Journal Reflection on Barbie Dolls

Now I believe that childhood is the best phase of life. One never ever gets those experiences again during the rest of his life. One can see God in a child. The child has his innocence and the love he gets every time from everybody around. The child has the best grasping and memory during the phase of 2yrs. to 6yrs. This stays in memory through out the whole life. How can I forget my childhood days? Yes, I have very clear picture of my childhood days. I was the first child of my parents and as we stayed with our grandparents, I was pet and beloved one for them as well. I had my colorful room with all eye catchy colored things like my bed, clothes, wall hangings and room full of toys (decorations) and I was really crazy for all that exciting toys. I always wanted to play with all at a time, but out of that there was one particular toy (which is still preserved) that was part of my heart, soul and body. It never allowed any tears to flow from my eyes, but the moment it was for any reason away from me the tears never stopped flowing from my eyes. My attachment was 24X7 with it. It was none other than my precious BARBIE DOLL. I don’t know why, but I had a special affection, love, emotion, attachment and craze for that doll. I never ever allowed anyone to even touch that doll. My Barbie had long blond hair, blue eyes, long eye lashes and pink lips. Her waist was real skinny and her toes were flat with high heels. I loved my Barbie doll. She was more like a lively person (doll) to me. I had many friends but Barbie was my best friend, who knew everything about me, including my top secrets. I had a separate closet of clothes and shoes for her. I used to give a bath to her, dress her up everyday and take her with me where ever I went out with my parents or friends. I don’t know why I loved her and had so much affection towards her. May be I loved Barbie because I was girl and many girls were crazy about Babies. I don’t remember my memories from my childhood but this memory stayed with me till now and will always stay with me for my lifetime. This is my unforgettable Barbie love memory ever in my future lifetime. I really loved my Barbie doll.

Burn (Quemada)

The 1969 movie released in early January 1970, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, with Marlon Brando, Evaristo Marquez, Norman Hill, Renato Salvatori as main cast is a story of an organized slave revolt on the Caribbean island of Quemada. Burn is known as one of the greatest movies made on the topic of colonialism. Initially the movie had Spaniards in control of sugar trade in the island but had to change it to Portuguese after Spain objected to it. The colonist rulers are shown to be in control of the profitable sugar plantation and trade at Quemada wiping out all the rebellious elements that hindered their activities.The local workers at the plantation are replaced with black slaves imported from Africa to curtail the indigenous uprising. The most important is the role of a foreigner manipulator, the British Sir William Walker, shown as an expert getting paid for creating war. The scenes are set in 1845 Caribbean island of Quemada where the British government sends a mercenary, Sir Will iam Walker (Marlon Brando) for disrupting the Portuguese monopoly of sugar plantation in the colony.He also approaches some of the influential person on the island like businessman, Teddy Sanchez (Renato Salvatori) and also petty laborer, Jose Dolores (Evaristo Marquez), a porter at the dock. Since most of the local businessmen are found interested in getting rid of the ruling Portuguese and are thus evoked by Walker to overthrow the ruling regime. Initially Walker persuades Dolores to organize a bank theft and kill several Portuguese soldiers. Following which Dolores forms a band of dacoits that is joined by many slaves from the local plantation.On the other hand, Walker persuades Teddy to overthrow the Portuguese governor and liberate the island. Many of the local white population support the revolt too. The revolt ends successfully and slaves return to plantations. Walker later returns to England after completing his mission. Ten years later, Walker is contacted again by British Sugar Company complaining about Dolores interfering with the local businessmen. This time Walker is called to end the rebellion led by Dolores. This time he returns to the island leading the British against the rebel Dolores, whom he himself created ten years back.His other old acquaintance, businessman Teddy Sanchez is now the governor of the island. Teddy reacting to Sir Walker’s callous tactics gets killed in return and replaced by a military dictatorship. Walker also detains Dolores and asks him to leave the island. Dolores instead prefers to face execution and die for his cause. In the end, the situation comes under control of the British and everything seems to get in order. To everyone’s surprise, Walker gets killed by a petty dock porter while leaving the island. The movie is full of intrigues, secretive plots, dirty manipulation and rebellious warfare.The main character, Sir William Walker is shown always busy cheating all the groups on the island. With his ex ceptional craftiness, Walker successfully turns a simple dock porter into a rebel. He meticulously persuades him to indulge in a bank robbery and successive massacre of the troops after which he foresees his logical transformation towards revolt. Along side, Walker warns the white plantation owners about the suspected indigenous uprising and provokes them to curb it well before time. He thus works to ignites and keeps the flame of war burning throughout the movie.The struggle brings nothing for either party but to place the island in hands of the British, Walker’s ultimate motive. The movie clearly shows the motives of the business class, who in collaboration with the army exploits and deprives the peasant of their due rights. Burn is a real colonist political show, a well produced Italian historical drama on 112 minutes of deluxe color, has been Brando’s best in the late 60s. The film is a fascinating piece of cinematic art and a good watch. Reference Pontecorvo, Gill o. Burn (Quemada). 1969 (Release Jan 1970). Les Productions Artistes Associes P. E. A. France

Describe how and explain why colonialism deployed and legitimized Essay

Describe how and explain why colonialism deployed and legitimized violence against women in colonial India - Essay Example poverty has been seen to be increasing as the population increases. In india, the act of infanticide of girls is high, which is an act whereby the girl child is killed after realization that it is a female. There is also high number of abortion cases of girl foetuses. India is currently marred by high number of cases relating to abuse of women. This can be evidenced by the recent case whereby a female student was gang raped. Other cases which are common are forced marriages, wife battering and other women related violence. The cases mentioned above are common in India and they happen frequently because few of them are reported to the authorities. The treatment of the Indian people by the colonialist is what has contributed highly to the current situation where women are abused in the society. The colonisers made Indians work in bad situations. The treatment they got from the coloniser made them hate themselves. This hatred they got from the abuse from the colonialism is what is curre ntly prevailing in the society. The colony violated women for some reasons, one of the main reason for violation was that women are part of recreation in the society, that is they give birth. The colonizers allowed the massacre of the native women and children so that they stop the continuation of Indian people through child birth. Additionally, the colonizers pointed out that control of the growing population will only be done by killing of native women and children in large numbers. Furthermore the massacre of the native women was a way of destroying the local tribes. The coloniser further encouraged abuse against women as a way of controlling the sexuality to destruct the continuation of giving birth. Control of woman's ability to reproduce continued even after the country became independent. Women have been subjected to various controls of their reproduction so as to control the ability to give birth and control the growing population (Anagol 2005). Colonialists took over India and massacred a lot of people, most of the people died as a result of hunger because they were subjected to hard tasks with limited food. Before the arrival of the colonialist to India, Indians had their own system of governances, this where they could solve their domestic issues by use of court. Due to the British expansion to the whole country after the takeover which was characterized by high number of deaths, they changed the system of governance by introduction of their own and destruction of Indian governance. For example, the common courts which the Indians use to solve their issues such as caste Panchayats were abolished. This act by the British made the Indian women vulnerable. This is because the traditional system use by the Indian courts had full knowledge of the Indian women. Because of the abolition of the Indian traditional courts, the colonialist defined new ways of crime. This saw the emergence of various ways of female crimes. Infanticide is of the crime activities identified by the colonialism, infanticide as explained above is killing of the female child after birth. Other criminal activities according to the colonialist are window marriages, husband poisoning and wife beating. Those activities were common before the colonialist governance took over. Colonialists identified criminal activities based of the tribal groups. This affected certain group of women which the colonialist had classified them as the criminal tribes.

Intercultural Communications assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercultural Communications - Assignment Example Multiculturalism in Canada is often seen in towns and cities when they hold festivals that celebrate their individual cultures. An example of such festival is Folk fest which shows different cultures that include heritage, cuisine, and dance. These kinds of festivals give Canadians a chance to understand and appreciate different cultures that make up Canada. Canadians are known for their friendly culture. They appreciate that the country is made up of so many cultures and respect each culture. Marriage is viewed differently in different cultures because arranged marriages are accepted in one community while in others, people are expected to choose their future life partners (Coontz, 2014). These behaviors are impacted by the historical background of a culture. This history moves from one generation to the next and is accepted by the group. The behaviors are also impacted by the religious background of a group. For example, in the Muslim community, parents are obligated to arrange for their children’s marriage. Different cultures also view love differently. Communities that support arranged marriages view love as infatuation. Countries that follow this culture have low divorce rates. On the other hand, communities that support individual arrangements view love as the basis of marriage. What an individual’s family might feel to be best for the individual may not be best for him or her. Communities exhibiting these behaviors can be classified in the cultural di mension model because the cultures are differentiated based on the difference in national cultures. Different communities have their own interpretation of public display of emotion. In some communities, public display is a norm and people believe that this helps other people understand a person. However, this is not the case in other communities who believe that the public display of emotions especially, from those who hold power

Theory report-Archtecture History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Theory report-Archtecture History - Essay Example Toward this direction it is supported that urban design ‘is geographically limited in terms that it can be applied in ‘areas of a limited size, about half a mile (0.8 km) square’12. It should also be noticed that modern architecture is characterized by a plethora of innovative plans and ideas which all contribute to the development of the specific science throughout the years. As an example we could refer to the case of Archigram which published in 1961 and included a series of architectural plans of very simple form as designed by Cook, Webb and other architects that participated in the whole effort (Design Museum, 2007). Archigram has been a representative sample of modern architectural ideas despite the fact that its application is not achievable. Apart from Archigram, a series of trends have been developed in architecture which was furthermore supported by theories related with the plans involved. In this context, Utopia – a term that is used a lot in the description of specific social and cultural conditions – has been related with architecture. The plans that were developed under the influence of ‘Utopian’ city present many simi larities although there are also elements that are unique in each one of these plans. It should be noticed that the application of the theory of ‘Utopia’ in architecture is not recent. In fact there are many studies that refer to the particular issue highlighting the importance of ‘Utopia’ for the development of ‘unreal’ but pleasant conditions of life for citizens around the world. Current paper presents a personal proposal on Courthouse project using the theory of Utopia as developed in the area of architecture. The particular aspects of Utopia are presented in order to understand its application of architecture and its potential use in the future towards the development of viable urban plans. Moreover, a series of architectural plans related with Utopia has been used in order to

Marketing and Advertising of Whirlpool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing and Advertising of Whirlpool - Essay Example According to Larson (2009), Whirlpool has found increasing success in the global market. The success of the company is due to a particular global market and brand strategy. It is the outcome of decision-making strategic at the multi-national level. The company first extended through a standardized brand message within Europe. Whirlpool has since patterned its present international success of its European strategy. The company portrays the value of employing a consistent and efficient global market strategy. The leadership in the company notes that a strategy of transnational branding has become successful. Whirlpool has succeeded through correlation of their communication, product, pricing and market channel strategies. The same techniques are exploited presently with their continued penetration of the market and growth in both Asia and Latin America (Larson,

Ethical Conduct in Scientific Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Conduct in Scientific - Research Paper Example Suffering from latent syphilis meant that they had the infection but they showed no sign of the disease until late stages. For about 40 years, the poor men were never told that they were suffering from the disease and were never treated. Instead, they were only told that they had â€Å"bad blood† and were not given penicillin even though it was the standard cure for the disease that was available in 1947. The aim of the study was to find out whether syphilis affected the black men in a different way from the way it affected the white men (Katz & Warren, 2011). For participating in the study, men were given free ride to and from the Tuskegee clinic in Alabama. In addition, they were given hot meals and free treatment for minor ailments. For instance, they were given only aspirin and mineral supplements to cure minor ailments so that the treatment procedure could not interfere with their study. Much worse, even the 250 men from the Second World War drafted from the war to volunteer in the study, arrangements were made to make sure they remained part of the study. When the study ended in 1972, there was a public outcry and only 74 men of the original participants stayed alive. Other negative outcomes involved 28 men who died from syphilis and related complications, while 40 wives were infected with the disease and 19 children suffered from congenital syphilis. Survivors of the study received financial compensation from the United States and President Bill Clinton was forced to declare on behalf of the state that US had done a shameful thing (Katz & Warren, 2011). United States demonstrated heinous acts in the study that were considered to be morally wrong. It was unethical for the Tuskegee clinicians to conduct the study without the consent of the patients, according to the World Health Organizations Declaration of Helsinki of 1964. Clinical centers must conform to the ethical conducts stipulated by the legal structures. However, in Tuskegee case, they

Bio research paper-Glacier, shared by Canada & US Essay

Bio research paper-Glacier, shared by Canada & US - Essay Example Collision of cloud particles falls as snow and rain that accumulates on the peaks of St. Elias Mountains, Takashina Mountains among other ranges. The snowpacks melt in warm weather and proceeds into the rivers, canals, and coastline of the park. Glacier Bay National Park is known for its diverse plant species that readily help in replenishing nitrogen in the ecosystem. Flora consists of hemlock forest, sprus, willows, alder, dryas, and fireweed. Researchers indicate that the presence of moss, alder and dryas is the immediate evidence of an excellent nitrogen cycle in an ecosystem. The park nitrogen is improved by the ability of dryas and alders to add nitrogen directly from the air. These two plant species fix the collected nitrogen from the air into their rot nodules before dropping their leaves that serves in nitrogen addition to the soil. Fungi indigenous to the forest also help in the nitrogen cycle. Plants such as hemlock, willows, fireweed and sprus found in Glacier Bay National Park absorb CO2 during photosynthesis. These plants are the primary producers of carbon in the cycle. They release the absorbed CO2 into the atmosphere in the process of respiration. The aquatic plants found in rivers Alsek, Glacier Bay, Lynn Canal, and Dry Bay also absorb the dissolved carbon dioxide in these water bodies. They use the absorbed CO2 in photosynthesis. Human activities in the park such as constructing a road leading to Newmont Exploration minefield contributes to the carbon cycle because it leads to deforestation of the park. Tourists visiting the park use gasoline and petroleum in their cars. Burning petroleum releases carbon into the atmosphere. Differences in Glacier Bay National Park’s temperature, rainfall, and composition are an evidence of rich habitat for several native plant and animal species. Tree species vary with the altitude of the mountain ranges. The lowlands of Fairweather range are covered

Articel reviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Articel reviews - Essay Example These four words, although vague, have dominated classical management theories. However, this is shown to be in contrast to the reality wherein â€Å"managers are not reflective, regulated workers, informed by their massive MIS systems, scientific, and professional†. In other words, in practice, managers fall short of what is expected of them. The purpose of the article is to highlight these points as deficiencies and therefore the need for managers to take on their expected role in order to improve their effectiveness. The author’s intention is clearly set out: to divert the reader from Fayol’s words based on the classical view and â€Å"introduce him to a more supportable †¦ description of managerial work†. This entails that managers recognise their role and develop an understanding of both themselves and their jobs. The study involved managers from selected western countries being observed intensively and in some cases their diaries and records analysed. The synthesis revealed findings contrary to the classical view. Four perspectives were found not to hold true and are therefore folklore: (1) The manager is a reflective, systematic planner – Evidence showed that managers work unrelentingly, and their activities tend to be brief, various and discontinuous. Moreover, they dislike reflection and are more oriented towards action than planning. (2) Effective managers have no regular duties i.e. they carefully organise everything and then reap the rewards of this organisation – Evidence shows that there are always exceptions, and there are also various regular duties to be performed such as ceremonious, negotiating and processing various types of information including its relation to the business environmental. (3) Senior manager’s use aggregated information as this is best provided formally – Total or management information systems are not perfect. Evidence shows that manager’s tend to favour verbal mediation instead. (4)

Planning For Clarity (Language Learning) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning For Clarity (Language Learning) - Essay Example The second step has the students interacting with each other while the tutor monitors this session like a referee. The first step when the tutor engages in teaching and interacting the students find an opportunity to loosen their guards from inhibitive apprehensions and become responsive. This is the time when the tutor holds the fort teaching and instructing, questioning and gingerly allowing students to respond to queries. The tutor/students interactions may begin with the tutor allowing students 10% of the time to answer questions. The tutor may then increase the number of questions and gradually extend the question/answers hour to 90%, transferring the session to the second step when the students begin interacting with each other using study material and discussions. It is crucially important to organize the interaction sessions with content rich and well designed study material so that the students get exposure to language learning resources. These study material must be condensed and balanced so that the contents appear neither inadequate nor cluttered. The class must be divided into 3 or 4 groups to allow for group discussions and preparation before the final competition. (Judy Haynes) The SIOP strategy invokes use of first language in the learning process of the second language. This bilingual approach puts the students at ease as they are materially prepared to grasp the second language more easily being acquainted with the lesson contents having understood them from their presentation in their own language. Since the study material are also biliteral, that is, scripted in the first and second languages, all the students have to do is grasp the text and grammar of the second language. The process of application is a workshop involving reading, writing, listening and speaking. The study material must adequately cover all of these. The tutor must allow time for students to learn on trial and error rote. The exercise must allow ample time for students to stir their mental aptitudes with language learning. (Bilingual/ESL Education Program, p7) Conclusion The SIOP strategy makes learning simple and user-friendly. Being connected to the mother tongue, its approach is that of a friendly neighbor. The tutor must adorn the role of the friendly neighbor. It goes without saying that the tutor must be thoroughly conversant with the first and second languages. The students' success totally depends on the tutor's approach with the curriculum and study material providing the vital links in the process. One learns the first language in an informal atmosphere of abandon and care. The process is much the same for the second language. Sources: Bilingual/ESL Education Program, Instructional Model, 15 November, 2005, Updated September 2007, Brownsville Independent School District, Texas, http://www.bisd.us/Bilingual_Education/INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL UPDATED SEPT 2007.pdf Judy Haynes, SIOP: Making Content Comprehensible for ELLs, everythingELS.net,

Sylvia Gregorio Essay Example for Free

Sylvia Gregorio Essay As a trainee I’m happy for the output that I have made. After a long preparation and great efforts just to make sure that this documentation were done very well, and when this portfolio were done all the fatigues that I had were relieved. I would like to thank first of all to god that gave me strength and their guide. Then to Sir Sherwin Sapin for giving us freedom and time to work this output, to my family and friends that gave me all their support, and to all employee of Experiment Station (IRRI). What have I learned from the experience? (Non-IT and IT) I have learned a lot in my training regarding in IT with the big participation of the Experiment Station Unit. My first job at the Experiment Station Unit is Unexpected. I’m really not expecting that the first day of my training was mentally painful. My supervisor asked me if I can make a program for their system. And what program language I am using. Then I said I can create a several program in Visual Basic 6.0. Then she decided to give me a job and at that day I’m not expecting that she assigned me to analyze the flow and flow process of a system. At first I am regretful and I ask myself, what is this? Why I tell to her that I can create a several program even though I really create a simple program but this is not a simple work it is totally mental painful. Well I had no choice at that day I had no idea what I’m going to do with that kind of work. I am thinking and thinking and thinking. What appearance should the system have? How does the system can help the users and how did I going to start to create a system? It’s seemed that my job here is really an IT related. And in the next other days little by little I construct a form. I’m searching for the codes and designing it step by step. Until every passing day I I have always an additional useful  codes, forms, layouts, and objects that completed my database system. It’s sp pleasure to me when I always added a new useful tool for it but eventually like I said it not easy to create a database system. You need a focus on it and fortunately by my diligence and perseverance I presented the system that I’ve made even if it is a simple system. The importance is it is useful, helpful and reliable to the users my supervisor was so proud at me specially me myself. Because I’m taking the name of my school that’s why I have the responsibility to promote it that’s why I’ve done my best to do what my supervisor assigned to me. When I always staring at the system that I’ve done I always remember the unforgettable moments that I’ve done in IRRI. At first it is mentally painful but eventually you also benefit on it. Aside from making a system they were expecting that I have a great advantage in computer technology. That’s why they always give me an activity in power point, excel, ms word, ms access, paint and I’m also installing a software sometimes. Because my profession is computer related I am always assigned at the computer field activities. When it comes from Non-IT job like paper works, office works and many more I’m also doing this activities like file arranging, file updating, inventory, odometer reading, seeds repacking, scanning, printing, laminating, phone call answering and many more. Introduction This Report is a compilation of all documents and experiences of the associate in Information Technology students namely: John Lester Banasihan during his Training at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). This Report tells to the reader what they have done and what they have learned during his On-The-Job-Training. It tells the reader how memorable this training experience. It also tells the reader what he can recommend for the improvement of On-The-Job-Training Program and his advice to those who will take their OJT in the near future. This Report contains four chapters; first chapter is History, Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives and also The Background of the Company where they took his OJT. Second Chapter, His Weekly Progress Report. Third Chapter is the assessment of OJT and the last  Chapter is all the Pertinent Documents.

Islamic Finance and Mortages in the UK

Islamic Finance and Mortages in the UK Chapter 1: Introduction Around two million people in the UK are hesitating to get a mortgage from conventional banks or building societies because of religious obligations. Most of them are Muslims and like to obey the rules of Islam. Conventional banking systems offer the customers to pay interest against their loan or mortgage. According to Islam interest is called â€Å"riba†, which is forbidden by the rules of the Holy Quran. So how can the Muslims buy a home or get a loan where they cannot pay the interest. Most of Muslims are confused from where they can borrow money. Go with the conventional banks or newly established Islamic banks, who are not so much experienced in the UK mortgage market. According to Usmani (2005) the main drawback in interest based system is financier has no concern with money when he gives an interest bearing loan to a client. But in Islamic financial contract cash money is not given to client, first of all they purchase the commodity and transfer to client then all profit and loss will be distributed between parties according to agreed terms and conditions (Usmani, 2005). As the Islamic Sharia is not permitting to pay or receive any interest from conventional nor even from any person or agency, so especially any Muslim is not allowed to use conventional mortgage for religious faith. It is experienced that home or property purchase is too expensive by using the cash on hand. To solve this problem the financial organisation or the bank buy the property or house with their name act as a landlord and the client pay the rent plus some money for the contribution for the property. When the term finished predetermined by the lender and the client the prop erty is transferred to the client that means the client absolutely buy the property. According to Harding (2009) the Sharia serves mostly as a guide to personal conduct, though some rules are drafted into the legal codes of majority-Muslim states. Its founded, were always told, on revealed truth from the Quran and exemplary stories from the Hadith, the sayings and doings of the Prophet. But the real influence of the Sharia lies in the way this material is constantly read and recast by modern Islamic scholars, reinventing old traditions or asserting new ones. Whatever they take it to be, growing numbers of Muslims are keen to stay on the path when it comes to banking and finance. The global Muslim population is upwards of 1.3 billion roughly one in every five people on earth and, with a religious revival of twenty or thirty years standing, the way of Islam is now a crowded thoroughfare. It is plied by a great diversity of travellers from different parts of the world; some have money to burn, others next to none, but anybody with a modicum of wealth is nowadays a pot ential opportunity for banks offering Sharia-compliant retail services: current accounts, straightforward financing schemes and home-ownership plans (Harding, 2008). In some countries in the World like Iran, Pakistan and Sudan all banks are currently operating through Islamic financial law but other Muslim major countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, GCC countries and North African countries operating both conventional and non-conventional banks. Islamic banking services run by Islamic bank and some conventional banks. In the UK some high street banks like HSBC Amanah, Bank of London and the Middle East (BLME) are the main two conventional banks that offer Islamic banking to the customers from all background. According to UN-HABITAT (2005) Islamic financial systems are located within the larger context of Islamic religious, ethical and economic systems. Islamic finance has seen annual growth rates of over 15% and the Islamic capital invested in global financial institutions is currently estimated at US$1.3 trillion. A key growth area is in the provision of Islamic mortgages, both within the Arab world and in Europe and North America (UN-HABITAT, 2005). Over the last few years some of the UK conventional high street banks like Lloyds TSB, HSBC have introduced Islamic products in several of their branches. In the year 2005 Lloyds TSB bank plc introduced Islamic products to some of its branches. A panel of Islamic scholars look after and guide the bank according to Sharia i.e. the Islamic rules for the Islamic products offered by the bank. Another high street bank HSBC has introduced Islamic products on the brand name Amanah. These two conventional banks are offering wide range of services w ith different windows on the basis of the Islam, like home insurance, mortgage, current accounts, pension etc. The Islamic Bank of Britain is the first Islamic bank in the UK started its operation in the year 2004 which welcomes Muslim and non-Muslims alike as customers. It is operating with a few branches mainly in London, Birmingham, Leicester and Manchester where Muslim people are majority. All of their financial products are approved by a committee of Islamic scholar, called the Sharia Supervisory Committee. All of the committee members are expert of the Islamic rules and finance as well. They introduced the banking system, mortgage and other related products as Halal, which may be accepted by the Muslim and non-Muslim customers. The Prime Minister of the UK Gordon Brown has pledged support for the growth of Islamic finance (BBC news, 13 June 2006). The UK is acting as a gateway for the growing industry. In another report of BBC news (17 October 2008) in the midst of turmoil in the global financial system, there is one branch of finance that aims to operate within strict moral and ethical boundaries Islamic finance. One expert on Islamic finance, Durham University professor Rodney Wilson, points out that no Islamic financial institution has yet failed in the current crisis. He contrasts â€Å"excessive risk-taking† in the mainstream financial sector with â€Å"a fairly classical banking model† still followed by Islamic institutions (BBC news, 17 October 2008). According to FSA (2007) The Islamic financial market as well as the Islamic mortgage market has become exceptionally complicated as well as increasingly competitive. Today, practically most of the financial institutions in the western countries are attracting the customers through Islamic finance whether by Islamic Sharia complaint, â€Å"Islamic windows† or some other Islamic financial product, like the Islamic mortgage marketing. Most of the expansion of Islamic finance in the UK has taken place in the last five years, but the continuation of Sharia-compliant transactions in the London financial markets goes back to the 1980s (FSA, 2007). . Aim The aim of this paper is to provide a thorough outline of the main principles of Islamic finance and practice of Islamic Finance especially in the field of home finance in the UK. The paper emphasises the core principle of Islamic finance i.e. Sharia and Sharia complaint practices in the field of Islamic mortgage market, providing an insight view to understand and find out the effectiveness throughout the Muslim population as well as non-Muslim communities in the UK. By the end of the paper the readers should have a greater appreciation of the various types of ways to find the right mortgage products to be within the Sharia complaint environment as well as get an understanding of the effectiveness with .these kind of products. Through a mixture of different types of graphical presentations of some factors involving in the Islamic financial environment, the UK government policies, difference and comparison between the Islamic mortgage and the conventional mortgage, some examples of di fferent types Islamic halal financial products effective in other developing countries in the world will be presented to get an overview the wide range of factors involved in evaluating and analysing the Islamic mortgage market. Objectives Understand the core principles of Islamic finance Relate the principles to the Islamic mortgage The key features of Islamic mortgage Different types of Islamic contract relating to mortgage Analyse Islamic mortgage prospect in UK from the various point of views Dissertation formation Chapter 1 Introduction of the objectives subjects and discuss limitations. Chapter 2 Literature review: This chapter will consist of the academic review of the literature on Islamic finance, types of contracts involved in Islamic mortgage and overall review of Islamic mortgage market in the UK. Chapter 3 Research Methodology: This chapter will outline the research methodology adopted as well as its possible ways of application by the primary and the secondary data collection. Chapter 4 Data and Analysis: In this important chapter various data will be presented through table, chart and different opinions and findings derived from primary research and secondary research to examine the effectiveness of Islamic mortgage market in the UK. Chapter 5 Conclusion: This chapter will present the overall conclusion of the study. Chapter 6 Recommendation: This chapter will make recommendations, some of which will be general while others will be specific to what will need to be done in the future by the Islamic financial institutions in the UK. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Background of Islamic Finance The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) expressed â€Å"Islamic financial institution as a financial institution whose statutes, rules and procedures expressly state its commitment to the Principles of Islamic Sharia and to the banning of the receipt and payment of interest on any of its operations† (Hassan, 1999, p.60). Sharia is the path or lifestyle of Muslim, shown and cited in the Holy Quran, the sayings and conduct of the prophet Mohammed (PBUH), and the ruling of Islamic scholars. 2.2 Principle of Islamic Finance McKenzie (2009) stated that â€Å"the underlying financial principles in Islamic finance have remained unchanged historically since their development over 1,400 years ago. Financial products must be certified as Sharia compliant by an expert in Islamic law. Certification requires that the transaction adheres to a number of key principles that include: Backing by a tangible asset, so as to avoid ‘speculation (gharar). Prohibition of interest payments (riba). Risk to be shared amongst participants. Limitations on sale of financial assets and their use as collateral. Prohibition of finance for activities deemed incompatible with Sharia law (haram), such as alcohol, conventional financial services, gambling and tobacco.† (McKenzie, 2009) 2.2.1 Riba (Interest) â€Å"The interest that you give in order to increase the wealth of the people, does not increase in the sight of Allah; and the Zakat that you pay in order to win Allahs approval, its payers do indeed increase their wealth† (Surah Al-Rome no. 39 cited in Shafi and Usmani, 1997, p.67). 2.2.1.1 Prohibition of Riba (Interest) â€Å"The word riba literally means increase, addition, expansion or growth† ( Sulaiman, 2003). According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) Riba means increase or addition and commonly understood as interest charged or received on lending though the legal definition goes beyond just interest.It is one of the three fundamental prohibitions in Islamic finance, the other two being gharar and maysir. . Technically it denotes any increase or addition to capital obtained by the lender as a condition of the loan. In simple terms Riba covers any return on money on money, whether the interest rate is fixed, floating, simple or compounded and at whatever rate which is guaranteed irrespective of the performance of the investment, is considered riba and is so prohibited. Riba, in all forms, is strictly prohibited in Islamic tradition as it is considered an unjust return that leads to unjust enrichment (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010) According to Usmani (2005) â€Å"exclusion of interest from financial activities does not necessarily mean that the financier cannot earn a profit. If financing is meant for a commercial purpose, it can be based on concept of profit and loss sharing, for which musharakah and mudarabah have been designed since the very inception of Islamic commercial law† (Usmani, 2005, p.10). According to Chapra (1986) it is however, not every increase or growth which has been prohibited by Islam. In the Shariah, riba technically refers to the â€Å"premium† that must be paid by the borrower to the lender along with the principal amount as a condition for the loan or for an extension in its maturity. In this sense, riba has the same meaning and import as interest in accordance with the consensus of all the fuqaha (jurists) without any exception (Chapra, 1986). 2.2.2 Gharar â€Å"The Arabic word gharar means risk, uncertainty, and hazard† (Obaidullah, 2005). According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) Gharar is one of the three fundamental prohibitions in Islamic finance, the other two are riba and maysir. Gharar means uncertainty, hazard, chance or risk. Technically Gharar can explained by the Institute of Banking and Insurance, â€Å"sale of a thing which is not present at hand; or the sale of a thing whose consequence or outcome is not known; or a sale involving risk or hazard in which one does not know whether it will come to be or not, such as fish in water or a bird in the air. It is an exchange in which one or more parties stand to be deceived through ignorance of an essential element of the exchange. Thus it refers to an element of absolute or excessive uncertainty in any business or contract (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website 2010). Makhlouf (2000) described â€Å"there are several types of gharar , all of which are disallowed (haram). The following are some examples: Selling goods where the seller is unable to deliver, Selling known or unknown goods against an unknown price, such as selling the contents of a sealed box, in absence of any concept of its contents or value in the buyers mind, Selling goods without proper description, such as shop owner selling clothes with unspecified sizes, without providing the buyer the option to inspect the goods, Making a contract conditional on an unknown event, such as when my friend arrives if the time is not specified, Selling goods on the basis of false description, Selling goods without allowing the buyer the properly examine the goods (Makhlouf, 2000). Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) describes gharar as Deception through ignorance by one or more parties to a contract. Gambling is a form of gharar because the gambler is ignorant of the result of the gamble. Gharar can occur in several ways, all of which are haram (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010). 2.2.3 Maysir According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) â€Å"Maysir is one of three fundamental prohibitions in Islamic finance. Maysir is explained as Games of chance or gambling, trying to earn easy money without having to provide equivalent consideration. A prohibited activity, as it is a zero-sum game just transferring the wealth not creating new wealth. The prohibition on Maysir is often used as the grounds for criticism of conventional financial practices such as speculation, conventional insurance and derivatives† (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010). The Quran states that are translated in English, â€Å"intoxication, games of chance, worship of idols, and divination by arrows are but an abomination, Satans hand I work; avoid it then, so that you might prosper! By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan wants only to sow enmity and hatred among you, and hinder you from the remembrance of God and from prayer []† (The Q uran 5:90-91 cited Rohmatunnisa, 2008). Schoon (2007) explained â€Å"Maysir(or speculation) is an event in which there is a possibility of total loss to one party. Maysir has elements of gharar, but not every gharar is maysir† (Schoon, 2007)). 2.3 Types of Islamic Contracts 2.3.1 Mudarabah (finance by way of trust) Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) An investment partnership with profit-loss-sharing implications. One or more partners as investors (Rab al Mal) provide 100% the capital to an entrepreneur (the partner who provides entrepreneurship and management known as Mudarib) to undertake a business activity. Profit is shared between the partners on a pre-agreed ratio, any loss is borne only by the investing partner(s) alone. For the Mudarib the loss is the share of the expected income for the efforts put into the business activity. The investors have no right to interfere in the management of the business but can specify conditions that would ensure better management of the capital money. In this way Mudarabah is sometimes referred to as a sleeping partnership. As a financing mode, an Islamic bank can provide capital to a customer for a business activity. The customer provides the expertise, labor and management; profits are shared between the bank and the customer acco rding to predetermined ratio while financial losses are borne by the bank and the bank risks losing the capital invested with the customer which justifies the banks claim to a share of the business profit. Islamic banks also apply the concept of Mudarabah to pay a return on customer deposits held in investment account. The Bank becomes wholly responsible and liable in the management and investment the customer deposits and utliises the funds as business capital by the bank, the bank will have the right to manage the funds as it thinks fit in permissible activities that it considers are profitable and share the profit on the basis of the agreement made between the bank and the customer (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010) According to Siddiqui (n.d) In this mode, the bank, at the request of its client, purchases the specified goods from a third party against payment. Immediately on the transfer of ownership of the goods as also obtaining its physical or, in most cases, the constructive possession, the bank sells these goods to the client at cost plus an agreed fixed profit margin. The client then takes physical possession of the goods and undertakes to pay the price to the bank either in instalments or in lump sum, at an agreed later date. The instances are not lacking where customers of the bank and the seller of the goods are sister concerns. In yet many other cases, the customers of the bank purchase the commodities themselves as agents of the bank and then they repurchase the same commodity from the bank for a cost plus profit to be paid at a mutually agreed later date. In many cases of Murabaha, there is therefore, only a change of name (Siddiqui, n.d). 2.3.2 Musharaka (finance by way of partnership) According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010) The literal meaning of Musharakah is sharing, an investment partnership with profit-loss-sharing implications. All the partners contribute capital towards the financing to undertake a business activity. The partners share profits on a pre-agreed ratio while losses are shared according to each partners capital contribution. The business activity may be managed by all, some, or just one of the partners. Musharakah allows Islamic banks to provide financing for purchase of an asset required by a customer; the bank invests capital in the co-ownership in the asset with the customer, instead of providing interest-bearing loans. The bank will achieve a return on its capital contribution in the form of ashare of the actual profits earned, according to a ratio agreed in advance. However, unlike atraditional creditor, the bank will alsoshare inany losses. Musharakah is often used by Islamic banks for financing large projects . The concept is distinct from fixed-income investing. A contract of partnership in which two or more partners provide capital and share profits or losses as the case may be. An investment partnership with profit-and-loss sharing. A musharakah contract is similar to a mudarabah contract, the difference being that in a musharakah all the partners contribute to the capital and share in both the profit and the loss. They also have the right, but not the obligation to participate in the management. All partners have a right to participate in the management of the project. However, the partners also have a rig ht to waive the right of participation in favour of any specific partner or person. Profit is shared as per-agreed ratio while the loss is shared in proportion to the capital contributed (money invested by each partner. The term also refers to a financing technique adopted by Islamic banks instead of lending on interest. It is an agreement under which the Islamic bank provides fund s which are mingled with the funds of the client and both are entitled to share in the resulting profit on a pre-agreed ratio and share the loss in accordance with their capital contributions. Also termed as a joint venture. Two forms of Musharakah are: Permanent Musharakah and Diminishing Musharakah (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010). Saeed (1996) distinguishes three types of Musharaka: the commercial Musharaka, decreasing participation and permanent participation. In a â€Å"commercial Musharaka†, which is the most common form, the purpose of the transaction can be the purchase of plant, manufacturing equipment or commodities. Here, the transaction is fixed in its duration and capital provision is mostly short-term. Consequently, the liquidation of the project occurs quickly and capital turnover and returns are usually high. The second type of Musharaka, a Musharaka with â€Å"decreasing participation†, is mainly used for project financing in the industrial and agricultural sector and serves to transfer full ownership of the assets in the long-run to the business invested in. The banks invested capital is repaid in instalments and the bank receives a proportion of the projects cash flows for a specified period of time. Profit-sharing can be exercised in three different manners: the bank can either r eceive its share of the profit on a regular basis (which is sometimes associated with prohibited Riba) and reacquire its capital out of the remaining profits of the partner, or the partner annually buys back a part of the banks share in the business including profits, or the partner repurchases the bank s share in bulk after the termination of the Musharaka contract. All three forms are practiced by Islamic banks. Finally, in a â€Å"permanent participation Musharaka†, the bank actively contributes to the management of the business financed and shares in the profits and losses until the end of the Musharaka contract (Saeed, 1996 cited Rohmatunnisa, 2008). 2.3.3 Murabahah (cost-plus financing) According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010). â€Å"Cost-plus financing a contract sale between the financier or bank and its client for the sale of goods at a price which includes a profit margin agreed by both parties. As a financing technique, it involves the financier or bank purchasing goods required by the client. The goods are then sold to the client with a mark-up. Repayment, usually in instalments is specified in the contract. Some have questioned the legality of this financing technique with mark-up on cost because of its similarity to riba or interest. Mark up or Cost plus financing. The word Murabaha is derived from the Arabic word Ribh that means profit. Originally, Murabaha was a contract of sale in which a commodity is sold onward at profit. The seller is obliged to tell the buyer the original cost price and the profit mark-up. This contract has been modified a little for application in the financial sector. In its modern form Murabaha has become the single most popular technique of financing amongst the Islamic banks all over the world. The Murabaha mode of finance operates in the following way: The client approaches an Islamic bank to get finance in order to purchase a specific commodity. An interest-based bank would lend the money on interest to this client. The client would go and buy the required commodity from the market. This option is not available to the Islamic bank, as it does not operate on the basis of interest. It cannot lend the money on interest. It cannot lend money with zero interest rate, as it has to make some profit to be in the business. The bank purchases the commodity on cash and sells it to the client on an agreed profit mark-up. The client buy the commodity from the bank on deferred payment basis. Thus, the client gets the commodity on credit for which financing would have been required and the Islamic bank makes some profit on the amount it has spent in acquiring the commodity and selling it on to the client(Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 201 0). Anotherway Murabahah was described by Bakhshi (2006) is the most popular form of Islamic financing. Within a murabahah contract, the bank agrees to buy an asset or goods from a third party at the request of its client, and then resell the goods to its client with a mark-up profit. The client purchases the goods either against immediate payment or for a deferred payment. This technique is sometimes considered akin to conventional interest-based finance. However, in theory, the mark-up profit is quite different. The mark-up is for the services the bank provides seeking and purchasing the required goods at the best price. Furthermore, the mark-up is not related to time because, if the client fails to pay a deferred payment on time, the mark-up does not increase due to delay and remains as pre-agreed. Most importantly, the bank owns the goods between the two sales and so assumes the title and the risk of the purchased goods, pending their resale to the client. This risk involves all ris ks normally contained in trading activities, in addition to the risk of not making the mark-up profit, or if the client does not purchase the goods from the bank and whether they have a justifiable excuse for refusing to do so (Hourani cited Bakhshi, 2006) 2.3.4 Ijara (leasing) According to Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website (2010)Lit: letting on lease. Technically, sale of a definite usufruct in exchange for a definite reward. Commonly used for wages, it also refers to a contract of land lease at a fixed rent payable in cash. It is contrary to Muzarah when rent is fixed as a certain percentage of the produce of land banks. It is an arrangement under which an Islamic bank leases equipment, a building or other facility to a client against an agreed rental. The rental is so fixed that the bank gets back its original investment plus a profit on it. Lit: letting on lease or simply, leasing. Technically, sale of a definite usufruct in exchange for a definite reward. Used for hire of services for wages and also refers to a lease of an asset at a fixed rent payable. As in a normal lease transaction, a lessor who owns the leased asset will lease it to another party (the lessee) in exchange for payment of rental. The lessee will get the full benefit of using the lease asset within the specified period for as long as he adheres to the lease terms and conditions. At the end of the lease period, the leased asset will be returned to the lessor.There are some other variants of leasing which incorporate the transfer or option to transfer ownership of the leased asset from the lessor to the lessee at the end of the lease period; these are referred to as; Ijarah Thumma Bai Lease Agreement Incorporating sale of leased asset at the end of the lease period. Ijarah Muntahiya Bil Tamleek Lease Agreement with option to own the leased asset at the end of the lease period. Ijarah Wa Iqtina Lease Agreement with option to acquire the leased asset at the end of the lease period. Often used in the context of home purchasing Ijarah wa Iqtina extends the concept of Ijarah to a hire and purchase agreement. It is a contract under which the Islamic bank finances equipment and machinery, building or other facilities for the customer against an agreed rental together with a unilateral undertaking by the bank or the customer that at the end of the lease period, the banks ownership in the leased asset would be transferred to the customer. The rental is so fixed that the bank recovers its investment plus a profit. Ijarah wa Iqtina extends the concept of Ijarah to a hire and purchase agreement. It is a contract under which the Islamic bank finances equipment and machinery, building or other facilities for the customer against an agreed rental together with a unilateral undertaking by the bank or the customer that at the end of the lease period, the banks ownership in the leased asset would be transferred to the customer. The rental is so fixed that the bank recovers its investment plus a profit. Ijarah wa Iqtina e xtends the concept of Ijarah to a hire and purchase agreement. It is a contract under which the Islamic bank finances equipment and machinery, building or other facilities for the customer against an agreed rental together with a unilateral undertaking by the bank or the customer that at the end of the lease period, the banks ownership in the leased asset would be transferred to the customer. The rental is so fixed that the bank recovers its investment plus a profit. Ijarah wa Iqtina extends the concept of Ijarah to a hire and purchase agreement. It is a contract under which the Islamic bank finances equipment and machinery, building or other facilities for the customer against an agreed rental together with a unilateral undertaking by the bank or the customer that at the end of the lease period, the banks ownership in the leased asset would be transferred to the customer. The rental is so fixed that the bank recovers its investment plus a profit (Institute of Islamic Banking and In surance website, 2010) â€Å"A form of leasing contract in which there is a transfer of ownership of service (for use of an asset) for a specified period for an agreed upon lawful consideration. Instead of lending money on interest, Ijarah allows a financial institution to earn profits by charging rentals for the use of the asset. Often used by Islamic banks for financing. Under this scheme of financing an Islamic bank purchases an asset as per specification provided by the client. The period of lease and the lease rental fee are set in advance and may be determined by mutual agreement according to nature of the asset. During the period of the lease, the asset remains in ownership of the bank (as lessor), but the client (as lessee) has the right to use it (Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance website, 2010) 2.3.5 Salam (advance purchase) According to Khan (1996) salam is essentially a transaction where two parties agree to carry out a sale/purchase of an underlying asset at a predetermined future date but at a price determined and fully paid for today. The seller agrees to deliver the asset in the agreed quantity and quality to the buyer at the predetermined future date. This is similar to a conventional futures contract however, the big difference is that in a Salam sale, the buyer pays the entire amount in full at the time the contract is initiated . The contract also stipulates that the payment must be in cash form. The idea behind such a ‘prepayment requirement has to do with the fact that the objective in a Bai Salam contract is to help needy farmers and small businesses with working capital financing. The buyer in a contract therefore is often an Islamic financial institution. Since there is full prepayment, a Salam sale is clearly beneficial to the seller. As such, the predetermined price is norma

Analyze The Avon Product Inc

Analyze The Avon Product Inc The report has been designed to analyse the Avon Product Inc that has been undergone by major strategic change. Furthermore this report has been divided into two parts, first part of the report will explain the organisation back ground and the strategic change that has been adopted, further second part of the report will discuss the influence of external environmental forces, how they affect on the organisation performance. Avon Vision Statement : To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product service and self-fulfillment needs of women globally Organisation Background Avon is the largest seller, marketer and manufacturer of beauty related products around the world. Avon generates 98% of its revenue from cosmetics products. The company markets to women in more than 110 countries through more than Five millions independent sale representatives. Products categories are for instance skincare, fragrances, cosmetics, toiletries and also jewellery, watches, home products candles and toys. Moreover, 98% of the company sales are generated via direct sales. This sales approach had also been successful in the Asian and Latin America market. However, could not be for the American market. Strategic change According to Lynch (2006), define Strategic change is the pro-active management of change in organisations to achieve clearly identified strategic objectives. It may be undertaken using either prescriptive or emergent strategic approaches. Avons strategic change According to Johnson (2008) define in orders to diagnose the strategic change within organisation, it is important to consider the type of change that is required and also identify the type of change that has been adopted For over the last 124 years, being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty related products, Avon has been adopted several changes and devoted to empower women by helping them to look beautiful. Avon major strategic changes are: Avon has invested the millions on research development to bring the innovative products and also focused on the increases advertisement for the sustainability of brand competitiveness. Avon eliminated the layers of Hierarchal management and redesigned the organisational structure to take the full advantage of Global sale Avon helped million of women across the world to build a better future for instance, provide the opportunities to become, entrepreneurs, representative or their own business owner. www.avon.com Organisational structure According to Carnall, (2007) ideal organisational structure is based on the right balance of information, resources and power to support the organisation objective. On geographically Avon operates business in six regions and has sales operation in 63 countries also products are distributed more than 52 countries in the world. Primarily Avon conducts business through direct selling and marketing by millions of Avon independent representative. Generally distributor purchased products directly from Avon on discounted price also Avon provide an opportunity to their representative to manage their business online including two way communication with Avon. Moreover in some countries for instance in USA, representatives can build their own web page for the sales of Avon Products. ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE According to Cameron, (2004), if current organisational culture does not support to achieve the organisation objectives or goals then organisation should involves themselves to change organisational cultural in order to achieve the organisational goals. However, since 1866 Avon organisational cultural is the most recognisable and considered the pioneered to sell the cosmetics products via using direct selling model and continue to maintain the same sales model since its foundation. Furthermore, 98% of revenue of the cosmetics product which is 6 billion dollar is come from direct selling model which impressed the other cosmetic companies to follow the direct sale model. Appendix 3 illustrates Avons organizational culture by using the cultural web model from Johnson and Scholes (2005). Stakeholder analysis According to Spicker (2008) state the stakeholder analysis will explain, how external and internal stakeholder influence on the organisation, and whats there needs and expectations, also what organisation need from each of them. Stakeholder analysis for Avon Stakeholder Interest Power Attitude Expectations/Needs Government Worldwide High High Mixed The acceptation to meet the all local, national and environmental laws of the country where they operate. Shareholders High High Positive Always take interest on maximization of shares value and dividend. Customers High Low Positive Take active interest in products and appearance. Communities Low Low Mixed Take interest in the respect of using natural resources, environmental issues and minimization of recycling and reuse practices. Suppliers Low Low Neutral Surety of contracts and payment. Take interest to add value to produce the products. Media Medium Medium Negative Always take interest to publish negative factors regarding harmful ingredients of cosmetics products. Executive team High High Positive Need to appreciate the whole organisation effort and give reward and reorganize the effort of representatives and employees worldwide. Employees High Low Positive Expect to achieve financial need and economical independence and support their happiness. The key environmental influences The PEST framework categories environmental influences into four main types: political, economic, social, technological. Political factors Avons products Inc business ranges cover many countries and it offers approaches to women who work in those countries to attained financial independence and good performance. In some countries, this move is regard as a way to advance the economic growth and create personal wealth. However, owing to the political differences among countries, it causes different influences on Avons corporate strategy. For instance, there is a Data Protection Act within the European Union which is aimed at protecting the privacy and safety of personal information. Different implementation dynamics of this policy in Europe countries will have different effects on Avons representatives calling door to door. Economic factors The key dominant factors that influence on customers for buying Avon products are their economical condition, inflation and interest rates. Simultaneously, Avon is also affected by currency fluctuations rates. Avon has employed about 5.3 million representatives and this leads to the free and actively cosmetics market to sell and buy Avons products. Social factors Consumers preferences and buying powers has changed by time to time and they are related to the local culture and personal working conditions. Countries in different climates and environmental circumstances would commend different cosmetic products for their citizens and this is a big concern for Avon to reach the goal that not only value and contain the similarities among different customers but also respect and create the differences of their needs. The top objective of Avon is to serve women all over the world with its products to reach their identical aspiration look their best at all places at all time. Technological factors The revolution and innovation of technology can influence the behavior of peoples. In the process of researching and product developing, cosmetic industry always put new products into a position of consequence. Avons strategy is to enhance the brand competitiveness through investing millions on the research and development of its products and increasing the advertisement of its products on media. . Managing change According to Mullins (2010) External environment can affect the organisational performance and organisation effective performance will depends on the interaction of its external environment. SWOT analysis Strength Avon products are sold in 110 countries around the world by five millions representatives. The products are sold in comparatively moderate prices. Additionally, features of personalization in customer service, creation in products design and satisfaction guarantee are the key factors which provide Avon a competitive advantage among the cosmetic industry. Furthermore Avon uses variety of electronic order systems to help representatives to increase the accuracy of business process and efficient business operations. The cost-effective sales strategies and the diversity of business model give Avon the ability to be the superior in cosmetic market. -Revenue growth stable From the companys record, it shows there was a stable and forceful growth in recent years which successful outstripped its key competitors. Avons revenue grew at a compounded annual growth rate (GAGR) of 10% during FY2006-2008 and this result a stable operation of the company. Dominant position provides more opportunities to attract new consumers Avon is one of four top brand leaders in cosmetic industry with brand value about $5,264 million in the top 100 global customer companies. The pioneered anti-aging skincare and perfume category induced Avon with wide business presence and leading position to attract new Opportunities Weakness Declining North American operation The declining trend of Avons North America business has slowed down in FY2008, but compared with FY2007, the total revenue of North America has still decreased 4.9 %, and Avons North America operation has contributed 23.3% to the total revenue of the company at last. Obviously, the top line was affected by the weak performance of this geographic segment. Opportunity Emerging markets The importance of emerging market such as Brazil with an annual growth of 20%, china which has valued approx $10,200 million with the enormous increase of population in future and the sudden growth of economy will offer a huge potential market for cosmetic industry .Furthermore The increasingly fierce competitions among cosmetic market, in order to capture the Brazilian market Avon has announced its plan to build the new distribution centre in brazil. Threats, In order to achieve the global recommendation in cosmetics business and gain the market share from emerging market, Avon has faced strong competition from its competitors for instance, LOreal, Unilever and Estee Lauder, Revlon and Procter Gamble. Conclusion This report offers an attempt to understand the major strategic change undergone by Avon Cosmetics Limited. Furthermore, report evaluated the effectiveness of the change in relation to Avons structure, culture. Being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products and a direct selling organisation, Avon was faced with several challenges in the external environment. The factors were: fierce competitions from multinational companies, consumer behaviour worldwide, government rules and regulations, technological and social background. It was found that the major strategic change does relate to the objectives of the organization and matches the organisations capability, including its structure, culture and politics. . References Cameron, Esther (2004) Making Sense of Change Management, London (UK), Kogan Page Limited Carnall, C A. (2007) Managing Change in Organisations. Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K., and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. ion. Harlow (UK): Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, Gerry (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Lynch, Richard L (2006), corporate strategy, Harlow, England, FT/Prentice Hall Mullins, Laurie J (2010), Management and Organisational Behaviour, Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Spicker, Paul (2008) Social policy: themes and approaches, Bristol (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall (2009).Avon Products, Inc. SWOT Analysis, Avon Products, Inc. SWOT Analysis,1. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database Title: Change Management: A Critical Perspective Author(s): Simon Shurville Journal: International Journal of Managing Projects in Business Year: 2008 Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Start Page: 447

Ellington :: essays research papers fc

An American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, composer of jazz music, I am all of this and probably more. I am Edward Kennedy (â€Å"Duke†) Ellington. I was nicknamed â€Å"Duke† by a boyhood friend of mine who admired my royal air. And the name stuck to me. I grew up listening to black music. At that time jazz was considered low and vulgar by most respectable and sophisticated people like myself. I was born in Washington on April 29, 1899. Born to the son of James William Ellington and Eliza Jane Johnson. I am said to be the most prolific composer of my time. I’ve never actually had much education, but still I was able to develop good speech, dress, and manner. When I was young, the times were bad for us. There was agricultural depression. My family lived as middle-class citizens. We weren’t wealthy nor were we poor. My parents have musical backgrounds. I got my first job selling peanuts at Washington Senator’s baseball games, and it was the first time I was placed as a performer for a crowd. When I was a teenager I played the piano in a musical style known as ragtime. I attended Armstrong Manual Training School to study commercial art instead of going to an academics-oriented school. During the summers, in Philadelphia or Atlantic City, I began to seek out and listen to ragtime pianists there. While I was on vacation in Asbury Park, there was a hot pianist that I heard of, his name was Harvey Brooks. Guess what? At the end of my vacation I went and sought for Harvey Brooks in Philadelphia, that was where he showed me some pianistic tricks and shortcuts. His playing triggered me to start up my music career, and then you have it, me, Duke Ellington the musical is born. I learnt from Oliver â€Å"Doc† Perry and Louis Brown, they taught me to read music and helped me improve me playing skills on the piano. I also went to find piano playing jobs at clubs and cares in Washington. I actually dropped out of school to pursuer my music career. I played for my friends and at parties, and soon I formed a small dance band named The Duke's Serenaders in 1917. I moved away from Washington to New York City in 1923. I went to New York to find musicians who could contribute special sounds to my band.

A Comparison of Plutarchs The Lives of the Ancient Grecians and Romans

A Comparison of Plutarch's The Lives of the Ancient Grecians and Romans and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar When closely evaluating the two texts: Plutarch's The Lives of the Ancient Grecians and Romans and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, there are stark differences of the theme and characters. While Plutarch's text is mostly informative, as describing a series of historical events, Shakespeare incorporates a wide variety of dramatic conventions as well as changing many events to entertain an audience. It is important to note that Shakespeare's play was based on Plutarch's text, which is why many of the differences are because of Shakespeare's revision. Shakespeare changes the tone of many important characters such as Marcus Brutus and Mark Antony. He also adds details to make the storyline heroic and inspiring. Plutarch's text is a third-person view on the events, with little explanation of people's opinions and thoughts. Plutarch describes Brutus as merely one of the conspirators that took a little persuading. After Brutus joined the conspiracy, he rapidly gained control. In the...

Essay --

Introduction Civil conflict has been a focal point of the world’s attention in the post-Cold War Era, with news coverage of human rights violations, poverty, and casualties. This era has brought a systemic change from interstate wars to intra state wars. Civil conflicts may be arguably more severe than interstate wars because of the use of rebels, the lack of organized forces, and issues of sovereignty. The specific topic of this research is conflict and in particular, the causes of civil conflict. The question this research will address is why are states failing? Further, do failed states cause internal conflict? This question has extreme importance because of the implications this conflict has for not only its own civilians, but of those around it. Conflicts can cause a multitude of human rights violations, as well as displaced populations resulting in refugees, and overall tension in the region. Understanding the answer to this question helps policymakers make more informed decisions surrounding failed states in order to protect themselves and those within the failed state. This paper will address what political scientists have studied about the effects of colonization, explanations for how states fail, and the various causes of civil war. The theory and hypotheses of this paper will be stated, followed by descriptions and measurements of the independent, dependent, and control variables. Then, using statistical data, results will be presented, followed by the conclusion. Literature Review State failure has become a key issue in international relations in recent years. Political scientists have offered various explanations as to why states have failed, and possible solutions to stop and reverse state failure. Robert... ...n the recognized territory of a state (Sarkees and Wayman, 2010). For the war to be included in the data set it must involve sustained combat, involving organized armed forces, resulting in a minimum of 1,000 battle-related combatant fatalities within a twelve month period (Sarkees and Wayman, 2010). The UCDP/PRIO dataset requires a lesser threshold. The wars included in the internal armed conflict data set are those that occur between the government if a state and internal opposition groups without intervention from other states, resulting in at least 25 battle related deaths (Gleditsch, Wallensteen, Eriksson, Sollenberg, Strand, 2002). Using quantitative research, I predict there will be a causal relationship between previously colonized states, and their present failure. I also predict there to be a causal relationship between failed states and civil conflict.

A Look At Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints Essay

Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Theory of Constraints was devised by Eli Goldratt. It states that in every organization there is a constraint that slows down its performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper will delve on the Theory of Constraints of Eli Goldratt.   A Look At Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Theory of Constraint is a management philosophy originally developed by Eliyahu Goldratt and discussed in his book, The Goal. The basic concept behind the theory is that a chain will always have its weakest connection. In any organization or any complicated system for that matter, there will only be one component of that system that will restrict its capacity to attain its objectives. In order for such system to have any significant progress, the constraint must be located and the entire system must be manipulated with it in consideration (Thomas Group, n.d). Application of the Theory of Constraint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Theory of Constraints, profit-oriented organizations should have at least one constraint that hinders the system from achieving improved performance in connection with its goal. The Theory of Constraints is founded on the premise that the rate of income generation is restricted by at least a single constraining process. Only by enhancing the throughput during bottleneck will the overall process be improved (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In summary, the main components of the Theory of Constraints are: Complex systems should have at least one constraint otherwise it would be earning unlimited income. Constraint, therefore, is defined as anything that restricts the system from improving its performance compared to its goal (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Constraints provide systems with an opportunity to develop and improve (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Theory of Constraint versus Lean Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lean manufacturing is a concept that is often compared with Goldratt’s Theory of Constraint. Lean manufacturing was derived from the successful method being used by Japanese car maker Toyota. The method received international acclaim through the Womack & Jones book The Machine That Changed The World. Lean manufacturing is focused on elimination of waste (Moore, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While TOC and Lean have varying principles, there are certain areas wherein the two philosophies have a commonality (Moore, 1998). In both lean and TOC, the perception of the customer as value is critical. In Lean manufacturing, it is the customer who determines value. In TOC, there is no throughput until the payment for a certain product has been cleared by the bank (Moore, 1998). Lean and TOC both acknowledge the fact that the ultimate goal of any organization is to convert inventory into throughput(Moore, 1998) TOC and lean underscores the importance of flow throughout the system. Both philosophies believes that the flow plays an important role in the system (Moore, 1998). For both TOC and lean manufacturing, the pull of the market dictates the needs for manufacturing. In lean marketing, manufacturing of goods or services will not take place unless there is a demand for it by the customer. In TOC, the pull is the driving force behind the Drum-Buffer-Rope method (Moore, 1998). Lean manufacturing and TOC drives the workers to aspire for perfection or improving their efforts. The role of the workers in the improvement of the system cannot be discounted (Moore, 1998). During the past 25 years, there were three TOC paradigms that were developed namely logistics, global performance measures, and thinking processes. Recently, Boyd and Gupta changed these paradigms into decision making, performance measurement, and organizational mindset (Moss, 2007). The Logistics Paradigm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The logistics paradigm was derived from the scheduling program called Optimized Production Technology (OPT) which has nine rules (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006): Flow should be balanced rather than capacity The utilization level of non-bottleneck resources is not dependent on its potential but on other constraints within the system Use and activation of a resource are not synonymous to each other One hour lost during the bottleneck translates to an hour lost for the entire system An hour lost at a non-bottleneck is just minor Bottlenecks determine throughput and inventory The transfer batch may not, and in most instances, should not be the same with the process batch. The process batch should vary, not constant Schedules should be determined without looking at all the constraints at the same time. Lead times are the outcomes of a schedule and cannot be determined in advance The Major Steps in the Logistics Paradigm Identifying the constraint. These may involve physical barriers such as physical or managerial (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Exploiting the constraint by increasing utilization and efficiency. For instance, physical constraint can be utilized by making it as effective as possible (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Subordinating all other processes to the constraint process. This implies that other aspects of the system must support the total effectiveness of the constraint. If the resources that are not causing the constraint are utilized beyond their productivity level, they will not increase the throughput but increase unwanted inventory (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Elevating the constraint. If the present constraints are the most crucial elements of the system, implementing rigorous improvement measures will enhance its performance. Improved performance leads to better realization of the potentials of the nonconstraint resources which would lead to an improvement in the overall performance of the system (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Rinse and repeat (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). The implementation of the logistical paradigm is best exemplified in the drum-buffer-rope methodology. There are three concepts worth explaining in this method. The drum refers to the pace at which the constraints operate. The rope establishes the communication between the critical control chains to ensure that they are synchronized. The buffer is the strategically positioned inventory to safeguard the output of the system from that differences that may take place within the system (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). The drum-buffer-rope technique is a simplified version of its predecessor the Optimized Production Technology (OPT) and the newer Advanced Planning and Scheduling Systems (APS), which are utilized in firms engaged in manufacturing and production (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Using the Drum-Buffer-Rope method leads to the synchronization of resources as well as the utilization of materials in an organization. It is worth knowing that resources and materials are used only in a degree that would lead to the capacity of the organization to attain their throughput (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since random disruptions are likely in any organization, the drum-buffer-rope method will provide a tool for securing total throughput by using Time Buffers, which contains inventories and safeguards constraint schedules from the impact of disruption at non-constraint resources (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of using time buffers as a mechanism for effective management and improvement of throughput is called buffer management. It provides details based on planned and actual performance and is utilized for checking the inventory of a protected resource as a comparison for actual and planned performance (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Application of the Logistics Paradigm in Service Firms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The logistic paradigm or five step processes is applied to various processes and procedures of a service firm. The advantage of a service firm is that it is used to enhance service time, flow of information, as well as in re-engineering administrative functions (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the military as well as in the medical field, the logistics paradigm is being utilized to generate more sales (Moss, 2007). Drum-Buffer-Rope Method Applied to Manufacturing and Service Firms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The drum-buffer-rope method of scheduling is applicable in both manufacturing and services sector. In the field of manufacturing, the drum-buffer-rope technique is useful in scheduling equipments. For the service sector, DBR is applicable in scheduling personnel within the organization, setting appointments with customers, and forecasting lead-times for customers (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Schragenheim and Ronen, DBR should be used in determining problems and flaws that will disrupt the flow of the system. There are suggestions that the drum-buffer-rope method should be used in the management of supply chains (Moss, 2007). Global Performance Measures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the global performance measure of the Theory of Constraints, all company performance efforts are geared towards the objective of earning money now and in the future. In order to accomplish this, there are three things that should be done. First, increase the throughput. Second, reduce inventory. Third, minimize operation costs (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput refers to the rate at which the system earns a profit through sales while inventory is the term used to denote the money which the system will invest in buying things which they plan to market and sell. Finally, operational expense which is the money spent by the system in converting inventory to throughput (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From these concepts, three global measures have been derived namely net profit, return of investment, and cash flow. Net profit is determined by deducting the operating cost from the throughput. Return of investment or ROI is obtained from the ratio of net profit and inventory. Cash flow, on the other hand, is used as a survival tool. As long as the company has money, they will survive (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most companies prefer to have only a few operational measures since this will provide convenience to the company as far as the assessment of the effects of various decisions (Moss, 2007). The Thinking Process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it comes to constraints existing in the company, Goldratt identified three important decisions: What to change? What to change to? How to effect the change? In order to provide solutions to these problems, Goldratt devised the thinking process. During the last 10 to 15 years, managerial processes have been at the helm of corporate constraints. This is the purpose of the thinking process (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the strengths of the Theory of Constraint is that it provides various tools and techniques to help companies solve a certain problem. Although each method can be used separately, they can likewise be integrated in order to better answer problems concerning Consensus and Focus, Construction of a Complete Solution, and Communication and Collaboration. For each process, there are different tools that can be used (Focused Performance, n.d). Consensus and Focus The Current Reality Tree (CRT) is a series of logical steps that describes present situations. The aim of CRT is to come up with a cause-effect relationship among unwanted symptoms as well as core conflicts that the company would like to remove (Focused Performance, n.d). Construction of a Complete Solution The Evaporating Cloud. The evaporating cloud or conflict resolution diagram is a logical tool which aims to determine aspects of conflict that generates non-compromise win-win solutions. While its validity is acknowledged, the purpose of the evaporating cloud is to unearth underlying assumptions which turns out to be invalid (Focused Performance, n.d). While the evaporating cloud is already useful by itself, this tool can be integrated with a CRT since the seemingly difficult problems pointed out in the CRT are often the results of underlying conflict (Focused Performance, n.d). Future Reality Tree. The FRT is an effect-cause-effect logic structure which aims to show how recommended changes would have an impact on reality particularly how and why these proposals are expected to create a positive result. It is a paper-based simulator that assesses the ability of the proposed change to produce the desired outcome. Likewise, it is used to test the propensity of the proposed change to generate new and unwanted outcomes (Focused Performance, n.d).   Communication and Collaboration Negative Branch Reservations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are instances when undesirable effects are treated as potential results of a proposal and are often detected by another individual other than the originator of the proposal (Focused Performance, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With Negative Branch Reservations (NBR), logical expressions are used to address certain reservations through additional actions that would complete the original proposal and cutting down the â€Å"negative branches† from the proposed FRT (Focused Performance, n.d). Prerequisite Tree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The prerequisite tree or PRT is a logical structure that describes all the barriers to accomplishing a goal as well as the alternative courses of action. The PRT likewise depicts how certain actions when combined with current reality will achieve new and expected results and why these actions would achieve the required outcomes (Focused Performance, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Categories of Legitimate Reservation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Categories of Legitimate Reservation is a group of tests used for verifying the cause-effect logic which is at the heart of the Thinking Process. CLRs serve the purpose of scrutinizing and modifying the logical trees (Focused Performance, n.d). The Thinking Process Applied to Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The thinking process can be effectively applied to the manufacturing and service sector. For the service sector, the guiding management philosophy should center on improving process. The problem-solving tools of the thinking process provide most of the benefits to the service sector (Moss, 2007). Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting, which is based on Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, plays a major role in management decision making. It changes an organization’s view of income recognition as well as costs and profitability. Thus, throughput accounting is responsible for refining the figures used for making decisions which potentially modifies Management Accounting (Goldratt, n.d). Advantages of Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using throughput accounting as a measurement and decision making tool, organizations can have the following advantages (Goldratt, n.d): Shift their sales efforts on products that will generate more income Make better decisions on which investment will generate more income Come up with decisions that are determined by real effects on the bottom line Develop a clear understanding of the role of sub-systems in the entire system Make realistic efforts regarding the effectiveness of the entire system relative to the goal of the company which is to gain a profit. Most of the distortions that are present in traditional management accounting can be corrected with throughput accounting. Distortions arise as a result of traditional management accounting using similar measures used in judging an entire system or organization as well as daily decisions by dividing the system into sub-systems and activities (Goldratt, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting is a substitute to cost accounting. It is not derived from standard costing or Activity-Based Costing. It is not concerned with costing or allocation of costs to products and services but rather as a strategy for maximizing profits. The main objective of throughput accounting is to hasten the velocity at which products are moved in a company by removing bottlenecks (Puthran, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting helps enhance a company’s profit performance through improved management decisions (Puthran, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Usually management decisions are based on assessing the impact of proposals on the throughput, investment, and operating expense. In a traditional management accounting, the cost of any proposal is commonly the initial and sometimes the only thing being considered, which results to poor decisions on the part of the management (Puthran, 2006). The Basis of Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting is based on the fact that there are bottlenecks in organizations. Microsoft Encarta defines bottleneck â€Å"a delay in progress due to one part of the process or system being slower than the others which results to the delay in the overall process.† (Microsoft Encarta) What are the Factors used by throughput accounting in computing income and expenses? Throughput is the rate at which the process or system generate â€Å"goal units.† When the â€Å"goal units† involves money, the throughput is derived by deducting the price of raw materials with the income generated from the sale. However, throughput is only applicable to activities that involves selling products or services. Warehouse manufacturing is not included in throughput accounting (Puthran, 2006). Investment is the money associated with the process or system. It includes inventories, equipments, infrastructure or facilities, and other assets and liabilities (Puthran, 2006). Operating expenses refers to the money which the system uses in purchasing â€Å"goal units.† In the case of tangible products, the operating cost includes all the expenses with the exception of the price of raw materials. Operating expenses includes cost of maintenance, utilities, rental expenses, taxes, payroll, among others (Puthran, 2006).   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints states that in a complex organization, there will be instances when constraints will slow down the entire process. In order to for the system to achieve its overall performance, the constraint hindering the entire system should be removed from the equation. References Mahapatra, S.S., & Sahu, A (2006 July 27). Application of Theory of Constraints on Scheduling of Drum-Buffer-Rope System. The Apache Jakarta Project. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://dspace.nitrkl.ac.in:8080/ Moore, R (1998). Theory of Constraints and Lean Manufacturing: Friends or Foes? Chonnam National University. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://pm.chonnam.ac.kr Moss, H (2007 March 1). Improving Service Quality With The Theory of Constraints. All Business.com. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/operations-customer/5508402-1.html Problem Solving with the TOC Thinking Processes – Consensus, Construction, Communication and Collaboration (n.d). Focused Performance. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.focusedperformance.com/toctp1.html Puthran, S (2006 December 17). Throughput Accounting. Management Accountant. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://managementaccountant.blogspot.com/2006/12/throughput-accounting.html Theory of Constraints (n.d). Thomas Group. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.thomasgroup.com/enterprise-solutions/tools/theory-of-constraints.aspx Throughput Accounting (n.d). Goldratt. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.goldratt.co.uk/resources/throughput_accounting/index.html   

Armco. Case

Armco, Inc. (Armco) is the sixth largest producer of stainless, electrical, and carbon steels and steel products. Kansas City Works (Kansas) is the Armco’s Midwestern Steel Division, and has two primary products: grinding media and carbon wire rod, one being recognized in the industry for its durability while the latter being non profitable and only covering some of its fixed costs through volume. In January 1991, Bob Nenni, the Director of Finance, introduced a new performance measurement system for Kansas City Works to provide managers with the best information that would better enable them to boost up company performance.In order to maximize profits and sustain its position in the US manufacturing steel industry, Armco has adopted a cost leadership strategy with a broad appeal and has managed to achieve growth by engaging in joint ventures expanding its product lines in implementing its strategy. However, the Kansas City Works has the strategy based on differentiation becau se it has cost disadvantages such as inefficient plant infrastructure and union labor costs.Taking into consideration that Armco’s revenue has been declining and now only generates a marginal profit whereas Kansas succeeds in producing and selling high value products, Armco as a whole should switch the strategy to focus on the differentiation strategy that will lead to sustainable growth and leading position in the industry. In addition to this inconsistency with the strategies of the firm as a whole, the old management control system used at Kansas had numerous problems that lower the quality of performance measurement.In the old system, the Operating Statics Reports were issued only monthly and provided to the managers approximately 15 days after the following month. The lack of timeliness caused manufacturing results measurement controls to be ineffective because variances could not be investigated quickly. This also caused delay in solving problems and contributed to high er manufacturing expenses in the following month’s financial statements. Also, the old report contained too detailed information and issued that managers do not have control over.It included the same accounting information that was used for other purpose. As a result the numbers included allocations of indirect manufacturing costs. The too detailed information caused distraction from focusing on important issues to less important and less relevant issues. Another problem with the old system was that it failed to measure performance of managers and employees at different levels because of the subjectivity and basis that is not applicable to all employees. Therefore, the old system did not serve as a good results control system due to the inefficiency.Due to the aforementioned problems, a new performance measurement system was introduced to replace the old management system. It was designed to give better management focus on the things, which are most important. The new system included less data’s: it allows managers to focus on the 5-6 more important which cause 80% of the costs. Furthermore, the new system has more balanced set of performance measures, which provides an improved basis for evaluating operating managers and manufacturing supervisors.The design of the new system was more sophisticated than the old one; however, the top management failed to smoothly implement the new system. First, the managers have been working with the old system for a very long time and they are more familiar using the old system. Secondly, the old system suffers from lack of direction as employees did not fully appreciate the relationship between their responsibility and their final results.Due to the lack of explanation to employees, managers kept using the old performance measurement system because they was accustomed and they didn’t know the differences between the two systems, so they never seriously considered improvements that could be made with the new. Therefore, there was a miscommunication between the top management and the middle and lower managers. The lack of information they get leads to poor understanding of the use of the new system and a lack of motivation of middle/lower managers to use it.In conclusion, as managers complained, â€Å"It almost seems like the operating managers finally understood the old report, so they decided change it†, managers did not understand the purpose of writing reports and recognize the importance of specific information in the reports. Thus, more communication was needed to explain the goals and needs of the new system so that middle and lower managers can fully understand expectations for them and take advantage of the new system to improve efficiency. Better communication between management will be achieved by having seminars and meetings where they can have opportunities to share opinions.