Monday, September 30, 2019

International Communication Focusing on Fifa 2014

Vuvuzelas sound and it fills the stadiums with a noise that is still heard ringing in the ears of millions days later, even months after it has ended. The overwhelming feeling of excitement spreads through the veins of everyone watching and those on the edge of their seats just waiting for the next goal to be scored, determining who wins the world cup and takes home the famous gold â€Å"FIFA World Cup Trophy. † The World Cup is a tournament that comes every four years and lasts a month long with tournaments every day from June 13th- July 13th The World Cup brings in a whirlwind of excitement and emotions. This victorious event will be held in Brazil in the year of 2014 but before June 13th hits, there is a massive amount of planning to be done. With all the preparations leading up to the World Cup we will capture the trials and tribulations through the eyes of four locals in Rio de Janeiro. First, we will film one year before hand and capture everyday life without the World Cup. We will take a look at how Brazilians live their lives on a day to day basis without the chaos and media attention of the event. We will do this by following four individuals, interviewing them about how they feel about the World Cup and how it is affecting their daily routine. Our second round of filming will place our crews with the same four peole on the day of the first game in Rio de Janeiro. The World Cup takes the world by storm every four years. While in America, soccer has just recently gained a large following, it has been a way of life for generations in many countries throughout the world. We can identify with this phenomenon somewhat if we relate it to the impact of the Olympics when they were held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. An event of this scale becomes all-consuming and places the city and country under a worldwide microscope. The World Cup produces a whirlwind of excitement with years of preparation that costs and generates millions of dollars. Many sports in America have a strong following and fan-base, but nothing can truly be compared to that of soccer overseas. Countries such as Mexico, Spain and Brazil look at soccer, its players, and the games, as a way of life. Brazil especially has been known for its talented and renowned soccer (â€Å"futebol†) team throughout the years and they have won five World Cups. From the outside looking in, Brazil has been known as one of the powerhouses, if not the powerhouse of soccer worldwide. The fact that FIFA and all of the other governing and deciding bodies have chosen to place the World Cup 2014 in Brazil generates further excitement, but also places this country under close watch from viewers worldwide. As we saw with the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, a country can be drastically altered and affected by such a large-scale event. We want to create this documentary to shed light on the impacts, trials and jubilation of such an incredible event. While many see the benefits of hosting such an event, there are plenty of drawbacks as well. We want to create an in-depth look of this phenomenon, the World Cup, and show also how it affects the country that is producing the event. So much goes on behind the scenes and many lives are impacted, whether negatively or positively. By following four real people with everyday jobs and average, normal lives, we hope to inform the public of the on-goings of the preparation for the World Cup, as well as how individual lives are impacted. We want to follow four people; a ticket scalper, police officer, a fan and a street vendor. Through this we hope to achieve a more personal view of such an immensely grand event. We want to inform the public of the preparations involved in the World Cup as well as the madness that ensues once it all begins. We will chronicle this massive worldwide soccer tournament through the eyes of normal everyday Rio de Janeiro citizens in the attempt to show a real-life perspective of a fantastical and media-centric event. While there are documentaries aplenty, ours is unique in that it shows the impact on a country and its citizens, something many viewers of the World Cup never consider. By creating a personal and impactful narrative that comments on economic repercussions, nationalism and pride, we hope to appeal to viewers who want to see a cultural view of soccer that has never before been created. Nicknamed â€Å"Cidade Maravilhosa† — Portuguese for â€Å"marvelous city† — Rio de Janeiro conjures many images including Ipanema Beach and the famous Cristo Redentor statue atop Corcovado Mountain. But in 2014, one of the most important global sporting events, the World Cup, will arrive in Brazil where soccer — or futebol as they know it — is the lifeblood of the culture. After FIFA announced Brazil as the hosts of the 2014 World Cup on October 30, 2007, a different set of images would materialize for the population of Rio de Janeiro. Once upon a time it was the site of the final match of the 19 50 World Cup in Maracana Stadium. Uruguay came from behind to beat its host 2-1, even though Brazil was heavily favored after eliminating previous opponents Spain and Sweden. Since then, Rio de Janeiro has been home to some of Brazil’s most popular soccer clubs: Botafogo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Flamengo. With a past and present such as this, tensions and expectations will undoubtedly be high, especially where soccer is so inter-meshed with their culture. Choosing to film in Rio de Janeiro will capture much of this drama associated with the World Cup as we follow our four subjects: the police officer, the fan, the street vendor and the ticket scalper. In general, we want to keep the area surrounding Maracana Stadium as our locus of interest, but this isn’t necessarily realistic. The subjects have dynamic lives each and every day, especially as the World Cup draws closer, so it may be difficult to remain under the shadow of the venue. As each subject travels through different areas of the city, the camera crews will have to make critical judgment calls about when to uncap the lens. Our film crews can expect to capture the best footage in some of Rio de Janeiro’s most exciting sites. The city is known for its soccer, tourism, night life and beaches, but we will want to focus on the North Zone. It contains several neighborhoods and important tourist attractions, including our primary filming location, Maracana Stadium, which is located in the Tijuca neighborhood. It is home to many of the middle class residents and also the lower class favelas, which are crime-ridden neighborhoods filled with poorly built shanties. Our police officer will certainly be answering calls from this poor section of Rio de Janeiro where our ticket scalper is a resident. Our street vendor and soccer fan will also be residents of the Rio North Zone. It is there in the North Zone that we will want to follow each of our characters into their homes. Once inside their homes, our camera crews can film the effects of the World Cup on the Brazilian household unit. We will discover just how the home family life is transformed both demographically and psycho-graphically. Questions can be answered such as: a) Has new disposable income, as provided by the World Cup’s economic opportunities, increased the family’s standard of living? b) Has Brazilian pride in its national sport entered the home life? c) Has the importance of home security changed due to the hysteria associated with the World Cup? Once these questions are answered, a more complete view of the character is revealed and analyzed by the audience. Another set of important sites will be public centers for transportation. The primary modes of transportation are by municipal train and bus lines since driving by car is very difficult. Due to a great deal of highway congestion, cars often move at a snail-like pace. Important themes will manifest themselves as we travel to and from each location. These places, which are usually replete with a colorful culture, will be amplified in the presence of the World Cup. The documentary will actively connect the dots between Brazil’s national pride and their national sport at these various locations. The Maracana Stadium will be the most important site. There we will capture each of our characters’ paths intersecting outside and inside the venue. The fan will obviously be destined for the stadium itself; the street vendor will set up shop as close to the stadium as possible so as to snag the most consumers as possible; and the policeman will have critical interactions with the ticket scalper, who will be acting against the law. Many memorable characters exist in a documentary just like any other genre of film. The goal is to capture reality but there is no need to move away from the act of story telling. The idea behind the characters of our documentary is that they are all connected through each other by the duties they perform throughout the documentary.. Our first character to appear is the police officer. Juan Sminho is 38 and works for the Rio de Janeiro tourist police. He performs regular policing in the streets of Rio by assisting tourists and pointing them in the proper direction to where they are headed. Juan also performs similar duties to what the united states police force does but he is not as involved with crime as our police forces are. He lives on the north side in a two bedroom apartment with his wife and brother. He does not come from a wealthy family but did inherit some from his parents when they were murdered 10 years ago in a robbing which pushed him to become part of the Brazil police force to keep things like that from happening to other families. He will show the audience what it is like in everyday life as a tourist officer, then there will be a dramatic change of pace a year later on the chaotic streets of Rio where his duties are truly put to the test with all the tourist in town for the World Cup games. Juan’s duties will be to perform crowd control, assist tourists and seek out ticket scalpers; this is a highly illegal offense in Brazil. Most everyone has seen a ticket scalper before, but if not, they are the ones that stand on the corners of concert/sport venues and sell those last minute tickets needed for the fans. Ticket scalping is very illegal in Brazil and punishable by jail time, but that does not stop our scalper from risking it all for some extra cash. We will follow Gustavo Silva, a thirty-four year old Rio native who has never left the North region. He works as a ticket scalper primarily, but during the slow months tries to make ends meet by helping out at his parents' modest fruit stand in the outskirts of Rio. The popularity of soccer as a sport, particularly in Brazil, directly effects his livelihood and well-being. Seeing Gustavo in his element both before and during the World Cup will create a dynamic story for the viewers. Viewers will identify with Gustavo's endearing and persuasive personality because of his hard-working attitude. Ticket scalping just became illegal in Brazil, which is obviously a threat for Gustavo. The documentary will show the discrepancies in this law as it is not seriously enforced until the World Cup in 2014. The effects of this on Gustavo will prove to be detrimental. With money being tight and having to find work wherever possible, some residents of Rio do not have a choice. Our team has high hopes for our scalper that he will sell a ticket to our next character, the fan. What is a team without its fans; similar to a sandwich without bread. A sandwich does not exist without bread much like a team would be nowhere without fans. Soccer fans have been seen taking their â€Å"fandom† to the extreme, but the more extreme it is, the more the team feels honored and welcome. Brazil soccer fans are famous throughout the world for their enthusiasm and carnival atmosphere at the World Cup. Many soccer managers will often claim that soccer fans can act as an extra man or the infamous â€Å"12th Man† and this is certainly the case when Brazil plays in front of over 100,000 soccer fans at the famous Maracana Stadium. The fans are not always as supportive though, in fact, they can be rather harsh. This was shown when the team came home after the 2006 world cup without a win, according to Kevin McNally of E-zine Articles. We hope to capture all this excitement while following around our dedicated fan, if Brazil loses then it is possible that our film gets even more interesting with the outrage that the country will have on them. Choosing a fan for our documentary was tough but we have found one who truly shows the spirit needed to connect with our audience. Paulo Cardoso is originally from Rio and lived there until he was 18. Once old enough, he moved to the United States to attend college but soon wanted to return to his home country after graduating. Paulo is a business major but is currently working at his parents coffee shop as a manager to help them out. He is 28 and has been an avid futebol fan since he was born, according to him. Every four years he gathers around the big screens in Rio to watch Brazil triumph, or try to, over their competitors. He will take us through the festivals in Rio including â€Å"Fan Fest Rio 2014. † His grandfather attended the World Cup in 1950 when it was last held in Brazil followed by the World Cup in 1978 held in Argentina and this time Paulo’s father went alongside. Paulo has been saving as much money as he can to be able to hold the tickets that so many others strive to have. He does not plan on buying a ticket before the games due to hopefully cheaper prices on game day. He will be a huge help on guiding us around Rio due to our unfamiliarity to the city. Paulo brings to the documentary the familiar language of English but with the Brazilian traditions that we could all stand to learn from. He as well as many other fans will interact with many people but as always, he will buy some form of merchandise from a street vendor before the game. This will allow for our fan and street vendor to interact with one another. There will be a numerous amount of street vendors trying to sell anything they have that represents the world renowned Brazil â€Å"Futebol† Team. Our film crews will follow around one vendor who sets up shop close to the stadium in hopes of catching the most business. Gearing up for the World Cup takes a lot of preparation, which is why it is imperative that we catch her one year before hand before she starts ordering merchandise and preparing for the mass amounts of fans to flood the city of Rio. Claudia Trigoso, 26, lives in the favelas in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Under normal circumstances Claudia deals with irregular employment due to his low socioeconomic standing, but the arrival of the World Cup will give her the opportunity to transform her situation. She has applied to Eurosport catalog to sell some of their merchandise near Maracana stadium. Soon, with the proper licenses, she will be cleared by Rio’s municipal administrators to set up in this area. Claudia hopes she can make enough profit to start a business of her own after the World Cup and its excitement wane. With this in mind, she might someday have the opportunity to move out of the North Zone favelas into a safer, more affluent neighborhood where she hopes to start a family of her own. In addition to highlighting the changes from life before the World Cup to life uring the tournament from the perspective of our four main characters, our camera crew will venture out into the streets and local pubs. Our crew will conduct first-hand interviews with everyday citizens to get a better grasp on the impact of the World Cup on the people of Rio. The filming crew will ask the public questions pertaining to how the World Cup has economically impacted their businesses, their transportation around the city, and whether or not they will be watching or attending the World Cup. There are many components that go into making a documentary outside of the characters, locations and themes. While the overarching themes will make a large impact on our viewers, the intricate details disbursed throughout the film will contribute drastically to the overall feel of the documentary. Throughout the documentary our characters and locations will be introduced using typewriter text as it is typed across a blank screen. The segments will not necessarily be rigidly formatted but the characters will be introduced as they fall into place in the documentary. Aside from the interviews included in our film it will primarily remain in the observational category of documentary film making. By taking a third-party neutral approach to the film the audience will get a realistic and personal view into the lives of the residents of Rio. Our documentary will target a large demographic due to the emotional and sports aspects as well as the excitement generated from the FIFA World Cup overall. We hope to target ages eighteen to fifty by placing this sixty minute documentary on a major network such as ABC. We initially contemplated airing the documentary on ESPN because of its sports focus, but eventually agreed that ABC would be the best choice. Not only is it a well-respected major network, but our aim is to capture the World Cup viewers for our documentary. By airing Joga Bonito on the network that is already broadcasting all of the World Cup games, we will grab the attention of the avid soccer fans who will hopefully already be watching ABC (the World Cup games will be used as somewhat of a lead-in for our documentary). In order to generate even more viewers, we will air advertisements throughout the month of the World Cup tournament to create buzz and excitement. Throughout this month, the public will have plenty of time to hear and read about our documentary. The documentary â€Å"Joga Bonito† will air as a prime-time special a few days before the World Cup finals. The title of our documentary, Joga Bonito, is meant to evoke the spirit and essence of soccer and of Brazil. This term is Portuguese for â€Å"The Beautiful Game† which is commonly used to describe Association football, also known as futebol or soccer. When soccer was originally created and rules were formally established, it was referred to as â€Å"The Simplest Game†. This eventually evolved into The Beautiful Game, or Joga Bonito, when a famous Brazilian player named Pele named his biography The Beautiful Game. Because this term is now widely used when referring to the sport of soccer, and because of its roots and foundations in the country of Brazil, we saw Joga Bonito as a fitting title for our documentary. Joga Bonito will, as previously stated, offer to its viewers a discourse of national identity and the impact of the World Cup on the citizens of Brazil within the context of an emotional adventure through the streets of Rio. The juxtaposition of a personal look at the four characters and the mainstream international media event known as the World Cup will create a unique and powerful documentary. This concept appeals to the masses because it addresses a worldwide event. Within this discourse, however, we visit the personal implications of such an event and the role of nationalism and pride within an international context. By contrasting life before the World Cup with life during one of the first games, the drastic cultural and societal changes that occur in preparation of such an event will be highlighted. The emotional appeal of this documentary will intrigue viewers while informing them of international life and the results of an event that thrusts a nation into the international spotlight.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

James Cameron’s Science Fiction film “Terminator II” Essay

James Cameron’s Science Fiction film â€Å"Terminator II† uses various conventions of Sci-Fi to not only engage viewers, but entertainment them. Science fiction uses various futuristic elements to convey powerful comments about society. This is most effectively done through his powerful and relatable social comments. His central social comments force audiences to question their own world and like all Sci-Fi texts explore how possible this actually is. The dominant social comment explored by James Cameron is that Technology will be our downfall. Other social comments that are also relevant are that humans have an intrinsic need to adhere towards morals and ethics that can’t be taught and that it is in the human race’s nature to destroy themselves. James Cameron clearly explains the social comments through various film techniques. Similarly, Henry Slesar’s short story ‘Examination Day’ relies heavily on its powerful social comment to effe ctively engage readers. While both texts make significant social comments, various other sci-fi conventions are also used to keep responders entertained. The dominant social comment that entertains the audience in an effective way explored by James Cameron is that technology will ironically be our demise. Cameron cleverly juxtaposes the opening scene of the hustle and bustle of lively Los Angeles to the close up traffic in 2029. However, in this shot the cars are destroyed and an empty playground further indicates the dystopian world of our society. The diegetic laughter of the girl on the swing and the non-diegetic music in the background creates suspense. The extreme white fade out to a dramatic close up of the empty swing swinging back and forth which then brings us to the close up camera shot of a human skull being crushed by the terminator clearly reveals that technology will lead to our demise. With the war of the robots being shown in the opening scene, audiences can immediately conclude that the genre of thriller is brought to the film as suspense is immediately introduced in the opening scene. This war indicates from the outset that technology will be our demise. While the irony of machines destroying humanity is immediately established as a significant social comment in this sci-fi text, Cameron begins to explore the characteristics of humanity in his second social comment. Throughout the film, Cameron relies on the humorous juxtaposition between the T100 and John Connor to highlight the emotional and idiocentric characteristic that are inherently human. It is through this and several other film techniques that Cameron’s second social comment is explored; that being human, is not something that can be taught. The moral and ethical justifications that are intrinsic to being human is clearly explored in the scene where John attempts to explain why, â€Å"You can’t just go around killing people†. John’s dialogue is contrasted with the T100’s question; â€Å"why not?† close up camera shots of their contrasting facial expressions highl ights this significant idea, that despite our natural inclination â€Å"destroy ourselves†, reason and morality is only inherent to us Johns invalid explanation, â€Å"because you just can’t †¦ this stuff is important†, highlights the barrier between machine and human. Through this social comment audiences can easily link the text to the science fictional genre. This barrier is further explored when John humorously attempts to ‘humanise’ the Terminator. Through various satirical scenes Cameron reveals humanity’s saving grace is intact their emotions which are ironically aligned to weakness. When the T100 asks, â€Å"why do you cry?† The T100’s crying motif mixed with several film techniques symbolises the disparity between machines and humanity. In an age where technology is seen to advance the human mind, the T100’s inability to understand why people cry highlights the superiority of humans, â€Å"we just cry.† Again further explaining the social comment we can still relate the film to the sci-fi genre. The third idea explored by Cameron is the ironic self- destructive behaviour of humanity. Using real life examples Cameron attempts to create a logical link between the creation of the destructive, ab ominable Terminators and the weapons that are already leading us into destruction â€Å"it is in your nature to destroy yourselves†. While the terminator metaphorically highlights the paradox of our constant creation of destruction, it is the female protagonist Sarah Connor, who provides a fresh face and new insight into sci-fi revealing the contrast between the destructive creation of men and the beautiful, creation that only women are privileged to endure, â€Å"Fucking men like you built the hydrogen bomb. Men like you thought it up†¦ You don’t know what it’s like to†¦ create a life†¦ All you know how to create is death†¦ † . Her use of repetition and expletives highlights Cameron’s feministic approach to this social comment, symbolising men’s obsession with creating destruction. This not only makes this sci-fi film unique and original in its exploration of this common theme, it also allows audiences to question why humans are so obsessed with playing â€Å"God†. Similarly to ‘Terminator II’ the short story ‘Examination Day’ also explores Sci-fi convections in similar ways. Like ‘Terminator II’, ‘Examination Day’ is driven by its powerful and dramatic social comment. While subtly revealed to be set in the future, unlike ‘Terminator II’ this is not the dominant focus in the text. While the commentary is different to that of ‘Terminator II’, both texts entertain audiences primarily by focusing them to question their own lives like all sci-fi text, thus posing the ‘what if’ question. The short story ‘Examination Day’ hyperbolically explores a world where governments obtain ultimate control. This is brought to the readers in the opening paragraphs when Dickies parents are discussing a â€Å"Government intelligence test they give children at the age of twelve†. It is â€Å"the moisture in his mother’s eyes† when readers are aware that the story they have been told has contrasted what really is happening. Even though the links to sci-fi aren’t as clear as the ones in ‘Terminator II’ we still see the connection through the thriller genre. As both Mr and Mrs Jordan try to avoid the conversation about the test suspense begins to develop as we understand that the test will possibly resemble a big part in the Jordan family’s life. As Mr Jordan explains the details of the test further we learn that the government will provide Dickie with truth serum. In this event readers are immediately informed that the government play a big role in everything which is making civilization less utopian and more dystopian. Is through little key things during the story we can see a resemblance to a futuristic world such as ‘Terminator II’, â€Å"Your classification number is 600-115†. Unlike ‘Terminator II’ this short story utilises various literary techniques to explore this powerful social comment, relying on descriptive language and body gestures to capture the mystery and anxiety relating to this exam. Furthermore the repetitive image of the â€Å"moistness of his mother’s eyes† heightens suspense, hinting towards the significance of this â€Å"Government intelligence test†. Like ‘Terminator II’ this text uses various sci-fi conventions such as the embedded t hriller genre to effectively engaging audiences, keeping them entertained. As the denouement reveals the unpredictable twist, â€Å"we regret to inform you†¦ his intelligence quotient is above government regulation†, the disturbing social comment become clearer â€Å"†¦whether you wish his body interred by the government, or would you prefer a private burial place?† Slesar’s clever use of inversion as Dickie fails the intelligence test because he is too smart, seems to be warning readers about the dangers of power and control, and the need for people to be more engaged and aware of governments and other organisations that may abuse their power. Like most sci-fi texts, ‘Examination Day’ challenges our own world, and contemplates what may happen if we do not take more responsibility and interest in the powerful bodies that govern the people. Again, it is this dramatic yet relatable social comment that most effectively engages readers by shocking them much like ‘Terminator II’. While ‘Terminator II’ looks at humanity’s ironic destructive nature and dangerous over reliance on technology, ‘Examination Day’ focuses on humanity’s often gullible and negligent over reliance on powerful forces such as the government. While both texts are strongly driven by the relevant and powerful social comments, both texts follow the conventions of sci-fi through their mutual futuristic settings, advanced technology as well as the utilisation of other genres within; specifically the thriller genre. Along with powerful film and literary techniques, both texts entertain audiences.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Personal Code of Ethics Essay

After spending much time considering this assignment, I feel now that developing a code of ethics is an important thing to do. The basic knowledge of what is right and what is wrong make up our â€Å"internal† code of ethics and the best way to know what those internal guidelines are is to create a written code to follow. This paper will explain why I believe developing a code of ethics is important, highlight the motives behind what I base my daily decisions and ethical behavior, clarify the outcomes and consequences that will take place if the code is not followed, and outline in list form my own personal ethics. I think that ethical behavior is an important quality for people especially those who are leaders. If I plan on being a leader in my career, it is important to know when to take a stand on difficult issues. I can’t lead if I am irresolute or indecisive. I am not saying though, that I shouldn’t be open to new arguments. Many of the most significant discussions (ethical and otherwise) have strong points on both sides, and all choices should be considered carefully. Ethics inspire trust, loyalty, and effective, meaningful relationships. If I am going to make a difference, I must set high ethical examples for others to follow. My personal code of ethics includes not only how I wish to conduct myself on a daily basis, but also as a professional in the field of broadcast journalism. Much of my own code reflects on that of the Society of Professional Journalists (Andy Schotz, 2007). I hope to re-examine this during my future career and perhaps even make necessary changes that will keep it as up to date as possible and relevant to the field at that time. The times and technology are always changing, and respectfully, so should my code as to reflect these inevitable changes. The basis for my own code is somewhat conflicting. I find myself understanding and believing in many concepts and views of ethics. I will try here to explain the reasoning behind my motives and hopefully it will be made clear. First, I believe strongly in utilitarianism ethics (Neher & Sandin, 2007). I think this concept drives many of us in our big decisions, I know I consider what would affect other people when I make a decision, especially if the decision is to be made on behalf of a group. I would never  knowingly undermine, harm, or sabotage anyone in any way, even if it is to stand a great gain for myself. I try to consider what helps the greater good, partly because my background is in organizational leadership and functionality (and is therefore what I am accustomed to), what stands to benefit the group also stands to benefit me as a part of the group. I also, however, agree with the ethical egoism perspective. The ethical egoism perspective, of course, is based upon the view that behavior which advances long-term self interests is ethical (Neher & Sandin, 2007). Ethical egoism, I think, comes off harsh and selfish, but I do not mean it in a cut-throat sense. I know that this view of ethics promotes the pursuit of self interests without regard to its effect on other people, but I think that it tends to imply a negative connotation. I do not wish to take it to an extreme of cruelty or heartlessness. I only mean that my responsibilities are my responsibilities, not anyone else’s, and I need to be the one to take care of them, in order to do that I have to put my task above doing something for someone else. This includes advancing my career, this is not to say I will deliberately undermine or hurt someone, but I will work for my best interests and towards advancing my career, and caring for my (hypothetical, future) family. For example, I will do everything in my power to earn a promotion, more so that I would help a competitor for the same promotion. I think that we can apply Kant’s categorical imperative, and then this concept has the potential to become utilitarianism. If everyone strived to do what was best for them and those they loved, wouldn’t society be better off? I think it would. The application of the code requires good sense and judgment, and its use may depend on certain situations. Individual judgment calls on ethical decisions may be necessary. These decisions will probably depend on several aspects, including but not limited to, the presence or absence of shared values and opinions, political views, and the individuals involved in the situation. As inconceivable as it may seem, my ideal theme of personal ethical behavior then would be a blend of these two themes. When I am faced with a problem that requires a decision based on ethics, I hope to first ask myself a series of questions to help guide my decision. They will consist of, is this  right? Is it fair? Who gets hurt in the end? Would I be comfortable if the details of my decision were reported on the front page of your newspaper? This code of ethics cannot and does not attempt to assure constant behavior or resolve all disputes, it does, however, provide a standard to which I aim and against which my actions can be judged. Nevertheless, there is no judge to determine guilt of breaking a rule in the code, except myself. Consequences of a violation of a rule will include self inflicted punishment. The harshest punishment comes from one’s self, and in this case the penalty will be disappointment, and shame. I would find it particularly hard to live with the knowledge that I knowingly broke a rule in my own code of ethics, because I feel that these are important in my life. The internal punishment that I would put upon myself in the form of guilt heavily outweighs simply doing the right thing in the first place, no matter how tedious or daunting it may be at the time. Owning up to a mistake or intentional rule violation to the harmed individual will also be a penalty. The basic ideas of this code of ethics are personal behavior, continual education, demonstrating a professional attitude and responsibility, decency and treating others equally, respect to me and others maintain self direction and motivation, and truth. The code is not in order of importance as every guideline is equally as important and none are intended to be of better value than any other. I have arranged them into themes. Points 1-6 deal with responsibility and professionalism at work (in any setting), points 7-12 discuss the importance of journalistic ethics, and finally points 13-16 are more personal life applications of this code. Jessica Dirr’s Personal Code of Ethics:1.I will maintain the highest level of professional standards as an employee of my company and conduct myself accordingly at all times. 2.I will respect other people’s time and be punctual and prepared daily. 3.I will accept the duties that I have been assigned and collaborate with others in a spirit of teamwork to complete the tasks at hand. 4.I will always work to develop my own professional skills, continue my education, and to be aware of changes in the field, and modify my own practices accordingly. 5.I will be honest and trustworthy. I believe that honesty is an important part of trust, and trust is essential not only at work, but in personal lives as well. 6.I will display a high moral level and not take part in any behaviors or activities that might reduce my value to the company for which I am employed. 7.I will honor confidentiality whenever necessary or requested, not only in my career, but also in my personal relationships and trusted people (Radio-Television News Directors Association, 2000). 8.I will thoroughly check the facts on any story and verify all sources, and will never present questionable or false information. 9.I will promote equal access and opportunity without regard to race, gender, nationality, ability or other quality. 10.I will strive to approach all assignments with an unbiased attitude and strive to gather evidence fairly and accurately (Andy Schotz, 2007). 11.I will not let sponsorship, political efforts, or advertisers shape or change my news stories. In accordance, I will not allow the benefit of ownership or management influence the content of the news stories. (Radio-Television News Directors Association, 2000)12.I will never plagiarize or take credit for other’s ideas or work. 13.I will strive to not cause harm to anyone. 14.I will admit any and all mistakes and make every effort to correct them quickly. 15.I will make every attempt to listen to and allow people to give me information without interrupting or arguing with them. 16.I will avoid being rude, and demonstrating the appearance of bad taste. I would like to expand on these points. The first few (points 1- 6) deal with a general work ethic that could be applicable in any business or career setting. I strongly believe that my work ethic comes from my upbringing. My father, who is a business owner, instilled this strong value in me at an early age. I learned to respect others’ time and efforts. I saw how a single person could affect how the rest of the day works. I also have seen firsthand the effects that one person’s negligence can have on another’s experiences. I think that this sort of experience with the consequences on â€Å"other side† of the actions makes my work ethic portion of the code more personal. Also, I learned at a very young age how to act professionally and the â€Å"There is a time and place for certain behavior† concept. When I would accompany him on his â€Å"rounds† (by this I mean we would travel from store to store and he would do inspections, and other managerial duties, so I was not allowed to misbehave) I would have to conduct myself with a certain demeanor and respect the employees and my father. I knew that my actions were not necessarily reflective on myself, but more so reflective on him. I felt that if I misbehaved he would lose an authority or respect by his employees. The one time I deviated from this standard I wasn’t reprimanded per se, but I did realize the consequences of my actions, I felt a shift in the status quo, and disappointment in myself more than anything. At the age of seven, I knew the importance of professional conduct and hold firm to that lesson even today. Often, in my undergraduate career, I was assigned group projects, most of which one or two people (usually myself) ended up doing the bulk of the work. I suppose I brought this upon myself to ensure that the project would be completed, also I was untrusting of others to â€Å"do it right† a.k.a. my way. In hindsight this was not the best course of action, as it not only brought more workload on myself, but it hurt the spirit of teamwork in our class, and the other members suffered a loss of the knowledge to be gained  by collaborating on the project. I think that this can be applicable in workplace situations, as often tasks are assigned to teams and collaborating colleagues. This rule is in place to remind me that in order for a project or task to be the best it can be, teamwork is necessary. Also it will help me maintain control over my perfectionism and â€Å"control freak† personality. By allowing me to be open to suggestions I am letting down barriers that I have created that ultimately hinder my personal and professional development more than protect myself. The field of news and communications is constantly and rapidly changing (Bogart, 1968). I hope to never be so closed minded that I am not willing to learn more, new and different techniques and styles. Often, it appears that members in this industry that get left in the past with outdated techniques aren’t of value to the station, and eventually lose their jobs. I don’t want that to happen to me. Therefore, I will always be open minded and eager to learn new technology and techniques for which to better my career. The concept of being honest and trustworthy is relatively simple. I do believe that honesty is an important part of trust, and trust is essential not only at work, but in personal lives as well. In order to maintain that trust, I will not do anything or act in a way that will betray a trust that I have with someone. Also, the idea of displaying a high moral level is reasonably straightforward. I will not take part in any activities that might make me look bad to my company. This includes any and all illegal activities or even something that is unprofessional or not representative of my usual character. I have certain, and very specific boundaries which I will not cross, and those are clear. I do on the other hand recognize that mistakes happen, and sometimes (usually when prompted by high levels of stress or emotion) I act not in accordance with my usual demeanor. In the event that this happens, I will try to prevent this from occurring in a negative manner that may affect another person, and certainly not at work. The following (points 7-12) are related specifically to my career in journalism and news reporting. First, I stated that â€Å"I will honor confidentiality whenever necessary or requested, not only in my career, but also in my personal relationships and trusted people†. Confidentiality is a  sticky topic. Some would argue that it isn’t necessary in the news, especially if an irresponsible reporter fabricates their facts. I have learned that for better, or for worse, confidentiality is an important aspect in news (Radio-Television News Directors Association, 2000). Some interviewers and some sources require it, it allows for an anonymity that might afford them the freedom to say what they intend to or want to without fearing the repercussions of identifying one’s self. However most important to the news field, it is also useful in personal life. Often, people express something to another â€Å"in confidence† which means they trust you to not relay the information to anyone else. This goes back to trust and honesty, and I believe that it is an integral part of ethics. Leading from the confidentiality theme, I will thoroughly check the facts on any story and verify all sources, and will never present questionable or false information. Studies have shown the effects of confidentiality and falsifying sources in the news (Wulfemeyer, 1982), and I find it appalling that a professional journalist would make up a story and claim that she had gave her sources confidentiality. I will never under any circumstances act in that manner. The next three are again pretty clear-cut. I will support equal access and opportunity (without regard to race, gender, nationality, ability or other quality). I do not believe in (or very much understand) the concept of discrimination based on differences. I think to do so is demonstrating of one’s own ignorance and closed mindedness. I then go onto say that I will strive to approach all assignments with an unbiased attitude and attempt to gather evidence fairly and accurately (Andy Schotz, 2007). I understand that a bias comes built into all of us, but in the effort to produce completely factual news stories, I will try to put any natural bias aside. Also, I will never allow any alteration or censorship of material produced for any reason other than common decency or personal judgment. Corporate sponsorship and political motivations and do not drive the news, and should not be a foundation upon which our stories are based (Radio-Television News Directors Association, 2000). Also, I will never plagiarize or take credit for other’s ideas or work. The final section of my personal code of ethics (points 13-16) highlights personal guidelines and standards. First of all, I will strive to not cause harm to anyone. Of course I know that some actions (even if they are done with good intent, which may include any actions that complete assigned tasks or stories) could potentially cause harm accidentally. If this happens, I will try to remedy or relieve the effects as much as I can. In an effort to avoid unintended harm I will be sure to consider any and all potential outcomes my decisions might have an effect on. I will give credit where credit is due when I am assisted with projects. Also, following this, I will admit any and all mistakes and make every effort to correct them quickly. I hope to never be so proud that I am unwilling to admit that I have made a mistake, we are all only human and it is bound to happen from time to time. And finally, I will make every attempt to listen to and allow people to give me information without interrupting or arguing with them, and I will avoid being rude, and demonstrating the appearance of bad taste. This is for my own sake, as I am known sometimes to be stubborn and set in my ways. I need to practice the art of patience and listening without interrupting someone. This one might be hard to do. However, in accordance with being open to other’s opinions I must first be willing to let go of total control and allow others to give their input. I always strive to be polite and courteous in every situation, and in doing so showing respect for the people and situation with which I am involved. I feel this is a great tool in personal life as well as professional. In conclusion, I hope that by setting this code in place, I will better myself and my career. I also hope that it allows me the opportunity to lead by example, and that others will feel so motivated to practice good ethical decisions and practices. I also hope that by outlining these ethics I can be better aware of my own actions and whether or not what I ultimately decide to do is the right decision ethically and personally. I tried to clarify why developing a code of ethics is important, I emphasized the foundation to what I base my daily decisions and behavior, I stated the outcomes and consequences that will take place if the code is not followed, and I explained in detail my own personal ethics. Bibliography: Andy Schotz. (2007). Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.aspBogart, L. (1968, December). Changing News Interests and the News Media. The Public Opinion Quarterly , pp. 560-574. Fackler, M., Christians, C. G., & Ferrà ©, J. P. (1993). Good News: Social Ethics and the Press. New York: Oxford University Press. Neher, W. W., & Sandin, P. J. (2007). Communicating Ethically: character, duties, consequences, and relationships. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Radio-Television News Directors Association. (2000, September 14). Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Retrieved September 23, 2007, from Radio-Television News Directors Association: http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/code-of-ethics-and-professional-conduct48.phpWulfemeyer, T. K. (1982). The Use of Anonymous Sources and Related Ethical Concerns in Journalism: A Comparison of the Effects of the Janet Cooke/†Washington Post† Incident on the Policies and Practices of Large Newspapers and Television Stations. Athens: The Association for Education in Journalism.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Arguments Participation Paper 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arguments Participation Paper 3 - Assignment Example (lines 17- 24) the mother cries out the guilt and pain of abortion; unborn children are robbed off their basic rights to live and do other common activities during a life time; 3. (lines 30,31) show how the mother tries to convince herself of the abortions; the first part of the poem addresses the mother and the later part addresses the child. It clearly shows how the mother takes abortion very seriously and wants to overcome the guilt and pain associated with it. The loss is even more painful and is clearly portrayed in the first part. The second part convinces of the love the mother had for her aborted children. Characters and their symbolic use: 1. dead person conversing with the poet; this character is imaginary and is a metaphor for death; 2. the poet is yet another character who interacts with the dead person to know how death feels to be and what it is. Citations and how they fit the Argument: 1. (line 3) gives the theme of the poem; 2. (lines 5-7) say how powerful death is; the facts about death could burn a hole; 3. (lines 11, 12) brings out the fact that death strikes like an accident and is barely noticed till it arrives; 4. (lines 18-20) hint that death is unavoidable and inexplicable factor in each one’s life. Everyone born must die and the poet is made to realize it; 5. (lines 28-32) talk about how it feels to be dead. â€Å"Conversation† by Ai explores the experience of death. It is a conversation between the poet and a dead person. Like a Dramatic Monologue, the poem captures the voice of the dead man and the response of the poet. Death is described as horrible; it is like an accident. The color of death is presented as blue. The truth about death is so powerful that it could cause holes on the floor. The poet is made to realize the universal truth that someday all the lives will snap. It is unavoidable and is the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

A sound knowledge of social policy is essential for effective social Essay

A sound knowledge of social policy is essential for effective social work practice - Essay Example Implementing social policy consists of using the rules and regulations of governments to directly impact the welfare of citizens by providing them with income or services such as social insurance, public assistance, healthcare, welfare services and adequate housing (Marshall, 1965). This paper proposes to evaluate the importance of social policy for effective social work practice. The relationship between social policy and social work, the influences of political processes, the application of social policy and theory to a range of current social issues and problems especially related to social inclusion and welfare rights will be identified. The concept of the government taking responsibility for the citizens’ problems has a long history, though the term welfare state has come into use only since 1941. In Britain in 1942, William Beveridge published Social Insurance and Allied Services commonly known as the Beveridge Report. This seminal document was crucial in turning Great Britain into a welfare state (Macarov, 1995). Labour elected in July 1945 established a new welfare system by implementing the main proposals of William Beveridge’s path-breaking report. Labour replaced the multitude of schemes for the unemployed, the old and the sick with a single unified scheme which essentially remains to this day. Other than for pensions, the Act was less generous than what had been advocated by Beveridge. The low levels of benefit caused many people to rely on National Assistance â€Å"because retirement, unemployment and insurance benefits were pitched too low and did not provide separately for housing costs† (Brivati & Bale, 1997). The new National Health Service (NHS) which gave the medical profession representation and control over spending resulted in spiralling costs in the late 1940s. Comparatively, education policy as the 1944

Sociology and Culture Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sociology and Culture Bachelor - Essay Example More importantly, it is argued that zero-tolerance policy of CPS is direct schoolhouse-to-jailhouse leading way for youth. Medill News Service has reported on January 12, 2005 about a prosecution of a 17-year-old West Town youth for the brutal assault of 43-year-old motorist Shelley Lescester as he was parking his car. "'This is the first step in a long process,' Emily Leuin [sssistant state's attorney] said after the hearing, referring to similar cases dealing with a crime that qualifies a juvenile to be tried as an adult" (Bloustein, 2005). Recent increase of crime rate in Chicago, including aggravated assault, especially amongst juveniles has become a serious issue for the city council. Tracking back the history of crime rate in the past decade one can see a troubling trend emerging. In 1998 Chicago saw an unprecedented decrease of crime. From 1990 to 1998 index crimes including murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson have fallen significantly from 350,000 to 250,000 per year. "We saw this trend emerge in 1992, and except for 1994, when we saw a fractional increase, the trend has been positive ever since" said Terrance W. Gainer, Illinois State Police Director (Illinois State Police, 1998).

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Rationale for workers compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Rationale for workers compensation - Essay Example One of the objectives of workers compensation is prevention of accidents. The theory underlying in this is that employers will invest in accident- prevention programs to hold down compensation costs. Lower insurance premiums come as payoff to employers resulting to fewer accidents. Another objective is allocation of costs whereby cost allocation is spread cost of workers’ compensation appropriately and proportionately ranging from the most to the least hazardous. Replacement of income for the injured employees is another objective for workers compensation whereby it replaces the lost income due to injuries occurred during the job. Rehabilitation of the injured employee is the last objective of workers compensation It is difficult to make generalizations of who is in workers compensation. Eighty percent of the work force in America is covered, but those who are not covered are categorized as the general agricultural employees, domestic employees, casual employees, hazardous work employees, religious employees, employees of a small organization, maritime employees, contractors, minors and extraterritorial employees. Workers compensation help prevents future accidents by limiting stress-related claims, streamlining administration of the system and limiting vocational rehabilitation benefits (Wickert, 2012). In summary, workers compensation is here to benefit both the employers and employees in the end for smooth running of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Streptomyces coelicolor and antibiotic production Essay

Streptomyces coelicolor and antibiotic production - Essay Example treptomyces species was co cultured it was found that the metabolites excreted by one strain stimulated the production of the antibiotic in the other. The use of the Bacillus subtilis also found to increase the aerial culture of the Streptomyces by the production of the surfactin, which reduces the surface tension of the medium providing large space for the production of the antibiotics. Similarly the use of the phosphate, the important precursor of the PPP shunt also increased the production of the antibiotic and it also helped to analyze the effect of the co culturing of the strains. Those that did not grow were then trialed in contact with each other and it is noted that there is some growth in some of the specimens where this occurred. Further there is follow up discussion derived from recent research on how and why this function occurs. Signaling is discussed at length as there have recently been many kinds of signaling discovered. There is a literature review which follows the study done here which reviews much of the latest research that has been done under this subject. Streptomyces are gram positive soil bacteria. They have mycelia and they produce a large variety of the secondary metabolites. These metabolites includes antibiotics, anti tumor agents, immuno suppressants etc., These useful products are produced by the complex lifecycle involved in this soil- dwelling micro organism that is mycelial growth and the spore formation. These bacteria have a high G+C content in their DNA and contain many protein encoding genes. Of the 550 species of the Streptomyces many species have a colorful hyphens and spores. In the recent years, streptomyces has attracted a lot of research due to the fact that they can easily incorporate the eukaryotic genes and they are easy to work with the E.coli. Streptomyces is the most antibiotic producing genus, among the actinomycetes. Some of the important antibiotics of streptomyces include streptomycin, neomycin, chloramphenicol

Monday, September 23, 2019

Intellectual Disabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Intellectual Disabilities - Essay Example Difficulties with assessment and classification are discussed. Finally the education of children particularly with mild to moderate disabilities is discussed. Several programs and strategies that have been developed to teach children with intellectual disabilities are reported on. In order to examine and understand the about Intellectual Disabilities it is first helpful to define the term. However even before coming to a definitive definition we need to know something of the history of this term and how the thinking about intellectual disabilities has changed over the years. Specifically we need to know the connection between mental retardation, learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities. In the early 1800s J.Langdon Hayden Down proposed a classification of intellectual disabilities based on ethnic classification in an attempt to absolve parents from blame that it was their fault that their child was intellectually disabled. This was not accepted and was abandoned by Hayden who later proposed three major groups of classification. One was congenital where intellectual disability was caused by brain defects or epilepsy. The second was developmental classification due to stress occurring during a developmental crisis. And the third was accidental as a r esult of an injury or illness in early childhood. This was later developed into the brain pathology theory of the 1880s and led to the 19th century theories that realized that intellectual disability had multiple causes and various levels of disability (Harris, 2005). Over the years there have been several terms used to describe intellectually disabilities including words such as idiocy, imbecility, feeble-mindedness and mental deficiency. As Meservy (2008) explains because the name mental retardation has been associated with such negative connotation efforts have been made to move away

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Young Goodman Brown Analysis Essay Example for Free

Young Goodman Brown Analysis Essay Plot: â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† tells a tale of a man named Goodman Brown and his journey into a forest one night. That night, he said goodbye to his wife Faith, who begged him not to go and stay with her. He went anyway and met with a man on the road. Goodman Brown and the man conversed on the way, while Brown was trying to convince the man that he is a good Christian and does not want a part in evil, saying that his family and the ones before him were Christians and good people; Brown did not want to be different. The man replied him saying that he knew Brown’s father and grandfather, as well as members of his church and the governor of the state. Brown was surprised by all what the man was saying, but soon found out when he finally reached the destination of his journey, the ceremony where he and a young woman are to be new converts. There, he saw faces of many respected members of the community, the minister, deacon, good Christian men and women and Indian priests. However, Brown does not see Faith and is hopeful that she might not be there. To his disappointment, Brown sees that his wife Faith is the other convert. He then tells Faith to look up to heaven and resist the devil, at this moment, Brown found himself alone in the forest. When Brown returned home to Salem Village in the morning, everyone seemed evil to him, including the minister, the deacon praying and even his wife. Brown was not sure if his forest encounter was a dream or reality and he lived the rest of his life in despair. Structure: The incidents in the story were arranged chronologically. There was a beginning and an end, with events happening in between. There were no flashbacks, but there might have been some foreshadowing, to hint that maybe Brown’s wife Faith will be at the ceremony. Type of Story: â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a short story, as defined by Robert DiYanni (2008), it revealed the characters â€Å"in dramatic scenes, in moments of action and in exchanges of dialogue† (p. 47). The story also include several characteristics of short story, such as a realistic time and place setting; recognizable human characters motivated by identifiable social and psychological forces; and a plot which illustrates a sequence of related events (DiYanni, 2008, p. 7). It told a complete story with set-up, conflict and resolution. Characters: The main characters of the story are Goodman Brown: a young, curious, good Christian and a newlywed husband of Faith; Faith: a young, beautiful wife of Goodman Brown; and the Old Man: a cunning, evil man that tempts Goodman Brown into attending the ceremony. Other characters of the story are Goody Cloyse, the Minister and Deacon Gookin. All three are Christians and respectable members of the community, but in secret, as reveled at the ceremony, they all appeared to be followers of the devil. Setting: The story takes place in Salem Village. The majority of the story happened in a gloomy forest and at night. The setting could be symbolic of the events that happened in the forest. Sorcery, witch craft, the devil and evil are often associated with darkness and nighttime. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† was no different, the ceremony took place at night and Goodman Brown had to travel through a dark, gloomy forest to get there. Symbolism: There were objects and events that served as symbols in the story. These symbols and events represent the devil, witchcraft and sorcery. The snakelike staff the old man had with him, several mentions of fire, the dark gloomy forest and the actual ceremony all represents evil. The author made this clear to the readers by having Goodman Brown point out what seemed evil throughout the story. Language and Style: The language and informal style of the story is similar to the time period in which the story was written. At that time, people spoke the way the author wrote and actual attacks took place on accused witches of the time. This can be seen with the famous Salem Witch trials in history. Theme: A theme that can be identified in the story is that of the unclear distinction between dreams and reality. The readers were presented with a blurred line between reality and dream or the supernatural. For example, it is hard to discern if the witch gathering Brown experienced in the forest actually took place or if it was a dream. Even though Brown’s life changed dramatically as a result of the forest incident, as readers, we are not clear as to if it really happened or he dreamt it. Historical Context: The author references events that took place in the Puritans’ history. The story demonstrated awareness of the social, economic and political happenings of the era it was written. For example, there are accounts of the Salem Witch trials actually taking place, and various fights between the Indians and Colonists, which the author made mention of Indians in the story.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Company overview and market analysis for Audi

Company overview and market analysis for Audi Audi, this Germany brand was found by August Horch in 1899. Since this motor company established, Audi has been designing and manufacturing Audi cars in innovation and future conception. Today, Audi has became one of the three German super automobile manufacturers which producing the full range models, from economical, sport, luxury and sport utility vehicle. In the latest Audi annual report, the total revenue has reached to 29.8 billion euros with profits 1.35 billion euros by the end of 2009. What is more, Audis sales have increased significantly from 653,000 to 1,003,000 between 2000 and 2008, especially in the Middle East market and Chinese market. For example, Chinese government has agreed to purchase Audi car for officials in long term. Furthermore, Audi just launched the new supermini A1, the four door coupe A7 and the new generation flagship A8. In this essay, argument will be made that this German producer how to remain competitiveness under this changing environment. Audi C ompany and Audis P.E.S.T.E.L analysis will be covered by this German strong brand. A8 Revolution To compete against with the other two German brands Mercedes and BMW in the upscale markets, Audi has introduced the flagship model A8 in 1994. With the first vehicle using aluminum space frame technology and luxurious equipment, A8 gained considerable market share in the global executive luxury car field. The second generation of A8 launched in the end of 2002, Audis engineers met the development trend of automobile, taking a brand new A8 with new engine technology and longer wheelbase to customers. The successful sales of Audi A8 did not discontinue, Audi aims to be the number one in selling luxury car with introducing the third generation A8 in 2010. Audi has been designing and producing A8 for 16 years, the experience for making luxury car is a great treasure in this German automaker. P.E.S.T.E.L. Analysis Political Since the last century, Germany is famous for making cars, such as, Mercedes, Audi and BMW; Porsche and Volkswagen. German government also encourages these motor producers showing the Germany made car to the customers from all over the world. Audi set the headquarters in Ingolstadt and have a strong human resource with over 60,000 staff from different nationality. With the Audis global strategy implementation, this German auto manufacturer has established several large plants in different countries. Hungary and China are good examples. Economic In 2008, the global economy recession spread over the world. Fortunately, the global economy is being recovery from the end of 2009, even though some countries are still facing credit crunch, such as Ireland; but most governments from different countries had confidence to making peoples life better. For example, in Germany, government spent billions supporting and encouraging German families to purchase; in UK, government also gave benefits, which means people get extra ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 from the current car with more than 10 year life time when exchanging a new car in a dealer. According to the Audi statistics, sales of new car have increased sharply from 2009 to 2010 in the European and North American markets. What is more, Middle East and China are still the large demand group; For example, Audi has delivered 108,000 cars to China in the first three months, compared with the total sells 705,000 cars at the same period. Social Audi is a large car manufacturer in the world, the social impact is inevitable, this German giant owns over 60,000 staff in the world, and which means Audi support more than 60,000 families every year. In this aspect, Audi has been improving the workshop condition to satisfy employees, and Audi also offer successes of creating exceptional cars when employees join the group. Manufacturing perfect cars needs large quantity qualified material, Audi have established several partnership with suppliers. Due to the economy recession, consumers are willing to choose the fuel efficiency car instead of buying the big engine SUV; Audi remained the price for customer, but added more technology into the car. Technological Technology development is the key feature of Audi Company; Audi is best known of its permanent four wheel drive system, called QUATTRO. Today, Quattro is widely used in most Audi model, and offering drivers more safety and pleasure in any situations. In China, the heavy snow spread over the southern part at the winter of 2008, compared with Audis successful performance on snowy road, the competitor Mercedes realized it is the right time to fit the four wheel drive system into saloon and sport car. In comfort aspect, Audi introduced air adapted suspension; this equipment could adjust suspension in order to achieve best performance on different road condition. In 2010, the new Audi A8 is equipped with the 8 speed transmission which offers the soft and quick acceleration in order to achieve fuel efficiency. Audi also cooperated with Italian super car Lamborghini to achieve sport value. For example, the S8 and RS model are equipped with Lamborghinis engine and transmission system. Environmental Audi paid more attention in corporate social responsibility .It is inevitable for Audi not polluting the environment, because it is a manufacturer. Audi promises to minimize the environmental impacts. In these 20 years, Audi spent billions in researching the efficiency engine; the new generation engine means more horsepower but little emissions. For example, the new TDI diesel engine has already meet the future European 5 emission standard. Furthermore, Audi announced car emissions will be cut further 20% by 2012. That is how this German maker leads the environmental car market. Legal Germany government set a group of legislation in order to protect road users safety and environment. Crash standard and European car emission limits are good examples. 4. A8: The upscale target market Audis flagship A8 L W12 takes driving to a whole new level of luxury. This is true, even though car makers and customers are paying more attention in fuel efficiency car markets on todays environmental condition, but every famous brand is still proud of their flagship, like Birkin handbag of Hermes. Flying used to be a pleasurable experience for most businessmen, especially for the fist class ticket. Cars can not fly, but Audis engineer made the dream become true. The new generation A8 providing exceptional and efficient luxury transport for passengers. A8 means technology, comfort and luxury, especially from Germany. Audis most important features, aluminium body depends on Audi Space Frame, permanent four-wheel drive Quattro and air adaptive suspension. Since the first A8 was produced in 1994, A8 has firmly established Audi name in the luxury car market. According to the research, over half of luxury cars are produced by the German super three, almost 300,000 luxury cars delivered to customers worldwide each year; in addition, around 70% of these luxury saloon are sold to outside west Europe, especially for North American market and Middle East. The luxury car market was not influenced by the economic recession; the demand for luxury cars has increased for many years, especially for the new arrivals. Audi gained highly reputation from A8s loyalty customers in these years from all over the world, due to the changing group of luxury car buyers, the percentage of 30 to 40 years olds buyers increased sharply in this ten years. Audi are also willing to these potential buyers. Changing Ages is an important factor for luxury car segmentation; emotional factor could also influence customers decision. For example, luxury car is a symbol for peoples status orientation; what is more, the luxury car always understands the fashion, trend and design. Audi A8 is the best choice for the experienced loyalty buyers and potential group customers. Overall, this new generation flagship will take more market share to Audi in the luxury market. Recommendations The 21st century is also a technology era; Audi should continue spending billions and billions in innovation in order to achieve the mass markets. Secondly, climate change is a key issue in todays world; Audi should pay more attention to social responsibility. Cutting emissions and materials recycling are good examples. Thirdly, due to the large increase demands from Asian market, Audi should enlarge its volume to satisfy this potential region, especially for the tier 2 and tier 3 cities of these countries. At last, the advertisement campaign is more and more important for car companies, Audi should design different type visual advertisement for marketing. In my personal experience, sitting in a silver Audi car with bright red from dashboard, just illustrate the meaning of an Audi car: machine with blood. Conclusions With 100 years experiences constructing motor machines, Audi became one of the most famous car manufacturer brands in the world. Audi car is illustrated by design, safety, comfort and sport. What is more, this German automaker giant achieved large market share and highly reputation from the whole world; Audi also established the products portfolio in order to meet different customers needs. For example, A4 and A6 are popular in the European market; the sales of large SUV Q7 and luxury A8 achieved considerable performance in the North American market. Furthermore, due to the scarce of resources and climate change, Audi realized it is important to decrease the environmental impacts during the operation. Like the new generation of Audis flagship A8, taking Audi to a new level of luxury; Audi company will take transportation into a new milestone.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Process Of Change In The Workplace

The Process Of Change In The Workplace In recent years, changes in the economy and the business environment have forced some organisations to modify the way in which the business was transacted. It is the duty of the managers and supervisors to bring about changes to the organisation so as to face the competitive world and to have existence in the business world. It is important on behalf of the business unit to understand the importance of changes in the modern business world.(Burnes, 2004) Organisations must to alter themselves in the business areas since eachday our world present new things kind of thing for us. And too all the big organizations have extensively choice of employee. So, organizations always have a intention and they can get their aims with their employee. Furthermore they have to know and understand them to get utmost success from them. In contrast , day to day the new employees are taking their position in the organizations but we can see simply many people who has different culture in the organizations. Consequently the subject is on that state of affairs, managers have to get a ample communication with them As a consequently, the major reason of this assignment is How significant is it for managers have a good understanding of cultural diversity in the work place? Conversely , we will look at some communication hypothesis to hold up our main question. There is nothing in the world which is steady except for changes. So as to stay successful the organisations has to believe changes and stay on having ground-breaking thoughts to have competitive compensation over other firms in the competition. Only the fittest organisation can survive - Charles Darwin and in the rivalry only those organisation can survive which adapts altering process. No business man is in the business to undergo losses.(Jaffe, 2004) The organisational changes signifies main changes undertaken via an organisation quite than the pair of slight changes been undertaken by them for e.g. appointment or dismissal of employees otherwise making changes in the program, which might be in assignment of the companys survival , reform operations, new technologies, mergers, major collaborations, novel programs which includes Sum Quality Management, re-engineering etc. Alter is predictable in the modern workplace. Changes in technology, changes in procedure and changes in the market and the wider economy all present their own sole challenges to employers and the employees. optimistic or pessimistic way . If the change is taken in a optimistic way than it is going to be in a great being for the firm. On the opposing if the employees takes the changes in a pessimistic way than it will be result the working of the organisation and the organisation will not be up to attain its preferred results. Alter have been defined by many authors in numerous way . According to Laura and Harmony Staff (www.soi.org/reading/change/index.) Accessed on 18th April, 2008, A concerted, planned effort to add to organizational effectiveness and health by means of changes in the organizations dynamics using behavioural discipline information Changes in organisation comes in two levels: Level one, |Consulting to make changes in the row for organisation of a structural, rule or technical nature. Level Two, The purpose for one person or many people in the row organisation to have learned something new.( Carr, 1995) There are several views about how organizations expand and change over time. In the 1970s, Greiner recommended that, as organisations turn out to be additional grown up and possibly get bigger, they go through a number of important changes in order to maintain an satisfactory level of performance. There are five stages of organisation growth, and the change from one to the next is triggered by a disaster. Change management is a methodical approach to dealing with change, both from the viewpoint of an organisation and on the individual level. A rather indistinc term, change management has at least three different aspects, counting: adapting to change, scheming change, and effecting change. A practical approach to commerce with change is at the centre of all three aspects. For an organisation, change management means important and implementing events or technologies to deal with changes in the business environment and to profit from changing opportunities. (Burnes, 2004) Harrison complaint that there are a number of levels of intercession and that the depth of intercession have to be shallow as the problem permits. Cognitive and irrational problem-solving techniques for instance those used in management accounting and operational research are located at the shallow end of the range of available strategies. Manufacturing psychology based methods, focusing on the individual and their task relationships are at a rather deeper level and include occupation improvement and management by objectives (MBO) At the sincer level are those instrumental approaches, which effort to change attitudes and social orientations as well as task-related behaviour. Organisational improvement is such an approach: see later in this chapter. A lot of business managers center their alter efforts at a specific level within the organisation such as the level of the: Individual; in the belief that organisational behaviour is determined by the characteristics of the a members. The aspire is a to develop personals skill levels, behaviour and motivation. Techniques employed incorporate education and teaching and management improvement. Organisation of structure and systems; claiming that organisational behaviour is determined by characteristics of the organisational situation in which people work. The aspire is to direct members behaviour to organisational goals and techniques subsumption structural and technical modifications such as divisionalisation, matrices, size, jop redesign, reward systems and management by ojectives. Organisational climate and interpersonal style; such managers believe that emotional and social processes, which characterise the relations among members, determine organisational behaviours. Their aims are to create system with a wide climate of high interpersonal trust and openness and a reduction in the dysfunctional consequences of excessive social conflict and competitiveness. The principal technique is organisation development. Obviously no one level should be focused on exclusively and a balance of approaches should be the aim. (carr, 1995) According to the Leavitts model of change management Leavitt argued that succeeded in one organisation were not necessarily successful in another. He suggests that the chosen approach to change in a particular organisation should reflect the underlying beliefs within that organisations. Seeking improved solutions to tasks will be largely technical, that is seeking to improve the quality of decisions. The task approach, even were it involves clear changes of methods, is clearly interrelated to the other three approaches. This approach covers: The traditional performance approaches of ensuring proper division of labour, levels of authority and responsibility, defining chain of command, span of control. Decentralisation, the creation of project centres and localising of decision-making creating a high level of local autonomy. Communication patterns, the consideration of communication channels and flows; thus for repetitious, predictable work a highly centralised communication structure seems most efficient, whereas for novel, loosely structured tasks, a more open multi channel communication network seems more appropriate. Taylors Scientific Management is an early example of this approach category, which includes method study approaches where an outsider views the work pattern and suggests changes in a technological approach. Updating and replacement of equipment is a natural example of an external approach. The essence is that the approach occurs outside of the work group itself.(Jaffe, 2004) Team working, approach preparation, changes in styles of organization are for instance of the people approach. Each change can therefore be move toward through one of these main four methods other than it must be remembered that there is strong coaction between these categories. For instance , a change in technology ( introduction of a computer) will power tasks (production may be quicker or better) and a change in arrangement could mean less staff needed. A change in any category is likely to have an effect upon people approach. According to the change theory of Kurt Lewin, who put forward ideas about how planned change should be introduce in an organisation. His views are from time to time called prescriptive planned change theory. A intended change procedur should begin with an analysis and diagnosis of the current situation, in order to recognize the sources of the problem and recognize the opportunities for improveme The change procedur be supposed to experience three stages the first one is called as Unfreeze, second group considered as change and lastly it is named as Re-Freeze. Unfreezing implies change will mean abandoning obtainable put into practice before the new practices are implemented successfully. In order to conquer resistance they should be allow to have their current behaviour which are being influence by them. Unfreezing will guide to formation of misgivings and the fear of the unknown. It will help to motivate the staff and overcoming the desirability of the fright situation of the staff. Managers can bring in the process of instruction and teaching at this phase. In this process communication plays an significant position. Managers should communicate to the staff who are going to sway these changes so as to help them to understand clearly the procedure of change and accepting it. Changes should be made understood to additional bet holders who are going to be affected by changes and the process of unfreezing their proves behaviour to helpful in adopting changes successfully. (Lewin, 1951) Movement is the which procedure comes after the procedure of unfreezing which means touching from current position to the intended new changes responsibility. Management of this process involves wining the support of people who are affected in the process of change. When we look at the helping point, manager should try to create contribution via others in the change process. It helps to decrease the resistance to change as well as become successful in adapting the changes and make it more successful. It will too help to develop communication of the cause for change and in knowing the cause so as to for the changes undertaken. In order to make change successful, there must be support from employees. Employees have to be convinced for successfully adapting changes. In the rule of Re-freeze, Lewin argued that even if the change is implemented successfully,the success could be short -lived because the employees might to back to their former behaviour and methods. An important way of making the change stick is through the use of rewards. Motivation theory suggest that, If individuals have strong need for reward, and if they see that they will probably achieve those rewards by acting in certain manner.(Lewin 1951) The re-freeze process is essential in order to stabilise the change and to reinforce the new pattern of the working or behaviour. An important way to undertake changes is y giving rewards. If the employees feel that they will receive rewards for sticking to act in the way managers want they will surely provide support in the changing process. Reporting system are essential to provide better performance and in trying to ensure that the targets and the targets. The control system might use benchmarks in order to compare performance and the standard of performances as well as for specifying the responsibilities of key managers and the work groups. |The following Examples will illustrate how this system works out: British Airways on becoming privatisation: From being bureaucratic public sector to commercial organisation which had to be serviced oriented having a market driven culture. Changes which were to be undertaken were reducing the strength of the organisation from 59,000 employees to 37,000 employees, flatten the hierarchical structure and introduce changes in the operational system and structures.(Slomon, 2004) Now the following analysis will demonstrate the view of managers who work as managers in several Companies. However following questions were asked to the manager and taken their answers from their point of view on business change. 1. How is it important for managers to have greater understanding of the process of change in a work place? In recent years the banking and finance sector has been subject to great changes, specially because of the global credit crisis sparked by the sub-prime lending in the American Market. Due to these, it is essential for the line and cost centre managers to understand the drivers for changes as well as the processes that governs the changes. says Peter Leach who work in FitchRating ltd as managing director. Basically he suggests that the process of change may adapt by itself in order to suit the circumstances. If managers do not understand the reasons for undertaking changes then they will not be able to meet the unforeseen challenges 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of change in the work place? According to the John Lionson who is one of the change managers in HSBC group saying that changes come in many form, say it might come in form of a major business change (takeover) or indeed in the senior management change which is quite often these days in the banking and finance sector. Advantages can be considered to be such which often brings challenges to the staff resulting in the innovation and new ideas. It may act as springboards for talented staff members and increase their efficiency and prove to be an asset for the firm. These changes can prove to be profitable as well as successful. 3. How often a company should make changes in the working environment? This question was answered by Peter Leach who told that this issue depends on the nature of the business. It is common in the field of banking and finance. It is common for the field of banking and finance to have major changes once in every 2 to 3 years. This may not be applicable to public sectors wherein the changes are less common as well as subjected to external factors. It is said that changes should be undertaken whenever the need arises not for the sake for doing so. 4. What are the factors that forces the company to make changes? According to the answer of Ian Williams, works for Bizzforyou ltd as senior manager counted these in order which are, take over/mergers, major advantages in the technology, changing market place, foreign exchange factors, cost of materials, cost of resources and productivity. 5. How do you measure of the value change? The only real values are share holders sentiments, profits and the stock market value of the company in the banking and finance sector. While staff morale is important, it is likely that a company is likely to have a lower churn rate than a unsuccessful one. added Peter Leach. In my conversation, I observed that 50% of managers consider that change must be done equally among the staff, however, 80% of them mainly think that company can be successful if managers drive it in a correct way.70% of managers support the idea of changing process due to achieve the companies goals. In conclusion, change can never be fully planned due to unexpected problems and follow on effects, many organisations are adopting a positive attitude to the need for change , Leavitt recognised four variables, which can be affected by change and claimed that these entry points can be come specific targets for managerial efforts to instigate change. The variables are : task, structure, technology, people. With these process change can work out successfully in businesses. REFERENCES: Carr D, (1995) Managing the Change Process: A Field Book for Change Agents, Consultants, Mcgraw hill professional, pp98-107 Jaffe D. (2004) Managing Change at Work: Leading People Through Organizational Transitions Thompson Crisp Learning,pp45-56 Burnes B., (2004) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics Pearson education, pp358-376 Slomon, J.(2004) Essantials of economics Printence Hill,pp89-103 Lewin, K.(1951) Theory of Change7th edition, pp105-112 PRIMARY DATA COLLECTIONS: Peter Leach, Fitch Ratings, Managing the director.02074173504 e-mail: [emailprotected]tchratings.com John Lionson, HSBC group ,Change manager, 02074351976 e-mail: [emailprotected] Ian Williams, Bizzforyou ltd, senior manager, 02081759091 e-mail:[emailprotected]

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Graduation Speech: Listen Carefully -- Graduation Speech, Commencement

Listen carefully, Class of '2012, for the sounds you hear tonight will last a lifetime. Store them up and save them in your hearts, for they are priceless. Each whisper, each tick of the clock is a reminder of something you've gained here. Pay attention, so when you hear them later in life you will remember. When you hear a bell ring, remember our first day of school, back in September of 2008. The coolness of the desks chilled our sun-tanned skin as we sat timidly in our seats, quietly absorbing the shrill sound of our first high school bell as it rang at 7:30 in the morning. As much as our eyelids wanted to sink into a sweet abyss, fear crept through our bones as we eyed the monstrous seniors sitting nearby. For many of us, they may as well have been pro-wrestlers, but we did not run from them. Rather, we learned to pick the biggest one and follow him through the halls, avoiding the grueling task of maneuvering through a sea of students. We learned to problem solve quickly in those first days, a valuable skill. Don't forget this lesson, for it will take you far in life. When ...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America Essay -- Deism Rel

Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America      Ã‚  Ã‚   Religious conscience in America has evolved considerably since the first settlers emigrated here from Europe. Primary settlements were established by Puritans and Pilgrims who believed "their errand into the wilderness [America] was above all else a religious errand, and all institutions - town meeting, school, church, family, law-must faithfully reflect that fact" (Gaustad 61). However, as colonies grew, dissenters emerged to challenge Puritan authority; indeed, many of them left the church to join untraditional religious sects such as "the Ranters, the Seekers, the Quakers, the Antinomians, and the Familists" (Westbrook 26). Debates over softening the stance on tolerance in the church engendered hostility in many religious leaders, priming some officials to take action. Whether it was in direct response to "the liberalizing tendencies beginning to take hold in some [. . .] New England churches" (Westbrook 65), or a "reaction against the attempt in the Age of Reason to reduce Christian doctrine to rationalistic explanation" ("Great Awakening"), the Great Awakening impressed upon the issues of religious conscience. Moreover, what spawns from this controversy is a query over the juxtaposition of morality and spirituality: the question of whether these conditions are actually related. The gradual escalation of unconventional thinking in religious affairs facilitated new ideas on what defined spirituality; one religious theory, boosted by Thomas Paine and his book, The Age of Reason, denounced both Christianity and Atheism, proposing instead, a new concept: the middle path of Deism.    As a progressive religious view rising in popularity during the middle of the e... ...ns, it is quite possible that American's would not have religious freedom today.       Works Cited    Gaustad, Edwin S., ed. A Documentary History of Religion in America to the Civil War. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982. "Great Awakening." Colliers Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. Paine, Thomas. The Age of Reason. Ed. Moncure Daniel Conway. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930. Richmond, B.A. "Deism: It's History, Beliefs, & Practices." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 25 July 2000. http://www.religioustolerance.org/deism.htm. Walters, Kerry S. The American Deists: Voices of Reason and Dissent in the Early Republic. Lawrence: UP of Kansas, 1992. ---. Benjamin Franklin and His Gods. Chicago: University of Illinois, 1999. Westbrook, Perry D. A Literary History of New England. Cranbury: Associated University, 1988.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Re-organization and Layoff Team Discussion & Summary Essay

Mismanaged layoffs can go ‘horribly wrong.’ The effect of mismanaged LAYOFFs on the remaining workforce and the effects, lack of management preparation, the human condition, and lack of mitigation strategies. We think that the problem with this article is that not enough managers or HR personal, know how to let a person go from their employment effectively. They sometimes don’t realize the impact that it has on the other employees morals. Also, that sometimes companies don’t take a closer look to make sure downsizing will be the answer to cutting costs like they think that it will. Every HR or manager should be let go in their lifetime so that they know what it feels like. I believe that this statement holds tremendous merit because the best lessons in life are learned through personal experience. In order to adequately communicate life changing messages of sorts, it should be done by a seasoned manager. I will be very surprised if any company has a potential layoff learning path that will coach and train the management staff for these kinds of things. It is imperative to be sensitive to the individual being laid off as this will impact their livelihood significantly. I do agree that other options much is explored such as relocating or wage cuts before making the decision to lay off people. The Problem Layoffs create uncertainty in the workforce causing loss of productivity in remaining the remaining workforce. The article addresses that a manager’s approach is paramount; we don’t disagree with this sentiment, but I don’t see it as a large of an issue as the author of the article. If a company is at a point where they are laying off employees, all other options should have been exhausted. The author writes the article from the position that managers don’t know how manage and that layoff are ineffective. I agree layoffs are not useful, but an amount of respect or approach refinement is  going to make the loss of income any easier; I compare that to putting lipstick on a pig. Trying to make a bad situation easier is often more disrespectful than being direct. Firing is something that is done privately and should be kept confident between the manager and the employee being let go. If a manager is letting, someone go for the right reasons the example should be evident to the employees as cause and effect; being held accountable for their actions. If the Manager is abusing their hiring/firing authority that would affect employee morale; forced silence, uncertainty, etc. Problem Solutions The options that were covered in the group discussion I feel very informative. When it comes to releasing someone, whether it is a termination or a layoff, it was discussed if training for those types of situations would be suitable, or if one could even prepare to carry out something of that delicate nature. You can train someone how to do anything, but that does not necessarily mean it will be conducted in the manner it was taught. I think it all highly depends on the situation and the individual who is delivering the news to the employee. The author’s best point is one of the best solutions; transparency. Managers should allow people the autonomy of reacting, working through, and coping with a layoff in their own way. Transparency is the most respectful approach that management can take as it shows them the truth of the situation and explains the steps being taken and why. I would add rather than trying to find another position within the company as suggested (the company is already struggling!?) they could offer employment assistance to other enterprises; communicate with other organizations in the same industry to identify openings that people would fit into well. They could put together a communications package that shows them what benefits are available, assistance programs, etc.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Flat Cargo Berhad Essay

Air Cargo Industry is a highly competitive with low profit margin industry operated by 85 operators within Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region. Flat Cargo Berhad (FCB) was one of them with several subsidiaries related to this industry. FCB was recognized as one of the biggest air freight companies in Malaysia. With the flourishing of e-business and secured agreements with well-established companies (i.e UPS, Nationwide Expressway, Citylink, Nippon Express etc), the boom of Flat Cargo Berhad was obvious. Even it was expected, FCB would have likely remained as the nation’s leading air cargo carrier if the scandal has not appeared. Things have started to get out of shape for FCB when the external auditor Kencana & Associates came across several suspicious findings that may suggest fraud. So we as consultant/advisor have noted down the problem and came up with the possible solutions in order to handle such suspicious circumstances. Problem 1 The auditors were unable to verify the aircrafts claimed to have been purchased by FCB in 2005. The audit team found a non-functional rundown aircraft barely worth RM231 million in the hangar.  FCB claimed to have purchase aircrafts in 2005, but there were no documentation found to support the claims of FCB that the purchasing ever took place which implied that fraud might have took place. As shown on the fleet information above, (Appendix B) there were two Boeing 727 and five Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F (which later was no longer used for freight purposes) purchased by FCB in 2005 that were in â€Å"Active† status, but when inspected by the audit team, found Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna  only a rundown non-functional aircraft in the hangar which suggested inconsistency in the claim made by FCB. Solution 1 The audit department could take some measures to verify the claim made by FCB regarding the purchase of the aircrafts by: 1) Referring to the aircraft manufacturers regarding receipts, purchasing documents, invoices , contracts 2) Checking any related internal documents about the aircraft activities like schedules and activities of aircrafts i.e. engineering department for maintenance of aircraft. 3) Verify with the staffs of the company i.e. pilots, engineers regarding the aircrafts claimed to be purchased 4) Checking on leasing companies if there were any business activities from FCB (which would suggest obvious fraud since FCB claimed to have purchase the aircrafts) 5) Verify the registration and licensing of the aircraft at the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCAM) And if this aircraft was actually purchased as claimed, the management should encourage these solutions to avoid future confusions 1) Update bookkeeping regularly (transactions on purchases, sales, receipts and payments by an individual or organisation) Problem 2 Several debtors’ confirmation letters were returned because the addressees had changed their mailing addresses Due to this issue it will have a major impact on accounts receivable thus to cash flow. However this will lead to further problem as follows 1) No exact debtor figure available for reference 2) Possibility of bad debt 3) Weak debt servicing ability by company Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna Solution 2 Some measures could be taken by auditor to solve this issue by 1) Investigate the identity of the debtor or organization from reliable sources (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) for organisations, Jabatan Perdaftaran Negara (JPN) for individuals) 2) Find supporting documents of debt to rule out chances of fraud The management team could take these measures to avoid this problem by 1) Create an efficient system for debt servicing 2) Create a system of verifying the  claim of debtors to make sure fraud does not take place 3) Create a database for debtors and keep an updated portfolio on them for future use and reference 4) Create a department in the organization that deals solely with debt servicing (provided that they have a lot of debtors) Problem 3 A large sum of sales transactions was found with no supporting documents. Most of these transactions involved small clients.  This problem will mostly affect the revenue. In addition, it could lead to: 1) poor book-keeping process 2) manipulation on the revenue figure (RM 550 million) 3) manipulation of the shareholders interest in terms of dividend declared 4) balancing the closing process for the year of 2005 manually 5) complication on debt collection therefore the possibility of bad debt in future Solution 3 As far as we are concerned, the auditor can request the engineering department to provide the document on clients who are using their courier services and counter-check it with the Custom Department to verify the figure. We assume every activity must be reported to the  Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna.   DCAM. Therefore, from the backward process, the auditor would be able to verify the turnover figure. Problem 4 A loan received from a Hong Kong based company was found to be incorrectly recorded in the debtors’ account This issue will have the major influence on liabilities. It has violated the matching principle. The following problems can be determined due to these mistakes. 1) The impact on liabilities of the FCB will be decreased whereas assets increase due to the error on double entry process 2) The financial cost (interest expense) will decrease resulting increase of  profit before tax Solution 4 Counter-check and verify the Loan agreement between the FCB and Hong Kong based company. After verifying, the auditors will correct the double entry according to accounting standard by MASB. Problem 5 Several abnormal transactions involving the purchase of aircrafts by FCB and offsetting the debtors’ accounts were found in FCB’s books Following abnormal transaction is strictly against the process of accounting system. It violates many principle of accounting system i.e. principle of non-compensation, principles of sincerity and principles of consistency*. Abnormal transactions could lead to multiplier faults in the financial statement like 1) Overstated/Understated assets Usage of cash or credit was not determined properly Cutting down the overall debtor amount 2) Fail to determine bad debt 3) Fail to determine the true figure of debtors Solution 5 Actions that could be taken by auditors 1) Reconciliation of book keeping related to purchases of abnormal transactions 2) Cross proof each and every documents related to purchases and debtor 3) If possible ensure debtors confirmation letter Actions that could be taken by management 1) Not to mix up purchases with debtors 2) Debtors can be offset upon receiving money or against bad debt Conclusion In conclusion, these issues above could be avoided provided that delegation and segregation of duties were made to ensure accountability in bookkeeping and minimisation to fraud. The company could also hire an internal auditor to regularly inspect the financial condition and activities of the company. Accountability and counter-checking between one another is also crucial to minimize mistakes and deceit. It is such a shame that a company with such great Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna  potential (to be the leading cargo company in Malaysia) should suffer a fate such as this due to trivial avoidable mistakes and fraud. It is best that PLCs to work towards transparency within the company so that mistakes/problems could be detected and solved before it gets out of hand. References Ready Ratios. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Available:http://www.readyratios.com/reference/accounting/generally_accepted_accounting_ principles_gaap.html. Last accessed 4th Feb 2014