Thursday, October 31, 2019

Exercise assignments Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Exercise assignments - Coursework Example This is the view that whatever is going to happen, is going to happen, regardless of what we do. At the end of the day, the perspectives of believers in the doctrine shows that everything is controlled by the way of presence and past human impact. This is about God being in control of all that happens through history, including his decision of sparing some individuals for himself, while permitting others to go their own specific route along the way of sin. It is an idea hard joined to Gods sway, which is a statement used to portray the complete and private control God has over his creation. This is the idea that each occasion is required by forerunner occasions and conditions together with the laws of nature. The thought is aged, yet first got subject to illumination and numerical examination in the eighteenth century. Freedom is the right and limit of individuals to focus their own particular movements, in a group which can accommodate the full improvement of human possibility. Flexibility may be delighted in by people yet just in and through the group. Fatalism is the belief that all events are irrevocably fixed and predetermined so that human beings cannot alter them in any way. Hard determinism is the theory that if all events are caused, then freedom is incompatible with Determinism while Soft determinism is the theory that all events are caused but that some events and causes originate with human beings. The hard determinist criticizes the soft determinist by questioning how human beings can be said to originate any events when, if one traces causes back far enough, they end up being outside of the control of human beings (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2006). Some of the problems associated with these theories is that hard determinists push language out of context. Their arguments do not account for the complexity of the nature of human beings. Like the psychological egoist, they try to reduce

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Internal Control Essay Example for Free

Internal Control Essay Question 1 a) Select two companies where inadequate internal control have resulted in disastrous effects on the organisation or exposed it to heavy losses. Research the facts of the failure and report on the facts and the losses suffered. In your report, include suggestions for changes to operations (internal controls) that could have prevented the final outcome. Where could you find a list of these internal controls and how are they documented? Examples of companies include: Coles Myer Ltd and the Yannon affair Barings Bank (1995) AWA Case (1992) Integral Energy (2003) Australian Museum-theft of zoological specimens (2003) Argonaut Resources (2011) Each report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required. b) Select two companies that have experienced recent corporate governance failures. Research the facts of the failure and report on the facts and the losses suffered. In your report, give suggestions on the Corporate Governance principles that should be implemented and that could have prevented the failure. Examples of companies include: ABC Learning (2008) Storm Financial (2009) Strathfield (2009) One-Tel HIH Independent Insurance (UK) Commander Communications (2008) EzyDVD (2009) Clive Peters Beechwood Homes Australian Discount Retail (Crazy Clarks’, Go-Lo, Sam’s Warehouse) (2009) Queensland Health Department (2011) Parmalat (Italy) Each report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required. Question 2 a) In your own words explain Internal Control within an organisation, and state the major objectives of a system of internal control to management? b) List and briefly explain the five components of an entitys internal control structure. Question 3 a) Define Corporate Governance and its application in the corporate world and discuss the need for Corporate Governance. b) Look up the Annual Reports for two of the following companies and comment on the appearance, structure, content, and usefulness of the Corporate Governance and Sustainability section of the report. How does it meet the current principles of Corporate Governance? Companies include: Banks: ANZ, CBA, NAB, Westpac, Bendigo Resources: BHP, RIO Tinto, Woodside, Santos Financial services: Macquarie Group, Perpetual, QBE Health care: Sonic, Resmed, CSL Retail: Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Metcash, Harvey Norman Property: Centro, Stockland, Westfield Property Trust, WRT Family business: Westfield, Harvey Norman, News Corporation Interesting: Fairfax, James Hardie, Qantas, Telstra Your report should be about no longer than 1 page in length. Two reports required.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Are Nursing Homes Beneficial?

Are Nursing Homes Beneficial? Cameron Bond   Specific goal: To persuade families why nursing homes are beneficial Introduction: Question: Why do you think nursing homes beneficial?[PC2] Today what I will be talking about is: What are nursing homes? What are the benefits of nursing homes? How can families pay for their loved ones nursing home stay?[PC3] Thesis Statement: [PC4]Nursing homes put more emphasis on rehabilitating residents and getting them back into the community. Nevertheless, there is a growing tendency to make some Nursing Home more homelike. Body: What are nursing homes? According to Medline Plus, a nursing home is a place for people who dont need to be in a hospital but cant be cared for at home. Most nursing homes have nursing aides and skilled nurses on hand 24 hours a day.[PC5] Some nursing homes are set up like a hospital. The staff provides medical care, as well as physical, speech and occupational therapy. There might be a nurses station on each floor. Other nursing homes try to be more like home. They try to have a neighborhood feel. Often, they dont have a fixed day-to-day schedule, and kitchens [PC6]might be open to residents. Staff members are encouraged to develop relationships with residents. Some nursing homes have special care units for people with serious memory problems such as Alzheimers disease. Some will let couples live together. Nursing homes are not only for the elderly, but for anyone who requires 24-hour care. What are the benefits of nursing homes? Assistance with daily task Nursing homes help residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, drinking, using the restroom, and administering medicine.[PC7] Typical daily task can become increasingly difficult with old age.[PC8] Social environment Residing in a nursing home facility provides seniors with a built-in social network of peers.[PC9] a) Senior residents can enjoy the company of others who are living in the same facility and share their experiences. Many facilities offer organized social events open for participation for all residents. Many senior citizens suffer from depression due to feeling of isolation from living alone and not having access to social outlets. House keeping The nursing home staff will take care of laundry and general cleaning in their rooms. Food service Nursing facilities provide all meals and snacks Many facilities offer various meal plans to cater to different taste and dietary requirements Safety The elderly are frequently targets of physical, emotional and financial abuse. Living in a nursing home facility offers seniors a protected environment to help insulate them from possible abuse and danger Nursing homes offer greater levels of security and protection than seniors who are living alone or un-supervised Access to resources While living in a nursing home, residents can enjoy easy access to whatever resources they might need a) The nursing home staff will help residents find the information they need quickly and efficiently. Specialized health care Skilled nursing facilities are staffed by registered nurses and they have the ability to provide proper care to seniors with serious health conditions. How can families pay for their loved ones Nursing homes stay?[PC10] It is said on the national institute on aging website that, Its important to check with Medicare, Medicaid, and any private insurance provider you must find out their current rules about covering the costs of long-term care. You can pay for nursing home care in several ways. Medicare is for someone who needs special care, Medicare, a Federal program, will cover part of the cost in a skilled nursing home approved by Medicare. Check with Medicare for details. Medicaidis a State/Federal program that provides health benefits to some people with low incomes. Contact your county family services department to see if you qualify. Private pay is when some people pay for long-term care with their own savings for as long as possible. When that is no longer possible, they may apply for help from Medicaid. If you think you may need to apply for Medicaid at some point, make sure the nursing home youre interested in accepts Medicaid payments. Not all do. Long-term care insurance is when some people buy private long-term care insurance. It can pay part of the costs for a nursing home or other long-term care for the length of time stated in your policy. This type of insurance is sold by many different companies and benefits vary widely. Look carefully at several policies before making a choice. Conclusion[PC11]: Nursing homes are an amazing way to make sure that your loved ones are being cared for and getting the service they deserve. As I stated before, nursing homes put more emphasis on rehabilitating residents and getting them back into the community and your loved ones can feel at home. Today I talked to you about what is a nursing home, what are the benefits of a nursing home, and how could you pay for your love ones stay at the nursing home. As an employee at a nursing home your family members will  Ã‚   be very well taken care of and live a normal life as if they were in their own home.[PC12] You need at least four outside sources mentioned in the body of your speech (not just web addresses) Work Cited https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/nursing-homes http://www.disable-world.com/medical/rehabilitaion/advantages.php https://medlineplus.gov/nursinghomes.html

Friday, October 25, 2019

Motivation in Business Essay -- Motivation and Job Performance

Motivation is best defined as the needs, wants, and beliefs that drive an individual. It is the basis of what people work for and keeps them doing things they otherwise would never do. People act in a whole new manner when they are motivated by something. Motivation gives them a whole new perception of the task at hand. Motivation is not always positive though, and it does not always just come from one place, for example, your boss. Motivation can be negative by not receiving something, and contrary to popular belief it is not always money that motivates people to do what they do. People have different needs, wants, and desires and the finding what is most important to those individuals is the key to motivation. People and companies have used countless techniques and approaches to motivate others and employees, but what works for one person does not necessarily work for the other. Different companies and departments of those companies have very different approaches to motivate their workers to being the best they can. For example, I worked for three years at a food Store called Wegmans when I was younger. I worked as a cashier which was interesting to say the least. Managers were always trying to motivate the cashiers to go that much faster, be that much friendlier, and to be more efficient at every opportunity. They took many different approaches to find what would motivate each cashier, which was a difficult task considering how young each cashier was, the large number of us their were, and how different each employee was from the other. Motivation is taking on a whole new world then it once did, it is not only taking on people to do small personal tasks like quitting smoking, but instead people are starting to re... ...(Oct 2005) More than motivation. T+D, 59 (10), 22-23. C.P. (Mar 2007) More than a game. Entrepeneur, 92. Cichelli, D. (Jul/Aug 2006) Incentives that really motivate. Sales and marketing management, 158 (6), 25. Devaro J., & Brookshire D. (April 2007) Promotions and incentives in nonprofit and for- profit organizations. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 60 (3), 311-339 Dimon, A. (Jul/Aug 2005) Different strokes for different folks. Meetings and Incentive. Travel, 34 (4) 18-22. Douglas, A. (Jun 2003) Motivational boot camp. Flare, 25 (6), 112. Halbesleben, J. (2003) Emotional exhaustion and job performance: the medical role of motivation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92 (1), 93-106. Anonymous. (Nov 2003) Could the incentive wars be shirting into a lower gear? Barron?s, 83 (47) 10 Anonymous (Dec 2006) Benefits Envy. Financial Director, 16.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Kasanayan Sa Filipino Essay

Romblon /rÉ’mˈbloÊŠn/rom-blohn, (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Romblon), is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon. According the May 2010 Philippine census, it has a total population of 283,930 people.[2] The province of Romblon is composed of three larger islands; Romblon Island at the center where the provincial capital is located, Tablas Island to the west, and Sibuyan Island to the east. It also includes the smaller islands of Banton, Maestro de Campo, Simara, Carabao, Carlota and Isabel. Approximately 187 nautical miles (346 km) south of Manila, the islands of Romblon lie on Sibuyan Sea, south of Marinduque Island and north of Panay Island. To the east is the island of Masbate and in the west, the island of Mindoro. The province is composed of three major islands: Romblon, where the capital city of Romblon is lo cated, Tablas, the largest island in the province, and Sibuyan, the easternmost island. There are also four smaller island municipalities: Banton Island, Simara Island, Maestro de Campo Island, and Carabao Island. Most of Romblon’s islands have a mountainous and rugged topography, and are of volcanic origin. The highest elevation in the province is Mount Guiting-Guiting in Sibuyan, which stands at 2,058 m. The peak boasts one of the most challenging climbs in the country due to its jagged summit.[3] Due to its geography, the province is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. The fertile soil nurtures various agricultural activities. Being an archipelago, its coasts are dotted with numerous fine, white sand beaches such as in Carabao Island and Cresta del Gallo. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on the migratory path of fishes from the Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.[4] Romblon does not have a truly pronounced wet or dry season though the heaviest rainfall occurs from September to January. The driest months are March and April which are the best months to visit the province. 27Â ° Celsius is the annual mean temperature, with February being the coldest month with temperatures dropping to 20Â °C, and May being the warmest month wherein temperatures could reach 35Â °C. Southwest monsoon winds or Habagat pass through the province from June to October while northeasterly winds or Amihan blows through the islands from December to February. This Turtle Sanctuary Project is Sponsored by Chris Bech and his wife Theresa – Beach Land Estate Inc. Tablas Island. We are proud to pass on our latest pictures of the new baby Turtles that were hatched yesterday at our Turtle Sanctuary in Ferrol, Tablas Island, Romblon. 64 new baby turtles all hatched and are healthy and eating well, there are another 120 eggs in another batch, and 80 in another batch of eggs, they should hatch within the next week or so, we will update you. We have made a turtle egg protective area, to protect the eggs from predators, and we have a nipa hut where we assist visitors and have viewing area, we are in the process of making a new web site Romblon Marine Life which will be published early January 2012.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Smaller Public Companies and Sox

Should Smaller Public Companies be Exempted from Complying with SOX Section 404(b)? ABSTACT On July 21, 2010 the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act provided the non-accelerated public companies (those with a market capital below $75 million) a permanent exemption from complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404(b). The Section 404(b) would have required these smaller companies to do what larger companies over the $75 million market cap are currently doing; requiring an external auditor to audit their internal controls over financial reporting.However, what may seem like a huge win for the smaller companies who long have complained about the cost out weighing the benefits of complying with the standard, does not appear that way to everyone. INTRODUCTION Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act Section’s 404 (a) and (b) were created to help restore the public’s trust in what public companies are reporting in their financial statements, as well as the opinio ns on the reports that the auditors are providing on the financial statements.SOX 404(a) implies that managements of public companies assess and report on whether their internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) are effective (United States Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC], 2009); in order to ensure that those requirements in Section 404(a) are being met, public companies are required to have an external auditor attest to management’s assessment over the ICFR (SEC, 2009). While SOX 404(a) is required by all public companies, Section 404(b) was required only by large companies (those with a market cap greater that $75 million).As for the smaller public companies (those $75 million and under), they were granted numerous extensions and were eventually permanently exempted. The main purpose of SOX 404 was to alleviate the growing tension between investors, government agencies, and public companies. While the public trust is continuing to be restored, according to r esearch and studies; unintended circumstances of the SOX 404 implementation caused massive financial burdens for smaller public companies (Garrett, 2009).The outcries from the small public companies were answered by numerous extensions on the compliance of SOX 404(b). This was in order to give these companies more time to get their internal controls in place for external auditors to attest to them. Finally, on July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) was passed. The Dodd-Frank Act provided permanent exemption from complying with the SOX 404(b) for non- accelerated public companies (those with a market capital below $75 million) (Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, 2010, pg. 83). As a result of this Act, another issue surfaced as to why permanently exempt the smaller companies from SOX 404(b). All public companies, to include smaller public companies, should be held to the same standards and be subject to the rules under SOX 404(b). Ins tead of permanently exempted them, the SEC should have came up with a way to make it more cost effective to comply. This paper will address arguments from both sides of the Dodd-Frank Act, and why smaller firms should be required to comply with SOX 404(b).ANALYSIS The permanent exemption comes as a relief for the small public companies as complying with SOX 404(a) has been very expensive and time consuming. By adding to the cost associated with complying with SOX 404(b), it would be more than they would be able to handle. A study conducted by Financial Executives International, showed that the cost of complying with SOX for those public companies whose market cap was under $100 million was approximately $824,000 compared to $1. million for those who market cap is between $100 million to $500 million, at the time the article was written (Wolkoff, 2005). Furthermore, Wolkoff (2005) goes on to say that at the AMEX median, the median revenue for its companies are $57 million, which mean s that for these companies to comply with SOX 404(b) it would cost close to 1. 5% of its median revenue(Wolkoff, 2005). Specifically, Wolkoff states that this could â€Å"severely† have a negative impact on these companies operating margins and â€Å"in many cases to near zero — and depleting funds available for a reinvestment† (Wolkoff, 2005, pg. ). In addition, resources that could be used for other more important business needs would be diverted to costly â€Å"tedious documentation requirements†, and would not be worth the benefits derived (Garrett 2009, pg. 1). Even after the creation of Auditing Standard No. 5 (AS5), a study done by George Washington University, found that the decrease that larger public companies found with the relief provided from AS5 was not the case for smaller public companies (Garrett, 2009).Furthermore, NASDAQ research showed that based on revenue percentage it would cost 11 times more for smaller companies than larger compan ies to comply with SOX 404 (b), which creates an â€Å"unfair competitive advantage for larger companies† (Garrett, 2009 pg. 1-2). Not to mention that these smaller companies believe that the cost associated with SOX 404(b) far outweighs the benefits of compliance (Wolkoff, 2005).On the other hand, opponent’s of the Dobb-Frank Act believes that despite the George Washington University and NASDAQ studies, SOX 404 costs are still expected to go down and that the reduction is not only due to the implementation of AS5, but because of other factors. For instance, the cost of complying with SOX 404 is expected to continue to go down as companies continue to implement and document effective controls and move into the â€Å"maintenance phase of monitoring and reporting† (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006, pg. 7).As this relates to SOX 404(b), this could also mean that once the external auditors have completed their first audit of the company’s internal controls and improvements are made based on the outcome of the audit, audit fees should go down because the audits will become easier since any ineffective internal controls should have been or is being addressed. Another SOX 404(b) obstacle that proponents of the Dobb-Frank Act believed threatened the small companies was that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) was trying to take a â€Å"one size fits all† approach.Meaning, the SEC was trying to use the same standards for both large and small companies when regulating corporate governance. Proponents felt that this was unfeasible because larger companies were in a better financial position to handle the expense for consultant and external audit fees that came with the SOX 404 regulations. For example, an increased auditing bill to $500 thousand for a company who has a $10 billion market cap would not have the same effect on a company with a market cap of $100 million (Wolkoff, 2005).Conversely, an analysis done by CRA International for the Big Four, reported that audit fees did not make up the majority of the cost associated with SOX 404. Specifically, the smaller of the larger companies that had to comply with all sections of SOX 404 (i. e. , those with market caps between $75 and $700 million); 35% of those costs were related to audit cost (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006) as it relates to SOX 404(b). Additionally, those companies with a market cap over $700 million, only 26% were related to audit cost (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006).Although the compliance with SOX 404(b) was implemented to restore investor’s confidence, Wolkoff (2005) states that in doing so caused a deterrent in the number of small firms that would go public both domestically and overseas. The Amex has seen the impact as the number of small companies that have delisted from the Exchange has increased (Wolkoff, 2005), and those that would have joined decided not to, which reduces the number of initial public offerings in the United States.The SOX Act, specifically, Sections 404(a) and (b), didn’t take into account that large companies have a more complex business structure, which makes for more complex accounting practices (Wolkoff, 2005). For example, the segregation of duties obstacles that many smaller companies are faced with and do not have the resources to fix this control problem. According to Wolkoff (2005), the SEC should have taken that into consideration the â€Å"market cap† or â€Å"minimal revenue† that a company generates and apply different standards accordingly (pg. 1).Another point that proponents of the Dobb-Frank Act made was that scandals like Enron are least likely to happen in smaller public companies. The reasoning behind this is that smaller companies are not normally out to cheat themselves. This is because these smaller companies are usually run by the people that founded the companies or closely related (Wolkoff, 2005). However, by requiring smaller public companies to comply with SOX 404(b), will not only ensure that they are in compliance with SOX 404(a), but it will also help these companies by uncovering inefficiencies in some processes.This in turn will help the companies because it will â€Å"†¦makes fraud harder to commit and easier to detect† (Aguilar, 2010, pg. 33). Especially since smaller companies are in a better position and at greater risk for committing fraud and accounting manipulations (Aguilar, 2010). Furthermore, who is to say those smaller companies’ investors do not deserve the same level of confidence and â€Å"financial reporting safeguards† that larger public companies’ investors are receiving (Solnik, 2010).In addition, studies have shown a correlation between â€Å"weak internal controls and poorer earnings relative to effective internal controls† (Hamilton, J. , 2009). In time of a declining economy, the temptations for fraudulent r eporting is increased and by having smaller companies comply with SOX 404(b) serves as a deterrent for those temptations (Hamilton, J. , 2009). Lastly, smaller public companies feel that they have already spent a lot of money just to be in compliance with SOX 404(a), and do not feel the need to be monitored by external auditors.This is because they feel that are capable of monitoring, finding, and remediating deficiencies through internal audits (Solnik, 2010). However, as previously mentioned, SOX 404(b) was not only put in place to ensure that public companies were in compliance with SOX 404(a), but to also have it attested by an independent auditor. This not only helps restore investor’s confidence, but also provides the public companies beneficial information as to whether or not they have proper controls in place and/or additional controls are needed.Moreover, small companies may be putting themselves at risk especially, if the investors penalized them for not meeting th e â€Å"transparency norms† that is projected by external auditors (Silverstein, 2008 pg. 26). Especially since there are approximately 7,300 smaller public companies, which accounts for 65% of the overall public companies (Hamilton, J. 2009). CONCLUSION While there are good cases made from both sides of the Dobb-Frank Act, permanently exempted smaller companies doesn’t solve the issue of ensuring compliance with SOX 404(a) is being followed.More importantly, it doesn’t provide the smaller public investors with the same confidences as large public investors as to whether or not the proper controls are in place, and/or whether the controls are effective. By having external auditors attest to ICFR it will provide the smaller companies’ investors the same boost of confidences as its larger counterparts. Instead of permanent exemption, other means should be looked at in order to make it to where it is cost effective to comply with SOX 404(b).Also, as recommen ded by the Key Advisory Committee, â€Å"[e]xempt some smaller public companies entirely from SOX 404 reporting requirements, but add stricter corporate governance requirements for those companies† (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006, pg. 6). That way we will not have to wait until another scandal is made public to scramble and make these changes; as the old saying goes, â€Å"It’s not if, but when†. REFERENCES Aguilar,  M. (2010,  May). Small filers struggle with internal controls over fraud. Compliance Week,  7(76),  33,74.Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Conference Report to Accompany H. R. 4173. House of Representative , 111th Cong. 583 (2010). Garrett, S. 2009. Garrett introduces SOX exemption for small businesses, Press release, Oct. 8,2009. Hamilton,  J. (2009, June). Section 404 works and is important for small companies, Aguilar feels. SEC Filings Insight,1,4. Retr ieved from ABI/INFORM Global. How potential changes in small-company SOX regulations could affect your firm. (2006,  February).Accounting Office Management & Administration Report,  06(2),  1,6+. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry Silverstein, M. (2008,  December). (Sarbanes-Oxley Revisited:) The Good, the Bad, the Lessons. New Jersey Business,  54(12),  26. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Dateline Solnik, C. (2010,  July). Small companies push to gain permanent exemption from Sarbanes-Oxley requirement Silverstein nts. Long Island Business News. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Dateline. United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Economic Analysis. 2009). Study of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Section 404 Internal Control over Financial Reporting Requirements. Retrieved from http://www. sec. gov/news/studies/2009/sox-404_study. pdf Whitehouse,  T. (2009,  April). SOX 404 Compliance Improves for All but the Small. Compliance Week,  6(63),  42-43. R etrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. Wolkoff, N. L   (2005,  August). Sarbanes-Oxley Is a Curse for Small-Cap Companies. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition),  p. A. 13. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.