Local and Surrounding Ecologies and Environment Essay

Local and Surrounding Ecologies and Environment - Essay Example There is a marked difference between the â€Å"built† environment and the â€Å"natural† environment, because the perception of the natural environment is prominent by its varied workings that consist of total environmental and biological groups with specific functions, which includes all plant life, flora, undergrowth, foliage and shrubbery, bacteria microbes, germs and soil, rocks, atmosphere and all non-artificial events in the physical sense that are not produced by humans, although they effect humans. Also included in the environment are general natural resources and natural phenomena that cannot be mapped and have no geographical limits such as air, water and climate and manmade resources or originating from manmade activities such as energy, radiation, electrical charges and magnetism. ... tropical rain forest or desert. The world's lakes and oceans may also be considered biomes, although they are less susceptible to climatic influences than terrestrial biomes. Other factors could be related to, living, or occurring in the waters of the ocean or the open sea as opposed to near the shore such as bird populations, and other deep sea or shallow marine, evergreen forests, deciduous forests, steppes, and grasslands. Also equally important is the factor that fills the various places in the local ecosystem. The ecosystem consists of all the physical and free living systems that describe the physical and chemical aspects of organism environments. Human activities that affect local ecosystems: Human activities that have greatly damaged the ecosystem is the junk discarded from homes and factories which causes the most pollution, has resulted in the loss of habitat and produced acid rain which has in effect resulted in the deprivation of the ecosystem. Urban development of farmla nds for mass agriculture has replaced grasslands with crops that are consumed mostly by humans. Space for crops has been made by chopping down and burning forets, and lumber supplying trees have been cut without letup to feed the growing demand for lumber and other wood products. The flow of rivers, streams and waterways are diverted for use on agricultural lands and for other human requirements in cities and towns. Humans have depleted the amounts of fish in the oceans, seas and rivers by mechanical fishing without giving the fish the time to rebreed and produce thereby severely depleting existing reserves. Every type of human conveniences such as cars, generators etc. use fossil fuel that has caused global warming, acid

Based on a Case Study - Management in Technological Change Essay

Based on a Case Study - Management in Technological Change - Essay Example Technological developments and innovation has paved a way for the emergence of new digital marketing channels such as mobile phones. Mobile phones are powerful channels that allow personalisation and interactivity of the content and context of the messages. (Kim, Han, & Schultz, 2004) The mobile channel is seen as an automated, reliable, personal, and customised channel that allows an efficient way to reach mobile phone users directly. It provides a direct call-to-action that would be almost impossible via other channels. (Barnes & Scornacava, 2004) This paper will focus on the feasibility of the application of mobile CRM on Evergreen Investment. The company is a leading asset management firm serving institutional investors through a broad range of investment products. The company has an existing CRM system developed by Onyx. However, the sales representatives find the system taxing on their job and not value-adding on their operations. Management has considered the system ineffective and inefficient. A proposed solution of the paper is the development and implementation of a mobile CRM. The mobile software is a commercially available application developed by Pyxis. It is run in the Blackberry platform using the handheld mobile phone. This paper introduces the CRM capabilities and features of the Blackberry device with the Pyxis-Onyx database link. It enumerates the different impacts of the new system on the organisation, operation, costs, and current process of the company. It also identifies the potential benefits of a mobile CRM to both the Evergreen company and its sales representatives. Evergreen Investment is a mutual fund company with over $247 billion in assets under management. The company concentrates on providing institutional investors with asset management and client service solutions instead of focusing and marketing on individual consumers. The people behind the

Indian Accounting Standards: Barriers and History

Indian Accounting Standards: Barriers and History Introduction In the year 2005, European Union made it mandatory for all the companies which were listed have to comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) requirements when presenting their financial statements. This marked the beginning when International Accounting standard Board (ISAB) was professed as â€Å"legitimate’’. Ever since then IFRS has spread swiftly across the world. Initially there were few hindrances like by the end of year 2004 â€Å"full text of endorsed IFRS was not even available in several EU languages’’. This research examines the evolution and obstacles to convergence of Indian Accounting Standards to IFRS starting 1st April 2011 when all the listed companies in India, will be required to present their financial statements in accordance with IFRS regulations. This research also highlights the need for the country like India, to converge their Local GAAP to IFRS. American Writer Mark Twain once commented on  India and said  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the cradle of the human race ,the birthplace of human speech ,the mother of history ,the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of human speech of the tradition.’’ India is now seen as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The increase of number of Indian companies being listed at various stock exchanges may it be NASDAQ, NYSE or LSE, the takeovers of companies like Corus by TATA or the exponential increment of Foreign Direct Investment in the country does indicate that India is now the destination where everyone wants to be a part of it. The strong economic growth, technological advancements, inflows of foreign exchange and the ever-increasing interest of almost every nation to be a part of this growth embraces the requirement of a common language in financial statements. (Purvis, gernon, and Diamond [1991]). Various studies done by researchers have concluded that â€Å"principle based standards are better enforced than rule based† and this becomes one of the reasons why harmonisation is becoming more and more essential. As far as advantages and disadvantages in adhering a common accounting rule there are still concerns within a country leave apart the issue of international convergence (Ray Ball, 2006). Only time will tell whether this convergence really serve the purpose or it was just a decision made in haste to be a part of so called IFRS â€Å"brand names’’ countries. IFAC Compliance Programme IFAC was founded in 1977 with New York as its Headquarters. Its initial purpose was â€Å"the development and enhancement of a coordinated worldwide accounting profession with harmonised standards†(brennan,1979). Presently it is â€Å"a global organisation for the accountancy profession† and as at 10th August 2009 IFAC has 158 members from 122 countries representing 2.5 million accountants. â€Å"Its formal mission is stated as being â€Å"To serve the public interest,IFAC will continue to strengthen the worldwide accountancy profession and contribute to the development of strong international economies by establishing and promoting adherence to high quality professional standards ,furthering the international convergence of such standards and speaking out on public interest issues where the profession’s expertise is most relevant. To carry out this mission ,we work closely with our member bodies and regional accountancy organisations and obtain the input of regulators, standard-setters, governments and others who share our commitment to creating a sound global financial architecture†(IFAC,2006). IFAC does not set International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) are not set by IFAC rather these are set by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) . The IFAC Board formed â€Å"the Member Body Compliance Program† to ensure that all the members adhere to the standards set by IFAC for its membership. The primary objective of which was to encourage members and strive for improvement in this area of compliance. The IFAC Compliance program is overseen by the Compliance Advisory Panel. The primary objective of Compliance Advisory panel is to make sure that the IFAC compliance program is properly implemented as well as properly operated by the staff members of IFAC. Statements of Membership Obligations The IFAC Board through its Statement of Membership Obligations (SMOs) issue guidelines for the members to assist in implementation of â€Å"International standards† which are issued by IFAC and International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). The motto of SMOs is to provide pre-requisites for â€Å"quality assurance† and to investigate any disciplinary actions against any members. All the IFAC members also have to participate in a program which is in three parts. The main purpose of this programme is that it â€Å"seeks to understand whether and how the SMO requirements are being fulfilled†.  The information from this program helps the compliance committee to evaluate whether the members have prudently adhered to all the SMO requirements. These responses by the Members are taken on a periodical basis. Any changes in â€Å"legal and regulatory environment† or any other development made by any member is to be informed to this committee. This information is also updated in a questionnaire which is available online, by all  the members and if there are any changes  than the members are supposed to inform  the compliance committee which publishes these updated responses on IFAC website. Part 1 of this questionnaire is â€Å"Assessment of the Regulatory and Standard-Setting Framework†.  This Questionnaire provides information  from its members about their â€Å"regulatory and standard-setting framework in their jurisdiction†. Part 2 is â€Å"SMO Self Assessment† which requires members to fill  up a â€Å"self assessment questionnaire† which indicates how the members have incorporated or  implemented  international standards which are issued by IFAC and the IASB. This questionnaire also helps the committee to know whether all the members have adhered to professional standards set by the governing bodies. Part 3, of the questionnaire is about â€Å"Action Plans†. This questionnaire requires that members to â€Å"to develop action plans, including identifying tools, resources, and regulatory changes to address areas identified through the Part 2 self-assessment†. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 questionnaires are accessible to public at large. Literature Review â€Å"Harmonization, standardization, and uniformity are all terms used in the literature and in previous research† (Iordanis N.Floropulos, 2006). According to Van der  Tas (1988): â€Å"Materially measurable harmonization is an increase in the degree of comparability and means that more companies in the same circumstances are applying the same accounting method to an event or giving additional information in such a way that the financial reports of more companies can be made comparable.’’ Harmonisation can be understood as a procedure by which the gap between different accounting practices are reduced (Doupnik,1987). Sir David Tweedie, Chairman of International Accounting Standards Board said â€Å" If they all use the same methods and the accounting for one transaction is the same in Sydney, as in Seattle, as in Strasburg, and in Sheffield , then they will know where they are, and there is a demand for that type of certainty.†(FEI 2001). Mark T.Bradshaw and Gregory S.Miller(2007) also reiterated the same and argued that the evidences are in favour of a single set of Accounting Standards which will â€Å"increase the comparability of accounting information across the countries that differ economically, politically ,and culturally†. Emphasising the need for a â€Å"common set of accounting standards† IASB, laid three broad objectives: a)  Improvement : Improvement in existing standards, b)  Convergence : Reducing the gap between different accounting standards followed in different geographical regions, c)  Leadership : Addressing issues not resolved and developing new standards( Geoffrey Whittington,2005) â€Å"The principles behind the adoption of International Accounting Standards by different countries have always been the subject of controversy in accounting literature† (D.Zeghal, K.Mhedhbi, 2006).India’s decision to converge to IFRS is perceived by many researchers as premature decision. Although harmonisation of accounting standards not only enhances the quality of financial reporting, increases the comparability of financial statements but without considering of â€Å"country specific environment factors† the logic/reasons for such convergence will be forfeited. Talaga and Ndubizu (1986) insisted â€Å"that a country’s accounting principles must be adapted to its local environmental conditions†. In fact, Perera(1989a) went much ahead and stated that â€Å"the accounting information produced according to developed countries is not relevant to the decision models of less developed countries†. Case studies by different researchers with respect to developing countries have not reached any consensus whether the convergence or so called â€Å"follow the Bandwagon approach† for IFRS’s will have or is having any positive effect on economic growth. It is yet to be seen that whether India will adopt IFRS or will converge its accounting standards to IFRS. Larson (1993) studied the economic growth effect of African countries with and without these standards. His results show a positive correlation in economic growth rate with adoption of IFRS’s when adapted with â€Å"country’s local condition†. But Woolley (1998) researched the effect of such convergence or adoption of IFRS’s in Asian countries and he concluded that there are â€Å"no significant differences in the economic growth rates†. This again emphasises the fact that researchers have distinct opinion on whether IFRS adoption results in better economic growth or does not have any significant role. Researchers like Wolk, Francis ,and Tearney (1989) argued that ,harmonisation of accounting standards is â€Å"beneficial for developing countries because it provides them with better-prepared standards as well the best quality accounting framework and principles†. Chamisa (2000) studied the â€Å"usefulness of IAS’’ for developing countries. In his case study of Zimbabwe, he argued that these standards do have a positive impact on the emerging financial markets in the developing countries. â€Å"Economic conditions are a major determinant in the development of a country’s accounting system† D Zeghal, K Mhedhbi (2006). No doubt with the present economic growth in India  which is presuming better than in any other developing nation, IFRS will definitely boost this growth. India, by adopting IFRS gives a platform for itself where the financials can be compared easily with the peers across the globe.  According to Alhashim and Arpan (1992), who argued that â€Å"environmental forces influencing accounting are economic forces, social forces, the legal system, culture, and the political system†.   Though the legal structure or political system or culture might have an impact of financial reporting but there are other factors which have greater impact than these. One of these can be the education standards of the professionals in a country. As IFRS are more principle based so lots of prudence will be required from the professionals .  Cooke and Wallace (1990) added to these and argued that factors such as Size of business, education level, history of country, level of wealth, their development of financial markets may have influence on accounting standards. Accounting standards are governed by economics and politics( Watts,1977 ; Watts and Zimmerman,1986) so convergence has more or less enhanced integration of markets and politics across the borders (Ball,1995). D Zeghal, K Mhedhbi (2006) gave five hypotheses on the basis of these environmental forces. In his first Hypothesis he argues that if the country economic growth increases then the chances of adoption of the International Accounting Standards increases. This hypothesis correlates with the present status of a country like India which is exponentially growing. To maintain this growth rate it needs to be in line with global standards which will increase it â€Å"legitimacy†. As a result of which the foreign investments will increase. In the second hypothesis he argues that the probability of adoption of IFRS increases with the increase in education level. This simply means that there is a positive relationship between educational level and the competence of the professional accountants. This hypothesis indicates that â€Å"in countries where the educational level is low and expertise is weak, there is a real barrier to the adoption of IAS†.  This infers that if a country wants to adopt IFRS then it needs to strengthen its educational level. This raises few concerns if test this hypothesis with the current situation in India where there is scarcity of experts who have good knowledge of IFRS. In his third Hypothesis which states that if a developing country has â€Å"high degree of external economic openness it will be more inclined to adopt IAS†. India being one of the fastest growing nations with increasing foreign investments is an ideal case for adoption of IFRS’s as per this hypothesis. Sir David Tweedier, IASB Chairman restating uniformity of accounting standards argued â€Å"As the world’s capital markets integrate, the logic of a single set of accounting standard is evident. A single set of international standards will enhance comparability of financial information and should make the allocation of capital across the borders more efficient. The development and acceptance of international standards should also reduce compliance costs for corporations and improve consistency in audit quality.† Abdelsalam and Weetman (2003) argued that a factor like â€Å"familiarity and language† seems to favour countries which are Anglo-American because of obvious reasons. One being Anglo-American predominantly had a greater influence in the formulation and development of IASB and the other being, English being language of communication. Chamisa (2000) found that he anticipates that the developing countries which have â€Å"Anglo-American culture† will find it easier to adopt IFRS. This becomes the Fourth Hypothesis. In his Fifth and final hypothesis D Zeghal and and K Mhedbi states that developing countries which have capital markets are most likely to adopt/converge to IFRS. This hypothesis emphasises the need and why India as a country should adopt IFRS. With the present scenario where all capital markets are hitting new lows, Indian markets are performing far better than any other markets across the globe. But one should always In a recent report by world bank, it has been reported that Asian countries are recovering from the present financial crises.  Research done by Adhikari and Tondkar (1992) showed the similar results, that adoption of a â€Å"particular accounting system† is effected by the existence of capital market. Adhikari Tondkar (1992) specifically argued that â€Å"country’s level of economic growth has a positive effect on the development of accounting system and practices†. L.L.Rodrigues, R.Craig(2007) in their research by using â€Å"Hegelian dialectic concept of thesis, antithesis and synthesis† gave  innovative approaches for convergence of  local accounting standards with IFRS’s. They went on to and argued that â€Å"in modern society, the global harmonization of accounting standards might be regarded as uncontroversial, unremarkable, and inevitable†. Hegel in his â€Å"theory of dialectic† laid a concept which states that â€Å"contradiction is regarded as the root of all change† (hegal, 1969). He argued that change is inevitable and brings in a new structure or a concept( a thesis) which always have contradictions, which is always opposite to what stated (antithesis) but which brings in something new which is in-between both the concepts(synthesis). Referring to this concept L.L.Rodrigues, R.Craig argued that A thesis to be a â€Å"support for globalization of accounting† and Antithesis can be said to be â€Å"conflict area† that means opposing globalization of accounting. As a consequence of thesis and antithesis another view is generated this is referred as synthesis. They outlined few proposals which arose due to thesis and antithesis.  In one of the proposals they argued that all the companies should follow their national accounting standards and prepare their financial statements accordingly. At the same time these companies should also enclose few annexure in the form of reconciliation with the International accounting standards (hoarau, 1995). In their second proposal they argued that countries should â€Å"seek regional harmonization of accounting standards† (European Union or ASEAN countries). Analysing the â€Å"regional paradigm† of harmonisation of accounting standards, Saudagaran and Diga (1997, p.2,16-7) claims that in 1997 European Union supported the idea of regional harmonisation and also in the year 1992-1993 AFA â€Å"pursued regional  harmonization as a policy objective†. Referring to The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) which is an â€Å"an Islamic international autonomous non-for-profit corporate body that prepares accounting, auditing,  governance, ethics and  shari’a standards for Islamic financial institutions and the industry†. These standards â€Å"are either mandatory or used as guidelines by the regulators in.the kingdom of Bahrain, Dubai International financial centre ,Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Sudan and Syria (http://www.aaoifi.com/overview.html). These arguments are in favour of â€Å"dual standards†. Also many countries have adopted IFRS but not for all companies rather they have two tier system. One for big corporate houses and the other for small and medium-sized entities (SMEs). Because it is the cost factor which is bothering these smaller entities. But this view is not supported by the big international accounting firms, who caution that â€Å"a two standard system, where some companies continue to use national GAAP ,may be difficult to maintain in the long run.[and] governments and national setters [should] develop formal convergence plans to eliminate these dual standards†(Larson and Street ,2004,p.113). L.L. Rodrigues and R.Craig also argued that companies might think full adoption of IFRS but practically it will more like to have â€Å"ostensible compliance† that is â€Å"in the form of window dressing to appease capital markets or other users of financial information†. Chand (2005) throws a caution on Developing countries who are tempted to be a part of so called IFRS compliance members without evaluation the â€Å"cost and benefit involved in implementing IFRS†. He also emphasises the need to â€Å"improve the level of professional expertise in IFRS† before adoption or convergence to IFRS. Similar caution was advised by Shyam Sunder (2009) in his commentary â€Å"IFRS and the Accounting Consensus† stating â€Å"Get aboard if you do not wish to be left behind on the platform† cannot be a reason to converge or adopt IFRS. He argues that the standards should be developed not just as rules but rather it should be restricted to principles. Secondly a single set of accounting standards should be applied to companies especially those which are traded as it helps investors/stakeholders to compare them with their peers across the globe. Further he argues that there should be a body which must be consisting of professionals and experts which can act as a regulatory just as Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) does in United States. He emphasis the need of educating professional to a level that they can interpret IFRS’s in a prudent manner. Financial Accounting Standard No. 157 (FASB 2006) which states that the companies can value their assets in any one of the three methods given in this standard. These methods are mark-to-market or mark-to-model or mark-to-judgement. The last method gives liberty to companies to value â€Å"as they deem fit†. Warren Buffet called this as â€Å"mark-to-myth†. Clarifications on such concept of â€Å"fair† valuation are needed as it gives an opportunity for accountants to mislead the users of the financial statements. He argues that the standard setters should minimize this â€Å"need for judgement† by properly responding to the queries/objections/sug gestions raised by the professionals on these standards. Shyam Sunder (2009) also stated a practical reason as far implementation of IFRS’s goes. He states any professional anywhere across the globe â€Å"who has been drilled to memorize the specifies† of their own national accounting standards will find it quite difficult to now thoroughly understand and cope up with the clauses of IFRS’s. Also there is only one language in these internationally acceptable accounting languages and that is English only. So those nations like China, Japan or say Italian or German would not find exact version of these standards. And we are talking about a common language of Financial Reporting. One of the past presidents of The Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI) states â€Å"people who invest overseas naturally want to be able to keep track of the financial health of the securities issuers. Convergence of accounting standards is the only means to achieve this. Only talking the same language one can understand each other across borders†. N.C.Shil (2009) argues that though harmonisation will give an effect in the form of â€Å"global community as a single entity†. But there are major concerns when it comes to adoption of IFRS’s in United States where US GAAP is still functional. And it is yet to be seen as how far they will converge or they will just adopt. Secondly, different countries have â€Å"different legal, economic, social and cultural environments† and it is very essential to analyse these differences as they just cannot be written off just to make sure that we are in line with internationally acceptable reporting standards. Thirdly, they emphasised the need of implementation not just adoption. It is quite a tedious task to implement without adequate  regulatory authority. IFRS’s are principle based standards so again load of prudence will be required by the professionals who were implementing rules based accounting standards till date. Another issue which is inevitable is the scarcity of skilled manpower in developing countries. China has reported a â€Å"shortfall of 300,000 qualified accountants and is likely to require a further three million† in times to come (N.C.Shil, 2009). More or less the same is the condition if we talk about India. At present with the current state of affairs â€Å"The ROC Mumbai has over 150,000 registered companies out of which approximately 50 percent file their documents. Over 5,000 new companies are registered every year.ROC Mumbai has 4 staff who are employed to scrutinize these fillings, none of them of whom are Chartered Accountant or Company Secretaries’’.  Analyse the situation of now if India without a proper infrastructure (skilled manpower) adopt or converge to IFRS.   The concern at this hour is whether the adoption is â€Å"merely as a label† or there is a serious commitment to it. If the IFRS’s are adopted with such an  intension then this will lead to increase in  transparency , substantially  decrease â€Å"information asymmetry, uncertainty and estimation risk†, and as a will result in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"lower cost of capital and higher market liquidity†(Leuz and Verrecchia, 2000; Lambert et al., 2007a). This hypothesis was analysed by H.Daske,L.Hail,C.Leuz and R.Verdi (2007) who examined IFRS adoption by 24 countries between 1988 to 2004  and concluded that these the firms show a substantial decrease in cost of capital and exhibit â€Å"higher market liquidity† after converting themselves from their Local GAAP to IFRS.  The problem faced even by European countries was the lack of clarity at the time of first-time adoption of IFRS. This issue still persists and there are still no clarifications on â€Å"tra nsactions of specific nature such as pension and other post-retirement benefits† (R.K.Larson, D.L.Street 2004). â€Å"The focus tends to be on what the rules say, not on how they are implemented in practice’’  (Ray Ball, 2006). In practice this has been a major concern even in Europe where implementation is still a major concern. Developing countries like India need to understand that mere restructuring or reorganisation of the standard setting body would not resolve this crisis. But including Government agencies on their board will overcome this tedious task of implementation (Peter Carlson,1997). â€Å"The harmonisation of such standards is regarded to be neither practical nor truly valuable† (Goeltz, 1991, p.85) possibly because â€Å"investors may have developed adequate coping mechanism so that their financial decisions are not impeded†(Choi and Levich,1991,p.2) Because different users require different information it is difficult to satisfy their financial reporting needs with the constraints of a set of inter national accounting standards. A survey of 112 companies in India ,by Ernst Yong showed 67% of them welcomed the decision of convergence to IFRS. But majority of them were susceptible with the deadline set by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the reasons stated were quite obvious. One being the cost, whether it up gradation of IT software or cost of skilled manpower. The other reason was the jugglery in the statutory laws. The Tax laws, Companies Act 1956  and all other statutory laws are yet to be modified and in a manner that they are in line with the IFRS regulations. Taking a clue from the nations who have already transited to IFRS India as a country needs to analyse the cost benefit ratio before implementing these IFRS regulations. â€Å"UK companies recorded an average of  £ 625,000 for IFRS conversion training in 2005†. Also Securities Exchange commission has reported that â€Å"average US corporation will spend nearly $ 32 million in IFRS adoption cost†. Also there is a mixed feeling of whether India will follow full IFRS regulations or will opt for â€Å"modified country specific version† like in European Union ,Singapore, Japan or Australia. Ray Ball(2006) on â€Å"International Financial reporting Standards: Pros and Cons† argued that without any doubts the â€Å"high quality† standards have now been  adopted by more than 100 countries is in itself commendable. On the other side he predicts the problems with the â€Å"fascination† of IASB and FASB with â€Å"fair value accounting†. When market prices are available, for any assets, then the opportunity of manipulation by managers decreases. However there is a flaw that the managers can still manipulate by using â€Å"mark-to-model† accounting. This particular clause in IFRS increases gives an opening to managers to fabricate the valuations as per their discretion. However , IASB and FASB are determined to go move ahead with â€Å"fair value accounting† and FASB member L.Todd Johnson commented â€Å"The Board has required greater use of fair value measurements in financial statements because it perceives that information as more relevant to investors and creditors than historical cost information. Such a measures better facilitate assessing their past performance and future prospects. In that regard, the Board does not accept the view that reliability should outweigh relevance for financial statement measures† Ball, Robin and Wu(2003) investigated â€Å"the relationship between accounting standards and the structure of other institutions on the attributes of financial reporting system†. The study was based on four Asian countries namely Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. They argued that these countries have a greater influence towards International Accounting Standards which as a result should produce high quality financial reporting. But the â€Å"institutional structures that provide incentives to issue low quality reports† (Robert W. Holthausen, 2003). Hence Ball, Robin and Wu predicted that outcome of such structure will have a negative impact of financial reporting. Researchers are also of the view that the manner in which the European Union is formed, in the same manner Asian Countries can come together and come to a common consensus which allows â€Å"free mobility of capital, Labour and enterprises across the national borders of its member countries†.( Peter Carlson, 1997). Inida History and Overview India is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic country. It has a Government or rather â€Å"Parliamentary system of Government†. The President is the constitutional head .In the states it is the Governor who acts as a representative of the president. There are 28 states and 7 Union territories. Each and every part of the country has a different and unique â€Å"demography, history and culture, dress, festivals, languages etc†. India is â€Å"seventh-largest country by its geographical area, second most populous country and the most populous democracy in the world†. In India, responsibility of maintaining high standards in accounting, auditing and ethical standards are bestowed on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The Institute was established in 1949 under an act of Parliament. The headquarters of this accounting body is in New Delhi. The Institute also has five regional offices situated in Mumbai, Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata, and New Delhi, along with these regional offices the Institute has 117 branches across the country. The Institute has also 19 chapters outside India and an office in Dubai. Presently the Institute has enrolled 350,000 students and 140,000 members. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is presently the Second largest accounting Body in the world. The Institute has maintained high standards of applicability of Accounting and Ethical standards in India. Except the recent saga of Satyam Computers no major incidence of this stature had ever been reported from India. Applicability of IFRS in India Under the new system the following companies or entities will have to comply with the IFRS requirements: a)  Companies which are listed in any of the recognised stock exchanges. b)  Banks, Insurance companies and Financial Institutions c)  Companies which in the preceding year had a turnover or more than Rs 1 billion. d)  Companies which in the preceding year had borrowings in excess of Rs 250 million. e)  Holding or subsidiary of any of the above companies At present IFRS is not applicable to SME’s. Differences between the prsent regime under local GAAP and IFRS There are issues which really putting doubts in the mind of professionals or the users of financial statement which needs immediate attention. Following are few of them: 1)  As per the companies act 1956, there are specified rates for depreciation to be charged to assets by every company. The clause states that every company must charge a minimum rate of depreciation to each and every asset held. IFRS does not recognise this concept of â€Å"minimum depreciation†. 2)  In India, every amalgamation must be approved by the High Court. There is no such obligation in IFRS regulation. 3)  Clause 41 of the listing agreement clearly states that there should be a separate presentation of  extraordinary items in the financial reporting of the listed companies whereas IFRS prohibits such presentation of extra-ordinary items. 4)  IFRS conversion will have a direct impact on the reporting of Indian Banks. The transition to IFRS will affect reported net-worth, capital adequacy and available capital for all Indian Banks.  Report on â€Å"IFRS convergence: Challenges and Implementation Approaches for Banks in India† argues that there will be a â€Å"significant impact† on the Banking industry in India particularly in the reporting of Financial Instruments, Derivatives and provisions to be made in case of loss on loans and advances. The† Financial parameters† such as Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) and â€Å"valuation metrics† on the basis of which the analysis is done, predictions on future aspects of the company are made will change drastically once IFRS is implemented.

Pluto: A Planet? Essays -- essays research papers fc

Pluto: A Planet? Many issues have arisen from the debate whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a â€Å"minor planet† due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features. Indeed, most of the problem is that there is no formal definition of a planet. Furthermore, it is very difficult to invent one that would allow the solar system to contain all nine planets. I suggest that for an object to be classified as a planet, it must embody three characteristics. It must be in orbit around a star (thus removing the larger satellites from contention), it must be too small to generate heat by nuclear fusion (so dwarf stars are excluded) and it must be massive enough to have collapsed to a more or less spherical shape (which excludes comets, and most of the asteroids). These criteria would admit a few of the larger asteroids and probably some of the Kuiper belt objects as well, but adding a requirement for a planet to have a minimum diameter of 1,000 km would remove the larger asteroids from contention while retaining Pluto. Below are some brief reasons as to why Pluto may not be considered a planet with my rebuttal. Pluto is small compared to the other planets. Pluto is about half the size of the next smallest planet, Mercury. However, there is no scientific reason whatsoever to pick the size of Mercury as being the size of the smallest object to be called a planet. Mercury itself is less than half the size of Mars, and Mars is only about half the size of Earth or Venus. Earth and Venus are only about one-seventh the size of Jupiter. Why not pick one-tenth the size of Jupiter as the size of the smallest planet, if the cutoff is going to be chosen arbitrarily? In that case, Mars, Mercury and Pluto would all have to be classified as asteroids. If the size-cutoff between asteroids and planets is going to be randomly chosen, the cutoff value should be agreed upon in open debate among interested scientists. Pluto is smaller than 7 moons in the solar system. Pluto is smaller than Earth's Moon, Jupiter's moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, Saturn's moon Titan, and Neptune's moon Triton. On the other hand, Pluto is larger than the other 40 known moons in the solar system. There is no scientific reason to arbitrarily dis... ...Willem J. Luyten Science, New Series, Vol. 123, No. 3203. (May 18, 1956), pp. 896-897. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0036-8075%2819560817%293%3A124%3A3216%3C322%3ATPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L This site is very reliable. It is the Scholarly Journal Archive. 2. Letters The Planet Pluto Gerard P. Kuiper Science, New Series, Vol. 124, No. 3216. (Aug. 17, 1956), p. 322. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0036-8075%2819560817%293%3A124%3A3216%3C322%3ATPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L This site is very reliable. It is the Scholarly Journal Archive. 3. Research News Planetary Scientists are Seeing the Unseeable Richard A. Kerr Science, New Series, Vol. 235, No. 4784. (Jan. 2, 1987), pp. 29-31. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0036-8075%2819870102%293%3A235%3A4784%3C29%3APSASTU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L This site is very reliable. It is the Scholarly Journal Archive. 4. This is a site about Pluto. http://dosxx.colorado.edu/plutohome.html It is reliable since it is a part of an established academic institution. 5. This is the NASA page for Pluto. http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/pluto.htm 6. Another site from NASA. http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/pluto.html

Introduction to Organizational Politics Essay

This piece consists heavily of quotations from and adaptations of material from several sources (see references at the end). There still may be some unreferenced quotations because I have lost track of their genesis over many years of moving content through various notes. I don’t claim originality, other than the choice and organizing of material – Rex Mitchell. Pfeffer (1992, p. 30) defined politics as â€Å"the processes, the actions, the behaviors through which potential power is utilized and realized†. Another author (Dubrin, 2001 , p. 92) defined organizational politics as â€Å"informal approaches to gaining power through means other than merit or luck†. It could be argued that politics are used primarily to achieve power, either directly or indirectly, e. g. , by being promoted, receiving a larger budget or other resources, or gaining desirable assignments. Many people regard organizational politics as something negative (e. g. , pursuing selflnterests at the expense of others) and something to be minimized. Consequently, although most people know that organizational politics are common, they avoid saying so when it concerns one=s own ehavior. It is more common to talk about politics when complaining about a loss to a friend than it is in the context of one’s own political maneuvering. When we win on an issue, we call it leadership; when we lose, we call it politics. In many organizations, politics is a taboo subject, which makes it difficult for individuals to deal with this crucially important aspect of organizational reality. I believe a leader must skillfully use organizational politics to acquire and retain power and to accomplish major goals. Therefore, it would be a mistake to pretend that politics does not exist or to antasize that a leader can be effective without appropriate (and ethical, I would add) use of politics. As Pericles wrote over 2500 years ago, â€Å"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you. † I regard organizational politics as neither good nor bad, per se, although it is important for us to distinguish between ethical and unethical political behavior.

Acts of Kindness. Paper

Someone dragged a coin along the bonnet of a car belonging to a friend of mine. He took it to a smash repair company near his work for the scratch to be touched up. When he went to pick up the car, he was surprised to be told that there was no charge. A little overwhelmed by it all, my friend mentioned that if he ever had an accident, he would bring his car to that establishment for repair. The owner replied, â€Å"Sir, I hope you never have an accident. † I have made it my goal to do something nice for somebody every day that I live.I find myself waking up each morning with new and exciting ideas of things to do for others, and the rewards have been wonderful. The afternoon was cold and windy as I walked through the shopping centre of my little suburb. A busker, perhaps in his late fifties, wearing clothes that had gone well beyond their ‘use by' date, played his guitar rather badly. â€Å"Don't encourage him! † called a passer by as I dropped a coin into the box . I crossed the road and entered a shop where I made regular purchases. I noticed the assistant would occasionally look out of the window at the busker.She turned to me and asked, â€Å"Would you mind the shop for a minute? † Surprised, I agreed, whereupon she took a pie from the warmer, ran across the road, and gave it to the busker. I have since learned that this was not an isolated example of her generosity. Recently my son, who is a regular user of public transport, caught the bus home from school. Unfortunately he got on the wrong bus, but instead of just being told to get off and wait for another bus to take him home, the driver phoned me and said he would look after my son until he could be placed on the next bus home.I received a call from the second driver, confirming my son had been transferred to his bus. He also told me the time my son would arrive home. Thank you to both of these men who took the extra effort to ensure the safe arrival of my son. The other day I fell on my way back from shopping. Fortunately all that was injured was my dignity, but I was touched by the actions of a passing motorist. When she saw me fall she stopped her car and waited until I had stood up again. Seeing I was OK, she drove off.Once when working at the Department of Social Security, I was talking to a coughing client on the phone, so when I sent her the requested claim form, I enclosed a couple of Allen's Butter Menthols in the envelope. She rang to thank me the following day, and said that my act had made her feel better than the cough lollies had! It made me feel pretty good, too. I have become involved in helping to run a small shop at a local aged people's hostel. We sell at cost items like biscuits, lollies, greeting cards, etc. , small luxuries that old folk can't get out and buy for themselves, and that are not provided by the people who run the hostel.I've noticed that some old people come into our shop, not to buy things, but simply to talk to someone from â€Å"the outside. † This brings home the to me that some old folks are just dumped in places like these, and are seldom visited by their loved ones. I think it vital that they should be visited, and to be shown that someone cares. During the next school holidays I intend to take my 9-year-old granddaughter into the shop with me, as I feel both she and the old folks would mutually benefit from the interaction.I was talking to my doctor recently, and was amazed to learn her act of kindness for Australia's National Kindness Day last year was to treat all of her patients she saw on the day for free! Standing in a long queue at the post office, I overheard one of the staff tell a woman at the counter that the parcel for her was heavy, and an awkward size. He invited her to go around to the side door where she could look at the parcel and decide what she wanted to do. A man in the queue overheard the conversation, and volunteered to drive the woman home with her parcel.The l ights turned green at the pedestrian crossing and the traffic had just begun to move forward when a stooped elderly lady, obviously unaware of the ‘don't walk' sign, stepped on to the crossing. The cars braked and waited patiently while the woman slowly made her way across the road, oblivious of the kindness of the drivers. Four years ago on New Year's Eve my husband had a serious hang-gliding accident and was airlifted off to intensive care in Melbourne. It was getting late at night by the time I learnt the details of the accident and by then he was far away in a Melbourne hospital, but which one I knew not.We were camping at Mt Beauty and knew no one in the camping ground, and I had a busy 5-year-old, as well as being pregnant! Our situation was made so much more bearable by the many acts of kindness from fellow campers. Money was given for the long distance phone calls to the hospitals, so I could find out where, and how, my husband was. Meanwhile neighbours looked after ou r little boy who was kept happy playing with their son. The next day, after an unsettled night, I began to prepare for the drive to Melbourne.Another neighbour rose early (and also woke his sons) to help me pack up the large tent and gear, and pack it all in the car. They even washed the car, and his wife prepared us a cut lunch! Not only that, she offered her home in Melbourne for as long as we needed, and asked if I'd like her to accompany us on the drive down, and said she would catch the train back (I had never met this wonderful lady before this day). The family minding our boy gave me their street directory with a line marking all the way to the hospital – I'd never driven to Melbourne before, so this was a great help.These two special families saw us off with hugs and best wishes and, I learnt later, both phoned the hospital to see how my husband was. He recovered and is looking forward to more (accident free) flying, and I will always remember these kind-hearted peopl e who helped me so much (Our little boy, too – he was so good during that time, I couldn't have asked for more). When my youngest child started school I returned to teaching. I made it a rule to praise every child every day. The happy smiles they gave me were reward enough.Six years ago I was left to fend for myself when my husband left me for my so called friend. I was sad, scared, but mostly lonely. After the news became common knowledge, one acquaintance of my husband began to ring me every evening at around 10. 30 pm to say, â€Å"Goodnight and God bless. † I finally asked him why he was doing this. His response was, â€Å"I can't stand to think of you being alone and sad without anyone to say goodnight to, so I want to do it while you are so sad. † This was a wonderful act of kindness from a man I hardly knew, but it made me feel cared for and not so alone.This man kept up the goodnight greeting for three months until I didn't sound or feel so sad, and then they stopped. I've never seen or heard from him since, but I bless his loving heart often. My current mission is to promote the Kindness Revolution with all the young people I come in contact with, so far with success. The idea of being kind appeals to my two special little friends Amy and Jessie. Jessie sends me monthly reports of her kindness activities which are really cute, especially the one about her 14 month old baby brother playing ‘Barbies' with her.Jessie considers this brother less important than a worm normally. I would love to tell you of a kind act I had the opportunity to participate in, because of a strong feeling to help someone, who was not in a position to help themselves. A lovely lady in her nineties is a very good friend of my daughter's Godmother. I made a winter basket for her with all sorts of goodies, including a warm hat for the winter. It was such a pleasure to receive her phone call, she was so thrilled. I went to a cake shop recently and was wait ing to be served. There was this little old lady being served, she was asking the price of this and that.I told the man who served me that I would pay for the lady's choice. He whispered this to the sales woman, and I paid for mine and hers. However, she wasn't finished, and ordered a large apple pie as well – oops! The man raised his eyebrows at me, I thought for a brief moment and nodded my head – what the heck! When I was given my change I got out of there as fast as I could, as I didn't want to get sprung. I wonder if people going about their normal duties realise they can brighten up someone's day. My children's favourite day is Friday – rubbish bin day.As soon as they hear the truck they race to the door to watch. When the driver waves to them it always brings a big smile to their faces. The wave doesn't cost him anything, but it means so much to them. Thank you to all the people who take the time to smile or greet others while doing their job. Doing my no rmal Saturday morning shopping, I was attracted by the sound of a flute. Casting my gaze about I spied a man of about 50 standing on a nearby corner. As I walked closer there was something about him that caused me to think I should donate more than the usual one or two dollars.I walked up to him and stuffed a five dollar note into the top pocket of his coat. He stopped playing and said, â€Å"Thank you very much, that's very kind of you. † As I walked away he began playing again, this tune was decidedly more up tempo than the previous one. After many years as a city dweller, the opportunity came to move to a small town. Without having any job prospects, I decided to make the move. I hadn't been there very long when I mentioned to someone that I was going to buy a pot plant when I had the money, and put it on the front porch of the house I was living in.The next day, much to my surprise and delight, I found a pot plant on the front porch! It is so lovely to be away from the me anness and bustle of the city, to be in a place where people have the time to talk, to be sympathetic and respond to people's needs. I'm sure all Australians are like that, it's just that the pressure to perform is so much greater in the city, and we seem to be sucked into the ‘rat race' all too easily. One of my friends in Melbourne suffers from an unpleasant illness which robs her of energy and leaves her severely depressed. Despite this, her capacity for appreciation has been highly developed.She asked me to share this example of kindness with you, a reminder that small actions can make a big difference to a person's day. My friend was seeking some refreshment but was deterred by the crowded cafe. Summoning courage a second time she entered the cafe, but felt daunted by the lack of available space. A man seated with a friend quickly perceived my friend's dilemma, and carried a chair to a table without seating, so she could sit down. My friend was greatly touched by the man' s awareness and swift response. She was able to enjoy a coffee and no doubt her faith in human kindness was strengthened.My husband and I have a stall at our local market selling fruit, flowers and plants. During the week I look around a couple of Op Shops and pick up the odd Teddy or toy, which we take along to the market. When an irritable child comes along with a stressed mother, we give the child a toy and distract them for a while in conversation. It's amusing how the child shuts up, and it brings a smile to the mother's face. I was standing in a long queue at Coles Supermarket. The woman in front of me approached the check out with three items – milk, bread and margarine. She paused as she hunted through her purse and pockets for money. I definitely had $5 here† she kept saying out loud to her husband, who merely scowled at her and walked off, leaving her with two little kids. In desperation, she tipped the whole contents of her bag onto the counter and looked thr ough it. Meanwhile, I was getting really upset for this young mother. I looked in my purse and decided I would have enough to pay my groceries and have $10 left over. So I just handed her $5 and said, â€Å"There you are, have a nice day, and don't forget to pass it on. † I don't need to tell you how she reacted, and I thought she was going to kiss my feet.Out of sheer embarrassment I said, â€Å"Go on, get out of here and have a lovely day. † The next thing I know the check out lady is handing me a bag full of free magazines and muesli bars. â€Å"Here,† she said. â€Å"I'm astounded and so touched by what you did. Never in all my years have I seen anyone do that before. † We have a stall at the markets on Sundays, selling flowers. We look for people in wheelchairs or the elderly, also mums that look really unhappy, and we hand them a bunch of flowers for free – it's wonderful to see their reaction. Only two people have ever refused to take them.A friend of mine was told he had cancer of the liver and had only a few weeks to live. I called on him and he was looking pretty crook, so I phoned for an ambulance to take him to hospital. At home I tried to think of our past conversations about his son, and where he lived. I remembered it was somewhere near Campbelltown in N. S. W. I dialled the operator and gave her the name I wanted, explaining my difficulties. I said, â€Å"Just give me anyone with that name and I'll try my luck. † I was told there was no one with that name in Campbelltown, but she said there was one in Picton. OK, I'll try that,† and the computer gave me the number. I dialled the number straight away. A woman answered and I asked her if her husband's name was Kevin. It was, and I told her to tell him to get to Bundaberg ASAP, as his dad was sick and needed him. Kevin rang twenty minutes later, and said he would catch the next available plane. I'm so glad he did, because 48 hours later, on Valentine 's Day, his dad died. I feel so good that Kevin was able to talk to his dad and hold his hand and say goodbye, and I feel even better that my friend died happy and loved.Was it just a coincidence that the operator looked in another area for the number – I wonder? Someone phoned recently and told me the following story. Many years ago a child was reprimanded severely by her parents for something she had done. The little girl (let's call her ‘Emma') was distraught, and was found wandering down the street, crying, by someone who lived near by. When the woman heard Emma's story, she considered that the punishment had been excessive, and out of sympathy took Emma to a shop and bought her an ice cream. This was a rare treat for Emma, as her family was destitute and there was no money available for ice cream.Emma maintained contact with the woman over the ensuing years, but this was lost when Emma was of an age where she was able to leave home. Years later, when Emma was in he r mid thirties, she chose to visit a nursing home in the hope of being able to bring some cheer to the residents. Much to her surprise and delight, Emma discovered one of the residents, now old and lonely, was the kind woman who bought her the ice cream. Emma became a regular visitor, and spent many hours bringing comfort and friendship to the old woman, until she passed away.Emma told the story to a mourner at the funeral, who in turn told it to the person who rang me. When I was fifteen, a man kidnapped me, attacked me and tried to take my life. I ended up with a shattered back and serious internal injuries. My family was fractured and were not supportive, but the kindness of strangers saw me through. A lady held my hand one night, and cried over me. The nurses wept, and cheered when I took my first steps months after my back was broken. A nurse called Tony made me laugh and took me out to the gardens, where we would talk for ages. A priest sat by my bedside at five o'clock each m orning.Then Tommy came into my life and showered me with kindness. These special acts and special people are never forgotten, and the memory of their kindness is conjured up, and is as new as freshly-baked bread. Sometimes we feel helpless, and wonder what we can do to help. While we may not have much money, time or resources, the simplest acts are often the most powerful [As a post script, the Tommy she speaks about later became her husband]. This week I suffered a home invasion. A bloke pulled off my security screen and smashed a large glass window in the middle of the night while I was at home in bed.I was lucky that only an empty handbag was stolen and that I wasn't bashed. The response from friends has been incredible. I am President of a 50+ Leisure Club, which has in excess of 100 members. Many of them have either rung me to make sure I am OK, or have passed messages of goodwill through other friends. Some have visited me, bringing gifts of flowers and Lotto tickets and (most important) hugs. One or two have offered me a bed for a few nights until I've got over the initial trauma, while others have offered to come and stay the night to give me a feeling of security.I have been given silent phone numbers, with instructions to ring any time, day or night, if I need to talk. Two people have even offered to give me a dog to deter intruders. I have received supportive emails and advice on how to better secure my home. All this wonderful kindness has touched my heart. How on earth can I say thank you? It seems such a hackneyed phrase for a very sincere feeling of gratitude. If friends were wealth, I'd be very rich indeed. I was waiting with a patient to see her Oncologist. A man walked by and offered us a chocolate each and we thanked him for his kind gesture.A few minutes later, he was called into the doctor's room, came out, and then it was our turn. The Oncologist then offered us chocolates, on behalf of his patient whom, he informed us, buys 12 chocolates every day and offers them to 12 people so that he can make 12 people happy, and be happier himself 12 times more! I am writing to you regarding an act of huge kindness toward me and my children that I considered worth sharing with you. I am a sole parent of three children aged 7 years, 4 years, and 10 months. My first partner died a few years ago, and the father of my youngest has gone his separate way.A couple of weeks ago I was unfortunate enough to get pulled over by the police doing roadside vehicle checks, on the way to school to pick up my children. The result was a yellow sticker for faults with my old but ‘faithful' Commodore. This presented a major problem for me as the car is an absolute necessity, and finances as a single parent don't allow for unforseen emergencies. I was very distressed by the whole situation. In steps my friend Jennifer, and her husband Paul, with an offer of assistance. They ended up spending the whole weekend working on my car.Paul then reques ted half a day off work on Monday to ensure the work was completed before the vehicle examination that day. Another act of kindness by Paul's boss, who was made aware of the situation and allowed him time off. As a result, my car went through the inspection with only minor things to rectify. And of course, Paul again helped with these. Further to this, some other very kind friends of mine, Caroline and Denver, gave hours of their time to work on the car. And while they were there they also pruned all of my big trees and took a trailer load of rubbish to the tip.The happy ending to this long story is that these wonderful people turned around a seemingly impossible situation. The sticker has been removed and the car is starting to look like new. The other day I was in a busy shopping centre car park with little room to manoeuvre large vehicles, when I saw a lady getting flustered trying to reverse her large ‘tank' of a car out of it's parking spot, without much success, and a qu eue of cars waiting for her. I stood in the middle of the car park and it took a while, but with me directing her, she eventually got out and was most grateful.It turned a tense situation into one we had a laugh about – and that's what life is all about. And in closing, one of the many gems I try to live by: â€Å"Happiness does not come from what you have, but from what you are. † I was in a supermarket recently, and an elderly man had bumped a vein in the back of his hand and it was bleeding. He said, â€Å"Oh, how silly of me,† and got his hanky out and blotted it. I was standing nearby, and stood there compassionately. He went on his way and came back a few minutes later with a packet of band aids.He asked me whether I could put one on his hand for him, which I did after it had stopped bleeding. He thanked me and went on his way. I smiled for the rest of the day, with joy in my heart. A friend of mine told me a story that recently took place at Woolies. She had noticed that the man behind her in the queue had only a few items in his shopping basket, and he seemed to be in a hurry – so she let him go before her. He was so touched that he bought her a chocolate bar from the display at the check out, and thanked her. She said that she and the check-out operator just smiled at each other in disbelief.Last October, we had to have our 16? year old much loved family dog put to sleep by our vet, who had cared for Mindy for most of her life. The week following, the vet sent me a lovely letter saying how sad we must have felt at our loss, and thanking us for our care of Mindy. I really appreciated this letter. The other week I was in one of those bargain shops. I saw a plastic file which I thought would come in handy to keep some documents in. The girl at the check out counter said they were good, and she would like to get one for school (she was working in the school holidays).She said she didn't have the money at that time and would get it later. I thought there might not be any left ‘later', so I bought her one. She was so pleased, and it was her birthday in a few days. It made me feel glad that I could help her. As I was waiting in the supermarket queue, I noticed the man in front of me had three tins of meat and vegetables, and I thought that they were probably were his next three meals. When the tins were scanned he presented a credit card and asked for $10 in cash. I thought that $10 was a small amount to ask for, and guessed he didn't have much money.The card was scanned several times, but the message â€Å"Refer to card holder† kept on appearing. The man, obviously embarrassed, told the girl he'd have to leave the tins. I told the person I would pay the six dollars and something, and the poor man, now highly embarrassed, mumbled a thank you and rushed away with his tins. In 1983, the Ash Wednesday bushfires destroyed homes in Mt Macedon, Victoria. My chiropractor came from Melbourne to Woodend (to our place), with his car loaded to the brim with goods for the unfortunate people who lost everything.He and his wife were the only ones who bothered to come visit us, who cared enough. Our house was filthy, but still standing. Four years ago my son was left with two kids (one just a baby), one teddy bear, and his car, plus all the outgrown kid's clothes, which were absolutely useless to him (his wife refused to let the kids have their toys or their clothes). A friend from my school days arrived with a car load of kid's clothes, books and toys for Steve's kids. My friend had spent every cent she'd earned that week (coaching) on the kids. It didn't finish there!She also gave Steve a single bed, cupboards, a bike, etc. The trailer was overflowing and so was the station wagon. I was in tears. There was an old lady in the supermarket queue in front of me. She had a tomato and a few other vegetables, and a tin of ham. When the value of the goods was totalled, she looked in her purse and told the check out person she didn't have enough money. The check out person said, loudly and rather rudely I thought, â€Å"Well, which ones can you afford to pay for? † The woman opted to leave the ham. I was tempted to pay for the ham, but didn't have the cash to hand over.I put my purchases through, trying to ‘think' the girl to move quickly before the woman had disappeared, and when I presented my credit card, told the girl I would pay for the tin of ham she had put to one side. â€Å"Why would you do that? † she asked. â€Å"Because it was probably for her next meal! † I replied. I ran out of the supermarket and fortunately she wasn't too far away. I caught up with her and gave her the tin of ham. â€Å"What's this? † she asked. â€Å"It's yours† I replied. â€Å"But I can't pay for it† she said. â€Å"You don't have to† I said, and hurried off, leaving her standing there staring at the tin.When I drove away she was st ill standing there, staring at the tin. I was driving along in the left hand lane when at the last minute realised it led only onto the freeway. The lane next to me started to fill up with cars stopping for a red traffic light. There was a car behind me so I couldn't go anywhere. Just then two cars in the lane beside me reversed to let me in, when they realised I was in the wrong lane. That just made my day! My youngest son (I am now a sole parent) and I were standing at the local supermarket check-out recently with a full trolley. I noticed an elderly man behind me with only a few items, so I told him to go first.He was very appreciative. After he had paid for his things he walked away, only to return a few minutes later with a beautiful bunch of pink carnations. He gave them to me and said, â€Å"Thank you. You've taught me to be giving. † I was stunned, as was the checkout girl. My son was so impressed he said to me, â€Å"You should marry that man. † What a sweet g esture! As a teenager I had a very bad time, lots of abuse and things like that. One day I decided that I'd had enough, and I was on my way to hurl myself off the bridge and into oblivion. As I was walking I was sort of in a dream, not really aware of anything, but a voice lifted me out of the fog.There was an old man smiling at me, a gentleman, as he'd been wearing a hat and he had removed it and was holding it in one hand above his head, like you see people do in some old movies. I said something like, â€Å"What? â€Å", and he said to me, â€Å"It's a lovely day – don't you think? † I said I suppose it was, and he put his hat back on and walked away. I watched this small elderly man with a sprightly step walk down the path for what seemed like hours, and I finally sat down on a bench nearby. Yes, it was a lovely day, I thought, and why was I thinking of taking my life on such a lovely day?I moved out of home as soon as I had finished school, got a job as a waitre ss and did a secretarial course part time. After completing the course I worked for a small manufacturing company as a secretary, married my boss, and we have three lovely daughters. That incident happened about 15 years ago, yet it is still so vivid in my mind. I remember every word that stranger said to me, and those soft blue eyes of his. I think of him as my guardian angel, who took on human form to save my life. I was on a teaching prac. recently, teaching a 4/5 class. I told them about the 12 Days of Kindness and they thought it was really cool.Anyway, for â€Å"Children's Day† I organised an activity where each child wrote his/her name on a piece of blank paper. All the papers were laid out on the table, with the name facing upwards. Then each child (and the teachers too) went around, turned over the paper and wrote a nice thing about each child. At the end of ten minutes, the children each had a piece of paper filled with compliments. They were so excited to read them , but I collected them to hand out the next day (I wanted to read them first, and add my own message to each one). The next day I handed them out.The atmosphere in the room was amazing, as it was the previous afternoon when they were writing down the compliments. Before they left the room, I told them that Sunday was â€Å"My Day† and that it's important to give yourself compliments, so they each had to write down one nice thing about themselves. Self esteem is so vital, and it has to be fostered when young! I work as a checkout operator at a large chain supermarket, which is a job that leaves me feeling quite anonymous at times. However, I always make an effort to be cheerful and greet all my customers with a smile and a pleasant â€Å"How are you? , which, I can assure you, isn't always easy some days! Recently, I had an enjoyable experience serving a very friendly, bubbly lady who smiled right back at me and engaged in pleasant chitchat the whole time I was serving her. A s many people simply ignore my efforts of friendliness, this was a lovely experience in itself. However, this lovely lady, unbeknown to me, then went on to see the manager solely for the purpose of complimenting me on my service and thanking him for employing such a friendly member of staff. The manager then bought me a box of chocolates as a thank you for my efforts.Well, as you can imagine, I was truly touched by this gesture, both from the customer and the manager. It really made me feel valued and loved, and I still feel teary when I think about it. It really doesn't take much to make someone feel so wonderful. I went into the bank today to draw out cash to tide me over the next two weeks. There was a woman at the teller next to me and I overheard snatches of the conversation between her and the teller. There was talk about her having a food voucher from Vinnies, and the teller informing her that her account was already overdrawn, so she couldn't withdraw any further funds.It se emed she was a visitor to Sydney, and would be going home in a couple of days. She asked the teller if there was someone else in the bank she could talk to about withdrawing money, but naturally was advised that there was nothing that could be done, bank policy and all that. I pulled one of my precious $50 notes I had just been given, said, â€Å"Happy Christmas! † as I placed it in front of her on the counter, and walked out of the bank. I then went to a cake shop across the road and just happened to glance through the glass door as she walked past. Our eyes met, she paused and mouthed a ‘Thank you! ‘ before hurrying off.There are times when life is good, and we need to cherish those moments, as their memories can surely help us through the not-so-good times. I recently had an operation on my leg for a damaged ligament. In my conversation with the anaesthetist prior to the operation, he said he noticed that the operation was self funded, and asked me about it. I told him that years ago I'd dropped out of the medical benefits system because of lack of money. He then asked whether payment would be a problem, and I said that it would be nice if I could pay the $500 fee in several smaller payments rather than in a lump sum.He squeezed my hand and said he would see what he could do. When I received his invoice after the operation, I was delighted to see that the $500 had been reduced to $380! We hear stories about people being ripped off by medical services, but it is nice to know there are doctors out there who have compassion and kindness. In a post-op discussion I had with the surgeon, he said that when the ligament had healed he would tell me about a natural remedy that would help prevent the problem

Quotes from James Monroe - Fifth President of the United States

Quotes from James Monroe - Fifth President of the United States James Monroe was a fascinating character. He was studied law with Thomas Jefferson. He served under George Washington during the American Revolution. He was also the only person to serve as both Secretary of War and Secretary of State at the same time during the War of 1812. Learn more about James Monroe. The American continents ... are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers. Stated in The Monroe Doctrine on December 2, 1823.   If America wants concessions, she must fight for them. We must purchase our power with our blood. It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Stated during the First Inaugural Address of James Monroe on Tuesday, March 4, 1817.   The best form of government is that which is most likely to prevent the greatest sum of evil. Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success so complete. If we look to the history of other nations, ancient or modern, we find no example of a growth so rapid, so gigantic, of a people so prosperous and happy.  Stated during the First Inaugural Address of James Monroe on Tuesday, March 4, 1817.   In this great nation there is but one order, that of the people, whose power, by a peculiarly happy improvement of the representative principle, is transferred from them, without impairing in the slightest degree their sovereignty, to bodies of their own creation, and to persons elected by themselves, in the full extent necessary for the purposes of free, enlightened, and efficient government. Stated during the Second Inaugural Address of the president on Tuesday March 6, 1821.

Best Quotes to Pair With Vintage Photos on Social Media

Best Quotes to Pair With Vintage Photos on Social Media Sharing old photos of people, places, and events on social media is a good way to reminisce and add nostalgia. If youve decided to share your favorite images on social media during a Throwback Thursday, Flashback Friday, or some other tagged event involving sharing, there are some great ways to make your contribution even more special - and good things to know about sharing photos in general: Share one photo a week or less. Dont overwhelm your friends and followers with too many old photos. Just because you found an album of old photos doesnt mean you should bombard your social media followers. Choose one day a week, such as a Throwback Thursday or a Flashback Friday, and maybe even skip a week between postings.Be certain youre sharing only old photos. Dont make the mistake of incorrectly tagging recent photos with something like #tbt (Throwback Thursday), for instance. Stick with the old  pictures you would find in a photo album or a stack of Polaroids. Vintage pictures are hugely popular, so the older, the better.Make sure you choose the best photos - ones that tell a story. For instance, if you were a baseball player, post a picture of the time when you scored your first home run. Post pictures that were taken with your entire family  on vacation. Share a picture of a younger you doing something you still do today.Choose photos that might make people laugh. Unflat tering pictures of yourself from the past always make people smile. The goofier you look, the better. That said, if someone else looks unflattering, you might want to get their permission first. After all, this is supposed to be fun. Add other elements that make the sharing more special, such as a special quote from a famous person. The next time you are sharing vintage images online, try pairing them with some of the following vintage quotes from famous poets, novelists, storytellers, and others - these are sure to give an extra appeal. John Banville The past beats inside me like a second heart. Julian Barnes Memories of childhood were the dreams that stayed with you after you woke. Deb Caletti Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of the year. You can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. Summer just opens the door and lets you out. Willa Cather I guess everybody thinks about old times, even the happiest people. Sidonie Gabrielle Colette What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner. Walt Disney All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Albert Einstein Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Ralph Waldo Emerson â€Å"For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.† William Faulkner How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home. Neil Gaiman I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I took joy in the things that made me happy. Kahlil Gibran Yesterday is but todays memory, and tomorrow is todays dream. Arsene Houssaye Always have old memories, and young hopes. Charlotte Davis Kasl A lifelong blessing for children is to fill them with warm memories of times together. Happy memories become treasures in the heart to pull out on the tough days of adulthood. Elizabeth Lawrence There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. Laurie Lee Bees blew like cake-crumbs through the golden air, white butterflies like sugared wafers, and when it wasnt raining, a diamond dust took over which veiled and yet magnified all things. C.S. Lewis Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. Cesare Pavese We do not remember days; we remember moments. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Marcel Proust There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book. Vladimir Nabokov One is always at home in ones past. Eleanor Roosevelt The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Dr. SunWolf Some things can only be understood when you’re in a tree house. With a pile of warm chocolate chip cookies. And a book. Charles R. Swindoll Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Oprah Winfrey The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams. Lisa Whelchel Theres something about childhood friends that you just cant replace. The Wonder Years Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.

An Example of an Introduction

Body of Essay An Example Of How To Construct A Six Step Paragraph Step one: Write a lead in sentence that refers back to the essay topic It is the intention of this paragraph to analyse how and when Drug Inc. enior managers can deal with resistance to change, downsizing and casualisation of non-core employees. Step Two: Cite expert opinion to support your upcoming cause and effect analytical example. Kotter Schlesinger (1979), as cited in Wood et al. , (2006:504), argues that there are six ways to deal with resistance to change namely education and communication, participation and involvement, support and facilitation, negotiation and agreement, manipulation and cooptation and explicit coercion. Step Three: Write a measurable cause and effect analytical example Drug Inc. top managers have decided to downsize and casualise its non-core workforce to reduce labour costs and introduce internet selling as part of its operations. However, these changes can impact on employees and may lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, absenteeism, morale, uncertain and fear of future employment. Therefore the Drug Inc. managers implement its changes by implementing a strategic planned change management approach that deals with resistance to change processes. Step Four: Cite expert opinion to support your analysis of the advantages of: Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), argues that the key advantages of managers and change agents being actively involved in managing change is that they are able to inform employees about the impending change being planned with open and honest communication, and by expressing the reason for downsizing. In stage 2 the remaining employees should be involved in redesigning and improving their job roles and responsibilities. In stage 3 Drug Inc. generous remuneration offers should be made to the survivors of the downsizing to highlight how valued they are by management. In addition Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), also argues that the Drug Inc. needs to provide stress management, skill assessment, career counselling, workplace placement programs while training programs should also be provided to the remaining employees, in an effort increase their confidence and skills in performing new job roles. Step Five: Cite expert opinion to support your analysis of the disadvantages of: Whereas, Dawson, (1996), as cited in Saka (2002), argues that the key disadvantage of managers and change agents not communicating to employees the impending threat of downsizing and job redesign may result in an increase in rumours that leads to an increase in staff absenteeism, a decline in staff morale and loyalty that could ultimately result in an increase in staff turnover of highly talented and core employees. Step Six: Write a concluding sentence (or two) that summarises the key point(s) contained in the paragraph In conclusion, resistance to downsizing within the Drug Inc. organization can only be overcome if employees concerns are dealt with openly and honestly and the survivors new job roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and opportunities for training and development and advancement are explained to each employee on an individual basis. An example of how to write an excellent paragraph This is a repeat of the previous page but in the correct paragraphing format) It is the intention of this paragraph to analyse how and when Drug Inc. senior managers can deal with resistance to change, downsizing and casualisation of non-core employees. Kotter Schlesinger (1979), as cited in Wood et al. , (2006:504), argues that there are six ways to deal with resistance to change namely education and communication, participation and involvement, support and facilitation, negotiation and agre ement, manipulation and cooptation and explicit coercion. Drug Inc. top managers have decided to downsize and casualise its non-core workforce to reduce labour costs and introduce internet selling as part of its operations. However, these changes can impact on employees and may lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, absenteeism, morale, uncertain and fear of future employment. Therefore the Drug Inc. managers implement its changes by implementing a strategic planned change management approach that deals with resistance to change processes. Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), argues that the key advantages of managers and change agents being actively involved in managing change is that they are able to inform employees about the impending change being planned with open and honest communication, and by expressing the reason for downsizing. In stage 2 the remaining employees should be involved in redesigning and improving their job roles and responsibilities. In stage 3 Drug Inc. enerous remuneration offers should be made to the survivors of the downsizing to highlight how valued they are by management. In addition Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), also argues that the Drug Inc. needs to provide stress management, skill assessment, career counselling, workplace placement programs while training programs should also be provided to the remaining employees, in an effort increase their confidence and skills in performing new job roles. Whereas, Dawson (1996), as cited in Saka (2002), argues that the key disadvantage of managers and change agents not communicating to employees the impending threat of downsizing and job redesign may result in an increase in rumours that leads to an increase in staff absenteeism, a decline in staff morale and loyalty that could ultimately result in an increase in staff turnover of highly talented and core employees. In conclusion, resistance to downsizing within the Drug Inc. organization can only be overcome if employees concerns are dealt with openly and honestly and the survivors new job roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and opportunities for training and development and advancement are explained to each employee on an individual basis. An Example Of A Conclusion In conclusion, the key issues identified within the KD Transport case study are John the Managing Director’s autocratic leadership style, his autocratic decision making style and involvement in job analysis and job redesign in preparation for downsizing non core job roles. In order to overcome the issues identified in KD Transport, these issues should be addressed efficiently. The first key problem identified is that John the Managing Director of KD Transport should be ready to change his traits and behaviours to overcome the problems facing at the moment due to his autocratic leadership style and autocratic decision making. The first key recommendation is that John adopts more participative leadership style over the current autocratic leadership style because it is likely to result in creative and innovative ideas, employee involvement in decision making that generate a broad range of actions that could be considered for implementation. The second key problem identified in the case study is that John the Managing Director should involve fellow managers and employees in the decision making process. The second key recommendation is that John adopts participative decision making where the Managing Director seeks input from other managers and employees and it is likely to result in increased employee satisfaction, improved staff loyalty, increased productivity and more informal efficient decision making outcomes. The third key issue identified is that John should involve HR personnel in job analysis and job redesign process. The third key recommendation is that John the Managing Director seek the involvement of HR Personnel or a HR consultant in employee downsizing, job analysis and job redesign process because HR personnel have the expertise to conduct job analysis and identify which job roles should be downsized and which employees and job roles should survive in order to achieve short term as well as long term organizational goals and objectives. Furthermore, the HR personnel has the expertise to design a training and coaching process for the survivors of the re-organisation process at KD Transport to perform the new job roles and responsibilities as a result of the job redesign process that occurred with the amalgamation of three warehouses into one. Finally, John the Managing Director should take all the aforesaid factors into consideration in order to facilitate the smooth running of the business and over come the current problems that KD Transport is experiencing. An Brief Example Of A Bibliography (A bibliography must be in alphabetical order of authors cited) References: Compton, R. , Morrissey, W. , and Nankervis, A. , (2006), Effective Recruitment and selection practices, 4th edition, CCH Aust Ltd, Sydney Deresky, H (2008), International Management: Managing across borders and cultures, 6th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA. Fish, A. , Bhanuogopan, R Cogin, J. , (2008), ‘Value orientations as predicators of cultural and business impact’, Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 30-48. Fu, P. , Yukl, G. , (2000), ‘Perceived effectiveness of influence tactics in the United States and China’, Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 2. pp. 35-55. Hayes, D. , Ninemeier, J. , (2008), Human Resources in he Hospitality Industry, John Wiley Sons Inc How To Cite Textbooks And Journals In Your Bibliography Citing textbooks in your bibliography is as follows: Surname, Initial of Christian Name, (Year of Publication) Title of Textbook, Name of Publisher, Place of Publication. Citing journals in your bibliography is as follows: Surname, Initial of Christian Name, (Year of Publication), Title of journal article, Name of journal article, Volume, Issue Number, Page Numbers. An Example of an Introduction Body of Essay An Example Of How To Construct A Six Step Paragraph Step one: Write a lead in sentence that refers back to the essay topic It is the intention of this paragraph to analyse how and when Drug Inc. enior managers can deal with resistance to change, downsizing and casualisation of non-core employees. Step Two: Cite expert opinion to support your upcoming cause and effect analytical example. Kotter Schlesinger (1979), as cited in Wood et al. , (2006:504), argues that there are six ways to deal with resistance to change namely education and communication, participation and involvement, support and facilitation, negotiation and agreement, manipulation and cooptation and explicit coercion. Step Three: Write a measurable cause and effect analytical example Drug Inc. top managers have decided to downsize and casualise its non-core workforce to reduce labour costs and introduce internet selling as part of its operations. However, these changes can impact on employees and may lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, absenteeism, morale, uncertain and fear of future employment. Therefore the Drug Inc. managers implement its changes by implementing a strategic planned change management approach that deals with resistance to change processes. Step Four: Cite expert opinion to support your analysis of the advantages of: Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), argues that the key advantages of managers and change agents being actively involved in managing change is that they are able to inform employees about the impending change being planned with open and honest communication, and by expressing the reason for downsizing. In stage 2 the remaining employees should be involved in redesigning and improving their job roles and responsibilities. In stage 3 Drug Inc. generous remuneration offers should be made to the survivors of the downsizing to highlight how valued they are by management. In addition Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), also argues that the Drug Inc. needs to provide stress management, skill assessment, career counselling, workplace placement programs while training programs should also be provided to the remaining employees, in an effort increase their confidence and skills in performing new job roles. Step Five: Cite expert opinion to support your analysis of the disadvantages of: Whereas, Dawson, (1996), as cited in Saka (2002), argues that the key disadvantage of managers and change agents not communicating to employees the impending threat of downsizing and job redesign may result in an increase in rumours that leads to an increase in staff absenteeism, a decline in staff morale and loyalty that could ultimately result in an increase in staff turnover of highly talented and core employees. Step Six: Write a concluding sentence (or two) that summarises the key point(s) contained in the paragraph In conclusion, resistance to downsizing within the Drug Inc. organization can only be overcome if employees concerns are dealt with openly and honestly and the survivors new job roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and opportunities for training and development and advancement are explained to each employee on an individual basis. An example of how to write an excellent paragraph This is a repeat of the previous page but in the correct paragraphing format) It is the intention of this paragraph to analyse how and when Drug Inc. senior managers can deal with resistance to change, downsizing and casualisation of non-core employees. Kotter Schlesinger (1979), as cited in Wood et al. , (2006:504), argues that there are six ways to deal with resistance to change namely education and communication, participation and involvement, support and facilitation, negotiation and agre ement, manipulation and cooptation and explicit coercion. Drug Inc. top managers have decided to downsize and casualise its non-core workforce to reduce labour costs and introduce internet selling as part of its operations. However, these changes can impact on employees and may lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, absenteeism, morale, uncertain and fear of future employment. Therefore the Drug Inc. managers implement its changes by implementing a strategic planned change management approach that deals with resistance to change processes. Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), argues that the key advantages of managers and change agents being actively involved in managing change is that they are able to inform employees about the impending change being planned with open and honest communication, and by expressing the reason for downsizing. In stage 2 the remaining employees should be involved in redesigning and improving their job roles and responsibilities. In stage 3 Drug Inc. enerous remuneration offers should be made to the survivors of the downsizing to highlight how valued they are by management. In addition Makawatsukul Kleiner (2003), also argues that the Drug Inc. needs to provide stress management, skill assessment, career counselling, workplace placement programs while training programs should also be provided to the remaining employees, in an effort increase their confidence and skills in performing new job roles. Whereas, Dawson (1996), as cited in Saka (2002), argues that the key disadvantage of managers and change agents not communicating to employees the impending threat of downsizing and job redesign may result in an increase in rumours that leads to an increase in staff absenteeism, a decline in staff morale and loyalty that could ultimately result in an increase in staff turnover of highly talented and core employees. In conclusion, resistance to downsizing within the Drug Inc. organization can only be overcome if employees concerns are dealt with openly and honestly and the survivors new job roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and opportunities for training and development and advancement are explained to each employee on an individual basis. An Example Of A Conclusion In conclusion, the key issues identified within the KD Transport case study are John the Managing Director’s autocratic leadership style, his autocratic decision making style and involvement in job analysis and job redesign in preparation for downsizing non core job roles. In order to overcome the issues identified in KD Transport, these issues should be addressed efficiently. The first key problem identified is that John the Managing Director of KD Transport should be ready to change his traits and behaviours to overcome the problems facing at the moment due to his autocratic leadership style and autocratic decision making. The first key recommendation is that John adopts more participative leadership style over the current autocratic leadership style because it is likely to result in creative and innovative ideas, employee involvement in decision making that generate a broad range of actions that could be considered for implementation. The second key problem identified in the case study is that John the Managing Director should involve fellow managers and employees in the decision making process. The second key recommendation is that John adopts participative decision making where the Managing Director seeks input from other managers and employees and it is likely to result in increased employee satisfaction, improved staff loyalty, increased productivity and more informal efficient decision making outcomes. The third key issue identified is that John should involve HR personnel in job analysis and job redesign process. The third key recommendation is that John the Managing Director seek the involvement of HR Personnel or a HR consultant in employee downsizing, job analysis and job redesign process because HR personnel have the expertise to conduct job analysis and identify which job roles should be downsized and which employees and job roles should survive in order to achieve short term as well as long term organizational goals and objectives. Furthermore, the HR personnel has the expertise to design a training and coaching process for the survivors of the re-organisation process at KD Transport to perform the new job roles and responsibilities as a result of the job redesign process that occurred with the amalgamation of three warehouses into one. Finally, John the Managing Director should take all the aforesaid factors into consideration in order to facilitate the smooth running of the business and over come the current problems that KD Transport is experiencing. An Brief Example Of A Bibliography (A bibliography must be in alphabetical order of authors cited) References: Compton, R. , Morrissey, W. , and Nankervis, A. , (2006), Effective Recruitment and selection practices, 4th edition, CCH Aust Ltd, Sydney Deresky, H (2008), International Management: Managing across borders and cultures, 6th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA. Fish, A. , Bhanuogopan, R Cogin, J. , (2008), ‘Value orientations as predicators of cultural and business impact’, Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 30-48. Fu, P. , Yukl, G. , (2000), ‘Perceived effectiveness of influence tactics in the United States and China’, Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 2. pp. 35-55. Hayes, D. , Ninemeier, J. , (2008), Human Resources in he Hospitality Industry, John Wiley Sons Inc How To Cite Textbooks And Journals In Your Bibliography Citing textbooks in your bibliography is as follows: Surname, Initial of Christian Name, (Year of Publication) Title of Textbook, Name of Publisher, Place of Publication. Citing journals in your bibliography is as follows: Surname, Initial of Christian Name, (Year of Publication), Title of journal article, Name of journal article, Volume, Issue Number, Page Numbers.