Unit Journal for International Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Unit Journal for International Relation - Essay Example Because of these changes, state sovereignty will never be absolute. State sovereignty means that the state has the absolute power to control over its internal affairs that happen within the boundary of its territory, free from outside state interference, and has the complete authority to govern its people (Wang, 2004)iii. Today, each country is obliged to observe the international laws. Therefore, there will always be some instances wherein a sovereign country should seek external assistance from outside sources before it can make a final political decision. For example, before China opened its door to international trading, this country did not bother to establish a close political and economic relations with Europe. Likewise, Europe was not interested in establishing international relations with China. Because of global trading, the is an on-going political and economic relations between these two countries. Therefore, neither one of these two countries should make political, socia l, and economic decisions that could hurt or weaken the relationship between the two countries (Taneja, 2010)iv. Question two: Define poverty. Can it be eradicated? The basic human needs are not limited to food, clean drinking water, and shelter but also education, access to health care services, and work opportunity. Once the basic human needs are not met, poverty is said to be present. With this in mind, poverty is actually referring to a poor living condition wherein people have insufficient basic human needs that are necessary for a higher quality of life (UNDP, 1997)v. Because of the continuously increasing population growth around the world, socio-economic problems related to poverty also significantly increases. Among the few well-know economic concepts that could clearly explain the increase of inequality in terms of income distribution and work opportunities is capitalism. Under a capitalized economy, business people in general gather a group of laborers in exchange with mi nimum wage. Since businessmen could earn a large sum of profit out of the lower income population, the gap between the rich and the poor increases over time (Botha, 2003)vi. Through education, poverty rate can be reduced but not totally eradicated. According to Bhalla (2006, p. 23), India and China are two of the biggest countries around the world that chose not participate in the global economy started to open its market outside the country since 1980s. Eventually, the active participation of Chinese and Indians in the global market resulted to a significant reduction on the number of people who are experiencing poverty. Since a lot of people who used to live below the poverty line were given the opportunity to work, the number of people who were experiencing poverty was significantly reduced from 1.3 billion in 1980 down to 500 million in 2000 (Bhalla, 2006, p. 22). Question three: Identify and explain the challenges for policy makers when dealing with population growth. Policy ma kers are facing challenges when it comes to controlling the population growth. One of the most common challenges involves the cultural and religious controversy with regards to the use of birth control methods. In line with this, Boadu (2002)vii revealed that the Catholic, Mormons, and Baptists religion are strongly against the use of artificial contraceptives.

The Audit Report and Internal Control Evaluation Essay Example for Free

The Audit Report and Internal Control Evaluation Essay Team D Auditing has been evaluating the evidence presented by Apollo Shoes. The audit team has developed an audit report in response to the audit and has also provided a description of the evidence, a description of the account sampling and testing procedures used, and has also given a brief description of the value of an audit report. This report is only to reflect Team D’s opinion regarding Apollo’s internal controls, financial statements, and management’s assessment. Management Responsibilities We have audited the financial statements of Apollo Shoes Inc. , including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. The company’s management is responsible for preparing these financial statements; in addition, the management is responsible for implementing adequate internal controls to ensure the accuracy and completeness of these statements (Arens, Elder, Beasley, 2012). Our responsibility as an auditor is to conduct an audit in accordance with the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards and express an opinion on these statements based on the audit. Audit Scope The audit conducted by Team D Auditing was executed in accordance with standards set by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) (Arens et al., 2012). The standards set by these two bodies require the team to arrange and complete an inspection of the evidence to obtain reasonable assurance of whether the company’s financial statements are without material misstatements. Also, the team is to evaluate the internal controls and determine if they provide adequate control over the financial reporting for the material components. The audit includes the examination of the following: Financial Statement Disclosures Evidence that supports reported amounts Internal Controls: Implementation and Current Use Financial Statement Presentation Management-made Estimates Accounting Principle Assessments Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Apollo Shoes, Inc. Apollo Shoes Audit was conducted under the Public Accounting Oversight Board Standards. Under these standards is required to provide assurance about the financial reporting and the internal control place in operation. In order to achieve assurance the financial statements are evaluated based on an examination of evidence providing basis for our opinion. Our examination included: Significant estimates made by management – evaluate the reasonable of the significant assumptions (Becker CPA Review, 2014). Financial statement presentation evaluate the presentation and format of financial information (Arens et al., 2012). Accounting principle evaluation, corrections of errors involving principle or changing principal not acceptable to an acceptable one† (Arens et al., 2012). Adequate disclosures of significant accounting policies, accounting changes or loss contingency (Becker CPA Review, 2014). Since Apollo Shoes was a public traded company is imperative to test the effectiveness of the internal control, which is based on: Preventive controls that are placed in operation indicating that transactions were valid, recognized, and submitted for processing following the internal control objectives (Becker CPA Review, 2014). Detective controls provide assurance that the errors and regularities are discovered and corrected in the normal course of business (Becker CPA Review, 2014). Our evidence examination should provide assurance that the financial statements are correct in order for us to sustain our opinion. However, it is impossible due to inherent limitations that the internal controls may not prevent or detect material misstatements. As discussed in note 5, based on our finding the sales and account receivables were overstated by $5,765,081.82 and the related cost of goods sold by $3,165, 145.10 (Louwers, 2007). We determined that this sale is not in accordance with general accepted accounting procedures. Based on the evidence and procedures performed as mentioned in the previous paragraph, Team D opinion on Apollo Shoes financial statement for the period ending on December 31, 2007 do not present fairly on all material respect the financial position of the company. However, we are confirming the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal control, based on COSO framework. It is important to mention that Apollo Shoes has a litigation suit in the preliminary stage for $12,000,000, which intend to defend them self. It is reasonable that the loss could reach $10,000,000 after legal fees (Louwers, 2007). No adjustments have been made to the financial statements. Since Apollo has lost his major customer, this has raised a substantial doubt about the ability that Apollo Shoes Inc. can continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustment that contemplates this uncertainty. Description of Evidence The evidence used for the audit included several items presented by Apollo Shoes. The team was presented with the SEC 10-K filing from 2006, as well as the minutes from the audit committee meeting. The team also reviewed the company Letter to the Shareholders. The SEC filing provided us with historical financial statements and a wealth of other information about the company, including quarterly unaudited operation results. The team also reviewed the company accounting and control procedures manual to evaluate the controls over the accounting functions of the company, such as accounts receivables and cash management. Team D Auditing also performed an inventory observation, reviewed the sales forecast for the upcoming year, and reviewed the Board Meeting minutes from the meeting June 30, 2007. The team was also able to examine the 2006 audited and the 2007 unaudited trial balances, the work papers for the new computer system and the work papers for the internal control systems. The team was able to perform a thorough audit for Apollo Shoes based upon the evidence presented. Account Sampling The goal of an audit is to ensure the financial statements are fairly presented in accordance to the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards, and to obtain reasonable assurance that the statements are free from material errors. It is impossible and costly to test every transaction; therefore, we will be selecting samples for testing and make inference about the overall effectiveness of these statements. We will use the simple random sampling method to select these samples because this method ensures every item has an equal chance of being included (Arens et al., 2012). In addition, depend on the account we are testing different number of items may be included in each sample. Testing Procedures The auditor used industry data and compared it to Apollo Shoes financial information to comprehend the business and its results to determine if the company financial well-being. The auditor also compared the â€Å"client data with similar prior period data† (Arens et al., 2012, p. 227). This included the following: Comparing the current year with the previous year’s audited balance Examine current and previous year’s trial balance to decipher changes. Compared detail of total balances with previous year’s total balance â€Å"Compare details such as monthly totals of current year and preceding year for sales, repairs, loans payable, and other accounts† noticing significant changes (Arens et al., 2012, p. 227). Compared current ratios and percentages of current and previous years Compare current and previous common-size financial statements with vertical and horizontal analysis; Compare ratios analysis â€Å"solvency, efficiency, and profitability ratios† (Boynton, 2006, p. 325). Compared client prepared information with auditor’s expectations Auditor develops an estimation or expectation of results and account balances and compares it to client’s expectations, results, and account balances examining difference. Examine lead schedules prepared by the client. Audit Report Value The value of an audit report is quite simple. It is the written representation of the auditor’s opinion and acts of an almost guarantee for company investors, creditors, and clients. The audit report lists the auditor and director responsibility, gives the scope of the audit, and reports the auditor’s opinion. It lets the users of the financial statements know that they can be reasonably assured statements are without material misstatement and can use the contained information to make their decisions. Of course, the opinion given is not completely guaranteed. Conclusion Team D Auditing carefully considered the given evidence and performed tests of the internal controls and has come to the conclusion that we are unable to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are without material misstatement. We are also concerned with the future of Apollo Shoes with the loss of its biggest client and the pending lawsuit. The audit report, including some additional information regarding the evidence, sampling, and testing procedures have been submitted for review. References Arens, A. A., Elder, R. J., Beasley, M. S. (2012). Auditing and assurance services: An integrated approach (14th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson/Prentice Hall Becker Professional Education/CPA Review (2014) Audit Reports; Devry/Becker Educational Development Corp Boynton, W. C. (2006). Modern Auditing (8th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Louwers, T. R. (2007). Apollo Shoes, InC. Auditing and Assurance Services. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

1. Show how at least two individual episodes, sections or events in your studied text held your interest as a reader. This essay will discuss how two individual events in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, held my interest as a reader. The two individual events are Tom Robinsons court case and the pageant at Scouts school when she plays the role of â€Å"Pork†. I will discuss what techniques were used in both events and how they held my interest. Mayella Ewell accuses Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping her and Atticus, Scout’s father takes the case. Scout and Jem, Atticus’s children sneak to the trial so we, as the reader, find out what is happening through Scout’s eyes. Scout has seen many trials, so her knowledge of what is happening makes it easier for the reader to understand, therefore holding our interest and stopping us from getting bored when we don’t understand the law jargon. Harper Lee wrote the book in a way that he would keep us in suspense. This is especially shown when Atticus is questioning Mayella Ewell. Atticus asked Mayella questions and called her â€Å"ma’am† which was something she had never been called before so she didn’t react well. This made her flustered and also made her say that Tom Robinson had thrown her down and beat her up. After this Atticus made Tom Robinson stand up only for the audience to see that he had a crippled arm. It was moments like this that made us, as readers not want to stop reading because we wanted to know what would happen next. We wanted to know what else Mayella would say. Harper Lee creates the suspension by writing the conversation between Atticus and Mayella Ewell. Lee shows how educated Atticus is in contrast to how uneducated Mayella is by the different language they use. It makes it interesting for the reader and it helps us be able to show who is talking at what moment. At the end of the trial, Atticus has done a good job making the reader think that Tom Robinson will go free. When actually, the jury finds him guilty. Harper Lee does this to shock the readers and to make them want to continue to read to see what happens after the trial, therefore continuing to hold our interest. The second event holds our interest in a similar way to the first event.

Social Worlds in Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell :: Blood Brothers Willy Russell Social Class Essays

Social Worlds in Blood Brothers Explore how the theme of different social worlds is presented in Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. What comments might Russell be making about his twins You should write about  · Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons  · Edward and Mickey  · The Policeman  · The Narrator This essay is about the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. I will be discussing the two main female characters in the play, Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons and how they take part in the important events of the play. I am also going to look at other aspects, like their social statuses and how each receive different treatment altogether from others surrounding them. This will help me evaluate how Willy Russell has presented different social worlds to the audience, and how they are seen. Also I am going to be seeing how Willy Russell’s background could possibly affect his views. Blood Brothers is the tale of two twin brothers who are secretly separated at birth and are forced to live very different lives apart from each other. Upon growing up these two brothers, upon chance, meet each other and strike up a friendship together, while all along being totally ignorant to their fraternity. This can only end in tragedy, as this terrible secret being kept from them cannot stay hidden for ever, so in the end both brothers end up dying together in an inevitable blood bath, upon finding out about the hidden secret. Because the play appears to have been set in the 1970’s/ 1980’s, around Liverpool, there is a lot about striking and major redundancies in it. Also, about people moving out of the city to the country (i.e. Skelmersdale), for a better life and good job prospects. This kind of situation seems to emulate what happened to the director Willy Russell during his childhood, as he too moved from the very much industrialised area around Liverpool. Upon moving out into the country he says that â€Å"compared to Huyton it was paradise† which seems to show his dislike of industrial areas such as Huyton. At the beginning of the play there is a prologue which is designed to show how fate is meant to play an important role ion the play. The prologue is the ending of the play read out at the beginning. So, in giving the audience the ending at the beginning they begin to feel the story’s elements locking together as the play wears on. This makes for the audience in having a terrible awareness of what is to happen, so tragically, to the brothers and also gives a very strong sense of fate’s hand in the disaster, which reinforces the importance of

Lehigh’s 1993 product mix Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objective of this memo is to recommend you a product mix for Lehigh in the year of 1993 based on profit calculations and other business considerations. Recommendation: 1993 product mix should include only High Speed Based on an approach resultant from the combination of ABC plus Theory of Constraints (TOC), I recommend that the company include only the High Speed (machine coil) in its mix. The table bellow contains the unitary cost for Standard and ABC and the throughput per unit of the constrained resource ($/min), calculated diving the unitary ABC cost ($/lb) by the machine time for the rolling process (lb/min): The following paragraphs present a deeper analysis to allow comprehension of the logical steps that led to this recommendation. Rationale: ABC and TOC combined approach The major idea behind combining ABC and TOC approaches is to come up with a fourth method of calculating profits that overcomes the shortcomings of the other three methods (Standard, ABC and TOC). Based on the ABC model (see description of this model in the next section of this report: Alternatives Rejected), I calculated the unitary operating profit per product. This operating profit eliminates the major issue concerning the Standard Costing system: to average uneven resource consumption across products. The next step was to incorporate the concept of time as a factor used in Lehigh’s decision-making. First, by obtaining information from the operations staff, I defined the CRM as the constraint of the plant. Then, I calculated the  throughput per unit of the constrained process (Rolling – CRM) by diving the unitary ABC cost ($/lb) by the machine time for the rolling process (lb/min). Exhibit 1 presents the results for these calculations. According to this approach, alloys, roller wires and chipper knives present losses, while only high speeds and round bars showed profits: respectively $4.84 and $0.08 per minute of rolling machine (CRM) used. However, considering this small profit per minute for round bars and that Die Steel market is broad and requires that its participants offer a full product line to maintain share (this means that Chipper Knives should also be produced), I recommend that Die Steel products be removed from product mix. Consequently, high speeds are the only products that I recommend be kept in Lehigh’s product mix in 1993. It is important to mention that with demand recovering in 1993 and Lehigh’s superior product performance, it may be possible that the company command a price premium for its alloys high enough to turn it profitable in this method and, consequently, to include it in its product mix. Alternatives rejected: Standard, ABC costing and TOC approach Analyzing the scenario, Lehigh had 3 other possibilities for calculating its profit per product: Standard costing The product weight was considered the primary driver of resource consumption, so the indirect manufacturing and administrative costs were allocated to products based on pounds produced. As a result, this approach considers that each of the five products uses manufacturing and administrative overhead equally (their unitary costs are all $0.64 per pound). Moreover, direct manufacturing costs were allocated based on machine hours and materials and direct labor were allocated based on the bill of materials and routings. The calculations for this first alternative are presented in exhibit 2. According to this approach, all products but alloys present operating losses. However, standard costing is averaging the diverse resource use by products and that one it points as the most profitable (alloys) is already promoted by marketing and sales teams, but Lehigh is not showing profits during this period. Therefore, this alternative is not recommended. ABC costing In this second approach, I considered Utilities, Maintenance and Depreciation as direct manufacturing costs and allocated them based on machine hours. Number of skus was considered driver for Technical Support. The product weight was considered driver of resource consumption only for General & Administrative costs. Moreover, materials and direct labor were allocated based on the bill of materials and routings (exactly the way they were allocated in Standard Costing system). Finally, Material Handling & Setup, Order Processing and Production Planning were driven to products using number of orders. Consequently, ABC solves the major issue regarding the Standard Costing system: the assumption that all overhead costs can be included into one cost pool. All the drivers are summarized in exhibit 3. Exhibits 4 and 5 present respectively the ABC drivers and allocation rates. The calculations for this alternative are presented in exhibit 6. According to this approach, alloys, roller wires and chipper knives present operating losses, while only high speeds and round bars showed operating profits: $0.15 and $0.01 per pound. However, ABC does not take into consideration how smoothly material flowed through the plant and product profitability should reflect this kind of difference in resource consumption. This is the reason why this alternative was not selected. TOC approach In this third approach, it was proposed a simple operational measure to orientate the decision-making process within the company: Throughput. It was calculated as sales less material cost (â€Å"contribution margin†) per unit of the constrained resource. As already mentioned, the rolling process (CRM) is the bottleneck of the plant. TOC approach considers that the efficient management of the constrained resource is the key factor to increase profitability. The calculations for this alternative are presented in exhibit 7. According to this approach, high speeds and alloys were the products that showed higher â€Å"contribution margins†: $25.00 and $17.70 per minute of rolling machine (CRM) used. However, TOC approach only takes into consideration the material costs, leaving aside all the other relevant costs that could be allocated to each product according to ABC approach. In other words, TOC method does not reflect the real operating profits. Considering  this point, this alternative was discarded.

HRM ISSUES IN ISRAEL

HRM ISSUES IN ISRAEL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENTPRACTICES AND APPROACHES INISRAELThe transition from a Socialist approach to a free market approach and the rise of a new high-tech sector are two remarkable shifts that have occurred in the last two decades in Israel. In the face of these changes, human resource (HR) practitioners are currently expected to assume new roles, adopt different work values, and apply appropriate strategies. HR managers in the low-tech industry still adhere to traditional values and strategies, including a reliance on trade unions and an emphasis on job security and the employees' years of work experience and seniority as key criteria for promotion. In the emerging high-tech sector, HR managers have adopted new values and developed new strategies, including human resource management programs, employee empowerment, higher salaries and better benefits, while placing an emphasis on employees' talents and qualifications.Source: emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm/journals.htm?issn=014377 20volume=22issue=3articleid=848302show=htmlPHPSESSID=qj5kp1babsuadbfaj 47luam41Recent changes in Israeli society and economy and their relation to Organizational PoliticsOver the past three decades, Israel has undergone significant economic, industrial and cultural transformations.A few issues of SHRM's monthly publication HR Maga...These developments have shifted public values considerably and may indirectly affect OP and HR practices. For example, Sagie and Weisberg (2001) maintain that in recent years, Israeli society has gone from being ascetic, collectivistic, closed, and relatively homogeneous, to being more materialistic, individualistic, open, and pluralistic. The impact of this trend on workplace practice is substantial. Instead of considering one's work as an obligation toward one's family or a contribution to society, it is widely perceived today as a means toward individual self-satisfaction and achievement of personal goals (Elizur Sagie, 1999; Harpaz, 1999). Workers n ow place greater emphasis than they did in the past on values such as employee empowerment, participation in decision-making, job enrichment, and career development. In addition, Israeli work culture is...

Comparing Two Personal Experiences essays

Comparing Two Personal Experiences essays The different motivations of two authors to become professionals and have great careers in their lives. Many people have changed their lives because of something that made them sad or very depressed. The author of "Another Writer's Beginnings" which was R. A. Sasaki compare to the author of "Through the Tunnel" which was Doris Lessing. The comparison of what they have been through altered their lives. They have been successful through these things and experiences. From "Another Writer's Beginning," R. A. Sasaki was an ugly child when she was little. She had a long face with a little bit of nose, and two teeth that got in front of her mouth which make she looks bad. Her hair lopped straight around the earlobes and straight across above the eyebrows, which make she looked like a lumberjack. She also had glasses that made she feel uglier. Sasaki wanted to be a Japanese Mouseketeer, and the reality of her ugliness had never stopped her from hoping. When she brought home her fifth-grade school picture, she knew she looks ugly. She was in a pink dress which bangs cut straight across her face. And her two front teeth made it looked like she had a mouth full of marbles. She gave the picture to her mother, and there was a long silence and followed by a sign of her mother. At that particular moment, she considered that she might not make it as a Mouseketeer after all of these things. So she would have to develop other talents such as an actor. From "Through the Tunnel" the author was Doris Lessing which also known as Jerry. Jerry was an English boy, eleven years old and an only child of a widow. He and his mother having a vacation on where there was a wild beach. The people over there speak a different language, and he started to become lonely. He has no friends or relatives. All the boys and guys did not play with him. Since Jerry like to swim, then he has no choice other than that. One day. He saw the boys swim in the sea, and soon they...