French Food Essay

Creamy cheeses, steaming bread, the scent of olive oil and pepper in the air, and warm sugar dusted pastries that melt on your tongue are just some of the things that describe the food in France. In many ways, understanding the food is understanding France itself. The French take pride in their cooking. In France, it is said the way you prepare and serve your meal reflects upon you and your family. France has set the bar in terms of high culinary standards. Some of France’s traditional dishes can be dated back to the fifteenth century, where dishes were decorated lavishly to hide the use of rotting food in the homes of the rich. Later on, food was decorated and flavored not to hide the rotting food, but to emphasize the flavors of the regional food (Lowen 36). In France, there are many different types of cooking, due to the geographical differences of the country. In the Northwestern regions, they specialize in fruit, and in dairy. In the Southeastern region, the main foods they use are heavy meat and lard, due to the close proximity to Germany. Northern regions usually have more wheat, cheese, and beer. The Southern region serves more herbs, olive oil, tomatoes, and spices, which is cuisine du terrior, more traditional cooking (France and Their French Culinary Traditions). In the many regions of France, along with different cooking styles, there are regional wines. The French produce around seven to eight billion bottles a year. France is the second largest wine producer, behind Spain (French Wine). In Alsace, Eastern France, white wines are produced in bulk there. Additionally, in Eastern France, Beaujolais, is primarily a red wine region. In Champagne, North Eastern France, sparkling wines are produced there, along with some rose, and white (French Wine). There are over fifty different wine regions, each with a wine they specialize in. Wine is served throughout the day, with every meal. Children start drinking wine around the age of thirteen with their meals. Younger children also join in, but their wine is diluted with water. Typically a red wine is served at the end of the meal with a platter of cheeses, to signal the end of the meal. In France, there are three hundred to four hundred distinct types of cheeses grouped into eight categories, les huit familles de fromage (List of French Cheeses). The cheeses are made with different milk to give it different flavors. The most popular are cow, ewe, and goat milk. The animal milk gives the cheeses different flavors based upon the animal’s diet, and because each animal has a different protein and acidic combination. Cheeses also get different flavors by the environment in which they are produced. It is said that each person in France consumes about forty-five pounds of cheese every year. France is said to be the â€Å"Cheese Capital of the World† (List of French Cheeses). Cheese is a staple part of everyday life in France. Breakfast in France is a light meal, consisting of a small platter of fresh fruit from the local farmers market, a small tartine, which is half a buttered baguette, with your choice of jams or jellies to dip them in (Culinary Ambassadors-Breakfast in France). Also at the breakfast table, one can find hot chocolate for the children and hot espressos for the adults. Drinks that are normally reserved for winter, however, the French enjoy them all year round. Lunch is taken very seriously in France. Most lunch breaks are two hours long! Normally, lunch starts at eleven and ends at one. Most Southern businesses take longer breaks, due to the Mediterranean being right there; they might fish, or take a swim before returning to work for the afternoon (France Property and Information). The lunch time food will normally depend on the region, because most meals in France consist of fresh and local ingredients. Dinner in France is the most important meal of the day; normally eaten late in the evening, it consist of many dishes and courses, even for a family dinner. Even the most simple of dishes, are presented elegantly and taste excellent. The first part of a party dinner meal would be L’Aperitif, which consist of small alcoholic drinks and small bites of hot food, to stimulate the appetite. After that, the host serves L’Entree (Appetizer), during this time; the guest could be served anything from capers to small bowls of hot soups. Le Plat Principal, the main course, will most likely have fish or beef, and local vegetables. The next part, La Fromage (cheese), will have a wide variety of cheeses to pertain to every guests taste. After the guests finish their cheese plates, they move on to La’ Cafe (coffee), which is normally taken in the living room and served with a small piece of chocolate, which is said to increase the flavor. To signal the end of the meal, the hosts’ serves Le Diegestif, which consist of strong alcoholic beverages such a cognac, brandy, or whiskey. The French use this to end the meal to signal awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. (Courses of a French Dinner). Also on holidays such as, Christmas, or New Years, the men end the night by smoking cigars and drinking strong alcohol. In France, holidays such as, Christmas, are very important. During the Christmas meal, La revillion, which is held at midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the main course for this meal varies from region to region. The meal is very similar to a party dinner, except for their dessert menu; in Provence, they serve thirteen desserts to represent Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts are traditionally set out on Christmas Eve and remain on the table three days until December twenty-seventh (List of Christmas Dishes). The most well know and popular dessert of the Christmas season is the Yule Log, Buche de Nol. The Yule Log is a small cake, normally chocolate, that is in the shape of the traditional Yule Log the French used to burn from Christmas to New Year to symbolize good luck. Henry Bourne was the first to use the Yule log in the seventeenth century (Christmas in France). Many chefs are trained in the art of French cooking. Antoine Careme, the first nationally recognized chef in the eighteenth century was known as the â€Å"King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings†. Another famous chef, George Auguste Escoffier, made a modernization of Careme’s traditional recipes. Escoffier lent his talents in the opening in the Ritz and Carlton Hotels that he opened with is partner, Caesar Ritz. Charles Ranhofer is known as one of the most famous chefs because; he brought French cooking to American cities. Ranhofer first brought French cuisine to New York’s famed Delmonico’s restaurant. Delmonico’s served many great people, from President Johnson, President U. S Grant, and many foreign ambassadors with his modified French-American cooking (Famous Chefs in History). Any writings about French Chefs won’t be complete with out mentioning Julia Child. Child’s starting cooking at the age of thirty-four, when she moved to Paris with her husband. At that time, she came up with her great epiphany; â€Å"Good food is more that roast beef and mashed potatoes. † After that life changing moment, Child enrolled in Le Cordon Blue cooking school. After she completed the course, she wrote her infamous cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Child’s went on to become the first â€Å"Celebrity Chef† with T. V shows, more books, and magazine articles. Many chefs use Child’s recipes in their restaurants. In Paris alone, there are over five thousand restaurants, and with that many places to eat, it’s sometimes hard to choose. (French Food Facts). The Michelin Guide is a series of books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The guide originally started out as a hotel and restaurant guide to help guide tourists to places that best fit their needs (Michelin Guide). The first book was distributed in the nineteen-hundreds for free, but now they charge for each edition. The guide began recognizing outstanding restaurants in the1920’s. By listing a restaurant in the guide, two or three stars is usually added to their ratings, and yield twenty-five percent more business for the following year (France Property and Food). The modern restaurant got its start from France. Prior to the eighteenth century people who wished to â€Å"dine out† would visit their local guild member’s kitchen, and have their meal prepared for them there. In the mid 1700’s, the first restaurants started appearing. These locations were open all times of the day, and they all featured the finest china and the prices were reasonable. The most famous French restaurants were started by ex-monarchy cooks, who left in the years leading up to the French Revolution (French Cuisine). The making of French food is difficult, and most of all, time consuming, but the end product is worth it. All of the history and techniques that go into a single meal is outstanding. From the French language, bon appetit has been a familiar saying known around the world. Meaning good appetite and enjoy your meal. So, â€Å"Bon Appetit. † Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or playing music. ~ Julia Child Works Cited â€Å"Culinary Ambassadors. † Serious Seats. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Famous Chefs In History. † Street Dictionary. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"French Christmas. † Santas. net. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"French Dinner. † Wise Geek. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"French Wine. † Wikipedia. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"List of French Cheeses. † Wikipedia. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"List of Christmas Dishes. † Wikipedia. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . Lowen , Nancy. Food in France. Vero Beach, Florida: Rourke Publications Inc, 1991. Print. â€Å"Michelin Guide. † Wikipedia. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Wal-Mart Market Analysis

Wal-Mart Market Analysis Wal-Mart is the second largest company in the world. Its focus is on mass merchandising as opposed to specialty merchandising. The idea behind mass merchandising is to offer products and services in one convenient store to better manage a consumer’s time. An example of how Wal-Mart mass merchandisers is by offering a multitude of products and services within one convenient store. They sell sporting goods, electronics, housing needs, clothing, groceries, consumables, and toiletries all in one convenient location. Similar to a mall, Wal-Mart meets all of its customers’ needs in one location. This is a very valuable ability because it allows the customer to have more control over his or her time. (Research and Markets, 2010) The company operates under three main operation segments. Its most common segment will be its Wal-Mart. The second common segment found in the United States is Sam’s Club. Sam’s club is similar to Wal-Mart except that it is larger in size and puts more emphasis on wholesale retail. They are more popular with businesses and large families. The company’s last segment consists of International stores. Though Wal-Mart has few locations outside the United States its name is widely known. (Research and Markets, 2010) Within the United States, Wal-Mart has a variety of mass merchandising locations. Wal-Mart’s products and services within each location are based on demographics and surrounding stores. Superstores, discount stores, and neighborhood markets are the three types of stores Wal-Mart might open, given a certain demographic. If a community is large and consists of multiple school districts and many families, Wal-Mart will consider opening a Superstore or neighborhood market. Within a neighborhood market, Wal-Mart offers lower pricing to compete with higher priced stores such as Targets, Kohls, ShopRites, ACMEs, and Super fresh. Even shopping malls competing with Wal-Mart. Discount stores are located in smaller communities, mostly consisting of elderly individuals or small families. (Research and Markets, 2010) Wal-Mart’s is a very powerful company due to its low pricing and high volume. It drives mom and pop shops and local small retail stores out of business due to the inability to compete with such a large chain. Although this is disappointing, Wal-Mart is one of the largest employers, providing jobs for over a million employees. So it does its share to contribute to employment. (Market Research, 2010) Everyday Wal-Mart is increasing its market share. Years back Wal-Mart was just another retailer, but due to massive expansion and lower prices, Wal-Mart now competes in almost every type of retail business. Wal-Mart is now opening grocery stores, gas stations, and supercenters that sell everything imaginable in order to maximize its market share. Everyday Wal-Mart is devising new ideas to keep a huge control over the market share. Ideas of incorporating a grocery store within a clothing store were farfetched 10 years ago, but now it is typical to buy dairy products and sporting goods all in one store. Now farfetched and even crazier ideas such as selling used cars, financial services, and home improvement needs can be realized within Wal-Mart’s ability to expand its products and services. (Market Research, 2010) Wal-Mart has the ability to continue growing to higher and even deeper depths. The goal for Wal-Mart is to not let its goals of expanding interfere with its normal and everyday operations. Low prices and convenience are a must for Wal-Mart to continue operating. Today Wal-Mart is a common name in retail just as Ford is common to automobiles. ? References Market Research, Initials. (2010). The Age of wal-mart. Retrieved fromhttp://www. marketresearch. com/map/prod/805195. html Research and Markets, Initials. (2010). Analysis of wal-mart stores. Retrieved from http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reportinfo. asp? report_id=552122

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems Research Paper

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems - Research Paper Example Though there are systematic reviews concluding that EMRs have the potential to reduce medication errors, save clinicians’ time, promote adherence to evidence-based guidelines in management of various health conditions, and improve patient safety; adoption of EMR systems is still low in health care setting (Jones, & Blavin, 2013; King, Patel, Jamoom, & Furukawa, 2014). According to Jones, and Blavin (2013), only 1.5% of the non-federal acute care facilities had a comprehensive electronic health record system in 2008 while only 7.6% had installed basic EMR. To facilitate widespread adoption and utilization of HITs, the Congress passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, with an overarching aim of enhancing the efficiency, quality as well as safety of the American health care system (Silow-Carroll, Edwards, & Rodin, 2012). Through Medicaid and Medicare EHR programs, HITECH av ails financial incentives to eligible health care providers and hospitals that adopt and demonstrate meaningful use of the health information technology. The meaningful use legislation seems to be associated with increased adoption and implementation of EHR systems in various health care settings. For instance, in the year 2012, about 17% of non-federal acute care health care centers reported to be using a comprehensive EHR system while 27.6% reported to have adopted a basic EHR system.

Budget Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Budget Law - Essay Example The case of South Africa and Sweden are especially noted. According to Lienert(2005) many countries have adopted comprehensive and deep reforms as well new and amended laws to transform the role of the state and the budgeting processes that are involved in the working of the state. The issues that have been highlighted include fiscal transparency and political polarization, performance oriented budgeting and financial accountability. Modifications in the legal framework that have changed the role of the state and the budget processes involved or supporting it could be highlighted yet these modifications seem to have been strongest in countries that rely on laws and decrees to introduce changes The emphasis is on performance oriented budgeting and fiscal transparency and considering that the legal framework does help in shifting emphases to the process of budgeting and methodology, the central role of the legal aspect could be well documented and examined. However there are many obstacles to the proper working of the legal framework and its implementation to enhance budgeting and these could be differences between countries in terms of political systems and administrative arrangements or even legal cultures that could prevent the budgeting process from being efficient and transparent. ... Such cycles are usually thought to be present in weak or new democracies although Alt James et al (2006) prove that such electoral cycles could be present in advanced and more industrialized economies as well. The focus on fiscal transparency along with budgeting transparency would bring about questions on the nature of the economy and the kind of legal framework such economies have. Fiscal Transparency If the legal frameworks are strong enough, fiscal transparency could be expected. Fiscal transparency has become one of the most important aspects of governance and financial reporting A definition of fiscal transparency is given by Kopits and Craig: "Fiscal transparency is defined ... as openness toward the public at large about government structure and functions, fiscal policy intentions, public sector accounts, and projections. It involves ready access to reliable, comprehensive, timely, understandable, and internationally comparable information on government activities ... so that the electorate and financial markets can accurately assess the government's financial position and the true costs and benefits of government activities, including their present and future economic and social implications" (1998, p. 1). The authors use a sample of data from 19 OECD countries in the 1990s, to identify a persistent pattern of electoral cycles both in the low transparency, and largely developing countries, although such cycles could not be observed in high transparency countries. Thus the authors suggest that electoral cycles in fiscal balance could be a feature of many advanced economies but not found in high transparency countries. This highlights the fact that not all advanced and developed economies would have very transparencies although some advanced

Buddhism Modernist- Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Essay

Buddhism Modernist- Colonel Henry Steel Olcott - Essay Example ork City before later joining the University of Columbia before he could drop out of the university in 1851 when his father’s business failed to raise the required amount to pay for his education. In between 1858 to 1860, Olcott found a placement in the New York tribune where he used to write agricultural articles though he could engage in other topics in his writing for instance he wrote about the lineage of his extended family. Olcott married the daughter of trinity parish priest, Mary Epplee Morgan in 1860, and they were blessed with four children two of whom died while still toddlers. During the American Civil war, Henry Steel Olcott served in the military after which he was assigned with the duties of a special commissioner in the faculty of war in New York. In US army, Olcott attained much admiration and respected from his colleagues, and that led to his promotion as a colonel in the department of the navy in Washington. After the assassinations of the then president, Abraham Lincoln, Olcottwas hired to facilitate in the process of investigating the assassinations, as he was a skillful person in his field. In 1868, he ventured into law where he concentrated with insurance policies and all fraud activities therein. In 1874, Henry Steel Olcott made several publications that entailed the spiritualist movement and in the same year, he met Helena Blavatsky whom they held similar views towards the spiritualist movement. Their union elicited the urge to develop a spiritual, philosophical ideology that led to the establishment of the theosophical society that was a new religious movement. In order to support the new movement, Olcott continued to offer his services as a lawyer and in 1875, he was requested by popular spiritualist to carry out an investigation on Nelson Holmes, who alleged to control the spirit thus making Katie king affluent (Prebish & Keown, 2013). Since the inception of the society, Olcott continued to preside over the leadership of the society

FDA policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FDA policy - Essay Example FDA policies regarding raising chicken FDA defines precisely how chicken should be raised in terms of the treatment given and the methods used to keep them. Its policies outline how antibiotics should be used or should not be used in poultry production. This is to slow down the development of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. The agency has trumpeted the policies as the beginning of termination of the misuse of drugs on chicken (Allport-Settle 30). However, the FDA missed the point. While the policies call for the end of using antibiotics to make chicken grow faster, they approve continuous use of such drugs to compensate for unsanitary and overcrowded conditions and prevent diseases at firm operations that produce poultry food. The prophylactic or preventive use of antibiotics resembles their use for growth promotion including similar low doses that are equally responsible in the antibiotic resistance. The FDA encourages the use of preventive drugs necessary to assure chic ken health. Left unaddressed is whatever that makes this use ‘necessary’. The use of antibiotics to make chicken grow faster seems to be in its last stages, though much will depend on how rapidly drug companies comply with the policies and whether the food poultry industry complies at all. According to the public health advocates, the fight now shifts to the use of such drugs to prevent diseases. This is a much steeper hill to scale; their misuse lies at the center of industrial food poultry production, yet the FDA has renounced its responsibility to stop it. In 2005, FDA banned the use of fluoroquinolone in poultry production in the US to reduce the occurrence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter. However, little is known regarding the potential effectiveness of this policy (Luangtongkum 72). A research was conducted with an objective of following temporal changes in the occurrences of Campylobacter among chicken from two conservative producers who declared their termination of fluoroquinolone use in 2002, only three years before the FDA’s ban. Another objective was the occurrence of this antibiotic disease in conventional chicken products to those from producers who do not use antibiotics. Chicken samples were collected from three antibiotic-free keepers and two conventional chicken keepers over the course of five months in 2004 and 15 weeks in 2006. Fluoroquinolone resistance rates were compared among Campylobacter isolates from the diverse producers. From the results, it was established that there was no major change in the percentage of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter segregates from the two conventional keepers over the period of study. Further, Campylobacter strains from both producers were significantly more probable to resist fluoroquinolone compared to those from the antibiotic-free ones. Therefore, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter might be persistent contaminants of chicken products even after ceasing to use on-farm fluoroquinolone. The FDA’s ban on the use of this antibiotic in chicken rising may therefore be insufficient in reducing resistant Campylobacter in chicken products. FDA policies regarding genetically engineering corn For about two decades, FDA has been analyzing genetic modification methods for drug-biological growth as well as the development of new foodstuffs. The agency has carefully created policies to accommodate the evolving and changing world of biotechnology.

SMB team on-demand CRM comparison guide by Ziff Davis Essay

SMB team on-demand CRM comparison guide by Ziff Davis - Essay Example The products can also be applied for single use or for departmental use. Each product also has a different pricing basis that ranges in price, duration of license and number of users per license. The products’ mode of sale, year of development, and ownership are also diversified. They however serve a wide customer base in the global market (Davis, p. 1).The reported Customer Relationship Management products also have differentiated features. The products’ specifications such as versions are for example distinct for each product. Similarly, the products functions are diversified and include â€Å"sales, marketing, service, workflow, system customization, offline synchronization, customer service, reporting and inventory management† functions that are either singly or jointly applicable (Davis, p. 2). The products are also identified with special features that apply to some of the functionalities. Such functions are sales, marketing.The content of the paper â€Å" SMB team on-demand CRM comparison guide by Ziff Davis† is relevant and valuable to my project that seeks to recommend application of Customer Relationship Management to Macy’s enterprises. This is because it identifies features of different Customer Relationship Management products, their functions that identify the products’ benefits, and features of every product towards its functions. It therefore helps with information that supports my project’s recommendation of a specific product to Macy’s Inc.

The Iliad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Iliad - Essay Example In a reflective exploration of Agamemnon’s decision to take Briseis from Achilles, it becomes palpable that the crucial decisions in the Iliad are not made by the heroes to a great extent. Rather, these decisions are influenced by external factors including power struggles, political issues, war threat, involvement of gods etc. Therefore, it is essential to establish that the heroes in the work by Homer play an insignificant role in the making of vital decisions in the course of the plot and a precise set of principles, known as the â€Å"heroic code†, influence their decisions. Significantly, Agamemnon’s decision to take Briseis from Achilles illustrates the fact that the important decisions by heroes in the epic are influenced by external factors and the â€Å"heroic code†. A profound analysis of the characters and actions in the epic the Iliad confirms that, to a great extent, the decisions made by the heroes are influenced by external factors and conditions, although there is difference of opinion on the matter. Thus, the various heroes of the epic, including Agamemnon and Achilles, are influenced by the power struggles, political pressures, the role of the gods etc in their decisions at the different stages of the story. For example, a careful reader of the epic realizes that there exists significant power struggle between the two heroes of the work, Agamemnon and Achilles, which has a pertinent impact on the decisions they take. In the epic, King Agamemnon represents fixed system of monarchy while Achilles represents the honor based system as he is the best warrior of his time. Decisions made by both these heroes are influenced by the complex relationship between them based on the power struggles in the epic. In a careful exploration of the decisions made by the heroes in the Iliad, it becomes lucid that a precise set of principles known as the â€Å"heroic code† lie beneath the decisions and actions by the heroic characters. A

Evaluation sheet of key research studies Essay Example for Free

Evaluation sheet of key research studies Essay I decided not to revise anything for the essay part of the exam paper. This was because I felt that I had done enough research for my specialist modules and would be able to recall it when needed. In the weeks leading up to the exam I spent about 30 minutes a day going over various chapters in my study skills folder, and if there was a particular item I had trouble with I would make a note of it and go over it again the next day. Finding time at home to revise was a bit of a problem and I found that the best time was in the evening when the children had gone to bed. This meant that I was sometimes quite tired when I tried to revise and wasted some sessions simply because I could not absorb any information. In future I may choose to do my revision somewhere other that at home, for example, the library. This means I will be away from the distractions of children and phone calls. I will also give my friends and family a copy of my revision time-table so that they know not to bother me. I felt that we were given enough information before the exam to know what to expect though I would have liked to have seen a copy of an old paper and perhaps given the opportunity to have a go at completing one. When we were allowed to look at our paper I read it through once before answering any questions. Once I had done this I first answered the questions I did not need to think about too much before going on to the others, and if there were any I did not know then I left them blank. I then went onto the essay question and decided which to do, though I found making a choice difficult as I did not know how I would get on once I had started. Once I got started on the essay I realised the mistake I had made by not revising my specialist modules. I wanted to be able to include examples, statistics or case studies in my essay by could not remember any. Once I had completed the essay I went back to the questions and any that I did not know the answer to I guessed. I then proof read the whole paper and corrected some errors which I had missed. If I could have done thing differently I would have planned my revision better to avoid distractions. I found that spending 30 minutes a day trying to revise while cooking dinner and running around after the children does not work. Before the exam I was not nervous but I think this was to do with the fact I did not have time to think about it too much. I also think that I did not take it as seriously as I should have and therefore did not revise enough. While waiting outside the exam hall I seemed to catch nervousness from other people but cannot see any way to avoid this. During the exam I was more nervous than I expected and was really aware of how quickly the time was passing. I wanted to work out how much time I could spend on each section, but this seemed to make me feel worse as I could not remember how many points would be awarded for each. After the exam I felt a bit disappointed as I feel my lack of revision meant I could not do my best. Dealing with stress during my revision sometimes helped. It made feel more awake sometimes, though this was often short lived and I usually ended up feeling worn out. Stress often meant I could not concentrate properly and I would try to do too much in one session. In future I will try to avoid the negative affects of stress by taking regular breaks, planning my revision better, finding a better location for my revision, not revising when I am tired and taking revision more seriously. I also think that revision is something that should be a continuous process not only used just before an exam. Reviewing work monthly or termly is something that I will try in the future.

Lowering the Drinking Age in America Essay Example for Free

Lowering the Drinking Age in America Essay Being eighteen in the United States of America gives each citizen a newborn freedom. However when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, being eighteen restricts one from being allowed to legally buy, or consume alcohol. The most debatable topic a supporter of changing the drinking age would argue, is that if citizens are old enough to fight for our country, they should be able to purchase an alcoholic beverage. The consumption of alcohol age should be lowered to eighteen for economic purposes to benefit the nation, and the number of drunk driving accidents could decrease. Due to just some of these reasons, the legal drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. If one is recognized as a legal adult, with the ability to make decisions independently, the consumption of alcohol should be held to ones discretion. When one turns eighteen, there are many decisions that can be made, but alcohol is not one of them. The ingestion of alcoholic beverages should be at ones own pleasure. With every decision made in life there is a cause and effect; both can be either good or bad. Some privileges given to an eighteen year old American with the ability to encounter decisions to make independently include: the ability to vote, marry, smoke a cigarette (in most states), enlist in the military, give sexual consent, apply for a credit card, and buy a home. The same way the consent is given to engage in sexual intercourse, there is risk of getting pregnant. Every time cigarette is lit, the number of chances of getting lung cancer increase. Without self-control, a newly obtained credit card can instantly become maxed out (pros and cons. 2014, July 18). Although, if one practices moderation the consequences listed above can be preventable. Thus being the case, then why would it not be substantial to consume alcohol? The drinking age should not be postponed to the age of twenty-one solely because if an individual can make accountable decisions based on their own body, they should have the right to do so. From the early stages of our mental development, we are taught what is right and what is wrong. Being eighteen or twenty-one does not change the logic of drinking until the point of intoxication is not what is best for you. Whether you are eighteen or twenty-one, understanding that operating a vehicle, while intoxicated, is both a hazard to yourself and others on the road, the individual just needs to be responsible. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act, was enforced during FDRs presidency, is initiated by MADD, (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to eliminate less mature eighteen year olds, from having alcohol in their possession. (Pros and cons. 2014, July 18). However, what many fail to realize is that before the MDAA was enacted, the number of drunk driving fatalities decreased among all age groups and demographics, leaving this Act irresponsible for the positive shift in society, in 1980. There were fewer drinking and driving fatalities worldwide in countries that do not prohibit eighteen year olds from consuming alcohol. In 1980, America had less drunk driving related fatalities than any other European country with legal drinking ages under twenty-one. (Pros and cons. 2014, July 18). If the United States lowers the drinking age to eighteen, the number of drunk driving fatalities could decrease just like Europe. Movements have been set forth to help politicians realize how beneficial changing the legal age would be. In 2008, college presidents launched the Amethyst initiative, which supports the idea of lowering the drinking age to promote moderation and reduce risks common for drinkers at a younger age. This initiative recognized drunk driving as a serious problem; however it is not the only danger targeting underage drinkers. They contend that by allowing colleges and universities to have alcohol openly available to all inhabitants of its campus, risk factors such as drinking-fueled violence, alcohol poisoning, and drunken injuries would be eliminated on campuses. Essentially, because the college and/or university would be able to educate their students on the dangers of consuming alcohol, now they could take part in the activity effectively. (Cary, Mary Kate.7 May 2014) Psychologically, lowering the drinking age would eliminate many rebellious individuals from seeking the consumption of illegal alcohol. Many people set  out to do things they know are not allowed, just for the fun of it. If eighteen year olds were allowed to drink, they would not be more likely to engage in the act or be able to put themselves in harms way. In todays society, underage drinking is understood as the norm; however, it is still frowned upon. Accidents caused by drinking, is what causes the downfall of a teens drinking experience, mainly due to the fact it is looked down upon. Whether the teen was sneaking around so the cops, or their parents, would not scold them for drinking, or their friend gets sick but does not want to get in trouble for having alcohol and let their friend die. More related incidents come because of avoiding the consequences of the law. If this law of the legal drinking age did not exist, then things would turn around for the better. For example, the first time a teen gets to experience their first drink, they are less inclined to practice moderation because they understand that it is not something they are allowed to do or can easily do often, causing the teen to risk alcohol poisoning. If the consequences of underage drinking could potentially lead to jail, human nature would trigger the individual to leave the scene of the accident before they are jeopardized too. If drinking were allowed and an eighteen year old just had too much to drink that night, then calling an ambulance and seeking medical attention would not be the last thing in that individuals mind because they would not fear their livelihood. Relating back to understanding what is right or wrong, self-preservation usually overrides doing what is better for someone else, rather than themselves. More harm has come from having the drinking age at twenty-one because alcohol is still going to be consumed whether it is legally or illegally. Raising the age of alcohol consumption has not eliminated underage drinking completely; in fact a majority of alcohol is consumed by underage drinkers. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that 17.5% of underage drinking accounts revenue was from underage buyers. Another study, completed in 2006 acknowledged that about 72.2% of twelfth graders in America admitted to having drunk alcohol. Since a large amount of alcohol is illegally obtained, the number of citizens complying with government regulations has declined. If anything, underage drinking has promoted the use of creating, selling and buying false identification. In todays society  where identity theft is a common concern and national security concerns are always in high alert due to illegal circulation of documents, in lieu of fraud, immigrations and terrorism, having fewer false identifications circulating throughout the United States would be safer for our nation and would show more respect for the law from its citizens (public health spot, 23,May 2014). Haste makes waste and what the government fails to realize is that aside from the perk of the well being of an eighteen year old drinker being increased, the economy can then benefit too. By changing the minimum legal drinking age to eighteen, more people would have access to legal alcohol, which would raise sales across the board. This would benefit small businesses, bars, restaurants, clubs and any other licensed establishment in the country. Also, more job opportunities will expand due to the increase in consumers, and the overall increase in demand. If alcohol sales increased, then the government would be able to collect larger amounts of tax revenue and greatly reduce spending on anti-alcohol campaigns. If so many positive outcomes could come from changing the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen then why are the states not arguing to keep their legal drinking age at eighteen fighting back to regain their once acquired right? While it is indefinitely argued that state governments should have the right to establish their own legal drinking age, the federal government puts a hold on the states economy by allowing the age to be changed. The federal government threatened to withhold 10% of highway funding from any state that resisted complying with the act. Yet again, the federal government took a step forward and pressured their choice on states decisions regarding monetary affairs, forcing the states to choose from losing millions in annual highway funds or keeping their minimum legal drinking age at eighteen (Pros and cons, 2014. July18). We see there are many legal, psychological, economic and moral prospective points that benefit the drinking age to be lowered to eighteen. Changing the national drinking age to 18 will secure safety among teens across the nation, assist the economy, and act on promoting alcohol moderation by  having it obtainable by those who choose to drink. References ProCon.org. (2014, July 18). _Minimum Legal Drinking Age_ http://drinkingage.procon.org/ Cary, Mary Kate. Lower the U.S. Drinking Age. _US News_. U.S.News World Report, 7 May 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. Public Health Spotlight. _Vermont Department of Health_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Selective Service System: Welcome. _Selective Service System: Welcome_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. U.S. Office of Personnel Management Www.OPM.gov. _U.S. Office of Personnel Management_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. 2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources. _2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Protecting Youth. _Protecting Youth_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. 2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources. _2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Accessibility Information. _Programs_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

EBay Competitive Advantage

EBay Competitive Advantage The main purpose of this report is to analyse how eBays strategic capabilities might provide sustainable competitive advantage, also propose and justify a structural type for eBay which would maximise its strategic capabilities. The author will start by introducing eBay according to the case study Making eBay work, critically analyse strategic capabilities, competences and core competences as well as their implications in relationship with eBays organisation structure and how they will enable eBay to sustain competitive advantage so as to maximise its business objectives. Morgan-Thomas and Paton (2007) classified firms like eBay as a cyberspace founded organisation that use the internet to carry out its business transactions, which makes eBay to have the capability of being on the internet to showcase its products and services. Not only did Segal (2005) argued that when eBay enter into an advertisement alliance with other firms like yahoo etc., it will enable eBay to use the competen ces and core competences of those firms to sustain its competitive advantage, but also Johnson et al (2009) emphasise that a firms competences include skills and abilities used to distribute its resources effectively, while core competences involve those activities a firm uses to maintain its competitive advantage which cannot be imitated easily by its competitors because they are internally and externally inter-linked with the organisation and its customers. 2.0. STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES AND eBays COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE According to Johnson et al (2009), a firms strategic capabilities will direct and evaluate its plan and objective over a long period of time, which enables the firm to attain competitive advantage by using alliance resources and competences to satisfy customers needs notwithstanding the economic situation. Aaker (1998) argued that strategic capabilities will establish a carefully devised plan of action used to achieve a goal in a firm over a period of time, thereby offering a suitable solution when handling important issues that relate to the firm. Doyle and Stern (2006) emphasise that strategic capabilities will bring management instructions and advice on how firms can be developed and sustained so as to achieve competitive advantage. Cravens and Percy (2009) argued that strategic capabilities will develop plans that will be used to take care of changes in the market environment and also try as much as possible to provide customers satisfaction. Kotler and Keller (2006) also argued that the strategic capability of a firm will try as much as possible to realize, produce, capture, present and sustain its customer value. Cravens and Piercy (2009) indicated that strategic capabilities of a firm, when analysed will involve the implementation of management plan, which emphasise that strategic planning will involve the scheme for achieving an objective; while strategic implementation will try as much as possible to put the plans into action and strategic management process will organise and also control the affairs of the business enterprise. Peppard and Rylander (2006) argued that the internet will perfect the known business and marketing strategies as can be observed with eBays marketing strategic capabilities which made it possible for buyers and sellers of products to interact and agree on the price of a product without seeing each other, as well as eBays advertising alliance strategy which interconnects eBay with other firms like yahoo etc. will help in sustaining eBays competitive advantage. Johnson et al (2009) argued that this interconnectivity or alliance will make it possible for eBay to use th e core competence of other firms they are in alliance with, which can come in form of technological skills/abilities or strong brand that cannot be imitated and it will help to sustain eBays competitive advantage. Cravens and Piercy (2009) noted that firms like eBay provide a quick and different online marketing communication strategic capabilities implementation which have not only been successful in some cases but also failed in some, and the failure is said to result from over affirmative anticipations as well as wrong implementation of the strategy. Segal (2005) argued that eBays strategic capabilities will base on its ability to maintain good alliance with other firms such as yahoo etc. which will enable eBay to improve its products/services through advertisement offered by the alliance firms and on the other hand attract more customers to eBay, thereby sustaining competitive advantage. Pettey (2008) stressed that eBay with its advantage of product development capabilities being carried out on the internet, cannot be able to stop considering the number of buyers/sellers visiting its website. Sachoff (2008) argued that eBays competitive advantage may come as a result of the high number of information/feedback eBay gather concerning buyers and sellers, which eBay uses in formulating its strategic capabilities so as to sustain competitive advantage in business notwithstanding its competitors. Gomes-Casseres (2003) implied that strategic capabilities of firms like eBay will plan and implement properly a new method of doing business with ease through the internet marketplace, which brings buyers and sellers together so that they can agree on a given price for a specific product displayed by the seller on eBay marketplace. Segal (2005) emphasise that eBays strategic capabilities will allow the buyers/sellers to be the people to develop the goods, advertise it for sale by developing and implementing strategies such as packaging, displaying, publicising the products and also secure it on the web thereby sustaining competitive advantage. Gomes-Casseres (2003) further suggest that firms such as eBay should be rational in decision making and implementation on how to handle its competitors like Amazon before entering into any advertisement alliance with other firms. Bolotaeva and Cata (2010) stressed that eBay will have to be more creative so as to capture more buyers or sellers a nd also make profit. According to Segal (2005), eBay uses its strategic capabilities to build a strong customer relation by trying to know what the buyers/sellers want to buy/sale and creates awareness on how to make effective use of the eBay marketplace by conducting seminars for the buyers and sellers so as to enable them participate more actively on the eBay business. Skull (2008) argued that eBays advertising alliance strategy will offer better public promotion of products for the market operators and also create more benefits for eBay through its proper implementation. Segal (2005) implied that eBay tries to sustain competitive advantage by cooperating with other firms doing business on the internet, such as yahoo etc. to market, advertise or promote their business so as to draw more customers. 2.1. STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES AND eBays ORGANISATION STRUCTURE According to Cravens and Piercy (2009) when a firm like eBay is developing its business organisation strategy, it will try as much as possible to determine how other firms like yahoo will contribute to its business organisation structure and marketing strategy through an alliance in advertising or brand promotion etc., this is said to enhance eBays business opportunities by creating awareness of its business internationally and also provide a strong brand capability for eBay as a core competence. Johnson et al (2009) argued that eBays organisation structure comes in form of a multidivisional structure which consists of divided parts of products, services and locations, and can be adjusted easily, supervised from anywhere by the divisional heads using organisation strategies as relates to their specialised divisions that creates competences and also provide training for the upcoming divisional heads (see appendix iii). Olson (2009) argued that by using reliable techniques and tools, e Bay will bring more customers to its establishment, maintain the customers and also sustain competitive advantage. Aaker (1998) observed that for eBays strategic capabilities to be able to sustain competitive advantage, eBay must be able to influence what is happening in its environment and not just adapting to them. For example, eBay will benefit by making more laws or regulations that will guide its users, by so doing eBay will implement its business strategies which will also ensure it of business success (source: Making eBay work). Although Johnson et al (2009) argued that eBays multidivisional organisation structure will bring about duplication of functions which subdivides its divisions and make them self-reliant. Burke (2006) suggested that eBay can use its advertising alliance strategy with yahoo etc. to attract more customers and also make them listen to each other, view the prices of products available for sale and whom the owners of those products are on eBay, which will enable buyers to be able to contact sellers easily and on the other hand bring competitive advantage to eBay as more people will get to know about eBays business transaction and may want to participate. Segal (2005) also noted that eBay allow the buyers and sellers to be the people that will be controlling the business transactions by observing the eBay business regulations. Kotler and Keller (2006) emphasise that the core competence of firms like eBay will provide competitive advantage through the provision of customer satisfaction, applied in broad kinds of markets using skills that will be difficult to imitate. Brandt (2008) stressed that the competitive advantage of eBay will be sustained due to the fact that eBay helps buyers and sellers worldwide to exchange information concerning products and also allow them to transact the business so as to conclude on the price a product can be sold. Pettey (2008) disagreed with the above explanation and argued that buyers and sellers must see eBay as they see other internet marketing websites, such as Amazon etc. so that the buyers and sellers can examine as well as compare the different websites and the prices their products are offered for sale so as to have a choice on the firm to patronise and this may affect eBay negatively. According to Skul (2008) firms such as eBay is being seen as a cheap method of bringing buyers and sellers together so that they can transact a business instead of spending enormous money in order to create/build a market. Weston (2008) emphasise that eBays strategic capabilities also help them to sustain competitive advantage due to its connectivity with buyers and sellers, because eBays database of prospective buyers and sellers provides an opportunity for buyers to contact sellers concerning their needs Bolotaeva and Cata (2010) observed that if eBay happens to be aggressive in its advertisement/marketing and products promotion, their customers may not want to patronise them anymore and they may start visiting their competitors that are doing the same business just like eBay. In this situation, it is observed that eBay will lose some of their customers to those their competitors, thereby not sustaining competitive advantage. Weston (2008) went further to explain that the increase in eBays awareness campaign will definitely encourage their existing customers as well as new customers to keep patronizing eBay, and this should not stop eBay from checking the activities of their customers which may negatively affect eBay sometime. Pettey (2008) emphasized that eBay should have a strategic capability that will enable it set up its own advertisement networking bearing in mind what their customers want, as well as allowing the customers to make suggestions in form of feedback on the way forward. Weston (2008) argued that eBays strategic capability to create awareness, just as they are doing with the help of yahoo etc. will help in a long way to sustain their competitive advantage over their competitors which will also provide an added value to eBays overall business performance. Skul (2008) indicated that there are laws, rules and regulations that will be meditating against eBays online marketing and advertisement strategy, therefore eBay will have to be more careful in conducting marketing and advertisement research so as to operate in accordance within the framework of the law and also remain actively in business. Pettey (2008) argued that since eBay provides information about buyers and sellers, in the future eBay operators may be tired of sharing their personal information on the internet and that may lead to eBay losing some of their customers. Skul (2008) encouraged eBay to continue using its strategic capability by advertising on other websites like yahoo etc. as this will contribute in no small measure in creating sustainable competitive advantage to eBay and also help in achieving business success for eBay. He further stated that this will as well allow eBay to connect with more customers. Javitch (2008) explained that eBay is a cheap and better option as compared to the traditional market where buyers and sellers are expected to meet one on one before transacting a business. This being a strategic capability implies that as an eBay market operator either in form of a buyer or seller will help in safeguarding a customers name from other parties. Klen (2008) indicated that for eBay to be more successful, it will have to set up its business goals and work on how to achieve these goals by properly implementing its strategic capabilities. According to Bolotaeva and Cata (2010), eBay organisation structure can function in a marketplace where buyers and sellers from different parts of the world meet to buy and sale products. In this kind of market situation, buyers and sellers are said to show their presence, create awareness of their products by showcasing the products on eBay website, and also reduce cost of advertising the products through the help of eBay that is solely doing the advert and allowing their customers to pay little after selling their products. Here eBay is said to use their advertising strategic capability to satisfy their customer so as to sustain competitive advantage not minding the current economic meltdown (source: making eBay work). 2.2. A PROPOSED STRUCTURAL TYPE FOR eBay In proposing and justifying a structural type for eBay to maximise its strategic capabilities, the author will put into consideration Woollaston (2011) value chain and network diagrams as shown on week three lecture handout on strategic management and marketing because it is said to illustrate a value chain as classes of activities in a firm like eBay that creates a commodity/service, and a value network shows the inter-firm connections and relationship that creates a commodity/service (see appendix ii and iii). For example, eBays advertisement interconnection/alliance with yahoo, Google, etc.(source: Making eBay work). Johnson et al (2009) emphasise that value chain will help firms like eBay to improve its products or services through advertisement and sales so as to maintain value, while value network on the other hand will reduce cost of advertisement for eBay by interconnecting eBay with other firms like yahoo etc. and also bring more profit to eBay by attracting more customers a nd using the competences of those firms eBay is interconnected or in alliance with to sustain its competitive advantage. Peppard and Rylander (2006) argued that eBays strategic capabilities can be maximised using the analysis from value chain and network which will help in repositioning eBay at its rightful position on the value chain and network. Woollaston (2011) emphasise that by using the value chain and network, eBay will be able to determine actions that are signicant to its strategic capabilities and the best firms that will enable it generate more profit through alliance or interconnectivity. Peppard and Rylander (2006) noted that value chain and network analysis will push eBay to focus on the value that will be created from the alliance strategy with its partners like yahoo etc. so as to create more value for eBay through advertisement which will provide competitive advantage for eBay. Cravens and Piercy (2006) argued that without value chain and network firms like eBay will find it difficult to connect products and services to its customers through the alliance or interconnectivity that can b e established with other firms like yahoo. Chaffey et al (2003) emphasised that a structural type of strategy for eBay like value chain and network will involve the assessment of what customers always want to buy and where the customers attention can be drawn from. Woollaston (2011) implied that this can be achieved by sub-dividing the customers into different segments/groups so as to make it easy for firms like eBay to reach the customers by maximising its strategic capabilities in form of going into advertisement alliance with firms that can reach such segments/groups of customers. For example, eBays alliance with yahoo etc. (Source: making eBay work). Mowery et al (2002) proposed that eBays strategic alliance in form of advertisement with firms like yahoo etc. will in no small measure help eBay to utilize yahoo etc. strategic technological capabilities. This will therefore, sustain eBays competitive advantage and also maximise its strategic capabilities. Chaffey et al (2003) further implied that eBays strategic capability of going into advertisement alliance with yahoo etc. will try as much as possible to strategically reposition/redirect eBay by carrying out the advertisement process in different and attractive ways so as to hit the target audience and also attract more customers for eBay. Cravens and Piercy (2009) also contend that value chain and value network will provide eBay with an unequalled and obliging means of carrying out business transaction between buyers and sellers, and as well provide eBay with a strategic capability that will make it possible for eBay to communicate with buyers and sellers on a one on one basis. De Man and Zee (2002) emphasise that eBay going into partnership with other e-business firms will help eBay to reduce search cost. This will therefore reduce eBay customers expenditure as buyers and sellers will easily locate eBay through the advertising partners such as yahoo etc. By so doing, eBays strategic capabilities of going into business alliance with other firms so as to advertise and market eBay to the general public will be achieved. Cravens and Piercy (2009) argued that although eBays unequalled characteristics contributes in providing high customer value through direct selling which provides eBay with the opportunity of exclusive c ontact with particular customer group and adapting to its business timing as well as capacity to deliver, it also have some limitations in relation to how effective customers will view the eBay business enterprise. Lu and Choy (2004) affirmed that those strategic alliances which are externally oriented business approach will emphasise on improving eBays business performance through the linkages in their supply network. They further explained that this strategic alliance will bring about a future plan which will help eBay and the firms they are in alliance with to maximise eBays strategic capabilities through advertisement, as can be seen in the case example making eBay work where eBay is in advertisement alliance with Google, yahoo, etc. This is said to enable eBay to create more awareness about its products and services, attract more customers to its firm and also maximise more profit and on the long run maximising its strategic capabilities. Bamford et al (2003) stated that it is common these days to see firms like eBay establishing strategic alliance with other firms like yahoo etc. this being because more competitive advantage have resulted and sustained from business cooperation in form of alliance. Bamford et al (2003) further implied that as the world of e-business changes, firms like eBay cannot rely solely on its internal source or quality of advertisement to sustain competitive advantage in the e-business marketplace. Therefore, the author observed that for eBay to maximise its strategic capabilities better, it needs to strengthen its alliance/interconnection with more firms on the internet as they are doing with yahoo etc. so as to share responsibilities and also share maximised revenue together. Mintzberg et al (1995) explained that for eBay to maximise its strategic capabilities, eBay managers must make close examination of their competitive advantage which calls for the evaluation of its organisation as well as the environment in which they operates so as to maximise its strategic capabilities by comparing the firms strength and weaknesses as it relates to their competitors. Segil (2004) argued that the initial firms like yahoo etc. which eBay have been in business alliance with are not or may not be the best firms to advertise for eBay. Mintzberg et al (1995) also contend that a firms organisational process cannot be separated from the structure, culture and behaviour of such a firms organisation in different ways. They implied that eBays strategic capabilities which come in form of alliance with other firms calls for a great responsibility for both eBay and the firms they are in alliance with to implement and execute the strategy so as to maximise eBays strategic capabil ities. De Man and Zee (2002) argued that eBays reputation will have to be considered when eBay want to go into alliance in order to maximise their strategic capabilities, which may come in form of reliance or trust and belief or confidence the firms have for each other, that are always established within a long period of time between the firms that are involved in the alliance. For example, eBay and yahoo happens to have trust and confidence on each other and that is the reason why their advertisement alliance is yielding positive results as observed from the case example, making eBay work (Segal, 2005). Ono et al (2001) explained that for eBay to maximise its strategic capabilities and as well sustain competitive advantage, going into a balance alliance with firms such as yahoo and many more popular and also good e-business marketing firms will provide competitive advantage to eBay. Ono et al (2001) also argued that multi or balanced-alliance strategy will help eBay to spread the news abou t its products and services so that more people will get to know about eBay as well as try to patronize them. In this situation where there is more than one advertisement alliance, if a particular firm is not performing very well as eBay expected, it will not stop eBay from maximising profit because other alliance partners are performing very well (Segal, 2005). Ono at el (2005) implies that when eBay uses a balanced alliance strategy by going into many alliances so as to advertise for its firm, eBay will stand a chance of expanding its customer base because more people will know about eBays services and come to patronize them. This will on the other hand create more market opportunities for eBay, increase eBays competitive advantage and also sustain those advantages (Ono at el, 2005). While Andam (2003) argued that it will be necessary to bear in mind that eBay should be able to secure/protect its business transaction server/website so that its business transactions can be processed efficiently. Also eBay will have to employ people that are able to function and use its tangible and intangible resources and assets without a waste to manage and maintain the eBay system so as to maximise eBays strategic capabilities. Andam (2003) argued that eBay must have the capacity as well as the strategic capabilities to handle online payments of any type, ability to carry out delivery of goods purchased by customers to their various locations, eBay should also be able to maintain its position as a trusted third party so as to ensure that transactions are secured and eBays integrity is maintained. These abilities are said to definitely compliment strategic alliance capabilities between firms like eBay and yahoo etc. and on the other hand, eBay will be able to maximise its strategic capabilities (Woollaston, 2011). Chaffey et al (2003) argued that eBays strategic capabilities in form of alliance with other firms like yahoo, Google etc. will help eBay to achieve its business objective through advertisement, sales and marketing etc. and also sustain eBays competitive advantage. It is proposed by Andam (2003) that eBays advertisement strategic alliance with other firms like yahoo would maximise its strategic cap abilities by making eBay to serve as an avenue through which people from different parts of the world can get connected and transact business. This will involve sellers showcasing their products and selling them to prospective buyers who on the other hand will have the opportunity to access information concerning the products which will lead to purchasing of such products in most cases. Andam (2003) suggested that as eBay uses its alliance strategy, it should also take into consideration, a strategic system of buying which will make it possible for customers of eBay to choose the type of goods or products that will match their description/specification. For example, in a situation where a customer wants a product customised, eBay should be able to arrange for sellers or manufacturers that can do that for the customer within a short period of time (Woollaston, 2011). Smith and Chaffey (2002) on the other hand, observed that alliance strategy will help to increase eBays sales through advertisement, because it will take eBay closer to more people and then generate more customers. This will help in maximising eBays strategic capabilities in the sense that people using yahoo, Google etc. will tend to see eBays advert on their toolbar and want to visit eBay and most times end up buying products/goods from eBay. 3.0. CONCLUSION For eBay to record more success in its business, eBay will need a clearly defined and carefully detailed plan of action or strategic capabilities. By so doing, eBay CEO and President Meg Whitman, as mentioned in the case example making eBay work, coupled with eBay managers will have to be involved more in planning on how to create better and more strategic alliance in advertising eBay just as they have established with yahoo, Google, Skype etc. This strategic alliance will in no small measure increase and sustain eBays competitive advantage through advertisement and also maximise profit for eBay since it will attract more customers for them (Segal, 2005). Morgan-Thomas and Paton (2007) emphasise that strategic alliance between firms or organisations such as the one being practiced by eBay in partnership with yahoo, Google etc. can help to develop a firms marketing strategy internationally. This is said to be achieved through improved advertisement on sales and marketing of the firms products as well as their services. Buttle (2009) identified that the alliance strategy being used by eBay will bring about the involvement of eBay customers in developing the firms products and services, thereby help in meeting customers needs and expectations. Mejtoft (2010) argued that for eBay to sustain its competitive advantage and also maximise its strategic capabilities, eBay will have to maintain a strategic alliance in form of a vertical integration with other firms. This will enable eBay to increase or improve on its customer relation since good customer relation is important to move eBays business forward and also guarantee maximised strategic capabilities. Buttle (2009) also argued that good customer relation can create positive impact on eBays competitive advantage which will result from the use of strategic alliance. With the above conclusion being drawn, it can be summarised by the author that eBays strategic alliance with yahoo etc. should be extended to other good firms in the industry so as to guarantee sustainable competitive advantage for eBay which will enable eBay to maximise its strategic capabilities.

Gloria Naylors Mama Day Essay -- Gloria Naylor Mama Day Essays

Gloria Naylor's Mama Day It is impossible to interpret Gloria Naylor’s 1988 novel, Mama Day, in one way. There are multiple standpoints that a reader can take in explaining various events that occur throughout the book, as well as different ways that the characters in the book interpret these events. The author never fully clarifies many questions that the story generates so as to leave the readers with the opportunity to answer them based on their own personal experiences and beliefs. The multiplicity of perspectives in Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day is embodied in the legend of Sapphira Wade and the dynamics between logic and the supernatural and between George and Cocoa. Sapphira Wade is a character that Naylor uses as a tool to immediately present the theme of multiple perspectives. Sapphira, who was brought to the island of Willow Springs as a slave in 1819, is at the top of the Day family tree. Through time her legacy had transformed to the point that her true identity became more of a matter of opinion than a matter of fact. Even the simple matter of the appearance of her skin becomes so distorted through the time span of a few generations that each member of the Willow Springs community describes her complexion differently. In regards to her supernatural attributes, members of the community portray Sapphira as being able to â€Å"walk through a lightning storm without being touched† and â€Å"use the heat of lightning to start the kindling going under her medicine pot: depending upon which of [them] takes a mind to her† (Naylor 3). It is up to the reader to decide which viewpoints to accept about Sapphira. These varying view s on Sapphira’s identity provide the reader with immediate evidence of the theme of multiple tr... ...it’s not as if [they] were dressing to petition the pope† (Naylor 230). Of course Cocoa’s perception of the situation was quite different: â€Å"I had to be perfect that evening† she says (Naylor 233). Both George and Cocoa feel as if the discrepancy was the fault of the other. Their attitudes regarding the situation that night are completely different. Mama Day is filled with situations in which the theme of multiplicity of perception arises. Various types of readers can interpret these situations in ways they feel are appropriate, just as different characters tend to have different perceptions of things based on their own values and ways of thinking. The important thing is that the reader does not forget that there is, in fact, more than one way to view these situations, and ignoring any one of them can take away from the worth of the book.

US Foreign and Defence Policies Essay -- Politics International Relati

US Foreign and Defence Policies Within America, there has long been a tension between those who describe themselves as realists or idealists - a tension that suggests a stark choice between the narrow pursuit of interests or an endless campaign to impose our values†¦ I reject this choice. President Barack Obama, Nobel Peace Prize Remarks, 10 December 2009 Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. grand strategy has revolved around maintaining this country's overwhelming military, economic, and political preponderance. However America is changing, President Barack Obama is shifting American foreign policy from its historical norms based on exceptionalism, isolation, and bipartisanship. President Obama has asserted; that the United States will us its economic and military power as a stabilizing influence; that America will multilaterally engage other world partners to solve security, economic, financial, and environmental problems; and he will become a post partisan President bridging the party divide in foreign policy ideology. Thus, President Obama has reconceptualised US foreign policy resulting in a grand redefinition, an ideological shift, which will realign America role in the world. When we examine Obama’s foreign policy from a perspective of exceptionalism, we see a departure from the US historical understanding of its role. The United States of American has a long believed that is a unique nation, a nation that was created and developed differently, a nation unlike any other in the world, a nation that is blessed by God, a nation that is exceptional. The US has firmly held to exceptional view that they are the dominant defenders of democracy, liberty, freedom, equality, and capitalism. Traditionally because of its mi... ...07): 71-83. DeConde, Alexander. Isolation and security: ideas and interests in twentieth-century American foreign policy. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1957. McCormick, John. "American Exceptionalism: The Implications for Europe." Journal of Transatlantic Studies Vol 3, no. 2 (Autumn 2005): 200-205, 213-214. Obama, Barack. "President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address." The Whitehouse. January 20, 2009. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-barack-obamas-inaugural-address (accessed Novemeber 16, 2010). —. "Remarks by the President at the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize." The Whitehouse. December 10, 2009. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-acceptance-nobel-peace-prize (accessed November 16, 2010). Schwarz, Benjamin, and Christopher Layne. "A New Grand Strategy." Atlantic Monthly 289, no. 1 (January 2002): 36-42.

Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees

| Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees| Awesome| Julia Gao Helen HuHannah Hung Chimeme Pan Johnson SunMandy WongYidi YuElaine Zhu| | 4/15/2013| | Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees 1. Executive summary The global economy experiences a downturn every five to ten years nowadays. During such financial crises, organizations might have to face the issue of lay-off in order to reduce cost and survive from the downturn. Apart from the negative effects on the unemployed, those survivors also go through a hard time.This report has firstly investigated possible negative effects on remaining employees. It is found that survivor syndrome, including five major types, occurs among survivors. Besides, four relevant solutions for managers are provided to minimize the negative influence on remaining employees and to support future development of the company. Lastly, current issues and concerns with respect to motivation maintenance are also discussed for feasib ility. 2. Introduction During the financial crisis, many organizations are downsizing and laying off their employees.A major factor that contributes to the failure of most organizations to achieve their objectives after downsizing is that they do not adequately and effectively address the â€Å"people factor† related to surviving employees throughout the process. In other words, most companies focus on comforting the leavers instead of concerning the negative effects on the survivors. Survivor Syndrome is a mental condition that occurs when people perceives themselves to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not.In the field of management, it refers to the negative psychological and physical impact that originations’ layoffs bring to the remaining workers (Cascio, 1993). In this report, we identified 5 major negative effects on survived employees and provide possible solutions to the managers. 3. Major negative effects 3. 1 Psychological effect s 1. Job insecurity. Survivors wonder how long they will be able to keep their jobs, and they worry that they are not prepared to find work elsewhere, or that there are no comparable outside jobs.Since survivors are at the risk of losing jobs, they no longer regard themselves as an integral organization member, as which they are responsible for the future of organization. 2. Depression, anxiety and fatigue. The process is demoralizing and stressful for the managers who must lay off employees, as well as for employees who lose friends and colleagues. After the layoffs, more work and more pressure to perform, mentally and emotionally drained after survival. 3. Reduced risk-taking and creativity.Many survivors are afraid to face challenging jobs, accept a new task, or discuss a work-related problem for fear that they expose themselves to criticism or poor performance appraisals and become the target of future layoff. As a result, they are receptive to their status quo as being â€Å"s afe† instead of taking initiative. 4. Distrust and betrayal. Doubts may arise about the wisdom of the layoff choices when survivors believe that someone laid off is more capable than a remaining one.The feeling of unfairness can lead to worries about the transparency of organization operation thus causing distrust and possible job-hopping. 3. 2 Physical effect Apart from the psychological negative effects, layoffs may also influence the physical health of the survivors. Great pressure and heavy workload can have a bad impact on employees’ immune system. Under this situation, people are probably to have more physical symptoms, like stomachache, headache and cold. 4. Solutions for managers The following are four solutions provided to minimize negative effects on survivors. . 1 Open Communication Research has proposed that procedural justice, which is the perceived fairness of the process used to determine distribution of rewards, has a critical role to play in the managem ent of employee organizational commitment, trust in the corporations and turnover intentions. Hence in times of uncertainty and fear, increasing the perception of procedural justice is the key to rebuild trust and confidence among the employees and hence combat the Layoff Survivor Syndrome. This could be achieved through open communication. . 1. 1 Communicate about the downsizing Managers could pursue promoting perceived fairness and transparency through openly addressing the downsizing event, explaining explicitly and honestly the rationale as well as procedure for the layoffs and illustrating how the action of downsizing will lead to future organizational success. Open-book management, a strategy that is designed to help facilitate the communication process, is widely adopted by many recognizable corporations such as the HSBC Group and Cathay Pacific during downsizing.Through disclosure of the detailed business and financial information, the practice provides employees with insigh ts into the company’s situation and hence the rationale for layoffs. Moreover, the approach empowers employees to take ownership of their work as they are now fully aware of the implications of their actions on the company’s performance. As a result, they are motivated to take the initiative to help reduce cost. Furthermore, managers should be candid about the potential drawbacks of the policy.For instance, while downsizing inevitably leads to increased workload and prolonged working hours that create an overwhelming stress for the survivors, timely and quality communication with the employees about their new roles and responsibilities is hence imperative to help them better manage the pressure and maintain employee morale and productivity. 4. 1. 2 Communicate about the future Goal Setting Theory clearly demonstrates that working towards a goal is a major source of job motivation.Effective communication about the organization’s post-layoff goals and visions is t herefore important in maintaining and strengthening employee commitment. Regular update on the organization’s long term strategies will further reinforce trust and confidence among the employees, as not only does the action assure them that the leadership is actively solving the problems, but also conveys a clear message that they are being valued and respected by the company. While open ommunication should be encouraged at all levels, special attention should be devoted to the group of employees who are highly skilled and professional in their field due to their great inclination to leave for greener pastures in times of uncertainty, as well as those who are personally affiliated with the laid off as they tend to experience the greatest emotional toll from loss of their co-workers. 4. 2 Job reassignment Job reassignment means to redesign individual roles according to their talents and background.Job reassignment is essential in clarifying everyone’s duty in order to a ssure that the company can still function normally. And in another aspect, proper job reassignments may also to some extent reduce the negative effects on survivors such as job insecurity and anxiety. 4. 2. 1 Job design Here are some suggested actions for job redesign, including combining tasks, creating natural work units, establishing internal or external client relationships, expanding jobs vertically, and opening feedback channels.The actions mentioned above provide the survivors with more and better opportunities to develop their skills and to take the responsibility. Since the workload of individual survivor usually becomes heavier, what managers can do might be making the job more motivating for the survivors. They will help the survivors to experience the meaningfulness of their work, and also have higher working satisfaction. It will also be able to keep survivors from feeling passed over during the downsizing; they must be assured of their value, which will reduce their jo b insecurity. 4. 2. Training and supporting programs Besides job design, managers should do a lot more work in order to assure that job reassignment is being carried out successfully, in which training and supporting programs should be offered. Sometimes in the haste of layoffs, employees are shifted to new assignments without appropriate preparation such as job insecurity and lack of confidence in competency. It is found that â€Å"people are uneasy because they are not sure what they are supposed to be doing, who they should be accountable to, or if they are doing a good job†(Wexley & Silverman, 1993).In the wake of a downsizing, managers are suggested to sit down with each employee to help clarify his or her new role. Employees need to know what expectations have changed and how those changes may have an impact on their daily work. Research shows that most employees find great comfort in knowing exactly what they're working toward and exactly what's expected of them. Addit ionally, a large portion of anxiety is caused by lacking confidence in competency. Survivors worry that they will not be competent in their newly restructured job functions that the survivors do not ever possess.So immediately after layoffs, employees should be trained on how to handle new tasks or responsibilities. 4. 3 Pay-for-performance As the expectancy theory states motivation= expectation *instrumentality * valance, in relation to effort, performance and rewards. Therefore, we suggest the pay-for-performance scheme to work alongside this theory. The general idea is rewarding through the recognition of work done by overachievers, thus encouraging performance levels. There are, however, several takes to this approach according to Stephen O’Bryne. . 3. 1 Pay versus target pay is tied to performance Some companies believe that pay-for-performance is best reached by awarding compensation when the performance level is above a target level, thus a decrease if it is below targ et level. Companies such as Procter and Gamble are known to use this method. For example, in its 2010 proxy statement, P&G describes pay for performance this way: â€Å"We pay above target when goals are exceeded and below target when goals are not met. † 4. 3. 2 Pay doesn’t go up when performance is poorThis method defines pay for performance in terms of performance and pay changes. In its 2008 U. S. proxy voting guidelines, ISS said it would vote against compensation committee members when â€Å"the company has a pay ­for ­performance disconnect,† defined as an increase in pay coupled with a decrease in performance. 4. 3. 3 Pay versus market pay is tied to performance Adopting target pay/prior year pay as a benchmark for assessing pay-for-performance has led some companies to focus on market pay instead.Companies such as Dow Chemical and CSX agree that superior performance should lead to above market pay and poor performance should lead to below market pay . 4. 3. 4 Pay percentile equals Performance percentile If a company provides target levels of pay at or above a particular percentile but the performance does not meet the percentile of peer companies, the firm should redesign its compensation strategy to align it with the organization’s compensation. This can help the situation as it recognizes the efforts of individuals and thus boosting the general morale of the employees.Limitation in this approach lies in deciding the target levels. For example, some companies may adopt a needlessly high target pay level which may result in the rewarding of poorly behaved executives with pay levels that, albeit lower than those for well performing executives, remain above the market. 4. 4 Individualized recognition and reassurance People have social esteem needs such as recognition and belongingness. Employee recognition and reassurance is a critical issue especially when a company is dealing with downsizing, where the survivors are both physically and psychologically affected.Here are 4 detailed ways to raise employee recognition. 4. 4. 1 Offer reassurance whenever possible Recognition is the essentially positive feedback that lets employees know they are valued and appreciated by their  co-workers, supervisors and the organization. Employee recognition could be raised from daily works to formal events. Certainly, special tasks, important meetings and awards presentation are good chances for creating employees’ sense of belongings and self-actualization. Apart from those formal situations, bonuses and prizes, daily appreciation and reassurance are also important.By sending thank-you email or a handwritten note of praise, employees would feel that their hard work is being rewarded. Then, they will be more motivated and continue to work harder (Murdock, 2010). 4. 4. 2 Provide counseling for survivors for further development Counseling can take the format of buddy program in which manager acts as mentor and employee as mentee. Manager may meet with employees on an individual or small-group basis to devise a personal plan for goal achievement. By doing this, the survivors will be aware of the opportunities they still have remaining in the company.Besides, a feedback system can also be established where the employees give feedback about their progress in achieving individualized goals and managers help to evaluate and make improvement on their plan at the same time (Boyd, 2013). The program serves as a channel for mutual communication in the company. Therefore, remaining employees can release the distress brought about by downsizing. 4. 4. 3 Continue to communicate, especially one-to-one Individualized communication would be a modified way to boost morale based on different personality type of employees.By communicating with employees individually, managers are able to understand their feelings and problems and offer helps to improve the situations (jobsDB HK, 2007). Also, they could rea lize employees’ personalities and take them into account when designing plans for reducing negative effects from lay-off. For instance, for an employee with need for affiliation according to the Three-Needs Theory, he/she probably prefers a social event to renew his/her personal network. As a result, surviving employees could be easily motivated. 5. ConclusionThis report discusses 5 negative effects on employees who have survived organization’s layoff and the corresponding solutions. Layoffs due to the financial crisis can lead to physical problems and a series of negative psychological effects including job insecurity, depression, anxiety and fatigue, reduced risk-taking and creativity, distrust and betrayal. Facing such a situation, open communication, job reassignment, pay for performance, and individualized recognition & reassurance are the four corresponding solutions suggested. However, the real situation is much more complicated, where more issues should be take n into consideration.One concern is the diversity of workforce. Different employees have different values, backgrounds, making it challenging for managers to identify and satisfy their needs. Another concern is the culture difference. Most current motivation theories are based on the situation in the United States and managers cannot assume that motivational programs well fit in their own case. Therefore, it is suggested that managers should incorporate local cultural factors and personal characteristics when dealing with the downsizing negative effects. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Cascio, W. F. (1993).Downsizing: what do we know? What have we learned. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 95-104. [ 2 ]. Wexley, K. N. , & Silverman, S. B. (1993). Working Scared: Achieving Success in Trying Times Jossey-Bass. [ 3 ]. Murdock, K. (2010). Boosting Morale of Employees Important During Tou gh Times: How You Can Do It in Three Easy Steps. The Washington Post. [ 4 ]. Boyd, J. (2013). How to Motivate Employee Performance. eHow. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/how_5996416_motivate-employee-performance. html [ 5 ]. JobsDB HK. (2007). Boost Staff Morale. Retrieved from http://hk. jobsdb. com/HK/EN/Resources/EmployerArticle/morale? ID=500

Total Accounts Receivable

Bradmark Wholesale General Supply ACL Case Study This paper contains the summary of the details and results of the audit tests on Bradmark’s Revenue and Expenditure Cycles. The audit tests were performed through the ACL Program. 2005 Rachelle Cultura | Trixia Ebol | Christine Fonseca Mary Rose Samas | Nadaine Tongco Ross & Specter Co. October 24, 2012 1 | P a g e REVENUE CYLCE Assessment of Internal Controls over the Revenue Cycle The assessment of Bradmark’s internal controls over its revenue cycle procedures were done through the analysis of the processes each department is undertaking.For the Sales Department, it is but right that the clerk will seek the approval of the credit manager for customers with insufficient available credit. However, the credit manager should not only verbally authorize the clerk to change credit limits. More so, it is inappropriate for him to delegate the said task to the clerk as it violates the general control of authorization. Reconcilia tion of the documents – packing slip, shipping notice, and bill of lading – with the goods to be shipped must likewise be done for independent verification.Several copies of these documents must be made to be filed for future reference and monitored by the departments responsible in the each of the operational processes. In conclusion, Bradmark needs to improve some of the internal controls over its revenue cycle procedures. Existence or Occurrence From Bradmark’s data files on sales invoices, cash receipts and list of customers, the ACL software was used to compute and determine the Accounts Receivable balances of customers in the books. January 20, 2005 United City 920 4 h Street Bridgewater, New Jersey 8807 Dear Sir/Madam, In connection with an examination of our financial statements by Ross & Specter Co. , Certified Public Accountants, 8th Avenue, Manhattan, New York (NY) 10014, we will appreciate it if you will indicate the correctness of the following info rmation. Our records indicate that, at the close of business on December 31, 2004 the amount payable on your account was $8,627 Please sign the confirmation form in the space provided below if this amount agrees with your records.If it does not agree, do not sign below but explain and sign on the reverse side. Please return this form directly to our accountants in the enclosed envelope. Very truly yours, Ross & Specter Co. Confirmation – Information is accurate: ________________________________ Signature and date 2 | P a g e In order to verify the existence or occurrence of what these accounts actually owed to Bradmark, confirmation letters were sent to certain customers. Customers with unpaid balances in the records received confirmation requests from Bradmark.The figure above is an example of a positive confirmation letter that was sent to one of their clients, United City, asking for a verification of their balance amounting to $8,627. Similar positive confirmation letters were also sent to other customers with outstanding balances to the Company. Completeness In terms of verifying whether the sales figure represent those that actually occurred and were shipped during the period, the Sales Invoice and Shipping Log records were joined. However, to find out which items were not shipped, using the unmatched category was necessary. Presented below is the result of this audit test.As observed, the sales last November 4, 2004 to Customer 65003 (University Electronics) was not in the record of shipped goods. This gap should be further investigated by verifying the delivery of the goods with the said customer. In addition to that, there were items that were shipped past the cut-off date (December 31, 2004). The ACL procedure used to determine this was the filter function. The filter â€Å"Ship_Date > `20041231`† was used and the results are displayed below. 3 | P a g e In total, there are ten records that should not be part of the Total Sales amount f or the period.These records amount to a total of $29,495. 70. After taking into account the results for these two tests, the should-be balance for the Total Sales of the period was computed to be $5,317,470. 36. Valuation or Allocation The total Accounts Receivable balance in the records of $4,752,257. 70 was verified by setting a filter of â€Å"Remit_Num = 0† and then getting the total amount due. By doing this, only those sales which do not yet have a remittance advice are part of the accounts receivable. The figure below is the outcome of this procedure. 4 | P a g eHowever, if the difference between the total sales and the total cash received (for the period ending December 31, 2004) was computed, then the total Accounts Receivable balance would be $4,578,008. 14. This indicates that the Accounts Receivable is misstated in the financial statements. Moreover, from the analyse tab and the function â€Å"Age†, an aging of the Accounts Receivable was performed. The sum mary of this analysis can be seen in this figure: 5 | P a g e It should be noted that based on this test, the allowance for doubtful accounts should be adjusted to reflect the actual accounts, which can be considered as uncollectible, i. . those that are already over 90 days. The balance would then be $1,945,870. 20. 6 | P a g e Compared to the current estimation method of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts of Bradmark, this method of aging the Accounts Receivable is more appropriate. This also ensures that the balance is reasonable and properly valued. Accuracy To test the accuracy of the recorded cash payments from customers, the Sales Invoice record was compared with the Cash Receipts record. These tables were joined and afterwards, the amounts due found in the Sales Invoice table was contrasted with those actually received in the Cash Receipts table.The figure below shows the records that did not match and, in effect, constituted errors to the reported balances of the accounts receivable and cash receipts. There are a total of eight records that show inconsistencies within the records of the company. Nos. 12684, 12687 and 12814 were remittances that were recorded by the Cash Receipts clerk but were not found in the Sales Invoice records. These may be considered as a red flag to Bradmark. With these results, the management should verify if they have, in fact, received these payments as this may indicate theft within the Company.Other records like remittance nos. 12657, 12663 and 12709 demonstrate probable human errors while recording, since these discrepancies were due to lack or excess of digits as shown below. Lastly, remittance nos. 12651 and 12697 reveal that the amounts due have not been paid in full. This constitutes receivables from the customers. There is a need, however, to verify this and include those with partial payments in the list of customers to whom confirmation letters will be sent. 7 | P a g e Other Operational Concerns (Related to Reven ue Procedures)Moreover, to make sure that the credit policy is consistently applied and that no customer exceeded his/her assigned credit limit, the join function was utilized. After joining the tables Customer and Sales Invoice using the many-to-many category, the filter â€Å"Amount_Due > Credit_Limit† was subsequently set. The outcome of this test can be seen from the following figures: 8 | P a g e This shows that six customers (Customer Numbers 65003, 419449, 564291, 784547, 811002 and 925007) were given approval to purchase beyond their allowed credit limit.Particularly noticeable are customers 65003 (university Electronics) and 925007 (Galaxy Company), who have several purchases that exceeded their allowable credit. An in-depth inquiry on this matter should be done to uncover the cause of these violations. EXPENDITURE CYLCE Assessment of Internal Controls over the Expenditure Cycle After assessing its practices, Bradmark’s internal controls over its expenditure c ycle appear to be inadequate. To rationalize this: ? Mr. James Walker has sole control over the determination of when to replenish the Company’s inventory, by how much and to whom to buy.This way of restocking seems to be unsystematic and subjective and by doing so, the Company is not that assured that purchases are made in an arms-length transaction. ? There may be gaps in the receiving report numbering system as the clerk must void receiving reports when errors are made during the data entry, thereby losing its significance as a control tool. ? Check and balance controls in place cannot be relied upon as there is a lack of segregation of duties. Mr. Walker has means to override. To illustrate, since Mr.Walker is the one encoding if the ordered products have been received in the warehouse and also the one making purchase orders, he can make a phony purchase order and indicate that it has already been received, even if no delivery has occurred. The accounts payable clerk woul d not detect that such was the case because her only verification toll 9 | P a g e she has is the RR Number that has been placed in the PO record, which, in the first place, was also encoded by Mr. Walker. Furthermore, it is to be noted that Mr.Walker played a significant role when the system was being put into place and can therefore effectively administer the system. Completeness Furthermore, in order to verify that there are no unrecorded liabilities during 2004, the Purchase Order and Receiving Report files were joined. Then, the resulting table was joined with the Voucher’s Payable file. To search for the items that were recorded, a filter is made to extract unmatched PO number in the three files. The result of this audit test is shown in the figures below: 10 | P a g eThe results indicate that there are 21 incidences where a good was received (as recorded in the RR File) but no order was placed for it (based on the absence of the entry in the PO file). These received go ods are also unrecorded in the Vouchers Payable file conceivably understating the Accounts Payable for the year. Moreover, the results also showed that there are 22 incidences where an order (as shown in Purchase Order file) was not received (as it cannot be found in the Receiving Report file) but was paid for by the Company (as indicated in the Vouchers Payable file).The unusual thing about these incidences was that these transactions were made with the same vendor (Vendor Number 11663). It is possible that all those purchase orders were fabricated and vendor number 11663 is a fictitious supplier. 11 | P a g e The summary of the actions taken is presented in this figure: Valuation or Allocation The Inventory Account is currently valued at $ 1,108,194. 94 which was calculated as the lower between lump sum cost and the market value of the inventory. This was verified by using the Total Fields function.The results are shown in the figure: 12 | P a g e However, such computation does no t value the inventory items individually at their lower of cost or net realisable value in accordance with the accounting reporting standards. Thus, inventory is currently misstated in the financial statements. Thus, to correct the inventory balance, it is necessary to use the filter and total function. Inventory items whose costs are lower than their market value were first added. This resulted to a total of 140 items having a should-be recorded cost of $941,109. 79.Meanwhile, 11 inventory items that should be valued at their market value have a total of $129,986. 27. Adding these two figures together, the inventory balance should be at $ 1,071,096. 06. 13 | P a g e Accuracy In asserting the accuracy of payments to vendors, the Check Register and the Voucher Payable data were joined. This gives us 17 entries that show zero value. Filter and total functions were used to determine if there are payments made which are greater than what was actually owed by the Company. As shown in the figures below, the total disbursed cash is greater than the sum 14 | P a g e f the full amount. The full amount is the basis for the disbursing of cash; however, five records appear to have exceeded this limit. One shows that there was a check issued to settle a payable that has a negative amount. In addition, three checks that have negative values were issued to pay three negatively recorded payables. Further examination of 15 | P a g e these check payments must be made in order to ascertain if these discrepancies have resulted from mere human errors or were intentionally made to cover a fraudulent act.By searching for duplicates, another anomaly was uncovered. One out of the 25 records shows that two consecutively numbered checks were issued to pay for one invoice. The management must investigate on this incident as this involves an explicit misuse of financial resources. 16 | P a g e 17 | P a g e Operational Risk This test focuses on the operational efficiency of the company. To ensure that the discount for their purchases are taken advantage of, the payment due date was compared with the actual payment date.This was done by first joining the Check Register and Vouchers Payable files using the matched category. Subsequently, those checks that do not have a check number were filtered using â€Å"Chk_Num ‘’†. This is to make sure that only those checks that were actually issued are compared to the accounts paid. The resulting data is again filtered using â€Å"Pay_Date > Due_Date† to arrive at those purchases whose actual payment data is beyond their due date. The following tables show the files after the employing the said filter: 18 | P a g e 19 | P a g e 20 | P a g e