Strategy Palnning for a farming company LTK

LTK1 was incorporated on 16th October 1986. It is situated at Durian Tunggal District, Malacca. The principal activities of LTK are production of chicken eggs and manufacturing organic fertilizer. LTK is one of the leading eggs producers in Malaysia. The production capacity of LTK is 1 Million eggs per day. Part of the production is for local consumption while the rest of the production is mended for export. Presently, LTK is exporting to Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. With the collaboration between LTK and MARDI2, LTK become the sole producer and distributor of Omega 3 eggs in Malaysia. The LTK Omega 3 eggs provide up to 5 times more Omega 3 and 4 times more of Vitamin E compare with ordinary eggs. The consumption of Omega 3 will reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. In additional, Omega 3 is vital for the development of brain and retina tissues3. The daily production capacity of LTK is 1,500,000. In order to maintain the quality of eggs, LTK applies TQM throughout the whole production processes. Figure 1.0 Production Flow in LTK Chapter 2.0 An analysis of the market, customers and macro conditions of LTK Chapter 2.1 Market Analysis LTK is one of the leading eggs producers in Malaysia since 16th October 1986. But, Omega eggs are still new in the market. Therefore, in the short term the demand will still be low in the market. Nevertheless if the demand of the omega eggs continues to increase, it will benefit LTK in the future. This can be seen as product development strategy. The market where LTK operates in is some sort between perfect competition and monopolistic market. This is because the market is full of egg producers who hold commodity rather than product. On the other hand, this market is full of buyers who purchase eggs for different purposes. However in term of Omega eggs, LTK has made a right move to shift egg as commodity towards branded product. Thus I assume LTK Omega egg is operating in a monopolistic market. Thus, it is the time LTK have the thorough planning and strategic marketing to satisfy customer requirements profitably and sustain competitive edge in a long run Chapter 2.2: Customer Analysis Omega eggs actually are the simple product that the consumers can consume everyday. The marketing strategist should keep track of the customers' behaviour. It is because the switching cost to buy the eggs is very low. Thus, LTK should conduct research from time to time in order to answer the following research questions and hypothesis. > Research Question: Why do consumers buy omega eggs? Hypothesis: Consumers manage to understand the explanations make by LTK through TV, newspaper, magazine and salesperson in the distribution outlets, so they buy Omega egg. > Research Question: Who participates in the buying process? Hypothesis: Most of the time, housewife, mother-in-law or husband participate in the buying process. > Research Question: Where consumers buy omega eggs? Hypothesis: Consumers buy Omega eggs based on convenient or not. Through years of experience and fieldwork research, LTK understand the consumers' behaviour very well. LTK buyers can be divided into 4 categories: the retail market, the business market, the government and non-profit organisation. The retail market refers to the normal consumers while the business market refers to confectionaries and bakery in the southern part of peninsula Malaysia. On top of that, the government market refers to the barracks or army camps in Johor and Pahang. Lastly the non-profit organisations are like school canteens, old-folk home and orphanages. Above and beyond, LTK also concluded that consumers' decision would be influenced by some external stimuli. Therefore, LTK not only provide quality eggs, but convenient pack size, reasonable price (RM0.399), ordinary eggs same size price (RM0.299) and convenient outlets. Chapter 2.3 PEST Analysis Malaysia is a potential market for international marketing because the political and legal environment is mature and stable. Furthermore, the AFTA agreement enable LTK product to flow freely throughout the whole South East Asia region without political barrier. Thus LTK involve very low or no political risk continuing the operation in Malaysia. Although the overall economic performance in the Malaysia had declined, a thorough study will explain that the decline is mainly due to the poor performance in the global economy. No matter what is said and done, LTK performance will not be badly influenced by the economy because eggs are fast moving household product. From the social perspective, LTK goods should be acceptable because the Malaysian should be aware that their current main source of protein is badly affected by the JE Disease and polluted environment. Thus the society has phobia towards consumption of pork and poultry, thus egg is the alternative source of protein and it is a very health source of protein too. Besides, the aging population is also very much concerned about their daily eating habit, so LTK product should be acceptable. Besides, I feel that the rate of product diffusion for LTK enriched egg should be faster because the literacy rate for the target market is higher. Figure2.0 Diffusion Process of LTK goods In term of technology, there isn't any disadvantage for LTK since the product doesn't require any other technological support. However, biological engineering or medical science might assist LTK to increase its production or reduce the rate of defect. Chapter 2.4 Microenvironment Analysis As mentioned above, the enriched egg is new in the Malaysia market; hence the level of intense competition is relatively low. Based on Michael Porter 5 forces analysis, there is no bargaining power for supplier because LTK is the supplier. On the other hand, the bargaining power of buyer is very strong because the retailers in Malaysia are corporate giant like Parkson, Jusco, Top, Makro, Carrefour and Fajar. The threat from substitute is small because the society is suffering beef and pork phobia. Besides, a lot of doctors advise the public to reduce the consumption of red meat and go for the white meat. The entry barrier is the solely most worrying factor for LTK as the entry barrier for such industry is very low. Therefore, it is crucial for LTK to establish strong brand equity before the competitors creep into the market. Figure 2.1 Michael Porter 5 forces Chapter 3.0 Internal Corporate and Marketing Conditions (SWOT) The SWOT analysis is one of the most useful marketing planning outfit that aids the analysis of the firm's overall situation because it provides a clear picture from complex data. LTK incorporated since 1986, one of the strengths of the company is the organization structure is very lean. Therefore, breakdown in communication rarely happened in LTK. Furthermore, the organisation is able to response effectively because the organisation is flexible. In the company, the CEO practices the product category management. Therefore, each department are doing their task efficiently. The second strength LTK possesses is the government support. LTK is the only private organisation in Malaysia that is linked with Mardi. Thus there is a lot of technological transfer and LTK manage to save lots of R&D expenditure. The third strength of LTK is that the organisation has a strong goodwill in the market and a lot of chick food suppliers support the company. On top of that, the distribution network of LTK is relatively widespread throughout Peninsula Malaysia. The fourth strength of LTK is the quality standard has been maintained very well throughout these years. The defective and crack rate is lesser that 7.94% for every period of six months. The weakness for LTK is lack of fund in conducting research and development. As we known that if the products do not get improvement sooner or later the competitor will become the leader in the market. The second weakness for LTK is that the production is inelastic within a short period of time. Even when there is a strong demand for the product, LTK is unable to double or triple the production. The opportunities in this market is nowadays consumers are more concern about their health. Omega plus can improve the brain functions; can reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, the demand will accelerate due to positive word of mouth and publicity over the press. Besides, the annual population growth in Malaysia is still rising, thus the demand will definitely rise because more mouths to be fed. There is also an opportunity when the AFTA come into the picture. The Omega egg can flow freely to neighbouring countries and increase sale for the company. The threat to LTK is the competitors enter into the same market. When most of the consumers accept the product, it is also the time more and more players come into this market. Thus, LTK must do more R&D to enhance the quality of the products. Chapter 4.0: A Portfolio Analysis of the Competitive Conditions (BCG) Relative market share Figure 4.0: BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a well-known approach to conduct portfolio analysis that provides corporate strategists with an insight of important strategic relationships between internal cash flows, market share, competitive position and growth trajectories. The characteristic of LTK omega plus eggs in BCG matrix is under STAR. First, it is because LTK is the initial player in the market of omega eggs. Thus LTK haven't tapped the total market and the percentage of share is very low. Second, omega eggs are now in a fast growing period and haven't reached the maturity stage yet. A lot of people are curios about these eggs and some people still do not believe whether the egg is so miracle and healthy as they claimed. On the other hand, the traditional egg produced by LTK is in the Cash Cow stage. This is because the market growth rate has been stagnant for very long time and the PLC is in the maturity stage. Moreover, the relative market share for LTK is very large if weight against the total market in Malaysia. The profit earned from the traditional eggs can be transferred to develop the star. Although the Omega eggs do not generate substantial profits compare to the ordinary eggs, but LTK believe that the trend is moving towards consumption of such eggs. Strategic planner must follow the trend in order to develop sound long term strategic plan. Chapter 5.0: Segmentation Strategy Segmentation is a process of subdividing broad markets into varied and differing smaller groups of buyers. They are consisting exclusive of characteristics. The benefits of segmentation are strategist able to accumulate sufficient market sector knowledge as well as sustain customer loyalty. LTK also segmented the customers into several clusters. The objective is to avoid confusion and provide strategies with the opportunity to approach available segment with the right marketing strategies. LTK should segment its market based on income level, attitudes towards health, education level and psychographics. It is because the price of omega egg is slightly higher than ordinary eggs. Thus, only certain segments of the consumers are willing to pay for it. For instances, the business market of LTK will not be interested with this new product but to prefer conventional egg to keep the production cost as low as possible. Therefore, LTK market segment should be those in the middle class and it is practical since Malaysia has a relatively big middle class society. The consumers' decision whether or not to choose Omega egg also determined by the health awareness among consumers. It is because in the market there are too many health foods. Therefore, most of the consumers will think that omega egg is just another propaganda made by the producer. Education level is also the main reason LTK should consider since it can influence consumers DMU. It is because the higher education group of consumers only understand the meaning of Omega 3 and how the eggs can provide up to 5 times more Omega 3 and 4 times more of Vitamin E compare with ordinary eggs. The consumption of Omega 3 will reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. In additional, Omega 3 is vital for the development of brain and retina tissues4. Psychographics also will be the factors that can influence the customers whether to buy or do not buy omega egg. As we know that nowadays majority of the customers prefer to buy the products that have a brand. Previously it is no way that consumers can accept that even egg should have a brand identity. Those days, branded goods were toys of the rich and famous. However, today people perceive branded goods as quality assurance. Thus LTK should portrait a healthy lifestyle image in the overall promotion campaign. LTK should aim those who cherish healthy lifestyle and always engage in exercise or outdoor activities. In such a way, the company not only able to enhance market share but also building up a strong brand equity. Chapter 6.0: Positioning Strategy For all these years, consumers treat all the eggs are the same. The only noticeable different is the size and the hardness of the shell. However, LTK successfully draw the differentiation line between Omega eggs and the ordinary eggs. Therefore, LTK should position omega substances as the distinctive and important element for the growing years. In such a way, general public as well as target market will draw attention on consuming more omega substances and association such need with buying LTK Omega egg. This is known as classical learning in consumer behaviour study. Chapter 7.0: Marketing Objectives Marketing objectives may divide into quantitative and qualitative. In LTK case, the quantitative objective is to enlarge the market. The CEO of LTK plans to exploit the South East Asia countries as well as western countries. LTK also wishes to increase the market share by 35% within the next 5 years. It is because LTK plans to spend 20% of the revenue in advertisement to promote the new product and healthy lifestyle. LTK also wishes to increase profitability by 7.6% in the coming year. In order to improve profitability LTK will empower and delegate more authority for the marketing department and sales force to carry out necessary tasks. The qualitative objectives set by LTK are to build up the company image and product's brand equity. Besides, the company also wishes to train more middle managers in line with the strategic expansion. In conjunction with the expansion, LTK also wish to increase the marketing department employee welfare to boost up organisation spirits and morale. Besides, LTK wishes to have stronger affiliation with large-scale retail chains. Chapter 8.0: Marketing Strategy (Strategic Direction) LTK is the market leader; a leader must be at a state of constant alertness and maintain watchfulness because other firms will attacks its weaknesses and try to offset LTK strength. The competitors also can do R&D and become more innovate than LTK. Thus, if LTK wish to sustain their positions as a leader, LTK should be more proactive. First, LTK must pursuit the strategy of expanding the total market. LTK should â€Å"welcome† new users including the low-income earner. LTK can categorise the size of the eggs. It is because now omega egg only has one size. If LTK sells the smaller size egg cheaper than the other, lower income consumers will try to buy it. Besides, LTK could develop new market such as South East Asia and EU continent. Thus, LTK not only concentrate the Malaysia market but the overseas market too. As the market leader, LTK not only must expand the market, but to protect its current market share. Pre-emptive defence is crucial to undermine the competitors before they do. Furthermore, counter-offensive defence is also necessary to cut off the challenger's operational base. Chapter 9.0 Developing the Marketing Programs for LTK In order to achieve the preset objective, LTK must balance off the attention for domestic and foreign market. Until now, the main focus for LTK should be domestic thus LTK should establish an overseas subsidiary in Asia and other state in Malaysia. However, LTK must always conduct research pertaining the consumer behaviour to segment the market. LTK must bear in mind that consumer insight will differ base on geographical differences. In addition to segmentation, LTK should aim for the most profitable target market. In my humble point of view, I will consider the segment which earning per year is above 30,000 with a family size of 2-5 members. This segment will be the single largest segment in Malaysia and Asia countries. Thus the segment is sustainable, measurable, profitable as well as accessible. This subsidiary is also responsible to gather market information in Malaysia market and distribute the company product to neighbouring countries such as Thai, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. The subsidiary is responsible to keep close contact with the retailers in these countries. After establishing the distribution network, it is more important to ensure the product is acceptable by the consumers. The marketing department must understand that the company long-term objective is to move from core value to augmented value. Therefore, the media department must develop the advertising message that suits the taste of the target audience as well as meeting the company long-term objective. Furthermore, the message must be informative, educate and entertain. In this point of time, I think the advertising theme must focus on introducing the public to the benefit of LTK Omega 3 enriched egg. The choice of media is also important when developing brand equity. It is a prudent move to place some advertisements in the health magazine in these countries. Besides, the company can place some advertisements in selected local newspapers and radios stations. If the budget allocation allows, the company can consider placing advertisement on television. Whatever said and done, I think it is more appropriate to employ local agencies to handle the advertising activities since they are more familiar as well as more efficient. Below is sample of advertisements that LTK has applied in the local context. The marketing department must monitor the performance of the advertising agencies from time to time or apply the payment based on performance scheme to motivate the agencies to put in more effort or pull up their socks. Promotion campaign is equally important to stimulate trial for this product. The trial is very important because it will enable the company to portrait the superior quality of the egg and relate it to the brand name. The planned promotion campaign that I intend to carry out is the demo session in major supermarket and hypermarket. In this demo, I will show the audience how different is the LTK Omega egg from ordinary eggs. It is totally different in term of colour and elasticity of the yolk5. You can pick up the yolk of LTK Omega egg from the albumen and the yolk will not break or burst. This demo can be recorded and broadcast in the TV as part of the advertising campaign too. On the other hand, the company can also visit school and give away free bookmark and sample to the students when they are having cooking classes. In the supermarket, the company can employ sandwich man dress up like Humpty -Dumpy. Besides during Easter day, LTK can do promotion like buy 12 eggs and get an Easter egg for free. Publicity is the most convincing tool for LTK Omega egg to persuade the consumers to purchase the product. The company should invite nutritionist to do scientific research and tell the public that whether LTK Omega eggs is really as good as the company claim. The consumer movement groups and the public watchdogs are also invited to examine the quality of the product. If their comments are positive, then LTK Omega egg will easily penetrate into the Asia market. Packaging serve two purposes for LTK Omega egg. First of all, it will protect the egg and maintain its freshness. Secondly, the packaging can reflect the augmented feeling if it is nice decorated. However the company must bear in mind that the packaging must be environmental friendly and recyclable too. The target consumers in these countries are very much concerned with environmental issues like plastic container and too much paper wrappers. On top of that, the company should establish global web site, regional web site as well as country web site to provide health concern consumers about health facts pertaining to LTK Omega eggs. Suggestion box must be prepared to keep in touch with consumers. Furthermore, the company can do on-line delivery to enlarge the distribution coverage. Lastly, LTK should enlarge the distribution channel to make this product easily available to the target market. There should be more state division wholesalers to support the distribution effort of LTK. Chapter 10 Implementation, Evaluation and Control Although all the strategic plan has been laid down in detail, the implementation is equally important to enable the plan to be carried out smoothly. All the tasks must be delegated accordingly. On top of that, there must be coordinating mechanism to facilitate decision-making process. Above and beyond, there must not be any breakdown in communication within each level and within departments as well. There should be weekly report and meeting to exchange ideas on improving the organisation activities. The Kaizen Methodology is very good in turning LTK into a learning organisation. Since there is a preset quantitative objective, it is possible to evaluate the actual performance against the preset standard. If the difference is too wide, corrective measurement must be taken. Other than comparing the actual result with the preset standard, LTK can measure the performance based on other sources such as customers' feedback, retail audit, distributors' feedback, survey and toll free calls. In conclusion, the strategic plan must be review from time to time because the business environment is always dynamic and volatile in nature. The holistic audit of various aspects will definitely benefit the company with coming out a more complete strategic plan.

Doing Gender Essay

One of the most seemingly overlooked topics in the society is the question on sex and gender. In most cases, sex and gender are being taken as related, if not synonymous, insights in the course of sociological context. However, it is aimed in this paper to point out that there are indeed differences between the two concepts, and these differences are significant in contextualizing sex and gender among individuals in the society. Hence, to point out clearly, sex and gender differences are essential in â€Å"doing gender† and assessing it. First and foremost, to do gender is perceived as to act or behave based on what had been the presupposed actions of an individual, depending mostly on his or her sex/gender assignment. There are two main types of the correlative notions of sex and/or gender: to be male or to be female. Following so, it had been long established in most societies that a male individual should do according to the standards of what a male must do. These are behaviors that commonly relate to physical attributions such as strength or power, and are manifested in ordinary actions and preferences like being sports-minded, taking engineering or mathematical courses, and the likes. On the other hand, females are taken in a less important light, that is, by identifying her to be of weaker and of subtler tendencies, such as doing the housework, following what her father says regardless of reason, and so on. It is â€Å"well recognized that the [†¦] household is constituted by a division of labor that defines certain kinds of work as domestic, unpaid, and usually women’s, and other kinds as public, paid, and usually men’s† (Connel, 1987, p. 122). According to West and Zimmerman (1987), â€Å"Sex [†¦] was what was ascribed by biology: anatomy, hormones, and physiology [while] gender [†¦] was an achieved status: that which is constructed through psychological, cultural, and social means† (p. 125). This could be a very simplified difference between sex and gender: It is with how the concepts are distributed in the different fields or aspects. However, it must be understood that the difference is merely that sex is a biological concept and gender is a social concept; â€Å"sex is a determination made through the application of socially agreed upon biological criteria for classifying persons as females or males† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 127). In this sense, sex may also be taken in a social context, in that it applies several sociological determinants in order to prove or identify it. The categorization of an individual’s sex is determined rather by a common-sensical manner most of the time, in which the observant deduces the sex category to the sex itself of the individual in question, in absence of the more vivid biological justifications of a person’s sex. It is common understanding that there had already been established social norms that contribute to the categorization of a person. The process of categorizing males and females as indigenous identities uses this test: â€Å"if people can be seen as members of relevant categories, then categorize them that way† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 133). Naturally, people take the identity of a person at face value, unless there is a strong ground that makes them apply certain criteria that will try to test further that person’s sex. Gender, quite relatively, moves on with what the society implores on one’s identity. A male person must be masculine; a female must be feminine. We would like to digress then, that the acceptance of sex and gender merely as concepts does not totally stop here. Gender, in some cases, goes beyond adherence to what is socially acceptable. To do gender is â€Å"not always to live up to normative conceptions of femininity or masculinity; it is to engage in behavior at the risk of gender assessment† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 136). Therefore, we are taking into consideration the ways in which people could see further than what had merely been established by the society. Doing gender is not just accepting or agreeing to what the society tells us to; it is â€Å"creating differences between girls and boys and women and men, differences that are not natural, essential, or biological† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 137). The differences that we would like to see revolves not only on shallow aspects but also on how we could integrate these differences into going further down the line and probably initiating actions that will give a new light to the concepts of sex and gender. As what West and Zimmerman (1987) says, â€Å"social change, then, must be pursued both at the institutional and cultural level of sex category and at the interactional level of gender† (p. 147). We can illustrate doing gender in these following scenarios: In a typical neighborhood, the wife was able to get home from work earlier than her husband. She was wearing an old rose blouse, a matching old rose slacks, and high heeled shoes. She went straight home after her classes from the town high school. She has just been recently married with her husband, and they do not have children yet. She then proceeded to do the cooking for their dinner, while at the same time, she quietly took note of her students’ exam papers she still had to check later. When her (engineer) husband came, he greeted his wife and went to the kitchen where they ate their dinner. They talked about work and later agreed that the husband will wash the dishes afterwards. This routine has been in effect since the time that they got married and lived together. In this scenario, it is very clear that there is an â€Å"engendered† division of labor especially inside the household. The productive side is not merely given to the husband since the wife also earns through being a teacher. In a similar manner, the reproductive side is not solely attributed to the wife because they have agreed to share on doing the household chores. The gender roles are not purely associated with what is feminine or what is masculine. Even if washing the dishes may construe the feminine side, the husband still agreed on doing it. At least in this case, the couple was able to manage â€Å"contradictions between relational identification and gender differentiation† (Dryden, 1999, p. 87) in the sense that they both realize not only the essence of marriage as a relationship but also as a matter of gender difference that they could compromise about. Similarly, in the same neighborhood, a little girl points at a blue balloon. She wanted her mother to buy it for her. The old male vendor was looking intently at the girl, commenting that because she is a girl, she should take the pink balloon instead. The little girl shook her head and pointed at the blue balloon. Her mother was able to resolve the situation by buying the blue balloon. Simplistic in nature, this scenario may pose as a very ordinary activity, but a lot of people always see things like the way the vendor did. There are always assignments among boys and girls – that boys should choose blue things and girls should choose pink things. It is almost linearly righteous to take these preferences as normal things, but it must be understood that the identity between a girl and a boy does not merely punctuate from their color or toy preferences. We cannot just assume that just because the girl was a girl, she should have a pink balloon. To do gender is to go outside the confinements of the socially-accepted norms. To do gender means not to reinforce the social norms since these could block the freedom of a person to prefer or to choose what he or she really likes. To be a boy or to be a girl does not follow with how the society must shape him or her. In this case, it is fortunate that the girl’s mother completely understands how to â€Å"engender† her child by not just adhering to the accepted norms in the society. Learning about doing gender is an important part of capacitating oneself in the sense that it makes people understand day-to-day activities of people, male or female alike. Doing gender is vital in assessing the identities of individuals. It not only supersedes from the power of gaining knowledge, but it is more of reinventing how we deal with ourselves and other people in terms of sex and gender. The gender differences may prove to be worthwhile as basis for re-contextualizing and reconstructing the concept of gender.As in West’s book â€Å"Doing Gender, Doing Difference† (2002) gender is â€Å"always a doing† (p. 193). References Connel, R. W. (1987). Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Dryden, C. (1999). Being Married, Doing Gender: A Critical Analysis of Gender Relationships in Marriage. U. K. : Routledge. West, C. (2002). Doing gender, doing difference: inequality, power, and institutional change. U. K. : Routledge. West, C. & Zimmerman, D. H. (1987). Doing gender. Gender and Society, 1, 125-148.

Public sector finance and control Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public sector finance and control - Assignment Example Restricting further council tax band D charge will prompt grant from the national government. A large government grant would be vital in funding most of the services thus reduce the pressure on the local authorities and the tax payers to collect much tax to fund the services. Careful valuation should be done on the properties to ensure that they are in their right band value. There are some instances that properties may be in Band C while their real values correspond with that of Band D. This will be vital in enhancing the efficiency of tax collection on the properties. Discretionary reductions of council on property should be eradicated in order to increase the tax base. Another issue is through the issuance of local government bond to get more finances to fund the services (Burnham & Horton,2013). In United Kingdom, taxation entails payment to the two levels of the government, the local government and the central government. The revenue of central government primarily comes from the contribution of national insurance, fuel duty, corporation tax, value added tax, and income tax. Revenue for local government primarily comes from council tax, grants from central government funds, business rates, and other fees and charges. Taxes are calculated in the tax year which in mostly cases begins on late march or early April and ends on late march or early of the subsequent year (Polito,2010). The personal taxes entail income tax, inheritance tax and council tax. Income tax is the government’s largest source of revenue and makes 30% of the total revenue. Individual Income that is above the personal allowance is taxed basing on a number of bands that entail basic rate, higher rate and additional rate. Inheritance tax is charges on the transfer of property or property value that entails transfer of certain types of trust, gifts offered within a period of seven years upon the death of a property

Tourism Management in Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism Management in Egypt - Essay Example While France is ranked as the 1st with over 81 million tourists visiting the country every year, and Mexico is ranked as 10th attracting 22 million tourists a year, Egypt is attracting only 8 million tourists. These statistics reflect the fact that Egypt is not successful in manipulating all the factors that may enable the country to be one of the top tourism destinations in the world. The attitude of low class Egyptians towards tourists, the destruction of the environment, and the lack of effective publicity campaigns are the main problems, which hider the development of the tourism sector in Egypt, requiring extensive efforts to be done from the government in order to revive this sector. The first problem that the tourism sector in Egypt faces is the attitude of the low class citizens towards tourists. This sort of problem can be observed in almost any place where tourists exist in Egypt. Harassment is the clearest annoyance directed towards tourists by many Egyptians. For example, tourists are always victims of over pricing by many shop owners and vendors in tourist places. Also, beggars harass tourists wherever they go in a manner that annoys those tourists severely. Accordingly, those harassed tourists may develop a negative feeling towards Egypt, making it hard to convince them to revisit Egypt. Actually, there are many researches, which show that the impression a tourist develops about a certain place affects his decision for visiting this same place in the future. In a research that was conducted in the small village of Bighodi in Uganda about the reason behind the increase in the number of tourists visiting this village, it was discovered that the residents of this village have a positive attitude towards tourists (Lepp). This attitude results from their awareness that tourism increases the income of the village, improves agricultural markets, and helps in community development. This research shows the strong effect of the residents' attitude in increa sing or decreasing the number of tourists visiting a specific place. Although Bighodi is a small village in a poor country that lacks sources and services that are essential for any touristic country to have, yet the welcoming attitude of the citizens of Bighodi succeeds in attracting tourists from different places in the world. Thus, the case of the Bighodi village gives a clear indication about the effect of people’s behavior towards tourists on the revival of the tourism sector in a given place. Consequently, it is hard to revive the tourism sector in Egypt without changing the bad behavior of some Egyptians towards tourists. The main solution for this problem of the bad attitude towards tourists in Egypt is to develop awareness among Egyptians about the importance of tourism for the economy of the country. Again, the Egyptian government may take guidance in the experience of the village of Bighodi. The residents of Bighodi were not taught how to treat tourists and how to be welcoming to them, but their good attitude comes out of their awareness of the importance of tourism to their village. For example, the Egyptian government should make it clear for the people that the tourism industry in the country forms almost 15% of the national

Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented Essay

Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented - Essay Example s of organizational change with special reference to the change models of Lewin and Kotter, the importance of various leadership styles and how they effect organizational changes and focuses on the other factors that facilitate organizational changes. The methodology section of the paper makes use of the qualitative approach and the research design consists of the leadership style survey of Lewin which was conducted among the managers and CEOs of various organizations and a direct interview specially designed for the employees who served in various organizations. .The major themes derived out of the survey and the interviews are elaborately discussed and analyzed in Chapter 4. The conclusions of the study show that leadership styles do affect how organizational change is implemented and prove that it is the democratic or participative approach to leadership style that best suits during organizational changes. The results of the study are equally beneficial to the managers as well as the work force in the whole of management scenario. The following chapter details the aim of this research project and gives an insight into the concepts of organizational change, leadership styles and how leadership styles affect how organizational changes are implemented. An overview of the topic as well as the justification for the topic is also dealt with. . The purpose of this thesis is to illustrate the correlation between various leadership styles and how organisational change is implemented under each of them. Therefore, the general research question is, â€Å"Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented?† The paper also tries to explore how different leadership styles de-motivate or motivate staff, and how employees respond to organizational changes under various leadership styles. The primary purpose of the paper is to identify which of the leadership styles best suit organizations during organizational change. The research topic is organizational

Economics Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics Assessment - Assignment Example Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The GDP is an important primary economic indicator for assessing economic growth of a country as it impacts on the businesses, industries and people. The economic growth measured by comparison over a period of time indicates trends in the economy. GDP Real growth rate refers to GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and measured on year-over-year basis. GDP real growth rate North Korea South Korea 2012 (est.) 2.7% 2011 (est.) 0.8% 3.6% 2010 (est.) -0.5% 6.3% 2009 (est.) -0.9% The GDP real growth rate of South Korea during 2010 to 2012 reflects the effect of slowdown in the international economy consequent upon the US subprime crisis and financial crisis in Europe due to its level of exposure to international trade. The strength of the country’s economy could be assessed meaningfully by comparing its GDP growth rates with the other developed countries’. ... The developing countries like India (4.5%) and China (7.9%) have higher GDP growth rates as they were not affected by subprime or European financial crisis. North Korea’s GDP growth compared to many of the developing and under-developed countries has been poor. The country had negative growth in 2009 and 2010 against good performances of several Asian and African countries during this period. The industrial development achieved by South Korea over the period of time is linked to its external trade and GDP growth as can be observed from the following table. External Trade of South and North Korea (USD 100 million) North Korea (A) South Korea (B) B/A 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 Trade Amount 41.7 63.2 8916.0 10796.3 213.8 170.8 (22.3) (51.3) (29.9) (21.1) Exports 15.1 27.9 4663.8 5552.1 308.9 199.0 (42.5 (84.2) (28.3) (19.0) Imports 26.6 35.3 4252.1 5244.2 159.9 148.6 (13.2) (32.6) (31.6) (23.3) Notes: 1) Excludes bilateral trade between North and South Korea. 2) Figures in par entheses represent rates of growth over the previous years. Source: The Bank of Korea, p. 6. â€Å"Historically, from 1971 until 2012, South Korea GDP Annual Growth Rate averaged 7.23 Percent reaching an all time high of 18.20 Percent in September of 1973 and a record low of -7.30 Percent in June of 1998. South Korea’s economy became one of the most diversified and technologically advanced in the world in the last 50 years† (Trading Economics, 2012). The sanctions imposed on North Korea by the US and European community has affected the country’s internal trade severely. Apart from South Korea, other trading partners of North Korea are mostly the developing nations of the world. The comparative performance of the two countries reflects the weakness in the political system

Successful Advertising Campaign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Successful Advertising Campaign - Assignment Example The adage gained consumer’s liking as something motivational, positive, individualistic, and neutral on the issue of either winning or losing. It is just about doing and people simply love that as a strategic bandwagon technique in marketing. Nike had also topped in television and print broadcast thus gaining massive ground from the market consumers specially those coming from the youth or young adults who are consistent in demonstrating their zeal in life. Reports mentioned that Nike got the sale of $800 million in 1988 and consistently grew a decade later into $ 9.2 billion. â€Å"Just Do It!† drives the people to run, exercise, wind up, and enjoy everything that relates to life. It evokes certain zeal that deconstructed the notion of hindrances, barriers, and possible losses there is in life. The product’s adage, which wrapped its corporate brand, stirred such emotional meaning to consumers and the market. Aside from dominating its presence in all multimedia advertisement centers of the country, Nike’s consumers became also its marketing advertisers by indirectly introducing the products to those who have not yet purchased it. They recreated the product and thus facilitated in making the product as a youths’ fashion fad and fashion statement. The company likewise was able to establish the best branding strategy. Carefully planned and genuinely sensitive to the increasing individualism of consumers, the company won the hearts and minds of the market, including the essential fact that they were successfully able to make their own product subscribers as ambassador of a superior product. They completed the leverage by dominating in the market competition. Rigorous advertising and the ability to be consistently visible in the market made the product legendary for purchasers. The brand and its adage became the replica of their lives and an advice for those

Intellectual History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Intellectual History - Term Paper Example One could call it the easiest way to explain natural processes. But it is also the only option available in order to interpret and articulate the world with limited knowledge, sophistication and maturity. In the eyes of the primitive humans, the natural phenomena such the setting of the sun, the changes in the season, the very wind that shakes the trees, and the rumble of thunder were beyond understanding. They were inexplicable, terrifying and spectacular all at the same time. By conceiving a metaphysical world, several mysteries were readily answered. The all powerful entity of god, for example, resolved the question of why man lives and dies, why the rain pours and why calamities strikes. Consider the many religious practices discovered as archaeologists unearthed and studied ancient civilizations. They provided invaluable insights not only in regards to how man perceived the world but how he came to terms with his relationship and experience with the world around him. Sacrifice i s a case in point. It is, as explained by Watson, both a gift and a coercion, provided to force the god to behave in a manner man wished: â€Å"to propitiate them, to defuse their anger, to get, to get rid of, to atone† (134). Natural phenomena that impact humans such as disasters, famine, disease and those favorable events like good harvest and victory in war were attributed to the workings of the gods. Thus, they were considered to be subject to some semblance of human control through sacrifice. For example, when famine struck, primitive people would think that gods were displeased or their offerings inadequate and, hence, would redouble their efforts in the next agricultural cycle (136). The rituals evolved into more elaborate ceremonies with far more important sacrifices as way of life became more complex. Human sacrifices became a prominent form of sacrifice later on. According to Watson, this came about on the strength of the idea that it is a form of self-denial and th at the degree of importance of the offering came to be perceived as the more effective or the worthier sacrifice to appease the gods’ anger or to ask for far more important blessings (135). In the Greek island of Knossos, for instance, bone fragments of children offered as sacrifices to the gods were found. These remains, dating to 2000 BC, were said to have existed during the bull-worshipping Minoan civilization and were killed to avert catastrophe, such as the earthquake that eventually led to the civilization’s demise (133). The most basic and the earliest sacrifices involved the use of objects, keeping the first seeds or the first ears of corn for the gods. Later the sacrifices became more elaborate and more cruel. This was a logical evolution in the backdrop of human ignorance about the natural processes that they observed on a daily basis. These were mysteries that occur constantly and they become the basis for the practices such as human sacrifice. The concept o f the after life also emerged early in human history. Ancient Egyptians, for example, were buried with their worldly goods in the belief that they would need the treasure in the after life. The Hindu religion also believes that the dead can be reborn. Watson explained that this was

Emerging influences in the United States healthcare system Essay

Emerging influences in the United States healthcare system - Essay Example re organizations influence trends in service delivery since every other organization combines business strategies that help in the best performance of the institution (Bowden & Smits, 2012). This paper attempts to analyse to what extent workforce tsunami, Hospital Acquired Conditions policies and Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award system influences current trends in the United States healthcare system. It is evident that there are a lot of skills that the old workers in America have accumulated over time; but in the next ten years or so, this story may hit the economical headlines and human interest. People talk about age as just being a number, but at the same time I think this saying should only work best during birthdays because aging as far as the American workforce is generally concerned is becoming an economic threat. This factor, generally referred to as the workforce tsunami, cuts across all businesses and workplaces, including the human healthcare facilities. These facilities invest so much in the old, trusting them for their long term experience without considering the fact that a time will come when most of these old employees will pass on. This occurrence will have the risk of greatly affecting the American workplaces and facilities in the healthcare system may lack workers for an unknown period before the right experts are obtained to replace the aging and perishing g eneration. This basically will have a potential detrimental impact on the lives of Americans, especially those in their sick beds during such an unfortunate occurrence (Laing eta al., 2009). Realistically and evidenced by statistical data, it is expected that about 10,000 baby boomers will continue turning to that age of sixty five years every year until we get to 2030. A more realist observation is that about a quarter of a million of all Americans find themselves celebrating sixty five years of age on monthly basis. Looking at these figures may not indicate a great impact, but the

Psychoanalysis of Crime Essay Example for Free

Psychoanalysis of Crime Essay An individual’s sense of self has always been an issue that fascinated people. Under the notion that most people enjoy talking about themselves, the realm of psychology opened its doors to investigate the underlying conditions that make people who they are and how they perceive others and the world. Many theories have been developed in order to understand the complexities that make up the human psyche and it is in this aspect that this paper will center upon. The theory which I have chosen for this particular case study is the Psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud and I believe this theory will address most of the behavioral patterns that the subject is situated in. Freud’s psychoanalytic style in examining an individual’s motives for behavior has established the grounds for in-depth analysis into a person’s psyche and though it has its limitation, it offers a refreshing viewpoint as to why such behaviors have endured and its significance to an individual’s interpretation of the world (Shoham, 1993). Psychoanalysis has helped in putting into perspective the many ways in which behaviors of an individual or groups of individuals could be determined by the examining their upbringing and isolating internal and external desires. One of the major conjectures of psychoanalysis is that individuals are inherently sinful and they are controlled by certain instincts which are buried in one’s subconscious. The psychoanalytic theory attempts to realize these internal desires in order to determine the right kind of action in which the individual might be able to control a problematic behavior from recurring (Elliott, 2002). In order to see the application of the psychoanalytical theory, a brief background of the case study should be presented to comprehend the situation. The case study involves a twenty-eight year old man named Bert who was convicted of committing larceny. In the article, Bert was condemned to serve a four year sentence in prison with eighteen months non-parole. Admitting to the crime he had committed, he was said to have been accompanied by two accomplices whom he knew from his previous prison sentence. It was relayed that Bert had entered a pub one night and was approached by the two accomplices who urged him to join them rob a factory. Nine weeks before the incident, Bert was out of prison after serving a year in prison for getting caught with stolen goods. In Freud’s Division of the mind, he enlists the concept of the Id, Superego and Ego. The Id is supposed to uphold the baser instincts that are present in each individual. It dispenses on the precepts of pleasure to satisfy the innate wants of the individual. The Superego comprises the ethical or moral aspect of the individual that appeals to an ideal sense of being. The Ego is said to be the balancing aspect of the individual’s personality as it maintains the needs and wants of both the Id and the Superego. The Ego represents the awareness of an individual regarding his/her state of being (Shoham, 1993). If the processes that harmonize these three should ever be disrupted, it would render uneasiness to the individual’s psyche and cause him/her to employ some defense mechanisms that would be able to shield the ego. The psychoanalysis in Bert’s case encompasses a great deal of struggle between his superego and id, as can be denoted when he points out that he is frustrated with himself for not being able to avoid criminal activities. This is described as an over-developed superego, which imposes an excessive need for punishment with regard to the things the individual has wrongly committed or the unpleasant experiences that has brought misery into the individual’s life (Shoham, 1993). In the text, Bert was said to have grown-up in a dysfunctional family and that his absentee father was also a criminal who often displayed a violent attitude towards the family whenever he was home. In this aspect, Bert’s rationale on punishing himself was an act of regression in an early state of his life that involved his father (Shoham, 1993). The illegal acts Bert has committed during his early teens and the subsequent trips to juvenile and adult institutions has led him to think that he should be penalized for the things that he has done and for belonging to a family that breeds criminals.. In a sense, Bert might be trying to compensate for his father’s mistake of abandoning his children with regard to his wife and kids and most especially, his brothers and sister. This kind of rationalization instills tension into his being, which makes him unconsciously commit illegal activities despite his efforts to reform his life (Shoham, 1993). As a result of this conflict, Bert reasons out in a defying way that even though he acknowledges his wrongdoing, he believes that it is under the influence of alcohol and the two conspirators with him the night of the criminal activity. Bert also pointed out that the long sentence designated to the criminal act that he had committed was a bit unreasonable since he only stole goods from a factory and not a private residence. Based on these statements, Bert had shown feelings of contradiction between his guilt for what he had done and his comprehension of the situation as he puts the blame on other sources in lieu of himself. In the case study, Bert was thought of to be a pushover by the law officers as the former would get caught up in situations that force him to do things that should best be avoided (Elliot, 2002). Parallel to his over-developed superego, Bert’s behavior also displays a weak Ego in conjunction with his Id. His inability to stand his ground in moral situations and his inadequacy in delivering good judgments makes him a pawn for manipulative individuals like the two conspirators whom Bert met at the pub (Shoham, 1993). In this situation, it is quite clear that he is still in denial of what he has done since he has not fully accepted the responsibility for the criminal act. However, in another statement, he also did not want to cooperate with the law enforcers in identifying who were his accomplices in committing larceny. This posits a rather confusing behavior as Bert did not want to admit fully to the crime committed yet he does his conspirators a favor and refuses to give out their names to the law officers as he believes that he is not one to break the code of brotherhood. This act alone concurs with the insight made earlier about his desire to be punished for being a criminal (Rosen, 1996). On another note, Bert has tried to justify the crime he had committed by rationalizing the triviality of robbing the factory and that a long sentence was not necessary. He seems to suppress the mere fact that he has a long track record of criminal activities that warrants for the current court verdict. With this in mind, one can deduce that Bert still thinks of himself as a misguided youth. Such display of reasoning implicates how the environment he grew up in greatly influenced his decisions in life (Shoham, 1993). His lack of a formal education and emotional nurture at home resulted to his rebellious conduct and misplaced aggression that could only be attributed to his family’s situation. Bert’s leanings toward alcoholism may be credited to his undeveloped oral stage, which his mother could not properly provide as the strains of his father being in prison and the abuses that his mother and siblings received from him deprived Bert of a normal transition into the next stages of development (Shoham, 1993). In addition, his father’s drunken presence at the puberty stage predisposed him and his older brothers to acclimate a life of criminal activities since that might have been the only way that he could be with his father who was gone most of the time. While he was third among the two boys in his family, he could not look up to his older brothers as they too were undependable for the nurturing in which he sought from his parents (Shoham, 1993). It is in this aspect that one can observe the oedipal complex that Freud has included in his Stages of Development theory as it demonstrates the lack of attention and love that Bert wanted from his father (Shoham, 1993). Bert’s unresolved intimacy issues from both his parents compelled him to project this in an unhealthy lifestyle through alcohol and a string of criminal records. In defense of the two conspirators, Bert might have felt a sense of belongingness in their company since they understood his situation more than anyone, which is why he was adamant to not cooperate with the law enforcers (Shoham, 1993). Bert’s yearning to successfully reform may be hampered by his own moral perceptions as he is not able to grasp the consequences his actions have merited him. While he is affected by what happens with his wife and two children, he cannot instinctively change his ways without going through therapy or some form of rehabilitation to straighten his ways. Bert’s situation could have been easily avoided if he has learned to act on his own. Since his lack of education poses a hindrance to the development of his being, one could suggest that individuals like Bert who are frequently law breakers should be also be subjected to an education in their correction facilities aside from the terms that they serve (Kline, 1987). According to Lester and Van Voorhis’ book â€Å"Psychoanalytic therapy†, criminal convicts like Bert should not be subjected to environments that derail their development. Since most these convicts are not well-equipped with the right attitude to stay off the streets, correctional facilities should be able to provide such services that will be able to aid them to commit to reformation. Support from family and close friends should also be encouraged though for most of these convicts, it would seem quite difficult as most of them don’t have a strong support base (p. 122). From Kline’s book â€Å"Psychoanalysis and crime†, it has been suggested that creating a viable environment for these convicts when they got out is necessary as that will sustain their progress for development and would make them not want to seek the confines of the prison walls as they will be able to feel part of the society again. This entails releasing them in an environment where temptations would not abound and provide them with jobs that does not degrade their sense of being (p. 60). Analyzing Bert’s case in the psychoanalytic perspective has provided grounds on in which correctional facilities should be able to help convicts to maintain a reformed life.

Long Term Consequences Of Residualisation Social Policy Essay

Long Term Consequences Of Residualisation Social Policy Essay For those in need of housing in the UK, many low-income and disadvantaged people and families have turned to the Government for assistance in the form of public housing. However, there has been any number of challenges in terms of providing the right quantity and, most importantly, quality of public housing to meet the needs of various UK communities. In the Thatcher era of the 1980s, the Government decided that residualisation of council housing would be the best solution, thereby shifting the responsibility to provide needs and services away from the state and onto the individual and family. In order to further investigate the causes and long-term consequences of the residualisation policy of the 1980s, the context for council housing will first be examined in order to understand the need for this type of public housing, including its social composition and why a shift toward residualisation occurred. It is also important to examine some of the economic, political, and social forces that may have also led to this shift, including globalisation and industrialisation, the new anti-state ideology of Thatcherism, the policies that were created during this time such as the Housing Act 1980, and the growing problems within the UK that led to the reliance on council housing. Lastly, in looking at the long-term consequences of residualisation, it would seem that this shift only led to greater problems rather than solutions. Various consequences will be explored, including the increase in poor housing stock, neighbourhood instability, greater inequality between the classes, and the poor perception of council housing. However, one long-term consequence that can be seen as positive is the overall increase in home ownership during the 1980s and beyond, which has provided a new way for many individuals and families to establish a better economic stature. The Context for Residualisation In order to better understand the causes of residualisation, it is important to first set the context for this shift. At one time, the public housing sector was the fastest growing aspect of the UK housing system and was favoured by the Labour government as a way to house individuals and families after World War II. In 1945, Aneurin Bevam, the Minister of Health, told the House of Commons; We shall ask the local authorities to be the main instruments for the housing programme. It is a principle of the first importance that the local authorities must be looked as the organizations and the source for the building of the main bulk of the housing programme. The local authorities are admirable suite for this purpose. (House of Commons 1945: 1). This was seen as a way to better service everyone within society and create a more equal playing field between classes. It was seen as a way of housing working people, regardless of their income, and there was no stigma of failure attached to those that did choose this option during its early years (Cowan and Maclennan 2008: 11). Council housing was viewed as an investment structure that would allow the UK to offer affordable housing, and this system was found to be capable of sustaining new building programmes on cost balanced rents, well within the affordability of people on average incomes (Ready 2007: 2). In analysing council housing during this period, the belief was that the emphasis was on breaking down the barriers and distinctions between groups in society, opening up public services to all on the basis of need, without investigation of ability to pay (Malpass, 1990: 74). This time period was known as Welfare Capitalism, focusing on the common good and equality through the development of public services and social protection (Scanlon and Whitehead 2008: 17). The term, working classes was even removed from the 1949 Housing Act as a way to establish council housing as a new mixed community that broke new ground on removing the class and income barriers that had previously existed. This meant higher quality standards for council housing, thereby producing a positive viewpoint on council housing up until the 1980s. At that point, there was a definitive shift in how council housing was viewed with a rapidly depleted housing stock that only offered small flats for the neediest groups. The public housing sector stock essentially peaked at 6.5 million in 1979 but, by December 1986, the figure had fallen to under 5.9 million (CIPFA, 1986: 1). As of 2007, the council housing stock has fallen to 3.8 million (Housing and Dependency Working Group 2008: 14). Figure 1.1 also shows the decline in council housing from a peak of 31.7 per cent in the late 1970s to 26.7 per cent in 1986, illustrating how the residualisation policy altered the availability of quality council housing. The latter section will discuss the causes of the decline of council housing. Causes: Shifting Policies, Political Ideologies, and Economics In the early 1970s, Titmuss linked the residual model of social welfare to the idea and beliefs of right-wing economists, such as Hayek, Friedman, and followers of the Institute of Economic Affairs, who were to become so influential with the government a decade later (Forrest and Williams, 1984: 1165). The residual model of social welfare is based on the view that the market and the family should be the main provider of all needs and services. This was part of the Post-Industrial perspective, which was a reaction by the Governments after the 1970s because they feared that they would be unable to manage their national economies in the face of globalisation (Scanlon and Whitehead 2008: 17). As such, the state has a minimal role to play in direct provision, catering only for those who truly have proved that they cannot support themselves. This approach measures a persons welfare against their position in the labour market so that the state would be sure to only complement the market rather than to compete with it. Globalisation Within the realm of globalisation, the UK housing market has become integrated into the global flow of financial markets where money moves freely and rapidly through countries and uses (Waters, 1995: 64), changing how the country has viewed its housing stock. To participate in the global markets, the British economy was then restructured in an attempt to better handle their labour markets, taxation policies and public expenditures in a way that would keep tighter control over what was doled out to its citizens in the form of public assistance. The result was then to reconsider where the country would invest its money in terms of programmes for public assistance, thereby shifting the focus away from council housing and onto investing in private housing that could be financed through the global market system. The policy has shifted to right to buy in public rented housing, leading to a shortage of investment funds for public housing and influencing the stock transfer to housing associations that use private borrowing to stretch what public money is received (Forrest and Murie 1988: 131). Political factors When the conservative party won the 1979 general election, it considered that its housing policies, including the Right to Buy scheme that became part of the Housing Act 1980, had contributed to its electoral success, so the political movement was geared toward the concept of home ownership for as many citizens as possible. This philosophy was inherent in the politics of the day that was geared toward a capitalist approach to society in which there would be an expanded access to capital assets beyond just what was supplied on a public assistance basis. The political movement during the Thatcher administration believed that the state would be freer to help the country become more competitive in terms of its industries and financial prowess if it no longer had to be lumbered with the infrastructure that is involved in operating a welfare state. The British New Rights welfare policies absolve the Government of taking any responsibility in terms of adhering to a certain standard of living for all, thereby choosing to redistribute income from the poor to the rich (Smith 1995: 189). This would mean that those that exist at the bottom of society must be disciplined and wrenched from its dependence on social welfare (Wheelan 1999: 5). Hence, the idea of residualisation was led by the political forces during that time period. Policy changes Policy changes, including the Right to Buy scheme under the Housing Act 1980, were also one of the primary causes of residualisation. During this time, there was more of a concern about area renewal rather than public assistance (Stephens and Lynch 2005: 6), so providing for home ownership was one way in which area renewal could take place without a major investment by the Government. Michael Heseltine set out specific objectives to increase the opportunities for home ownership, improve housing quality, provide greater value for money and more effectively use resources where the needs are more severe. The solutions were seen in privatising the housing market, which meant reducing the existence of council housing stock, restricting capital investments by local authorities, and changing the terms of tenants rental rights (Stephens et al., 2005: 4). Those within council houses were then given the right to buy at a discount up to a maximum of 50 per cent after twenty years and would receive a mortgage from their local authority, taking away incentives for staying in council houses except for those that could not financially purchase a home or take out a mortgage (Stephens et al. 2005: 4). As the figure below indicates, 1980-1984 sales of council homes exceeded new building by private developers, indicating that residualisation was well underway. Thatcher believed that establishing a Right to Buy programme that would replace the state-issued council housing was a way to free many in society from what she saw as the deadening grip of municipal landlordism and a way to create a new cadre of housing consumers (Houghton 2009: 2). And, this plan did work remarkably well for those that had the means to participate whilst the rest were left to compete for a diminishing pool of subsidised homes whilst the worst of the council homes-mostly those ugly block buildings of the 1960s and 1970s-were deserted or left to decay with no funding for refurbishment (Houghton 2009: 2). Stock transfer Stock transfer was one of the primary ways that residualisation was enacted because this policy severely reduced the council housing stock. Stock transfer had a much more significant impact than the Right to Buy policy with the government permitting the transfer of some 200,000 council houses per annum under stock as compared to 50,000 Right to Buy sales in 1999 (Stone 2003: 10). During this time, there were numerous measures that facilitated the transfer of the public stock to alternative landlords through the Tenants Choice and Housing Action Trust. The Large-scale Voluntary Stock Transfer (LSVT) also played a key role in which LSVTs were involved the sale of the local authoritys entire stock of rented houses and the transfer of its staff to a newly-formed housing association set up for the purpose (Stone 2003: 11). By April 1997, 54 councils had divested themselves of their housing stock via an LSVT, leading to more than one quarter of a million homes being transferred (Stone 2003: 11). Overall, it has been estimated that this aspect of residualisation led to over fifty per cent growth in the owner-occupied sector (Stone 2003: 11). Long-Term Consequences of Residualisation Due to these various factors, the causes of residualisation have led to some long-term consequences. Some of these consequences relate to what is now viewed as persistent market instability in terms of housing prices since the low-cost rented sector that was at its peak before the residualisation process of the 1980s has now all but disappeared whilst there has also been more significant changes in the UKs social structure as mentioned below (Ready 2007: 4). Depletion of quality housing stock and homelessness The Right to Buy scheme and the large-scale stock transfer to housing associations meant that most of the quality housing was now sold, leaving available council housing for the needy that was in disrepair and in desperate need of modernisation (Cantle, 1986: 58). The prices of available homes grew at a major faster pace than wages and there were very few rental options available (Cowans and Maclennan 2008: 11). Despite the fact that most of the structures were built prior to World War II and were traditionally constructed to a higher standard, the 1980s saw these structures begin to disintegrate with estimates of  £19 billion to make repairs and modernise them (Cantle, 1986: 61). Since the Government was unwilling or unable to make these repairs, the existing stock of council housing disintegrated further, further marring the reputation of council housing (Cantle, 1986: 62). This depletion of council housing stock and the inability of certain groups to either qualify for what is available or wait on a list has led the numbers of homeless in the UK to rise, illustrating that the residualisation process has created new problems rather than solving old ones (Smith 1995: 196). Despite the increasing homelessness problem, the New Right in Britain continues to view increased public housing as a mean to continue creating dependency on a welfare state amongst the poor and unemployed (Smith 1995: 199). Negative perspectives, stigmatisation, and reduction of the council sector Since the residualisation process seemed to help out those that were willing and capable to support themselves with minimal assistance from the state, which left only the disadvantaged to remain in the council sector, reducing the size of the sector whilst also stigmatising those that remained a part of this public assistance programme (Burrows, 1999: 31). The statistics of those within the council housing system further substantiated stigmatism of certain groups of individuals, creating prejudice, inequality in home ownership, and leading to instability in neighbourhoods. For example, the London Housing Survey, 1986-7 showed that 4% of all households in London were headed by single parents but 9% in the council sector, and nearly half of all Afro-Caribbean households lived in council housing but were underrepresented in the owner occupation sector (London Research Centre 1988: Tables 1, 2, and 4). Additionally, Forrest and Murie (1988: 68) stated that, by 1984, more than half of households in council housing were headed by an economically inactive person and that nearly two-thirds of council housing head of households were not working. Those that do work have incomes in the bottom 40%, as compared to the early 1980s when council tenants had average income that was 73% of the national average (Housing and Dependency Working Group 2008: 14). Table 1.1 shows how the elderly and younger age groups have also become significantly over-represented in council housing since the early 1970s. The result has led to a long-term system that geographically contains and stigmatises those living in council housing as bad places in which those seeking public assistance are looked down upon and excluded by society (Social Exclusion Unit 1999: 2). The general perspective that council housing is welfare housing for those on welfare has been ingrained into the overall society, in large measure, by the residualisation processes that have occurred over the last fifty years (Somerville 2004: 2). The lines between poverty and crime have become so blurred that the Government now uses the council estates as an example of how those within the bottom of society are responsible for their own wretched existence (Wheelan 1999: 5), so that the rest of society takes the same negative viewpoint of council housing and those that live there. The New Labour rationale continues that of the Thatcher era in terms of destroying the UKs culture of a welfare state by threatening to demolish all council housing, regardless of whether people living there now need this shelter or not, if these areas continue to retain high numbers of the unemployed and welfare dependent (Wheelan 1999: 4-5), proving that the long-term effect of residualisation will continue. However, at the same time, it is interesting to note that, despite the efforts of residualisation to help those in need, the number of people in the UK living in poverty doubled from ten million in 1978-1980 to twenty million by 1998-1999 (Stephens and Lynch 2005: 27). It seems as though the intentions of this process actually continued to create more negative consequences than it was able to solve. Neighbourhood instability and lack of community cohesion The residualisation of the council housing segment has led to a constant churning and rotation of people within neighbourhoods, creating the long-term effect of instability and a lack of community cohesion (Holman and Simpson, 1999: 23). Leaving just less affluent older people and younger people within the council housing segment has created constant change with the older generations dying and the younger generations growing restless and changing their residences more often than families or other demographic groups (Holman and Simpson, 1999: 24). For example, the majority of people moving out of council housing had lived at their previous address for less than five years and 31% have moved after less than two years, indicating that those entering council housing in the recent past are increasingly unlikely to anticipate a long-term future as local authority tenants (Pawson and Bramley, 2000: 1257). The instability will be further enabled by the polarisation between available quality homes and poor homes. As one building society noted, Prices for quality homes will continue to rise, while prices for poor homes continue to fall as the market increasingly polarises (Wheelan 1999: 4). Growth in home ownership This is not to say that the long-term consequences are all negative as the growth of home ownership since the 1980s, making the UK as home-owning society, can only be viewed as a positive. As of 1995, the rate of home ownership was 66%, up from 55% in 1979 (Smith 1995: 190). Owning a home has been shown to be a means of raising ones social status as well as improving ones economic footing and long-term stability (Smith 1995: 191). Home ownership also helps many communities regenerate and improve the overall social cohesion. The fact that council housing has not lived up to the promises of fifty years ago may push the Government to strike the entire programme and develop innovative solutions for social housing needs or devise new ways of helping the poor to help themselves (Wheelan 1999: 5). The only problematic aspect of this overall advantageous consequence is the continued inequality in class in terms of home ownership and the discrepancy amongst demographic groups in terms of who can afford home ownership and who cannot. There continues to be a severe shortage of quality housing stock for everyone, including those who would like to purchase homes. And, while the globalisation of financial markets did allow for greater housing finance options, the recent credit crunch has also shown that participating in globalisation has its price too as funding for mortgages has all but disappeared. Conclusions In looking at the present state of council housing and public assistance, it seems as though the primary causes of residualisation from the 1980s in terms of the globalised financial and lending system and the political perspective of measured spending on social programmes will continue in the same manner going forward. The recent global credit crunch further impacts the ongoing lack of focus on providing social housing due to reduced financing sources and budgetary cuts to Government funded programmes. The future brings the need for new strategies that offer community housing rather than council housing under a new umbrella of what is being called mixed tenure to ensure the right stock of affordable social and private housing that is intended to better balance the ability to make quality housing within the grasp of all levels within society. Whilst residualisation was one attempt at breaking free of a welfare state but also one that continues to keep certain groups stuck without any upward mobility, there are other types of social processes that can be explored to better balance and sustain local communities. In the end, it may not be the council housing or public assistance that is creating a vicious cycle for the disadvantaged since the residualisation process has actually led to greater poverty, homelessness, and other social issues. The real issue may be the need to fix other programmes that do not involve public assistance in terms of providing more job opportunities, education and training, and strategies that improve the internal infrastructure of the UK rather than trying to put a plaster on the problem and hoping it just gets better on its own or transferring income over to those that are already sustaining themselves. The issues involved have seemingly been exacerbated by the residualisation process rather than solved the issue of a welfare state. This is the time when the UK Government must look inwards on how to provide more assistance that allows people to help themselves and invest in what is already available to refurbish and renew areas so that more citizens can enjoy a better quality of life. References Burrows, R. (1999). Residential mobility and residualization in social housing in England. Journal of Social Policy, 27-52. Cantle, T. (1986). The deterioration of public sector housing in Malpass, P (Ed.) The Housing Crisis. London: Croom Helm. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPA). (1986). Housing statistics, Part 1: Rents, rebates and allowances at April 1976 and housing rents statistics. Cowans, J. and Maclennan, D. (2008). Visions for social housing: international perspectives. The Smith Institute, 1-100. Forrest, R. and Murie, A. (1988). Selling the Welfare State. London: Routledge. Forrest, R. and Williams, P. (1984). Commodificaton and housing: emerging issues and contradictions. Environment and Planning, 1163-80. HMSO. (1988). Annual abstract of statistics. Holman, A.E. and Simpson, M. (1999). Low Demand: Separating Fact from Fiction. Coventry: Chartered Institute of Housing in England. Houghton, J. (2009). The ideological importance of housing, 1-9. House of Commons. (1945). House of Commons Debates, Vol. 414, Col. 1222. Housing and Dependency Working Group. (2008). Housing poverty: From social breakdown to social mobility. Centre for Social Justice, 1-132. London Research Centre. (1988). Council tenants in London. Malpass, P. (1990). Reshaping Housing Policy: Subsidies, Rents, and Residualisation. London: Routledge. Pawson, H. and Bramley , G. (2000). Understanding recent trends in residential mobility in council housing in England. Urban Studies, 37(8), 1231-59. Ready, B. (2007). Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable. UK Housing Green Paper. Available at: www.thereadyfamily.com/housing/archive/submission.htm. Scanlon, K. and Whitehead, C. (2008). Social Housing in Europe II. London: London School of Economics and Political Science. Smith, J. (1995). Class war conservatism: Housing policy, homelessness and the underclass. The Socialist Register, 188-206. Social Exclusion Unit (SEU). (1999). Bringing Britain together: A national strategy for neighbourhood renewal. Somerville, P. (2004). Transforming council housing. Housing Studies Association Conference, 1-13. Stephens, M. and Lynch, E. (2005). The cost, quantity, and quality of housing consumption in the UK: Comparisons with other European countries, 1-90. Stephens, M., Whitehead, C., and Munro, M, (2005). Lessons from the past, challenges for the future for housing policy: an evaluation of English housing policy 1975-2000. London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Stone, M.E. (2003). Social housing in the UK and US: Evolution, issues and prospects, 1-90. Waters, M. (1995). Globalization. London: Routledge. Wheelan, S. (1999). The impact of globalisation on urban development. The World Socialist Web Site. Available at: www.wsws.org.

Explanatory Synthesis on Gunsmoke :: American Culture Essays

Explanatory Synthesis on "Gunsmoke" Gunsmoke the radio program, which aired on the CBS Radio Network, was first broadcast on April 26, 1952 and the final broadcast aired on June 18, 1961. During its nine year radio run, Gunsmoke would air 413 radio stories and six of the seasons would coincide with Gunsmoke the television series. Many of the original cast members of the radio show would go on to have memorable television careers: William Conrad, who played Matt Dillon, went on to play in "Cannon", "Nero Wolfe" and the "Fat Man", from "Jake and the Fat Man". Parley Baer, who played Chester, would go on to play Darby in the television show "Ozzie and Harriet", and Howard McNear, who played the doctor, would go on to play Floyd the Barber in the old "Andy Griffith Show" (http://comp.uark.edu/~tsnyder/Gunsmoke/gun-radio.html). Gunsmoke sought to capture the essence of the west and those individuals who would tame it. Matt Dillon was a hard-bitten, independent, self-reliant and just law man. His character summed up all of t he stereo-typical ideas of the old west hero. As with many men on the move west, Matt Dillon is driven by a need for independence and self-reliance. As a law man Matt was dedicated to making sure that justice was served in the ruff and tumble town of Dodge City. The episodes; "Cyclone", "Pussy Cats" and "Jay Hawkers" all give examples of those characteristics. To not be beholdin' to any person, to feel the sun on his back and the wind in his nostrils, that was freedom. In "Cyclone" Matt is thinking through a problem regarding the sale of a ranch and the subsequent disappearance of the owners. He doesn't want help from anyone in trying to solve the mystery. In "Pussy Cats", Chester offers to stay behind with Matt when a sticky situation develops with two strangers in town. Matt tells Chester to leave because he would be okay without him. In "Jay Hawkers" Matt is summoned to join a Texas cattle herd that is being harassed by Jay Hawkers. In the narration he describes the wide open space of the prairie and the smells of the green g rass. There is a hint of nostalgia in his voice about missing the freedom of the open prairie. Self-reliance is another characteristic of the men of the old west; In "Cyclone" Matt and Chester head off into the night to reconnoiter the Cyclone Ranch for signs of mischief.

Big Daddy and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Ti

Big Daddy and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Tennessee William's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a thought-provoking play that explores human relationships of all kinds. The character of Brick is forced to examine the relationship with his friend, Skipper, his wife, his family, and himself. Other characters, Gooper, Mae, and Big Mama, demonstrate stifling marriage relationships. Big Daddy, though, is one of the most interesting characters in that he illustrates the strange relationship one can have with one's possessions. Watt and Richardson, the editors, state that the play is about "acquisitiveness." That is, the acquiring of material possessions is central to the play, and this family. The Pollitts own a plantation home on the Mississippi Delta. Their house is a key figure in the work as much as any of the characters are in that it encapsulates the family's legacy of secrecy. To begin with, there is the central staging area of Brick and Maggie's bedroom. This room was once shared by the former owners, two men, a fact that seems to haunt Brick. Williams describes the decor of the room in some detail. He is most occupied with the "console combination of radio-phonograph, TV set and liquor cabinet." He seems incredulous at the size and symbolism in this possession. He writes, "This piece of furniture (?!), this monument, is a very completer and compact little shrine to virtually all the comforts and illusions behind which we hide from such things as the characters in the play are faced with . . ." (Williams 660). He is quite right. Not only does Brick hide behind the liquor in the cabinet, his true crutch, but the furniture does exemplify all the modern conveniences that many p... ...system that he speaks of is more than the lying and liars that immediately surround him; it is not just his family. The system that he lives in is materialism. He has bought into the American dream, in effect capitalism, and has at last found it lacking. Yet it is doubtful that this revelation will truly change Big Daddy in the way he lives his last days. For Williams' words concerning Brick ring true for Daddy as well. He writes, "I don't believe a conversation, however relevatory, ever effects so immediate a change in the heart or even conduct of a person" (706 act 3). Big Daddy is trapped in his American dream even as it has become his nightmare. Work Cited Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In Stages of Drama: Classical to Contemporary Theater. Ed. Carl H. Klaus, Miriam Gilvert, and Bradford S. Field, Jr., 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin ¹s, 1999.

How Much Homework to Give Kids? Essay -- Education Educating School Le

How Much Homework to Give Kids? To many kids in elementary schools, homework is a menace. It takes away quality time from a student’s daily life and activities. In Romesh Ratnesar’s article â€Å"The Homework Ate my Family†, Ratnesar mentions about a student named Molly and her daily routine. Her daily routine consists of â€Å"spending two hours doing homework, practicing the piano, doing more than 100 math problems, labeling the countries and bodies of water and reviewing a semester’s worth of science† (Ratnesar). Molly barely has time for dinner. Ratnesar also mentions about a girl named Christina who â€Å"does not want to go to middle school, high school or college because of homework† (Ratnesar). Jonathan Keys, a parent of two boys in Orange County, says that his â€Å"boys aren’t doing things normal boys are doing.† As a result, parents like Jonathan Keys complain that elementary schools are assigning too much homework to kids. They believe that the amount of homework should be greatly reduced in order to make way for quality family time and friends. Boys should go out and do things normal boys do, and girls should go out and do things normal girls do. As Jonathan Keys puts it, â€Å"Kids should go out, play, and have fun†. However, these parents are missing a major point: the real world does not work this way. Our homes and neighborhoods are surrounded by corporate buildings and government facilities. The employees of these corporate buildings and government facilities are not playing or having fun. They are busy trying to use their education to make a decent living. So the question is: how much homework should children in elementary schools get? I agree that some teachers give to students too much junk homework and not enough clas... ...s. I strongly feel that elementary school children need to do at least 15 minutes of homework a night but keep a social balance as well. However, parents need to do their part in putting major emphasis on the importance of homework. If every parent this duty, our nation would probably rank number one in the world. Works Cited Allen, Carol. â€Å"Re: Child Life. This is Tu Do!!!!!† E-mail to Tu Hoang Do. 11 March 2004. Keys, Jonathan. Telephone interview. 15 March 2004. Mauldin, Deena. Lecture. University of California, Riverside. Riverside. 3 March 2004. Van Linge, Mona. â€Å"Re: Child Life. This is Tu Do!!!!!.† E-mail to Tu Hoang Do. 12 March 2004. Ratnesar, Romesh. â€Å"The Homework Ate My Family†. 25 January 1999: 312-319. Article. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues – Readings Across the Disciplines – Third Edition. Ed. Katherine Anne ckley. MA: Boston, 2003.

Hand book customer service Essay

Policies: policies (structure, use, focus, customer requirements/expectations, product and service knowledge, consultation, confidentiality, customer perceptions and satisfaction, monitor customer service and satisfaction, influences affecting implementation, effective communication) Quality of service: methods of assessment; customer expectations; standardised procedures; codes of practice; staff levels (staffing levels, staff competency, flexibility, reliability and responsiveness) Evaluation: purpose; sources of feedback; accuracy; relevance; reliability; validity; methods of data collection; improvements; staff training and development Hospitality industry: industries within the hospitality industry eg hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs, contract food service providers, hospitality services, membership clubs, events 2. Understand the purpose of promoting a customer-focused culture Communication: types eg verbal, non-verbal body language, written; types of response; use; effect Customer: central role; customer service culture; identifying and analysing customer requirements and expectations; influences of service provision on customer perceptions Benefits of improved service: customer satisfaction, repeat business, improved reputation, increased profit  3. Be able to investigate customer requirements and expectations Requirements: sources of information eg customers, staff, management, customer records, past information Module Handbook C. Ugoji Sept, 2013 Page 2 Unit Handbook Unit 4: The Customer Service Primary research: primary research eg sampling, qualitative, quantitative; interview eg individual, group, survey, observation; contact methods eg mail, telephone, personal Secondary research: internal eg sales records, yield data, financial information, client databases; external eg government publications, trade journals, periodicals, professional associations, national organisations, commercial data Satisfaction levels: planning; strategy; assessment of options using researched information; role of the business and services manager; staffing levels; motivating staff; improvements 4. Be able to provide customer service within business and services contexts to meet required standards  Types of customers: different age groups eg the elderly, children; different cultural backgrounds; special needs eg physically disabled; satisfied; dissatisfied; under influence eg drugs, alcohol, medication Customer needs: customer needs eg products and services, urgent, non-urgent, special requirements, quality of service, value for money, cultural, social; trends eg fashion, ergonomic, equipment, training, products and services, consumer protection legislation Customer service: consultation; advice; personal selling; complaints procedure; reception skills; confidentiality Learning Outcomes: To achieve this unit leaner must: 1. Understand customer service policies within business and services contexts 2. Understand the purpose of promoting a customer-focused culture 3. Be able to investigate customer requirements and expectations 4. Be able to provide customer service within business and services contexts to meet required standards. Teaching strategies used: Following are the different teaching and learning strategies, a description of how they work, where they have been applied, results, and where to find more information from individuals, books, web sites, and other resources. Lecture Notes The most basic way of supporting teaching in this module – a place for students to access lecture notes. The main advantages are reduction in the amount of college Module Handbook C. Ugoji Sept, 2013 Page 3 Unit Handbook Unit 4: The Customer Service photocopying and students can access notes prior to lecture and prepare themselves. Presenting Lectures Displaying these lecture notes with the addition of projectors using power point presentation slides to visualize the information to the students. An increasing variety of ways are utilizing to reach students of all different learning styles, to help the students to understand complicated concepts and remember them better by using master graphic tools both on whiteboard and on computers. Interactive Tutorials A set of questions have been designed for each session in assessing student learning of subject matter using both paper based and computer based assessment techniques. The web and web authoring  Students are directed to use the advanced search engine to navigate the correct and legitimate information for their assignment. Different search engines compile information using different criteria and have access to different databases. Applying technology to develop students higher order skills and creativity to manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment. Group Discussions The students will be give topics and some cases with the use of case study that relates to the topic covered in each session. There will also be a follow up on the discussion using group presentation and class assessment as the case may be. Summary of lecture For every session, there will be overall summary at the end teaching session. Attempting the passing criterion in class The student must attempt one or more learning outcome question covered in each session and the evidence will be documented

Analysis of Current Accounting System Essay

1. Terms of reference 1.1.1 This report has been prepared to cover the requirements of the learning and assessment area Principles of Internal Control and Evaluating Accounting Systems at Level 4 of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Diploma in Accounting qualification. 1.1.2 This report forms an evaluation of the Accounting System of the Inkwell Limited. 1.1.3 The main purpose of the report is: To evaluate the accounting system and procedures that are currently in place at IWL To identify weaknesses within the system, suggest possible improvements and make recommendations for improvement. To analyse cost benefit for suggested improvements. 2. Executive summary 3. Methodology 3.1.1 This report has been prepared using information provided by AAT case study text and study materials from Home Learning College. 3.1.2 Research for the recommendations has been made using internet. A list of websites used can be found in Appendix 1. 3.1.3 In developing the report support and assistance from my Home Learning College tutor was provided. 4. Introduction 4.1. Inkwell Ltd (IWL) was formed seven years ago. IWL is the medium-sized company that supplies a complete range of re-manufactured inkjet and laser toner cartridges that are fully compatible with all major printers. Since its launch IWL has grown steadily and now has revenue of over  £16 million. The company employs around 180 full-time employees. 4.2. IWL has adopted the functional structure system with three departments i.e. finance, sales and purchases. The BODs comprised of Managing Director, Sales Director and Finance Director is responsible for all decision-making activities in the company. The management structure chart can be found in Appendix 2. 4.3. The main purpose of accounting function of the IWL is to collect and process information from other departments in order to prepare statutory and management accounts as well as to determine the price of cartridges the company can pay for in order to achieve required profit margin (management accounting). The Finance Departme nt is also responsible for making sure that inventory levels meet IWL’s policy, the company’s credit rating is kept strong, management accounts are prepared every month, orders from suppliers are monitored and supplier payments are arranged for. 4.2 To make an effective use of the accounting systems and procedures in place the finance department has been divided into two main areas of accounting i.e. financial accounting and management accounting (cost accounting). The area of financial accounting has been further sub-divided into the sections of general ledger and inventory, purchase ledger, sales  ledger, payroll and personnel database. The chart showing the structure of The Accounts Department is provided in Appendix 3. 4.2.1 Sections within the finance department interact and maintain a relationship with other departments. The information flows to general ledger from the sales ledger, purchase ledger and payroll, personnel section and shops. The general ledger provides information to the Company Accountant for the purpose of preparing monthly management accounts and approving supplier payments, to The Finance Director for the purpose of preparing financial statements and to the Sales Director for the purpose of costing IWL’s products. The Purchase Ledger section has a direct relationship with the General Ledger and the IWL’s suppliers. The Sales Ledger section maintains a close relationship with the sales department as well as with the General Ledger. The Payroll and Personnel Database section is working closely with shop managers from whom it collects the information to prepare payroll for employees. The department also co-operates with external users such as HMRC in order to comply with statutory requirements. The Costing Section is working closely with The Sales Director. 4.3 The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users such as suppliers, customers, government agencies or financial institutions in making economic decisions, for instance, whether to grant a loan or to give credit to the company. At the financial year end the Finance Director at IWL prepares the following financial statements: 4.3.1 Income Statement: this statement provides information about the financial performance of the company in terms of revenue from sales, costs and expenses incurred to generate the profit. It also provides information about gross and net profit generated for past financial periods. It is also referred to as the Profit and Loss Account. 4.3.2 Statement of Financial Position: this statement shows the financial position of the company at the end of each financial year. It provides the information about the company’s assets, liabilities and the equity claim of its shareholders. It is also referred to as the Balance Sheet. 4.3.3 The Statement of Cash Flow: this statement provides a link between the Income Statement and Statement of Financial Position as at the year end of the  previous and current financial years. Its main purpose is to reconcile liquid funds to profit by providing an analysis of cash inflows and outflows from operating, investing and financing activities. 4.4 A stakeholder is an entity that can be affected by the results of a company in which they are said to be stakeholders, i.e. that in which they have a stake. The critical external stakeholders for IWL have been identified as follows: 4.4.1 The financial institutions- IWL has a strong relationship with its bank. Through producing a series of convincing annual business plans, the company directors have been able to raise sufficient finance to grow IWL into a significant player in the cartridge supplies sector. Without this co-operation it would be much harder to expand the Company to its current position. They are IWL’s stakeholders because they lent money to The Business and they would be affected in case The Company becomes insolvent. 4.4.2 Customers- the IWL has a base of around 120 large trade customers. These customers account for 20% of IWL’s revenue. It is imperative to maintain good relationship with customers in order to remain competitive and have high customer satisfaction level. Customers are categorised as stakeholders because the company’s actions can affect their financial position. 4.4.3 Government- The government is interested in businesses as they set out the regulations and need the businesses to do well to keep the economy healthy. Economic policies introduced by The Government through taxation, and the ability of The Government to influence interest rates, impact on the business through prices and costs. The company needs to make sure that it is paying the right amount of tax and VAT and that it complies with all government’s policies and accounting standards. 4.5 IWL is the medium-sized, centralized, manufacturing company operating nationwide. For a small sole trader or partnership type organisation, like off-licence shop, there are likely to be few transactions to process. As a result the basic single entry record system, with detailed cash book, would most likely be used. A simple structure where the owner or partners make all the decisions related to the business would also be adopted. However, the single entry system lacks controls necessary to verify the accuracy of the postings and therefore would not be practical in circumstances where a high  volume of business transactions had to be processed. Medium and large sized companies will most likely use more sophisticated, double entry bookkeeping system. Higher amount of transactions would require more people to operate it and therefore the structure would be more sophisticated too, with either divisional or matrix structure adopted. The IWL uses double entry system. 5 Analysis of the Current Accounting System 5.1 The main external regulations the IWL has to comply with has been identified as: 5.1.1 The Company Law- compulsory legislation that governs the formation and registration of limited companies. It sets out the responsibilities of companies, their directors and secretaries and also determines the requirements relating to the preparation of Financial Statements of a company. It is legally binding on all limited companies in UK. In case of any changes in The Company LAW, staff training may be required to ensure compliance which will affect The IWL’s cash flow and availability of resources i.e. staff released for training. 5.1.2 The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Regulations- this regulation apply when a business organisation employs individuals and sets out the requirements for deducting PAYE income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC’s) from payments made to employees. The regulation also stipulates rules for sending PAYE income tax and employees’ NIC’s to HMRC and identify the forms and returns that must be kept and submitted when administering the scheme. Any changes to the regulations i.e. change of the company tax rate or the National Insurance Contribution (NIC) has a direct effect on IWL because these are statutory requirements and The BODs need to make sure the staffs are appropriately trained and that they comply with the regulations. This may require substantial cash outlay as well as additional labour to provide cover for absent staff so these sorts of changes may significantly affect the Company’s finances. Accounting Standards-these are the regulations and codes of practice which have been developed to try to reduce the number of different interpretations and treatments used by accountants in preparing and presenting the Financial Statements for limited companies. This regulation have a direct impact on the company’s actions, as IWL is a limited company and have to prepare Financial Statements each year. The  Finance Director, being ACCA qualified, is applying accounting standards while preparing the financial statements. Changes made to the standards may require the Finance Director to undertake additional training which again will affect the company’s finances and the availability of staff. 5.1.4 The Data Protection Act 1998- the act lays down the principles by which the personal data should be managed by ‘data controllers’. Business organisations that keep personal data in respect of living and identifiable person are data controllers. The IWL has Payrol l and Database section in the Accounts Department therefore is obliged to comply with the regulation. Only authorised members of staff are to use IWL’s computers. In case of any changes in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Company may be required to, for example, purchase new safe for keeping the records in safe and secure way or to purchase new database software to meet the requirements of the regulation as well as train staff and review and implement changes in company’s policies. 5.2 Fraud is an intentional act by management or employees in order to obtain an unfair or illegal advantage. The most common causes of fraud in a business can be identified as a lack of operational internal control procedures within the business, lack of internal anti-fraud controls, especially risk management, as well as a lack of internal audit. In order to improve fraud and theft detection, the BODs needs to regularly review company’s fraud policies and procedures to ensure that they effectively reduce risk, improve processes and are in compliance with prevailing laws and regulations. This involves identifying the company’s specific fraud risks and then developing and implementing controls, procedures and operational changes to mitigate those risks. 5.3 The most common types of fraud can be identified as the theft of assets and corruption. The effects of the fraud activities can devastate the company in various ways, for instance, financial loss, external confidence , company morale or increased audit costs. Theft- this is probably the most common method of fraud, usually carried out because staff are presented with opportunities due to lack of physical controls and little or no segregation of duties with individual members of staff being given too much personal control over procedures. Impact of the theft can be fairly easy quantified. If, for  example, the manager overstates the hours worked by an employee, these can be easily calculated by multiplying the rate per hour by hours worked. In fact this is stealing the company’s time and subsequently money. There is a high risk of such an activity occurring within IWL shops as the company has no procedure in place for sales, warehouse or administrative staff to sing in or out when they arrive or leave work. This type of fraud often happens without knowledge of the management. 5.3.2 Corruption- this form of fraud usually involves a dishonest member of staff working in collusion with others to commit acts of fraud. The example of su ch an activity is changing contract terms and conditions after it have been awarded in favour of the supplier. There is a great possibility of this type of fraud occurring in the IWL’s due to lack of internal control procedures for purchasing inventory. This results in loses to the company because, the company is paying more for the product therefore reducing the Company’s revenue. 5.4 The accounting system can support internal control by means of setting the standards and using of control systems. 5.4.1 Standards allow the organisation to define its expectation of how things should be achieved. They allow the management to monitor the performance of the employees. These standards can be based on what the organisation expects from the staff, for example, implementing of company’s procedures. The organisation will generally outline to the staff what it expects in relation to performance levels, like cost of ensuring work is carried out effectively and that the deadlines are met, as well as in relation to the error allowance. Standards should be set in relation to the organisation’s objectives and goals. A tool commonly used for the purpose of measuring performance is that of standard costing. A main feature of standard costing is variance analysis, where differences between budgeted and actual figures are monitored. This allows the organisation to identify where changes may be required. 5.4.2 Use of control in systems is aimed at ensuring that the plans of organisation are being met. Deviations found by the control monitors should be investigated and if they negatively affect organisation then corrective action should be taken. An internal control system includes all the policies and procedures adopted by the organisation to achieve the objectives of: Effective conduct of the business, Implementation of internal policies and procedures, Safeguarding the assets of the organisation, Detecting and preventing incidences of fraud and error, The accuracy and completeness of the financial records, The timely preparation of reliable financial information. Regardless of the size of the organisation the accounting system must be reliable, cost effective and capable of being used effectively by the person(s) operating it. An accounting system of the IWL is a collection of computerized and manual accounting processes, procedures and controls created to collect, record, classify, summarize and interpret financial data for decision making by management. The record keeping systems of IWL meet organisation’s requirements for financial information. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threads (SWOT) analysis has been prepared to identify those areas of the current accounting system that do not operate satisfactory and can be found in appendix 4. The analysis showed that the work is going through the correct sequence of events and processes and that there is good segregation of duties within the department. However, there are areas where the systems could be improved. These have been identified as better staff training and introd uction of audit trail. Better trained staff would become specialised in the area they operate which would enable them to complete tasks more efficiently and effectively and therefore reduce costs. The audit trail would minimise potential for error and would act as a control tool for staff activity. Weaknesses Identified Within The Accounting System The weaknesses that rise potential for error and possible exposure to fraud within The Accounting System of the IWL have been identified as insufficient staff training and lack of audit trail procedures. 6.2 Insufficient staff training caused many problems during the last six months period. There was not enough cover in the sales ledger section when the clerk was off sick or on holiday leave which caused accumulation of work that affected other departments as the financial information was not presented in the timely manner. The fact that no one was able to provide cover was evident proof of staff training needs. Another area where problems  occurred due to lack of training is that of the payroll and database section. The clerk was provided with only one day in-house training of how to operate payroll software and this resulted in mistakes with the staff salaries calculations. This is the example of error that occurred because of the lack of training. Some of them have been underpaid what may result in lower staff morale and de-motivate them which will result in worse productivity or alternatively may give a reason to commit fraud. Work could be delegated to different persons what would also act as an anti-fraudulent control because the person providing cover could spot any unauthorised or suspicious activities and report it to the management. It is recommended that all staff should be sent for training in order to become multi skilled. 6.3 Another weakness identified is the lack of internal audit procedures within the accounts department of the IWL. The impact on the organisation may be significant to the company in terms of money and reputation, should the fraud activities took place. Internal audit has proved to be the most successful method of detecting fraud. It would be advantageous to any organisationif its internal audit function were able to advise management on identifying and assessing the risks associated with fraud co uld review and monitor the internal control procedures in place to minimise the risk of fraud and also actively engage in detection of fraud within the accounts function. Internal controls are also successful as means not only of deterring or preventing fraud, but also of exposing acts of fraud. Many of the causes of fraud can be guarded against and, together with analysis of reports and trends and the investigation of errors and anomalies, fraudulent activities are often expose. The typical measures introduced in practice to help deter and prevent fraud has been identified as: Educating staff and raising awareness of the possible types of fraud and the likely impact of fraud on the organisation and its stakeholders. Whilst there is a belief that that such education could not only alert staff to types of fraud but could also encourage staff to indulge in fraudulent activities, research shows that money spent on educating staff and promoting staff awareness does in fact deter fraud and in the long run benefits outweigh costs. 6.4.2 Monitoring performance and making sure that accounting procedures are being followed. One member of staff, for instance accounting technician when his review and recommendation process is  completed, could be delegated to perform this task with all the discrepancies and suspicious activities reported to the management and appropriate action taken to mitigate risks. 6.5 The company can support individuals who operate accounting sys tems using training, manuals and written information and help menus. 6.5.1 Training- well trained staffs operate their accountancy systems more effectively than the untrained staffs. A review of the training needs of the company and its accounting staff has been undertaken, these have been identified as follows: General ledger and inventory clerk- appropriate training in the work of the Sales Clerk would relieve pressure from the Sales clerk who has no accounting or credit control qualification and who has a heavy workload during busy periods. 6.5.1.2 Purchase ledger clerk- this member of staff is already familiar with the work of the sales ledger section and an update of skills in this area is worth considering. The Purchase Ledger clerk is part AAT qualified and expressed an interest in studying for intermediate level 3 exams. 6.5.1.3 Sales ledger clerk and credit controller- this staff member has experience of the purchase ledger having worked as a Purchase Ledger Clerk before joining IWL. Some further training in this area would give a greater degree of flexibility. The clerk has expressed an interest in professional accountancy training and this should be encouraged. 6.5.1.4 Payroll and Personnel Database clerk- this staff member is working on a recently installed system has a heavy workload and is in need of additional training. Further training by a company who sold IWL new system is recommended. The clerk has an accounting qualification but further training should be discussed. 6.5.1.5 Costing technician- this is the only member of staff that has the experience to operate costing system. This member of staff shows reluctance to gain accounting qualification. The issue needs to be reso lved to the benefit of the company. 6.5.2 Manuals are files containing documents which provide the user with detailed information relating to procedures and operating activities. An example of the manual is handbook created by the Finance Director of the IWL relating to the IT systems. 6.5.3 Help menus- are aimed at providing assistance to the system user by allowing them to query items relevant to their effective use of the system. It provides the information on how to use the software in the correct manner. Sage payroll has such a facility in place. 6.5.4 Written information- the example may be company policy handbook issued by the Finance Director. 6.6 Every member of accounting staff is required to comply with statutory and organisational requirements. The types of controls that can be put in place to ensure compliance may include: data security controls and administrative controls. 6.6.1 Data security controls are put in place to ensure that the organisation’s data files are not subject to unauthorised access, change, disclosure to unauthorised persons, loss, damage or destruction. The IWL has a data security controls in place, however these are not being adhered to properly. It is recommended that staff should be informed about requirements of changing the password regularly and that unauthorised person should not be given access to the company’s computers. 6.6.2 Administrative controls can be categorised as segregation of duties, written policies and procedures and supervision. Due to lack of staff training, it is not possible to segregate and share duties between workers as they are not multi-skilled. This rise a possibility of error occurring as well as fraudulent manipulation of the system. Written policies are in place however, accountability and responsibility for implementing should be clearly defined. Every member should be informed about the consequences in case the procedures are not followed. Supervision of individuals or groups involved in the processing, checking and use of information within the system is essential. It is recommended that the activities of staff should be controlled by either member of the BODs or the Company Accountant. 6.7 The potential areas of fraud arising from lack of control within the accounting system have been identified as inventory control section and the purchase ledger section. Inventory control system would benefit from acquiring the Purchase Order Processing module which would improve the accuracy and reliability of the inventory control and would minimise risk of fraud. The Purchase Ledger section need more supervision as the Purchase Manager seems to be the most unreliable and suspicious person.