Book Review on 'Predictably Irrational' by Dan Ariely Essay

Book Review on 'Typically Irrational' by Dan Ariely - Essay Example While as old style financial matters clarifies how people are normal creatures who practice rationale in breaking down the benefits and bad marks of given monetary circumstances with a point of settling on sound monetary choices, it doesn't clarify in an ideal way how individuals carry on settling on financial choices. Considering this, that Dan Ariely is another age researcher that he nullifies in his typically unreasonable book that people carry on in essentially reasonable manners. Dan Ariely along these lines utilizes the ordinary experience and nitty gritty and experimentation exploration to clarify how desires, feelings, normal practices, and other imperceptible, apparently counter-intuitive powers adjust singular thinking capacities. Dan Ariely utilizes sharp analyses to investigate how silly powers and accepted practices impact our financial conduct. He sees that there is a social move in settling on financial choices where less market and accepted practices are presently add itionally fulfilling, imaginative, satisfying, and fun. He performs exciting tests on how individuals purchase, sell, and settle on life time’s choices subsequently exhibiting their anticipated unreasonable monetary dynamic practices. This paper draws an away from of how individuals exhibit nonsensical practices while settling on key monetary choices that identify with purchasing, selling, and other financially determined choices. Rundown of Content The book â€Å"Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions†Ã¢ by Dan Ariely has 15 sections that examine the methods of reasoning and occasions that modify the traditionalâ rational conduct in settling on monetary choices. Dan Ariely clarifies reality with regards to relativity affirming how people as often as possible respect their condition comparable to other people (Ariely 10). In doing this, individuals look at things that are effectively similar in showing up at specific choices. He proceeds to clarify this correlation by giving instances of three special first night goal choices two in Rome and one in Paris. He utilizes this guide to portray the bait where buyers will in general have a particular change in inclination between two alternatives when a third choice surfaces. Considering this, Dan Ariely clarifies how relativity can assist individuals with settling on savvy choices and simultaneously belittling their lives. He pertinently noticed that when individuals contrast their lives with those of others in a similar classification, they will in general show jealousy and desire. He similarly figures that individuals once in a while get fulfilled and the more they get the more they try to get more. Be that as it may, he takes note of that we can turn away this by maintaining a strategic distance from relativity by controlling the happenings around us. Dan Ariely clarifies the false notion of gracefully and request where buyers think about worth, quality, or accessibility before settling on a buying choice. He takes note of that prescribing an incentive to a thing with no underlying worth prompts unreasonable valuing. He sees that in spite of the fact that costs apply discretionarily, shoppers will in general grapple with those costs upon their first buy. In fact, the clients partner with this cost for quite a while influencing their social worth and therefore silliness in cost. Ariely consequently utilizes the self-assertive value securing to challenge gracefully and request hypotheses saying that request is dependent upon control and subsequently influences showcase balance. He in this manner reasons that showcase balance depends on consumer’s memory and not favored decisions. He further clarifies the expense of free thought where individuals pick free alternatives instead of

Education is a significant tool Essay

Rodriguez and Freire could share a concurrence on the way that instruction is a critical device on the way prompting achievement. Freire would differ with Rodriguez on the way that there is no â€Å"end of education†. Richard Rodriguez and Paolo Freire compose of instruction as the center factor in one’s life. 2,000,000 Minutes, the film makes the contention that U.S. understudies are performing at a fair level, best case scenario, in math and science, and this can't stand, given the becoming monetary and instructive may of countries like China and India. U.S. student’s aren’t being pushed hard enough and are simply getting by through secondary school, with the assistance of The Banking Concept of Education and The Achievement of Desire we can roll out an improvement in the student’s training and perspectives towards needing to be fruitful throughout everyday life. Through Freire’s viewpoint, Richard Rodriguez would be viewed as a financial understudy, however could later be viewed as an issue presenting understudy over an incredible span; according to Freire, Rodriguez was viewed as a repository which he didn't comprehend the information he ingested. With this examination, the peruser can presume that the financial instruction is an incredible piece of a student’s life; as found in the narrative, 2 Million Minutes, understudies utilize all their time they have in secondary school, considering, retaining their school educational plan so as to get extraordinary training at an elevated level college to turn out to be exceptionally effective in their lives. This all ties into how the political part of the study hall affects the general public in general and having this force can change ages to come. The sorts of connections Rodriguez had with his instructors, family and in life was influenced by explicit styles of training and as he glanced through Freire’s focal point of the financial idea, he came to understood that that strategy for instruction detrimentally affected his life. At an early stage in Rodriguez’s exposition he outlines the attributes of a machine which affirmed Freire’s sees in regards to the financial idea. In spite of his meaning of a â€Å"scholarship boy†, Rodriguez needed fearlessness which drove him to be overwhelmed by his instructors and his books. Through Freire’s perspective, Rodriguez would be viewed as a waste bin. He was filled with hisâ teacher’s information, yet additionally with data acquired from his â€Å"important† books. Rodriguez is by all accounts an exemplary understudy of Freire’s banking framework. Rodriguez gives indications of escaping ceaselessly from the methods of the financial idea at an opportune time. He surrenders by saying, â€Å"I turned into the prized understudy on edge and anxious to learn. â€Å"Too energetic, too on edge an imitative and unimaginative pupil.† At the time Rodriguez was basically simply engrossing the described data that he acquired from his educators and books. Despite the fact that he had the option to portray the data he got, he didn't really have a clue or comprehend the information he assimilated. Rodriguez and Freire both express that training is imperative for progress. Freire states that, â€Å"Projecting a flat out numbness onto others, a quality of the philosophy of persecution, discredits training and information as procedures of inquiry† (Freire 3).Rodriguez didn't address or break down the data; he essentially acknowledged and stored the information with no questions. By figuring out how to utilize his instruction astut ely and make associations between various writings, he uplifted his knowledge. In 2 Million Minutes the highlighted American understudies Neil and Brittany are positively keen, yet they appear to be more worried about extracurricular exercises and companions than with their examinations. Indian understudies Rohit and Apoorva, be that as it may, and Chinese understudies Xiaoyuan and Ruizhang all arrangement professions in math or science, and their families and schools bolster these objectives. The film fuses these students’ portrayals of their secondary school encounters and future goals with the expectations of their folks, and producers compare scenes from the various homes and schools. As it states â€Å"knowledge is a blessing offered by the individuals who view themselves as educated upon those whom they consider to know nothing.†(pg.1) Freire is expressing that the understudies know nothing and that the activity of the instructor is to fill the â€Å"piggy bank† of the students’ minds with coins of information. In the event tha t we simply give the understudies what they need and don’t permit them to connect in those days they aren’t truly picking up anything. The two of them ought to have the option to express their assessments, have discussions in which the two understudies and instructors take an interest, and the understudies ought to have the chance to lead conversations. Thusly understudies build up a relationship with their instructors, their companions, and the world. This will empower them to get instruction where the instructors don't mistreat the understudies, and there is an argumentative connection between the two;â showing that they give it a second thought and truly need to be educated and discover some new information. In spite of the fact that Freire and Rodriguez have various conclusions, the two of them concur that instruction is the overwhelming occasion in the forming of a grown-up life. Paulo Freire and Richard Rodriguez assessments of instruction are totally contradicted, however they arrive at a finish of understanding in that the essential instructive objective is to frame a relationship with oneself, and with the world. Rodriguez spent numerous long periods of training satisfying the â€Å"banking† idea, and in spite of the fact that he later perceives the misfortune it involved, he fundamentally accepts that impersonation assumes a significant job during the time spent instruction for one should do this to succeed. Here, Freire would contend that the instructive framework is presently abusive towards the understudies, and that there is a feeling of necrophilia behind everything, that being the adoration for death. This affection for death, he clarifies, is the procedure of showing dependent on memory. Rodriguez would negate this clarification of instruction, handing-off that â€Å"banking† assumes a huge job in the accomplishment of the understudy. Freire and Rodriguez have contradicting sees on the thoughts of impersonation, distance, and force, Freire accepting these ideas should be evacuated or changed and Rodriguez accepting that they are significant angles for scholastic achievem ent. Freire’s see on Rodriguez is that he genuinely didn’t comprehend what he was being instructed, and that’s where The Banking Concept of Education comes in which Rodriguez isn’t speaking with his educators he’s simply tuning in to what he’s being instructed. Paulo Freire and Richard Rodriguez have conflicting perspectives concerning instruction. Paulo Freire talks about the negativities of present instruction and clarifies how it ought to be changed, while Rodriguez represents his own life in training, and how it drove him to be the individual he is today. Freire has confidence in â€Å"problem presenting education† which comprises of an alive, unique change in understudies, permitting them to become acculturated with a relationship with the world. 2 Million Minutes it expressed that U.S. understudies aren’t engaged and resolved to do well in school like those in different nations like India and china. In examination between the United States with China and India, there is an unmistakable distinction between the challenges of the educational program inside the instructive framework. Despite the fact that we would accept that the instructive framework in U.S. is the finished and the absolute best one on the planet; the measure of the educational program substance understudies learn are in reality significantly not as much as understudies in China and India. Freire would contend that if Rodriguez was instructed under the technique for issue presenting he would have grasped his home life and would have created as a person. At long last Rodriguez had adjusted his life and reconnected with his family. Instruction at long last aided Rodriguez understand that different components of his life are significant. Both Freire and Rodriguez accept that an individual can't be without training.

Changes - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

Changes - UGA Undergraduate Admissions Changes Changes. They happen all the time in all areas of life. David Bowie even has a song about it. It is a fact of life, an Admissions Offices are no different. Every year we look at what has happened over the past year, what has worked and what needs fine tuning and what we need to change for the future. For this coming year, we have been looking at our review process for our freshman admission decisions and as well our transfer admission process. The transfer review process is still being discussed by both our office and the faculty, while the freshman review process changes will impact our incoming EA and RD applications for the 2019 year. Over the past several years, our applicant pool has grown much stronger, both in the academic and co-curricular areas. In addition, our applicant pool has grown in size, with the expectation that we might have close to 30,000 freshman applicants this year. As the applicant pools academic data-points have grown, we have started to see a much larger group of students who are very similar in their academic profiles. In order to make more informed decisions during our admission reviews and have a positive impact on our incoming freshman class, we have decided to increase the number of files we look at in our holistic review process (looking at everything in the file). While we will still have a number of applications where we focus primarily on the academic areas of core grades, rigor of curriculum and test scores, our goal is to expand our review of a larger group of applicants to take into account all that the student does inside and outside of of the classroom. This will not change the timing of our decisions (unless we are suddenly overwhelmed with a huge growth in our applicant pool), so you can look back at our previous timelines over the past years and know we will be following those three decision timelines fairly closely. The biggest admissions points where this change might be seen will be in our November Early Action decisions and in our small group of February admits, where in past years our review has been primarily based on academics. While we have always had a small group of EA applications where we looked at everything in the file, mainly to determine if a students application should be deferred or denied, we will now be increasing this holistic review process into a much greater number of applicants for these decisions. We will still have a number of decisions during these times where our review is focused on the the core academic areas, especially in our EA round where a large number of applicants have extremely strong academic records. Since we try to make our process as clear as possible, we have been communicating this message in our fall travel and now in this blog post so that our applicants and families will feel more informed about our process. Hopefully, this message clears up any questions you might have about our review process, and it will help slow down the comments on the blog asking if X or Y really needs to be submitted since we are just looking at academics. Go Dawgs, and good luck out there!

The Monuments and Memorials to 9/11 Victims

Lies Youve Been Told About Writing Essay about Myself

Lies You've Been Told About Writing Essay about Myself Therefore, if you learn how to think, through writing, then you'll develop a well-organized, efficient mind and one which is well-founded and certain. The most significant thing is that you justify whatever you say in your essay. Every thought should be relevant and concise. Say you think that everybody should learn at least one-second language. So whenever you are writing an essay, you're harnessing the complete might of culture to your life. Announce your Conclusion there is Nothing more provocative than revealing a conclusion from the start. For example, if you're reading a touching story, it may leave an enormous influence on your whole mindset in the practice of writing. Write about something you care about and even when you are assigned a particular topic for an essay, select a view or aspect of that topic which you like and would delight in writing about. Hence, if you believe banking essays are boring just like your company studies are, then you're probably wrong here. You can avail numerous search engines such as google for any of a person's essay subject. If you would like to convince your readers, make certain you present information in an excellent manner that may be read easily. It's important to get a topic that's specific enough that finding sources is relatively simple, but broad enough that you could write many pages about it. In summary, it's important to specify what would be helpful for the study and where can be used. What you have to do is to go over the topic. Also, you can look for sample expository essay topics so you will understand what to research and that which you will deal with. With that, you must make certain that the stream of your essay is smooth and logical. It's important to get a way of organizing your long essay. It is possible to use a modest illustrative material. Each of these kinds of paper is owned by the category of informative essay. You've got a guide and get ideas about what to do with your essay. Do your best in writing the essay and be sure that you are not going to incorporate any opinions. Articles and books are frequently the topic of the majority of analyses essays. Writing Essay about Myself Secrets That No One Else Knows About A college essay can be quite difficult so there isn't any reason to feel awkward when seeking help. Within the body, you must have three to four ideas. There's no better approach to do so than to write. If you're a student, or anyone else who's going to do a great deal of writing, then you need to provide yourself with the most suitable technology, especially now, when it's virtually costless to achieve that. Aside from freshmen, there are specific college essays which will pose a great deal of problem for students. Therefore, it's always recommended that you watch the documentary more often th an once as a way to properly digest it and know what it is about. Essay writing is not an easy feat. If you compose an essay arguing an argument, you are going to have to begin a thesis statement. When most students regard essay writing as a dull and hard assignment, it isn't necessarily accurate. There is barely any student, who wasn't assigned to compose an essay. You can produce your essay stick out from the rest by making use of the most suitable idioms at the most suitable spot. Just with the addition of long sentences for the interest of earning essay longer will not help. An essay is a rather brief bit of writing on a certain topic. You should compose a reflective essay that is simple to comprehend and you can do it by employing simple language. Or, based on the intricacy of the subject, you can take one separate paragraph only for that. While there's no one perfect manner of writing an ideal essay, there are a couple of things one can bear in mind which help to fulfill the PTE Academic format. Create numerous drafts and select the ideal one which best illustrates your thoughts. Always keep in mind that the crucial element to have an excellent writing is to realize the topic. Keep in mind, a poor title does not absolutely kill an essay, but a wonderful one may be delicious cherry on top. The conclusion ought to have a brief explanation of what's written. In brief, you can't fail by making the suitable introduction to your quote. In truth, it is normal for the title to be a couple of lines long.

Ambition in Macbeth Free Essays

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. We will write a custom essay sample on Ambition in Macbeth or any similar topic only for you Order Now When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational decisions, and cause internal turmoil. Ambition, along with the influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth, causes Macbeth to deceive his peers in order to attain position as king. The first time the reader sees Macbeth’s ambition causing him to be deceitful, is when him and his wife invite the current King of Scotland into their home for a dinner, with the soul intent of killing him. After receiving news of Macbeth’s new honor, she holds greater ambitions for Macbeth and pushes him to the edge to achieve the personal goals that she has set for him. To achieve the main goal of becoming king, Macbeth must deceive Duncan in way that will allow him to take over the throne. He must do this by taking action when â€Å"The bell invites [him]. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell. That summons thee to heaven or to hell. † (Act II, scene i) This visibly demonstrates how Macbeth deceived his friend into trusting him, when clearly his wife and he had different intentions all along. This proves how an individual’s ambition has the capability to consume ones personal morals and values for the worse. The impacting role of ambition in Macbeth’s life also causes him to make quick, remorseful, irrational decisions. One of these decisions that he made was hiring murderers to execute Banquo. Macbeth believes in the witches prophesy that Banquo will be the father of a king, making Fleance, Banquo’s son, a definite threat to Macbeth’s current position as king. He wants to carry on his legacy as ruler of Scotland, so it appears to him that he has no other options but to eliminate his opposition. Caught up in the moment and his recently developed ambition drove him to do whatever it takes to stay in power. Macbeth realizes that â€Å"It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood† (Act III, scene iv), but what he is unaware of is his guilty conscience that is slowly beginning to creep over himself. Due to his thrill to kill and illogical decision making, Macbeth begins to have second thoughts about his actions. These decisions cause a great disturbance and uncertainty for Macbeth, soon c    Macbeth’s ambitious drive to become king causes him to have internal conflicts. These issues have been forced upon him by his wife, and have fully consumed his mind and led him to hallucinate. Internal turmoil-ghost, dagger. A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Desire and determination to achieve success Desire, aspiration, ambition In Macbeth, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. It causes the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers a series of deaths in Macbeth. Ambition is therefore the driving force of the play. Macbeth’s ambition is driven by a number of factors including: Prophesy: The Macbeth witches prophesize that Macbeth will become King. Macbeth believes them and the various prophesies are realized throughout the play. However, it is unclear whether these prophesies are preordained or self fulfilling. Lady Macbeth: his wife is the driving force that encourages Macbeth to overcome his strong sense of guilt and take action on the prophesies. Macbeth’s ambition soon spirals out of control and forces him to murder again and again to cover up his previous wrongdoings. Macbeth’s first victims are the Chamberlains who are blamed and killed by Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan. Banquo’s murder soon follows once Macbeth fears that the truth could be exposed. Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. Society also deems ambition a necessary quality of their leader. It can be said that Macbeth exhibits this quality of ambition. He is the strong, valiant warrior who has won in battle and brought victory to Scotland. However, Macbeth’s quest to acquire more power-his ambition-ultimately leads to his tragic demise. How can one allow himself to be destroyed by such a thing? Before Duncan’s murder, Macbeth questions and second guesses his ambitious tendencies and actions. Despite his anxiety, he succumbs to these tendencies and finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation, with his back against the wall and growing ever closer to his almost inevitable end. It is obvious that Macbeth has ambition, as most people who are in power do. In fact, ambition is often a necessary quality of people in such high standing as Macbeth is. However, Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him Through all these things, one can clearly see that Macbeth is headed on a path for disaster; a path started, and forcefully driven, by his ambition. His ambition drove him to kill Duncan so he could acquire the throne. His ambition then drove him to order the murders of Banquo and Fleance. Through that process alone, one could say that Macbeth’s ambition did lead to his downfall. However, even more disastrous than the external consequences of his ambition were his internal consequences. Macbeth’s ambition was constantly putting him in a struggle between right and wrong. Macbeth finally lost this battle, and succumbed to the evil side of his ambition. Being the successful, proud, and noble warrior that he was, maybe this loss of what was good inside of him was the root of Macbeth’s insanity. One will never know, but it can be said that Macbeth’s ambition, whether through his actions or through his own internal degradation, did ultimately lead to his demise. How to cite Ambition in Macbeth, Papers

Ambition in Macbeth Free Essays

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. We will write a custom essay sample on Ambition in Macbeth or any similar topic only for you Order Now When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational decisions, and cause internal turmoil. Ambition, along with the influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth, causes Macbeth to deceive his peers in order to attain position as king. The first time the reader sees Macbeth’s ambition causing him to be deceitful, is when him and his wife invite the current King of Scotland into their home for a dinner, with the soul intent of killing him. After receiving news of Macbeth’s new honor, she holds greater ambitions for Macbeth and pushes him to the edge to achieve the personal goals that she has set for him. To achieve the main goal of becoming king, Macbeth must deceive Duncan in way that will allow him to take over the throne. He must do this by taking action when â€Å"The bell invites [him]. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell. That summons thee to heaven or to hell. † (Act II, scene i) This visibly demonstrates how Macbeth deceived his friend into trusting him, when clearly his wife and he had different intentions all along. This proves how an individual’s ambition has the capability to consume ones personal morals and values for the worse. The impacting role of ambition in Macbeth’s life also causes him to make quick, remorseful, irrational decisions. One of these decisions that he made was hiring murderers to execute Banquo. Macbeth believes in the witches prophesy that Banquo will be the father of a king, making Fleance, Banquo’s son, a definite threat to Macbeth’s current position as king. He wants to carry on his legacy as ruler of Scotland, so it appears to him that he has no other options but to eliminate his opposition. Caught up in the moment and his recently developed ambition drove him to do whatever it takes to stay in power. Macbeth realizes that â€Å"It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood† (Act III, scene iv), but what he is unaware of is his guilty conscience that is slowly beginning to creep over himself. Due to his thrill to kill and illogical decision making, Macbeth begins to have second thoughts about his actions. These decisions cause a great disturbance and uncertainty for Macbeth, soon c    Macbeth’s ambitious drive to become king causes him to have internal conflicts. These issues have been forced upon him by his wife, and have fully consumed his mind and led him to hallucinate. Internal turmoil-ghost, dagger. A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Desire and determination to achieve success Desire, aspiration, ambition In Macbeth, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. It causes the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers a series of deaths in Macbeth. Ambition is therefore the driving force of the play. Macbeth’s ambition is driven by a number of factors including: Prophesy: The Macbeth witches prophesize that Macbeth will become King. Macbeth believes them and the various prophesies are realized throughout the play. However, it is unclear whether these prophesies are preordained or self fulfilling. Lady Macbeth: his wife is the driving force that encourages Macbeth to overcome his strong sense of guilt and take action on the prophesies. Macbeth’s ambition soon spirals out of control and forces him to murder again and again to cover up his previous wrongdoings. Macbeth’s first victims are the Chamberlains who are blamed and killed by Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan. Banquo’s murder soon follows once Macbeth fears that the truth could be exposed. Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. Society also deems ambition a necessary quality of their leader. It can be said that Macbeth exhibits this quality of ambition. He is the strong, valiant warrior who has won in battle and brought victory to Scotland. However, Macbeth’s quest to acquire more power-his ambition-ultimately leads to his tragic demise. How can one allow himself to be destroyed by such a thing? Before Duncan’s murder, Macbeth questions and second guesses his ambitious tendencies and actions. Despite his anxiety, he succumbs to these tendencies and finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation, with his back against the wall and growing ever closer to his almost inevitable end. It is obvious that Macbeth has ambition, as most people who are in power do. In fact, ambition is often a necessary quality of people in such high standing as Macbeth is. However, Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him Through all these things, one can clearly see that Macbeth is headed on a path for disaster; a path started, and forcefully driven, by his ambition. His ambition drove him to kill Duncan so he could acquire the throne. His ambition then drove him to order the murders of Banquo and Fleance. Through that process alone, one could say that Macbeth’s ambition did lead to his downfall. However, even more disastrous than the external consequences of his ambition were his internal consequences. Macbeth’s ambition was constantly putting him in a struggle between right and wrong. Macbeth finally lost this battle, and succumbed to the evil side of his ambition. Being the successful, proud, and noble warrior that he was, maybe this loss of what was good inside of him was the root of Macbeth’s insanity. One will never know, but it can be said that Macbeth’s ambition, whether through his actions or through his own internal degradation, did ultimately lead to his demise. How to cite Ambition in Macbeth, Papers

Leadership Structure at Tek

The concept of leadership can be broadly defined as the intrinsic ability to internalise a setting with the intention of empowering a group or team to proactively and creatively contribute towards problem solving (Baxter 27).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Structure at Tek specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, management, in the broad spectrum, can be defined as the process of deploying the needed resources to realize specific objectives that are measurable within a specified period of time (Eriksen 753). Effective leadership is characterized by strong management and decision making skills. Unfortunately, the group at the group at Tek lacked the element of leadership. Symptom of lack of leadership Leadership inspires the need to contribute proactively towards creation of a suitable environment for closing the gap that may exist between a challenge and its solution. However, the group do es not set goals and objectives. Besides, the team leaders were not taking any responsibility of their teams in terms of direction and meeting the set targets. Analysis of leadership problem The main characteristics of good leadership style include adaptability, empowerment, commitment, contribution, and critical problem solving skills. Besides, the leader can inspire self esteem and confidence among the staff to align their feelings to specific intuition or instinct in his proactive concept (Tuleja and Greenhalgh 33). Due to lack of ideal leadership structures, Tariq Khan observed during one of the meetings with senior executives that none of the country managers made conservative estimates. Besides, there was no one among the senior executives who was taking responsibility of their targets. Besides, there was an open disagreement among the senior executives on the focus of each company branches in the eight countries. Solution In order to create strong leadership structure at the Tek, Tariq Khan and the other senior executives should embrace the element of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership provides an opportunity where employees could be motivated to give a desired output, thus meeting set targets (Eriksen 755). When the management embraces the principles of transformational leadership, it becomes easy to convince employees to be flexible to change. For instance, Tariq, who is most senior executive, may embrace transformational leadership skills by empowering the other executives to explore their full potential in terms of responsibility and target management.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main characteristics of transformational leadership include adaptability, empowerment, commitment, contribution, and critical problem solving skills (Eriksen 751). These skills will turn around the current problem of lack of responsibi lity in managing teams and meeting set targets. The senior executives should strive to strike a balance between task orientation and transformational skills to serve competing interests in the relatively changing economic landscape, following the rapid growth of the company through modelling efficiency units in the other branches across the globe. Since leadership inspires the need to contribute proactively towards creation of a suitable environment for closing the gap that may exist between a challenge and its solution, the senior executives should adopt creative leadership structure which is a rich recipe for an imaginative response to stimulate the different maturity stages of the Tek Company (Baxter 25). Basically, creative leadership involves flexibility and forward thinking in solving problems. This will enforce the element of responsibility among the team members (Eriksen 760). Reflectively, self initiative in situational leadership plays a significant role in setting up the leadership environment for situational occurrence management from external factors. Self initiative involves taking bold steps after a consultative forum in solving issues (Tuleja and Greenhalgh 35). Through self initiative, the senior executives will learn to engage self initiative in following up set targets which is currently a challenge. Works Cited Baxter, Judith. â€Å"Who Wants to Be the Leader? The Linguistic Construction of Emerging Leadership in Differently Gendered Teams.† International Journal of Business Communication, 3.4 (2014): 23-41. Print. Eriksen, Matthew. â€Å"Authentic Leadership: Practical Reflexivity, Self-Awareness, and Self-Authorship.† Journal of Management Education, 33.1 (2009): 747-771. Print.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Leadership Structure at Tek specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tuleja, Elizabeth and Anne Greenhalgh. â€Å"Communicating Across the Curriculum in an Undergraduate Business Program: Management 100-Leadership and Communication in Groups.† Business Communication Quarterly 71.1 (2008): 27- 43. Print. This report on Leadership Structure at Tek was written and submitted by user Violet D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Fahrenheight 451

Fahrenheight 451 Analogy of the birds The novel focuses on the suppression of the masses through the media and censorship. Books have been outlawed and consequently, the fire department has been allocated a new role: burning books (Bradbury, p.1). Guy Muntag, the main protagonist in the novel, is a firefighter who is tasked with incinerating books. He is a troubled man since his job does not afford him happiness. Though he burns books, his conscience constantly haunts him. That is why he hides some of the books so that he can read them later.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Fahrenheight 451 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the beginning of the novel, a moving description of one of the book-burning escapades is brought to the fore (Bradbury, p.1). The exercise nearly drives Muntag berserk. His whole body and mind is engrossed in the exercise and as he throws book after book into the raging inferno he has created, the books seem to come alive. They are transformed into birds before flapping their way into the fire. This comparison is significant. Books contain knowledge, which can easily be lost when they are destroyed. Once that happens, it will be difficult to retrieve the lost knowledge. In the same way, once birds are threatened, they fly away and it is almost impossible to recover them. It is also important to note that books, just like birds, are alive. This is because they enshrine knowledge, which is important in man’s life. The importance of books is illustrated in the novel when a woman chooses to die rather than watch her most prized books set to the flames (Bradbury, p.1). It is clear that people cannot do without books since they lend meaning to their existence. Symbolism: Kerosene Kerosene is used to accelerate the burning of the written materials. Naturally, its smell sticks on the users long after coming into contact. Therefore, Clarisse, being very observant, is able to tell that Montag is a fireman responsible for burning books. This implies that the agents of suppression can never quite shake off the guilty conscience that follows them everywhere they go. In as much as they may justify their actions in whichever way, they lead disturbed lives. This fact is not lost on captain Beatty, Montag’s boss, who states that it is common for a fireman to make off with one or two books during the burning exercise (Bradbury, p. 2). Beatty seems to understand the guilt that the firemen experience and, therefore, allows them to have some books so long as they are destroyed within 24 hours. This is the reason why Beatty expects Montag back at work the same day that the latter takes a sick leave (Bradbury, p. 25). Guilt is the source of unhappiness in Montag’s life. He leads a plastic life, devoid of any feeling – or so he would have liked to believe. He discovers that he is not happy after all; he has been wearing a false smile all the time. It is his encou nter with Clarisse that forces this discovery on him (Bradbury, p. 2). Consequently, he decides to drop the faà §ade and look for the true meaning of life. This would involve quitting his job, which he eventually does.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The assertion that kerosene can never be washed off completely also points to the inevitability of reality. One can never quite escape the reality. Montag is jerked back into the harsh reality by Clarisse while his wife’s attempts to block out the real world by immersing herself in electronics seems to fail as she constantly has to resort to sleeping pills. The contrast between Mildred and Clarisse The author introduces Clarisse before Montag’s wife in order to underline the stark contrast between the two women. For once, Clarisse has been described as vivacious: full of life and a passion for everything around her. When Montag encounters her at night, she is having a walk just to enjoy the gifts that Mother Nature has provided. She confides in Montag that at times she stays awake all night in order to watch the sunrise and even the moon (Bradbury, p. 4). She further informs him that were he to look closely, he would see the man in the moon (Bradbury, p. 4). This is in stark contrast to Montag’s wife, Mildred who has totally no interest in nature and the immediate environment. She spends most of her time in front of the TV and the few times she ventures out are to do speed-racing. She has lost all personal contact with others, including her own husband. Her eyes are glued to the screens and her ears shut to the outside world as they are perpetually plugged by ear pieces, listening to music continuously. Clarisse is a member of a happy family consisting of herself, an uncle and her parents. They spend ample time talking to each other. They rarely watch the â€Å"parlour wall s† and they hardly go to speed races (Bradbury, p. 3). They have maintained their human touch and, therefore, are able to enjoy their lives to the full. Generally, Clarisse is happy and contented with life, unlike Mildred who has to resort to drugs to make life bearable. The contrast between the two women is important because it helps the reader to understand why Montag is drawn to Clarisse rather than his wife. He is completely devastated when he learns about her death. The contrast also serves to heighten the estrangement between Montag and his wife. He is unable to relate freely with his wife the way he does with Clarisse. The contras between the Montags and Clarisse’s house It is evident that life in Montag’s house is radically different from life in Clarisse’s house. In Montag’s house, family values have been replaced with TV and radios. Consequently, Montag and his wife are inexorably alienated from each other. Familial love is completely non- existent and the few times they interact are to disagree on every issue. Basically, they lead separate lives; sleep on separate beds despite being man and wife.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Fahrenheight 451 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Clarisse’s house, however, family love is held supreme. The members of the family spend enough time talking and sharing with each other. They have the TV and the radios, but do not allow such devices to compromise their relationship. Due to the constant interaction, Clarisse has benefited a lot from her uncle and parents who have evidently done a commendable job in molding her. In her conversation with Montag, she makes reference to one of the things she has learnt from her uncle: at seventeen, she is most likely crazy. The import of this is that she has learnt to tread carefully. This is essentially a happy family. Unlike in Clarisse house where there is warmth, Mont ag goes back to a cold house. When he gets into the house, he does not wish to draw the attention of his wife. So, he plans to walk quietly to his bed without turning the lights on (Bradbury, p. 5. In a strange twist of fate, it is his attention that is drawn to his wife, who has overdosed herself with sleeping pills (Bradbury, p. 6). The lack of warmth in this house further aggravates Montag’s unhappiness. The two houses are indeed radically different from each other. Bibliography Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheight 451. Dokuz Eylà ¼l University, n.d. Web. http://kisi.deu.edu.tr/murat.goc/451.pdf.

An Introduction to the Bell Curve

An Introduction to the Bell Curve A normal distribution is more commonly known as a bell curve.   This type of curve shows up throughout statistics and the real world.   For example, after I give a test in any of my classes, one thing that I like to do is to make a graph of all the scores. I typically write down 10 point ranges such as 60-69, 70-79, and 80-89, then put a tally mark for each test score in that range. Almost every time I do this, a familiar shape emerges. A few  students do very well and a few do very poorly. A bunch of scores end up clumped around the mean score. Different tests may result in different means and standard deviations, but the shape of the graph is nearly always the same. This shape is commonly called the bell curve. Why call it a bell curve? The bell curve gets its name quite simply because its shape resembles that of a bell. These curves appear throughout the study of statistics, and their importance cannot be overemphasized. What Is a Bell Curve? To be technical, the kinds of bell curves that we care about the most in statistics are actually called normal probability distributions. For what follows we’ll just assume the bell curves we’re talking about are normal probability distributions. Despite the name â€Å"bell curve,† these curves are not defined by their shape. Instead, an intimidating looking formula is used as the formal definition for bell curves. But we really don’t need to worry too much about the formula. The only two numbers that we care about in it are the mean and standard deviation. The bell curve for a given set of data has the center located at the mean. This is where the highest point of the curve or â€Å"top of the bellâ€Å" is located. A data set‘s standard deviation determines how spread out our bell curve is. The larger the standard deviation, the more spread out the curve. Important Features of a Bell Curve There are several features of bell curves that are important and distinguishes them from other curves in statistics: A bell curve has one mode, which coincides with the mean and median. This is the center of the curve where it is at its highest.A bell curve is symmetric. If it were folded along a vertical line at the mean, both halves would match perfectly because they are mirror images of each other.A bell curve follows the 68-95-99.7 rule, which provides a convenient way to carry out estimated calculations:Approximately 68% of all of the data lies within one standard deviation of the mean.Approximately 95% of all the data is within two standard deviations of the mean.Approximately 99.7% of the data is within three standard deviations of the mean. An Example If we know that a bell curve models our data, we can use the above features of the bell curve to say quite a bit. Going back to the test example, suppose we have 100 students who took a statistics test with a mean score of 70 and standard deviation of 10. The standard deviation is 10. Subtract and add 10 to the mean. This gives us 60 and 80. By the 68-95-99.7 rule we would expect about 68% of 100, or 68 students to score between 60 and 80 on the test. Two times the standard deviation is 20. If we subtract and add 20 to the mean we have 50 and 90. We would expect about 95% of 100, or 95 students to score between 50 and 90 on the test. A similar calculation tells us that effectively everyone scored between 40 and 100 on the test. Uses of the Bell Curve There are many applications for bell curves. They are important in statistics because they model a wide variety of real-world data. As mentioned above, test results are one place where they pop up. Here are some others: Repeated measurements of a piece of equipmentMeasurements of characteristics in biologyApproximating chance events such as flipping a coin several timesHeights of students at a particular grade level in a school district When Not to Use the Bell Curve Even though there are countless applications of bell curves, it is not appropriate to use in all situations. Some statistical data sets, such as equipment failure or income distributions, have different shapes and are not symmetric. Other times there can be two or more modes, such as when several students do very well and several do very poorly on a test. These applications require the use of other curves that are defined differently than the bell curve. Knowledge about how the set of data in question was obtained can help to determine if a bell curve should be used to represent the data or not.

International intercultural management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International intercultural management - Essay Example This paper is based on an intercultural dinner that the writer was involved in. During the dinner, there were discussions carried out in relation to relevant cultural differences that existed between their respective countries. The countries represented at the dinner were Saudi Arabia [the writer's nation which is the base nation for this essay], Thailand, China,and Ghana. In the dinner, significant aspects of the cultures and social structures of the different nations were discussed. These discussions included economic activities in the respective nations, significant determinants of business activities, unique systems, food, and other relevant factors. During the dinner, there were some notes that were made by the writer of this paper. They include important elements and aspects of the various nations. The writer noticed that noodles play an important aspect in the diet of the Chinese and the Thai people. I also learned that rice is an important element of the Thai society. Both na tions have strong connections with the Silk Route which was a trail of trade between Asia and Europe. Due to this, there were some exchanges between Europe and Asia albeit minor in terms of influence. It was also noted that the Chinese nation is really huge and there were different time zones as well as different states within the nation. I was shocked to discover that there are some urban areas in China with as many as 320 million people [which is the size of some populations]. This confirms the realities of the fact that China is the largest nation in terms of population. I also noticed that most of the chocolate we eat is from cocoa which is the core element of the Ghanaian society. I therefore identified that agriculture remains an important element of the Ghanaian society. Active-learning activities promotes cooperation, critical thinking, independence, time management and sensitivity to cultural differences (Gardner, 2008). Another aspect of active-learning is that it provides the avenue for the application of theoretical knowledge (Harmin and Toth, 2010). Based on these elements of active learning, the research undertook a comparative system beginning with the culture and systems of Saudi Arabia. The researcher begins by using Hofstede's model of cross-cultural management to examine and evaluate the culture of Saudi Arabia. This is done by following up on the findings that were made during the dinner. The research goes on to trace the findings of the dinner to define the elements of Thailand, China and Ghana. A core tool that is used in

Political Parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Parties - Essay Example As we may notice, Republicans and Democrats seem to uphold comparable ideals when the interest of the American population as a whole is concerned, only that they do not share the same opinion as to who are most appropriate to be bestowed the right of governance. Upon declaration of the winning candidates in an election, cries of deception are hardly evident unlike in some countries where political parties exist in multitude and demonstrate hostility against one another. There is more assurance to a majority consensus given the fact that there are only two options available and a â€Å"clear-cut choice between groups standing for opposing policies.†4 If there are other parties, then elected officials do not necessarily get majority of the votes; thus, what came about is not to be considered national unity. Another reason that gives favor to the two-party competition lies in the conviction that it is â€Å"the simplest and likeliest way to have an effective democratic governmen t.†5 In a country that upholds democracy, all citizens are granted equal share in the decisions that affect their lives. There is no point making a choice when there is no sufficient information to serve as a common ground. In the presence of many prospective governing groups, people can have a hard time monitoring qualifications, performances, and credibility among aspects that must be look into before a ballot is filled out. In a country as large and varied as the United States, a multi-party system would be likely to produce paralysis of government at the national level.†6 Similarly, the ruling party is openly held accountable for overseeing the government7; that should incumbent officials fail in their undertakings or rather fall short of expectations, they are bound to devise approaches that can ameliorate the situation. In this case, it is safe to assume that the general welfare is put on top priority and corruption, although not completely brought to an end, is at least kept to a minimal degree. People will simply go the other direction in the instance of dissatisfaction, and this is what the party in power works hard to avoid. The other party serving as its critic is compelled to instigate remonstrations when dishonesty in the service is observed. They keep a watchful eye on proceedings that do not coincide with the constitutional provisions, and needless to say, hope for a better political standing in the future. In result, power is dispersed accordingly, and any attempt to replace the democratic structure of the government is constantly impeded. The absence of monarchists and Marxists as real choices in most American elections seems an acceptable price for the advantages of the two-party system.†8 The United States is a country of liberalism—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. A form of power that is vested upon a single person by birthright9, and the principle that actions and human institutions ar e economically determined10 will only lead to insurrections from the citizens who believe that

Analysing the change in the role of the management accountant

Analysing the change in the role of the management accountant This work is focused on critically evaluating the tenacity of the change in the role of the management accountant from traditional accounting functions to that of a strategic planner and business partner. The work of Johnson and Kaplan (1987), titled Relevance lost has prompted a drill-down on this research area. Though most of the researchers agree to the changing role of the management accountant (Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005; Cooper and Dart 2009; Allot 2000; Chenhall and Langfield-Smith2007; Siegel1999; Kerby and Romine 2005; Vaivio1999; Ittner and Lacker2001; Ax and Bjornenak 2007;Bhimani 2006;Roslender and Hart 2002). The importance the traditional role still remains vital to others, and should serve to complement the new techniques or the change. (Bromwich and Bhimani 1998; Burns et al. 1999). Others are of the view that history is still a relevant part of the future or the changing trend. (Fleischman and Funnell 2006; Luft 1997;Beaman and Richardson2007).The type of organization as well as the management may also determine the nature of change. Yazdifar and Tsamenyi(2005). This change does not take the same form in organizations, but differs in pattern. Sulaiman and Mitchell (2005). With the present economic miasma, some researchers are even advocating a return to the old ways: the traditional role, (Baldvinsdottir et al (2009). The first section of this work will therefore review these views presented and try to draw a comparison between these views to see if the role of the management accountant has actually changed and to what extent. This will be done drawing support from literatures. It will immediately be followed with some of the new roles the management accountant is taking up in organizations. Thereafter the position of traditional accounting practice in this new trend of events will be discussed. This will enable us to know where to place the traditional accounting role, whether it has lost its usefulness and should be totally discarded or should serve to compliment the new roles. Next to that, some of the new techniques in management accounting that organizations are adopting, the factors that are driving the change in role as well as their significance to the new role will be discussed. Conclusions will then be drawn as to the management accountants roles change. The changing role of the management accountant. Johnson and Kaplan (1987) are deemed to have set the sail in this argument with their book titled Relevance lost: the rise and fall of management accounting. These strong terms used by them has prompted or necessitated a lot of research work in this direction. They argue that the existing form of management accounting lacked the know-how to meet up with the dynamic business environment. Their argument was supported by citing technological advancements, information technology, as well as global and domestic competition as reasons making the existing practices inadequate. According to an article published in the Journal of Accountancy (Most Companies Want Their CPAs to Be Business Strategists, Survey Says, 1996), much more is now being demanded of the management accountants within organizations. Their jobs are going beyond the preparation of financial statements as explanations and interpretation are now required of them of the information they provide. The management accountant is accordingly a high-level decision support specialist. Kerby and Romine (2005) argue that for management accountants to remain a relevant part of their organizations, there must be a change in emphasis from the traditional accounting practices which involves the counting, analysis, interpretation and presentation of financial information. They advocate that the management accountant should be versed with knowledge about changes affecting the business of his organization and imbibe qualities that would enable them function as full-fledged business partners. Smith (2007) opined that the focus of the management accountant within organizations is now shifting to the external environment. That the management accountant is no more uniformed of what happens externally to his organization, He now looks both inwards and outwards. Cooper and Dart (2009), give support to this view that, management accountants are moving from being information providers to supporting the decision making. Siegel (1999), noted that management accountants were before now not involved in the actual decision-making process, but acted in support of the decision makers and later got informed of facts. But the role of the management accountant had changed and greater part of their time was being spent as internal consultants or business analyst within their companies. Like most of the other writers he attributes this changing role to the advancement in technology which he states has freed the management accountant from what he describes as mechanical accounting. He stated that the new role of the management accountant now involves a lot of direct contacts with people throughout their organizations, and that they are more involved in decision making and cross-functional teams. This he termed evolution from serving internal customers to being business partners. The management accountant as strategic planner and business partner. The central message of this work has been on the management accountant assuming the role of strategic planner and business partner as opposed to the traditional role of corporate cop and bean counter. The management accountants role has evolved and is shaping up into a strategic financial planner and manager of information. The management accountant is said to be having less to do with the routine accounting practice. (Siegel 2000, Cooper and Dart, 2009, Latshaw, A. and Choi, Y., 2000). New areas of focus of the management accountant include the development of financial plans, information technology systems management, helping in the formation of business objectives as well as monitoring results and keeping up with marketing objectives. Others are management and organization of workforce, playing advisory role in operational decisions, programmes and projects. (Feeney and Pierce, 2007). For the management accountant to function effectively as business partner, certain skills must be acquired. This will include the quality of analyzing and processing oral and numeric data into meaningful information. This should be buttressed by the ability to work effectively in a team. (Curruth, 2004) As business partner, the management accountant combines both the traditional role of protecting the assets of the business with a new role of analysis and participation in decision making in the business administration.(Kennedy and Sorensen, 2006). Caron (2006), outlined steps that should be taken for the management accountant to assume the position of a business partner. They include: Acting as operation and knowledge expert. He/she should be able to provide best practice information and strategic skills. Should be able to put to practice the knowledge acquired in developing strategic management plans. He/she should be able to mobilize the human resources at his disposal. He/she should be able to disseminate accounting information effectively. Management accounting the position of the traditional role. Although Johnson and Kaplan(1987) opined that the traditional accounting role of the management accountant had lost its value and have argued that it is no more relevant to the dynamism of todays world, not everyone believe their opinion is best for management accounting, and have thus expressed their reservations. (Bromich and Bhimani 1989; Burns et al 1999; Yazdifar and Tsamenyi 2005). Baldvinsdottir et al. (2009) are of the opinion that a return to the traditional or mechanical accounting methods is of great importance especially at this period of economic down-turn. They argue that although the hype about the changing role of the management accountant, a lot of the traditional accounting role has relatively remained the same over several decades. Luft (1997) is of the view that history serves as a platform for understanding the present; that the lapses of the present could actually be alleviated by referring back to history. Fleischman and Funnell (2006), while agreeing with Johnson and Kaplan, that it is important that management accounting reports provide management with information that will aid them in minimizing cost and improved productivity, argue that although these activities are forward looking, they have to be based on what they described as intimate dependence between the past and future. They insist this is necessary because of the uncertainties and instabilities associated with commercial environments, coupled with the intricatsies of management. That, management accountants in the course of trying to make the information they provide more useful to their organizations should bear in mind that this should be done in observation of necessary ethical issues. Beaman and Richardson (2007) found out in their research that accounting practices within organizations are being confined to the traditional role, instead of the expected role of decision support and problem solving. There has been the acknowledgment of the wide use of traditional accounting techniques in most organizations as opposed to the supposed expectation of radically new innovative accounting techniques being adopted by these organizations. ( Burns and Scapens, 2000). Emerging techniques in management accounting. Some relatively new trends/techniques have emerged with the aim of tackling the inadequacies of the traditional accounting methods. Some of them have been lauded as the new champions of management accounting solution providers in organizations. (Cooper and Kaplan, 1991). Although these techniques are highly praised, their adoption and implementation may not have been as widely accepted as the hype associated with them. (Collier and Gregory, 1995; Roslender and Hart, 2003). These techniques include: Activity based costing (ABC); The advent of ABC has changed the practice of cost allocation requiring that management accountants develop more analytical skill to tackle the complexities of allocating overheads to different cost objects using cost drivers. (Burns and Yazdifar, 2001; Byrne and Pierce, 2007; Anderson, 1995). ABC made the management accountant an essential part of the decision making process by focusing on pertinent information needed to improve firm performance financially and market wise. (Kennedy and Affleck-Graves, 2001). Kaplan and Anderson (2004) however noted that organizations have abandoned ABC because of its failure to capture the complex nature of their operations, the delays of implementation and the cost effect which are usually too expensive. Balanced scorecard (BSC): The balanced scorecard enables the management accountant to strategically measure performance and develop a framework for the strategic measurement and management systems (Kaplan and Norton, 2007). It changes emphasis from financial aspect to embracing customer, internal and as well as learning and growth factors of organizations. (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). This has altered the role of the management accountant placing him strategically as a decision support specialist. (Latshaw and Choi, 2002). BSCs are adopted by firms for strategic performance measurement, but the outcome of these measures is usually developed to embrace operational strategy, however it was noted that organizations often fail in trying to put BCS into a particular use (Wiersma, 2009). Atkinson (2006) noted that the BSC has been found deficient from empirical results of its benefits. Strategic management accounting: Strategic management accounting (SMA): SMA shifts the focus of management accountant to non-financial factors external to the organization. (Simmonds,1981). It demands that the management accountant be knowledgeable in topics like performance indicators development, value chain analysis as well as capacity cost management. It broadens the scope of the management accountant beyond the firm to strategizing for competitive market and opportunities. (Whiteley, 1995). SMA requires the management accountant as a member of the cross functional team which his role now embraces to bring to bear relevant information and expertise that will aid decision making. (Roslender and Hart, 2001). The management accountant now addresses the impact of other non-financial activities, the cost position of competitors, and evaluation of rival products and services. These activities have placed the management accountant in the significant role of strategic planner and business partner.(Whiteley, 1995; Langfi eld-Smith, 2008). However, Roslender and Hart (2003), noted that what constitutes strategic management accounting is still not clearly defined. Collier and Gregory, (1995) opined that the level of implementation of strategic management accounting may defer in different economies. That is, the economy determines the strategy and functionality of the management accountants. Enterprise resource planning (ERP): ERP requires the management accountant to have sound knowledge that will enable him to provide information that will technically meet the needs of the firm. It also demands that the MA be versed with knowledge of business functions related to production, marketing and information technology. For the management accountant to get going with all these functions, he needs to build a sound inter-personal and social skills. (Barton, 2009;Pierce and ODea, 2003). It may however reduce jobs, creating unemployment. Enterprise resource planning (ERP): enables the management accountant to track production by job, work center, and activity (Zimmerman, 2009:720). However, respondents to research carried out by Knnerley and Neely (2001) were not sure the introduction of ERP to their organizations had made any noticeable impact. Factors driving the change in the role of management accounting. The usefulness of management accounting has come under scrutiny following factors like: automation of factory processes and procedures, information technology, competition, and globalization, complexity of business among others. Some of these factors and their significance will be discussed briefly. Information Technology: (Carruth, 2004; Beaman and Richardson, 2007), noted that information technology has enabled management accountants to take more responsible roles in their organizations. The management accountant is now able to save time in his analysis and interpretation of information. The management accountant helps in presenting data in a form that makes them relevant and useful for managerial purpose. This involves strategizing and being involved in the decision making process. Granlund, M. and Malmi, T. (2002) It has changed the nature of information and placed decision making on information provided by the management accountant. (Atkinson et al. 1999). Automation; requires the management accountant to develop more analytical skills and to be able to provide such information that will enable firms take decisions and adopt such strategies that will help them stay in competition. (Kerremans et al., 1991). Automation is advantageous in lowering labour cost, but may create job losses. (Mantripragada and Sweeney, 1981). Other factors: Other notable factors driving the role change in management accounting include; the emphasis on quality, intellectual capital, more customer focused organizations, increase in overhead cost, less of direct labour cost, and priority on environmental and external issues. These factors have helped tailor the management accountants role to that of a strategic planner and a business partner. The management accountant now takes a more proactive role in knowing and providing solutions to strategic issues in his organization. The issue of competitive business environment which is closely related to globalization is another major factor affecting the way management accounting functions are handled in organizations. Conclusion Although there have been needs for the change in emphasis on the role of management accountant, this change has not been absolute. This is because the cost and complexity of applying these new techniques have made their adoption slow. The introduction of new techniques in management accounting and the impact of various factors have made the management accountant more focused on non-financial aspects of organizations and has widened the scope of activities external to the organization, making him a useful part of the decision making process. However recent issues following the economic downturn has suggested retention of part of the traditional role in combination with new techniques might be more useful. ( Balvinsdottir et al., July/Aug. 2009) Moreover, the importance of these new techniques and the benefit they provide to organizations cannot be overemphasized. These new innovations have made the management accountant more flexible, a solution provider and an important part of the organization as business partner and strategist, restoring relevance. (Johnson, 1992). It is noteworthy that though many are the advantages of implementing these new techniques, some organizations still stick to traditional accounting because it is less complex to implement, saving time.

Examine critically the GLA proposal to introduce congestion charging

Traffic congestion has been a major problem for many of the cities in the UK and nowhere more than in the central of the largest UK city and capital London. It is known that 50% of drivers' time going though central London is spent in queues and at peak times and that times of high amounts of traffic average speeds of vehicles are under 10 miles per hour (Transport for London, 2001, Congestion Charging: Introduction). It has been a key issue for the transport authorities for some time and many efforts have been aimed at levelling this problem. The GLA (Greater London Authority), and in particular the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has now decided to confront this problem head on and has issued a congestion charging scheme for central London. The charge is set to come into place on the 17th February 2003. The congestion charging scheme is intended to reduce the amount of motorists taking unnecessary trips through the centre if London, and to make them think of using public transport where possible. There will be a charge of i5 for drivers who still wish to go through central London. The charge will occur on weekdays between the hours of 7am and 6. 30pm, there will be no charge on weekends and public holidays, the fee of i5 will be at a flat daily rate with no limit on the number of times motorists go through the charging zone. The fee can either be paid on the day or in advance, with passes to the zone available on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis (TfL, 2001, Congestion Charging: How the scheme will work? ) Not everyone has to pay the charge; there are a number of discounts and exemptions as part of the scheme. Residents who live within the charging zone will receive a 90% discount; providing they can give appropriate verification that they do in fact own the vehicle, they will then be subject to a i10 administration charge to register with the TfL. Disabled badge holder will receive a 100% discount but they will have to register and pay the i10 fee. Others receiving a 100% discount are certain NHS vehicles and firefighters' operational vehicles. There are also a number of exemptions from the charge, which do not have to register with TfL either. These are motorbikes, Black cabs and mini-cabs. Also exempt from the charge are Emergency Service vehicles, NHS vehicles exempt from vehicle excise duties, buses and coaches. There are a number of other types of vehicles that are exempt or receive a 100% discount for the charge (TfL, 2001, Congestion Charging: Who will pay? ). They're will be a fine for the registered keeper of any vehicle which has been caught in the charging zone without having paid the charge will be penalised by the amount of i80, this will go down to i40 for payment within the week, or it will rise to i120 if the fine is not paid on time. However, motorists will be able to pay the charge at the normal rate of i5 before 10pm on the day and at a rate of i10 from 10pm till midnight (TfL, 2001, Congestion Charging: Penalties). The scheme will be enforced by a number of powerful and highly technological camera's which will be situated a in and around the congestion charging zone. There is an initial set up budget of i200 million, and i100 million worth of traffic management measures. The scheme is set to raise around i130 million a year, which is by law, should all be spent on transport improvements within Greater London. After rounds of public consultation over a ten-week period starting in July 2001, the London Mayor has decided to go ahead with the proposed scheme, and without any glitches should go ahead on the 17th February 2003 (TfL, 2001,Congestion Charging: Fact Sheets: Basic proposals of the central London scheme). The scheme itself has many benefits along with drawbacks to road users, residents, businesses motorists and the environment. All of these will be affected and care and consideration should be taken when considering the significance of the charge on the various groups. The largest and foremost benefit of the scheme would be the reduced amounts of congestion in the key zone, i. e. Central London. Even though there are many motorists who consider their trips through central London vital, there will be a number of motorists who will avoid the zone during the charging hours, because they do not need to make that trip. The estimated level of reduction in vehicles passing inside the zone would be 10-15%, with a 20-30% reduction in the in the levels of congestion. This would then aid in the speeding up of traffic, which is estimated to increase by 10-15% (TfL, 2001, congestion charging- benefits). The levels of traffic now cause negative externalities, where Marginal Social Costs (MSC), public costs, is greater than Marginal Private Costs (MPC), costs to the individual. The motorists only take into account the cost of petrol and time taken for the trip, MPC. This does not take in to account the levels of pollution, noise and other people's time that their vehicle is effecting, MSC. With the charge leading to the above levels of reduced traffic the size of the externality is reduced as the individual driver is bearing more of the cost. The charge that the Tfl have brought in is in relation to the size of the externality caused by the driver therefore getting closer to the social optimum in road use and traffic congestion. Traffic congestion in London being at its worst ever is also costing industry in and around greater London millions of pounds every year. In a study Alan Griffiths & Stuart Wall (2001), estimate that if traffic were reduced then London's economy would be better off by i1m a day. This would be a major boost for a city that at the moment looks unattractive and is sometimes over looked in favour of other cities because of the traffic congestion and the additional costs to business because of it. The scheme would also improve business efficiency and reduce the time employees and deliverers spend on the roads, and would spend less on fuel consumption (Greens on the GLA, 2001). The TfL expect the scheme to raise around i130 million a year, with a ten year investment plan to plough it all in to transport improvements. This would no doubt improve public transport, namely buses and the underground, in many areas with improved and new routes planned and an increase in the number of buses and trains. There are investments planned in all areas in public transport, including implementing more safety regulations (TfL, 2001, Congestion Charging: Public Transport Improvements). This all has to occur fairly swiftly as the demand for the use of public transport will be stretched. The congestion charging scheme also has many consequences to it. With the reduction in congestion in the charging zone, there will be an obvious increase in traffic around the surrounding areas of the zone. The TfL are expecting there to be a 5% increase in traffic levels on orbital routes. This would raise the externalities, and the difference between MPC and MPC will increase. There is also an issue of this being like just another tax and being regressive in its cause, therefore benefiting the rich and adversely affecting the poor. The rich will be able to pay the tax with no qualms, and will actually benefit from paying it as the people less able to pay the tax will be forced, not to drive in the zone.

Role Of Regulation On The Free Market Essay - 1530 Words

Option 1 – The Role of Regulation in the Free Market Done By: Kamal Adiab I agree that the free market would run into serious problems undercutting its sustainability without regulation; however, the free market is as much a creation of the state that is highly influenced by interest groups. Interest groups play an important role in the formation of a regulation. Interest groups help candidates get elected into government. In return, interest groups can lobby for leniencies in policies that serve their interests. For example, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has lobbied the government of pipeline regulation, streaming of Fisheries Act, tax credits, and greenhouse gas regulations (as per Macleans.ca, The 10 lobby groups with most contact). If these private interests didn’t exist, would the general public lobby to increase tax credits to corporations? I don’t believe this is the case. Another key question is why do we have regulation? Regulation is meant to serve the best interest of the public. Regulation can serve the private interest, public interest or both. Almost every aspect of our daily life is regulated (as per Regulation: A Primer, page 1). Regulation is very comprehensive to the point that it extends to the moment we wake up to the moment we go back to bed at night. In the morning, there are regulations that dictate which airwaves are used by your radio station; in addition, food and drug agencies regulate the content of your toothpaste, soap,Show MoreRelatedThe Role Of The International Trade Environment On A Free Market Type Environment Versus One With Heavy Government Regulations Essay1137 Words   |  5 PagesGovernment plays and integral role in ensuring that developing countries have a fair and sustainable share of the benefits of the international trade environment. 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Virgini The Comparison Of Virginia - 725 Words

Virginia, home to over 8,490,000 people with gorgeous hotels, restaurants and beaches, and birthplace of 8 presidents. Virginia is also home to two strands of mountains: the Appalachian Mountains and the Blue Ridge mountains. Virginia is also considered to birthplace of America because of Jamestown. Virginia also has a long history with England, men and women who waned religious freedom boarded ships to come to the â€Å"New World†. When the adventurers arrived, they called the land Virginia after Queen Elizabeth I. Virginia also has three regions, which is divided by mountains. The first region is the Appalachian region, which is the north-west region until the Appalachian Mountains. Directly East of the Appalachian is the Blue Ridge†¦show more content†¦Anna River. It is also the home of many historical sites like Jamestown, the birthplace of George Washington, Montpellier, Monticello, the Arlington Cemetery and the Appomattox Court House. The Blue Ridge Mountains are notorious for being the most beautiful mountains in Virginia, especially in the Autumn. These mountains are not the highest peaks, but they are the most versatile; they have many trails, provide first class lodging, a vineyard and provide great biking trails. The Blue Ridge mountains are also home to over one-hundred-thirty species of trees and over one-thousand types of flowers. In the Autumn, the Blue Ridge Mountains attract many tourists to see the lovely colors of the leaves. Also, because of the elevation of the mountains it provides a mild climate to Virginia, most of the time. The Appalachian Mountains is a massive string of mountains, that take up over one-hundred-ninety-five thousand square miles; and spans across thirteen states. The Appalachian Mountains are also a main source of timber and coal. They are also home to around twenty-million people, most of which either lived there as kids, or are there to work for a company. The climate for anyone in the mountains i s harsh, however it can sustain life such as trees and flowers. Virginia has some long history with culture, for instance Alexandria, Appomattox, Lynchburg, Bedford, Richmond, Hopewell and Blacksburg, to name a few. However, the significance