Study on Is Accounting Profession under Threat

Study on Is Accounting Profession under Threat Recent events in global financial world that is dissolution of companies due to continuous losses has made people to question the efficiency and honesty of the professional accountants in discharging their duties for the interest of public and society. These events have forced global financial scholars and experts to think about the future scope of this profession. this article mainly focus on challenges to accounting profession in the context of strategic management accounting in connections with business firms expectations and the expectations of stakeholders and communities which ensure that the accountants will function for the benefits of society and public. The expectations of employers of accounting graduates is higher when we compare with the present academic system which indicates that the present academic courses should be upgraded as the business firms are expecting only real professionals who can be able to work any type of business environment and they should be flexible to the future changes in business environment. Their ultimate responsibility is to make the business firm trust worthy in the eyes of customers and other stakeholders and society. Today the demand from business firms for accounting professional with sophisticated modern accounting skills is caused revolutionary changes in the accounting and financial management gra duation courses importance of discipline knowledge. The internal and global challenges on the professions related to financial management may be involve win the confidence of public and stakeholders of the business and operating markets, improving the performance of professional accountants and auditors, understanding the increased role of external auditors, preventing the corruption the system of public audit, and making the financial statements and reports trust worthy in the eyes of concerned parties. Todays business environment is very sensitive to the changes in its components such as technology or markets the accounting professionals to work hard with efficiency and honesty to meet these challenges effectively. Introduction In todays business environment are professional accountants directly responsible to their customers, companies and to the society and also they should know possible legal obligations to the stakeholders. Accounting profession is not only limited to preparing accounting statements but also involves in wide variety of functions which provides inputs to the managerial decision making. If an accounting professional is not able to perform his duty and responsibilities in satisfied level according to the universal standards it is the major liability in the hands of an accountant. Compared to other type of professions this profession has its own code of ethics hence it is dignified and respective profession which provides practical inputs for the effective decision making. Advanced Strategic Management Accounting During the past two decades, many organizations in business and finance sectors have to face changes in their business environment. Economic reform polices by the developing countries, policies, competition from multinational companies in local markets has resulted in a typical situation, where most companies are now competing in a highly competitive global market. In addition there has been a significant reduction in product life cycle arising from rapid changes in technological innovations and the need to meet sophisticated customer demands. To compete successfully in global environment, companies have to work towards to satisfy made customer demands. They have forced to adopt new Management strategies, changed their business systems and invested in new technologies. The increasing competition has affected their profits and more attention is required to be paid to the various aspects of Management accounting aspects. These changes have had a significant influence on strategic Manag ement accounting systems. Role of professional accountant has no longer remained that of an accountant, but he has assumed a significant role in improving the competitiveness of firms. 5Strategic Management Accounting is the branch of management accounting which mainly focus the uncontrollable factors which a business firm should more concentrate, and these factors may be financially or non financially but related to the financial and business decisions of the firm. According to the Ken Simmonds, the formulation of business strategy of the firm mainly depends on the financial information of the firm and the competing firms. This information may involve details of Production costs, product price, production volume, Market size, availability of cash resources and other resources such as raw materials which should be emphasized. But Professor Bromwichn compared the past practices in management accounting which have modified with new directions including the active role of professional accountants in business decision makings. These directions may be towards the inclusive of financial information into strategy for cost analysis that is the basic for all future business decisions. Other directions towards having updated information bank related to the strategies of competitors especially their costing methods, cost structures and costing decisions. The limitation of traditional management accounting in the areas analysis of cost and cost related activities is significant which gives birth to the development of modern strategic management accounting system. Traditional management accounting system has no particular techniques to ascertain the costing methods and situation of competitors but decisions are based on only the information from financial statements. Modern strategic management accounting has its own techniques to ascertain cost position. It also helps business firms to how to achieve cost advantages current as well as future years. In this context the role of Accounting professional is very important for the survival of business firm compared to every angle of the present business environment. Accounting profession In the context of professional accounting, the power and responsibility of an accountant can be justified when financial statements provides expected information according to the objectives functions especially protection of public and social interest. Under flexible business environment Accountants are vested with enough power in order to perform their functions without any interruption for the healthy future of business firm.. According to the scholars the up gradation of accounting skill is a specific task as the accounting profession also one of the component of employment structure which is influenced by policies of government and economic policies. . There is a argument the accounting skills and knowledge should be revised and updated time to time because these skills and knowledge should be according to the changing expectations of the society and the stakeholders of the business firm. But as a professional an accountant should utilize these skills and knowledge in optimum level for the interest of the employer as well as interested parties. . The accounting profession has gained enough importance especially it is the sole body which has the ultimate authority on the financial related issues and matters. The one of the primary objectives is to work for the benefit of social interests that has analyzed for making the accounting progression as an appropriate occupation in modern employment world. And According to some experts.. Accountants with traditional views are no longer sustaining in the present environment. According to the research the Todays accounting and auditing methods are in modified forms compared to traditional m ethods of accounting. Changing role of Accountant Todays accountants should mostly focus on knowledge, skills and ability to manage these as a particular service. This requirement in business environment has created business and ethical issues for the accountants/ auditors and their customers. This includes problem-solving and customer advice features of the skilled professional. Changes also include the over emphasis on specific training for developing practical skills as part preparing of new graduates to the practical business world. The introduction of these practical training in academic degrees involves uncertainty and time frame because the academic institutions should ready for accepting the current changes. Companys especially multinational companies mainly concentrate on these practical skills but facing problems of assessment for right candidates with practical knowledge. Challenges to Accounting Profession Due to the influence of globalization changes in financial strategies have been affecting almost every business and services around the world. Especially Accounting and finance sector is directly affected, financial experts world wide are working for the improvements of the accounting system. Several seminars are going on in this regard; financial professionals, scholars have to share their ideas and views on the present challenges in finance and accounting today, and acquire sophisticated skills in order to face globalization effect. Today global recession and financial conflicts has developed new trend of threats and challenges. According to the experts of International Accounting Standards Board, the global financial conflict is the main which emphasized transference in financial reporting and flexible accounting standard with definite principle to face the new trend in future. The context and dynamics of modern strategic management accounting the changes in the accounting skills have forced to adopt by professional accountants who are cautious to provide value added service for their customers. Globalization process has made the business activities to cross the boundaries of nations. The global financial and business environment has put pressure on professional accountants and auditors as they are the important information providers for the business success. Every company seeks opportunities in global market for the expansion of the business. But uncertainty in market conditions and rapid innovations in technology have made themselves to face any type of business situation for the interest of all their stakeholders where their business strategies, their market share and capital adjustments also subject to changes along with the marginal profit. Internal challenges The first challenge to professional accountant is the measurement of financial performance. Revenue is a single measurable indicator of financial performance. The common feeling is that over-emphasis on revenues, unscientific ways of their analysis and interpretations financial information. But this information is the basis for long term business decisions. Secondly issues regarding historical accounting information and statements. Some times there is feeling that a balance sheet prepared imperfect way and it does not reveal accrued profits based on future changes in market condition. This is the major draw back in disclosing true financial information of the company. Thirdly financial statements do not measure the assets and liabilities on the basis of todays accounting standard. Hence investors may be misled in making investment decisions, which will put them at greater investment risk. They also need the information regarding the value goodwill and other intangibles and capital structure. Lastly the financial and accounting statements show only historical transactions and facts and they dont concentrate much on the future events and transactions. They put limited attention on the hard profits and also limited attention to the required process for maximization of wealth. Challenges of Globalization Innovations in technology are the greatest affect on the profession and present system failure to coop with this challenge may be resulted in the devaluation of the importance of the profession. The introduction of the information technology has greatly influence the system in which companies do business, structure their organization and operate their reporting systems and each of these are the considerable challenges for the accounting profession. E- Business has introduced new business risks along with the great advantages which a professional accountant should take into account. The unauthorized access company information; increased volume of business as created credit risks; and the proper allocation of income and expenses, Accounting firms and professionals should be concentrate on with these risks. The changes in Government financial police and company the annual financial statements and other communications can be communicated to the concerned parties through the electronic media or through web sites. Out of dated information will not reveal clear picture and hence share price of the company affected. Market expects the clear picture of financial and business performance and there are pressures on firms o provide such information when required. Lastly the centralization of accounting system and accounting information systems will be the top management based decision where accounting is considered as secondary issue. Branch accounting is in declining trend today information will be directly flow to the head office of the firms. Globalization can be defined as the existence of a situation where there is an easy access to any part of the world. It is in the form of information on any subject matter. A professional accountant should face several challenges with this situation; businesses expand sometimes beyond country borders in response to globalization. In market led globalization model an accounting professionals should play a dominant role. To make the Global markets to function properly, the accounting profession must adapt and modernize in response to the globalization of finance and investment. In corporate-led model of globalization the accounting profession does not merely adapt to forces of globalization. But accounting industry has played and continues to play an active role in the structuring global markets for accounting services. Due to the globalization there are some threats to accountants and the accounting profession as a whole Accountants working for foreign-owned companies, their knowledge, skills, and abilities may be restrict them to performing only low-value, compliance-oriented work. Accounting professionals can be also benefited from the effects of globalization. These are Accountants who are ready to expand their financial accounting knowledge, skills, and abilities they can become expertise in understanding of changing business requirements. Accountants with their theoretical knowledge, skills, and abilities with the performance oriented knowledge, skills, and abilities of management accounting can be achieve high level of experience in this context. Today businesses become increasingly globalize, 10there is clearly more pressure on accountants to increase the knowledge, skill, and abilities beyond their present limit of functioning in order to fit well into the globalization of the 21st century. In this context the accounting profession has an important role in assisting firms to face competitive finance and business environment Implications of Academicians The role of the accountant in past was just recording the facts and figures but the role of the professional accountant has been criticized by many scholars and analysts over the decades, especially the accounting skills developed by students of accounting management schools This demand primarily developed in Academic level, the. The need for this change is based on a number of draw backs identified in the skills taught in graduation schools that students when bring to the practical world. Another criticism is these 1skills cannot be efficiently being taught in schools where the employment is dominated by specialized technical skills. Requisite skills required by future professional accountants and auditors will include easy learnable professional skills along with ethics. These specific skills are necessary for modern business environment because it helps business entities to 1solve the diversity of business challenges. This is the main challenge for the academic institutions to balance between accounting graduate skills which are theoretical in nature and skills sought by modern business entities. There is gap between the actual school syllabus and the knowledge expected by companies. The academic institutions should try to train accounting graduates to suit the interest and expectations o the employers. The accounting1graduates with sophisticated skills are in an environment that requires accountants to show high level of technical performance to meet the demands of financial and business entities. Number of comments and opinions from global academicians and practitioners has forced the Government authorities and International Regulatory Bodies related to accounting issues to make revolutionary changes in the accounting standards, methods and techni ques which are relevant to future years. Majority Charted accountants and Accounting professionals feels present accounting system is not according to the requirements of modern business and it is less flexible to the changing environment. These academicians and practitioners agree that if accounting is to serve a useful role in the changing environment, academic education in accounting and scope of research should become broader, dynamic and not limited by a single approach. Despite these matters, the academicians and practitioners feel that present academic programmes in Accounting and finance area should be reviewed according to the demand from job market. Professional Ethics The corporate financial conflicts has given good inputs to finance professionals and for the monitoring of accounting system. Continuous effort from academicians and financial experts in developed countries there are strategic changes in academic education and training programmes, professional accountants should be able to develop the specific skills they need to successfully compete in the employment market for new types of information and financial services. This vision is used by many of the professions leaders. As per the study in U.S.A there are considerable increase in the number of professional accountants and AICPA membership during the period from 1970 to 1994.  This indicates that in developed courtiers are ready to face the challenges. Study in U.S.A (Courtesy: Annual report AICPA) Table 1 Total Accounting Employment Year Numbers in Thousands 1970 646 1980 1013 1990 1446 1994 1483 Table 2 Membership in AICPA Year Numbers in Thousands 1970 74 1980 161 1990 296 1994 319 Impact of Challenges on Strategic Management Accounting During the past two decades, many organizations in business and finance sectors have to face changes in their business environment. Economic reform polices by the developing countries, business policies and competition from multinational companies in local markets has resulted in a typical situation, where most companies have to face severe competition from rival business firms in a highly competitive situation. In addition there has been a change observed in business life cycle due to rapid changes in technological innovations and the need to meet sophisticated customer demands because production of each product is considered as a independent business. To compete successfully in global environment, companies have to work towards to satisfy made customer demands. They have forced to adopt new Management and financial strategies, changed their accounting systems and investment in new technologies. The increasing competition has affected their profits and more attention is required to be paid to the various aspects of strategic Management accounting aspects. These global challenges have had a significant influence on strategic Management accounting systems. Role of professional accountant has no longer remained that of an accountant, but he has assumed a significant role in improving the competitiveness of firms. Professional Ethics The financial crisis has given good inputs to finance professionals and for the monitoring of accounting system. Today accounting professionals in the business sector should not only concentrate on earning of revenue, but also take into account the public and external parties related to the business. The present accounting system should be able to create ethical environment for the benefit of society in generally and stakeholders particularly. Directions for Ethical Performance The directions towards performing the duty in ethical way Global Charted Accountants Associations encourage accountants and Auditors to conduct them effectively and to do quality internal and external auditing in appropriate manner and other accounting functions. Professional Institutes should develop high level auditing standards and ethics their applications in practical world. There are so many ethical obligations which make auditors in right path of accounting standards and legal obligations. Figure 1. Ethical codes Geographical study requirements Quality control Legal registration Professional programs, training and examinations Continuing education requirements Legal liability Accounting standards Conduct of professional Accounting firm personnel Future of the Accounting Profession: Introduction of specific knowledge and the increased expectations from global business world today accounting profession is a specialized profession, which is resulted in great the movement toward up gradation of accounting graduate or professional education. Advanced programmes in computer technology and its role in updating the information for concerned parties of the business, financial experts are expecting t the new trend in information technology and communications which will reshape the accounting employment structure. Computers are today important part of the accounting information system. Introduction of new computer software programmes has given considerable contribution for the modification of business and accounting from the last decade and will continue to the future also. These days we can observe that the new accounting softwares decrease the work load of accounting firms which is resulted in the decrease of employing fresh candidates for accounting work. But developments in accounting profession have shown steady growth from last 20 years despite the increased use of computer information systems to perform routine accounting tasks. Suggestions and Recommendations accounting profession have an significant role in assisting the management for business decisions to not only contribute for strengthening the financial position but also should be modified to analyze management risk factors as the parallel profession to management graduation, for firms operational and strategic decisions . These personnel should also be able to anticipate and manage risks factors arising from bulk volume of financial transactions which made the firms vulnerable to uncertainty and unexpected price variations. As the scope for this profession increased, it will find itself facing increasingly conflicting pressures arising from convergence. It should be designed to establish proper balance manage internal financial conflicts and external conflicts related to firms financial matter and should be able to these commercial interests to introduce the ability to act as a trusted and independent professional business consultant and advisor. The accounting profession should extend its role and responsibility for promoting good corporate business environment. It should also be concerned for sustaining of good corporate governance is not only fulfilling legal obligations but also should be based on values and ethics.

Is Pornography Good? :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Is Pornography Good?    Pornography is the theory, Rape is the fact. Robin Morgan, editor of the famous feminist magazine Ms., was quoted as saying this thought provoking statement. This really makes one stop and think. How closely related are pornography and rape, or any violent act for that matter? Many surveys and research studies have been done to answer just that. But the findings have been highly debatable. On one hand, you have people who feel that there is no correlation between the two, that pornography is used only for personal enjoyment, and it stops there. Then you have the feminist viewpoint which totally disagrees. Two well known feminists, Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin have their own view and definition on pornography.    à ¾....Pornography is the graphic sexually explicit subordination of women, whether in pictures or in words, that also includes one or more of the following: (i) Women are presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; or (ii) women are presented as sexual objects who enjoy pain or mutilation; or (iii) women are presented as sexual objects who experience sexual pleasure in being raped; or (iv) women are presented as sexual objects tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt; or (v) women are presented in postures of sexual submission, servility, or display; or (vi) womens body parts - including but not limited to vaginas, breasts, and buttocks- are exhibited ,such that women are reduced to those parts; or (vii) women are presented by whores by nature; or (viii) women are presented being penetrated by objects or animals; or (ix) women are presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding, bruised, or hurt in a context that ,makes these conditions sexual. à ¾    Pornography is further defined as including à ¾the use of men, children, and transsexuals in the place of women.à ¾ It is also said somewhat cryptically that à ¾the definition does not include all sexually explicit depictions of the subordination of women. Now that we have a greater understanding at the true meaning of pornography, we should look at the radical feminist view on the harm that pornography can cause. Once again the highly acclaimed feminist lawyer Catharine MacKinnon says:    à ¾If pornography is an act of male supremacy, its harm is the harm of male supremacy made difficult to see because of its pervasiveness, potency, and success in making the world a pornographic place.

Compare and Contrast: Hinduism and Islam

Hinduism and Islam: Compare and Contrast It is universally known that religious faiths creates diversity in culture and give new identity and outlook to matters signifying a new way life. In most cases, religious faith is accountable for people’s behavior in conducting daily activities including business, work, socialization, and cultural functions within a specified community. The immensely large majority of the human species has always looked to a higher power for acceptance, love, enlightenment, guidance, and even sometimes discipline.There are many different religions with many different practices and beliefs, however, in this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the belief on who is worshiped as the â€Å"higher power† as well as the diet practices and rituals of the two common religions known as Hinduism and Islam. Hinduism and Islam have been preexisting for a very long time. Hinduism main roots dating back in India and Islam from the Arab world, the two hav e quite a vast number of differences and similarities as well.Hinduism and Islam, other than Christianity, are two out of three major religions followed in the world. It is difficult to spot any similarities between the two religious groups since they are known globally to cause war and chaos wherever they come together. However, the two religions show vast differences beginning from their origins and development. Islam believes that their faith is founded on the faith outline by a prophet of God called Mohammed.Mohammed is the core founder of the Islamic religion since the time he received revelations from Allah. On the other hand, Hinduism began as integration of numerous religious groups in the subcontinent of India where, at the time, there many wonderers, exiled communities, and prophetic individuals. The groups came together to form the contemporary Hindu religion (Anon. , 2013). Most principally, the two religions have a different concept concerning the Supreme Being, God. Th e Muslim believes in the existence of one almighty God referred to as Allah.Allah is given numerous positive attributes by Muslims relating him to greatness, however; Allah is also termed as merciful, the creator of all, the sustainer of all human life, and the incomparable one. This concept that Allah is incomparable has allowed all Muslims around the world, though with diverse cultures and languages, to refer to God as Allah. Moreover, the name Allah is a discrete name from the language Aramaic which is a language historically known to have been the native language of Jesus. This kind of belief and complete trust in the existence of one God are essentially known as monotheism (Naik, 2007).On the other hand, the Hindu believes about the existence of one Supreme Being is contrary to that of Muslims. Hindus practice polytheism which is basically the belief in multiple Gods. The word Hindu has a geographic importance relating to a certain community referred to as Sindhu who lived beyo nd the river Indus in ancient India. It is noteworthy to indicate that the Hindu believes that everything is God starting from the physical elements such as trees, mountains, and rivers to living things such as humans. This in religious education is referred to as Pantheism.While Muslims believe that everything is God’s, the Hindu on the contrary perceives everything as God. In a global perspective, the Hindu has a quite diversified perception of God since every community may have more than a hundred Gods, whereas others believe to a minimum of three Gods. Hindus have come up with an argument that they should adopt and refer to only one God as divine and sacred. This may bring some internal conflicts among the Hindus since the scholars might be compromising with their ancient beliefs and customs (Brodd, 2003, p. 108).However, the two religions agree that man is a manifestation of Gods wonderful creation. This means that all the two agree on is that God or Gods created man and other physical and spiritual creations. Muslims believe that man was created the same in that all men are equal in the eyes and perception of God. In this case, Muslims are against any discrimination on the basis of social status, race, or tribe. Also, Muslims fail to agree that God favors individuals on the basis of wealth and other material properties but favor from Allah is given to anyone on the basis of virtues and piety.On the other hand, Hindus believe that men were created in caste systems, which articulates mankind is not equal. Instead, human beings are categorized into four facets. The firsts group is referred to as Brahmans who represents the highest people in society on the basis of priesthood, wealth and social status, and intellectual abilities. This group is certainly the most respected and adored since everything is God according to Hinduism. The subsequent group, Kshatriya is slightly lower in terms of social class, wealth, and intellectual capabilities since it r epresent the ruling class including warriors and heroes in the society.The third category is referred to as Vaisya a group mainly composed of agriculturalist and artisans in the community. The last group, Sudras includes the lowest ranked individuals in the community probably on the basis of poverty and lack of intellectual abilities. Muslims and Hindus acknowledge that there is life after death since they all believe in the existence of the soul. Also, they both believe that there is judgment after the physical death. In addition, the judgment is based on the deeds and the way a person has lived have or her life.The positive virtues such as humbleness, respect, merciful, and faithful among others are believed to influence positive results from the judgment. However, the concept with which they both perceive life after death is what differs among the two religions. Hindus do not believe in the existence of an awful place formally known as hell, or the existence of heaven. Instead, H indus believe in the power of reincarnation. This means that they believe that a person is born afresh in another life once he or she dies.The reincarnated person will then acquire a new status based on his virtues and attributes of the previous life. This contradicts with Muslims beliefs of the body and soul. Muslims believe that a human being has two destinations either heaven or hell. Heaven is for people who have upheld their belief and trust in Allah with the refection of their deeds. On the contrary is a place of anguish and torture for those who refuse to follow Allah outlined commandments. However, the decision to go to either place depends on the ruling made on the Day of Judgment.Similarly, both religions have a certain animal they are restricted to eat. In Islam, they have all the luxury to eat all kind of meats from cows, lambs, goats, and poultry except pigs due to some beliefs about the unsacred nature of the pig meat. Hindu believes that because food is a gift from Go d, it should be treated with great respect (V, 2000). Hindus do not enjoy the luxury of eating cow meat since they perceive the animal as sacred due to their pantheism nature. Devout Hindus believe that all of God’s creatures re worthy of respect and compassion, regardless of whether they are humans or animals (Elgindy 2005). Therefore, a cow is viewed as divine and sacred hence it cannot be eaten. Hinduism encourages being vegetarian and avoiding the eating of any animal meat or flesh (Elgindy 2005). However, not all Hindus choose to practice vegetarianism, and they may adhere to the religion’s dietary codes in varying degrees of strictness (Elgindy 2005). Also, the two religious groups do pray except that they pray differently.Hindus mostly pray in temples, whereas Muslims usually pray mosques. Hindus temples are usually decorated with various pictures that manifest the being or the nature of their Gods. However, Muslims are not allowed to have any pictures in their mosques since God is incomparable to anything not even the physical representation through pictures. The Islamic religion is founded on the basis of activism which calls for all Muslims to go out to the entire world teaching people to adopt and believe in the faith outline by the Quran, the Muslim Holy Scripture.Therefore, most Muslims are dedicated to teaching their traditions and practices concerning their faith to other tribes and humanity that do not necessarily espouse Muslim beliefs and faith. On the contrary, Hinduism is based on personal principles of tolerance which include patient listening even to non believers. Hindus basically believe it is a matter of time before people reawaken and embrace Hindu principles and their faith. Therefore, Hindus believe that, at the end, all religion in the world will conform to their belief in pantheism.Muslims are very specific to their ritual and religious practices since they observe strict fasting periods to even over five days in spe cial periods such as namaz and roza. Fasting is considered an opportunity to earn the approval of Allah, to wipe out previous sins, and to understand the suffering of the poor (Katme 2009). Fasting is also partly to be in control of appetite and to avoid food addiction (Katme 2009). It is the fourth ritual observance in the Five Pillars of Islam. Also, Muslims wake up very early in the morning, on a daily basis, to pray to their God, Allah.On the contrary, Hindu does not put much effort in religious rituals instead they engage in selfless activities so as to increase their probability of being reincarnated to a higher being. In addition, Hindus belief that God is everything, simply outlines that God can take any form to reveal his existence. Hindus also outline that their view of God shows that God has unconditional love for love humanity and creatures. Therefore, God is not necessarily a male according to Hindus, instead; God can reveal himself inform of a female figure or an anima l.Islam religion believes in the existence of God’s angels who are given the duty to fulfill God’s tasks. In Muslim, God cannot reveal himself in any human or physical form, however; rather than revealing his nature in a divine form he sends angles to protect human beings. Moreover, angles are invisible to the naked eye, and they also do not need human comfort since they are heavenly created hence do not posses human qualities. The two religions are similar in that they are built on the theory of commitment to God. This theory requires all the believers in both religions to trust and obey God without question or doubt.Also, the theory is based on purity and peace supported by unquestionable submission to God. Although, the two religions strictly foster people to trust and obey God, they acknowledge the importance of own will in a personal decision. This means that Hindu and Islam do not force any individual to become one of their own or restrict someone from going into other religions. Instead, followers are given the will to decide whether to stay, or shift to other religious belief, but once an individual decides to stay him or she must follow the religious principle held by the either of the group.Beside, followers are allowed to choose on their own with the consent that their decision and their way of living will be judged or will affect their reincarnation in the next life (Horton & Plunkett, 2002, p. 36). Also, there are other slight but significant differences among the two religions. The Muslim religion is based on a politically built system emulating Mohammed way of living which was essentially based on military power, missionary zeal, and political control. On the other hand, Hindu believes in many Gods is meant to provide spiritual freedom to the followers devoid of political influences.Also, Hindu religion is presented as a more feminine religion rather since the symbol of the cow signifies motherhood and fertility. Also, many Hindu d eities are females and their temples consist of arts full of female figures. Muslim, on the other hand, worship a masculine Allah since most of the women are not allowed to enter mosques, and also women are veiled while in public. There are also different ways to realize the truth in Hindu, whereas Islam’s believes in only one true way (Brass, 2005, p. 119).The two religions outline one another as arrogant and disapprove their faith, on the basis of varied grounds. For many years, there have been various wars and grievances containing the two religions with Muslims killing numerous Hindus in India for destroying their places of worships, Mosques. As seen in the above contest, there are more differences in the nature of the tow religions rather similarities. Hindus and Islam’s disagree on the bases of existence of one God, life after death, existence of angles, and others key areas relevant to religion.However, both religions are built on positive attributes, the theory of devotion to God and acknowledge the importance of human free will. Therefore, there is no place that both religion advocates for war or hatred that have preexisted among the two religions. Since both of the Gods allow positive attributes of love and tolerance, these attributes should be used as a basis for uniting the two religions. Works Cited Anon. , 2013. Diffrence Between net. Retrieved from: http://www. differencebetween. net/miscellaneous/difference-between-islam-and-hinduism/ Brass, P. R. , (2005).Language, Religion And Politics in North India. 2 ed. New Delhi: iUniverse. Brodd, J. , (2003). World Religions 2003: A Voyage of Discovery. 2 ed. Winona: Saint Mary's Press. Horton, P. & Plunkett, R. , (2002). Delhi. 3 ed. Footscray: Lonely Planet Online Shop. Katme, Majid A. , (2009). Faith and Food: Retrieved from http://www. faithandfood. com/Islam Naik, Z. , (2007). Basic Beliefs of Hindus and Muslims: Retrieved from http://www. islam101. com/religions/hinduism/hindu_muslim . html V, Jayaram. (2000). The Hindu way of life Part 1 & 2. Retrieved from http://www. hinduwebsite. com/

Classical Approaches to Management Essay

Since the Industrial Revolution began over two hundred years ago, management practices have had to develop and become more clearly defined. The increasing mechanisation and automation that occurred changed how goods and services were produced dramatically. New theories and disciplines emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century as a response to these challenges facing management in a more industrialised age. These new ideas, known as The Classical Approaches to management became the essential building blocks of systems and techniques which help modern day managers effectively plan, organise and control their organisations in the most efficient manner possible. One of the first theories we will look at is was what is known as Scientific Management and was developed chiefly by Frederick Taylor (1856-1917). Taylor came from an engineering background and he highlighted the importance of finding the single best way to perform a particular task. He noted that by analysing every basic movement involved and timing each action in various different ways, you would soon find the quickest and easiest method as a result. As R.C.Appelby (1994) has argued; Taylor â€Å"codified and clearly stated practices which had been developing in many well-run factories†. This â€Å"Time study† approach was very important in helping manufacturing lines improve their productivity by cutting out inefficient, outdated methods of production. Currently, manufacturing industries incorporate methods engineering systems which developed from Taylors time study work to ensure the most efficient production process is in place. Total Quality Management is a modern management practice that relies on continually improving a company’s product or service. A Key factor in this is having a production process that works efficiently and reliably. Taylor also developed the â€Å"Exception Principle† which was to be used as a quality control measure on performance. This method works by detailing precisely the standard of performance to be achieved. The performance of all staff is monitored regularly. Any ineffective staff members that do not meet the standard set are taken note of, and adjustments can then be made to improve the quality of their work. The exception principle also works by identifying any employee who is greatly outperforming the standard set. This tracking of performance results also forms part of the Total Quality Management concept and Taylors work in this area can be seen as being significant in its development. Another key aspect of Taylor’s teachings,  which is still widely used in human resources departments today, was the scientific selection of staff. He asserted that employees should be recruited scientifically based on how their own education, skills and abilities matched the requirements of the job. Once the correct candidate had been hired, they should be given training to help them to perform their tasks to the highest standard possible. He recommended that any increased productivity from an employee should be rewarded financially too, thus incentivising the employee to work harder. These managerial practices are used in nearly all organisations where it has been recognised that an organisations workforce are its most important resource. The training and constant up skilling of the workforce is necessary to keep up with advances in technology and to give a company a competitive edge. Henri Fayol (1841-1925) also developed some theories on the importance of maintaining good relations between staff and management. In his work on what is known as Administrative management, Fayol developed 14 principles of management, one of whic h was â€Å"the stability of tenure â€Å". He recognised the importance of a low staff turnover to an organisations overall effectiveness. Modern management practice generally follows this principle today but also recognises the need to bring in fresh ideas and approaches from new staff to keep the right balance of experienced workers and enthusiastic new people. Another of Fayol s principles which is greatly in evidence today is that of â€Å"initiative†. He believed that employees should be encouraged to put forward their own ideas and be free to execute their tasks in ways they see best fit. This fosters an entrepreneurial environment in the workplace, where employees feel that their ideas are worthy and could form part of a new business plan. Modern IT companies like Google are using this classical approach which has greatly improved innovation and productivity from their employees which has resulted in huge success for the company. Interestingly, Google achieved number 4 on the prestigious Fortune 100 Best Compani es To Work For in 2011. H.L. Gantt(1861-1919) was a colleague of Taylor had some similar approaches. He agreed that management were obliged to provide proper training to its staff and that clearly defined tasks and goals would incentivise employees to perform well. Gantt developed charts for measuring the performance of various projects. These are known as Gantt Charts and are still used today by managers. It gives a quick overview as to how a project  is progressing in relation to its agreed timescale and general targets. A P.E.R.T analysis is another project control method which developed from Gantts bar chart. This Project Evaluation Review Technique works in a similar way to a bar chart, but it offers three possible outcomes of how each task will take in a given project, so as to be prepared for delays in the project or quicker than expected results. This method gives the manager more information to enable him to prepare for all eventualities. Human Resource management has developed into one of the more important areas of management practice. Employees are now regarded as an organisations key asset. R.C.Appleby has said managers must â€Å"know why employees act in the manner that they do†. This is necessary to know what motivates people and what changes could improve performance among a workforce. The Hawthorne Experiments that were conducted by Elton Mayo(1880-1949) and published in 1941 showed the results of phsychological experiments on workers at the Western Electric Company. The aim of the study was to establish the impact of different conditions of work on employee productivity. A group of workers were subjected to various working environment changes such as breaks, hours and managerial leadership.

Definition and Examples of Possessive Determiners

Definition and Examples of Possessive Determiners In English grammar, a possessive determiner is a type of function word  used in front of a noun to express possession or belonging (as in my phone).   The possessive determiners in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. As  Lobeck and Denham point out, theres some overlap between possessive determiners and possessive pronouns. The basic difference, they say, is that pronouns replace full noun phrases. Possessive determiners, on the other hand, have to occur with a noun (Navigating English Grammar, 2014). Possessive determiners are sometimes called possessive adjectives, weak possessive pronouns, genitive pronouns, possessive determiner pronouns,  or simply possessives. Determiner and Grammar Rules CaseDeterminerGenitiveFirst-Person PronounsGenitiveModificationPersonal PronounPossessive CasePossessive PronounQuantifierSecond-Person PronounsSentence Completion Exercise: Personal Pronouns and Possessive DeterminersThird-Person PronounsUsing the Different Forms of Pronouns Examples and Observations One man, I remember, used to take off his hat and set fire to his hair every now and then, but I do not remember what it proved, if it proved anything at all, except that he was a very interesting man.(Dylan Thomas, Quite Early One Morning, 1954)Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.(Mignon McLaughlin, The Complete Neurotics Notebook. Castle Books, 1981Id like to be alone with my sandwich for a moment.(Bart Simpson, The Simpsons)He drifted off into sleep and Janie looked down on him and felt a self-crushing love. So her soul crawled out from its hiding place.(Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1937If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.(Henry David Thoreau, Walden You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.(James Thurber, The Bear Who Let It AloneThe sextant was old. I found it stacked up with a collection of gramophones and ladies workboxes in a junk shop. Its brass frame was mottled green-and-black, the silvering on its mirrors had started to blister and peel off.(Jonathan Raban, Sea-Room. For Love Money: Writing, Reading, Travelling, 1969-1987. Collins Harvill, 1987 Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.(Oscar WildeMy hovercraft is full of eels.(John Cleese as the Hungarian in The Hungarian Phrasebook Sketch. Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Dec. 15, 1970Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.(Albert EinsteinAll happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.(Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Possessive Adjective or Determiner? The title   possessive adjective is actually more often used than possessive determiner but the latter is a more accurate description. Admittedly, in his car, the word his goes before the noun car and to that extent behaves as an adjective, but in *the his car (compare the old car) it shows itself not to be an adjective; it certainly doesnt describe the car itself. (Tony Penston, A Concise Grammar for English Language Teachers. TP Publications, 2005) Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Determiners Most  possessive determiners are  similar to their corresponding possessive pronouns: her is a possessive determiner, while hers is a possessive pronoun. The possessive determiners his and its are identical to their corresponding possessive pronouns. The function in the sentence determines the part of speech. In The red Toyota is his car, his is a determiner because its introducing the noun phrase car. In The red Toyota is his, his is a pronoun because its functioning as a noun phrase. In The company made this pen, this is a determiner. In The company made this, its a pronoun because it stands in place of a noun phrase.   (June Casagrande,  It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences. Ten Speed Press, 2010) [The] construction with the possessive pronoun [e.g. a friend of mine] differs from the alternative of possessive determiner noun (e.g. my friend) mainly in that it is more indefinite. The sentences in (30) below illustrates this point: (30) a. You know John? A friend of his told me that the food served at that restaurant is awful.(30) b. You know John? His friend told me that the food served at that restaurant is awful. The construction with the possessive pronoun, in (30a), can be used if the speaker hasnt specified and doesnt need to specify the identity of the friend. In contrast, the construction with the possessive determiner, in (30b), implies that the speaker and listener both know what friend is intended. (Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Report of Michael Hill Jewellery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report of Michael Hill Jewellery - Case Study Example This leadership theory describes two extremes of leadership concern. Concern for production and concern for people, the leader who is concerned for production targets high results and productivity while the one concerned about people care little about productivity and is more concerned about being loved and approved by the people. This theory defines a few types of leaders; the country club leader has the highest concern for people. This type of leaders assumes that if an employee is happy, work will be well carried out. The relationship between the leader and the employee is casual just like that of friends. The impoverished leader is more concerned about productivity as well as the employees. This leader gives little motivation, therefore, leaving the employees confused about their job and find no joy in doing their set duties. The middle of the road leader balances between his concern for the people and productivity. He settles for less satisfying work and the end result is the mediocre performance. There is also the team leader who insists on high levels of production and employee performance. The leader sets goals and assists the employees in meeting these goals. Finally, the authoritarian leader who leads by controlling, overpowering and demanding; the leader is more concerned about productivity and employees are a tool for achieving this productivity. The objective of this model of leadership is to show that when employee and results concerns are high, productivity will increase accordingly. The leadership at MHJ should better understand this theory as it will greatly improve the productivity of the employees and in turn, lead to higher profits. The organization strives to provide the most fun and friendly environment for the employees. They emphasize that just like their collection, each employee is seen as unique with valuable insights and ideas.

Dual Leadership in UK organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dual Leadership in UK organizations - Essay Example The dynamics of the CEO-Chairman interrelationship and the effects of this on the enterprise have been studied by Kakabadse et al (2006) who adopted a qualitative methodology and provided in-depth interviews of chairmen, CEOs and non-executive directors. The chairman-CEO interactions and their effects were also studied and the findings of the paper have been based on the chairman's role and contribution, nature of the relationship between the chairman and CEO, the attributes or traits of an effective chairman and the impact of the chairman-CEO relationship on board effectiveness (Kakadabse et al, 2006). The study provides a clearer picture of the chairman-CEO dyad and the influence of the dyadic interaction on the formative context of the enterprise. Using data from 2180 Chairmanships from 460 UK firms over a period of 8 years, Florou (2005) suggested that there is a link between the Chairman and CEO in many ways as when a CEO is dismissed, the Chairman is also replaced. The data on dismissal events also suggest that replacement of a Chairman is associated with restructuring of the board and with restructuring, new skills are brought in which might facilitate future corporate decisions. However Florou (2005) claims that the Chairman's previous position does not affect the Chairman removal or the CEO dismissal process although if the Chairman has been responsible for the appointment of the failing CEO, during CEO departure, the dismissal of the Chairman is also likely because they tend to work as a team and one's failure mirrors the other's failure as well. This in turn would suggest effective governance within an enterprise. Sora et al (2004) discuss some resultant problems when the role of the chief executive officer and role of the chairman are merged and when person takes up both the roles. There are controversies to this sort of responsibility as when the responsibilities of the CEO and Chairman are given to one person, there can be a decrease of vigilance and flaws in accountability and operations of the company. As the power for the company centers around one leader, the CEO/Chairman can use this power for his personal gain at the expense of other stakeholders in the company (Sora te al, 2004). Thus a unitary leadership structure with no distribution of power can lead to an environment of greed and corruption resulting in mistrust towards the company and its people. This suggests that the regulation of leadership and distribution of power should be done considering the benefits to the company and the credibility that the company can gain with it governance and management structure. There have been several pressures on US companies to separate the roles of CEO and Chairman because a unitary leadership can lead to too much power given to one person. Shareholder activists and regulators maintain that US firms should separate the titles of CEO and Chairman of the Board as separate titles could reduce agency costs in corporation and improve performance. According to shareholders and regulators, separation of the role of CEO and Chairman has potential costs and benefits and Brickley et al (1997) suggest that costs of such separation would be larger than benefits for most firms. So how can the one man show or unitary leadership