonged to Germany, Ireland and England. In the beginning, the immigrants settled near the areas of entry, however, they succeeded to make their way inside the country with the passage of time. Keeping in view the continuous influx of immigrants and their immense need to get jobs, employers stated taking their advantage. No amount of jobs was enough to accommodate all the immigrants. Men were paid less as compared to other workers and women in turn were paid even less ("Immigration to the United States, 1851-1900"). Immigrants were often labeled and stereotyped by the people residing in America. This prejudice led to social tensions among the immigrants and the Americans. Moreover, they were frequently discriminated against Americans and made to suffer stereotypical attitude, physical and verbal abuse only because they were different. Apart from social strains, the new comers brought their culture with them resulting in huge diversity in various cities as well as states. Another reason which contributed the social tension was the clash between what immigrants sought after and what the government required of them. By offering attractive jobs and land for farming, the states with meager populations tried to attract the immigrants towards them. However, immigrants, on the other hand, wanted to settle themselves in the communities set up by the people previously livi ng there from their own home countries ("Immigration to the United States, 1851-1900"). The official class of Norway openly showed their disdain towards other Norwegians who left their country to migrate to America and mocked everything even remotely related to America. The main reasons for this dislike included Negro slavery and American humbug. However, the tenants or extremely poor Norwegian farmers, after collecting some money that barely paid for their travel to as far as Chicago or Milwaukee, immigrated to America with the hopes of a better future. They considered America safer and more suitable place to live as compared to their own homeland. Norwegians mainly settled in the Midwest, Minnesota and Dakotas in particular. On the other hand, the letter they received from their fellow Norwegians already working in America were disheartening. They conveyed how they had acquired almost nothing and these otherwise proud farmers would not be able to think of going to America without feeling humiliated and self-ashamed. The Americans received them with kindness but having little knowledge about Scandinavian countries at that time and seeing their bewildered state, they considered them not only less fit but also inferior to them in every aspect. Consequently, this made the immigrants feel disgraced and dishonored and they set about to prove that they were not inferior to Americans in any way. Furthermore, they had to endure political discrimination as well. They lived in farming communities and they did find people sharing their cultural values but it separated them from the American community permanently.

Against Media Censorship Essay Example for Free

Against Media Censorship Essay * On television, music, and most websites, they inform the user about the contents of their website, song, or show; but others (like YouTube) put on age restrictions on them. * I’m sure most of you have had to go through these at some point in your life and have gotten upset when you can’t hear the whole song or watch the whole movie. * I’d like to explain to you all how Media Censorship is in direct violation of the First Amendment and how it can make it harder for kids to learn about certain aspects of life. * The First Amendment is one of our most important Amendments because it allows us, the citizens of the United States, to speak our minds about anything without legal government penalty. * Freedom of speech is no longer considered important to the government. People should be able to express themselves, whether it’s through music, movies, or anything, but instead they have to bleep the cuss for their song to go on the radio and block the inappropriate parts on a movie which can possibly cause a loss in entertainment or power in the message * The morals of people that have been hidden information from and the morals of the people who haven’t been hidden from are completely different. If certain things are hidden from people, then that gives people a curiosity in the subject and may cause people the use of illegal actions to obtain it. * Education isn’t something for kids need to be censored from. * People are curious about life and feel they need to learn more about it, if everything was censored then this can cause parents to be in uncomfortable situations and cause kids to ask more questions. * The government shouldn’t have to tell people what they can and can’t watch or listen to; this should be up to the person or the parents of that particular person. * The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) monitors every radio station, Television broadcast, and music broadcast to make sure that nothing inappropriate is said on the broadcast that they think may ruin the mind of the listeners. * Most music is censored while there are few artists that refuse to censor their music, and nearly all movies are also censored. * The First Amendment states that you have a freedom of speech and the FCC shouldnt be able to take that away. People can be better educated on topics if nothing is censored. * The sound of music and the graphics of movies are some things you all would most likely want to keep. * In conclusion, The media should not be censored and should not be allowed to be censored.

Avatars Will Replace Faces And Profiles :: Internet Net World Wide Web Media

I never thought when I started blogging that I would receive over fifty thousand views from one website alone. That is a big compliment for an old guy that lives in Brooklyn. I guess whatever I have to say must be stimulating. The lack of comments that I and most other male writers receive is not a sign of poor writing only a sign that women are not interested in a mans individuality or creative ability. I have seen many extremely boring and frivolous articles written by women receive over fifteen compliments. It is obvious that they are coming from lady friends that haven?t the talent to say anything more than ?Very Interesting?. Or ?I love it?. Most websites are dominated by groups of women that support one another. They are called ?Communities? by their directors. I call them ?Cabalas?. Fortunately I can gain popularity without joining any of them. The thousands of views I have received shows that I can stand alone. If I needed the support of groupies to be read, it would be t ime for me to stop writing and go fishing. I would like to remedy the situation and give the floor to those writers that really have something interesting to say but that is impossible. Popularity of the writer not the quality of what is written has always been the rule. A successful writer has to cater to the crowd. If a person chooses to read articles only by writers in their ethnic group nobody can interfere with their choice. Not all people are groupies and many of them are very fair. Their individuality deserves my respect. There is no way to appreciate or understand an article better than when it is written by an author who is represented by an avatar. Without a clue to the identity of the writer the reader is forced to pass judgment only on what is written. This poses no problem for a person that possesses the ability to analyze what is read. But for the groupie an article that does not identify the author creates a state of terror for them, because they must know the identity of the writer. Some groupies only feel comfortable reading an article written by a certain gender. Others demand to know the religion or racial group of the author before reading the article. These groupies by their practice censor the independent writer who attempts to approach a subject fairly.

Canine Heartworm Disease Essay -- Heartworm Disease Dogs

Canine Heartworm Disease Canine Heartworm Disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused by the parasite Dirofilaria Immitis. The disease can infect over 30 species, including humans, however dogs are the definitive host. The most common way this disease is transmitted from one animal to the next is through mosquitoes. A mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae bites a dog and transmits the infection to them. The larvae grow, develop, and migrate in the body over a period of 6 to 7 months, in which time they become sexually mature male and female worms. this is the prepatent period. The worms then reside in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. The worms begin to mate and release microfilaria into the blood stream. When a mosquito bites an infected dog it takes in some of the microfilaria in the blood. After 10 to 30 days there is larvae in the mosquito’s salivary gland which can then be passed on to the next dog the mosquito bites. Canine Heartworm Disease can also be transmitted to puppies through the placenta of an infected mother. However in this case the puppies will only be carriers, but this makes them at risk of severe reactions when starting canine heartworm prevention. Another way larvae can be passed is through blood transfusions. To prevent this all donors must be cleared of heartworm disease before donating. Dogs infected with Canine Heartworm Disease can have from 1 to 250 worms living in them for 5 to 7 years. The organs us...

Maquiladora Industry

In this paper I will discuss the history and practices of the Maquiladora industry. I will discuss its background, its problems, the benefits it offers to United States companies, and the impact the NAFTA has and will have on the industry. In addition, I will make a suggestion on a possible strategy the Maquiladoras can adopt in order to address the challenges brought on by the NAFTA, to ensure it remains a strong force in the future. Mexican agricultural workers had been granted temporary work visas allowing them to work in the United States† agricultural industries through a program called the Bracero Program until 1965 when this program was terminated. As a result of this termination, the unemployment rate had exceeded 70% in certain border cities. In May of 1965 the Border Industrialization Program was established as a replacement for the Bracero program. It was later renamed the Maquiladora Program. The program was established by the Mexican government to provide employment for Mexico†s rapidly growing population along its border with the United States. This program was utilized to keep Mexicans from entering the United States. The idea was that Mexican workers would be kept on the Mexican side of the border if they were given factory jobs on the Mexican side. The Maquiladora program also wanted to attract foreign manufacturing facilities, technology, and know-how by giving a permanent tax holiday to manufacturing companies that would set up â€Å"twin plants† on the Mexican side of the border. In the beginning of the program, all foreign-owned operations had to be located within a 20-kilometer strip along the US-Mexican border. Since 1972 they can be located anywhere in Mexico. In 1996 there were around 2,500 Maquiladoras – 35% of them were located in the interior states of Mexico. Last year there were over 3,000 and more and more of these operations are being located outside of the border regions. Each of Mexico†s 31 states has at least one Maquiladora. Maquiladoras, also referred to as â€Å"in bond† or â€Å"twin† plants, are allowed to temporarily import into Mexico (free of tax) machinery, equipment, replacement parts, raw materials, and just about anything that was used in the assembly or manufacture of semi-finished or finished products. Once assembled or manufactured, the Maquila products must be exported unless special permission is obtained to sell a limited amount of output in the Mexican market. When these products are imported back to the United States, import duties are levied on the foreign value-added only. If Maquila products stay in Mexico, the are subject to applicable Mexican duties. The largest issue surrounding the Maquiladora industry is the exploitation of cheap labor. The working conditions are often unsafe, workers are not compensated adequately for their labor, attempts to unionize are discouraged; and sexual discrimination and harassment are too common. The conditions in and outside the Maquiladoras are terrible. Workers perform tasks such as welding without protective masks, leather gloves, or goggles (in many instances) and industrial accidents and toxic exposures are common. This, along with malnutrition caused by low salaries, produce skin illnesses, cancer, irregularities in menstruation, abortions, tumors, intoxication and birth of undernourished or disabled babies. Of the employees, many are young girls and women ranging from the ages of 14 to 20. They work 6 days a week in 10-hour shifts. The average weekly salary for a Maquiladora worker is US$35 – $45 even though the average monthly rent for a house with public services such as running water and electricity is around $200 a month. For the most part, Maquiladoras are unorganized. In those that are organized, state-controlled unions represent the workers. Although some companies are unionized on paper, the unions, for the most part, function to reinforce management policies rather than for the benefit of workers. Then there are what are called â€Å"phantom† unions. These unions do not fight for the worker†s rights. The workers do not even know them and have never seen their union leaders. When a conflict arises in a factory, management informs the worker that their unions have accept these or those conditions. Not only are they not protected by existing unions, those that attempt to unionize and are often threatened or bribed by plant managers and the government. In many companies, discrimination against and harassment of the female employees is very common. Female job applicants are required to produce urine samples to be used for pregnancy test, while some have company doctors and nurses examine the applicants or ask confidential information concerning their contraceptive practices. This is done because pregnant women are refused employment. Sexual harassment is often the rule rather than the exception. Rapes occur frequently and few are reported because women fear being fired or blacklisted. Shame and humiliation also keep them quiet. In Mexico, men and women are equal before the law, but the law does not recognize discrimination as a problem to be solved. The Pollution Brought on by the Maquiladoras The increased pollution, accompanied by the dumping of tons of hazardous wastes, poses a serious health threat to the residents of Mexico as well as the resident of the bordering US states. There are several canals that are â€Å"black† with chemical wastes that have been measured at levels that greatly exceed permissible standards. One factory was caught dumping drums of paint, solvents, and shellac into a drain. In other areas there are abandoned lead smelters and air full of soot and dust from brick-making ovens and smoldering tire dumps. Main Advantages for the United States† Companies For the United States companies this was a great advantage since Maquiladoras operates at very low costs in places where the currency is weaker than the dollar–such as Mexico. The less a currency is worth, the more relative value the dollar has. Since Mexico†s peso is relatively week, companies can trade their dollars for pesos with which they pay workers and expenses. The products they manufacture, however, are sold for dollars, increasing their profits by huge margins whenever the local currency falls. They could enhance competitiveness, reduce their costs, and maintain quality by placing their labor-intensive operations in the less developed Mexico, benefiting from the lower wage rates there. For many US companies, manufacturing in Mexico has become necessary to battle overseas competition. Since many manufacturers are moving to â€Å"just-in-time† inventory systems, the quick delivery possible from Mexico†s border towns offers a substantial advantage over Asian alternatives. The NAFTA†s Impact on the Maquiladora Industry Traditionally, Maquiladoras offered foreign businesses several advantages over other forms of direct foreign investment. Since the signing of NAFTA, however, many of these advantages are either being phased-out or granted to all Mexican companies. The most significant advantages of operating as a Maquiladoras include: 100% foreign investment, operation without ownership of assets, tax sheltering of cost centers, and 100% duty-drawback or waivers for temporary imports. Furthermore, the NAFTA attempted to address the labor exploitation and environmental problems associated with the Maquiladora industry. One of the benefits of the Maquiladora program is 100% foreign investment of Mexican operations, which formerly was not allowed. However, Mexico†s Foreign Investment Law has changed through the years (most significantly in 1989 and 1994)-full investment is now allowed in most business ventures. Operation Without Ownership of Assets Another advantage that Maquiladoras have is that they can receive production materials and capital goods as loans from their parent and client companies. As a result, most Maquiladoras have little of no inventory of fixed assets, eliminating the need to pay the Mexican asset tax of 2% of all assets. In January 1995, the Mexican IRS reported that Maquiladoras would now have to factor the depreciation of â€Å"loaned† assets in price-transfer calculations, which is the first step toward phasing-out this advantage by 2001. When Maquiladoras are structured as cost center (providing manufacturing services for a foreign parent) the foreign corporation has traditionally paid the Mexican company for operating costs plus negligible profit. By doing this they avoid Mexico†s 34% corporate income tax, 10% mandatory profit sharing, and asset taxes. Now the Mexican IRS is changing the way Maquiladoras must declare assets. Over the next few years, Maquiladoras will be forced to raise their declared profit percentage to a rate that is comparable to that of two unrelated companies performing the same transaction at â€Å"arm†s length†. This is the type of transfer pricing procedure that is implemented by most trading blocks, like the EC. It will soon be effect throughout North America. 100% Duty-Drawback or Waivers for Temporary Imports Maquiladoras have always allowed Mexican companies 100% duty drawback or waivers in imported components that are exported as final goods. Since 1994, this has provided many Maquiladora programs a way to use non-NAFTA materials within products without the need to pay the corresponding duties over those materials when importing or exporting goods to other NAFTA nations. On January 1, 2001, Maquiladoras that manufacture goods for export to NAFTA partner countries will no longer be allowed to take the waiver. The waiver will still be available for goods that are going to non-NAFTA countries. In 1995 the NAFTA†s of Labor created the National Administrative Office (NAO) as well as the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). Both were intended to stop labor abuses. The NOA was established to monitor labor complaints that NAFTA critic†s voice regarding unfair labor practices. The NAO can recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations† as well as imposed heavy sanctions against Mexico. Unfortunately, the side agreements proved useless. The NOA cannot force Maquiladoras to allow unions-the most they can do is recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations.† Sexual harassment and discrimination continues as well. The NAFTA has also created side agreements covering the environment. One of them is the North American Development Bank (NAD Bank). Its purpose was to finance wastewater treatment projects along the border in the poorer communities. However, the most important criteria that needed to be met in order to receive funds were meeting certain market considerations. With this program NAFTA â€Å"encouraged† growth without regard for the environment through its practice of placing market consideration above environmental protection. Another is the Commission for Economic Cooperation (CEC). The CEC was established to investigate governmental non-enforcement of environmental laws. Unfortunately it has no power to enforce ,they can only investigate-and they can†t even do that until Mexico collects the data on the pollution for them. Possible Strategy for the Maquiladora Industry As long as the Mexican currency is weaker than the US dollar I don†t think that the changes are going to dramatically effect the flow of US companies to the south. However, the Maquiladora industry cannot count on this for continued growth. By the year 2001 the Maquiladora industry as we know it now will have significantly changed when the phasing out is complete. Maquiladoras will no longer be â€Å"tax break† establishments; they will be just like other foreign investments. In order for them to fully compete in the near future they must become more efficient and leaner. The impact of globalization is forcing manufacturers to produce more rapidly and cheaply than ever before and to continuously improve. Because there will be no differentiation between the non-Maquiladora and Maquiladora industries I feel the inefficient producers will be wiped out. Therefor, Maquiladora employees will need better training, education, incentives as well improved working conditions and hi gher wages. Operations will also have to be streamlined in order to reap the benefits of economies of scale and scope. In addition, Mexicans as well as US citizens will start to demand more accountability from the Mexican government and the Maquiladora industry. They need to be more responsible for their actions. What will the U.S. corporations do when human rights activists and environmentalists start lobbying and protesting on their US sites? Do they want to risk losing their shareholders to this type of negative attention?