Capstone Discussion Question Essay Example

Capstone Discussion Question Essay In the wake of accounting scandals over the past several years, how has the As urbane-Cooley Act (SOX) of 2002 affected the practice of accounting? What is the role of internal controls in complying with SOX (2002)? The Serbians-Cooley Act (SOX) of 2002 is an act pass by the Congress of the United States in the year of 2002 with the intention to protect investors in case of a possible fraudulent account act which normally are conducted by the organizations. This act gave a strict reforms to organizations to follow, by doing so it help to prevent accounting fraud and improve disclosure made by mom organizations. The act was the result of multiple accounting scandals such as Tycoon, World and Enron in the year of 2000. These scams resulted in the loss Of confidence Of the investor in the financial Statement and demanded the need for regulations. By introducing the Act, there were various compliance, regulatory measures which increased the amount of information that the organization needs to supplied the government authorities, which it also led to the changes in the accounting mechanism of the organizations. The act also requested that the organization needed to roved with more detailed application of accounting standards and differential reporting of segmental analysis, and expenses. All accounting transactions are now require to have a more professional approach and analytical by the accounting department of the organizations. The final report also has been increased, the correct classification of the expenses and the income should always be done after making the deterministic approach rather than the facie approach. The introduction of SOX in 2002, made accounting an ongoing process to carry through the year and it also returned organizations with a higher fees as compare to Pre-Sox periods. We will write a custom essay sample on Capstone Discussion Question specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Capstone Discussion Question specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Capstone Discussion Question specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Internal control plays an important role in the compliance of SOX. Multiple areas are covered under SOX reporting at the regular time interval by the organization, strict interval control prevents from the wrong information to be included in the report Internal Control helps to check how the other colleagues perform; it also reduces the chances of any future mistakes.

A Change in Thinking.

A Change in Thinking. A Change in ThinkingIn The Hammer Man, a young black girl learns about racial inequality through an event in her life. Realizing that being black is different than being white, she must change her way of thinking and acting in order to survive. The author, Toni Cade Bambara, wants to explain how racial inequality is not learned but experienced by black people because of their environment.The young girl grew up in an inner city neighborhood. She survived the neighborhood by becoming a tough tom-boy. She did not have much of a home life. She was not very close to her mother; however, she was closer to her father because she was the only girl. Miss Rose was a neighbor who was more like a mother to her. She listened to her problems and would take up for the little girl.Manny is a boy who wants to beat up the little girl because she said bad things about his mother.Sir mannyHe waited for her around her house for days, but she was inside hiding from him. It was around this time when Manny got on the roof and fell off. When she found out he was hurt she came out of her house. She did not see Manny very much after this accident.A youth center opened in the neighborhood and her mother pushed her into joining because she did not want her around. When at the center, she looked in the files and found out that she "was from a deviant family in a deviant neighborhood". One night after being thrown out of the center, she saw Manny practicing his lay-ups. She stood there and watched Manny for an hour and did not know why. The next thing she knew is that two cops are asking...

5 Factors for Effective Business Writing Training

5 Factors for Effective Business Writing Training When it comes to business writing, which encompasses everything from email and report writing to marketing messages, even the Fortune 500 companies face crisis. All around theglobe, organizations spend millions onstaff training for leadership, motivation, team†building and whatnot, but invest far less in business writing training. This is a costly mistake.In mostcompanies, employees spend fully 40% of their time †Ã¢â‚¬  or more †Ã¢â‚¬  writing each day. Enhancingthis skill will greatly reduce time writing each document and yield better business writing. Traditionally, business writing typically referred to reports, proposals and memos. Thatnarrow definition is long gone. Every aspect of every business function is carried in some formof writing. New documents have emerged †Ã¢â‚¬  and some of them must be written and maintainedfor compliance with corporate or federal governance and other regulations. In such cases, the last thing your business needs is employees with poor writing skills. This iswhy your business’s primary objective, at the time of hiring, should be to assess the writing skills of your potential employees. After assessing your employees' writing skills, you will have a clear idea (ideally you will have a clear measurement) of current business writing skills and how to improve business writing skills overall. If you feel that your company lacks the necessary business writing skills to write relevant and structured content that clearly elicits the right business response, you can improve employee business writing abilities either by conducting an internal tutorial program or hiring outside expert training. In either case, here are the five most important factors that make up an effective business writing training session: 1) Qualification(s) The first step is to evaluate and verify the credentials of the writing expert and trainer who will conduct the business writing training. The instructor should be well†trained and experienced specifically in business writing, not writing in general. Look for a background in rhetoric, which indicates the trainer understands all aspects of business writing, including thinking, organization, creativity, relevance to audience purpose. Without an understanding of rhetoric, your business writing training could devolve to simplegrammar training. Good business writing training is much more than that. 2) Program Structure An effective business writing training class addresses both the substance and the syntax of documents. While syntax is easier to teach and to find an instructor for, substance requires a thorough understanding of your business, writing requirements, and relevant information involved. It is necessary to appoint an instructor who has both a mastery of English languageand who has taught writing and rhetoric as a subject previously.3) Customization There are several off†the†shelf business writing training programs and software available in the market. They offer a cost†effective way to improve business writing skills for your employees, but they may or may not be the right match for your particular company documents and employee skill gaps. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work with business writing, given its wide application. Search for a company that specializes in offering customized business writing training in addition to off†the†shelf options. This will ensure you’re dealing with a company that truly understands business writing. You will also save costs by gaining a customized business writing training program that does not have to built from scratch. 4) Continual Support Effective business writing training is not just a single event. Transforming your employees’ business writing skills involves continual training. After any business writing training program, make sure there is opportunity to ask ongoing questions and receive ongoing resources. Business writing standards evolve quickly. Make certain your employees have access to new information. 5) Flexibility Lastly, the business writing training should be flexible in two ways. First, it should achievethe desired results †Ã¢â‚¬  improve your employees’ business writing skills. Secondly, the training logistics should be flexible to match your requirements. Can the training support a large, onsite delivery? Can the training support a large, online delivery? Are online and onsite and general and customized options available to best match your needs? Will the company work with you to ensure logistics match what you want? Demand this. Download my eBook, â€Å"Four Steps to Improve Your Team’s Business Writing Skills"to learn more on what makes up a good business writing training session.Read and discover the secret art to effective business writing and maintaining your company’s image and efficiency through proper communication. Or, schedule a complimentary consultationwith a business writing expert to help your team write better at work.

Strategic managent of Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic managent of Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The intention of this study is Marks and Spencer as a leading UK based grocery retailer selling primarily clothing and food. The company has grown to be a successful large scale grocery being able to attract more than 21 million people each week. The company offers stylish, outstanding quality and greater value clothing and home products as well as supreme quality foods that are supplied from around 2000 different suppliers worldwide. The company is employing around 78,000 people throughout 700 UK stores and other international stores too. Clothing represents around 49 percent of its total sales and food and other items represent 51 % of the total sales. Food sales, especially as it was supplied from more than 2000 different suppliers, are highly crucial to the overall business strategy of the company. The food sales alone amounted to $ 7.90 billion in 2007- 2008, showing an increase of 1.4 percent over the figure of previous year. As the company is proud of the current business opp ortunities, Marks and Spencer remains to be the most favorite clothing retailer, and has delivered a better performance in the 2010-11. The market share of the company in terms of the value has been increased to 11.7 percent and it experienced a growth across all of its major areas because customers around the UKL sought the quality propositions of Marks and Spencer. According to the latest reports about the market share, Marks and Spencer’s share has been improved on year on year from 4 percent to 4.1 percent within a time of three months, ending in December 2010. (Milnes, 2010). With a mission to deliver quality greater valued food and clothing, Marks and Spencer could increase its potential market role and opportunities in the market and thus has achieved far better results than that of previous years. Environmental Analysis of Marks and Spencer The business environment of a firm consists of all the internal and external influences that impact the business at large, its pe rformance, productivity, revenues, competitiveness etc in particular. A large number of factors like employees, workplace situations, organizational culture, management etc influence the business internally where as other factors like competition, politics, economy, and

Human Resource Management for Service Industries Assignment - 1

Human Resource Management for Service Industries - Assignment Example It involves having the total responsibility of maintaining high-quality standards of the selected hotel. The job comes with comprehensive training activities, competitive benefits and handsome annual salary that relies on the market pay ranges. There is an additional monthly bonus. There is also room for personal career growth, as well as enough opportunity for steady progression. As a hotel manager, one is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the hotel and management of the junior workforce. Also, guarantees that high-quality guest service, as well as the severe quality and cleanliness standards, are unfailingly sustained. One assumes the total ownership of the hotel premises, being able to carry out some minor maintenance and repairs, and ascertaining profitability of the business and that guests are satisfied with the hotel services. As a hotel general manager, one receives various economic and physical benefits. As the hotel industry experiences constant growth, it also provides an avenue for career growth. One also enjoys a fully paid comprehensive training that helps one achieve his credentials as a certified hotel manager. Furthermore, by being hardworking and a display of professionalism one receives handsome rewards with remarkable compensation and benefits. A hotel manager requires an individual with the ability of combining meticulous professionalism with a sociable, convivial and enthusiastic personality. Ones need to be outgoing, well presentable and able to usher in guests into the hotel as it were his home. Also, possess the ability to manage P&L and financials efficiently so as to ensure the continual profitability of the hotel. The employees play a critical role in the success of any business. Therefore, careful selection and recruitment of working personnel is essential for any organization, as well as the hotel industry. In order to get the required applicant pool that is diverse and talented a team

Latex Products In The Work Pla :: essays research papers

Over the last decade, many employees have developed allergies related to the use of latex. “The employees affected have mainly been found in healthcare, food services and in beauty services.'; As employees in these areas, as well as other areas have learned of the potential risk from the contraction of disease leading to death, caused by the exposure to bodily fluids, they have realized that the use of products to stop the exposure is absolutely essential. This has substantially increased and spread the use of latex products, mainly gloves. “The use of so many is very costly, so many employees turned to third world countries who produce a cheaper, untreated latex, which although it cannot be blamed alone for the development of latex allergies, does contribute to the problem.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The repeated use of latex in the work place can lead to allergies that affect the worker’s ability to function both at work and at home. “The allergies developed can result in degree from a minor irritation to an anaphylactic shock. Out of the many types of allergic reactions only two types, Type I and Type IV have been observed as being related to latex. Type IV reactions have proved to be a response to additives used by the manufacturer. They are uncomfortable, but not life threatening. This is the opposite of Type I reactions. Type I reactions are caused by an antibody called IgE which recognizes the cause of the allergy from previous exposure.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “The Type I allergens in latex products exist naturally. They remain in the latex during processing. Three proteins found to be involved with the latex allergies are Kd-14, Kd-20 and Kd-27. The proteins can be airborne through powder residue on the gloves, so they can be transmitted through the air. The proteins are also water-soluble. The reactions from Type I include eye, nose, and respiratory symptoms. If left untreated the reaction may be life threatening.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “The death count associated with Type I reactions up until 1995 is 16 due to latex.'; These deaths prove that the latex allergies that are being developed are a serious risk to employee health, and the matter needs to be dealt with seriously. Both employers and government need to take charge of the issue to ensure the safety of the employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The employer needs to provide policies and procedures to reduce the exposure to latex. Until recently latex gloves were the automatic protection worn by all employees dealing with people, or products for people, and in many places this is still the case.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study By: Katrina Robinson Bus520 Leadership and Organizational Dr. Leonardo Serrano Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Outline the Leadership Style of Branson and its effectiveness to the U. S today Richard Branson and Effective Leadership Incorporation of Branson’s Leadership at School or Work. The Leadership Style of Branson and its effectiveness to the U.S today Richard Branson, the chairman and CEO of the Virgin Group has come up with a type of leadership centered on employees. He has embraced transformational leadership model as a style of leadership. Transformational leadership is a leadership style that focused on effecting revolutionary change in organizations through a commitment to the organization’s vision. Transformational leadership includes engendering trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect amongst followers throug h application of charismatic vision and behavior.Transformational leadership encourages change through intellectual stimulation aimed at self-reflective change of values and beliefs. Vision is critical for transformational leadership because employees are more comfortable when they understand the vision and direction of the company going forward. Transformational leadership impacts individuals' self-growth. Transformational leadership develops followers who can perform beyond their own and others' expectations.Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. This vision may be developed by the leader, by the senior team or may emerge from a broad series of discussions. Transformational leadership focuses on social values and appears in times of distress and change. Sir Richard Branson has empowered his employees to attain a given vision of the company. This has led to the rise in productivity and the morale of the worker.It has also increased utility and the wide professional and individual growth of the company. Sir Richard Branson is an iconic and legendary figure within business circles. His Virgin companies span the globe, while his thirst for brand domination and sense of adventure tell a story of an intriguing and thought provoking life sprinkled with danger, high risk tactics, pushing the boundaries of the possible and an encompassing purpose that is built upon fairness and change. In terms of leadership model addressed in Chapter 10 and 11, Branson exemplifies a transformational leader.Transformational leadership involves anticipating future trends, inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities, developing others to be leaders or better leaders, and building the organization or group into a community of challenged and rewarded learners. Visionary, inspiring, daring, and ethical are words that describe transformational leaders. They a re risk takers who seize or create new opportunities. They are also thoughtful thinkers who understand the interactions of technology, culture, stakeholders, and external environmental forces (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, page 329).He is not as much concerned about industry-specific expertise as he is with recruiting employees with strong communication and teamwork competencies that mesh with the Virgin culture. He truly feels that getting other peoples input and listening to what people have to say are a core value to him. He carries a notebook in his pocket all the time just in case he hears something interesting from people that he interacts with on any level. He loves to take high-risk decisions if in the end he feels it's worthwhile. According to the authors, passion is essential for task accomplishment.Passion is often more present in entrepreneurial leaders and Sir Richard Branson should be regarded as a passionate leader. On the Virgin group website (5) the company mentions â €Å"giving birth† to companies and â€Å"holding their hand† through the organizational development. This is by all means a supportive standpoint, far away from the quarterly run businesses of many. An example of his courage might be when he under heavy competition in the US decided to sell out Virgin Records to save the financials of Virgin Atlantic.In that deal he also decided to switch bank due to poor support and advice for Virginia Records. An example of Branson’s willingness to take risk is his venture into space tourism with Virgin Galactic. That business is by no doubt regarded as extremely courageous and risky but at the same time driven by the same reasons as any other business, profit. Branson has worked closely with Scaled Composites to develop a tourism spacecraft (9). As he puts it, it was a very risky act that could have gone totally wrong (10), (13).However Branson is not a stranger to risk management, according to an article in Time (6). He comm only starts out small and shares the risk with other investors. His companies are also loosely connected according to the article, to minimize risk for each party. Richard Branson’s ventures portray creativity, venturing into airliners using new creative measures such as touch-screen ordering of food and comfortable planes. This comes in an era where most other airliners are figuring out how to remove the last remaining frills to cut costs.Another developed skill is the possibility of delegating work to his colleagues and management staff and taking a step back. He spends a lot of time in the early days of a new business, drawing the big picture and helping the management setting the business plan and the way forward. When this is done he takes a step back and lets the management get a stake in the business and drive it forward. †The company must be set up so that it can continue without me†. Sir Richard is very thorough in hiring the right people. He is known for bringing in good managers and getting them to stay.If they don’t perform at an existing assignment he brings them into another venture where the person is more likely to perform according to his capabilities. †Look for the best and you’ll get the best†, is his words. Firing people is seldom an option to Sir Richard. This situational leadership model would combine both directive and supportive behaviors. Directive behavior would influence the culture by explaining what needed to be done; helping to organize the how, where, and when of getting it done, and ensuring a more hands on approach to the tactical nature of the plan.Supportive leadership, in combination, would provide both encouragement and coaching, and would act to facilitate problem solving and the large amount of issues that require change management. Both approaches could be used by Virgin, some more often than others, but would be a variable model of directive (high and low) depending on the pa rticular situation at hand. Essentially, this style chooses the right leadership style for the right person – and varies depending upon that individual’s ifts, views, background, and personality (The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory, 2012) If this model were adopted by Branson, he would have both the responsibility and ethical requirement to continually assess situations at hand, find the most appropriate placement on the above grid for that issue, and then act accordingly. Of course, at his level the â€Å"issues† would likely remain strategic and rather broad, and it would not always be possible to â€Å"never† direct change, or â€Å"always† direct change.Instead, it would be the appropriateness of individual situations and people that would place this model into Virgin’s strategic and tactical locus of operation (Farrington, 2012). Let us imagine for a moment that the technology has improved enough in aeronautics and space travel that it is possible to develop regular trips to a Space Station, or, at the very least, a launch and trip on a shuttle that would orbit the earth and allow passengers to experience space, a view of the planet, and an educational experience. It is quite natural to assume that the Virgin group might be seminal in the development of this type of new tourist activity.The easiest way to integrate some of Branson’s leadership qualities into the daily job would be to first and foremost examine the job and find the most exciting possibilities and potential for it and then to communicate that to colleagues, staff, and management. If in a managerial position, allow employees to come up with creative solutions to problems meet as a group and indicate a goal or challenge, ask for ideas, and then take some time to consider them, allowing employees to participate in this effort and help them feel empowered and part of the team.Part of being a good leader, according to Branson, is al so the ability to know when to back away from a task. â€Å"As much as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you also must understand the art of delegation,† he says. â€Å"I have to be good at helping people run the individual businesses, and I have to be willing to step back. The company must be set up so it can continue without me. † In my opinion, the most important factor of good leadership is relating to other people. If you’re good with people†¦and you really care, genuinely care about people†. Leadership teams are generally composed of management brought together to span the boundaries between different functions in the organization. In order for a product to be delivered to market, the heads of finance, production, and marketing must interact and come up with a common strategy for the product. At top management levels, teams are used in developing goals and a strategic direction for the firm as a whole. Technology is impacting how teams meet and function.Collaborative software and conferencing systems have improved the ability for employees to meet, conduct business, share documents, and make decisions without ever being in the same location. While the basic dynamics of other types of teams may still be relevant, the dynamics and management of virtual teams can be very different. Most theories view leadership as grounded in one or more of the following three perspectives: leadership as a process or relationship, leadership as a combination of traits or personality characteristics, or leadership as certain behaviors or, as they are more commonly referred to, leadership skills.In virtually all of the more dominant theories there exist the notions that, at least to some degree, leadership is a process that involves influence with a group of people toward the realization of goals. I will say on the front end that, in my opinion, leadership is a dynamic and complex process, and that much of what is written these days tends to over-simplify this process. Trait theory postulates that people are either born or not born with the qualities that predispose them to success in leadership roles.Skills theory states that learned knowledge and acquired skills/abilities are significant factors in the practice of effective leadership. Situational theory states that is, to be effective in leadership requires the ability to adapt or adjust one’s style to the circumstances of the situation. Contingency theory states that a leader’s effectiveness is contingent on how well the leader’s style matches a specific setting or situation.The underlying beliefs of path-goal theory (grounded in expectancy theory) are that people will be more focused and motivated if they believe they are capable of high performance, believe their effort will result. The key in transformational leadership is for the leader to be attentive to the needs and motives of followers in an attempt to help th em reach their maximum. Transactional theory is a theory that focuses on the exchanges that take place between leaders and followers.It is based in the notion that a leader’s job is to create structures that make it abundantly clear what is expected of his/her followers and also the consequences (i. e. rewards and punishments) for meeting or not meeting these expectations. References Hellriegel, D. , ; Slocum, J. (2007). Organizational Behavior. Mason, OH: Thompson Higher People and Planet. (2012, January). Retrieved from Virgin. com: http://www. virgin. com/people-and-planet/our-vision The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. (2012, January). Retrieved from Mind Tools: http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newLDR_44. htm