Personal Vs. Business Communication - 1263 Words

Personal vs Business Communication While it is important to have effective personal communication, it is more important to have effective business communication. One of the largest differences between personal and business communication is that business communication usually is more formal and there is usually a much larger audience. People do not normally practice speaking before talking with a spouse, friends, or family, but they do, often practice speaking prior to conducting business with customers and business associates. For instance, it would not be unusual for a person to practice speaking before giving a presentation in a board room. People generally know how their friends and family will react or respond, but this is not usually†¦show more content†¦It is essential for business leaders to have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as leaders are often a symbol of a company’s integrity and this affects not only how customers perceive the company, but also impacts the thoughts a nd actions of lower positioned employees. For example, a leader that speaks using improper grammar, or writes correspondence with spelling errors throughout it, could project a negative image that can be harmful to a company. Customers might conclude that the leader is incompetent and they might decide that they do not wish to purchase goods from a company that hires inept leaders. Furthermore, employees might become less apt to respect an authority that appears to be uneducated, as well as employees might feel that if the leader disregards using proper communication than it is not necessary for them to use it either. Business leaders need to know when to listen, when to talk, and how to share ideas effectively. Clear and concise communication states exactly how, who, what, and when and serves to guide, direct, protect, persuade, and to inform. Communication is essential for decreasing miscommunications and for increasing productivity, motivation, and efficiency. When someone uses e ffective communication, he or she is more apt to have favorable results and his or her requests will become granted more often. Furthermore, communication builds goodwill. Having excellent communication skills isShow MoreRelatedBusiness Law: A Case Study1531 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Law In business law, there are a number of procedures that are used in settling disputes. For cases, under $5,000.00, small claims court is utilized as a way to effectively litigate potential issues and come to a solution in a cost effective manner. This is when there are no attorneys present. Instead, each party will present their side of the story to the judge. They will bring forward their own witnesses and evidence to support their case. (Warner, 2012) To fully understand how it worksRead MoreThe Second Hofstede Cultural Dimension Compared : Individualism Vs. Collectivism1643 Words   |  7 PagesThe second Hofstede cultural dimension compared is â€Å"Individualism vs. Collectivism† which indicates whether members within a society define themselves as individuals or associate themselves with a particular group. In Hofstede’s comparison of Japanese and American cultures, American culture scored relatively high (91) in the individualism dimension. On the contrary, the Japanese culture scored relatively low (46) which firmly categorizes the culture as Collectivist. To clarify, Americans placesRead MoreUnderstanding Cultural Dimension : Strategy For Globalization Business1596 Words   |  7 Pages Understanding Cultural Dimension: Strategy for Globalisation Business The maritime industry is a kind of vast business, which usually develop into multinational business. This business will involve many people from other countries. Since, the ship moves from one to another country, communicating with people from another country with different cultures is inevitable. Culture was defined by anthropologist as learning and sharing concept, value and belief or can be said as an adaptable systemRead MoreOrganizational Behavior Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pagesconfrontation or tension in the work place. The five dimensions of personality are:  § Extraversion. Sociable, talkative vs. withdrawn, shy.  § Emotional Stability/Neuroticism. Stable, confident vs. depressed, anxious.  § Agreeableness. Tolerant, cooperative vs. cold, rude.  § Conscientiousness. Dependable, responsible vs. careless, impulsive.  § Openness to Experience. Curious, original vs. dull, unimaginative. Employees learn practical skills to include job-specific skills, knowledge, and technicalRead More†¢Identify And Evaluate Key Result Areas (Kras) And Key1660 Words   |  7 Pages Product Management †¢ Hours spent on production †¢ Actual cost vs projected †¢ Outcomes achieved vs plan †¢ Issues encountered †¢ Optimisation of resource management, ie stock rotation etc. Six Sigma. A tool that measures the stability and predictability of process results with an aim to limit process errors. Operational Cost Control †¢ Hours spent to achieve outcomes †¢ Amount of training/ re-training required †¢ Cost of implementation vs profits earned †¢ Strong Cashflow results – year on year growthRead MoreSegmentation And Target Market Paper1613 Words   |  7 Pagesis an industry leader in IT and business skills training† (KnowledgeNet, 2013,  ¶ 1 ). This paper will go over several aspects of the company including an overview, demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral characteristics. The company’s target market and how the company targets that market will also be discussed, as well as new proposed positioning statement for the company to use. Company Overview KnowledgeNet Enterprises LLC is a business-to-business company that is now based in TempeRead MoreEssay on BIS 320 Week 3 Individual Assignment957 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Determining Databases and Communications BIS/320 Scenario 1 Today’s world is one that is driven by technology. It’s almost a â€Å"get on board or get left behind† situation. Getting dressed, driving to the mall, and walking around shopping are being replaced by staying in pajamas, walking to a computer, and shopping on Amazon.com. There are benefits to both situations but it’s up to choose how they would like to conduct business. As business men and women the situation can becomeRead MoreTechnology Is The Work Place Environment1447 Words   |  6 Pages Another situation that technology is affecting is the work place environment. Many companies and jobs are using cutting-edge technology to help make work easier. More than 81% of employees work using their personal mobile devices and 33% of Americans use at least three devices for work (Miller-Merrell, â€Å"46% of Managers Believe Employees Misuse Social Media and Work Technology†). Using technology can make it easier to get ahold of someone faster and to draw more attention over the World WideRead MoreBackground of Human Resource Management1652 Words   |  7 Pagesmost valued assets. - the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievements of the objectives of the business. ⠝â€" HRM is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation,  performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. ⠝â€" HRM is also a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace  culture  andRead MoreGlobalization On Business Management : The Multinational Company Essay1014 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Business management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Globalization in short, points to the whole effort towards making the world global community as a one village. Globalization on business management is interconnection of international markets and managing businesses in a global industry. This includes foreign investments whereby a company expands its business and invest in foreign countries. Globalization makes business management easier

In Cold Bood Essay - 974 Words

In cold blood was written by Truman capote in 1965 detailing the brutal 1959 murders of Herbert clutter, his wife and their two kids Nancy and Kenyan clutter. Truman capote tries to remain unbiased, in his book In cold blood by attempting to counter his affinity to the killers (i.e. Perry and dick) but when you read this novel his bias becomes apparent due to his disdain for the death penalty. Shown by pointing out his belief that dick and Perry’s trial was unfair and unjust it begins with capote pointing out the killers defense lawyers lack of enthusiasm. Dick hickock’s involvement in the clutter murders began when he solicited Perry’s help in planning the crimes, so he is the mastermind of this heinous crime and is just as guilty, if†¦show more content†¦Hickock keeps on coming with excuses for his acts, when he’s questioned by investigaters he blames it all on perry then when they question perry he says he only killed the men. After dicks side of the story is disproved by perry side of the story. He changes his excuse saying he was there but that he was forced into doing it even though he came up with the plan. At the end of the day although the prosecutor and dick hickock make valid point about the appropriate punishment for the crime, the prosecutor comment that dick death sentence should not be contingent on who actually pulled the trigger is a more valid statement while we may never know who pulled the trigger on the clutters, whether it be Perry side of the story or dick’s side of the story. We do know that dick is just as guilty as perry if not more, due to his involvement to the crime. He came up with the plan to rob and kill the clutters from his prison cell, he didn’t try to not kill the clutters when Perry asked him to leave after they didn’t find the money he stayed, he was always the brains in the group so the decision to get rid of the witnesses was

The effects of the Blitz on everyday life in Britain Free Essays

Although the Blitz did affect military production and industry slightly, it mainly affected the way of life of the people of Britain, testing their resolve, perseverance, and overall morale. The civilians were on the front line, and had to adapt their lives accordingly. London was perhaps the most harshly affected. We will write a custom essay sample on The effects of the Blitz on everyday life in Britain or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first priority was to prevent bombing altogether. A curfew was placed, noone was allowed out after dark incase they were spotted by bombers and targetted. This may have affected the livleyhoods of many londoners, who would have to look for other work, although this was perhaps the least drastic of measures taken to avoid bombing. A blackout was issued, no lights were to be visible at night. Shops, homes, trains, and cars were all included in this. This would be done by boarding up windows, dulling reflective surfaces, or just turning the lights out. This was designed to prevent enemy aircraft from navigating attacks purely on sight and forced them to use different methods, causing difficulty. Although, with vehicles, it caused many road accidents. If bombing could not be prevented then the next priority was to minimise casualties. It was paramount that civilians had access to a safe place to protect themselves from attack. Anderson shelters were distributed to many homes in Britain, allowing civilians easy access to protection. Although people were urged to sleep in these at night, they were cold and uncomfortable and sometimes flooded, so people took their chances under the stairs or even in their beds. These werent the only sources of shelter. Brick shelters were set up which would house many people, though these did not provide much protection from bombs and were easily destroyed. Civilians also used bridges and arches to protect them selves from attack aswell as the underground tube and train tunnels. Civilians were ordered to carry gas masks, incase the germans dropped gas that could get into the shelters. To make sure all air raid precautions were set up and executed properly, 500,000 ARP (Air Raid Precaution) wardens, were employed. These were the people whose responsibility it was to alert the public of air raids and make sure that civilians were sheltered. They also looked over the precautions to air raids, such as inspecting blackout precautions and shelters to make sure they are adequate. Morale was one of England’s most important defenses against the German campaign and keeping morale up meant moving the vunerable from places that are likely to be bombed to safety. The answer was evacuation. The country was divided into three zones. â€Å"Evacuation†, these were the places that were likely to be heavily bombed and required evacuation. â€Å"Neutral†, these were the places that were unlikely to be bombed, but still had a sizeable population with a chance of being attacked. These were not required to receive or evacuate. â€Å"Reception†, these were the more rural areas with a less dense population and were the least likely to be bombed. These were the places that evacuees would be taken. London was perhaps the most severe â€Å"evacuation† zone. The children of London, sometimes even mothers and the disabled, were put on trains and sent into areas comparitively safe from bombing. Using this program, space for 4. 8 million people was found, and camps set up to accommodate a few more thousand, and some even evactuated abroad, to other European countries and even America. Those evacuated stayed with families in rural areas, and those who were evacuated at a young age spent the most influential years of their life in evactuation, becoming very attached to their carers. Although all of these precautions had been taken. , bombs still fell, damaging buildings, and however much avoidance was placed, people died. Quick response was required to salvage as much as could be from the damaged parts of London. Many people were drafted into the auxilary fire service, treating the flames caused by incendiary bombs. Other people were trained as medical staff and nurses, who treated the bombing casualties. Those who did not do these were able to help in the form of volunteer work, moving rubble and removing casualties from ruined buildings. Some even worked in catering, providing food and drink for those who had lost their homes. The actual effect of the bombs was massive. People, who had lost their homes to the bombs were left to find a safe place for themselves. People often took shelter in the tube and train stations. These had cramped conditions and were cold with little or no sanitation. Some people even turned to looting, taking any valubles they could find from the wreckages of houses so they could get money for food or shelter. Altogether, the points I have raised prove that the Blitz had an adverse effect on the lives of the people of Britain. People had to live in extremely harsh conditions, eat little, deal with death or the loss of their childeren to evacuation. Others had to deal with uncontrollable fires and casualty counts, while some just dealt with the constant fear of being attacked. All this was to be done while keeping up morale, which truly shows how well the British adapted and persevered, not caving in to the German’s demoralisation tactics. How to cite The effects of the Blitz on everyday life in Britain, Essays

Accounting and Finance for Capital Budgeting - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theAccounting and Finance for Capital Budgeting. Answer: Need to Consider Ethics in Capital Budgeting by the Companies It is significant for companies to believe in ethics at the time of capital budgeting process as that help in taking appropriate capital investment decisions (Abor, 2017). Capital budgeting is a process that companies uses for determining the advantages of any given investment project. Hence, the decision made should be ethical in nature so that there is no issue present in the upcoming years of operations. Any unethical decision will hamper the company to large extent. The decision made should be ethical, be it accepting or denying for any investment project that becomes a part of initiative taken by the companies in the upcoming financial year (Myers, 2014). Citing an instances where ethical consideration has been taken into account at the time of capital budgeting process In the year 2009, ExxonMobil is one of the largest oil companies that had acquired the XTO resources worth of $41 billion (Abor, 2017). Here, the example that is cited is the acquisition that was a part of capital budgeting decision where the company had made financial commitment at the same time. So, here it is understood that Executives are losing up jobs only because of poor investment decisions so ethical considerations should be taken into account. The ethical consideration must be preserving the confidential data, honesty, reliability as well as faithfulness. Therefore, it all about understands the financial as well as investment decision as it is considered as paramount of actions that results in getting successful capital investment decisions (Myers, 2014). Reference List Abor, J. Y. (2017). Evaluating Capital Investment Decisions: Capital Budgeting. In Entrepreneurial Finance for MSMEs (pp. 293-320). Springer International Publishing. Myers, S. C. (2014). Interactions of corporate financing and investment decisionsimplications for capital budgeting. The Journal of finance, 29(1), 1-25.

A Summary of South African Apartheid

A Summary of South African Apartheid Though youve likely heard about South African apartheid doesnt mean you know  its full history or how the system of racial segregation actually worked. Read on to improve your understanding and see how it overlapped  with Jim Crow in the United States. A Quest  For Resources The European presence in South Africa  dates back to the 17th century when the Dutch East India Company established the Cape Colony outpost. Over the next three centuries, Europeans, primarily of British and Dutch origin, would expand their presence in South Africa to pursue the land’s abundance of natural resources such as diamonds and gold. In 1910, whites founded the Union of South Africa, an independent arm of the British Empire that gave the white minority control of the country and disenfranchised blacks. Although South Africa was majority black, the white minority passed a series of land acts that resulted in them occupying 80 to 90 percent of the country’s land. The 1913 Land Act unofficially launched apartheid by requiring the black population to live on reserves. Afrikaner Rule Apartheid officially became a way of life in South Africa in 1948, when  the Afrikaner National Party came into power after heavily promoting the racially stratified system. In Afrikaans, apartheid means â€Å"apartness† or â€Å"separateness.†Ã‚  More than 300 laws led to apartheid’s establishment in South Africa. Under apartheid, South Africans were categorized into four racial groups: Bantu (South African natives), colored (mixed-race), white and Asian (immigrants from the Indian sub-continent.) All South Africans over the age of 16 were required to carry racial identification cards. Members of the same family often were categorized as different racial groups under the apartheid system. Apartheid not only banned interracial marriage but also sexual relations between members of different racial groups, just as miscegenation was banned in the United States. During apartheid, blacks were required to carry passbooks at all times to allow them entry into public spaces reserved for whites. This occurred after the enactment of the Group Areas Act in 1950. During the Sharpeville Massacre  a decade later, nearly 70 blacks were killed and nearly 190 wounded when police opened fire on them for refusing to carry their passbooks. After the massacre, leaders of the African National Congress, which represented the interests of black South Africans, adopted violence as a political strategy. Still, the military arm of the group did not seek to kill, preferring to use violent sabotage as a political weapon. ANC leader Nelson Mandela explained this during the famous 1964 speech he gave after being jailed for two years for inciting a strike. Separate and Unequal Apartheid limited the education the Bantu received. Because apartheid laws reserved skilled jobs for whites exclusively, blacks were trained in schools to perform manual and agricultural labor but not for skilled trades. Fewer than 30 percent of black South Africans had received any kind of formal education whatsoever by 1939. Despite being natives of South Africa, blacks in the country were relegated to 10 Bantu homelands after the passage of the Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959. Divide and conquer appeared to be the purpose of the law. By splitting up the black population, the Bantu could not form a single political unit in South Africa and wrest control from the white minority. The land blacks lived on was sold to whites at low costs. From 1961 to 1994, more than 3.5 million people were forcibly removed from their homes and deposited in the Bantustans, where they were plunged into poverty and hopelessness. Mass Violence The South African government made international headlines when authorities killed hundreds of black students peacefully protesting apartheid in 1976. The slaughtering of the students came to be known as the Soweto Youth Uprising. Police killed anti-apartheid activist Stephen Biko in his jail cell in September 1977. Biko’s story was chronicled in the 1987 film â€Å"Cry Freedom,† starring Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington. Apartheid Comes to a Halt The South African economy took a significant hit in 1986 when the United States and Great Britain imposed sanctions on the country because of its practice of apartheid. Three years later F.W. de Klerk became president of South Africa and dismantled many of the laws that allowed apartheid to become the way of life in the country. In 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence. The following year South African dignitaries repealed the remaining apartheid laws and worked to establish a multiracial government. De Klerk and Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their efforts to unify South Africa. That same year, South Africa’s black majority won rule of the country for the first time. In 1994, Mandela became South Africa’s first black president. Sources HuffingtonPost.com:  Apartheid History Timeline: On Nelson Mandela’s Death, A Look Back At South Africa’s Legacy Of Racism Postcolonial Studies at Emory University History.com: Apartheid - Facts and History

Zakopane essay essays

Zakopane essay essays Imagine walking up to lake Morskie oko in the boiling hot sun and stepping ina church that has stood way longer on this earth than your own two feet, that gathers invaluable information but can an adequate amount of this information be gained within the four walls of a classroom. For two weeks we studied Zakopane up close and under the microscope and observed the Society, Art and Architecture, Economy, and Geography. We were trying to answer the conundrum; can you develop a complete understanding of Society from classroom study by reading books and taking information off of the web. Even though traveling to Zakopane to learn gives you irreplaceable information, you can still learn and adequate amount in the classroom. First of all as I imagined the Gorale people were very different to your average Warszawian. Before hand we found out that the clothes that the mountain people wear are extremely unique and different to all clothes in Warsaw. They would wear very thick clothes so to cope with the weather and overall climate of the Podhale region. I also knew that the weddings of the traditional people in Zakopane were very different. They sounded very over the top but every thing involved was moderate when I heard from a Gorale. In addition I found out about the some of the customs the Gorale people adopted i.e. I f a man is not married he would wear a feather in his hat. One thing that I believed was that the weather would be a lot colder in the Tatras and in Zakopane. I thought that because the altitude of Zakopane and the Tatras was a long way above sea level. I had found some evidence to support this. One thing was that on average the temperature was five degrees Celsius over the entire year and even in summer it was only on average fifteen degrees Celsius. Finally the Zakopane residents would spend around one hundred and thirty days in the snow. When I arrived in Zakopane I was incredibly shocked to find that the weather was ...

Endangered African Penguin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endangered African Penguin - Essay Example Usually a penguin would consume about 500 grams of fish every day and during breeding they may even consume up to 1000 grams (New England Aquarium, 2012). As in the early part of the 20th century about 1.5 million penguin were estimated to inhabit the Southern African region and since then, they population have been on the downtrend and have now decreased to 5 to 10% of their original numbers. The main threats to their survival is that commercial fishing is beginning to threaten their diet and most often they have to seek food in deeper water or consume less nutritious food. Besides, global warming have increased temperatures. There are other causes for their decline including human consumption being considered a delicacy in Africa, exposure to oil slicks (especially the MV Treasure which sank in June 2000), El Nino effects (which causes severe food shortages in their habitat areas) and presence of several natural predators (such as sharks, seals, mongoose, cats and seagulls) (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African penguin is at the risk of extinction and is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book and by the USA Endangered Species Act. Today the number of African penguins are about 55000, from 200,000 in the year 2000. Their decline is very rapid and many of the Environmental protection and Governmental are working tirelessly to monitor the number of birds, creating artificial rearing centers, and protecting the habitat areas of the birds from human activities and some of the natural predators (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African Penguin is interesting mainly because it gives out a braying sound like a donkey, similar to many of its cousin species in South America. They have have black and white stripes all over their body, and these stripes are unique to each individual penguin. Further, this black and white stripes are useful camouflage when the birds are swimming, as

The effect of Sildenafil (viagra) on antral follicle development in Literature review

The effect of Sildenafil (viagra) on antral follicle development in sheep - Literature review Example The endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors regulate the proliferation of granulosa cells, in which case the follicles then become gonadotrophin dependent, and their granulosa and theca cells will continue to proliferate and differentiate until ovulation. The formation of the fluid-filled antrum acts as the selective barrier, which enables the accumulation of substance within the follicular fluid and then envelops the oocyte and surrounding granulosa cells within some specialized microenvironment. The changes in the vascular permeability mediate some processes in the follicle development, in which case it includes the antrum formation and oocyte maturation (Hunter 2003). Folliculogenesis, characterized by remarkable proliferation and differentiation of follicles somatic cells has the gonadotrophins controlling the dynamic process, in which case it also regulates the development of the ovarian follicle through the endocrine mechanism. In addition, other intraovarian mechanisms inv olves in the controlling of the folliculogenesis by modulating the response of follicles to circulating gonadotrophins. Various researchers have had to classify the folliculogenesis into stages such as the recruitments stage, in which case it is the beginning of gonadotrophin-dependent folliculogenesis by the pool of healthy growing follicles. In sheep, the relations existing between the size at the recruitment stage (2mm) and size at which follicles becomes gonadotrophin dependent (2mm) is quite clear. Then there is the selection stage, and this is where there is a selection of follicles for further development. There is the selection of the dominant follicle and suppression of remaining follicles and undergoes atresia. In sheep, there is the development of LH receptors on follicles where the diameter reaches four, 5 to 6, 8 and 25mm. At dominance process, there is rapid development and the maturation occurs. The size gap between the dominant follicle and the subordinate one in she ep may reach 2 to 3 mm (Temel Et al 2000). Sildenafil, or rather Viagra, contains nitric oxide, in which case it plays a pivotal role in platelet aggregation, disaggregation and neurotransmission (Dunzendorfer 2004). Nitric oxide acts as the signaling agent in the NO/cGMP pathway due to the properties of Nitric Oxide. Therefore, the sildenafil or rather the Viagra use will result in some influence of antral follicle development in sheep. First, to begin with, the nitric oxide plays a role in the ovarian function. It plays the key role of controlling the ovarian vessels relaxation to accommodate the required changes in blood flow, blood volume and plasma exudation associated with follicle rapture during ovulation. Therefore, using the Viagra will increase the relaxation of vessels, and hence there will be more blood flowing and volume including the plasma exudation (Dunzendorfer 2004). In addition, the nitric oxide influences the extent of damage after interruption in the supply of b lood. Nitric oxide, which Viagra supplies, increases the blood flow to the hypoxic issues. Therefore, using the Viagra will raise the blood flow to the hypoxic tissue, hence, triggering the increased blood perfusion to match the delivery of oxygen with need. Moreover, the use of Viagra will improve the regulation of angiogenesis, apoptosis and luteolysis. Furthermore, the uses of Viagra will incre

Library Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Library - Research Paper Example The findings of the study conducted by the authors were used in the development of a software application, ‘EcoSiteManager’, to assist in the management of logistics for large factories (Zoran M., Christian T, Andreas M, and Uwe C, 1920). The last few years have seen a sharp increase in the volumes of shipments across the world. This has led to most of the large companies stretching to their limits in terms of their capabilities to handle the large amounts of cargo (Zoran M., Christian T, Andreas M, and Uwe C, 1800). This has in turn led to development of bottlenecks in the various transport chains across major ports. In as much as this negatively affects the transport sector and stalls business operations, it creates an opportunity for more enabling more efficiency in the transport sector. This presents a great potential for increasing efficiency in the area of transport and logistics in at various terminals, production sites and distribution centers thereby ensuring th e economy continues to grow (Zoran M., Christian T, Andreas M, and Uwe C, 2050). ... I have learnt a lot of useful information on how to improve efficiency the transport network to reduce production costs and ease congestion at various transport terminals. One most of the most fascinating fact that I have gathered from the article is the idea that technology can be used to improve the efficiency of the transport network. The EcoSitemanagement system for instance can be used to manage movement of products across a transport channel. This is very fascinating given the impact that technological developments are having on the business sector and the economy at large. This information in the article can be used in the development of other software applications to manage other areas in the transport networks such as distribution of goods. Title: Lean manufacturing practices: Problems and Prospects Author: Rajesh K. M. Mehta, D. and Naveen K. M. Date: 2012 Topic: Logistics In this article, the authors examine how manufactures can improve the efficiency of their production t hrough lean production practices. Lean production refers to the generation of additional value for consumers by doing away with activities and processes that lead to wastage of time and resources (Rajesh, Mehta and Naveen 1600). This will ensure that production costs are kept at minimum while at the same time ensuring production of quality goods and services for the consumers. Large manufacturers have complicated production processes that need good management to ensure the end product is of the highest quality as possible. Some of the activities in the production process consume a lot of time and take up many resources that would have been used in other activities. The article presents lean manufacturing as the best alternative

Computerised Accounting Information System Analysis

Computerised Accounting Information System Analysis The purpose of this report is to discuss how effective the computerized accounting information system will benefit a business that is expanding in expenditure, revenue and other key areas of business. Introduction to Accounting Information System AIS is a system that collects and stores accounting data, after that process the data into useful information used by the decision makers (internal and external users). The information produced by AIS can help decision maker to manage their business more efficiently strategically. However, accounting information system can be manual using the traditional way of recording business transactions manually using paper-and-pen. Today the term AIS referred to as compound computer base system that merges the ability of information technology together with traditional accounting principles and practices. A big benefit from computerize accounting information system is that they automate and make financial reporting more efficient. Accurate and summarized, timely information is a major tool for organizations decision making and financial reporting. The accounting information system pull imports data from the system database, process and transform it and eventually produces information and reports which can be easily consumed and analyzed by the users, managers and decision makers. These systems are required to ensure that the reports are timely and relevant so that decision makers are able to quickly and efficiently base on the information provided in the reports. Consolidation is one of the greatest characteristic of reporting as user does not have to go through a massive number of transactions. For example, at the end of the accounting period an accountant consolidates all payments by running a report on the system. The system application layer reclaims the data stored in the system database and produces a report with the total payments made to the vendors for that particular period. With large corporations which have huge volume of transactional data, generating a report without AIS can take day or even weeks. Case study background River Adventures is a fifteen years old company located in Cheddar, Somerset, owned and managed by Robin Forsythe. Until recently river adventures business has been highly seasonal offering two different kayaking instructions for beginners and Intermediate level as well as kayak and rafting trips down the river Axe in Somerset. They also usually rent equipment to participant if they required. However, the company is facing an exciting challenge which will alter the size, the type of service offered and the seasonality of the business. Robin has lately obtained two new sites and he is planning to launch a new team blinding course (corporate activity) and he is expecting a large number of new participants to this specific course. Financial management and business processes field Robin operating his business very informally using manual procedures in all areas. He always predicts the expenses for each course based on his working experience. He also manages the purchasing activities of the company and issue invoices for participants on the course. At the end of the year he determines his profit by his total revenue minus the total expenses during the year. Robin set the prices by consider his profit from the previous year, assess his competitors price and make adjustment for inflation. Robin employs an office administrator along with a number of kayak instructors and raft guides. The administrator manages Account Payable and Cash Receipts and records them in the Income Journal. He also maintains simple general ledger and payroll register for tax purposes only, and no use of this accounting data is made for financial planning or for operations control. River adventures advertise through leading outdoor magazine, he also advertises about the coming seasons program on popular kayak retail notice board. Problems Robin is not pleased with the arrangement of his business and he concern about how he will keep track on expenditure and revenues as the business get bigger. Robin feels that there is unnecessary wastage of the company resources as there is not real control over the cost of meals provided to the beginners course. In addition he notice that recently there is diminishing in the stock of camping as well as small items is also being lost. Robin has suspicion about the operation of marginally attended classes, but no analysis has been done to confirm his suspicion. Robin believes there is lack in his marketing activities and he can easily attract more customers by improving his marking activities. Business opportunity Robin know about 40% of kayaking course participants continue kayaking. As such his customer base reflects a target market for direct sales of kayaking and other equipment. He would like to expand his sales into a full scale direct mail/internet business. Doing so would enable him to provide year-round work for some kayaking personnel. Users of Financial Information Accounting information system objective is to identify record and communicate the economic events of an organization to the intended users. The type of information the user requires is dictated by the type of decisions they make. The information provided by the financial statements includes an organization resources and claims against those resources, as well as shareholders equity and changes in assets and liabilities. Financial information differs between the internal and external users. Accountants must understand the characteristics of information required by the different users of financial statements. In developing financial reporting standards, standard setters presume that those who use the resulting information will have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and be able to read a financial report (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2006, p. 2). The aim of communicating financial information to user is to let accountants to address the needs and interest of users. There are many different users of financial information and these include: equity investors, suppliers, creditors, customers, employees, governments and their agencies and members of the public. Those users are identified as internal and external users of financial information. Internal Users Robin and his management use financial information to plan, organize and operate the business. And this includes the office administrator, the cook, maintenance person and the kayak instructors. External Users There are quite a few types of external users of financial information and this includes lenders investors, tax authorities, general mass and media. Invertors use financial information to determine whether to buy, hold or sell their shares. Whilst suppliers and lenders view financial statement to assess the health of an organization and to ensure timely repayment of credit. Other external users include equity investors, customers, creditors, general public and governments and their agencies and regulatory bodies. The Functions, Features and Reports of UBS Accounting Information System UBS Accounting Software Since Robin is willing to expand his business activities, UBS Accounting software will enable him to handle and speed up all accounting functions in his business. UBS has the function to handle multiple company transactions. By implementing UBS Robin will be able to assess the performance of the three sites that he owns efficiently and effectively. UBS has the function to view all accounts and reports of each site separately. The software will also provide him with a consolidated account where he can assess the performance of the entire business. In addition UBS accounting has the function to compute good and service required by government agencies, so the office administrator is no longer required to spend time with the general ledger computing tax liabilities and he can focus on other aspect of business instead. UBS accounting software is very flexible; it is capable to handle up to 18 months transactions therefore, the company will not have any difficulties to implement the softwa re at any time they want to. UBS Accounting produces pre define reports. However most of the reports can be modified to suit any business requirement. The Software standard reports are: General ledger Listing Trial balance Trading, Profit Loss Account Balance Sheet   Fixed Assets Depreciation Report   Manufacturing Account    Trading, Profit Loss Account for individual project   Cash Flow Budget Variance Reports Gain/Loss on disposal of Fixed Assets Bank Reconciliation Debtors Creditors Statements Debtors Creditors Listing and Labels Debtors Creditors Aging Report Receipts printing Payment Vouchers printing and management reports UBS Stock Control Software UBS Stock Control is a real time system that updates the stock immediately after entries. It also performs as an invoicing system whereby Robin will be able to print invoices and delivery orders. A simple yet powerful Bill of Material module has been included to enhance the system. Four method of stock valuation are provided in the system, namely Fixed Cost, First in First out (FIFO), Monthly Moving Average and Moving Average. If required, a picture of stock item can also be inserted. By implementing UBS Stock Control, Robin will have superior control over his stock since the software can control and track all the movement of inventory in the company Besides the software has ability to handle multiple company transactions therefore he can control the inventory of each arm of business separately. UBS Stock Control produces the following reports: Print Delivery Order / Invoice / Cash Sale Print Sales Order / Purchase Order / Debit Note / Credit Note Re-order / Stock replenishment recommendation Stock Cards Month to Date stock status reports Stock aging reports   Multi-sorted sales analysis report by :- Customer/Salesman/area/product/invoice Gross profit analysis reports by :- Customer/product/bill/agent/area Yearly sales purchase report Top 25 product sales by quantity and sales value Item graded reports Serial number reports UBS Payroll Software UBS Payroll for Windows fulfills all government requirements such as KWSP Borang A, SOCSO Borang 8A / 2 / 3 and Income Tax EA Form, CP8D, CP22, CP22A, CP39 and CP159. It has become an effective payroll system for all type of businesses and industries due to its capability of  computing monthly,weekly, daily, hourly piece rating. It has 3 mode of payment- monthly, daily and hourly. In addition it compute allowances table, user defined overtime as well as tip point and piece rate computation. Reports generated by UBS Payroll: A.   Statutory Reports: CPF   IR8A / IR8S SDL / FWL B.   Management and operational reports: Payslip Payroll Summary Basic Pay / Allowances / Deduction / Overtime / CPF / SDL / FWL Personal and Payroll reports Leave taken / given reports Work force / Turn over analysis Cash denomination Net pay by cash / bank Yearly employee pay summary   C.   Reports to be submitted via computer diskettes: Employees contributions / net pay can be output to diskette and sent to bank, EPF, Socso and IRD for accounts to be updated. The System Requirement Pentium II 266 MHz or higher 128 MB memory or more   800 MB or more disk space 1 floppy disk drive   1 CD Rom Drive Windows 98, Win2000, WinXP and above   Mouse   Printer Users and Stakeholders Requirements AIS aim to provide information for both internal and external users-primarily for external information users. Given that external users have a range of information needs, financial accounts need to conform to certain standards in order to satisfy them. To that end, the identified users of financial accounting information should have their information needs addressed. In that way, one can determine the context in which accountants produce financial reports. Investors In the case of River Adventure, Robin is the only shareholder of the company. Robin will be able to base his investment decision on the financial position and profitability of the business which is provided by the new accounting system. The information provided by the AIS may also be useful for potential investors in the case if Robin want to expand his business in the future and sale shares of the company to other investors. Robin would be concern about the viability of the company or his return on investment, while potential investors want to know that they are investing in a strong company. Management The highly summarized nature of financial accounts provided by the new system, allows Robin and his management to assess whether the companys strategic and tactical objectives are being met. Knowing the position of the company allows them to fine-tune the day-to-day running of the company with knowledge of the impact of their decisions on the companys strength and viability. Lenders Creditors like banks and financial institutions have a preference to deal with a financially well company with a strong cash flow because they are worried with debt repayment and recovery. Employees Employees such as the raft guides, camp cook, instructors and the office administrator are concerned with whether the company will continue a going concern and if they might face and whether can ask for wage increases. Trade unions usually observe the financial position of an organizations to make wage increase demands as well. Suppliers Suppliers such as Rustic Retreats, local butcher, grocers and camping and sport equipment suppliers are concerned with whether they supply the company on credit terms and may desire to contract with the company as a going concern. Customers/Clients (and financial advisers/analysts) Customers like corporation wishing to send their employees on team building course and individual students, would also be concerned with the business being a going concern. Tax authorities Tax authorities like Inland Revenue, Yearend returns and Tax liabilities need to assess chargeable income of an entity to determine whether the right amount of tax is being levied in a particular year. Government Government includes all government or state agencies like the Central Bank. These agencies would use financial statements to ensure compliance, especially with the representation of the financial position of the business and accounting standards. The government also uses information from financial accounts for national statistics such as Gross Domestic Product. Public public simply refers to the rest of society. Business actions have an effect on society and the environment where River Adventure operates its business, so the public, which includes lobby group, would assess the entity as a corporate citizen. Business process models The revenue cycle Sales The sales segment of the revenue cycle begins when a consumer places an order. When the purchase order is received, an employee of the company enters the required data into the accounting system keying the order into an input screen.With the available online data files, the input data can be revised, the customers credit statues can be studied, and inventory level can be checked. Also a customers credit limits will be reviewed so that it does not exceed and keep tab of the available inventory items. The customers accounts records and sales records can be updated using the order processing. Relevant documents needed to fill and ship the order are printed. These documents include a pick list, a packing slip, an invoice, and bill of lading. The pick list serves as a list for warehouse employees to select items from the warehouse shelves. The packing slip is utilized by the shipping personnel to ensure correct items are packed. An agreement between the common carrier and the company comes in the form of the bill of lading. The invoice is then sent to the customer. Towards the end of the month, customers are given the bill according to the statement. Regular monthly reports would include sales reports, inventory status reports, and account receivable reports. The expenditure cycle Payroll To keep the payroll in check, an electronic time clock collects time and attendance when employees insert their time sheet into the clock. The time clock then reads the bar codes on the employees time sheet. The system thencollects data through-out the period and automatically calculates batch totals. The data batches are then used to prepare paychecks and the payroll register. Purchases The purchasing department order items from a vendor and an employee must enter a purchase order into the accounting software by keying data into the fields of a purchase order form on the screen. The receiving department receives the goods and compares the packing slip with the purchase order to confirm part numbers and quantities. A receiving report is prepared by an employee filling in the appropriate fields in a receiving screen in the software and inventory records are updated, the person completing this screen must choose the purchase order that matches this receiving report. When the vendor name or ID number is entered, the system will list open purchase order with that vendor. After the vendor has provided an invoice, the invoice must also be entered into an entry screen in the accounting software. Again the proper purchase order must be chosen from a list to open purchase orders. If the purchase order, receiving report and invoice match as to part numbers, quantities and pric es, the liability is approved for payment. At the due date of the invoice, a designated person must select certain invoices to pay and have the system generate a batch of checks. How the outputs of the new accounting information system will help River Adventure to solve their problems. The new accounting software has the ability to generate profit/loss and balance sheet at any time required thus Robin can keep track on his business expenditure and revenues as the business expand. The new accounting software also has the ability to produce break-even point reports so Robin and his management can confirm their suspicious about the operational marginality of each course. The sales reports, and account receivable reports produced by the new accounting system will solve the problem of cash sales being disappeared from the company accounts. After implementing UBS the company will have a proper control over the cost of meals provider to the beginners course as the software have the facilities of budgeting process in an organization as well as management controls of business activity. Unnecessary wastage of food material will not be occurred as the unused bulks of food will recorded as Work In Progress Inventories by the new software. UBS Stock Control real-time update of stock with each receipt and issue of items, the company will not have the problem of inventory item being lost as the software can track the stock via unique serial code. The company can make a better control over the stock whereby the software will provide comprehensive inventory report at any time required. After implementing UBS payroll the office administrator will not have the difficulties of computing the salaries and bonuses to be paid for his instructors since UBS Payroll ease the task of stuff payroll calculation and payments. Since the new accounting software will save a lot of time and effort to the employees of River Adventure, the management will have more time to focus on other aspect of business and to improve their marketing activities.

Essay --

Sahitya Akademi, India’s premier academy of letters was established on 12th March 1954. Although it was established by government Sahitya Akademi functions as an autonomous body. Government Resolution (GR) which laid down the constitution of the Akademi describes it as ‘a national organisation to work actively for the development of Indian letters and to set high literary standards, to foster and co-ordinate literary activities in all the Indian languages and to promote through them all the cultural unity of the country’. History of foundation of Sahitya Akademi dates back to pre-independence time. Roots of Akademi can be traced in a proposal given by The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal to the then Government of India in which it suggested the formation of National Cultural Trust to encourage cultural activities. After independence Government of India acted upon the proposal and decided to set up three national academies – one for letters, one for visual arts and one for dance, drama and music. Government felt that the state initiative was necessary but once the academies are established it would refrain from interfering in their functioning. Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, strives for the advancement of literary dialogue and promotion of literary publications in the country. It is the only organisation that promotes literary activities in 24 Indian languages – 22 languages listed under eighth schedule of Indian Constitution and English and Rajasthani. Akademi conducts all its activities from its headquarters named Rabindra Bhavan in New Delhi and its four regional centres based in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Akademi has also set up Centres for Translation at Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and De... ...pulation of India lives in rural and semi-urban areas and in such areas reach of Sahitya Akademi is very limited. Akademi should ensure that book exhibitions and literary seminars are also organised in such areas so that a big section of population which is getting literate, thanks to efforts by governments, would also get familiar with vast sea of literature which would expand their horizons with knowledge. In this era of Information and Technology Sahitya Akademi should strive to make maximum Indian literature available on online platforms so that its consumption can increase manifold. Literature plays a very important role in maintaining the socio-cultural fabric of society. With the advent of globalisation there are complaints of rapid westernisation of Indian society. In such scenario Sahitya Akademi can play immense role to preserve the ‘Indian’ness of India.