Abuse in the Novel Beloved Essay

Many of the characters from the novel Beloved suffered extreme abuse. Sethe, an independent mother, was no exception to the abuse. Sethe survived through many different accounts of mistreatment. The school teacher’s nephews made Sethe suffer the cruelest oppression. They held her down against her will, while she was pregnant, and brutally stole the milk that her body was producing for her child. This is the worst pain for Sethe because, besides the obvious obtrusions, she feared she would not be able to provide for her baby after it was born. A mother’s worst fear is being unable to provide for her children and this is the fear they instilled in her. This was not the end of the violence toward Sethe from these[insert a word that means a group of abusers here]. When the school teacher founds out that Sethe tells of the mistreatment she suffered because of his nephews he orders them to whip her. Sethe is brutally beaten by this group of young men. The result of the merciless beaten is a form of large scars that shape a tree on Sethe’s back. The tree may be a symbol of a family tree, and in Sethe’s case an incomplete family tree. Sethe’s family tree is incomplete because she killed her daughter, Beloved. The ghost of Sethe’s murdered daughter, Beloved, haunts the house where Sethe and the rest of her family live. The ghost torments them enough to drives away Sethe’s two sons, Howard and Buglar. Sethe undergoes torment from almost every possible angle but she refuses to run away any more.

Coso Presentation

COSO REPORT SUMMARY CHAPTER 1: DEFINITION Internal Control is a process, effected by an entity’s board of directors, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories: – Effectiveness and efficiency of operations – Reliability or financial reporting – Compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Internal control is: – A process; Internal control is not one event or circumstance, but a series of actions that permeate an entity’s activities.These actions are pervasive, and are inherent in the way management runs the business. Business processes are managed through the basic management processes of planning, executing and monitoring. They should be â€Å"built in† rather than â€Å"built on†. â€Å"Building in† controls can directly affect an entity’s ability to reach its goals, and supports businesses’ quality initia tives. – People; Internal control is effected by a board of directors, management and other personnel in an entity.Internal control affects people’s actions. These realities affect, and are affected by, internal control. – Reasonable assurance; Internal control, not matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance to management and the board of directors regarding achievement of an entity’s objectives. The likelihood of achievement is affected by limitations inherent in all internal control systems, such as human judgment. Objectives; Every entity sets out on a mission, establishing objectives it wants to achieve and strategies for achieving them. Objectives fall into three categories: – Operations – relating to effective and efficient use of the entity’s resources – Financial reporting – relating to preparation of reliable published financial statements – Compliance – relating t o the entity’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations Components Internal control consists of five interrelated components: Control environment; The core of any business is people – their individual attributes, including integrity, ethical values and competence – and the environment in which they operate – Risk assessment; The entity must be aware of and deal with the risks it faces. It must set objectives, integrated with the sales, production, marketing, financial and other activities so that the organization is operating in concert. It also must establish mechanisms to identify, analyze and manage the related risks. Control activities; Control policies and procedures must be established and executed to help ensure that the actions identified by management as necessary to address risks to achievement of the entity’s objectives are effectively carried out. – Information and communication; Surrounding these activities are informatio n and communication systems. These enable the entity’s people to capture and exchange the information needed to conduct, manage and control its operations – Monitoring; The entire process must be monitored, and modifications made as necessary.In this way, the system can react dynamically, changing as conditions warrant. There is a direct relationship between objectives, which are what an entity strives to achieve, and components, which represent what is needed to achieve the objectives. Internal control is relevant to an entire enterprise, or to any of its unit or activities. Effectiveness Internal control can be judged effective in each of the three categories, respectively, if the board of directors and management have reasonable assurance that: – They understand the extent to which the entity’s operations objectives are being achieved. Published financial statements are being prepared reliably. – Applicable laws and regulations are being complie d with. While internal control is a process, its effectiveness is a state or condition of the process at a point in time. Although all five criteria must be satisfied, this does not mean that each component should function identically, or even at the same level, in different entities. The following chapters should be considered when determining whether an internal control system is effective.It should be recognized: – Because internal control is a part of the management process, the components are discussed in the context of what management does in running a business. – The principles discussed apply to all entities, regardless of size. – Each component chapter contains an â€Å"evaluation† section with factors one might consider in evaluating the component. CHAPTER 2: CONTROL ENVIRONMENT The control environment has a pervasive influence on the way business activities are structured, objectives established and risks assessed.It also influences control act ivities, information and communication systems, and monitoring activities. The control environment is influenced by the entity’s history and culture. It influences the control consciousness of its people => â€Å"tone at the top†. Integrity and ethical values An entity’s objectives and the way they are achieved are based on preferences, value judgments and management styles. Those preferences and value judgments, which are translated into standards of behavior, reflect management’s integrity and its commitment to ethical values.Because an entity’s good reputation is so valuable, the standard of behavior must go beyond mere compliance with law. Integrity and ethical values are essential elements of the control environment, affecting the design, administration and monitoring of other internal control components. Top management must balance the concerns of the enterprise, its employees, suppliers, customers, competitors and the public. Balancing these concerns can be a complex and frustrating effort because interests are often at odds.Managers of well-run enterprises have increasingly accepted the view that â€Å"ethics pays†- that ethical behavior is good business. Ethical behavior and management integrity are a product of the â€Å"corporate culture†. Corporate culture includes ethical and behavioral standards, how they are communicated and how they are reinforced in practice. Official policies specify what management wants to happen. Corporate culture determines what actually happens, and which rules are obeyed, bent or ignored. Top management – starting with the CEO – plays a key role in determining the corporate culture.Individuals may engage in dishonest, illegal or unethical acts simply because their organizations give them strong incentives or temptations to do so. Emphasis on â€Å"result,† particularly in the short term, fosters an environment in which the price of failure becomes ver y high. Incentives cited for engaging in fraudulent or questionable financial reporting practices and, by extension, other forms of unethical behavior are: – Pressure to meet unrealistic performance targets, particularly for short-term results – High performance-dependent rewards, and – Upper and lower cutoffs on bonus plansThe study also cites â€Å"temptations† for employees to engage in improper acts: – Nonexistent or ineffective controls, such as poor segregation of duties in sensitive areas, that offer temptations to steal or to conceal poor performance – High decentralization that leaves top management unaware of actions taken at lower organizational levels and thereby reduces the chances of getting caught. – A weak internal audit function that does not have the ability to detect and report improper behavior – An ineffective board of directors that does not provide objective oversight of top management. Penalties for impr oper behavior that are insignificant or unpublished and thus lose their value as deterrents. In addition to the incentives and temptations just discussed, the aforementioned study found a third cause of fraudulent and questionable financial reporting practices: ignorance. The study found that â€Å"in many of the companies that have suffered instances of deceptive financial reporting, the people involved either did not know what they were doing was wrong or erroneously believed they were acting in the organization’s best interest†.This ignorance is often caused by poor moral background or guidance, rather than by an intent to deceive. The most effective way of transmitting a message of ethical behavior throughout the organization is by example. A study some years ago noted that a formal code of conduct is â€Å"a widely used method of communicating to employees the company’s expectations about duty and integrity†. Of particular importance are resulting pe nalties to employees who violate such codes, mechanisms that exist to encourage employee reporting of suspected violations, and disciplinary actions against employees who fail to report violations.Commitment to competence Competence should reflect the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish tasks that define the individual’s job. Management needs to specify the competence levels for particular jobs and to translate those levels into requisite knowledge and skills. There often can be trade-off between the extent of supervision and the requisite competence level of individual. Board of directors or Audit Committee The control environment and â€Å"tone at the top† are influenced significantly by the entity’s board of directors and audit committee.Factors include the board or audit committee’s independence from management, experience and stature of its members, extent of its involvement and scrutiny of activities, and the appropriateness of its action. Ano ther factor is the degree to which difficult questions are raised and pursued with management regarding plans or performance. Interaction of the board or audit committee with internal and external auditors is another factor affecting the control environment.Because of its importance, an active and involved board of directors, board of trustees or comparable body – possessing an appropriate degree of management, technical and other expertise coupled with the necessary stature and mind set so that it can adequately perform the necessary governance, guidance and oversight responsibilities – is critical to effective internal control. It is necessary that the board contain outside directors. Management’s philosophy and operating style Management’s philosophy and operating style affect the way the enterprise is managed, including the kinds of business risks accepted.An informally managed company may control operations largely by face-to-face contract with key m anagers. A more formally managed one may rely more on written policies, performance indicators and exception reports. Organizational structure An entity’s organizational structure provides the framework within which its activities for achieving entity-wide objectives are planned, executed, controlled and monitored. Activities may relate to what is sometimes referred to as the value chain: inbound (receiving) activities, operations or production, outbound (shipping) marketing, sales and service.There may be support functions, relating to administration, human resources or technology development. Significant aspects of establishing a relevant organizational structure include defining key areas of authority and responsibility and establishing appropriate lines of reporting. An entity develops an organizational structures suited to its needs: centralized, decentralized, direct reporting lines, matrix, product line, geographical location, distribution or marketing network, governm ental, or not-for-profit structure. The appropriateness of an entity’s organizational structure depends, in part, on its size and the nature of its activities.A highly structured organization, including formal reporting lines and responsibilities, may be appropriate for a large entity with numerous operating divisions, including foreign operations. However, it could impede the necessary flow of information in a small entity. Whatever the structure, an entity’s activities will be organized to carry out the strategies designed to achieve particular objectives. Assignment of authority and responsibility This includes assignment of authority and responsibility for operating activities, and establishment of reporting relationships and authorization protocols.There is a growing tendency to push authority downward to bring decision-making closer to front-line personnel. Alignment of authority and accountability often is designed to encourage individual initiatives, within lim its. Delegation of authority, or â€Å"empowerment,† means surrendering central control of certain business decisions to lower echelons – to the individuals who are closest to everyday business transactions. A critical challenge is to delegate only to the extent required to achieve objectives. Another challenge is ensuring that all personnel understand the entity’s objectives.Increased delegation sometimes is accompanied by or the result of streamlining or â€Å"flattening† of an entity’s organizational structure, and is intentional. Purposeful structural change to encourage creativity, initiative and the capability to react quickly can enhance competitiveness and customer satisfaction. The control environment is greatly influenced by the extent to which individuals recognize that they will be held accountable. This holds true all the way to the chief executive, who has ultimate responsibility for all activities within an entity, including the inte rnal control system. Human resource policies and practicesHuman resource practices send messages to employees regarding expected levels of integrity, ethical behavior and competence. Such practices relate to hiring, orientation, training, evaluating, counseling, promoting, compensating and remedial actions. It is essential that personnel be equipped for new challenges as issues that enterprises face change and become more complex – driven in part by rapidly changing technologies and increasing competition. The impact of an ineffective control environment could be far reaching, possibly resulting in a financial loss, a tarnished public image or a business failure.While every entity should embrace the concepts, small and mid-size entities may implement the control environment factors differently than larger entities. Their own integrity and behavior, however, is critical and must be consistent with the oral message because of the first-hand contact that employees have with them . Usually the fewer the levels of management, the faster the message is carried through an organization of what conduct is acceptable. Evaluation should be based on these 7 aspects CHAPTER 7: LIMITATIONS OF INTERNAL CONTROLIn considering limitations of internal control, two distinct concepts must be recognized: – First, internal control – even effective internal control – operates at different levels with respect to different objectives. But it cannot provide even reasonable assurance that the objectives themselves will be achieved. – Second, internal control cannot provide absolute assurance with respect to any of the three objectives categories. The first set of limitations acknowledges that certain events or conditions are simply outside management’s control. The second has to do with the reality that no system will always do what it’s intended to do.The effectiveness of controls will be limited by the realities of human frailty in the ma king of business decisions. Some decisions based on human judgment may later, with the clairvoyance of hindsight, be found to produce less than desirable results, and may need to be changed. – Breakdowns; Personnel may misunderstand instructions. They may make judgment mistakes. Or they may commit errors due to carelessness, distraction, or fatigue. – Management override; An internal control system can only be as effective as the people who are responsible for its functioning.Even in effectively controlled entities – those with generally high levels of integrity and control consciousness – a manager might be able to override internal control. Management override means here, overruling prescribed policies or procedures for illegitimate purposes with the intent of personal gain or an enhanced presentation of an entity’s financial condition or compliance status. Management override should not be confused with management intervention. – Collusio n; The collusive activities of two or more individuals can result in control failures.Individuals acting collectively to perpetrate and conceal an action from detection often can alter financial data or other management information in a manner that cannot be identified by the control system. – Costs versus benefits; Resources always have constraints, and entities must consider the relative costs and benefits of establishing controls. Cost and benefit measurements for implementing controls are done with different levels of precision. The complexity of cost-benefit determinations is compounded by the interrelationship of controls with business operations.Cost-benefit determinations also vary considerably depending on the nature of the business. The challenge is to find the right balance. CHAPTER 8: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Internal and external parties contribute, each in his or her own way, to effective internal control. Parties external to the entity may also help the entit y achieve its objectives through actions that provide information useful to the entity in effecting control, or through actions that independently contribute to entity’s objective. Internal parties: Management Management is directly responsible for all activities of an entity, including its internal control system.Naturally, management at different levels in an entity will have different internal control responsibilities. More than any other, the chief executive sets the â€Å"tone at the top† that affects control environment factors and other components of internal control. The CEO has influence over the selection of the board of directors. The CEO generally fulfills this duty by: – Providing leadership and direction to senior managers. – Meeting periodically with senior managers responsible for the major functional areas – sales, marketing, production, procurement, finance, human resources, etc. to review their responsibilities, including how the y are controlling the business. Senior managers in charge or organizational units have responsibility for internal control related to their units’ objectives. They provide direction, more hands-on role. Often these managers are directly responsible for determining internal control procedures that address unit objectives. Financial offices. Of particular significance to monitoring are finance and controllership officers and their staffs, whose activities cut across, up and down the operating and other units of an enterprise. As a member of top management, the chief accounting officer helps set the tone of the organization’s ethical conduct; is responsible for the financial statements; generally has primary responsibility for designing, implementing and monitoring the company’s financial reporting system; and is in a unique position regarding identification of unusual situations caused by fraudulent financial reporting†. Internal parties: Board of directors Management is accountable to the board of directors or trustees, which provides governance, guidance and oversight. By selecting management, the oard ahs a major role in defining what it expects in integrity and ethical values, and can confirm its expectations through its oversight activities. Effective board members are objective, capable and inquisitive. Audit committee. Management is responsible for the reliability of the financial statements, but an effective audit committee plays an important role. The audit committee is in a unique position: it has the authority to question top management regarding how it is carrying out its financial reporting responsibilities, and it also has authority to ensure that corrective action is taken.The Treadway commission emphasized the value of audit committees and recommended that all public companies be required to established audit committees composed solely of independent directors. Other committees are: compensation committee, finance commi ttee, nominating committee, employee benefits committee and other committees. Internal parties: Internal auditors Internal auditors directly examine internal controls and recommend improvements. Internal auditors should: Review the reliability and integrity of financial and operating information and the means used to identify, measure, classify, and report such information – Review the systems established to ensure compliance with those policies, plans, procedures, laws and regulations which could have a significant impact on operations and reports and should determine whether it is in compliance – Review the means of safeguarding assets and verify the existence of these assets – Appraise the economy and efficiency with which resources are employed – Review operations to ascertain whether results are consistent with established objectives and goals and whether operations are being carried out as planned. Organizational position and authority involve such matters as reporting line to an individual who has sufficient authority to ensure appropriate audit coverage, consideration and response; selection and dismissal of the director of internal auditing only with board of directors’ or audit committee’s concurrence; internal auditor access to the board or audit committee; and internal auditor authority to follow up on findings and recommendations.Internal auditors are objective, avoid potential and actual conflicts of interest and bias, rotate and not assume operating responsibilities. Internal Parties: Other entity personal – First, virtually all employees play some role in effecting control – Second, all personnel should be responsible for communicating to a higher organizational level problems in operations, noncompliance with the code of conduct, or other violations of policy or illegal actions External Parties: External auditors They bring to management and the board a unique independent and objective vi ew, and contribute to an entity’s achievement of its financial reporting objectives, as well as other objectives.The auditor expresses an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and thus contributes to the entity’s financial reporting objectives. Auditors conducting a financial statement audit do provide information useful to management in carrying out their internal control-related responsibilities: – by communicating audit findings, analytical information and recommendations for use in taking actions necessary to achieve established objectives – by communicating findings regarding deficiencies in internal control that come to their attention, and recommendations for improvement External Parties: Legislators and regulatorsLegislators and regulators affect the internal control systems of many entities, either through requirements to establish internal controls or through examinations of particular entities. They affect entities’ internal control system in two ways. They establish rules that provide the impetus for management to ensure that internal control systems meet the minimum statutory and regulatory requirements. And, pursuant to examination of a particular entity, they provide information used by the entity’s internal control system, and provide recommendations and sometimes directives to management regarding needed internal control system improvements. External Parties: parties interacting with the entity (customer, supplier, vendor) These parties provide information that can be extremely important for objectives.External Parties: Financial Analysts, Bond Rating Agencies and the News Media CHAPTER 3: RISK ASSESSMENT Objective setting is a precondition to risk assessment. There must first be objectives before management can identify risks to their achievement and take necessary actions to manage the risks. Objective setting, then, is a key part of the management process. At the entity level, objectives often are represented by the entity’s mission and value statements. Along with assessments of the entity’s strengths and weaknesses, and of opportunities and threats, they lead to an overall strategy. These subobjectives or activity-level objectives, include establishing goals and may deal with product line, market, financing and profit objectives.By setting objectives at the entity and activity levels, an entity can identify critical success factors. These are key things that must go right if goals are to be attained. Critical success factors exist for the entity, a business unit, a function, a department or an individual. Categories of objectives: Operations objectives: Operations objectives relate to achievement of an entity’s basic mission – the fundamental reason for its existence. Operations objectives need to reflect the particular business, industry and economic environments in which the entity functions. Management must see to it that objectives are based on the reality and demands of the marketplace and are expressed in terms that allow meaningful performance measurements.A clear set of operations objectives and strategies, linked to subobjectives, is fundamental to success. They provide a focal point toward which the entity will commit substantial resources. Financial Reporting objectives: Financial reporting objectives address the preparation of reliable published financial statements, including interim and condensed financial statements and selected financial data derived from such statements. Entities need to achieve financial reporting objectives to meet external obligations. Investors, creditors, customers and suppliers often rely on financial statements to assess management’s performance and to compare it with peers and alternative investments. Fair representation is efined as: – The accounting principles selected and applied have general acceptance – The accounting principles are appropriate in the circumstances – The financial statements are informative of matters that may affect their use, understanding and interpretation – The information presented is classified and summarized in a reasonable manner, that is, it is neither too detailed nor too condensed – The financial statements reflect the underlying transactions and events in a manner that presents the financial position, results of operations and cash flows stated within a range of acceptable limits, that is, limits that are reasonable and practical to attain in financial statements Compliance objectives: Entities must conduct their activities, and often take specific actions, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.These laws and regulations establish minimum standards of behavior, which the entity integrates into its compliance objectives. An entity’s compliance record with laws and regulations can significantly – either positively or negatively – affect its reputation in the community. An objective in one category may overlap or support an objective in another. Another set of objectives relates to â€Å"safeguarding of resources†. Although these are primarily operations objectives, certain aspects of safeguarding can fall under the other categories. The category in which an objective falls can sometimes depend on circumstances. Objectives should be complementary and linked.Not only must entity-wide objectives be consistent with the entity’s capabilities and prospects, they also must be consistent with the objectives of its business units and functions. Entity-wide objectives must be broken down into subobjectives, consistent with the overall strategy, and linked to activities throughout the organization. Where, however, objectives depart form an entity’s past practices, management must address the linkages or run increased risks. Activity objectives also need to be clear, that is, readily understood by the people taking the actions toward their achievement. They must also be measurable. It is useful to relate an activity’s overall set of objectives to resources available.A way to relieve further resource constraint is to question activity objectives that do not support entity-wide objectives and the entity’s business processes. Another means of balancing objectives and resources is to identify activity objectives that are very important or critical to achieving entity-wide objectives. Objectives provide the measurable targets which the entity moves in conducting its activities. The goal of internal control in this area focuses primarily on: developing consistency of objectives and goals throughout the organization, identifying key success factors and timely reporting to management of performance and expectations.Although success cannot be ensured, management should have reasonable assurance of being alerted when objec tives are in danger of not being achieved. Risks The process of identifying and analyzing risk is an ongoing iterative process and is a critical component of an effective internal control system. Management must focus carefully on risks at all levels of the entity and take the necessary actions to manage them. Risk identification An entity’s performance can be at risk due to internal or external factors. Regardless of whether an objective is stated or implied, an entity’s risk-assessment process should consider risks that may occur. Risk identification is an iterative process and often is integrated with the planning process.Entity level: risks at the entity-wide level can arise from external or internal factors. External factors examples: – Technological developments can affect the nature and timing of research and development, or lead to changes in procurement – Changing customer needs or expectations can affect product development, production process, customer service, pricing or warranties. – Competition can alter marketing or service activities – New legislation and regulation can force changes in operating policies and strategies – Natural catastrophes can lead to changes in operations or information systems and highlight the need for contingency planning. Economic changes can have an impact on decisions related to financing, capital expenditures and expansion. Internal factors examples: – A disruption in information systems processing can adversely affect the entity’s operations. – The quality of personnel hired and methods of training and motivation can influence the level of control consciousness within the entity. – A change in management responsibilities can affect the way certain controls are effected. – The nature of the entity’s activities, and employee accessibility to assets, can contribute to misappropriation of resources. – An unassertive or inef fective board or audit committee can provide opportunities for indiscretions.Risk may be identified in connection with short- and long-range forecasting and strategic planning. What is important is that management considers carefully the factors that may contribute to or increase risk. Some factors to consider include: past experiences of failure to meet objectives; quality of personnel; changes affecting the entity such as competition, regulations, personnel, and the like; existence of geographically distributed, particularly foreign, activities; significance of an activity to the entity; and the complexity of an activity. Once the major contributing factors have been identified, management can then consider their significance and, where possible, link risk factors to business activities. Activity-level.In addition to identifying risk at the entity level, risks should be identified at the activity level. Dealing with risk at this level helps focus risk assessment on major business units or functions such as sales, production, marketing, technology development, and research and development. Potential causes of failing to achieve an objective range from the obvious to the obscure, and form the significant to the insignificant in potential effect. Risk analysis After the entity has identified entity-wide and activity risks, a risk analysis needs to be performed. The process – which may be more or less formal – usually includes: – Estimating the significance of the risk Assessing the likelihood (or frequency) of the risk occurring – Considering how the risk should be managed – that is, an assessment of what actions need to be taken. There are numerous methods for estimating the cost of a loss from an identified risk. Management should be aware of them and apply them as appropriate. However, many risks are indeterminate in size. At best they can be described as large, moderate or small. Once the significance and likelihood of ris k have been assessed, management needs to consider how the risk should be managed. This involves judgment based on assumptions about the risk, and reasonable analysis of costs associated with reducing the level of risk.Sometimes actions can virtually eliminate the risk, or offset its effect if it does occur. Note that there is a distinction between risk assessment, which is part of internal control and the resulting plans, programs or other actions deemed necessary by management to address the risks. A key part of the larger management process, but not an element of the internal control system. Along with actions for managing risk is the establishment of procedures to enable management to track the implementation and effectiveness of the action. Before installing additional procedures, management should consider carefully whether existing ones may be suitable for addressing identified risks.Management also should recognize that it is likely some level of residual risk will always ex ist, not only because resources are always limited, but also because o other limitations inherent in every internal control system. It is often critical to the entity’s success. Managing change Every entity needs to have a process, formal or informal, to identify conditions that can significantly affect its ability to achieve its objectives. A key part of that process involves information systems that capture, process and report information about events, activities and conditions that indicate changes to which the entity needs to react. With the requisite information systems in place, the process to identify and respond to changing conditions can be established. Circumstances demanding special attention: Changed operating environment – A changed regulatory or economic environment can result in increased competitive pressures and significantly different risks – New personnel – high turnover of personnel, in the absence of effective training and supervision , can result in breakdowns – New or revamped information systems – Normally effective controls can break down when new systems are developed, particularly when done under unusually tight time constraints – Rapid growth – When operations expand significantly and quickly, existing systems may be strained to the point where controls can break down – New technology – when new technology is being incorporated, a high likelihood exists that internal controls need to be modified. – New lines, products, activities – unfamiliar situations, controls may be inadequate – Corporate restructurings – may be accompanied by staff reductions and inadequate supervision and segregation of duties. – Foreign operations – the expansion or acquisition of foreign operations carries new and often unique risks that management should address. To the extent practicable, mechanisms should be forward-looking, so an entity can anti cipate and plan for significant changes.Early warning systems should be in place to identify data signaling new risks. However, as with other control mechanisms, the related costs cannot be ignored. No entity has sufficient resources to obtain and analyze completely the information about all the myriad evolving conditions that can affect it. It is often difficult to know whether seemingly significant information is the beginning of an important trend, ore merely an aberration. The risk-assessment process is likely to be less formal and less structured in smaller entities than in larger ones, but the basic concepts of this internal control component should be present in every entity, regardless of size.Risk assessment in smaller entity can be particularly effective because the in-depth involvement of the CEO and other key managers often means that risks are assessed by people with both access to the appropriate information and a good understanding of its implications. Action plans ca n be devised and implemented quickly with limited number of people. They can then follow up as needed to ensure that the necessary actions are being taken. CHAPTER 4: CONTROL ACTIVITIES Control activities are policies and procedures, which are the actions of people to implement the policies, to help ensure that management directives identified as necessary to address risks are carried out.Many different descriptions of types of control activities have been put forth, including preventive controls, detective controls, manual controls, computer controls and management controls. Following are certain control activities commonly performed by personnel at various levels in organizations. – Top level reviews – Reviews are made of actual performance versus budgets, forecasts, prior periods and competitors – Direct functional or activity management – managers running functions or activities review performance reports – Information processing – A var iety of controls are performed to check accuracy, completeness and authorization of transactions. Data entered are subject to edit checks or matching to approved control files. Physical controls – Equipment, inventories, securities, cash and other assets are secured, physically, and periodically counted and compared with amounts shown on control records. – Performance indicators – Relating different sets of data – operating or financial – to one another, together with analyses of the relationships and investigate and corrective actions, serve as control activities. – Segregation of Duties – duties are divided, or segregated, among different people to reduce the risk of error or inappropriate actions. Control activities usually involve two elements: a policy establishing what should be done and, serving as a basis for the second element, procedures to effect the policy. But regardless of whether a policy is written, it must be implemen ted thoughtfully, conscientiously and consistently.A procedure will not be useful if performed mechanically without a sharp continuing focus on conditions to which the policy is directed. It is essential that conditions identified as a result of the procedures be investigated and appropriate corrective actions taken. Along with assessing risks, management should identify and put into effect actions needed to address the risks. The actions identified as addressing a risk also serve to focus attention on control activities to be put in place to help ensure that the actions are carried out properly and in a timely manner. Control activities are very much a part of the process by which an enterprise strives to achieve its business objectives. Control activities serve as mechanisms for managing the achievement of that objective.Such activities might include tracking the progress of the development of the customer buying histories against established timetables, and steps to ensure accura cy fo the reported data. Controls over information systems Two broad groupings of information systems control activities can be used. The first is general controls – which apply to many if not all application systems and help ensure their continued, proper operation. The second category is application controls, which include computerized steps within the application software and related manual procedures to control the processing of various types of transactions. Together, these controls serve to ensure completeness, accuracy and validity of the financial and other information in the system.General controls commonly include controls over data center operations, system software acquisition and maintenance, access security, and application system development and maintenance. These controls apply to all systems – mainframe, minicomputer and end-user computing environments. Application controls are designed to control application processing, helping to ensure the completen ess and accuracy of transaction processing, authorization and validity. Particular attention should be paid to an application’s interfaces, since they are often linked to other systems that in turn need control to ensure that all inputs are received for processing and all outputs are distributed appropriately.Controls over system development requiring thorough reviews and testing of applications ensure that the logic of the report program is sound, and that it has been tested to ascertain that all exceptions are reported. To provide control after implementation of the application, controls over access and maintenance ensure that applications are not accessed or changed without authorization and that required, authorized changes are made. The data center operations controls and systems software controls ensure that the right files are used and updated appropriately. The relationship between the application controls and the general controls is such that general controls are nee ded to support the functioning of application controls, and both are needed to ensure complete and accurate information processing.The concepts underlying control activities in smaller organizations are not likely to differ significantly form those in larger entities, but the formality with which they operate will vary. Further, smaller entities may find that certain types of control activities are not always relevant because of highly effective controls applied by management of the small or mid-size entity. An appropriate segregation of duties often appears to present difficulties in smaller organizations, at least on the surface. Even companies that have only a few employees, however, can usually parcel out their responsibilities to achieve the necessary checks and balances.Controls over information systems, particularly general computer controls and more specifically access security controls, may present problems to small and mid-size entities. This is because of the informal way in which control activities are often implemented. CHAPTER 5: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION Every enterprise must capture pertinent information – financial and non-financial, relating to external as well as internal events and activities. The information must be identified by management as relevant to managing the business. It must be delivered to people who need it in a form and timeframe that enables them to carry out their control and other responsibilities.Information is needed at all levels of an organization to run the business, and move toward achievement of the entity’s objectives in all categories – operations, financial reporting and compliance. Information is identified, captured, processed and reported by information systems. The term â€Å"information systems† frequently is used in the context of processing internally generated data relating to transactions, such as purchases and sales, and internal operating activities, such as production p rocesses. Information systems sometimes operate in a monitoring mode, routinely capturing specific data. In other cases, special actions are taken to obtain needed information.Keeping information consistent with needs becomes particularly important when an entity operates in the face of fundamental industry changes, highly innovative and quick-moving competitors or significant customer demand shifts. Systems support strategic initiatives. The strategic use of information systems has meant success to many organizations. Using technology to help respond to a better understood marketplace is a growing trend, as systems are used to support proactive rater than reactive business strategies. Integration with operations. The strategic use of systems demonstrates the shift that has occurred from purely financial systems to systems integrated into an entity’s operations.These systems help control the business process, tracking and recording transactions on a real-time basis, often inc luding many of the organization’s operations in an integrated, complex systems environment. The effect of integrated operations systems is dramatic, as can been seen in the just-in-time (JIT) inventory system. The systems themselves order and schedule arrival of new materials automatically, frequently through the use of EDI (electronic data interchange). Many of the newer production systems are highly integrated with other organizational systems and may include the organization’s financial systems. Acquisition of technology is an important aspect of corporate strategy, and choices regarding technology can be critical factors in achieving growth objectives. Decisions about its selection and implementation depend on many factors.These include organizational goals, market-place needs, competitive requirements and, importantly, how the new systems will help effect control, and in turn be subject to the necessary controls, to promote achievement of the entity’s objec tives. It is critical that reports contain enough appropriate data to support effective control. The quality of information includes ascertaining whether: – Content is appropriate – Is the needed information there? – Information is timely – Is it there when required? – Information is current – Is it the latest available? – Information is accurate – Are the data correct? – Information is accessible – Can it be obtained easily by appropriate parties?All of these questions must be addressed by the system design. If not, it is not probable that the system will not provide the information required. Communication is inherent in information systems. Internal In addition to receiving relevant data for managing their activities, all personnel, particularly those with important operating or financial management responsibilities, need to receive a clear message from top management that internal control responsibilities must be taken seriously. Both the clarity of the message and the effectiveness with which it is communicated are important. In addition, specific duties must be made clear. Without this understanding, problems are likely to arise.In performing their duties, personnel should know that whenever the unexpected occurs, attention is to be given not only to the event itself, but also to its cause. In this way, a potential weakness in the system can be identified and action taken to prevent recurrence. People also need to know how their activities relate to the work of others. People need to know what behavior is expected, or acceptable, and what is unacceptable. Personnel also need to have a means of communicating significant information upstream in an organization. Front-line employees who deal with critical operating issues every day are often in the best position to recognize problems as they arise.For such information to be reported upstream, there must be both open channels of communicati on and clear-cut willingness to listen. People must believe their superiors truly want to know about problems and will deal with them effectively. In most cases, the normal reporting lines in an organization are the appropriate communications channel. In some circumstances, however, separate lines of communication are needed to serve as a fail-safe mechanism in case normal channels are inoperative. Communication between management and the board of directors and committees are critical. Management must keep the board up to date on performance, developments, risks, major initiatives, and any other relevant events or occurrences.The better the communications to the board, the more effective it can be in carrying out its oversight responsibilities, and acting as a sounding board on critical issues and providing advice and counsel. By the same token, the board should communicate to management what information it needs, and provide direction and feedback. External There needs to be approp riate communication not only within the entity, but outside. With open communications channels, customers and suppliers can provide highly significant input on the design or quality of products or services, enabling a company to address evolving customer demands or preferences. Communications from external parties often provide important information on the functioning of the internal control system.Communications to shareholders, regulators, financial analysts and other external parties should provide information relevant to their needs, so they can readily understand the circumstances and risks the entity faces. Communication takes such forms as policy manuals, memoranda, bulletin board notices and videotaped messages, or transmitted orally. Another powerful communications medium is the action taken by management in dealing with subordinates. Managers should remind themselves, â€Å"actions speak louder than words†. Information systems in smaller organizations are likely to be less formal than in large organizations, but their role is just as significant. CHAPTER 6: MONITORINGCircumstances for which the internal control system originally was designed also may change, causing it to be less able to warn of the risks brought by new conditions. Accordingly, management needs to determine whether the internal control system continues to operate effectively. Monitoring can be done in two ways: through ongoing activities or separate evaluations. Internal control systems usually will be structured to monitor themselves on an ongoing basis to some degree. The greater the degree and effectiveness of ongoing monitoring, the less need for separate evaluations. Usually, some combinations of ongoing monitoring and separate evaluations will ensure that the internal control system maintains its effectiveness over time. It should e recognized that ongoing monitoring procedures are built in to the normal, recurring operating activities of an entity. Because they are perf ormed on a real-time basis, reacting dynamically to changing conditions, and are ingrained in the entity, they are more effective than procedures performed in connection with separate evaluations. Since separate evaluations take place after the fact, problems will often be identified more quickly by the ongoing monitoring routines. An entity that perceives a need for frequent separate evaluations should focus on ways to enhance its ongoing monitoring activities and, thereby; to emphasize â€Å"building in† versus â€Å"adding on† controls. Ongoing monitoring activitiesExamples of ongoing monitoring activities include the following: – Extent to which personnel, in carrying out their regular activities, obtain evidence as to whether the system of internal control continues to function. – Extent to which communications from external parties corroborate internally generated information, or indicate problems. – Periodic comparison of amounts recorded by the accounting system with physical assets. – Responsiveness to internal and external auditor recommendations on means to strengthen internal controls. – Extent to which training seminars, planning sessions and other meetings provide feedback to management on whether controls operate effectively. Whether personnel are asked periodically to state whether they understand and comply with the entity’s code of conduct and regularly perform critical control activities. – Effectiveness of internal audit activities. Separate evaluations While ongoing monitoring procedures usually provide important feedback on the effectiveness of other control components, it may be useful to take a fresh look from time to time, focusing directly on the system’s effectiveness. Scope and frequency. Evaluations of internal control vary in scope and frequency, depending on the significance of risks being controlled and importance of the controls in reducing the risks.Evaluati on of an entire internal control system – which will generally be needed less frequently than the assessment of specific controls – may be prompted by a number of reasons: major strategy or management change, major acquisitions or dispositions, or significant changes in operations or methods of processing financial information. The evaluation scope will also depend on which of the three objectives categories – operations, financial reporting and compliance – are to be addressed. Who evaluates. Often evaluations take the form of self-assessments, where persons responsible for a particular unit or function will determine the effectiveness of controls for their activities. Then, all results would be subject to the chief executive’s review.Internal auditors normally perform internal control evaluations as part of their regular duties, or upon special requests of the board of directors, senior management or subsidiary or divisional executives. Similarly , management may use the work of external auditors in considering the effectiveness of internal control. The evaluation process. The evaluator must understand each of the entity activities and each of the components of the internal control system being addressed. It may be useful to focus first on how the system purportedly functions, sometimes referred to as the systems design. The evaluator must determine how the system actually works. The evaluator must analyze the internal control system design and the results of tests performed.The analysis should be conducted against the backdrop of the established criteria, with the ultimate goal of determining whether the system provides reasonable assurance with respect to the stated objectives. Methodology can be qualitative/quantitative (benchmarking) Documentation. The extent of documentation of an entity’s internal control system varies with the entity’s size, complexity and similar factors. Many controls are informal and undocumented, yet are regularly performed and highly effective. An appropriate level of documentation makes the evaluation more efficient, it facilitates employees’ understanding of how the system works and their particular roles, and easier to modify.Reporting deficiencies Deficiencies in an entity’s internal control system surface from many sources, including the entity’s ongoing monitoring procedures, separate evaluations of the internal control system and external parties. A deficiency may represent a perceived, potential or real shortcoming, or an opportunity to strengthen the internal control system to provide a greater likelihood that the entity’s objectives will be achieved. One of the best sources of information on control deficiencies is the internal system itself. A number of external parties frequently provide important information on the functioning of an entity’s internal control system.In considering what needs to be communicated, it is necessary to look at the implication of findings. A seemingly simple problem with an apparent solution might have far-reaching control implications. Findings of internal control deficiencies usually should be reported to the individual responsible for the function or activity involved, who is in the position to take corrective action, but also to at the lest one level of management above the directly responsible person. This process enables that individual to provide needed support or oversight for taking corrective action, and to communicate with others in the organization whose activities may be affected.Where findings cut across organizational boundaries, the reporting should cross over as well and be directed to a sufficiently high level to ensure appropriate action. Providing needed information on internal control deficiencies to the right party is critical to the continued effectiveness of an internal control system. Protocols can be established to identify what informatio n is needed at a particular level for decision-making. Reportable conditions ( significant deficiencies in the design or operation of the internal control structure, which could adversely affect the organization’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data consistent with the assertions of management in the financial statements. SME ( more ongoing monitoring, less like to do separate (few people, notice quicker)

Titanic disaster affect on JP Morgan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Titanic disaster affect on JP Morgan - Essay Example After participating in this major merger, he thereafter created the federal steel company by merging several steel corporations together in the year 1901. He further undertook some consolidations consolidating steel and wire companies to form the United States Steel Corporation. At the height of Morgan’s career, he and his partners had vast investments in both the financial and the corporate fields and were accused of their critics of controlling the nation’s high finance a criticism that he dispelled through a banking coalition in 1907. Despite such dispelled rumors, facts have it that Morgan was the lead financier of the Progressive era and his dedication and efficiency contributed in injecting transformations in the American businesses "J.P. Morgan, FDIC tangle over who will pay off WaMu liabilities."(2010). This is the man behind the Construction of the American owned vessel, the Titanic through financing the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMMC) and as the owner of the company. This company controlled trust and retaining ownership of the White Star Line, Red Star Line, Dominion Line, American Transport Line, and the Leyland Line. During the construction of the Titanic, the vessel was American owned as mentioned but Morgan kept the ships of his trust under the British registry with the British crew. He did this to escape accuses of violating the American Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 most so after the act had taken down J.D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. It is worth noting that Most of the vessels flew both American and British flags with the White Star Line burgee (Levinson 1912 pg 36-9). In addition to this massive investment, Morgan also owned US Steel, General Electric and numerous banks and other financial institutions. JP Morgan and company continue to thrive today as JP Morgan Chase. Did the sinking of titanic affect the JP Morgan Corporation According to Merchants and masterpieces (1995), if JP Morgan’s company I MM was not actually down then we can say that it was seriously wounded after the Titanic fiasco. The war at the time caused a lot of havoc to the company and the company crumbled during the war years. Most of the businesspersons in America at that time expressed interest of discounting all the dreams of Morgan without expressing any signs that they might one day try and pick up the pieces to recapture the visions that Morgan had in the near future. JP Morgan and his partners like Harriman, Hill and Hanna collective dream of the transportation industry failed but the legacy they left behind still lives with us up to date. The name Morgan is still around with us today most so his great contribution in the banking industry though JP Morgan & Chase "J.P. Morgan, FDIC tangle over who will pay off WaMu liabilities."(2010) Their legacy in the transportation industry though a company like Citibank lives with us to date though the pieces of the transportation network they constructed fell aw ay gradually. The white star line continued to date although it is quite hard for it to recover completely from the destructions caused by the Titanic and the same destruction took place with the IMM (Morris 2005 pg 126). The IMM and the white star line suffered another major loss most so after the loss caused by the Titanic and the onset of the war. This loss had an impact on the massive commercial travels across the Atlantic routes in the year 1916. During this time, the Britannica had served as the hospital ship from the time it was launched in 1914, within the same period specifically in November 21st the ship got a hard hit on a mine and sank off the island

Children who are brought to the US illegally should be deported if Essay

Children who are brought to the US illegally should be deported if they are discored as adults - Essay Example However, around 12% are from Asia and 8% from South America (Colton-Sonnenberg, pp.4). Illegal immigration however is quite a difficult issue, because of differing views, misinformation, and lack of information (Haines & Rosenblum, pp.1). It is also a heated political debate, because the issue in the discussion has many dimensions, some of which include legal, economic and moral (Chapman, pp.272). According to some people, however it is victimless crime. This is because the immigrants provide a cheap form of labor. However, illegal immigration causes a large amount of hardships for Americans, especially those belonging to the lower strata of the population. This is mainly because of the fiscal drain that illegal immigrants may cause (APRA, 2006). The issue whether children who had previously crossed borders illegally but have in effect, lived their whole life as US citizens, should be deported if discovered is a very pertinent one. One very important criticism includes the fact that children born in the United States to illegal immigrants serve as ‘anchor’ to their families. ... 77). Deportation has received quite a lot of criticism. Mass deportation of illegal immigrants might have disastrous effects on families. Sometimes immigrants’ families may consist of one legal parent, one illegal parent or a legal, or an illegal or also citizens of the US if born there. Estimates of Urban Institute state that two-thirds of all children of illegal parents are actually US born citizens. Mostly, if the illegal parent is the breadwinner of the family, and if deported, the children are most likely to be leaving as well, the children being U.S citizens. However, only deporting the parents is not even morally correct or economically feasible. Therefore, the debate of deportation of children remains a particularly raging one (Steinger, pp.34). In addition, some people are of the view that having citizen children is no legal defense to the deportation. Therefore, the government often accepts the de facto deportation of children as a necessary step to enforce immigrati on laws against their parents. In addition, the chance that illegal immigration may continue to occur is because of this incentive of having citizenship by giving birth to a child. Not only do this but also the immigrants do not pay taxes; however, the children receive all the benefits of a good education and a health system. In this way, there is a fiscal drain in the U.S, having a negative impact on the budget (Neuman, pp.182). Many people are also of the view that there has been a misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment, done to grant rights of citizenship to the slaves after the Civil war. However, at that time, no illegal immigration occurred and there were no immigration laws until 1875. Therefore, many people assert that the

Causal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causal Argument - Essay Example Some ladies turn to prostitution because of the company they join at their middle age. Others engage in this social evil because they want to overcome some sense of rejection they may have gone through. Prostitution has been used as a means of economic gain by some people while some others have engaged into it as a means to their own pleasure. Some countries have allowed the commercialization of sex, and they tax women who practice it. However, prostitution has faced a lot of criticism from many other people. Many people have indulged in some other evils to avert the criticism and stigmatization they have faced as prostitutes. Some of the prostitutes have resorted to drug abuse, which poses a serious health concern. The role of mentors in shaping the behavior of these women is questioned when they indulge in prostitution. In many cases women have resorted to prostitution as a result of constraints they have gotten in obtaining their based needs. When they are not supported at family level, these women tend to look for alternative sources of their needs’ satisfiers. Men assume the provider role to provide for the women. Mostly, this role is associated with entitlement to sexual right (Jewkes et al. 8). Women who get the provisions from these men feel that the best way to reciprocate the favors they receive is by giving sexual favors. Culture has shaped the mind of people so that they view the only way to respond to male provision as a woman is through sex. Culture has promoted the prostitution business for it has tagged a high value for exposure to sex. Many women that engaged in prostitution have said that they were victims of child sexual abuse. The urge that is in men for sex has driven women to be victims of this sexual business (Murphy 778). Prostitution has existed because of cultural factors that define gender relations. These relations have indicated unequal treatment to both men and women. According to International Labour Organization (12) women in Thailand preferred prostitution as a way to protect good women from rape. They saw that this acts as a means to avert men’s sexual power. According to study done in South Africa (Jewkes et al. 8), women engaged in prostitution because of the economic pressure they were going through. Women engage in sex for them to meet their material wants. Women conduct sex for material exchange to cater for their unmet needs. In South East Asians nations, many of the prostitutes are women who have either divorced or are single. The result is because in most of these nations women are the bread winners. The families in these areas are characterized by abject poverty. What resulted is that families break leaving younger ladies in their families. These families continue to depend on these young ladies who therefore resort to prostitution (International Labour Organization 12). In Russian area of Saratov, people who practice prostitution are not tolerated. Male residents of Saratov argue t hat women who engage themselves in commercial sex should not be shown any respect, understanding or even love. In South Africa, a group of men who responded to a research affirmed that the women who avail themselves for money are unworthy of respect. The results indicated that men who had sex with prostitutes have had at one time been engaged in a violent criminal activity. Prostitution continues to thrive as a business because men are paying for it. Although it is considered

Wall Street Movement in the Light of Ethics Research Paper

Wall Street Movement in the Light of Ethics - Research Paper Example Values could be defined as the foremost principles of human existence, and they are concerned with the concept of good and bad, right and wrong, duty and responsibility (Hall, Jones, & Raffo, 2004) It could be assumed in the light of above definition, that these are fundamental laws that make us human. This set of values grant same status to everyone in the community, irrespective of gender, color and race. These principles also give the right to all humans to express their feeling and emotions within the boundaries of federal and regional law, but the approaches, that are applied to do business at Wall Street violated these laws. The scholars have categorized these values in the following typologies. This approach is of conventional nature, and based upon the concept of privileges and obligations oneself must fulfill (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004). But this classification relies on strictness. It uses force through training and educating people to help them become good citizens and then fabricates punishments for those who do not follow the traditional ways. In the case of this kind of value system, people are often fearful and break the laws, whenever they can. So it is not an effective method in the long run perspective. This sort of system soon starts to discriminate among the people, by giving more importance to one faction’s rights and desires over those of another. The modern set of values is fundamentally based upon the idea of developing a sense of right or wrong in the people, so that they could judge their own actions in the light of morality (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004), but this approach is firmly linked with the overall economic condition of the nation, because the morality decreases, with the deterioration of economic climate. Modern norms aim at

Population environment debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Population environment debate - Essay Example Several researchers and theorists believe that the resources provided by the natural environment are decreasing and measures need to take place to counter the constant increase in population. Julian Lincoln Simon is against this notion and believes that resources are not becoming scarce and are being generated in abundance (Simon 578) . She believes that the increase in prices of resources provides individuals such as farmers and manufacturers to produce more and to create new discoveries and participate in the act of recycling which results in the creation of substitute goods. This means that resources are not becoming scarce; instead they are being replaced with substitutes which counter the issue of shortage created due to increase in population. Researchers such as Ben Wattenberg state that population growth has negatively impacted the environment but now the growth rate is declining and will eventually come to an end (Wattenberg, 2012). Due to this he believes that the problem of shortage of environmental resources will be countered and there will be enough resources for human beings. According to him the population growth of certain developed nations such as Europe has come to a stand still and the population growth of areas such as Asian nations have declined drastically. In response to Wattenberg, Kenneth Hill states that although population growth rate has declined, still the boom in population is not over and will continue to rise (Slate Magazine, 2012). Hill points out various issues in calculating the population rate and points out that several people are not even counted among the population of a nation. Hill sates that problems such as increase in rate of immigration and decrease in the rate of infant mortality an d increase in the number of old aged people is an alarming point for US. One of the major elements in the debate of population and environment is that those

Carl Rogers Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Carl Rogers Theory - Essay Example Furthermore Rogers believed that if the clients turned inwards and examined themselves they would find the means to end hurting. This treats persons as inimitable, values their dreams and goals and elevates their particular feelings about the world. Rogers sees the role of the therapist primarily as an empathic listener who must enters into the client's journey of self-actualisation. Jones and Butman in Modern Psychotherapies succinctly describe the goal of the self-actualisation process. It is the ongoing process of bringing self-view, the ideal self and the real self into line with one another. DeMarinis in her book, Pastoral Care, Existential Health and Existential Epidemiology attempts to conceptualise pastoral care. In her research she noted several themes that most people accept as belonging to pastoral care. The main ones of these are care of the soul and inner life, primarily Christian, spanning the complete life cycle, under the direction of God, providing a shelter from a hard world, connects God to life, is part of the whole work of the church not only in specific sessions and is not to be confused with psychology. This essay will keep in mind these main themes as it explores the helpfulness of Roger's approach. Jones and Butman begin their exploration of Roger's theory by claiming that the emotional content of person centred therapy is intuitively appealing. They have a valid point here. Person centred counselling differs from the mainstream notion of psychotherapists as distant experts and is alluring in its humanity based ideas. It promotes a positive view of humankind and its central tenet is that humans are, at heart, good and filled with the possibility to change and achieve anything. Furthermore it concentrates on goals and dreams and endorses the need for positive regard for others. In addition Roger's theories are based on his clinical work and endless research. Rather than remaining a fixed theory he developed his ideas as they were tried out, constantly responding to criticism and results. This dedication to base his hypothesis on what actually worked enhances the appeal of the theory and lessens the distance between pure theory and practical administration. Finally, the simplicity of Roger's theory and the fact that it is accessible to everyone gives it credibility. Its founding principles are not complicated and so the majority of people can follow his train of logic and see how he came up with his conclusions. Person Centred Therapy's Contributions to Pastoral Ministry Roger's contribution to psychotherapy has traditionally been attractive to a religious audience because his formulation of a helping relationship embodies the Christian ideal of a loving servant to others. Rogers and Butman notice how it, 'appears to give us valuable clues and guidance on how to respond to those in misery or distress, or how to concretely 'love the brothers and sisters'.1 It is a guide for the pastoral worker because it treats people as inimitable, complete beings in the same way that Christianity would. The pastoral worker takes this view because she believes humans are made in God's image and must be treated with the appropriate respect. The qualities that a therapist must have to undertake this kind of help are almost identical with the qualities the Bible describes a Christian should have; grace, unconditional love, servant-like. Moreover it focuses on 'unconditional regard'

Diversity in The Workplace Essay Example for Free

Diversity in The Workplace Essay Diversity has several definitions. According to Schmidle (2010), workplace diversity is a people issue, focusing on the differences and similarities that people bring to an organization. It is usually defined broadly to include dimensions beyond those specified legally in equal opportunity and affirmative action non-discrimination statues. Diversity is often interpreted to include dimensions which influence the identities and perspective that people bring, such as profession, education, parental status and geographic location. If you think of diversity and all of the categories it can be a bit overwhelming. Schmidle did leave out several categories that include age, gender, income level, social status, political views, religion, and marital status. The word â€Å"diversity† has a kind of conflict ring to it but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is a bad thing. Diversity can in fact be a good thing. Schmidle later goes on to discuss some of this positive outcomes of diversity including one of the most important aspects of diversity which is learning new things from others. If we are around the same people everyday that are the exact same and do things the exact same it is hard for people to think outside the box. This paper will discuss positive and negative aspects of diversity focusing on age. It will also discuss other forms of diversity as well. When discussing age diversity it is important to discuss the different categories. Individuals over 60 are considered to be the Traditionalist generation. Individuals in their mid-40’s to 60’s are baby boomers. Those in their late 20’s to early 40’s are in the Generation X category and the most recent generation is Generation Y who are early 20’s or younger (Bell, Narz, 2007). Each one of these groups has been described as having certain characteristics. Traditionalists are defined as having a more traditional  working environment. They typically work 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 but are said to work late and weekends during busy periods if necessary. Traditionalist are also said to be hard working, loyal employees who respect authority. It is typical for wives of this category to have been home with the children while the male is or was at work bringing in the sole income. Traditionalists are retiring from the work force at a steady rate but still remain influential in today’s working environment (Bell, Narz 2007). Baby Boomers are the children of Traditionalists and also thought to have a strong work ethic. A difference between Boomers and Traditionalists is that they are dual-career couples with the women working as well as the men. Boomers are said to question authority and have also been labeled the â€Å"me generation† (Bell, Narz 2007). Generation Xers are the children of Baby Boomers. They have grown up watching their parents working to try and have it all and have been affected by their parents working hard and late hours. They are more family and parent oriented, optimistic and confident. They are said to not have a very strong loyalty to their employer and tend to work for someone that best fits their needs (Bell, Narz 2007). Generation Y are the children of Generation X and are also called the millennials, the internet generation, and also the Echo Boomers. This is due to their computer knowledge and also due to them being one of the largest generations since the Baby Boomers. At a young age they were introduced to different lifestyles and cultures in school. Being that they were exposed so young they tend to have more accustomed to different races, sexual orientation, and ethnic groups. Generation Ys like to be challenged and want flexibility and telecommuting options. They are also family oriented and want to work part time or time off when having children (Bell, Narz 2007). After describing these different groups it is clear there is a difference in attitude, respect, loyalty, goals, and work ethic. Putting all of these individuals in a working environment together would seem like a very bad idea. Schaefer 2010 States: The popular press paints a picture of generational divide at work. Mature workers (Traditionalists and Baby Boomers) are portrayed as loyal and hardworking, but dinosaurs when it comes to innovation and technology. Younger employees (Generation Xers and Millennials) are viewed as innovative, but disrespectful, lazy, and egocentric. Taken at face value, these stereotypes can lead to conflict and turmoil in the workplace. Schafer later describes that this is not the case and actually have more similarities than differences. She also informs the reader that age diversity is a value to our organizations and will be a â€Å"an important component in the divers workforce of the future.† (Schaefer, 2010). What are some benefits and who does it affect? One benefit is respect. By respecting others differences productivity increases which can affect an employee and an organization economically, financially and competitiveness (Green, 2008). By being more productive the company makes more money, which makes it possible for them to be competitive. When a company makes more money it is easier for them to give raises and bonuses. Also when a company has diversity in the workplace it can reduce lawsuits and increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image (Green, 2008). Diversity is not only positive. It can be if you have the right group of people working but for the most part managers will find obstacles and challenges. When I was managing I always said it only takes one individual to destroy a group’s character and flow. This type of person looks for problems and gets the rest of the group members worked up. Something simple like a gossiper can ruin a group’s charisma. If a group member is racist or not accepting of particular member’s religious views or sex it can also affect the rest of the group (Green, 2008). This can lead to the loss of personnel and effect work production which in turn affects the employees and organization economically, financially, and its competitiveness. Also if an individual is not socially accepting of others it affects the companies view to the customers and shareholders. The chain fast food restaurant Chik-Fil-A has recently announced it does not support same sex marriage. The public exploded with outrage and tens of thousands of people vowed to never eat  there again. If a business employs an individual who voices their discrimination, prejudice, or stereotyping of a particular group the same outcome could happen if left unchecked. I think for the most part we could all agree the older generation was not as accepting to different races, religion, and sexual preference as much as the younger generation is. This certainly does not mean a younger person would not be discriminatory or that all Traditional workers are discriminatory but it is something managers need to understand. Business will typically have a note on discrimination in their by laws or employee hand books that any form whether it be for age, sex, ethnicity, sexual preference will not be tolerated. Colleges employing individuals will have this as well. An example of this is the University of California’s system wide non-discrimination statement: â€Å"It is the policy of the University not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with the University of California on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic Characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation citizenship, or status as a covered veteran. This policy applies to all employment practices, including recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, merit increase, salary, training, and development, demotion, and separation. † (University of California, 2011). Having non-discrimination statements like this allows employees, the public, shareholders, and other colleges or competition see discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated at the school. This can help the business have a positive image to all who read it. It is fairly uncommon to find a current business without some form of discrimination statement. The one from the University of California above is very descriptive and most that I have found do not go into this much detail. The University of California also has their Principles of Community: â€Å"We recognize, value, and affirm that social diversity contributes richness to the University community and enhances the quality of campus life for  individuals and groups. We take pride in our various achievements and we celebrate our differences.† (University of California, 2011). These types of guiding principles allows the community and any other readers know the University welcomes differences in individuals. If someone was having any reservations about attending this University or working for them this further assures the individual the University would welcome them no matter how different they are. Age diversity can also affect the way a person is treated. If you think about front-line management, mid-management, senior management you typically vision an older individual at the senior management level, a slightly younger individual at the mid-management level, and again a slightly younger individual at the front-line management level. Does age have to do with getting promoted? If I simply get older will I be promoted? Apparently it does not but it does have a huge impact on getting dismissed. If an employee is more than twenty percent younger than their superior they are more likely to be let go. If the employee is less than twenty percent younger than their superior they are less likely to be let go (Giuliano, Leonard, Leving, 2006). This study shows a superior is much more likely to dismiss someone who is considerable younger than them compared to if the employee is rather close in age. The workforce demographics are also shifting. It has been reported workers in the age group of 55-64 there will be 36.5 percent more compared to 2006. That is a drastic increase. What about those ages 65-74 and employees 75 and up? There is projected an 80 percent increase in both. This means people are working longer and past the retirement age (Schaefers, 2010). This also lets us know age diversity with the Generation X needs to be paid attention to by employers. Many feel we have a solid understanding of this group already while others feel we have been focusing on the Traditional workers more. Whatever the case it is pretty clear employers will need to be prepared to provide for this generation and others who follow. How do we do that? We need to understand how each generation feels and act. Mature workers value loyalty from and to the company. They often few their younger co-workers as not having enough company allegiance. Generation Xers are considered to be loyal to a team, boss, or project but  not necessarily a company. Baby Boomers and Traditional workers may view this as disrespectful and it could cause conflict (Schaefers, 2010). We need to understand the core values of generations. Many values are shared between generations. The Traditionalists raised the baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers raised the Generation X and the Generation X raised the Generation Y. It is easy to understand some of the traits of the older generations have been passed down especially family. It did take some negative steps at times. The traditionalist taught their children to work hard and be loyal. This had a kind of family second effect and the Generation X was affected by this. They are very family oriented and family always comes first. So an employer would need to know that if they plan on keeping Generation X employees around they need to allow them to have flexible schedules and they need to be able to take time off for family(Schaefers, 2010). We need to expand our communication approaches as well with the other groups coming up. The millennial generation is extremely technology oriented and it is very important in their lives. This generation does most of their business through electronics and technology as well as their personal life (Schaefers, 2010). One of the major characteristic an employer should have and should instill on all employees is to show respect to one another. A younger employee does not want to get disrespected for a possible new and out of the box idea just as an older employee doesn’t want to disrespected for doing something the same way for so long. We have all heard treat others like you would like to be treated and it holds a lot of weight when trying to get different generations to work in a cohesive and productive manner (Schaefers, 2010). Productivity is another topic employer and employees are concerned with. Some feel the older workers do not work as hard or are productive as younger employees. Some decide this is true whether or not it is and respond to it. Making comments or speaking to other employees and management about the lack of work is one form. The truth is studies have shown this is not necessarily true in all cases. A three year study was conducted with a hardware chain. One store was staffed with only employees over the age of fifty, while the other five stores were staffed with younger employees. The over fifty store was considerably more productive in major business aspects than two of the other five stores and was close to the other three in sales generated against labor costs (Robbins, Judge, 2011). This is an impressive study that can refute arguments that the older individuals are not worth employing. Employers carry mixed feelings about older worker. Some feel they are more loyal, have more experience, better judgment, and stronger work ethic. Others feel they lack in flexibility and are not accustomed to today’s technology. When these employers are looking for new hires it is common for the older applicants to be looked over and if they are hired they are usually the first to go when it comes to layoffs (Robbins, Judge, 2011). The opportunity to quit is also a concern for employers. Given that an older applicant has fewer employment opportunities it is thought some employers hire these individuals based on the idea that they will not leave once hired. The younger applicant is thought to have greater opportunity and a more willingness to change jobs or jump ship if the job is not what they expected. They younger generations are also thought to expect the employer and business to take care of there needs better than the older generations (Robbins, Judge, 2011). Some companies realize the value in older employees and actually make attempts to attract them. Boarders and the Vanguard Group have realized the value and have offered benefits and options that lure them in. Flexible hours and part time work are a couple of the things the older workers are looking for. Since most have at least thought about retirement if not already been retired, these groups of workers enjoy spending time with family and doing the things they enjoy. Most states have agreed that a mandatory retirement is not necessary the pool of aged workers has increased dramatically. No longer is it required for individuals to retire at the age of 70. This has led a lot of workers to reinter or continue to be a part of the labor force. Some have lost loved ones and wish to socialize which they would not be able to do if they simply stayed home. The opportunity gives  them a reason to try and make new friends and also gives them a reason to stay busy. Others may have not prepared or had the opportunity to save up a proper retirement with today’s increasing prices and declining economy (Robbins, Judge, 2011). The employee’s job satisfaction needs to be considered when it comes to the diversity of age in a workplace. Employees over the age of 60 who are non professional’s satisfaction rate decreases during their middle ages and increases as they get older. Professional employees who were over the age of 60 however continually increased as they aged (Robbins, Judge, 2011). One of the ongoing concerns with diversity is if they want it. As discussed there are many advantages of having diversity in the workplace. If a company wants to grow it is important to allow new and different people to bring different things to the office table. This is so true that some literature can be found on how to increase workplace diversity. The most important decision for a company is to decide what kind of diversity they need. It may not be the best idea for a company whose main product is A company that sells women’s jewelry may n References Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A. (2011). Organizational Behavior(14 ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Notter, Jamie (2009). Generational Diversity in The Workplace. Retrieved 30 August 2012 from Convergence Media: http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit/group/mature/Gen eral-Diversity-in-workplace.asp Schaefers, Kate (2010). Age Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved 31 August 2012 from Careers Thought Leaders: http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/blog/age-diversity-in-the- workplace/ Schmidle, Deborah and Woods, Susan (2010). Workplace Diversity. Retrieved 31 August 2012 from Catherwood Library: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/subjectguides/work placediversity.html University of California (2011). Managing Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved 27 August 2012 from University of California: http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter- 12-managing-diversity-in-the-workplace/ Green, Kelli A. and Lopez, Mayra (2008). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools. Retrieved 31 August 2012 from University of Florida: http://www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hr022 Greenberg, Josh (2004). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and Solutions. Retrieved 31 August 2012 from AlphaMeasure,Inc.: http://multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit//Diversity-in-th- Workplace-Benefits-Challenges-Solutions.asp Bell, Nancy Sutton and Narz, Marvin (2007). Meeting the Challenges of Age Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved 31 August 2012 from New York State Society of CPAs: http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2007/207/essentials/p56.htm United States Department of Labor (2010). Employee Tenure Summary. Retrieved 4 September 2012 from United States Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm Giuliano, Laura, Leonard, Jonathan and Levine, David I. (2006). Do Race, Age, and Gender Differences Affect Manager-Employee Relations? An analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm. Retrieved 4 September 2012 from http://moya.bus.miami.edu/~lgiuliano/Quits.pdf

Public School vs Private School Essay Example for Free

Public School vs Private School Essay Education can be considered one of the most important decisions parents make for their children. Why? Because education lays the foundation to future success in life, I personally understood this concept early on in life. My parents from as far back as I can remember taught me the value of having an education. I can still remember my mom preaching to my younger brother and me about how the only thing an individual cannot take away from another individual is the knowledge gained in this world. Now many years later I find myself in the same position as many parents when it comes to education. I have to make the decision whether or not to send my child to public school or a private institution. How do public schools and private schools compare? And is there much of a difference? Admission standards for public schools and private schools are similar in comparison when it comes to placement testing and reviewing previous transcripts from other institutions. Public schools unlike private schools are required by law to accept individual as long as the individual is attending a school in the district that they live in. Admission to a private school is not regulated by law and is up to the digression of the school administrators and if the requirements were met by the individual. Because private schools are more selective in their admission process parents tend to base part of their decision on the reputation. Private schools of good reputation are challenging to get accepted into because of the prominent level of competition at the admissions level. Curriculum is a major influence on a parent’s decision whether or not to send their child to private or public school. In both private and public schools cover basic subjects such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. By law public schools must follow state curriculum standards, which the schools are subject to state standardize academic testing. Whereas private school has much more freedom in their curriculum simply because they are not require to teach only basic subjects and are not subjected to state standardize testing. Private schools do subject the students to test but only based on comprehension and proficiency rather than retention. Since private schools have freedom in their curriculum, the schools have the opportunity to provide specialized courses and independent study to the students. Cost is the deal breaker in the decision on whether or not to send a child to private school or public school. In both public school and private school a financial investment is made in a child. But the best way to cut the cost especially if the affordability of attending private school is out of the question is to send your child to public school. Public Schools are financially supported by the property taxes in the local area alongside funding from state and federal government. Unlike public schools, private schools do not receive support from property taxes. The way private schools receive funding is through fundraising, the tuition from the student body, and in some cases partial government funding. Because of the lack of state and federal assistance the average tuition cost in the United States according to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is roughly $17,000 to $50,000 a year. To offset the high cost of tuition parents should seek out financial aid, financi ng, and payment plans with the private institution. The decision to place a child into a public school or a private school is not a decision that should be made overnight there is a lot to consider, most importantly the child. As a parent it is imperative to re-evaluate the child before placing the child in school because the child has to be placed in a school that is the right fit. Placing a child that thrives in a smaller group setting or enjoys one on one time I would personally consider private school as an option. If the child enjoys a larger group setting placing the child in public school will be right fit too. Overall the affordability of public school is more reasonable and the flexibility of curriculum of a private school is things can be negotiated when making the final decision. As a parent I know that the child best interest is always in the forefront whether I decide on a public school or private school.