The Current Status Of Galaxy Formation - 1589 Words

The field of physics encompasses a variety of topics and sub-disciplines which include astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics, to name a few. As a student in the physics field, it is important to understand how physicists actually write and make arguments in their respective disciplines. By being able to analyze and rhetorically inspect an article, the material becomes more comprehensible and some potential implications of the writing begin to resound with the reader. The more we learn about the universe, the more we can predict what is to come and apply that knowledge to everyday life. Physics is a highly technical field with most of its papers including an immense amount of jargon, models, evidence, and observations. An inspection of an article entitled â€Å"The Current Status of Galaxy Formation,† written by Joseph Silk and Gary Mamon and published in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA), demonstrates these qualities in abundance and goes beyond them into the r ealm of how the research involving galaxy formation will change in the future. The exigence or urgency of this article is never explicitly stated, but it can be garnered from a cursory inspection that furthering the research in the field of cosmology (the study of the origin, evolution, and development of the universe), especially as it applies to galaxies, can lead to scientific and public understanding of what the future holds for us. This is important not merely for curiosity’s sake, but also forShow MoreRelatedThe Cosmic Spiral Block, And True Explanation Of The Body Aging Process877 Words   |  4 PagesOrganically Connected ‘SPIRALS’, which as a formation repeats itself in both directions and into both infinities – Super micro-cosmos super macro-cosmos. Terrestrial Humans belong to the ‘4th’ Spiral Cosmic Life Cycle, together with other Mezzo - cosmic organisms - plants animals. SPIRALS 1, 2 3 are Micro-cosmic cycles of ‘Molecu lar’, ‘Cell’ and ‘Organ’ Beings respectively, and the SPIRALS numbered by 5, 6 7 are zones of ‘Planets’, ‘Solar Systems’ and ‘Galaxies’ respectively. All of them ARE ABSOLUTELYRead MoreThe Theory Of General Relativity2556 Words   |  11 Pages No matter when we consider the beginning of time, there will always be the question of origin. And before then- what? 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Project Risk Management 420 Week 6 - 1105 Words

xxxxxxx PROJ 420 (A)/Fall A 11 Executive Summary Week 6 Assignment Executive Summary Due to economic strains our company is under more pressure than ever to deliver value and cannot afford to compromise productivity and efficiency. Our goal is to reduce the total cost and maximize efficiency within our office. We are continually seeking to maintain and improve our productivity and effectiveness in order to keep us from downsizing any department. Our task forces are implementing different processes that can help us find the less expensive way to meet our goal. Below we will discuss the possible risks and the recommendations to mitigate or eliminate those potential risks. We identified several risks and have assessed them in†¦show more content†¦Risk #1: Deficiency of skills - Risk of improper training. Status: RED Owner: Assistant of Supervisor of Operations Recommendations / Actions: * Allocate funds to properly train all staff. Target completion: 12/15. Risk #2: Changes – Risk that fluctuation of employees might impact visibility of scope. Status: Red Owner: Supervisor of Operations Recommendations/Actions: * Plan for retirees and establish communication within the staff. Target completion 12/1. Risk #3: Funding - The lack of appropriate funds to train and educate staff. Status: Amber Owner: Director Recommendation/Actions: * Establishing allocations. Target completion 12/1. Risk #4: Lack of clarity - The lack of clear and concise goals and or confusion about the goal of the scope. Status: Amber Owner: Assistant Director Recommendation/Actions: * Obtain feedback from staff. Target completion 12/9. Risk | Risk Category | Probability | Impact | Risk Score | Risk Rank | Risk Response | Owner | Lack of knowledge on proper usage of equipment | Technical | 3 | 5 | 15 | 1 | Training staff on the proper way to utilize and maximize the usage of all equipment. | Asst of Sup of Operations | Employees retiring and fired might impact schedules | External | 3 | 5 | 15 | 2 | Better planning in order to incorporate the flow of personnel within the company. | Supervisor of Operations | Confusion about the goal and scope of project | Management | 2 | 5 | 10 | 3 |Show MoreRelatedProj 420 Coursework Guide Week 1 - 7696 Words   |  3 PagesPROJ 420 Coursework Guide Week 1 - 7 Purchase here http://devrycourse.com/proj-420-coursework-guide-week-1-7 Product Description (PROJ 420 Project Risk Management) PROJ 420 Week 1 Course Project Assignment; Project Topic Proposal and Outline PROJ 420 Week 1 Discussion 1 Why Should We Practice Risk Management PROJ 420 Week 1 Discussion 2 The ATOM Risk Management Process PROJ 420 Week 2 Course Project Assignment; Project Sizing and Stakeholder Analysis PROJ 420 Week 2 DiscussionRead MoreProj 420 Entire Course Project Risk Management Essay631 Words   |  3 Pageshomeworkproviders.com/shop/proj-420-entire-course/ PROJ 420 ENTIRE COURSE PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT PROJ 420 (PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT) COMPLETE WORK – DEVRY PROJ 420 Week 1 Course Project Assignment Project Topic Proposal and Outline PROJ 420 Week 1 Discussion 1 Why Should We Practice Risk Management PROJ 420 Week 1 Discussion 2 The ATOM Risk Management Process PROJ 420 Week 2 Course Project Assignment; Project Sizing and Stakeholder Analysis PROJ 420 Week 2 Discussion 1 The InitiationRead MoreTIG Welding Essay example1469 Words   |  6 Pageswelded joints in stainless steels are also the main subject of the senior project which will be submitted at the end of this year. 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Controlling And Monitoring Of Its Monetary-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Controlling And Monitoring Of Its Monetary? Answer: Introduction The accounting department is a critical part of a business organization that is involved in controlling and monitoring of its monetary resources. The accounting professionals of a business entity need to prepare their financial statements as per the accounting policies and procedures developed by the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board). These financial accounting policies are major principles, rules and procedures that need to be followed by the management of a business entity for developing and presenting its financial statements. The adoption of the IASB developed accounting policies and procedures are essential for a business entity for meeting the different needs and demands of its various stakeholders. The accounting policies and procedures are developed on the basis of various accounting theories such as positive and normative accounting theories (Henderson et al., 2015). In this context, the present report aims to analyze and examine the importance of the accountin g policies and procedures in a business entity through selecting an ASX listed firm, that is, Wesfarmers Ltd. The report evaluates the accounting policies used by a firm and analyze it with the accounting procedures used by its competitor. In addition to this, the report evaluates the quality of accounting policies of the firm by considering the impact of political pressures on standard-setting of accounting bodies. Assessing accounting policies and estimates of Wesfarmers Ltd Wesfarmers Limited is a recognized Australian company that along with its subsidiaries is involved in retailing of chemicals, fertilizers, coal mining, industrial and safety products. The Group composition consists of subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates. As per the annual report of the company, it has effectively adopted and complied with the accounting policies of AASB (Australian Accounting Standards) and the Corporations Act 2001. The Group has mentioned the basics accounting policies adopted for developing its consolidated financial statements as per the AASB standards. The Group has adopted the accounting policies such as principles of consolidation, recognition and measurement policies for fixed assets on cost basis, implementing accounting estimates and judgments as per the GAAP principles. The Group has also disclosed proper policies in relation to risk management programs for minimizing the occurrence of risk hazards. The Board has complied with all the necessary env ironmental policies and legislations through developing a risk management program that has maintained adequate provisions for meeting the associated costs due to violation of any Australian or international environmental regulations. The auditors report has also advocated that the Group has implemented a code of professional conduct that guides its overall business process and procedures. The Group has also provided all the relevant information in relation to its future compliance with new accounting standards such as IFRS 15 and AASB 15 (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). Assess Accounting Flexibility The accounting policies provide a framework to a business entity for developing its financial accounts such a deprecation, goodwill recognition, inventory valuation and consolidation of financial accounts (Sheridan, 2016). However, the business entities possess the authority to select the accounting methods that proves beneficial for improving their profitability and growth. However, the business entities need to conform to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and IFRS while the adoption of specific accounting policies during financial reporting. The Wesfarmers Ltd has implemented some flexibility in selection of its accounting framework policies for maintaining its accounts such as deprecation, inventory, goodwill and assets. The management of the Group has exercised some discretion in selection of the accounting policies for valuing its assets, liabilities, leases and goodwill as per the fair value accounting model. However, the board has adopted strict policies and procedure for monitoring and controlling the managers operations so that they dont take undue advantage of their freedom. The management of the group through has the authority to select the accounting policies as per the nature of business operations but the board ensures that the policies adopted are in compliance with the AASB standards and Corporations Act (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). Accounting policies and estimates used by their ?competitors and comparison of accounting policies and estimates used by the ?firm with one of its rival company The major competitors of Wesfarmers Limited is Woolworths, Billabong, Coles can be regarded to be a major rivals of the Group. The Group is recognized a global leader in retail industry of Australia with its main competitor of Woolworths Limited. The Woolworths Limited is also a retail giant in Australia with its main operations in supermarket, liquor retailing, hotels and pubs and discount department stores. The analysis of the annual report of both Wesfarmers and Woolworths reveals that they have adopted and implemented accounting policies and estimates in accordance with the AASB standards. However, there exist some significant differences between the accounting policies and estimated of Woolworths and Wesfarmers as evident from their notes to the financial statements section. The net carrying value of assets and liabilities are valued at their fair value and incorporates the use of hedge accounting for hedging the risks (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). On the contrary, Woolworths does not implement the use of hedge accounting for recognizing any gain or loss in the consolidated financial statements. Also, the structure of income statements prepared for both the groups has major differences. The income statement of Wesfarmers have clearly defined the main elements such as income, expense and profit while in case of Woolworths the structure of the statement is not very clear. The Wesfarmers have recorded expenditure in their income statement on the basis of employee benefits and considering the depreciation and amortization. On the other hand, Woolworths have recorded expenses on the basis of administration expenses and not considered the depreciation and amortization. However, both the firms have adopted the changed accounting policies and estimates but the policies implemented are as per the AASB standards and thus are agreeable and acceptable (Hussey and Ong, 2017). Accounting Strategy The analysis of accounting policies and estimates of Wesfarmers with that of industry peers such as Woolworths have indicated that there exists flexibility in the accounting framework of business corporations. The business corporations select the accounting methods as per their nature of operational activities as evident form the difference in accounting policies and estimates adopted by Woolworths and Wesfarmers. However, there is only minor difference between the accounting policies of Wesfarmers as compared to that of its peers such as Woolworths as analyzed from their financial reporting system. Both the Groups have adopted similar accounting methods in preparation of cash flow statement, statement of changes in equity and also adopt the use of fair value accounting model in developing their balance sheet and income statement. Thus, it can be said that Wesfarmers and its peer group select the accounting policies as per their business operations but follow the standard accounting norms directed by AASB. The change in the accounting policies in respect to that of industry norms is explained adequately in the annual report of the Group (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). As analyzed from the financial report of Wesfarmers Limited, the change in the structure of the accounting transactions is as per the accounting objectives of the group. The Wesfarmers is placing emphasis on enhancing the cash flow by selling its assets while Woolworths is increase its cash flow by enhancing its asset base. Thus, Wesfarmers are incorporating the use of hedge accounting and fair value model for increasing the revenue by selling the asset base. The flexibility in the accounting framework is implemented by the managing directors of the Wesfarmers Limited for improving its profitability position. The Board has introduced short-term and long-term incentives plan for the management depending on the firms financial position. The incentives plan is developed to provide motivation to the management to implement the accounting policies that help in increasing the financial performance of the Group but by complying effectively with all the AASB accounting principles (Mirza and Ankarath, 2012). The Board ensures that flexibility in accounting choices provided to the managing directors is in accordance with the standard accounting rules for restricting the occurrence of any fraudulent activities (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). Evaluating the Quality of Disclosure The Wesfarmers Limited have strictly implemented and adopted the standard accounting policies and regulations for improving its quality of financial reporting. The Group have disclosed effectively the AASB standards implemented for valuing its financial instruments and also the future compliance with the new AASB standards. The notes to the financial statements section of the annual report have provided all the necessary information about the accounting policies and estimates used by the Group for developing its financial statement by explaining the significance of each. The notes to the financial statements section have sufficiently explained the financial performance of the firm and are in consistence with its current financial position. The accounting policies depicted in the notes and that adopted for preparing the financial statements are same without any differences. There is adequate disclosure in the notes section relating to board composition, remuneration policies, risk man agement policies and policies adopted for promoting the sustainable growth of the Group. Also, there is sufficient information relating to the key judgments and estimates used by the Group relating to recognition and measurement of income, inventories, PPE, goodwill and other accounting information (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). The GAAP principles has assisted the Group in reflecting its key measures of success such as basis of consolidation, the accounting policy adopted for measuring the foreign currency transactions, goodwill, impairment and other funding activities. These all activities are carried out by the Group as per the AASB and IFRS standards advocated by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Mirza and Ankarath, 2012). The notes to the financial statements section of the Group has also disclosed adequate information relating to the functions of its operating segments. The Group has organized and managed separately its operating segments as per the nature of products and services. Each segment if the Group represents a strategic business unit that is involved in providing different products and services as per the external marketplace. The financial performance of each of its operating segments is evaluated on the basis of operating profit or loss while interest income and expenditure is n ot allocated to each of its operating segments that is managed on group basis (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). Identifying Potential Red Flags The annual reports of the Group over the last two years have indicated that it has strong financial position in the year 2015 and 2016. The financial reporting of the Group has been done as per the basis of historical cost except for some financial instruments that are measured at fair value. This change in the accounting policies of the Group has not been adequately explained by the Group in its financial reports. Thus, there is not appropriate explanation about the change in the accounting adopted by the Group in different set of circumstances. The Group has implemented different method of recording its accounting transactions related to its expenditure in the income statement without its adequate disclosure as compared to the industry norms. The expenses are classified on the basis of employee benefits, depreciation and amortization unlike the normal categorization of administration, operating and interest expenses on the income statement (Pietra, McLeay and Ronen, 2013). Thus, al l these other expenses of the Group are not able to quantify as per the normal expenditures listed across the income statements and thus it is required to provide a proper explanation of such expenses in the notes to accounts section as evident from the screenshot: It is also evident from the financial reports of the Group that it has maintained a huge inventory level and thus leading to decline in its liquidity position. The monetary funds of the Group has been tied up in the accounts receivable and thus resulting in increase in its accounts receivables as comparison to the sales. Also, the Group is increasing its cash flows by selling its assets that can result in enhancing the gap between net income and cash flows. This is due to increase in the cash flows of the Group resulting in accounting profit higher than the taxable income and thus creating a gap between net income and taxable income. However, the annual report of the Group does not indicate any presence of R D partnerships for financing its operations but the group is utilizing the cash received from sale of its assets for carrying its business operations. The Group has also recorded a decrease in its operating cash flow of about 11% as compared to that in the year 2015. This can be regarded as a point of major concern for the Group as it needs to increase its investment in acquiring assets for maintaining its cash inflows. However, there is no evidence of fourth-quarter adjustments or related-party transactions in the annual report of the Group. There is also increase in the asset write-offs of the group in the financial year 2016 as compared to that of the financial year 2015 as depicted in the screenshot below: Compliant with the Conceptual Framework The financial reports of Wesfarmers have been prepared by the management in strict compliance with the AASB and IFRS standards as directed by the accounting standard-setting bodies. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) have directed the corporations listed on ASX to carry out their operational activities as per the AASB accounting rules and conventions. The IFRS have been developed by the IASB (International Accounting Standards Bodies) for promoting harmonization between the financial reporting standards of corporations across the world (Wolk, Dodd and Rozycki, 2012). As such, the Wesfarmers is complying with both the accounting standards as indicated from its financial reports. The notes to the financial statements section of the group has effectively disclosed all the accounting policies adopted in preparation of its consolidated statements as per the mandates of AASB and IASB. The proper accounting disclosures have been mandated by the accounting standard-se tting bodies for improving the transparency in business operations and protecting the interests of all its overall stakeholders. As such, business corporations listed on ASX in Australia are bound to follow the principle of conceptual accounting framework in development of their financial reports. The principles are relevance, reliability, comparability and completeness. These principles are required to be integrated in the financial reporting system of business entities for ensuring the development of quality financial reports that effectively meet the needs of all the end-users (Wesfarmers: Annual Report, 2016). The group has also adopted some flexibility in its accounting framework as per the nature of its business operations as discussed in the above sections of the report. These accounting choices have been made by the group for improving its financial conditions as per its operational activities. However, the Group has maintained its compliance with the standard accounting rules while implementing particular accounting choices and disclosures. The difference in the accounting choices of Wesfarmers and the business corporations in other parts of the world are due to the impact of political factors in the external marketplace (Kenny, 2009). The difference in the disclosure process of the corporations around the world is due to lack of development of a comprehensive conceptual theory of accounting that can result in harmonization of accounting standards. The accounting choices made by the business entities are significantly influenced by the economic conditions present in the external marke t place. The government institutions, professional associations, industry groups and also ASX influences the accounting choices and estimates made by the corporations operating in Australia. The Wesfarmers have adopted fair value rules and changed lease rules as per the economic conditions of the Australia. As such, the changed accounting rules can help the group to get a favorable treatment by the auditors and thus improve their financial performance (Knight, 2004). The FASB and IASB have mandated the firms to adopt the accounting standards that help them to produce economic favorable results. However, the lack of harmonization of accounting policies is creating need for adopting different accounting choices by the firms across the world. Thus, it can be said that accounting rules adopted by a business entity can provide an undue advantage to one party as compared to the other due to the absence of a comprehensive conceptual theory of accounting (Albrecht, 2010). However, ASX have prioritized the need of investors over those of the companies and therefore it is required on the part of Australian companies to adopt the accounting standards that are in accordance with the conceptual accounting framework. This is essential to provide maximum value to the stakeholders including investors and creditors by providing them all the necessary and realistic financial information. As such, it can be stated that Wesfarmers have complied with all the principl es of conceptual accounting framework by providing all the necessary financial information in its annul disclosures (Mirza and Ankarath, 2012). Conclusion It can be inferred from the overall discussion held in the report that Wesfarmers has implemented accounting and financial reporting strategies as per the international accounting standards and policies. The difference in the accounting policies and estimated used by the Group are due to the impact of political pressure present in the external marketplace where it operates. References Albrecht, D. 2010. Economic Consequences and the Political Nature of Accounting Standard Setting. [Online]. Available at: https://profalbrecht.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/economic-consequences-and-the-political-nature-of-accounting-standard-setting/ [Accessed on: 13 September, 2017]. Henderson, S. et al. 2015. Issues in Financial Accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Hoffman, C.W. 2016. Revising the Conceptual Framework of the International Standards: IASB Proposals Met with Support and Skepticism. World Journal of Business and Management 2 (1), pp. 1-32. Hussey, R. and Ong, A. 2017. Corporate Financial Reporting. Springer. Kenny, G. 2009. Diversification Strategy: How to Grow a Business by Diversifying Successfully. Kogan Page Publishers. Knight, J. 2004. Internationalization Remodeled: Definition, Approaches, and Rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education 8 (5), pp. 5-29. Mirza, A. and Ankarath, N. 2012. Wiley International Trends in Financial Reporting under IFRS: Including Comparisons with US GAAP, China GAAP, and India Accounting Standards. John Wiley Sons. Pietra, R., McLeay, S and Ronen, J. 2013.Accounting and Regulation: New Insights on Governance, Markets and Institutions. Springer Science Business Media. Sheridan, T. 2016. Managerial Fraud: Executive Impression Management, Beyond Red Flags. Routledge. Wesfarmers: Annual Report. 2015. [Online]. Available at: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/docs/default-source/reports/2015-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=4 [Accessed on: 13 September, 2017]. Wesfarmers: Annual Report. 2016. [Online]. Available at: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/docs/default-source/reports/2016-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=4 [Accessed on: 13 September, 2017]. Wolk, H., Dodd, J. and Rozycki. J. 2012. Accounting Theory: Conceptual Issues in a Political and Economic Environment. SAGE.

Strategic Managment Assignment Essay Example

Strategic Managment Assignment Essay IS AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM APPROPRIATE? EXPLAIN YOUR POSITION? Answer: looking at the current scenario, incentive program is very appropriate. This is because, it help the employer to identify the various factors like motivation, skills, recognition, etc. for an employee. Incentive program can also be used to counter failure in the organizations i. e. failure in meeting targets, poor behavior, or performance 2) IF SO, SHOULD THERE BE ONE, TWO OR SEVERAL PLANS? Answer: There should be several incentives programs like point program, employee incentives (which can be used to increase employee moral), sales incentives (which can be used to drive sales and reduce costs and increase profits). The other kinds of incentives can be group incentives. This is because here, they have to work in groups. 3) WHO SHOULD BE INCLUDED? Answer: For the incentive program, all the groups and individuals (employees, line managers and low line workers) should be included. 4) WHAT SHOULD BE THE BASIS FOR INCENTIVE PAYMENT? Answer:   performance  appraisal, managers judgment, etc. ) WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES SHOULD BE INCLUDED? Answer: The various incentives that should be included here are gain sharing and profit sharing incentives. The other incentives can be like cash rewards, percentage increase in base pay, and other non-cash prizes. EXERCISE 11. 1 1) WHAT WERE THE KEY VARIABLES YOU CONSIDER IN YOUR SELECTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP BASED PFP SYSTEM? We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Managment Assignment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Managment Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Managment Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Answer: The various variables that should be considered are as follows: a)workers values outcomes(money, prizes) b) Outcome is valued relative to other rewards. c) Desired performance must be measurable. d) Workers must be able to control rate of output or quality. ) Workers must be capable of increasing output or quality. f) Workers must believe that capability to increase exists. g) Workers must believe that increased output will result in receiving a reward. h) Size of reward must be sufficient to stimulate increased effort. i) Performance measures must be compatible with strategic goals for short and long term. 3) WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD LEAD YOU TO CONCLUDE THAT A PFP SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE ORGANIZATION? Answer: The various circumstances that would lead to failure of a PFP system would be as follows: a) Poor perceived connection between performance and pay ) The level of performance-based pay is too low relative to base pay. The cost of more highly moti vating programs may be prohibitive. c) Lack of objective, countable results for most jobs, requiring the use of performance ratings. d) Faulty performance appraisal system, with poor cooperation for managers, leniency bias in the appraisal, and resistance to change. e) Union resistance to such system and to change in general. f) Poor connection between PFP outcomes and corporate performance measures.

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buy custom Development of Saudi Education essay Places of education in the early era; In Saudi Arabia there were a number of learning places in the early times but a few of the places were identified before the Islam state. These few main learning places in the early era of the Peninsula are; Kuttab; This learning place was open to all people in the society regardless of their societal status. There was the separation and grouping of people according to age. The aged people were given there own Kuttab. Education here is generally free. The teacher will not ask for anything but some parents may decide to give something such as money, food or clothing. Before the coming of Islam there were few Kuttabs in few places where kids could memorize the Quran apart from learning basic reading, writing, arithmetic and morals,(Ho,2011). Halqah (Study circle); According to earlier information from Britannica Encyclopedia each mosques used to have a number of study circles. The teacher used to be seated on a dais while the pupils gather themselves in a semicircle in front of him and listening to him. Circles in the mosque had variety in approach, course content, size, and teaching quality. The teacher used the method of instruction that emphasized on lectures and rote memorization. Teachers were respected by the learners as were seen as the final people in education as their lectures were meticulously recorded in notebooks by the learners. Sometimes students could from one place to another in search for good teachers more especially those teaching the Hadith (sayings of Prophet Mohammed). There you could find a large number of them that additional teacher was required. Palaces schools; These are Special classes for special wealthy classes of people who wanted special and qualitative education for their children. These palace schools used to choose good lectures to teach their children in a more advanced reading, writing and good morals in the society, (Ho, 2011). Badiah (Rural or Bedouins places and life); In these places people were allowed to learn the strong basis of Arabic language this is because people used to meet in the cities with different languages and culture. Therefore, there was the need to a uniform Arabic language for all, (Oberon, 2001). Bookstores; This was a place where people used to sell and buy books, but it was also a place for discussions and meetings between scholars and educators in the Peninsula Scholars houses; This was a house open to all student scholars who wanted to continue with this scholarship for long time. It also refers to the special classes that were held for gifted and special cases students besides the public classes organized in Halqah. Mosques (Masjed in Arabic); The mosques was also used as the court, conferences, learning centers, meeting points and early Kuttabs and Halqah used for teaching, up to then there are still a number of Halqah in Saudis mosques,(Ho,2011). Thus one can say that these places were helpful in the past in satisfying the peoples educational needs. However these places each had its limitations that could not allow efficient services. Places of education before the establishment of Saudi Arabia; Ottoman Empire: ending 1916; This was a great empire which involved each part of the country including the Arabian Peninsula. It later on became a problem in the whole area. The empire had put more emphasis on the Islamic region than the western region because of the importance that was associated with Mecca and Maddinah in Islamic world. The empire began schools in the wheaten regions which later became grounds for their supporters. They also changed the school language from Arabic to Turkish. The few people accepted and continued learning in these schools as majority turned them down, (Ho, 2011). Hashemy era: 1916 1924; This is when Shareef Hussein Bin Ali led Arab revolution against Turk and Ottoman Empire which had humiliated the people. Then he led the people into dropping any kind of Turkish influences in their lifestyle especially in education. He facilitated for the closure of all Turkish schools as he involved the scholars in establishing new educational systems. In a period of one year there was a great and changed system that started from preparing school, then advance elementary school and finally high secondary school. This made People find there way to education. He made the people aware of the importance of education thereby motivating them. Early Saudi; By 1926 the Arabian Peninsula was still divided into several portions. King Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud in 1926 became the king of the Hejaz and Sultan Nejd and Dependencies While On September 18, 1932, Ibn Saud was proclaimed king of Saudi Arabia. It marked the final unification of the divide country into empires. Formal and organized education systems in Saudi Arabia did not exist until 1948. Before then there existed a traditional educational system called Kuttab in the Arabian Peninsula. During this period, these schools were only meant for boy-child only. The girl-child was taught by the mothers at home and boys were taught by men in Kuttab schools. The Kuttab schools were situated in the mosque or in the homes of teachers. These teachers used to be the Imam. When the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established, public education in the Arabian Peninsula was limited to only elementary schools. The traditional curriculum of this education was reduced to rote memorization of the Quran as well as to reading and writing Arabic. In 1925, Kuttab schools were replaced by the formal schools controlled by the government. But this time round literacy of the people had spread almost all over the Arabian Peninsula, (Ho, 2011) The Educational System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; During the era of Hashemy, King Abdulaziz started the first formalized education in 1925 at a place called the Directorate of Education. This was first placed within the Ministry of the Interior. This was due to the fact that there was limited educationist to start and run the department on its own. The Egyptians ere called in for assistance in teaching and financing the curriculum. On the other hand the Egyptian educational model was following the footsteps of the English educational model thus it indirectly introduced it to the Saudi Educational model. Due to the increased demand for education new educational regulations were introduced by the General Directorate of Education. The Directorate was now allowed to control the Saudi educational affairs for the first time. As a result of all this development, in 1925 the first government school in Saudi Arabia was started. Several of these schools were established in 1936 which became full-fledged elementally schools three years later. The entire school population at this time was only 2319 pupils in the whole country. But the demand for education grew further as the country advanced to the new era. The number of elementary schools grew up to 182 in 1949, carrying a total number of 21,409 pupils, (Ho, 2011). In 1963 the supreme committee for education was established to supervise educational activities in the country. The spending on the education sector has been tripling from 1970 to 2000.in 2004 the public spending on education was 6.8 per cent of the GDP The Structure and Curriculum of Public Education; Public education in Saudi consists of three levels of education. This levels are; elementally, intermediate and secondary level. The school year consists of two semesters which have fifteen weeks each. Length of the lesson in a class is forty five minutes, (Bibme, 2007). Pre-primary education; Children aged between 3-5 years can join Kindergarten. Kindergarten is not considered as the pre-requisite for joining intermediary level and its not part of the education ladder in Saudi. However some nurseries have been developed by the government plan to alleviate this level of education. According to information from the government sources, up to around 100,714 children were schooling in pre-primary school as per the 2007 records. Elementary education; This level consists of six grades; students begins going to school at the age of six years. The curriculum here focuses on the Islamic education, Arabic language, mathematics, history, geography and sciences. Instead of physical education, the girls take feminine education, (Warlick, 2010). Subjects Hours Per Week First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade Islamic Studies 9 9 9 9 9 9 Arabic Studies 12 9 9 9 8 8 Social Studies 0 0 0 2 2 2 Science 1 2 2 2 3 3 Mathematics 2 4 4 5 5 5 Art Education 2 2 2 1 1 1 Physical Education 2 2 2 2 2 2 Total Hours 28 28 28 31 31 31 Table of the elementary school curriculum Intermediate education; To enter the intermediate education one has to pass the sixth grade in the elementary education the ages of entry is between 12-15 years. Here students add more general education courses besides Islamic and Arabic languages,(Warlick,2010). This level goes for three years. Upon passing of the examination the student is made to select among the following three options to advance in; (1) regular secondary school, (2) vocational education, (3) Quran schools. The following is the table detailing the curriculum in this level of education; Subjects Hours Per Week First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Islamic Studies 8 8 8 Arabic Studies 6 6 6 English 4 4 4 Science 4 4 4 Mathematics 4 4 4 Art Education 2 2 2 Physical Education 1 1 1 History 2 2 2 Geography 2 2 2 Total Hours (Boys) 33 33 33 Secondary Education; The first secondary education was established in 1926. This came as a result of the development of the foreign preparatory school in 1937. The main aim of this education was to prepare the students for higher education in Egypt universities. Thus most of the teachers were hired from Egypt together with their curriculum structure. It takes a maximum of three years. Due to economic development in the oil, commercial and industrial sectors, secondary education expanded between1950s and 1960s, (Oberon, 2001). Higher Education Higher education in Saudi lasts for fours in humanities and social science fields while in medicine, engineering and pharmacy takes five to six years. Upon completion and passing of secondary education, one joins university education. The first university was developed in 1957 and was called King Saud University. It was the first of its own in the Arab states. Currently there are twenty four public universities and many private colleges and universities in Saudi. This university also consists of colleges and departments that offer diplomas, bachelor, master and PhD degrees in various specializations and community services as well. Some offers distance learning programmes, (Oberon, 2001). The demand for higher education has been increasing from one year to another. In the year 2005, King Abdullah introduced a government scholarship program to sponsor Saudi students to study in western foreign universities. They mostly studied in United States, Canada, France, and German among others. Conclusion The development of the Saudi education has been a long process. The process has led to the renovation of the traditional education systems to the modern efficient education systems. The study of this development in education began from when the country had not been formed into an independent state and through this we are made to see the way the people were organized into informal learning systems. Due to devotion and willingness of the people of Saudi to learn more and know more, they together with their government developed their system of education that suits their religious, commercial and industrial needs. They borrowed some of its curriculum and teachers from Egypt in order to facilitate positive educational growth. Today, the country being an Islamic state has seen the importance of the Western education. Thus it has incorporated within its education programs resources to send their learners into foreign western universities to learn new technologies. This clearly indicates the characteristics of a developing nation. Buy custom Development of Saudi Education essay

Managing for ethical conduct in a global business environment

Managing for ethical conduct in a global business environment Since customs, culture and norms can be very different from their own, managers need to learn how to adapt to different cultures. .A good way to do this is by learning their language. In fact, according to this chapter, "language is an essential part of cultural learning and contributes to productive international business experience."(pg.318)In addition, learning about how people behave and conduct business in other countries is essential. Therefore, companies need to provide language training and guidance for the expatriate managers because this will help them be more effective in foreign assignments. In fact, being in a foreign country can present many challenges for the expatriate manager. Some of these challenges have to do mainly with ethical issues. For instance, employers in the United States usually hire employees with whom they have no personal relationship, but who have high skill and qualifications rather than a friend or relative who is less qualified for the job.Corpora tion: PeopleThis is part of our culture. But people from Spanish countries and Asia will consider this kind of practice unethical since they place more value on hiring family members or friends.Another challenge is the fact that some cultures consider gift giving as okay. For instance, in Japan gift-giving can be an important part of conducting business. But in the United States gift giving is considered to be a bribe. That is, "an attempt to influence an individual's business decisions."(pg.319) In fact, these cultural differences can be challenging. So it is important that managers be discreet and wise when dealing with other cultures. Their goal should be of making it a positive experience instead of tense and nonproductive.According to this chapter, if a company is doing business abroad, the company needs to develop guidelines and policies for their employees. Some of these guidelines...

Exploring how HR practice can drive the innovation in Abu Dhabi Dissertation

Exploring how HR practice can drive the innovation in Abu Dhabi Education Council - Dissertation Example These factors are important for the EI: motivation among employees, coordination skills, and knowledge sharing and employee empowerment. This study was carried out on an educational organization in UAE named as ADEC. The respondents were the employees of the organization, selected from two specific departments. To accomplish the objective, a survey questionnaire was designed in relation to the factors mentioned above. The sample of 70 employees from the two departments namely, human resource department and the department for policy planning and management were taken. Stratified sampling technique was used to select samples because the purpose was to obtain quick information. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Almighty Allah for His endless blessings and providing me with the much needed courage and inner help especially during this difficult phase of my life. I would like to thank my supervisors and I am highly indebted to them for their constant support and help. Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. / Ms ----. My teacher has been a great source of guidance during this task and helped me to complete this work. ____ has been a constant source of inspiration, very encouraging and supportive at every step of the task. My teacher has been willing to give continuous, timely and quality feedback which is unmatched in my experience. I am obliged to my Department â€Å"--------† from where I completed my Masters studies and attained more advanced knowledge regarding HRM and training. My deep gratitude is extended to -------- for his/her immense support and cooperation which helped me a lot in timely completion of study. Also I am thankful to ------- for her/his generous and tremendous support. My sincere thanks are due to the employees of ADEC working in Abu Dhabi whose cooperation in terms of filling up the questionnaires has made this effort successful. Finally, I would like to thank my family, my parents, friends and siblings for their unconditional love, su pport, prayers and optimism – without you all, I would not be able to reach this destination which I am today. Contents Abstract 2 1.1 Objectives of the Study 11 1.2 Rational of the study 12 2.0 Literature review 12 2.1 Definition of Training 12 2.2 Training process 13 2.3 Learning Theories about Training 14 2.4 Employee Empowerment 15 2.5 Knowledge Sharing 16 2.6 Co-ordination Skills 17 2.7 Employee Motivation 19 2.8 Employee Innovativeness (EI) 20 2.8.1 Definition of Innovativeness 20 2.8.2 Innovativeness and Theory 21 2.8.3 Innovativeness Driving Factors 22 2.8.4 Anti-innovativeness Factors 24 2.9 Conceptual framework 26 2.10 Relationship between Training and Innovativeness (Li, Zhao and Liu, 2006) 27 3.0 Research Methodology 27 3.1 Research Question 27 3.1 Research Method 28 3.2 Research Strategy 29 3.3 Data Collection Sources 30 3.4 Target Population 31 3.5 Sample Design 31 3.6 Sample size 32 3.7 Data Collection Instruments 32 3.7.1 Questionnaire 32 3.8 Fieldwork 33 3.9 Data Analysis 33 3.10 Ethical Consideration 34 3.12 Aadvantages of the Research Method 35 3.13 Disadvantages of the Research Method 35 4.0 Results and Discussion 35 4.2 Training and innovativeness 36 4.3 UAE work culture and its influence on training and innovativeness 37 4.4 Analysis 38 5.0 Conclusion 63 5.1 Organizational Overview 63 5.2 Review of Hypothesis Development 64 5.2 Review of Research Problem and Objective 65 5.3 Explanation 66 6.0 Recommendation 67 6.1 Managerial Implication 69

Improving Perioperative Care through IT Research Paper

Improving Perioperative Care through IT - Research Paper Example This has also been as a result of the complex nature of surgical information systems, implementation challenges, resources to make them work as well the lack of sound practices required to automate perioperative systems yet it is believed that whatever enhancements will greatly improve care delivery process and the quality of care in the long term. Case studies: Adoption and success Recent adoption on implementation of IT through perioperative health care has been evident in two hospitals which are Basset Healthcare located in Cooperstown, New York and the University of Connecticut Health Care Center in Farmington, Connecticut. In both cases automation has been adopted and this has resulted in notable improvements in patient’s safety as well as clinical productivity and process efficiency (David Green 821). It has been reported that there have been improvements as a result of automated perioperative system at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital which is the Basset Healthcare’ s core patient facility that yielded a 33% turnaround time improvements and a supply cost reduction of $200 per case. As for University of Connecticut Health Center there has been strong enhancement in the efficiency of anesthesia management following its implementation of surgical information system just a few years after Bassett’s adoption of the same. This is more specifically in charge capture for billing which has since shown improvement. Perioperative technology: what it entails The technology that is required for the perioperative environment must be supported from a holistic point of view. In this case each component must be integrated with a larger set of technology that will be used in or throughout the perioperative process this is inclusive of perioperative information technology and clinical facilities (Karen A. Wager 253). To facilitate this, data sharing must be enabled in this case all perioperative data and knowledge bases must share common metadata. It is al so paramount that the technology supports all clinical and administrative data for perioperative care, from the initial identification of surgical case all through surgery, recovery and ongoing outcome analysis. Database that support these processes must be modernized so as support all types of data, and equipment usage in the surgical process. Clinician’s workflow must also be enhanced to make it easier, faster and less complicated. Data entry should be facilitated at once with real time precision and facilitate sharing ubiquitously as needed (Kenneth Laudon 92). This must be made possible by high level of surgical equipment and software application interoperability throughout the entire perioperative process. Data interoperability is important so as to reduce cases of data redundancy as well as errors. The use of management information systems should facilitate automated data entry without the need for manual re-entry so as to enhance clinical acceptance and accuracy of dat a by minimizing user workloads and errors in transcription. To better illustrate how the perioperative requirements have been less addresses we have to consider the much anticipates software support computerized physician order entry (CPOE) which was created with the sole intent of making possible direct, online order entry by physicians (Paul J. St. Jacques & Minear). CPOE software is highly focused for

The Impact of Project Management in Information Systems Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Project Management in Information Systems Essay The explosion in the computing field in the last twenty years forced the organisations to be computerised for achieving most of their operations using Information Technology (IT) systems. The implementation of the systems requires a management program for the IS applications development. Susan Brock (2003) supports that as the data into valuable corporate information has become more viable through information technologies, the application of IT based projects has risen too (Susan Brock, 2003). The organisations use Information System Projects for either updating, or either upgrading or changing the existing system in order to meet users or customers’ requirements. It is supposed that the tools and techniques used in such IS projects will differ independently based on the projects’ requirements. The roles and responsibilities of each contributor to the projects differ as well. The organisations responded to this new challenge by putting into place project management teams that take into account the technological and organisational complexity of their Information System Projects (Vital Roy, 2006). The management of a software development project presents many difficulties. Most Information Systems projects are considered less than successful or many are simply cancelled. Project Management has been introduced as a major factor for controlling and tracking their projects in order to avoid these project failures. On the other hand many IS projects are successful when are completed on time, on budget, on scope and met the customers and users needs and requirements. This could happen by investigating and analysing the key elements of project management required for the successful implementation of these projects. 2. Project Management in IS projects As it stated above, Project Management is the most important tool for managing, tracking and controlling the projects. David Dixon (1988) defined Project Management as the management tool for estimating, planning, scheduling the activities needed to achieve the expected levels of functionality, quality and performance within the specified constraints for cost, time, schedules and resources (David Dixon, 1988). These activities divided into different tasks which must be assigned to the project team and be controlled by the project manager. Although most of the projects are successful, delivered on time and covered the appropriate requested requirements, some of the projects are considered less than successful and many are simply challenged or cancelled. According to the study of Susan Brock (2003), projects’ failures have reduced significantly considering the number of projects has almost doubled between 1994 and 2002, however almost half of the projects remain â€Å"challenged† (Susan Brock, 2003). During the years, IT professionals researched and studied different situations and suggest some key elements and theories for the successful implementation of IS projects such as the documentation of the Project Initiation Document (PID), the important role of the project manager, the project planning, project quality, etc. 1. Organisational Framework First of all an important section to be investigated and analysed is the organisational framework which considers the organisational structure for IS project work. The organisational framework is established at the outset and well understood by all concerned since otherwise it will be impossible to get important decisions made and to get a clear idea about the project (James Cadle and Donald Yeates, 2001). It is very important to know the customer, sponsor and project manager of each project because they are all responsible to make the most important decisions for the project. The other various roles may be organised in different ways, depending on a number of factors including the type of the project and culture of the rganisation. The other principal roles for an IS project could be the analyst, designer, administrator, programmer, testing team and project office. The PRINCE project management method is suggested for the best organisational framework either in the start or during the process of the project. Projects in Controlled Environment (PRINCE) is a structured approach to project management developed by the UK government (James Cadle an d Donald Yeates, 2001). It was originally intended for the management of IS projects and offers a number of beneficial documents in the management of IS projects such as Project Initiation Document (PID), Risk Log Document, Project Quality Plan, Stage Plan Document, Work Plan Document, etc. 2. Project Manager Another key element, may be the most important, is the project manager. The project manager is appointed by the project board of the organisation and is responsible for the management of the project on a daily basis and for the achievement for the project objectives and expected results. . Role and Skills The project manager is totally responsible for the success or failure of the whole project. The role of the project manager is very important, serious and complicated. James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001) believe that project manager must track, monitor and check the project every day through to completion and also has to: ? Achieve the project’s objectives on time, on cost and quality constrai nts imposed by the project board. ? Take or make timely decisions to assure the project’s success ? Select project team members Create the project team and be ready for any changes in the team during project process. ? Keep the project board and senior management informed of progress and alert them to problems especially if these could affect the organisations’ or business objectives. ? Recommend the termination of the project if necessary. ? Take role of the communicator between the project board, senior management and project team. ? Select, manage and control subcontractors. ? Give permissions about the internal and external resources decided to be used in the project. ? Face and solve any problems or conflicts during the project’s process Generally, the project manager in an IS project has to create a product usually a new IS system incorporating hardware and software. As it stated above project manager should go through a difficult role to achieve the project’s objectives, however some skills are required in order to be a successful project manager such as: ^ Leadership: project managers must be able to stimulate action, progress and change. ^ Technological: project managers need to have a clear idea and accurate perception of the technical requirements of the project so that business needs are addressed and satisfied. Evaluation and decision making: project managers should have the ability to take serious decisions and evaluate alternatives. The members should be developed from a group of individuals, each with their own interests, style and goals, into a project team that works together to achieve the project’s objectives and requirements using the each other’s strengths. The most original and useful method of team effectiveness is Belbin Test, created by Dr. Meredith Belbin, which includes questionnaires for measuring aspects of personality completed by project team’s members. The scores from the questionnaires will help the project manager to assign the team members into the eight â€Å"team roles† suggested by the Belbin Method. According to the definitions given in the Belbin Test Document the eight project team roles are: ? Coordinator: provides consensual leadership, coordinating project team’s effort however lacking in originality. ? Shaper: A dynamic leader of the team, pushing activities forward and bringing â€Å"shape† to the team. The Shaper can be inspiring but can also be abrasive. ? Innovator: A source of original and a creative team member but sometimes forms a personal attachment to impractical ideas. Resource Investigator: Team’s link to the outside world and another source of ideas with the responsibility to identify and investigate resources that will help the team. ? Monitor/ Evaluator: Keeps the team on the right track and separates the practicable ideas from that are not, however sometimes is insensitive to the team members’ feelings. ? Team Worker: Sensitive to personal needs and upsets, works hard and maintains positive atmosphere in the team. ? Implementer/C ompany Worker: Takes an idea and produces a schedule. The company worker works well with plans and milestones but can be inflexible with any project’s changes. ? Completer/Finisher: Worries about what can go wrong in a project, checks up on detail and focuses the team on project’s deadlines (Belbin Test Document, 2006). If all the key roles of the project team are filled, project team stands a very good chance of success. On the other hand if some key roles of the project team are missing, it weakens the team and may lead to failure. 4. Project Plan Another key element of the project management required for the successful implementation of an IS Project is Project Plan. Planning is very important and essential in order to get the expected results and meet all the objectives and goals after the execution of the IS Project. It involves thinking hard about the IS project, what to achieve and how the team will go about it. The beginning for a good Project Plan is the understanding of the project’s requirements and the project manager must be sure that this is available before the start of the planning. The analysis of the work to be done has been made using the work breakdown structure or product breakdown structure. Work breakdown structure is the method that used to break down project progressively into smaller parts until the end up with individual tasks and work packages. After that project manager may create a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project as the tool for assigning the duration, milestone, resources, cost and staff required for each tasks as identified in the Work Breakdown Structure Diagram. Dave Martin (2004) states that â€Å"Of course ‘slippage’ from the plan is ‘a normal, natural trouble’ and its importance or magnitude is measured against the schedule. Where ‘slippage’ does occur, contingency plans are made by reference to possible implications† (Dave Martin, John Mariani and Rock Rouncefield, 2004). According to the above statement, the planning project breakdown should be revised easily especially when the project manager may need to re-estimate and reschedule some tasks in order to meet some missed requirements or to improve the progress of the project in case of ‘slippage’. Project Plan is also a way of communication between the project manager with the users, project team, project board and senior management so they can be informed anytime about project’s progress. James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001) are suggested that the project plan must always be in electronic version using either Microsoft Visio for the work breakdown structure or Microsoft Project for Gantt chart or network action diagram. Most of the planning tools have facilities to track progress on an IS project. The data may have to be input manually by the project manager or it may be possible to link the planning tool to a time recording system and capture the input that way (James Cadle and Donald Yeates, 2001). The project manager will be able to compare the actual progress with the plan in order to identify where problems seem to be arising and decide how to solve them. 5. Project Risk Management Information System projects are becoming increasingly complicated and are subjects to various risks. Risks cannot be avoided at all but they can be managed in such a way that they are recognised and their impacts are avoided or reduced. First of all the team has to identify the risks of the project, however each project is unique so its risks will arise from the factors that may not have been seen before in the project. There are a lot of project’s areas in which risk could arise and it is difficult for the project manager to be sure that all the possible risks have been identified. All risks must be highlighted even if some of them are unpopular or never arise in similar projects in the past. After the identification and analysis of each possible risk, they need to be described so that it is clear exactly what each risk is all about (Jamie Smith, 2005). Once there is a brief description of the risk, the project team is in a better position to understand its impact and what needs to be done to mitigate it. The following list, introduced by James Cadle and Donald Yeates (2001), provides the starting point for the identification of possible risks in an IS project:  ¦ The Commercial Background- it may be a new business area in which the organisation has little experience or no market research. The possible identified risk is the lack of information about the background and requirements of the projects  ¦ The Contract- is the formal, legal stipulation of the responsibilities and agreement between the organisation and the project team (Dave Martin, John Mariani and Rock Rouncefield, 2004). There may be the risk of delay or underperformance of the project, unclear terms in the contract about the payment or not linked tangible milestones.  ¦ The users- may be unfamiliar with the new technology or unwillingness to change working practises to fit with the new system such as the London Ambulance System (LSA). The management of the organisation and users may hold very different view of what the system supposed to do.  ¦ Acceptance Criteria – The acceptance criteria may not have been clearly defined in the contract or the customer may not accept some or all of the new system. The Project Plan- possible tight timescales, milestones may be too far apart or deliverables may not have been defined enough to work so the product is not the expected result, the project may be bigger so more staff is required than the estimation at the start of the project. After completing the risk identification the project team should take some actions against those risks like the avoiding actions, try to prevent the risks from occurring, and the mitigation actions where the project teams try to reduce the impact of the risks if they occur. Finally the project teams register the identified risks either using the Risk Log Document which is part of the PRINCE or the risk map if they want to highlight only the very important and dangerous risks. 3. Conclusions The impact of Project Management in the Information Systems Project improved the percentages for the successful projects. It is the management tool for planning, monitoring, tracking and controlling the whole process of the project. The IS project to be considered will be the delivery of a specified information system within given constraints of time, quality, resources and cost, however the project organisational framework is also important because the project team has the chance to get a clear understanding of who the customer, the project’s scope and the purpose of the project is. The PRINCE project management method offers an effective structure for the management of IS project. The project manager plays the most important roles in a project team and is the main reason for the success or the failure of the project. Project manager is responsible for the build of the project teams using the most popular method of Belbin Test. Project Plan is also required in order to track, monitor, control and compare tasks with the time. The suggested tool for planning is work or product breakdown structure for break down tasks into smaller subtasks. Project Manager must take decisions about the duration, cost and resources for each task which can be presented in a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project.

Management From The Corps :: essays research papers

I want to use this opportunity to discuss two things, both near and dear to my heart; The United States Marine Corps and Management. Throughout this paper I want to focus on how I think civilians can learn to be better managers by using what that corps has established over it’s illustrious 223 years as the â€Å"Best Management-Training Program in America† Inc. (Freedman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States Marine Corps manages using a principle I learned in this course: Decentralization! Let me break this down. I learned it quite simply as the rule of three. But before I define this, I will briefly explain to you a small portion of the Marine rank structure. A Corporal is the first rank that an enlisted Marine is considered a leader due to his/her rank (though all Marines are trained to lead). The Corporal is the first of the Marine Non-commissioned Officers (NCO’S), then in ascending order is the Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, and so on. Now back to the rule of three. Each Marine has three responsibilities. In our organizational structure, a Corporal has a three-person fire team; a Sergeant has a squad of three fire teams; and a Staff Sergeant has a platoon of three squads; and so on, up to the Colonels and Generals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the typical business, decentralizing and flattening organizational structure involves â€Å"gutting several layers of management, often leaving managers overwhelmed with as many as a dozen direct subordinates† (Freedman). In contrast, the Marine Corps has been able to push out authority but still maintain a â€Å"simple hierarchical structure designed to keep everyone’s job manageable† (Freedman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What at first glance may seem rigid or narrow, the many layers between the Private and Colonel lend opportunity for innovation. At the same time, even the lowest ranking Marine, the Private knows that he or she is expected to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission. An organization (civilian) may want to look at this a little further. We must have established managers, but the notion of delegation of authority should be expanded in the civilian world. Well considered delegation of authority not only lifts some pressure off the titled manager, but also gives some well-deserved leadership satisfaction to an employee who may never have had the chance to be a â€Å"manager†. The success of the Marine Corps Management strategy is apparent in the vast numbers of ex-Marines who hold the Chief Executive Officer, President, Vice President, Chairman, and Manager positions at all levels in top. Management From The Corps :: essays research papers I want to use this opportunity to discuss two things, both near and dear to my heart; The United States Marine Corps and Management. Throughout this paper I want to focus on how I think civilians can learn to be better managers by using what that corps has established over it’s illustrious 223 years as the â€Å"Best Management-Training Program in America† Inc. (Freedman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States Marine Corps manages using a principle I learned in this course: Decentralization! Let me break this down. I learned it quite simply as the rule of three. But before I define this, I will briefly explain to you a small portion of the Marine rank structure. A Corporal is the first rank that an enlisted Marine is considered a leader due to his/her rank (though all Marines are trained to lead). The Corporal is the first of the Marine Non-commissioned Officers (NCO’S), then in ascending order is the Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, and so on. Now back to the rule of three. Each Marine has three responsibilities. In our organizational structure, a Corporal has a three-person fire team; a Sergeant has a squad of three fire teams; and a Staff Sergeant has a platoon of three squads; and so on, up to the Colonels and Generals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the typical business, decentralizing and flattening organizational structure involves â€Å"gutting several layers of management, often leaving managers overwhelmed with as many as a dozen direct subordinates† (Freedman). In contrast, the Marine Corps has been able to push out authority but still maintain a â€Å"simple hierarchical structure designed to keep everyone’s job manageable† (Freedman).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What at first glance may seem rigid or narrow, the many layers between the Private and Colonel lend opportunity for innovation. At the same time, even the lowest ranking Marine, the Private knows that he or she is expected to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission. An organization (civilian) may want to look at this a little further. We must have established managers, but the notion of delegation of authority should be expanded in the civilian world. Well considered delegation of authority not only lifts some pressure off the titled manager, but also gives some well-deserved leadership satisfaction to an employee who may never have had the chance to be a â€Å"manager†. The success of the Marine Corps Management strategy is apparent in the vast numbers of ex-Marines who hold the Chief Executive Officer, President, Vice President, Chairman, and Manager positions at all levels in top.

Decision Making Across the Organization

The Martinez Company has decided to introduce a new product and would like to evaluate the costs of manufacturing through capital intensive and labor intensive manufacturing methods to determine which of the two methods to employ. The values to be used in the evaluation for capital intensive manufacturing are direct materials at $5 per unit, direct labor at $6 per unit, a variable overhead of $3 per unit, and fixed manufacturing costs of $2,508,000. The values for material, labor, and overhead are summed to find the total variable cost of $14.The labor intensive values are direct materials at $5.50 per unit, direct labor at $8 per unit, a variable overhead of $4. 50 per unit, and fixed manufacturing costs of $1,538,000. The research department of Martinez recommended an introductory price unit sales price of $30. Incremental selling expenses are estimated to be $502,000 annually plus $2 for each unit sold regardless of the method used to manufacture. Capital Intensive To calculate ca pital intensive estimated break-even point in annual unit sales of the new product the contribution margin per unit and contribution margin per ratio are necessary.The equation for contribution margin per unit is Selling Price + Variable Cost, or $30 + $14, for a contribution margin per unit price of $16. The equation for contribution margin ration is Contribution Margin per Unit / Selling Price, or $16/$30, for a contribution margin ratio of 53%. The break-even point in units is calculated by dividing the fixed costs by the contribution margin per unit value, $2,508,000 / $16 = 156750 units as the break-even point. The fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio, $2,508,000 / 53% = $4,702,500 break-even point in dollars. Labor IntensiveTo calculate capital intensive estimated break-even point in annual unit sales of the new product the contribution margin per unit and contribution margin per ratio are necessary. The equation for contribution margin per unit is Selling Pric e + Variable Cost, or $30 + $18, for a contribution margin per unit price of $12. The equation for contribution margin ratio is Contribution Margin per Unit / Selling Price, or $12/$30, for a contribution margin ratio of 40%. The break-even point in units is calculated by dividing the fixed costs by the contribution margin per unit value, $1,538,000 / $12 = 128,167 units as the break-even point.The fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio, $1,538,000 / 40% = $3,845,000 break-even point in dollars. Unit Sales Volume of Indifference The volume of unit sales at which the Martinez Company would be indifferent between the two manufacturing methods is calculated as Sales = Variable Costs + Fixed Costs + Net Income. The value for sales is equivalent to the sales price, $30, multiplied by the number of units sold. Variable costs of $14 for capital intensive and $18 for labor intensive are also multiplied by the number of units sold.Fixed costs were provided at $2,508,000 for cap ital intensive and $1,538,000 for labor intensive. Net income is assumed to be $0. The equation values for 180,000 units under capital intensive manufacturing and 240,000 under labor intensive manufacturing is the volume of units for each method to equal sales of $2,880,000, the point at which the annual unit sales volume would be indifferent. Conclusion Evaluating the costs of manufacturing help management to make crucial decisions about methods of manufacturing that will result in profit for the business.Evaluating the capital intensive manufacturing method versus the labor intensive method provides the values necessary to make business decisions. The circumstances in which the Martinez Company would employ a capital intensive manufacturing method for the new product, based on the numbers provided in the scenario, would be if the contribution margin and per unit cost were cheaper than the labor intensive values. In this scenario, the labor intensive values offer a smaller break-ev en point value for units and dollars than the capital intensive method of manufacturing. Decision Making Across the Organization The Martinez Company has decided to introduce a new product and would like to evaluate the costs of manufacturing through capital intensive and labor intensive manufacturing methods to determine which of the two methods to employ. The values to be used in the evaluation for capital intensive manufacturing are direct materials at $5 per unit, direct labor at $6 per unit, a variable overhead of $3 per unit, and fixed manufacturing costs of $2,508,000. The values for material, labor, and overhead are summed to find the total variable cost of $14.The labor intensive values are direct materials at $5.50 per unit, direct labor at $8 per unit, a variable overhead of $4.50 per unit, and fixed manufacturing costs of $1,538,000. The research department of Martinez recommended an introductory price unit sales price of $30. Incremental selling expenses are estimated to be $502,000 annually plus $2 for each unit sold regardless of the method used to manufacture. Capital IntensiveTo calculate capi tal intensive estimated break-even point in annual unit sales of the new product the contribution margin per unit and contribution margin per ratio are necessary. The equation for contribution margin per unit is Selling Price + Variable Cost, or $30 + $14, for a contribution margin per unit price of $16. The equation for contribution margin ration is Contribution Margin per Unit / Selling Price, or $16/$30, for a contribution margin ratio of 53%.The break-even point in units is calculated by dividing the fixed costs by the contribution margin per unit value, $2,508,000 / $16 = 156750 units as the break-even point. The fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio, $2,508,000 / 53% = $4,702,500 break-even point in dollars. Labor IntensiveTo calculate capital intensive estimated break-even point in annual unit sales of the new product the contribution margin per unit and contribution  margin per ratio are necessary. The equation for contribution margin per unit is Selling Pri ce + Variable Cost, or $30 + $18, for a contribution margin per unit price of $12.The equation for contribution margin ratio is Contribution Margin per Unit / Selling Price, or $12/$30, for a contribution margin ratio of 40%. The break-even point in units is calculated by dividing the fixed costs by the contribution margin per unit value, $1,538,000 / $12 = 128,167 units as the break-even point. The fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio, $1,538,000 / 40% = $3,845,000 break-even point in dollars. Unit Sales Volume of IndifferenceThe volume of unit sales at which the Martinez Company would be indifferent between the two manufacturing methods is calculated as Sales = Variable Costs + Fixed Costs + Net Income. The value for sales is equivalent to the sales price, $30, multiplied by the number of units sold. Variable costs of $14 for capital intensive and $18 for labor intensive are also multiplied by the number of units sold. Fixed costs were provided at $2,508,000 for ca pital intensive and $1,538,000 for labor intensive.Net income is assumed to be $0. The equation values for 180,000 units under capital intensive manufacturing and 240,000 under labor intensive manufacturing is the volume of units for each method to equal sales of $2,880,000, the point at which the annual unit sales volume would be indifferent.ConclusionEvaluating the costs of manufacturing help management to make crucial decisions about methods of manufacturing that will result in profit for the business. Evaluating the capital intensive manufacturing method versus the labor intensive method provides the values necessary to make business decisions.The circumstances in which the Martinez Company would employ a capital intensive manufacturing method for the new product, based on the numbers provided in the scenario, would be if the contribution margin and per unit cost were cheaper than the labor intensive values. In this scenario, the labor intensive values offer a smaller break-even point value for units and dollars than the capital intensive method of manufacturing.

Resposibilities of a Team Leader Essay

My role is within the finance function and I supervise one Team Administrator but I do often take the lead within finance projects. I currently work in Personal Care and Support within Runnymede Social Care Team. The team delivers social care services for people aged 18 +. . Responsibilities of a Team Leader 1.To be responsible and accountable for the work and productivity of the team A team manager needs to be responsible for decisions made which guide the team to complete tasks. Decisions are normally made by gathering information and requesting feedback. However, there are time when it will be necessary, due to short time constraints that a Team Leader will need to make a decision on the spot using their own knowledge and experience. 2.To be aware of policies and procedures and to communicate any changes to staff Team Leaders need to be aware of policies and procedures to be able to guide staff to complete tasks within the remit of the department and County Council. They should also make staff aware of any changes. 3.Solve issues, conflict within the team and dealing with under performance. Team Leaders need to put measures in place to deal with underperformance. This should involve discussion with the individual involved, setting short term goals and monitoring progress. Any training needs should be identified and appropriate action taken to ensure the individual is equipped to complete the tasks required. 4.Chair Team Meetings Team Leaders should chair effective meetings by giving clear instructions when necessary, listening to and acting upon feed back and issuing a record of the meeting with action points for relevant staff with clear deadlines. Two examples which would need higher authority. 1. A team member wishes to undertake training which is not organised by Surrey County Council. The expenditure would have to be authorised by a senior manager. 2. If issues could not be solved with under performance in an informal basis then a senior manager would need to make the decision to take a formal route. Feedback on own performance I receive feedback on my own performance within my appraisal last April. Goals were agreed and monitored throughout the year. A strength that was identified was my ability to meet tight deadlines demonstrated by my completion on our â€Å"month end† process by the deadline each month. An area for improvement is my lack of confidence at public speaking. I am required to complete finance inductions with Care Managers and I found myself getting flustered and not sounding confident in my knowledge. Establishing Trust Trust can be established by effective communication and acting upon any issues with the team or individuals. Communicating openly and honestly without distorting information keeping promises and commitments.

Discover Trompe lOeil Art in Painting and Architecture

Discover Trompe l'Oeil Art in Painting and Architecture French for fool the eye,  trompe loeil art creates the illusion of reality. Through skillful use of color, shading, and perspective, painted objects appear three-dimensional.  Faux finishes like marbling and wood graining add to the trompe loeil effect. Applied to furniture, paintings, walls, ceilings, decorative items, set designs, or building facades, trompe l’oeil art inspires a gasp of surprise and wonder. Although tromper means to deceive, viewers are often willing participants, delighting in the visual trickery. Trompe l'Oeil Art Shading and perspectiveFaux finishes3-D effects Pronounced tromp loi, trompe-l’oeil may be spelled with or without a hyphen. In French, the  Ã…“  ligature is used:  trompe l’œil. Realistic artworks were not described as trompe-loeil until the late 1800s, but the desire to capture reality dates back to ancient times. Early Frescoes Fresco from the House of Meleagro, Pompeii,1st Century.   Photo  ©DEA / G. NIMATALLAH/ Getty   In ancient Greece and Rome, artisans applied pigments to wet plaster to create life-like details. Flat surfaces appeared three dimensional when painters added false columns, corbels, and other architectural ornaments. The Greek artist Zeuxis (5th century B.C.) is said to have painted grapes so convincing, even birds were deceived. Frescoes (plaster wall paintings) found in Pompeii and other archaeological sites contain trompe loeil elements. For many centuries, artists continued to use the wet plaster method to transform interior spaces. In villas, palaces, churches, and cathedrals, trompe loeil images gave the illusion of vast space and distant vistas. Through the magic of perspective and skillful use of light and shadow, domes became sky and windowless spaces opened to imaginary vistas. Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475 -1564) used wet plaster when he filled the vast ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with cascading angels, Biblical figures, and an enormous bearded God surrounded by trompe loeil columns and beams. Secret Formulas Dresden Triptych, Oil on Oak, 1437, by Jan van Eyck. Dresden State Art Collections, Gemldegalerie Alte Meisterm.   DEA / E. LESSING / Getty Images By painting with wet plaster, artists could give walls and ceilings rich color and a sense of depth. However, plaster dries quickly. Even the greatest fresco painters could not achieve subtle blending or precise details. For smaller paintings, European artists commonly used egg-based tempera applied to wood panels. This medium was easier to work with, but it also dried quickly. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, artists searched for new, more flexible paint formulas. The Northern European painter Jan Van Eyck (c.1395-c.1441) popularized the idea of adding boiled oil to pigments. Thin, nearly transparent glazes applied over wood panels gave objects a life-like gleam. Measuring less than thirteen inches long, Van Eycks Dresen Triptych is a tour de force with ultra real  images of Romanesque columns and arches. Viewers can imagine they are looking through a window into a Biblical scene. Faux carvings and tapestries enhance the illusion. Other Renaissance painters invented their own recipes, combining the traditional egg-based tempera formula with a variety of ingredients, from powdered bone to lead and walnut oil. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) used his own experimental oil and tempera formula when he painted his famous mural, The Last Supper. Tragically, da Vinci’s methods were flawed and the breathtakingly realistic details began to flake within a few years. Dutch Deceivers Tromp-loeil Still-Life, 1664, by Samuel Dirksz, vanHoogstraten. Dordrechts Museum Collection.   Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images During the 17th century, Flemish still life painters became known for optical illusions. Three-dimensional objects seemed to project from the frame. Open cabinets and archways suggested deep recesses. Stamps, letters, and news bulletins were depicted so convincingly, passersby might be tempted to pluck them from the painting. Sometimes images of brushes and palettes were included to call attention to the deception. There’s an air of delight in the artistic trickery, and it’s possible that the Dutch masters competed in their efforts to conjure reality. Many developed new oil-and wax-based formulas, each claiming that their own offered superior properties. Artists like Gerard Houckgeest (1600-1661), Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Samuel Dirksz  Hoogstraten  (1627-1678), and Evert Collier (c.1640-1710) could not have painted their magical deceptions if not for the versatility of the new mediums. Eventually, advanced technologies and mass-production made the painting formulas of the Dutch masters obsolete. Popular tastes moved toward expressionist and abstract styles. Nevertheless, a fascination for trompe loeil realism persisted through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. American artists De Scott Evans (1847-1898),  William Harnett (1848–1892), John Peto (1854–1907), and John Haberle (1856-1933) painted meticulous still lifes in the tradition of the Dutch illusionists. French-born painter and scholar Jacques Maroger (1884-1962) analyzed the properties of early paint mediums. His classic text,The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Masters, included recipes he claimed to have rediscovered. His theories reawakened interest in classical styles, stirred controversy, and inspired writers. Modern Magic Artist Tjalf Sparnaay with one of his megarealistic paintings. cc Tjalf Sparnaay   Merogers return to classical techniques was one of many realistic styles that emerged during the second half of the 20th century. Realism gave modern-day artists a way to explore and reinterpret the world with scientific precision and ironic detachment. Photorealists painstakingly reproduced photographic images. Hyperrealists toyed with realistic elements, exaggerating details, distorting scale, or juxtaposing figures and objects in unexpected ways.  Dutch painter Tjalf Sparnaay (shown above) calls himself a â€Å"megarealist† because he paints â€Å"mega-sized† versions of commercial products. My intention is to give these objects a soul and a renewed presence,† Sparnaay explains on his website. 3-D Street Art Mural for Fontainebleau Hotel, Richard Haas, Designer, Created 1985-86, Demolished 2002. Corbis Documentary / Getty Images Trompe l’oeil by contemporary artists  can be whimsical, satirical, disturbing, or surreal. Incorporated into paintings, murals, advertising posters, and sculpture, the deceptive images often defy the laws of physics and toy with our perception of the world. Artist Richard Haas made deft use of trompe l’oeil magic when he designed a six-story mural for the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. False finishes transformed a blank wall into a triumphal arch made of mortared stone blocks (shown above). The enormous fluted column, the twin caryatids, and the bass relief flamingos were tricks of light, shadow, and perspective.The sky and waterfall were also optical illusions, teasing passersby into believing they might stroll through the arch to the beach. The Fontainebleau mural entertained Miami visitors from 1986 until 2002, when the wall was demolished to make way for real, rather than trompe l’oeil, views of the waterside resort. Commercial wall art like the Fontainebleau mural is often transitory. Weather takes a toll, tastes change, and new construction replaces the old. Nevertheless, 3-D street art plays an important role in reshaping our urban landscapes. Time-bending murals by French artist Pierre Delavie conjure historic vistas. German artist Edgar Mueller turns street pavement into heart-thumping views of cliffs and caves. American artist John Pugh opens walls with eye-deceiving images of impossible scenes. In cities around the world, trompe loeil mural artists force us to ask: What is real? What is artifice? What is important? Sources Deceptions and Illusions: Five Centuries of Trompe LOeil Painting, by Sybille Ebert-Schifferer with essays by Sybille Ebert-Schifferer ... [et al.]; Catalog of an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, 2002-Mar. 2, 2003.Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice, by The J. Paul Getty Trust, 1995 [PDF, accessed April 22, 2017] ; https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/historical_paintings.pdfMusee du Trompe lOeil, museedutrompeloeil.com/en/trompe-loeil/The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Masters by Jacques Maroger (trans.  Eleanor Beckham), New York: Studio Publications, 1948.