What Is Social Capital - 842 Words

What is social capital? Why is it important for a society? The sociological concept of social capital is developed in conjunction with the concepts of human capital and physical capital which has clear distinctions among them to explain theory of social relations (Jackman and Miller, 1998). Unlike human capital and physical capital which has clear and united explanation, social capital has no unified and undisputed definition due to its weak palpability as it comes â€Å"from changes in the relations among individuals that facilitate action† (Jackman and Miller, 1998). Be that as it may, we can still find they commonly define social capital as â€Å"the value of social networks, bonding similar people and bridging between diverse people, with†¦show more content†¦One of the examples that could illustrate this idea is the failure of Indonesia to be a high performing economy. Though Indonesia enjoyed rapid economic growth in 1980s, the economy declined and seriously hurt not only by the Asian Financial Crisis but also by its r ooted clientelist and cronyist corruption problems founded on the particularistic trust on patron-client relations and family relations. Low trust was obviously the problem in the Indonesian society that hindered a free and fair trade market decreased the incentive of people in investment. This shows that lack of trust as social capital can be destructive to an economy and high trust is of significance of the economic development. All in all, social capital is important as it can affect the social stability and the economic development of a society. References Dayton-Johnson J. (2003). â€Å"Social Capital, Social Cohesion, Community: A Microeconomic Analysis†. The Economic Implications of Social Cohesion, Osberg L. eds., University of Toronto Press, p. 43-78. Jackman, R. and Miller, R. (1998). Social Capital and Politics. Annual Review of Political Science, 1 (1), p.47-73. the Population Health PhD programme of the University of Ottawa. (2007). Social Capital and Social Cohesion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://courseweb.edteched.uottawa.ca/pop8910/Notes/Social_Capital.htm. [Accessed 08 May 2012]. SocialShow MoreRelatedSocial Class And The Self1502 Words   |  7 Pagespraised and referenced studies and whether is it still a useful tool in understanding the relationship between the social class and the self. I will do this by examining the theories of social class and examining them against Bourdieu’s work. The two main theorists on the idea of social class are Karl Marx and Max Weber. Marx based his theory on the idea that there are only two social classes, the bourgeoisie and proletariat. 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Cost Accounting System of Bpl Free Essays

string(152) " wants to reduce its existing manufacturing costs it must dentify the alternatives then it will analyze the alternatives by using only relevant data i\." 1. 1 Origin of the Report This report was originated to make a study about the cost accounting system of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for the requirement of completion of 1st semester of Master of Business Administration (MBA) program of the Department of Accounting Information Systems, University of Dhaka. We will write a custom essay sample on Cost Accounting System of Bpl or any similar topic only for you Order Now This term paper was an attempt to acquaint the students with the real world situations so that the knowledge gained from the classroom is further strengthened. As the classroom discussion alone cannot make a student perfect in handling the real business situation, therefore it is an opportunity for the students to know about the real life situation through this term paper. 1. 2 Background of the Report The importance of cost accounting and cost accounting information is being increased day by day. It is not only help to reduce cost but also in all kind of decision making. Without analysis of cost accounting information no manager can make effective decision. The cost accounting collects the data, analyze those data and help the managers to make better decision. In accordance with development of new tools and techniques of cost accounting the use of cost accounting information is changing. Managers need to use the cost accounting information in different way from traditional method to evaluate the performance. Developing and accepting the JIT, TQM and other contemporary costing techniques force to manager to change the performance evaluation techniques and requires different cost accounting information unlike traditional labor based information now a day’s which become obsolete. Primarily this report is concerned with cost accounting information by an organization in decision making as well as corporate reporting, the tools and techniques used by organizations and the implications of these in the organization. We select Beximco Pharma to examine the use of cost accounting information and cost accounting tools and techniques used by the company. We emphasize on the implication of using information and technique and examine whether Beximco Pharma use or not that particular techniques and the reason of following or not following based on our queries to respective authority of the company. 1. 3 Scope of the Report: This report is limited to the cost accounting department of the Beximco Pharma including cost accounting systems procedure and techniques. Since Beximco want to achieve top quality along with cost control it uses its cost accounting information very strongly. This report covers only the use of cost accounting information for the purpose of decision making and coporate reporting not overall performance of the Beximco Pharma. 1. 4 Objective of the Report: 1. to have a general idea about cost accounting information and its use in decision making. 2. To have clear understanding about the cost accounting system used by Beximco Pharma. . Finding out the disclosure of cost accounting information used by the company. 4. To draw a conclusion based on our understanding of Beximco Pharma. 1. 5 Methodology of the Report: The details of the work plan are furnished below: Data sources The data and information for this report have been collected from both the primary and secondary sources. Among th e primary sources, face to face conversation with the respective stuffs of the head office. The secondary sources of information are annual reports, websites, and study of relevant reports, documents and different manuals. Data processing Data collected from primary and secondary sources have been processed manually and qualitative approach in general and quantitative approach in some cases has been used throughout the study. Data analysis and interpretation Qualitative approach has been adopted for data analysis and interpretation taking the processed data as the base. 1. 6 Organization of the Report This report is divided in to mainly 5 parts. The 1st part is introductory part that states the origin, background, scope, objectives, methodology of the report. The 2nd part is the literature review of the study. This part explains the cost accounting information and its use in decision making by the managers. The next part discusses about the cost accounting system of Beximco Pharma. The 4th part finds out the contemporary methods and techniques of cost accounting used in Beximco Pharma. The last part concludes the report with some recommendation. 1. 7 Limitation of the Report There were some limitations in the preparation of the report. The source of the cost accounting system of the company was mainly based on their financial reports of different. Though we conducted the responsible authority, they were reluctant to give us the full disclosure about their management policies. Because of such information is prepared for the management for internal use only, this was not available. Moreover, most of them were confidencial. Other limitations were our time constraint and resources to prepare an effective term paper on this topic. 2. 1 Cost Accounting Information: In a broad aspect, cost accounting refers to the measurement, analysis, and reporting financial and nonfinancial information relating to the cost of acquiring or using resources in an organization. So cost accounting can be defined as the information obtained from cost accounting activities. For example, calculating the cost of product is a cost accounting function that answers manager’s decision making needs (such as choosing products to offer). Modern cost accounting takes the perspective that collecting cost information is a function of the management decision being made. Cost accounting information helps the manager in short-run and long-run planning and control decisions that increase value for the customers and lower the costs of products and services. For example, managers make decisions regarding the amounts and kinds of material being used, changes in plant processes, and changes in product designs. 2. 2 Cost Accounting Information in Decision Making: For making decision by using cost accounting information cost accountant usually follow some specific models. They use different decision model for different courses of action. Management accountants work with manager by analyzing and presenting relevant data to guide decisions. For example, if any organization wants to reduce its existing manufacturing costs it must dentify the alternatives then it will analyze the alternatives by using only relevant data i. You read "Cost Accounting System of Bpl" in category "Essay examples" e. , which can influence the decisions. For making decision managers usually use five step decision process which is described below: Historical Costs Step-5 Step-4 Step-1 Obtain information Step-2 Step-3 Other Information Make prediction about future costs Specific prediction Choose an alternative Implement the decision Evaluate performance 2. 3 Factors regarding decision making using cost accounting information: There are several factors that affect the decision making procedure of the managers. Some important factors are discussed here: a. Relevant costs and relevant revenues: Relevant costs are expected future costs and relevant revenues are expected future revenues that differ among the alternative courses of action being considered. Both relevant costs and relevant revenues must occur in future and they differ among the alternative courses of action. Focusing on the relevant data is especially helpful when all the information needed to prepare detailed income information is unavailable. Understanding which costs are relevant and which are irrelevant helps the decision maker concentrate on obtaining only the pertinent data and saves time. b. Qualitative and quantitative relevant information: Manager defines and weighs qualitative and quantitative information. Quantitative information are those which can be measured by the numerical number and qualitative information are those which cannot be measured by the number and off course manager will decide which one is measurable by the number and which one is not. Relevant cost analysis generally emphasis on quantitative factors but qualitative factors also have their own importance. c. One time only special orders: When factory has idle production capacity then manager must decide whether accepting or rejection special orders if special order has no long implications. Example: if any company has capacity to produce 18000 units and currently producing 16000 units. The total cost (fixed-5 and variable-5) per unit is tk. 10. If they got an order to deliver 4000 units for tk. 6 per unit they should accept it. But if they get the order of 5000 units they should not accept it because it crosses its relevant range. To make decision about special onetime order only relevant cost should be considered. A common term in decision making is incremental cost which means additional cost for producing every additional unit is also important in this regard. d. Insourcing Vs. Outsourcing and Make Vs. Buy decision: Outsourcing or Bye decision is purchasing goods and services from outside rather than producing in inside of the organization. Whether bye or make is sometimes influenced by qualitative factors. For example coca-cola company will never do outsourcing due to secrecy of the formula, know-how, and technology. In order to make decision if bye or make manager usually take into consideration about quality, dependability, material handling and set-up activity. And off course manager does cost benefit analysis based relevant cost information. e. Focusing on grand total: Manager will focus on grand total cost in making decision rather than unit cost. Sometimes unit cost could be misleading. If we want to make decision about make or buy, insourcing vs. utsourcing we need to consider total cost not unit cost. f. Using constrained resources: Under this condition, manager should select the product that yields the highest contribution margin per unit of the constraining or limiting resources. g. In deciding whether add or drop customer or to add or discontinue segment: Manager should focus on whether total overhead cost change in making decision about adding or dropping customer or adding or discontinuing segment. Manager should ignore allocating overhead cost. h. Replacement of equipment: In the time of equipment replacement existing book value is irrelevant because it is a sunk cost so it should be ignored. i. Concentrate on consistency on performance evaluation: There is always a confliction between the decision model used by a manager and the performance model used to evaluate that manager. Top management must ensure that the performance evaluation model will be consistent with decision model. A common inconsistency is to tell these managers to take a multiple year view in their decision making but then to judge their performance only on the basis of current year’s operating income. If there is no consistency between performance evaluation and performance model then control will be impossible and making decision model will be valueless. 2. 4 Cost Accounting Information in Corporate Reporting: The main purpose of cost accounting information is to help managers in decision making. Such information is provided for the internal purpose only. There are some guided rules and regulations about the information in the reports. According to IAS 1 (Presentation of Financial Statements), aragraph 117, ‘’ An entity shall disclose in the summary of significant accounting policies: (a) the measurement basis (or bases) used in preparing the financial statements, and (b) the other accounting policies used that are relevant to an understanding of the financial statements. † It is important for an entity to inform users of the measurement basis or bases used in the financial statements (for example, historical cost, current cost, net realizable value, fair value or recoverable amount) because the basis on which an entity prepares the financial statements significantly affects users’ analysis. When an entity uses more than one measurement basis in the financial statements, for example when particular classes of assets are revalued, it is sufficient to provide an indication of the categories of assets and liabilities to which each measurement basis is applied. According to paragraph 125 of the same IAS, â€Å"An entity shall disclose information about the assumptions it makes about the future, and other major sources of estimation uncertainty at the end of the reporting period, that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year. In respect of those assets and liabilities, the notes shall include details of: (a) their nature, and (b) their carrying amount as at the end of the reporting period. † An entity presents the disclosures in paragraph 125 in a manner that helps users of financial statements to understand the judgements that management makes about the future and about other sources of estimation uncertainty. The nature and extent of the information provided vary according to the nature of the assumption and other circumstances. Examples of the types of disclosures an entity makes are: (a) the nature of the assumption or other estimation uncertainty; (b) the sensitivity of carrying amounts to the methods, assumptions and estimates underlying their calculation, including the reasons for the sensitivity; (c) the expected resolution of an uncertainty and the range of reasonably possible outcomes within the next financial year in respect of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities affected; and (d) an explanation of changes made to past assumptions concerning those assets and liabilities, if the uncertainty remains unresolved. Other IFRSs require the disclosure of some of the assumptions that would otherwise be required in accordance with paragraph 125. For example, IAS 37 requires disclosure, in specified circumstances, of major assumptions concerning future events affecting classes of provisions. IFRS 7 requires disclosure of significant assumptions the entity uses in estimating the fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities that are carried at fair value. IAS 16 requires disclosure of significant assumptions that the entity uses in estimating the fair values of revalued items of property, plant and equipment. There are also some guidelines for reporting cost accounting information in IAS 2: Inventories. The objective of this Standard is to prescribe the accounting treatment for inventories. A primary issue in accounting for inventories is the amount of cost to be recognised as an asset and carried forward until the related revenues are recognised. This Standard provides guidance on the determination of cost and its subsequent recognition as an expense, including any write-down to net realizable value. It also provides guidance on the cost formulas that are used to assign costs to inventories. Measurement of inventories Inventories shall be measured at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost of inventories The cost of inventories shall comprise all costs of purchase, costs of conversion and other costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Costs of purchase The costs of purchase of inventories comprise the purchase price, import duties and other taxes (other than those subsequently recoverable by the entity from the taxing authorities), and transport, handling and other costs directly attributable to the acquisition of finished goods, materials and services. Trade discounts, rebates and other similar items are deducted in determining the costs of purchase. Costs of conversion The costs of conversion of inventories include costs directly related to the units of production, such as direct labour. They also include a systematic allocation of fixed and variable production overheads that are incurred in converting materials into finished goods. Fixed production overheads are those indirect costs of production that remain relatively constant regardless of the volume of production, such as depreciation and maintenance of factory buildings and equipment, and the cost of factory management and administration. Variable production overheads are those indirect costs of production that vary directly, or nearly directly, with the volume of production, such as indirect materials and indirect labour. The allocation of fixed production overheads to the costs of conversion is based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. Normal capacity is the production expected to be achieved on average over a number of periods or seasons under normal circumstances, taking into account the loss of capacity resulting from planned maintenance. The actual level of production may be used if it approximates normal capacity. The amount of fixed overhead allocated to each unit of production is not increased as a consequence of low production or idle plant. Unallocated overheads are recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred. In periods of abnormally high production, the amount of fixed overhead allocated to each unit of production is decreased so that inventories are not measured above cost. Variable production overheads are allocated to each unit of production on the basis of the actual use of the production facilities. A production process may result in more than one product being produced simultaneously. This is the case, for example, when joint products are produced or when there is a main product and a by-product. When the costs of conversion of each product are not separately identifiable, they are allocated between the products on a rational and consistent basis. The allocation may be based, for example, on the relative sales value of each product either at the stage in the production process when the products become separately identifiable, or at the completion of production. Most by-products, by their nature, are immaterial. When this is the case, they are often measured at net realisable value and this value is deducted from the cost of the main product. As a result, the carrying amount of the main product is not materially different from its cost. Disclosure of Inventory in Financial Statesments The financial statements shall disclose: a) the accounting policies adopted in measuring inventories, including the cost formula used; (b) the total carrying amount of inventories and the carrying amount in classifications appropriate to the entity; (c) the carrying amount of inventories carried at fair value less costs to sell; (d) the amount of inventories recognised as an expense during the period; (e) the amount of any write-down of inventorie s recognised as an expense in the period in accordance with paragraph 34; (f) the amount of any reversal of any write-down that is recognised as a reduction in the amount of inventories recognised as expense in the period in accordance with paragraph 34; (g) the circumstances or events that led to the reversal of a write-down of inventories in accordance with paragraph 34; and (h) the carrying amount of inventories pledged as security for liabilities. Information about the carrying amounts held in different classifications of inventories and the extent of the changes in these assets is useful to financial statement users. Common classifications of inventories are merchandise, production supplies, materials, work in progress and finished goods. The inventories of a service provider may be described as work in progress. The amount of inventories recognised as an expense during the period, which is often referred to as cost of sales, consists of those costs previously included in the measurement of inventory that has now been sold and unallocated production overheads and abnormal amounts of production costs of inventories. The circumstances of the entity may also warrant the inclusion of other amounts, such as distribution costs. 3. 1 An overview of Beximco Pharma Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a leading edge pharmaceutical company and is a member of the BEXIMCO Group, the largest private sector industrial conglomerate in Bangladesh. The strategic strengths of Beximco Pharma are its strong brand recognition, highly skilled work force and diversified business mix. Beximco Pharma brands – Neoceptin R (Ranitidine), Napa (Paracetamol), Amdocal (Amlodipine), Neofloxin (Ciprofloxacin), Bexitrol F (Salmeterol Plus Fluticasone), Bextrum Gold (Multivitamin and Multi Mineral) and Atova (Atorvastatin) are among the most recognized brands in the Bangladesh Pharmaceutical industry. Beximco Pharma started its operation in 1980, manufacturing products under the licenses of Bayer AG of Germany and Upjohn Inc. of USA and now has grown to become nation’s one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, supplying 15% of country’s total medicine need. Today Beximco Pharma manufactures and markets its own `branded generics’ for almost all diseases from AIDS to cancer, from infection to asthma, from hypertension to diabetes, both nationally and internationally. Beximco Pharma manufactures a range of dosage forms including tablets, capsules, dry syrup, powder, cream, ointment, suppositories, large volume intravenous fluids, metered dose inhalers etc. in several world-class manufacturing plants, ensuring high quality standards complying with the World Health Organization (WHO) approved current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The recipient of three times `gold’ national export trophy, Beximco Pharma is the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh, spreading its presence in many developing and developed countries across the globe. Beximco Pharma is the only company in Bangladesh to receive this highest national accolade for export, for record three times. Beximco Pharma markets its brands through professional sales and marketing teams in African, Asian and European markets. It also supplies its products to renowned hospitals and institutions in many countries, including Raffles Hospital and K K Women Children Hospital in Singapore, MEDS and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Kenya, Jinnah Hospital, Agha Khan Hospital and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital in Pakistan. Beximco Pharma is also an enlisted supplier of WHO and UNICEF. Another important business activity of Beximco Pharma is the contract manufacturing for major international brands of leading multinational companies. Beximco Pharma is acclaimed domestically and internationally for its outstanding product quality, world class manufacturing facilities, product development capabilities and outstanding service. Beximco Pharma has a strong market focus and is anticipating continued future growth by leveraging business capabilities and developing superior product brands and markets. In particular the company is very interested in developing a strong export market in USA and Europe. To meet the future demand Beximco Pharma has invested US$ 50 million to build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, confirming to USFDA and UK MHRA standards. This new plant will also offer contract-manufacturing facility to leading pharmaceutical companies, especially from Europe and US. 3. 2 Cost Accounting System of the company: The company primarily uses batch costing method in their costing system. As a pharmaceuticals manufacturing company they need to produce huge amount of product so here batch costing is appropriate for the company. Here it is cost effective and easy to calculation. Batch costing has the several advantages over other methods in regard of the providing following information: -the analysis and the cost control at each cost generator; -the operative management of each place generator of costs, the specification of the production and of the predicted costs and their control and realization; -the correct assessment of the produced stocks; -determination of the efficiency obtained by the taken decisions. The company uses weighted average method in time of inventory valuation. They believe that it gives more accurate and clear picture of inventory. In this method it is very hard to manipulate and easy to calculate though it has a limitation that it sometimes can’t represent inflation. 3. 3 Valuation of Inventories: Inventories are carried at the lower of cost and net realizable value as prescribed by IAS 2: Inventories. Cost is determined on weighted average cost basis. The cost of inventories comprises of expenditure incurred in the normal course of business in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Net realizable value is based on estimated selling price less any further costs expected to be incurred to make the sale. Cost included for the local raw materials purchased are 1) Procurement Cost. 2) Transportation Cost 3) Bank Charge Cost included for the imported raw materials are 1) Procurement Cost 2) Bank Charge for Opening L/C 3) Insurance 4) Clearing from the Port and 5) Transportation Cost. 3. 4 Disclosure of Inventory in Financial Statements According to IAS 2: Inventories, the Company disclosed the following information regarding inventory: (a) The Company uses weighted average method in measuring the inventories. (b) The total carrying amount of inventories is tk 1,739,818,419. The carrying amount of classified inventories for the last four years is given below: Type| 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| Finished Goods| 294,831,219| 398,102,771| 331,438,214| 358,010,498| Work in Process| 113,067,980| 178,713,956| 142,743,433| 171,647,779| Raw Material| 631,820,233| 623,238,087| 607,643,749| 554,338,294| Packing Material| 212,162,685| 200,227,273| 188,571,634| 187,608,219| Laboratory Chemical| 465,253| 2,163,268| 2,673,958| 3,719,853| Literature Promotional Material| 9,456,983| 44,474,997| 49,039,537| 67,024,325| Physician Sample| 8,236,593| 14,025,516| 18,397,570| 23,037,101| Raw Packing Material in Transit| 64,806,398| 196,082,038| 178,683,684| 206,926,349| Stock of Stationery| 1,569,863| 2,537,415| 2,162,958| 4,092,814| Spares Accessories| 58,377,700| 94,874,967| 131,125,554| 163,413,187| Total| 1,394,794,907| 1,754,440,288| 1,652,480,291| 1,739,818,419| (c) The carrying amount of inventory pledged as security for liabilities in 2007 is given below: | 2008| 2007| Janata Bank:| | | Cash Credit- Pledge| 149972631| 165214805| Cash Credit- Hypothecation| 666029415| 628919853| Total| 816002046| 794134658| Price Analysis Tender Announcement Planning Department I I Service Approved? MRR Production Destination Return PM / PM to Supplier Quality GRR If Import If Local Opening LC Receive Performa Invoice Prepare Purchase Order Contract C F Agents Supervisions LC Receive or Store Materials Selection Potential Suppliers Purchase Department Marketing and Sales Department (Forecast of Products) Analysis RM / PM Go for Production Material Available in Stock? Inventory Cycle 2007 2008 3. 5Cost of Goods Sold of the company 2007 2008 Material consumed by the company: 2007 2008 3. 6 Factory Overhead of the Company: 4. Contemporary cost accounting methods and techniques used by Beximco Pharma: Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a leading company in our country. To compete with the other companies in the industry, Beximco Pharma uses several contemporary methods and techniques. Mass production of a mature product with known characteristics and a stable technology was the basis of traditional cost accounting models. Anyway, Beximco Pharma, with automation, lessened the labor content in manufacturing process while the other costs in the company are increased. Flexible manufacturing system: Flexible manufacturing systems use computer controlled production processes, ncluding CAD/CAM programmable machine tools. Because flexible manufacturing reduces setup or changeover times, companies can efficiently manufacture a wide variety of products in small batches. Though Beximco Pharma can adopt flexible manufacturing system, it merely reduces the size of the batch. Total quality management: Total Quality Manageme nt refers (TQM) to the process of continuous improvement to achieve the full customer satisfaction. Rather than waiting to inspect items at the end of the production line or striving to stay within acceptable tolerance limit, TQM’s goal is eliminating all waste. In Beximco Pharma, quality is maintained with great care. As it is a pharmaceutical company, it is mandatory to keep up with the quality level with the other companies. As a result, they have received GMP Clearance from Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia and from Gulf Central Committee for Drug Registration, Executive Board of the Health Ministers’ Council for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states (representing Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman). The company is also in the process of obtaining approvals from several other regulatory authorities including National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) of Brazil, Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Agency of United Kingdom (UK MHRA), US FDA etc. Just in Time Concept: The Just in Time (JIT) minimizes throughput time by emphasizing continuous improvements. JIT reduces inventories by achieving a continuous production process. In JIT system, employees keep on hand only the inventory needed to production until the next order arrives. Having fewer goods in hand not only requires less warehouse spaces and storage equipment but also reduces inventory holding cost, while realizing productivity. For implementing JIT, company must need a strong supply chain system. In Beximco Pharma, they can’t follow JIT because most of the inventory or raw materials are come from abroad so it is impossible to implement JIT in Beximco Pharma. If they want to implement JIT their cost will be higher rather than being lower because here ordering cost is very high as raw materials are imported. Beximco use EOQ model to determine their ordering size and they have large storage facilities. Pull Rather than push system: Pull system refers to decision will come from downstream of management. The factory production line operates on a demand pull basis. A pull system can only work while manufacturing process can react to a pull system. However Beximco Pharma doesn’t follow the pull system they use push system. The authority of Beximco Pharma believes that push system is more effective than pull in the context of Bangladesh. Because of JIT is not possible in the firm, pull system is difficult to implement because in pull system it is believed that it is better not to produce unnecessary products and do not keep inventory in hand. Activity-Based Management: The activity-based management system links resources consumption to the activities a company performs and cost the activities to product or customers. Activity-based management uses activity based costing systems to measure and control this relationship. In Beximco Pharma there is no such use activity cost driver to measure the cost of a product. The traditional system is used to determine the cost of the product. Life Cycle Costing: Life cycle costing tracks and determines the cost attributed to each product and service from its initial research and development to development to final marketing to customer. In Beximco Pharma, this type activities is done in mainly in the Central Product Management (CPM) Department. The activities of CPM are: * Market research * Selection of new product * Design and testing of product (DTP) * Sample store (logistics) management * Making strategy The department deals with the controllable marketing variables, the 4p’s. This department takes decisions in the following areas: * Product – Size, color, shape, packaging etc. * Price – Raw materials cost, customer ability, regulatory body’s approval etc. Promotion – Promotional aids include brochure, pads, folder, and plant visit by physicians, health-related people, students, and people of different student. Other than this department, in January, 2000, the Business Research ; Development department w as established. The functions that are done by this department are: * Outsourcing negotiated * New product study * New technology study * Project feasibility study * Commercial negotiation * Observing the world pharmaceuticals market With these departments, Beximco Pharma determines the Life Cycle of the products. Target Costing: Target costing is an approach which determines what a product or service should cost based on its sales price less a target profit. Unlike traditional costing for making up cost, it is a market driven way of examining the relationship of price and cost. In Beximco Pharma, the use of Target Costing is very common to make the target for the cost of the product. Change In performance Evaluation: The adoption of JIT, life cycle costing and other innovative techniques requires new performance evaluation techniques rather than traditional productivity measures because it is irrelevant in this context. The use of single short term profit measure may not be sufficient because it is not reliable indicator of managers’ ability. Profit may be increased by doing some activities which are not conform to companies overall organizational goal. Goal Congruence: this performance measures should encourage manager to achieve overall organizational goal. The Beximco Pharma does not explain the measurement of the performance of the employees. In general, some marketing employees get benefited if the sales volume is high. But the total performance evaluation system depends in the decision of the management. Concluding Remarks: Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a leading edge pharmaceutical company and is a member of the BEXIMCO Group, the largest private sector industrial conglomerate in Bangladesh. Beximco Pharma is also the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh, spreading its presence in many developing and developed countries across the globe. Recently, BPL has successfully made its footmark in the global market when it made its debut on the London Stock Exchange as the first Bangladeshi company to be listed in the world’s most prestigious bourse. This milestone event has widened the responsibility, accountability and transparency of the company beyond geographical border. The listing adds new challenges to the staffs of Accounts Finance department who are directly responsible for financial reporting to a diverse group of stakeholders both in national and international arena. In this report, we have tried my level best to identify cost accounting techniques and procedures used by Beximco Pharma. What and how Beximco Pharma use cost accounting information for decision making and external financial reporting along with describing the procedure and systems of using cost accounting information. In this report, we imply our acquired knowledge from cost accounting course and try to comply with the techniques procedure and systems followed by the company. Beximco believes that quality and control should be ensured and these can be ensured by using proper cost accounting information. Relevant and reliable cost information can be ensured by implementing by using effective cost accounting methods. And they do the best one fit in the context of Bangladesh. References: 1. Horngren, Charles T. , Datar Srikant M. , Foster, G. ; â€Å"Cost Accounting: A Managerial Approach†, Prentice Hall, Inc. ; 12th Edition, 2007. 2. Rayburn, Latricia G. ; â€Å"Cost Accounting: Using A Cost Management Approach†; Irwin Book Team; 6th Edition, 1996. 3. Hansen, Don R. , Mowen Maryanne M. ; â€Å"Cost Management: Accounting and Control†; South-Western College Pub; 5th edition, 2005. 4. â€Å"International Financial Reporting Standard†; International Accounting Standard Board; as approved at 1 January, 2008. 5. http://www. beximco-pharma. com 6. http://britannica. com 7. http://en. wikipedia. org 8. http://www. bizmanualz. com 9. http://www. iasplus. com How to cite Cost Accounting System of Bpl, Essay examples

Treatment of Disabled People During the Holocaust free essay sample

Disabilities can affect the brain, or the body, and some being not as severe as the next, but to Adolf Hitler a disability was something that affected the work of a person, making them unfit to be in his â€Å"perfect race. † There are many types of disabilities, and many types of people, but during the Holocaust, disabled people were treated much differently, resulting in thousands of unnecessary early deaths. Even though there are many ways of killing, the Nazis had a preferred method for killing disabled people; but used others too. There are a lot of types of disabilities, but all got killed. Hitler tried his hardest to even prevent people from having disabled children, and he killed thousands of people trying to do so. During the Holocaust, they used many ways of killing people, but they had a preferred method of killing mentally and physically disabled people. In Hartheim Castle, they killed many people with the form of â€Å"Euthanasia† which translates to â€Å"good death. We will write a custom essay sample on Treatment of Disabled People During the Holocaust or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Euthanasia is what they called â€Å"physician-assisted suicide† where they would starve the person, inject them with a lethal substance, or lethal overdose of medication. Other methods of killing disabled people were carbon-monoxide chambers, mass shootings, and medical experiments that were often fatal. Many of the disabled people were capable of doing the work that the other people were doing, but were never given a chance. Not all disabilities are as severe as others, but the Nazis didn’t care; all disabled people got killed. There are disabilities that make everyday tasks almost impossible to do, but others can barely affect people, only affecting them at certain times. To Hitler, a perfect race was a race with people on having blue eyes and blonde hair, and no disability. Hitler wanted no physical or mental disabilities in his perfect race, so they executed people who showed signs of them. Even the smallest of disabilities wouldn’t fit in the race, so they were killed. While trying to create a perfect race, there could not be any imperfections, which meant preventing those imperfections, while the death total rose. To prevent these so called â€Å"imperfections,† Hitler had a plan. This plan was to pass the law called the â€Å"Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases. † This law was passed on August 18th, 1939. This law made it possible for Hitler and the Nazis to sterilize anyone who had a history of a hereditary disability in the family. Many people were unable to have children due to this law. The way disabled people were treated during the Holocaust has changed drastically over the years; they are treated just like everyone else now. The ways to kill a disabled person during the Holocaust were inhumane, and rude. The fact that the Nazis didn’t even give any of the people a chance to work or live a little longer is sad, because some of them could have tried. Also, they went to great lengths to eliminate all disabilities, even passing a law. Though disabled people are now treated the same as a person who is not disabled, during the Holocaust, they were killed and that resulted in thousands of deaths. The way disabled people were treated during the Holocaust was inhumane; no where else in the world were disabled people treated differently.

The Value of Higher Education free essay sample

For many individual students preparing to graduate from high school, wondering whether or not they should pursue a higher education at a university or other learning institute is an issue that weighs heavily on their minds. It is a very difficult decision that depends on many different factors, such as the individual’s personal goals. Some students choose to go straight from high school directly into the workforce after graduating. Other students choose to go into the military after graduating from high school. While these are all different options, recent research indicates that higher education is extremely valuable. Recent research indicates that higher education is extremely valuable. For, individuals whom attended a university and obtained at least a four-year bachelor’s degree make more money on average than people who have never obtained a university degree according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a study conducted by the United States Bureau of Labor conducted in 2009, it was concluded that someone with a four-year bachelor’s degree makes on average $20,748 more per year than someone without the degree. We will write a custom essay sample on The Value of Higher Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In a report done by the United States Census Bureau published in the â€Å"Current Population Report† by ?Jennifer Cheeseman Day and? Eric C. Newburger, it is estimated that high school graduates earn on average $1.2 million throughout the course of a lifetime. It is also estimated in the report that individuals with a bachelors degree will earn on average $2.1 million total throughout their lifetime. As you can see, the facts show that getting a higher education is worth more value financially than stopping an education after graduating from high school. In addition to the high financial value of higher education, higher education also makes individuals much more intelligent than what they would be with just a high school education. The more intelligent an individual is, the better quality of life they are likely to have. In â€Å"Wechslers Measure and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence, 5th Edition† by Joseph D. Matarazzo, Matarazzo states that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) of a high school graduate is 105 points. He also states that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) of a college four-year graduate is 115 points. To quote Sociologist Linda Gottfredson of the University of Deleware, â€Å"IQ scores predict a wider range of important social outcomes than perhaps any other psychological trait; bright people have a tail wind in virtually all aspects of life.† What she means by this quote is that the higher an individual’s intelligence quotient, the higher the quality of life that they will have. This is true because those with higher intelligent quotients have higher problem solving abilities that correlate to better life qualities. In an Australian study studied by Gottfredson, motor vehicle fatalities were studied, correlating intelligence quotients with motor vehicle fatalities. In the study, there was a direct correlation discovered between those with lower intelligence quotients, and higher death rates per 10,000 people. Ian Deary of the University of Edinburgh, in the United Kingdom did another study that shows how those individuals with higher intelligence quotients have higher qualities of life than those with lower intelligence quotients. For his study, he looked into the childhood intelligence quotient scores of a group of 80 year olds. In his study, he found that those who scored the highest on their childhood intelligence quotient tests were also the healthiest at age 80. These studies serve as evidence that having a higher intelligence quotient improves the qua lity of your life. College students who graduate with at least a Bachelor’s degree have on average higher intelligence quotients than those students who didn’t attend college, which means that those students who do graduate college with a degree will have a better quality of life than those who don’t. Another reason why getting a higher education is very valuable is because it offers many new opportunities to students that they would be unable to get without having attended a university. Most, if not all, universities and other higher education systems offer many activities in which students will get to meet many other new students. Many students will meet new friends who often become some of the best friends that they’ve ever had. There are also almost always sports, clubs, and other activities to get involved with that would be unavailable to those not attending a higher education system. Many people participate on sports teams in high school such as football, baseball, field hockey, soccer, basketball, wrestling, track and field, and softball, to name a few. After they graduate high school they do not have many opportunities to participate in their favorite sports ever again. Whether it is for competitive purposes or just for enjoyment purposes, universities offer the o pportunities to participate in some of their past favorite sports, or experiment with new ones. Another opportunity that students of higher education systems have exposure to that those who do not attend higher education systems do not have as readily available is the opportunity to study abroad. Studying abroad means taking educational classes in a country other than one’s own. Unless they are particularly financially wealthy, the majority of the individuals that do not attend higher education systems never get the opportunity to live in foreign countries for the entire length of a semester. According to a BBC news report, about 114,000 higher education system students study abroad each year at universities in foreign countries. Studying abroad is a great opportunity for higher education system students to take advantage of. When one studies abroad, they get the chance to learn about another culture through first hand experience, they get the chance to learn how to fluently speak a foreign language by merely being exposed to it for a period of time, and it is very pres tigious to have on a resume. Author W.E.B. DuBois among other successful celebrities studied abroad. He studied at the university of Berlin in Germany for two years. Studying abroad is just another example of a way that higher education systems give their students more opportunities than those who do not attend them. Higher education systems can also be considered very valuable because they provide individuals with life skills that are essential to being successful in life. While studying at a higher education system, one is forced to develop essential time management skills much more so than at the high school level. With time needed for studying, attending classes, completing homework, relaxation, and doing fun things as well, one needs to manage their time in order to avoid failing out. These time management skills help out individuals later on in life. Another important life skill that individuals who attend higher education systems gain is money management skills. Some higher education system students work part-time jobs, but the majority are unable to find the time to do so on top of their schoolwork, so the only money they have for spending is either money their parents give to them, or money that they saved up before going to college. Either way, most students are on tight financial budg ets that require discipline to maintain. Students learn to only spend money on things that they absolutely need, and to save up their money rather than spending it all at once. These money management skills help the students later in life. While attending a higher education system offers many positives, it also offers certain negatives. One negative is the fact that higher education schools are often very expensive. Colleges are expensive, and it is hard for a lot of families to afford to pay for, however this is not a good reason for not attending. If one starts early enough, they can save money, look into financial aide opportunities, and apply for scholarship opportunities to help pay for their tuition. It has already been shown that the amount of money that college students will make after graduation is much higher than the amount of money those who do not attend will make, so if someone can make sacrifices in order to pay for college then when they have a career someday they will make it all back plus more. Another negative to going straight to a higher education system is that people are getting later starts to their careers. Some people choose to work minimum wage jobs, or take other opportunities like opening their own businesses. These options are all respectable, and sometimes do end up making people large sums of money, but the facts given to us by the United States Bureau of Labor show that the vast majority of the time this is not the case. No matter how tempting it may be to take a good wage job right after high school, it is always more financially beneficially to attend a higher education system. In conclusion, the evidence shows us that attending higher education systems is extremely valuable. One reason that it is extremely valuable is that it offers many great financial benefits. Another reason is that it makes individuals more intelligent. Those who attend higher education systems also have more opportunities available to them than those who do not attend them. Attending higher education systems also teach great skills that are essential for being successful in life. In short, higher education systems are extremely valuable

How to Calculate Your ACT Composite Score, Plus 5 Strategies

How to Calculate Your ACT Composite Score, Plus 5 Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your ACT Composite Score is an important part of your college applications. In this guide, we show you how exactly to calculate your ACT Composite Score from each of your section scores. More importantly, we give you custom strategies on how to use your Composite Score to adapt your ACT prep. Read on... Calculating Your ACT Composite Score The ACT has four core sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science), with one optional section (Writing). Each of the four sections has a score that ranges from 1 (lowest) to 36 (highest). The Writing score is a separate score, ranging from 2 (lowest) to 12 (highest). Your Composite Score is the average (the arithmetic mean) of your four core section scores, with these important points: The Composite is rounded to the nearest whole number. Scores ending in 0.5 or higher are rounded UP to the nearest whole number. Here are a few examples of ACT section and Composite scores: Test English Math Reading Science Average Final Composite Test 1 21 23 24 19 21.75 22 Test 2 23 23 22 25 23.25 23 Test 3 24 24 23 23 23.5 24 Get the hang of it? The ACT also uses a combined English/Reading/Writing score, called an ELA score. Honestly, this isn't used that often and isn't that important for college admissions, so I would suggest not worrying about it. Before diving too deep into your ACT prep, you should also know your target ACT Composite Score, which is largely based on which schools you'll be applying to. Calculating an ACT Composite Score is pretty simple. The more important part is knowing what ACT Composite Scoring means for your study strategy. 5 Strategies for Raising Your Composite Score Your goal on the ACT is to get the highest Composite Score possible. The Composite Score is by far the most important ACT score used in college admissions, beyond any individual section score. Colleges will use this score to compare you to the thousands of other applicants to that school. This means that raising your Composite Score can have a disproportionate effect on your admissions chances. We all know that raising your score overall by getting better at the test is the obvious way to improve your score. But let's dig into more specific strategies: Even just one extra point on a single section can increase your Composite Score. For example, in the Test 2 example above, if the student re-took the test but improved his English from a 23 to a 24, his average would increase from a 23.25 to a 23.5, and his final Composite would increase from 23 to 24. You can bet this increase makes a difference in college admissions. Therefore, if you've taken the ACT just once or twice, definitely retake the test because your Composite Score is likely to improve. Focus your initial prep on your weakest section,which will give you the most room to grow. For example, if you scored a 16 on Science but a 24 on all the other sections, your Science section is clearly dragging your Composite Score down. If you improve your Science section by four points, your Composite will increase by a point. Writing is less important than the four core sections. If you have limited time to study, concentrate that time on raising your Composite Score. Your target schools may emphasize either English/Reading or Math/Science. Given the same Composite Score, engineering schools will favor a higher Math/Science score over English/Reading. If you plan to major in the humanities, the opposite is true. Focus your time on the sections that are more important for your college goals. Some schools use the 'highest combined Composite Score', aka the 'superscore.' This basically means that the school will take your best section score across all your tests, then combine them into your best possible Composite Score.If you're applying mainly to schools that use the superscore, you can focus on improving one section at a time, then combine all your tests together into your maximum Composite Score. Now that you know the importance of the ACT Composite Score and understand targeted strategies to improve it, read more to get deeper into our philosophy of how to improve your ACT scores. What's Next? Which colleges superscore the ACT?Check out our list of every college that uses ACT superscoring. What’s a good ACT score? Read our article on good, bad, and excellent ACT scores so you can identify and prepare for your target score. Need help on a specific section of the ACT? Read our guides to getting a 36 on ACT English, ACT Math, and ACT Reading. I also highly recommend this free guide to picking up some extra points on the ACT:

Early Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

Early Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia We can only speculate about early religion. When the ancient cave painters drew animals on the walls of their caves, this may have been part of a belief in the magic of animism. By painting the animal, the animal would appear; by painting it speared, success in the hunt might be guaranteed. Neanderthals buried their dead with objects, presumably so they could be used in the afterlife. By the time mankind was banding together in cities or city-states, structures for the gods- like temples- dominated the landscape. Four Creator Gods Ancient Mesopotamians attributed the forces of nature to the workings of divine forces. Since there are many forces of nature, so there were many gods and goddesses, including four creator gods. These four creator gods, unlike the Judaeo-Christian concept of God, were NOT there from the beginning. The forces of Taimat and Abzu, who had emerged from a primordial chaos of water, created them. This isnt unique to Mesopotamia; the ancient Greek creation story also tells of primordial beings who emerged from Chaos. The highest of the four creator gods was the sky-god An, the over-arching bowl of heaven.Next came Enlil who could either produce raging storms or act to help man.Nin-khursag was the earth goddess.The fourth god was Enki, the water god and patron of wisdom. These four Mesopotamian gods did not act alone, but consulted with an assembly of 50, which is called the Annunaki. Innumerable spirits and demons shared the world with the Annunaki.​ How the Gods Helped Mankind The gods bound people together in their social groups and were believed to have provided what they needed to survive. The Sumerians developed stories and festivals to explain and harness help for their physical environment. Once a year came the new year and with it, the Sumerians thought the gods decided what would happen to mankind for the coming year. Priests Otherwise, the gods and goddesses were more concerned with their own feasting, drinking, fighting, and arguing. But they could be prevailed upon to help on occasion if ceremonies were performed to their liking. The priests were responsible for the sacrifices and rituals that were essential for the help of the gods. In addition, property belonged to the gods, so priests administered it. This made the priests valuable and important figures in their communities. And so, the priestly class developed.

My story of growth and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

My story of growth and development - Essay Example I have memories of the best years of my life in school. It was my home away from home. Some of my classmates were my best buddies and I could relate to them in spite of some embarrassing situations I found myself in at school. Situations such as bunking class one day and freaking out all alone and getting into a fistfight with another student. However, these were isolated incidents. Other than these, the times in school were eventful with good happenings such as the annual drama, elocution contest and school elections.On the whole, I had a good background, except some problematic situation at home. My father and mother did not see eye to eye and spent most of their time quarrelling with each other. This did not augur well for the family and it did have a profound effect on my own views about raising a family.I hail from a conservative family background. Due to my father’s occupation and also because of lack of schools in my neighbourhood, I had to frequently change schools in the early years as my family moved from one city to another during my childhood formative years, that is, up to the time, I was ten years of age.My father was a storekeeper and worked overseas up to the time I was six years of age. When he returned and found a job locally, we found that there was no school in the vicinity, and had to shift to another city about a hundred kilometres away from my father’s place of work.I found this arrangement quite suitable as I dreaded the sight of my father.... We were in the new city for one year and returned to the city where my father worked when someone started a new school here. However, the teaching standards were not to the desired level, and I had to return to the school in the same city I was earlier. I remained in this school for the rest of my school years and completed high school here. The end of my school years coincided with my father's retirement. We shifted to a cosmopolitan city where I found a job and also continued to do my college. I chose the arts stream as I always had fascination for literature. My years in college were not as carefree as my time in school. I had responsibilities. I had to pay my college fees and also give part of my income to my mother. I worked for a small automobile company where they manufactured mirrors for automobiles. It was a part time job, and I had enough time to attend college lectures and cover up the lessons on my own later on. The remuneration was not to my expectation but it was modest and I had some money left over to use as out of pocket expenses after paying my fees and giving some money to my mother. This was not entirely due to my salary as I was also receiving financial assistance from a church group in the neighborhood whom I had befriended (Growth and Development). In the meantime, my father returned to the city where he had worked previously. He could not adjust to the working conditions in the new place and also the situation at home was turning bad to worse for him. The children were growing up and challenging him when he picked fights with my mother. We could do without him. He returned to his earlier abode where he stayed till his

Marketing - Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing - Pricing Strategy - Essay Example To ensure that the number of customers is controlled, the restaurant will charge high prices for their products while ensuring that the quality of food and other services provided are great. The statement of the restaurant should be to offer high quality food to the target market by ensuring emphasis on customized / personalized services. By adhering to the statement, the restaurant will aim at offering good food to the customers and at the same time be driven by the changes in the market (Milligan, 2012). This will ensure that the customers’ needs are met in a timely manner with customer considered king in the business operations. At the same time, offering of quality food and drinks will make the business operate within the legal requirements and cater for the interests of their stakeholders (Gupta, 2009). Because of this, the business will remain socially responsible and reduce costs that are associated with litigation charges. Most cases involving restaurants are based on tortuous actions or criminal proceedings if customers get injured or incur losses because of consuming food or having injuries in the restaurants. If the statement guiding the operations of the restaurant is maintenance of quality, the cases of such litigations will be minimized hence reducing costs. This statement would simultaneously cause customer satisfaction and loyalty. Every retailer in conducting business has the objective of maximizing returns ion the investment. Pricing is the only marketing mix element that generates cash to the business hence its importance. However, settling on the pricing strategy to use may not be an easy task to businesses. There are various pricing strategies including cost plus margin pricing, competitive pricing, psychological pricing, multiple pricing, discount pricing, and prestige pricing (Nagle Hogan & Zale, 2011). Any business that considers profit key however must thus consider the cost of production and ensure that the prices are above all the total costs and other overheads used in production. For the case of the upscale pricing, there is need for exclusion and uniqueness. The kinds of customers who are expected to be served in the restaurants are those of high class and will be interested in high quality services. They will thus be less sensitive to changes in the prices since they are also capable of paying even where charges are very high. Prestige pricing will therefore be the best pricing strategy to adopt in the restaurant (Nagle Hogan & Zale, 2011). Prestige pricing is one way that will ensure that the prices charged are above the costs and therefore make the business make huge profits to justify its operations and expansion of their services. In addition, the customers of upscale restaurant are those who need a feeling of being very important and non-ordinary. This makes them associate the high price with very high quality ad uniqueness. They will therefore be more comfortable with paying high prices than jus t the normal prices as a cost to the exclusive nature of their environment. In an upscale restaurant, highly qualified staffs who also expect to be paid highly normally prepare the food. The hotel attendants must be people with great skills and knowledge whose services are compensated very highly. In addition, the furniture, jewelers, and other beautification products to make the environment look prestigious make the customers overlook the

Theories of Development Essay Example for Free

Theories of Development Essay In my paper, on child development I will discuss three different points of view on cognitive, physical and emotional development. I will write about the three differences and similarities. I will discuss how they have an impact on the way they help in the development of children. I will explain how important child development is in regards to assisting in a child’s potential. I will show the relationship between the developmental domain and the developmental theory. I will focus on all three domains and how they influence each other. Child development is an ongoing process that goes through many complex changes. Children are in a constant state of change from the moment they are born all the way to being a young adult. They develop many characteristics and personalities such as, quantitative changes, and qualitative changes. They area key component in any childs development. There have been many scientific studies on early child development. Many theorists such as, Charles Darwin have studied and devoted a lot of time to the evolution of human development. Scientists, throughout many years have developed three separate domains. In our text, on page nine, they are listed as follows, physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development. Physical development is the growth of the body itself. Such as the brain, sensory capacity, and a childs motor skills. Cognitive development is the development of mental ability, learning, memory, language, thinking, moral reasoning, social and emotional growth. Psychosocial development is a pattern of changes in personality, emotions, and social relationships. Scientists categorize all of these different stages of development, but a child is constantly changing. The relationship of these developmental stages all has one common goal, and that is the development of a child into young adulthood. I prefer to use the analogy that a childs development is like a building being constructed. You start with the foundation and over time it grows into a tall, solid structure. As a parent you look at the finished product and you can be proud of the accomplishment. I don’t believe that there is one particular moment in a childs development where you can say it’s definable. It’s an ongoing process or a period of continuous development. Everything in life is a group of sequences and they are usually linked together. There are five major points of a childs development that was written in our texts on page ten. They are the prenatal period. This the period between conception and birth. Then there is the infancy to toddler hood (birth to 3yrs). Then early childhood (ages 3 to 6), middle childhood ages (6 to 11), and finally adolescence, (11 to 20 yrs). This is a very accurate process of the development and changes a child goes through. It really starts to get interesting around the middle childhood ages. This is where social construction comes in. Perceptions are created and assumptions are made by the childs peers. If the family is stable in the home, maintain a loving atmosphere and finances are stable then the child is usually well accepted. This brings me to the topic of the influences that this has on a childs development. Of course every child is an individual and has different family circumstances and environments. A childs maturation is a sequence of behavioral and physical changes. They say girls mature faster than boys. Measuring this process is a topic scientists have debated about for many years. Most believe genetics (heredity) have a lot to do with a childs maturation process. Heredity is basically inborn traits that influence the characteristics of just about every human being from conception to adulthood. Certainly the environment in which a child is brought up in has a considerable affect on a childs development. Socioeconomic status is an area we learned about in our text on pages 13 and 14; The focus was on certain factors such as, a families income, education and occupation. This part of the developmental process can be an advantage or devastating to a childs development. Many people believe if poverty is long lasting it can have a negative affect on a childs behavior and emotional state. In that aspect I agree to a certain extent. I have seen many children come from an impoverished back round and make something of themselves because there family life was strong. Parents can accept their situation or do something to make it better. If the parents are committed to the developmental process of their children it’s a matter of mental strength. Then you have children who come from an upper middle class or rich family and don’t appreciate what they have. Their parents lacked in parental skills and it showed in the way their kids developed. So I tend to think it has a lot to do with the commitment by the parents no matter what environment or socioeconomic status they are in on how their children grow up. I think it is a big mistake to assume or say it’s the norm for a child to develop properly or fail just because of their environment or parents financial status. Sigmund Freud, Erickson, Piaget, and many others have many theories on development. One thing that is perfectly clear is they a have a mutual interaction with each other. I believe the relationship is the evolution. They have many biological perspectives, theories and systems. In order to bring all of these theories together research, whether it is scientific or different perspectives must continue to be done. There are many research methods that are geared toward a childs development. We learned about two such methods and they are quantitative research, and qualitative research. One deals with measurable data and the other interprets nonnumerical data such as feelings and experiences. Research in both of these areas is widely used and provides great insight into a childs development. The difference between the two is that one is done in a controlled environment (quantitative), and the other is conducted in everyday settings, (qualitative). They both have the same common goal, which is to gather information, theorize and examine data. I personally feel like more than one mind is better. Hence the term collaborative research. This particular way of researching was talked about in our text on page fifty-one. Scientists put all their data into a pool and get different ideas and perspectives. This is a good idea and a good way to analyze and research on a broader scale. While going through this class we discussed the negative or positive affects of child care and if it was key in early childhood development. There seems to be a certain time between the ages of six and eleven where a child really starts to establish social skills. Being around other children and learning to implement their cognitive skills is essential to development. Watching how other kids react in certain situations and their behavior helps in the learning process. Piaget believes there are six stages of cognitive development and most environments a child is in all of these approaches can be implemented. Children use their brains to process information, they watch and store things in their memory for later use, and they learn from being stimulated. Processing and evaluating information is a skill they learn to hone as they continue to develop. Some say that even as an infant babies are born with an innate ability to casually reason. Infancy is a time where many emotions are being developed. Babies smile, frown, cry, laugh, and display certain temperaments. These are basic emotions, but these are the first real signs of development in a neurological sense. Infants show other signs of the way they are feeling from facial expressions motor activity and body language. In our text on pages 219 and 220 Carroll Izard wrote about these basic emotions and self conscious emotions. She and her colleagues believed facial expressions such as showing sadness, joy, fear, and interest went along way in understanding the emotional aspects of an infants development. I know as a parent that basic emotions from an infant are really a key component in understanding a babies needs and wants. Infancy is probably the time when development is a critical element. Infants need to be able to trust their caretaker. They have attachment issues and infants can easily become a little disorientated. They start to develop certain temperaments and it can have a direct impact on a parent or parents. Some of these effects can have long term results and lead to anxiety issues. Infants need to feel secure not only around his or her parents but they need the parents to maintain stability in their environment. Stability is important in the bonding process of an infants development. On page 228 and 229 of our text, stability, according to a study on 15 month old children conducted by (Jacobson Hoffman) stated that secure and less stressed toddlers were more varied and had a larger vocabulary. They also have more positive experiences with peers. On the other side of the coin the less secure toddlers showed more fear, anger, and stress. In a perfect world every parent would like the development of their children to go as smooth as possible and all of the researchers, scientists, and theorists will continue to do the best they can at giving parents the tools and knowledge to do the best they can in helping to develop their children. However, they cannot control the environment, social status, or financial status a child is born in to. Conditions change rapidly not only for children but parents as well. Sometimes there can even be internal problems that can affect the development and the relationships between all three domains of development. Yet, all or most of these potential problems can be fixed with one word and that word is stability. In this world we live in all we can ask for as parents is that our children always continue to grow and develop throughout their lifetime. Conclusion Conception all the way to adulthood is a period of great learning and development. Development is a never ending process. We are born, go through life, and then we die. It’s that simple. Life is a series of developments that never truly ends. It starts from infancy to early adolescence. Every stage is a journey, a learning experience, and a series of developments in the maturation of children. Developmental domains and developmental theories help scientists answer many questions in the development of children. As long as we keep making babies we will give theorists and scientists many more things to research and debate on, and as parents we can continue to help develop our children.

Free Catch-22 Essays: A War Comedy :: Catch-22

Catch-22 - A Comedy    The novel, Catch-22, is a comedy about soldiers during World War II. However, this comic scenes and phrases are quite tragic when they are thought about, as most things related to war are, which makes this comedy completely absurd. The best way to represent this idea is through the characters in the book, specifically, Yossarian, Huple, and Nately’s whore’s kid sister and the events that occur with their thoughts and their actions. Clearly, the main character and one whose life is chiefly described, is Yossarian. Yossarian has a slightly sick sense of humor and way of looking at things. In the first chapter, Heller tells us that letters sent by the soldiers had to be reviewed in order to prevent any secret information going out to the public, or, even worse, to the enemy. Yossarian, from lack of anything better to do, censors all the letters. Sometimes he crosses out everything but a, an and the, sometimes adjectives, whatever he feels like that day. For his final gag h e signs these letters as Washington Irving to totally confuse the readers of these letters. This is funny, however it is ultimately tragic. These are the letters that every wife, mother and daughter runs to the mailbox for in order to see that their husbands, fathers and sons are all right. This is a letter that could say: â€Å"Honey, I’m coming home†, or â€Å"I love you. When I come home I want to marry you.† These letters could change the whole lifestyle of so many people and Yossarian alone is tampering with them. The absurdity of that is immense. A gag of slightly higher consequence occurred in Chapter 12, when Yossarian decided to move the bomb line over Bologna. What I believe is the most ridiculous in the whole process was his reason for doing it. Everyone did not want to go on this mission to capture Bologna. They prayed the rain would never go away, or that the bomb line would mysteriously move, anything just mot to go on this mission. Clevinger, in d isbelief at the stupidity of these men, tells Yossarian: â€Å"They really believe that we wouldn’t have to fly that mission tomorrow if someone would only tiptoe up to the map in the middle of the night and move the bomb line over Bologna. Can you imagine?† So Yossarian figures â€Å"Why not?

Negotiation and Compliance: An Article Analysis

Dick Olver, chairman of BAE Systems, writes an empirical analysis of negotiation and ethical compliance in the article â€Å"Ethical Business Cultures†. His approach is that of an expert in both observation and experience in the analysis of negotiation and the behavioral aspects of corporate culture. Every successful enterprise requires the strong foundations of leadership and the willingness of the rest to believe in the vision of the leader and to follow him or her. Olver understands this firsthand and believes that implementing change in the form of an ethical working environment is key to a company’s success and employee happiness, overall. Though he asserts that there is a chain of command in every business, ethics is one area where all members of a working team must work at equally. Therefore, though demonstrating the effective use of ethics begins at the top of an organization, it can only be sustained by all employees’ involvement in it’s continuation. Olver readily outlines the processes of both the means by which employees eagerly accept the ethical vision of the business leader and the constant need for management to reinforce ethical behavior. There are no apparent flaws in his reasoning, as his expertise in the business world serves as a seemingly credible source of both advice and information. Olver initially lists three ways in which managers can negotiate compliance with their employees. A manager must be aware of what is important and communicate this to employees faithfully. He or she, also must take responsibility for ethics â€Å"embedment† and not depend or delegate this upon others. Finally, Olver suggests that questions must be asked in order to gauge the current level of diversity and willingness to accept diversity within an organization if that company wishes to acquire global contracts. Olver also lists eight standards for leaders in an ethically and globally motivated environment. To annotate this extensive information, the most key aspects of his experience and advice will follow. Leaders must consciously implement and improve benchmarking, reporting, and transparency features of company goal achievement, as this helps to keep all employees and global partners abreast of current procedures. Similarly, laws and contracts must be upheld and protected, but not at the level that interactions within the company and with outside agencies would be so secret as to arouse suspicion. The key here is that transparency is of the utmost importance in gaining trust in employees, but that not everything can be completely transparent in any organization. Olver concludes his writing with an encouragement to all business leaders to help implement an ethical environment using his expertise and experience. His conclusions are that all business leaders must be strong and determined in practicing their negotiation skills with their employees. The fear of change is common in all business settings, therefore negotiating change within an organization must be the priority of the business leader. He or she must confront the fears of change and convince others to follow that new direction of fearlessness. Having the ability to lead and to instill trust and ethics in employees yields much satisfaction and takes great skill. This not only benefits the manager in their self-esteem in their ability to positively negotiate, but it helps employees to remain happy and productive while yielding great results for the company and the bottom line.

Focault- Discipline and Punish

Table of Contents Introduction2 Brief Overview2 Main arguments of discipline and Punish4 †¢Power4 †¢Prisons as part of civilisation4 †¢Punishment5 †¢The Body and Soul5 Evaluation of Discipline and Punish6 Conclusion7 ? Introduction: M. Foucault. 1975. Discipline and Punish: The birth of the prison. New York: Random House Inc. Below is an in depth book review of Discipline and Punish, The Birth of the Prison. The author who compiled the analysis on this is Michel Foucault, whom provided enlightenment on many different aspects of sociology and philosophy- many which are still immensely relevant to societies today.I will be using this book review to channel an outline of Foucault’s work, viewpoints and purposes as such. Along with this I will include my personal critique of my literary experience of the book. I will consider important factors of logic, coherence, evidence, expertise and originality. These specified fields are all crucial to useful and meaningf ul sociological theories. In brief, my aim is to clarify the argument presented by Foucault and provide my account of its validity. Brief Overview:Michel Foucault’s, Discipline and Punish, provides the reader of the historical timeline which ends at the institution of imprisonment that most modern societies have adopted today. The just of his intentions for the book are presented in the first section. Much of this includes his aim which is to trace the penal system back to its roots in order to define and identify its significance in the present. These roots begin in the seventeenth century. Here public torture and execution prevailed as the form of punishment.As aspects of society changed, especially power structures, so did this system of punishment- much like in an evolutionary manner. At this point it is probably important to highlight that a better alternative to the concept of the penal timeline, is rather a cycle- thus making visible the state it was in at birth and pl otting its journey to maturity. The model of the prison is not yet a comprehendible result or solution in the beginning sections. Punishments were rather inhumane and gruesome methods of torture and execution which were â€Å"public spectacles†. The point of this was the solidification of the power figures amongst their people.This notion of power stirred amongst people who were ultimately discontent with the inefficiency of these structures. Whilst attempting to resolve this, a â€Å"reform† was created. Sadly, the preoccupation of the reform blinded people to the inhumanity, suffering and pain being brought upon these so-called criminals. Following this we see the transition to private and secret forms of punishment which was cut-off from public visibility. Coercive practices resulted in submissive criminals, with credit given to new techniques established by adapting and altering out-dated methods.The separation and the shift of focus from the body to the soul were early defining factors of the modern system. These also form an immensely important theme that is recurrent throughout the book. Foucault’s theoretical cycle of the penal system then moves on to preparation of criminals for their lives after incarceration and attempts to reintroduce these people back into society as respectable civilians. Considering noted critiques on this section, it remains unclear as to whether this was successful at its time of occurrence.An issue arising along with this stage is that of judgement- who is qualified to pass judgement and what standards are used for comparison? Finally, in the closing sections of the book we reach the heart of the book where we see the introduction of the first prison- highly influenced by the panoptic, and the penultimate stage which Foucault dates February 22, 1840. This date marks the success of the first carceral system which â€Å"perfected† the failures and short-comings of all the previous phases. Currently t his institution has embedded itself in society and is the back-bone of order, laws and norms.The fact that at the moment there is no better alternatives to this, offers the assumption that the modern penal system has succeeded or human sciences are still advancing in order to further evolve current organisation- hence my prior labelling of this phase the â€Å"penultimate†. I feel that the purpose of the book is to inform the reader on a long list of various facets relating to sociology. These include the carceral system, the classical period, discipline, norms, power and penalty- to mention only a few. These all have significant importance in human sciences.My reaction or evaluation will conclude that Foucault has cleverly addressed establishments in sociology whilst using the penal system as a commonality to provide a practical sample- which in turn favours the readers understanding of sociology in general. The audience for this theoretical work is most likely to target sch olars of human sciences and philosophy. It may also spark interests of inquiries into the classical period given its historical flair. Main arguments of Discipline and Punish: Power: Foucault uses power as a central point of reference for punishing.All or most aspects of the book revolve around this, or come back to it at a point. According to him, as power structures change, so does the penal system. It adapts to requirements. In the section of the book titled â€Å"Body of the condemned†, we see how torture and punishment was used to reinforce the power of the sovereign. Knowledge is also important to power, because it is seen as the support for power. Those with greater knowledge, tend to yield or accumulate greater power. â€Å"Power produces knowledge . . . power and knowledge directly imply one another . . . here is no power relation without the correlative constitution of a field of knowledge, nor any knowledge that does not presuppose and constitute at the same time power relations. † Foucault describes that power can range from modifying ones self-control to complete coercion. It is embedded in society and all relations. As long as power relations exist, there will always be inherent authority and control. Here we see the effects of the â€Å"power to judge†. Those possessing power and knowledge use their controls on society to establish norms whereby they evaluate the actions of people.Post-judgement and examination incarceration is determined by how far the perpetrator strays from â€Å"normal†. In Foucault’s opinion, society has allowed sceptic officials to take the power to judge- people such as medical professionals, psychologists, etc. In essence, it is argued that power controls society, yet it cannot be controlled. Prison as a part of civilisation: It is emphasised time and time again throughout the book that the prison is part of society and the two cannot be separated. Prison is based on the judicial system (laws and rules governing our daily lives), which is embedded and weaved into society.Often Foucault mentions prisons along with institutions such as schools, hospitals and armies etc. They are all organised using the same framework of control and judgement- which emphasizes his stance that it is a part of society. The penal system of prison is too far incorporated into our lives to deny the connection which exists. Punishment: â€Å"The art of punishing must rest on a whole technology of representation† Foucault argues that each punishment should teach a lesson. It should not only take away a delinquents liberty and freedom, it should make them work, keep them active, enforce good habits.Prior to this, the penalty should correlate with the crime committed in order to create relevance. It need not be an attempt to control the body, but rather install regulation directed at achieving a goal- such as reintegration into community after incarceration. Discipline must be continuo us and must take the role of coercion. This we see from Foucault that it can be done using timetables and ranks- here differentiation of various series is important. The Body and Soul: Punishment was initially assigned to the physical body using methods of torture for example.In addition to this, the body could be used to stir fear amongst people during public executions. The body and the visible are reinforcing factors. However, with the changes in power, the body is no longer a target of direct punishment. The body now, as Foucault says, is supervised, controlled and organised. Although the body is replaced with the soul, it will still share an adjacent bond with punishment. Foucault argues that he produces a â€Å"genealogical account for the modern soul†- meaning that he intends to identify where the soul originated. There are two factors to this process in Discipline and Punish.First it is what is revised above- is the soul takes over from the body as the directive for p unishment. Secondly, the shift from body to soul and the new methods of discipline have ultimately generated or created the soul. Unlike the body, there are no limits to how you can penalize the soul. Evaluation of Discipline and Punish: Firstly, I will start by commenting on the extent to which the book achieves its desired goal. Foucault initially wanted to provide a power of speech for those confined to a discourse. This includes those who do not have the knowledge required to accumulate power.I feel that their issues have been brought to light, however the reasons exceeding this is for the purpose of gaining insight into the functioning of society in sociological terms. This does not give attention to their possibly ambiguous labelling of being â€Å"abnormal†. They have purely become a vessel to greater knowledge. Foucault rejected norms as positive determinants. It was seen by him as negative and oppressive. The unusual phenomenon is not a natural process instinctually followed by humans. Foucault strived to highlight this irregularity through his book.However, when commenting on individuality (which opposes norms) there is an inherent negative notion towards the concept. What then, if against norms and individuality, does Foucault conceptualise as an alternative? This is a possible indication of an argument which is incoherent and conflicting. Ultimately, as we see towards Foucault’s final sections, that his intention was not to ignite conspiracy and doubt in the minds if the reader regarding the prison, but rather to create understanding of its operation and the factors contributing to its processes.This was done with the utmost success. The historical context and actual case studies used provide valid and convincing confirmation. His views at this point are adequately supported. In terms of possibilities suggested by the book Foucault leaves us with the premise that the carceral system is very destructive in more ways than one. He also p rovides a new way for us to think of this system- as strong and highly powerful. We see that Foucault is optimistic toward change- thus highlighting prospective opportunities for the carceral system as well as the human sciences as a whole.The subject matter of the book has to this day not received further research- nothing of such extensive significance. Foucault has successfully provided us with a realistic account into the historical penal system and at the same time addressed common topics in sociology- much like his section on individualism. The material available to us regarding the penitentiary system tends to focus on specific regions or prisons-commonly those in the United States. A book which is well versed on the issue at hand is Situational Prison Control by Richard Hartley. However, it still does not divulge into the history and â€Å"birth† of the phenomenon.Foucault successfully identified a research topic which was in need of attention and enlightenment. I fee l an aspect Foucault neglected to focus on was future summations for the penal system and all it entails. We do not see any of his suggestions for possible ways forward or resolutions to the problems that exist. He has a tendency throughout the book, to highlight many downfalls yet no solutions. A few of personal proposals would have stimulated the readers thinking, ultimately opening doors for advancement for progress. Along with the above, I feel there is a lot that needs to be said on social divides amongst society.Foucault briefly touches on classes and social and economic situation but almost immediately redirected the train of thought. There is more to various demographics which influence all institutions throughout societies. Foucault failed to report on this and the way that their changes affect power relations and ultimately the penal system. Some of these demographics may include gender, age, race and ethnicity. Conclusion: I constantly referred back to specific criteria w hen considering the main arguments or theories of Discipline and Punish. This was helpful in concluding my opinion on whether Foucault has successfully argued his theory.My review concludes that a good research problem was identified and stated. The causes of this were also made apparent to the reader. Foucault carefully planned the way he would take-on this topic by testifying clear and concise points of view. At times it felt as though the argument was not coherent in that it would jump from one context to another. However, the main arguments and themes- such as the body and the soul were constantly referred to. This redeemed coherence with a well tied together and relevant argument- especially in the last section where everything is positioned into place.The evidence Foucault uses to elaborate his views and arguments are sufficient to enhance the validity of his study and specific arguments. He often provides actual occurrences in history- much like his introduction reporting on Damien’s execution in 1757 and referring to the opening of Mettray prison colony. Extensive referencing has been made available allowing further validation of facts. This in turn contributes to his ability to convince and persuade. Michel Foucault most definitely possessed the right attributes and expertise to work on this research problem.He had extensive training and experience in human sciences, from which he created his career. His direct encounters with the penal systems and prisons also granted him access to knowledge not readily available to others- thus making his expertise relative to the issue at hand. Keeping the short-comings I have mentioned in mind, I feel that Foucault’s arguments are valid and they all have been researched to the point where its concrete significance cannot be denied. Their continued relevance over the years supports my conclusion and it has in general been presented in a clear and concise manner.