Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Test Questions Hispanic and Latino American Diversity

Week 7 Test- Hispanic/Latino American Diversity Part I. Each question is worth 3 points. For multiple choice questions, use highlight or bold to mark your answers. 1. The development of solidarity between ethnic subgroups, as reflected in the terms Hispanic and Asian Americans is called a. symbolic ethnicity b. ethnic solidarity c. panethnicity d. ethnic paradox 2. The common heritage of Hispanics is a. culture. b. race. c. language. d. all of these 3. At the beginning of the 21st century, Latino households can expect to earn __________ received by White households. a. 40 cents on the dollar b. 55 cents on the dollar c. 70 cents on the dollar d. 85 cents on the dollar 4. The term ________ is more†¦show more content†¦The color gradient in U.S. society has always been around. In fact it is alive and well in the African American community. In some circles a light skinned African American woman isn’t â€Å"REALLY† black to some who are of a darker hue. Which for many people has often lead to some feeling like they have to continually â€Å"prove their blackness.† This is the same in many Hispanic households where in Puerto Rico the darker skinned Puerto Ricans are treated as a lower class citizen and this treatment comes from with in the ranks of the Puerto Rican people, not from another culture. So yes, the color gradient is very much a part of the U.S. lifestyle and culture. The immigration patterns of the Central and South American nations have been labeled as sporadic. The immigration pattern has been dictated by both the U.S. Immigration laws and social forces within the homelands of these immigrants. Many of the immigrants made their move based on what they perceived to be better economic opportunities in the US during the 1960’s. Perceived economic opportunities escalated the northward movement in the 1960s. These groups had been classified as non-whites in the 70’s and since the mid 70’s many of the immigrants have made their migration based on civil unrest in their homelands. Immigrants from Central and South America have increased in numbers rapidly since the 1980’s and have evenShow MoreRelatedEssay on Who is White?1706 Words   |  7 PagesStates power is its people. Its power does not rely on the population of those living here but on the diversity of this nation. Our government’s race relations are fundamental to the development of the United States. When a test is taken, there is a question on race. When a survey is given, there is a question on race. When an application is given, there is a question on race. Race and the diversity of the United States are often studied by sociologists and the condition of race in the future liesRead MoreMedia and The Clark Doll Test Essay959 Words   |  4 Pages One type of character saturates the Amer ican media. 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Sunday, December 15, 2019

Contract laws in employment A case study Free Essays

string(152) " in the displacements offered and that disregarding the complainants for declining to subscribe the new understanding could amount to unjust dismissal\." 195446 Title: Employment Law George worked at rug universe as an helper director. He had been at that place for four old ages and had ever hoped to startup his ain rug concern if the chance arose. His subdivision one statement stated his hours as 40 hours per hebdomad, with two or three yearss off per hebdomad, capable to the operational demands of the employer. We will write a custom essay sample on Contract laws in employment: A case study or any similar topic only for you Order Now his missive of assignment stated, â€Å" you will be expected to work a sensible sum of weekends but this should non usually exceed two weekends in four and a upper limit of four weekend yearss per month. for the last six months, George has worked on mean three weekends in every four, and some weekends he has had to work both Saturday and Sunday. he wants to kick about this, but is diffident how to. Last hebdomad George was told that there was an probe into stock loses, and that he was being suspended. He was told to go to a meeting the following twenty-four hours. The meeting lasted about 3 proceedingss, and he was told that the grounds was pointed to him, but was non given any inside informations of it. He believes he is being used as a whipping boy, because he has non taken any stock. He admitted to you that he had taken information from the selling files and transferred it onto phonograph record, with a position to puting up his ain concern. He has besides approached his co-wor kers Jack and Andy who work as rug fitters. they have agreed that they will fall in him when the concern is set up. George intends to put up a rug cleansing concern utilizing the client base of rug universe. His contract contains the undermentioned clauses. ( I ) The employee may non beg fellow employees for a period of six months following expiration of his contract. ( two ) The employee may non utilize information belonging to the concern for any intent other than to carry through his responsibilities under the contract. All information belonging to the concern is regarded as so extremely confidential that it amounts to a trade secret. ( three ) The employee may non work in a viing concern for one twelvemonth within a radius of 70 stat mis following expiration of his contract. 1. Explain what George should hold done if he was unhappy with the weekend working? 2. Could the company rely on the fact that for over 6 months he has worked extra weekends, and argue that the contract was varied with his understanding as a consequence? 3. Can George claim unjust dismissal? 4. What may go on if they find out about his programs to put up his ain concern? 5. Will the restraint clauses be enforceable here? Get downing with the issue environing the demand to work on weekends an analysis of George’s contract provinces that he is required to work a sensible sum of weekends which will usually non transcend 2 weekends in every 4 hebdomads and will be a upper limit of 4 weekend yearss per month. It has been stated in this scenario that George has in fact been working three weekends in every four for the last 6 months and has besides worked both Saturdays and Sundays on some of those weekends. To be able to rede George as to how he should cover with this affair it is necessary to look at the relevant statute law in this country and besides statute law in regard of employment contracts. There besides needs to be an scrutiny of the jurisprudence sing Sunday work. In general footings if the employment contract states that weekend work is a necessary necessity of the function so the employee will be made to work at weekends. If the contract does non specifically province that the employee will be required to work on a weekend so if the employee garbages and is dismissed for declining the employee would be able to claim unjust dismissal [ 1 ] . Particular regulations can use for certain workers in regard of the enforceability of doing them work on a Sunday. Employees who are shop workers or work in the betting industry can hold particular protection from being force to work on a Sunday [ 2 ] . This ability to decline to work on a Sunday for those mentioned above applies even if the employment contract specifically states that the employee will be required to work on a Sunday [ 3 ] . When engaging an employee who can be exempt from Sunday work the employer is under a responsibility to state the employee about the right to decline to work on a Sun day within two months of the beginning of the employment. To choose out of working on a Sunday the employee must give the employer three months notice of their purpose to halt working on Sundays. This must be done in composing [ 4 ] . An employer is under no duty to offer the employee alternate hours of work in topographic point of the Sunday responsibilities [ 5 ] and employees declining to work on Lord’s daies are likely to happen themselves losing the rewards they would hold received had he worked [ 6 ] . Employers are non allowed to handle employees unfavorably because they have opted out of working on a Sunday. If an employee is dismissed for declining to work on a Sunday he will be entitled to claim unjust dismissal [ 7 ] . In order for the employer to alter the on the job hours of the employee and new contract would hold to be issued, which would so necessitate the consent of the employee before it could be enforced. In Robinson v Swallowfield Consumer Products [ 8 ] the tribunal allowed the entreaty where two of the employees refused to subscribe the new contract issued by the employer designed to change their working hours. The tribunal stated that there should be a grade of flexibleness in the displacements offered and that disregarding the complainants for declining to subscribe the new understanding could amount to unjust dismissal. You read "Contract laws in employment: A case study" in category "Essay examples" Similarly in Headley V Copygraphic Ltd [ 9 ] the tribunal found that the complainants had been wrongly dismissed for declining to alter their working hours. In Gillanders v Riding Hall Carpets [ 10 ] the complainant won a claim for unjust dismissal when his employer introduced a new Rota system which required the complainant to work at weekends. The tribunal held that the complainant was entitled to decline the fluctuation in hours. A farther point raised by the inquiry is in relation to the figure of hours that George is working per hebdomad. In his contract his declared hours are 40 hours per hebdomad. It would look from the above that George has been working in surplus of this figure of hours for the last six months. Carpet universe could be in breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998 Reg 4 [ 11 ] and the Working Time Directive 93/104 Art 6 ( 2 ) if he has been working more than 48 hours per hebdomad [ 12 ] . In this peculiar state of affairs if George should hold spoken to his employer and pointed out that under his employment contract he was merely expected to work 2 weekends in every four and that the maximal figure of weekend yearss he would be required to work was four a month. He could reason that necessitating him to work more than the in agreement sum was a breach of the employment contract and he could decline to make the excess hours. If the employer dismissed him for declining so George would be entitled to claim unjust dismissal as mentioned in the instances supra. As besides discussed above as George is a store worker he could choose out of Sunday work if he so wished. To make this he would hold to subject notice to his employer in authorship of his purpose to choose out. The employer could non so implement the weekend working regulation in regard of Sunday work against George. George could take a firm stand on working no more than the in agreement 40 hours a hebdomad unless he has signed an understanding under the Working Time Directive 93/104 to work a upper limit of 48 hours. If the employment contract states that the on the job hours can be variable the employer would non necessitate the understanding of the employee before changing the hours. If the hours are fixed hours and the employer wishes to alter these there must be an understanding between the employer and the employee. Such alterations should so be incorporated into a new contract of employment. An employer can avoid a claim for breach of contract if he can non make an understanding with the employee with respect to altering the on the job hours. He can accomplish this by ending the original contract of employment and offering the employee a new contract on the new footings. The expiration of the contract will be regarded as a dismissal which would let an employee who objected to the alteration in the working hours to prosecute a claim for unjust dismissal or constructive dismissal if appropriate. If any employee does non object to a alteration in the working hours and continues to work the new displacements they have been given an illation will be drawn by the tribunals that the employee has acceded to the alteration in the working hours. Where the employee works the new hours but under protest so the employee will still be entitled to claim for breach of contract at a ulterior phase as they have non accepted the fluctuation in their hours even though they have continued to transporting on working those hours. In this peculiar instance the tribunals may good make up one’s mind that every bit George has non objected to the alteration of hours and has worked the new hours for a period of six months that he has accepted the new hours. If he can abduce grounds to demo he has objected to the new hours but still worked them so he would be entitled to purse an action for breach of contract. When looking at whether George can claim for unjust dismissal it is necessary to analyze the allegations being made by the company and whether they adhered to the right process for disciplinary proceedings. Under the Employment Act 2002 ( Dispute Resolutions ) Regulations 2004 [ 13 ] amendments were added to the Employment Act 2002 doing it a direct demand that employers must hold a disciplinary process in topographic point that meets the demands laid down by the Regulations [ 14 ] . Under these ordinances an employer must supply in composing the alleged behavior or fortunes complained of that has led to the employer taking such action [ 15 ] . A transcript of the statement should be given to the employee and he should be invited to a meeting to discourse the affair [ 16 ] . The employee has to be given a sensible chance to see his response to the information given [ 17 ] . It would look from the information above that the company have non followed the right process for disciplinary action which would intend that George would be entitled to claim for unjust dismissal [ 18 ] . The company could reason that the pickings of the information from the selling file and puting this onto a phonograph record is a direct breach of the employment contract. This would be peculiarly applicable if carpet universe discovered George’s programs to put up his ain concern. The clause of his contract states that he can non utilize the concern information for any other intent than to carry through his responsibilities under the contract. By George utilizing the information with a position to puting up his ain concern it could be viewed that he has stolen information which is extremely confidential from the concern and that such information would be classed as trade secrets [ 19 ] . If the company became cognizant of this they could prosecute an action against George for breach of contract [ 20 ] . They could utilize this breach to disregard George from their employment as he has accessed trade secrets for his ain personal usage. It is by and large accepted by the tribun als that restraint clauses sing the usage of confidential information are a necessary necessity in a concern and are hence adhering on an employee [ 21 ] . In regard of the restraint clauses at that place needs to be an scrutiny of the usage of such clauses to make up one’s mind whether these can be enforceable against George. Restraint clauses are often incorporated into contracts of employment and as such are likely to be treated by the tribunals as adhering [ 22 ] . In the instance of Dawnay, Day A ; Co Ltd A ; another V D’Alphen A ; Others [ 23 ] the tribunal reached the decision that the usage of restrictive compacts was lawful. The facts of this peculiar instance are really similar to the state of affairs of George in that the complainant had placed restrictive compacts into the contract of employment to the consequence that anyone go forthing the company could non fall in a similar company or put up their ain concern in a similar trade to that of the complainant. If these clauses had non been in the original contract of employment and had been incorporated into the footings of employment at a ulterior clip the compacts would merely be adhering if the employee signed the new understanding.In the instance of Willow Oak Developments Ltd ( t/a Windsor Recruitment ) V Silverwood A ; Ors [ 24 ] it was held by the tribunal that the dismissal of employees for declining to subscribe the new contract incorporating the restrictive compacts was unjust. They held that the employees should be entitled to reinstatement or compensation. It would look from the above that rug universe would be able to prosecute an action for a breach of the compacts if he continued with his program to put up his ain concern after go forthing the company. George could merely avoid such action if he refrained from similar work for the following twelvemonth or if he set up a similar concern outside of the in agreement radius. If George did put up a new concern outside of the radius he would still be prevented from using any staff working for rug universe for the first 6 months of his new concern as the compact prevents him from beging fellow employees within that clip span. If George adhered to the contents of the restraint clauses he would be able to put up his ain concern without action being brought against him. Bibliography Berry, A,Covering with your Judgment of dismissal in One Week,2000, Hodder A ; Stoughton Inns of Court Law School,Employment Law in Practice,7ThursdayEd, 2006, Oxford University Press Painter, R A ; Holmes, A,Cases and Materials on Employment Law,2006, Oxford University Press Rich, M, Edwards, I, Mead, H,Mead’s Unfair Dismissal,1994, Sweet and Maxwell Employment Law Journal 2006, vol 73 ( Sep ) , 9-11 Table of Cases Brake Bros Ltd V Ungless [ 2004 ] EWHC 2799 Canadian Worldwide Express V Smith [ 2005 ] EWHC 671 Corporate Express Ltd v Day [ 2004 ] EWHC 2943 Dawnay, Day A ; Co Ltd A ; another V D’Alphen A ; Others [ 1997 ] EWCA Civ1753 ( 22 Gillanders v Riding Hall Carpets [ 1974 ] I.R.L.R. 327 Headley V Copygraphic Ltd [ 1996 ] C.L.Y. 2627 Leeds Rugby Ltd v Harris [ 2005 ] EWHC 1591 London Borough of Lambeth A ; Ors v Corlett [ 2006 ] UKEAT 0396 Lynch V Bromley Arts Council Employment Appeal Tribunal 13 February 2007 May 1997 ) McLean V Rainbow Homeloans Ltd [ 2007 ] I.R.L.R. 14 Odoemelam v Whittington Hospital NHS Trust Employment Appeal Tribunal 6 February 2007 Robinson v Swallowfield Consumer Products Employment Appeal Tribunal 29 March 2000 Sayers v Cambridgeshire CC [ 2006 ] EWHC 2029 [ 2007 ] I.R.L.R. 29 Spencer Jones V Timmens Freeman [ 1974 ] I.R.L.R. 325 UKEAT 0005 Thomas V Farr Plc [ 2007 ] EWCA Civ 118 Times, February 27, 2007 Weir A ; Anor ( The Firm of Brae Cottage Residential Home ) v Stewart [ 2006 ] Willow Oak Developments Ltd ( t/a Windsor Recruitment ) V Silverwood A ; Ors [ 2005 ] UKEAT ( 20 October 2005 ) Table of Legislative acts Employment Rights Act 1996 Employment Act 2002 Working Time Regulations 1998 Working Time Directive 93/104 Employment Act 2002 ( Dispute Resolutions ) Regulations 2004 1 How to cite Contract laws in employment: A case study, Free Case study samples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Transportation and Distribution Management of Haier †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Transportation and Distribution Management of Haier. Answer: Introduction Haier is a Chinese electronics manufacturing company established in the year 1984. The headquarters of Haier is located in Qingdao. The company manufactures some of the electronic devices that are television, refrigerators, washing machine, microwaves, computers, mobile phones and air-conditions. They distribute these products almost every corner of the globe. Their major international markets of the company are USA, Russia, India, Pakistan, France, Malaysia, UK and many more. They started their international journey in 1990 in an effort to tap into the overseas markets (Haier.net, 2017). They face considerable competition in their international market from Philips, whirlpool, godrej and other similar products. The reason behind the company is lasting in their international markets for this long competing with these mentioned competitors is their core value and goal. The company follows a win-win mode of individual goal that provides sustainability to the company. It is because they are concerned to look after the interest of their customers unlike other Chinese companies that seeks for short-term profit (Haier.net, 2017). Their values prioritize the customers opinion, consider them right, and seek for the development their products to satisfy their needs. They also believe in the entrepreneurship and innovation. It helps the company to retain their value. Haire have revised their strategy over time to maintain these core values. The Company currently follows networking strategy to hold the market share and brand loyalty in their overseas markets. The purpose of the essay is to understand the incoterms and the process of selecting proper incoterm for the company. The considerations are discussed in relation to the selected organization and recommendation is made in for gaining competitive advantage in the market. It further focuses on the criterions considered for carrier selection andcarrier relationship management relating the factors with Haier. It also discusses how it can bring profit for the company. Incoterms Selection Consideration The company has invested a considerable amount of money in their first half for developing their logistics for operating in the Chinese market. This is due to the need of dealing with the increased outsourced logistics requirements of their products. They bought sixty per cent of the Shanghai Boyol New Brothers Supply Chainmanagement in the Chinese market and completely bought the complete Boyol Logistics in the international market. This helped them in increasing their profit by 19 per cent in the first half. Later, the company made alliance with the leading e-commerce business Alibaba with a goal of creating industry-leading standards for the logistics. Later, Haier integrated with other logistics business like Gooday mart Logistics to deliver efficient service to their customers (Greg Knowler, 2017). These steps taken by the company has considerably increased their profit and efficiency. However, this is limited to their Chinese market only. They considered foreign direct investme nt in expanding their business to the overseas market. This eliminates their need of supplying the products overseas as they now manufacture their products in their target markets. However, this increases the risk for the company, as they are liable for the goods they are for the product being delivered. This means that the company is chargeable for the damage in course of transportation. In other word, the company is responsible for securely delivering the products to the doorsteps of their customers (Stapleton, Pande O'Brien, 2014). Recommended Incoterm DAP DAP refers to delivered at place, which means the manufacturer is liable to pack and deliver the product to the shipment. The responsibility of the goods there after, moves to the buyers and the buyers are then liable to take responsibilities for the goods. Any kind of damage that might occur after the products have been handed over to the shipment falls under the buyers responsibility. Delivered at Place Moreover, the costing of transportation is also divided accordingly. The buyer needs to carry out the charges and responsibilities for customs clearance in the importing country, and the risk including all the customs duty. The carriage expenses along with the terminal expenses are to be paid by the seller in this case up to the agreed destination point. The buyer bears the costing from the final destination starting from unloading cost under the terms mentioned in DAP (Bergami, 2013). Adopting this third party logistics term will help the company reduce their costing of transport. Moreover, the company will be liable for the security of the product until packaging. Responsibility thereafter will move to the buyer and reduce the risk for the Haier. CPT CPT otherwise known as carriage paid to named destination can considerably reduce the cost and risk factors for Haier. Liability of the manufacturer according to this term is to deliver the products to the named destination for pick up by the first carrier. The costing and responsibility thereafter lies with the buyer. Carriage Paid to The only responsibility of the manufacturer is to pack the products according to the term and deliver it to the first major carrier in a mentioned place. Haier can obtain a certain level of advantage using this third party logistics supply chain by reducing the costing and risk factors incorporated within (Bergami, 2013). Carrier Selection Criteria The overall goal of the company is to deliver high quality products to the customers and consider their interest along with the business interest. This helps the company to do a sustainable business. Transportation goal of Haier on the other hand is to provide a safe delivery to their customers. This concern is due to the types of products them manufacture in their company. The electronic devices possess high threat of damage in transportation. The company further seeks to reduce the expenses spent on the transportation. It makes it obvious that they seek a reliable carrier that will safely deliver their product in low transportation cost. Moreover, the reliable carrier will also reduce the wastage cost that the electronics companies have to consider in the process (Choudhary Shankar, 2014). Reduction in transportation cost will also reduce the end price, which will fulfil Haiers win-win concept. Considerable Criterions Haier needs to consider various factors before selecting their carrier. However, some of them needs special attention as they are the primary determinant for the safe and secure delivery of the products. They are as follows: Geographical This is the most important determinants the company needs to consider in the process of selecting carrier. This is be of the operational area the company is covering. Haier has expanded their market in almost every corner of the world. Their manufacturing facilities and destination market is present in cities around the world (Zhao, 2012). It make it necessary for Haier to select a carrier with maximum geographical coverage. Otherwise, the primary purpose of transpiration will remain unattended. Equipment The second most important criteria the company needs to consider is the equipment the carrier uses for their transportation. Haier manufactures electronic products which is highly vulnerable to physical impacts. Hence, they will require a carrier that is technologically advanced and has the capability to provide the extra care required for transiting the products manufactured by Haier. Considering this factor will help Haier control the damage and reduce the costing that might occur from the damage during transit. Theory of transportation states that the primary objective of the company in transportation should focus on reducing per unit cost for shipping, which is possible to address by reducing the damage in transit (Aguezzoul, 2014). Transit Time Haier also needs to consider the transit time taken by the shipping line they select for delivering their product. It is to increase the satisfaction level of the buyer and to increase their business. Faster delivery means they can deliver more product in short period of time that will help the company to grow their business (Ben-Akiva, Bolduc Park, 2013). Reliability Lastly, Haier needs to consider in the process of carrier selection is the reliability. It incorporates multiple factors some of which are discussed earlier. The carrier should be precise about their pickup and drop location and timing. The shipping line should be picking up the products and deliver them to the exact point as mentioned and within time to ensure the success of the purpose of transportation. Moreover, it should also ensure the safety of the product to reduce the costing of transportation (Meixell Norbis, 2012). Carrier Relation Management As per the earlier discussion, Haier aims to deliver their products safely to their buyers in low cost. Moreover, they also desire to deliver the products in time that will further increase the satisfaction level of the buyer. The transportation model also states similar criteria for the transportation of the goods, which are safety, time and cost effectiveness (Govindan et al, 2012). The company should consider these factors to generate maximum revenue. In addition to the above-mentioned goals, the company also seeks to establish a good relation with the carrier to ensure long-term success. Type of Relationship Long-term relationship with the carrier is considered as the best for any manufacturing company considering many factors. Firstly, frequent change in the carrier company will hamper the business of the manufacturer. Moreover, it will put the business in insecurity regarding to the transportation. It is necessary for Haier to ensure a smooth transportation facility to keep the business running and deliver the products to its customers. Secondly, none of the parties involved will not be able to build trust, which is important in this line of work. The increased reliability of the carrier will ease the process (Graham, 2013). Hence, it will be necessary to build trust between the manufacturer and the carrier, which is possible only through long-term relationship. Thirdly, long-term relationship with a single carrier will save the company a considerable amount of money. Changing the carrier means changing contract, which may considerably vary over time. Moreover, safety measures should a lso be taken into account, which comes with the healthy relationship between the supplier and carrier (Winter Knemeyer, 2013). Process of relationship building Transparency should be maintained between the carrier and supplier. The data related to route, tonnage, monthly volume and other should be properly communicated to develop healthy relationship between the parties. Seasonal changes that might occur should also be calculated and communicated properly in prior order. The opinions provided by the carrier should also be considered as they have a deeper understanding of the geography of the location. Moreover, prioritizing their opinion will help building trust, which is important. Commitments from both the parties are required in this case. It is necessary for the supplier to maintain their commitments before seeking the commitments of the carrier. It will further strengthen the bonding. The opportunities should be shared with the carriers. It means that the manufacturer should provide opportunity to the carrier to gain benefit from the process. In other words, they should be incorporated in the business when the favorable opportunities arises. Operational changes should be properly communicated with the carrier and seek their opinion in the process if possible. This will avoid unwanted disruption in the transport process. Responsibilities related to the technological usage has to be shared by both the carrier and the shipper. The shipper must ensure the minimum manual work related to the tracking of the goods being imposed on the carrier. Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion that Haier have expanded their business in the international market and built facilities around the world. Hence, it is important for them to have a proper third party logistics firms to ensure the smooth distribution of their products in their operational markets. The CPT and DAP are the two incoterm that can provide certain level of benefit to the company transporting their products around the world. They can reduce the risk factors involved in international transportation with proper implementation of the proposed incoterms. However, they have to consider the criterions mention to select the right carrier for their distribution. These factors leads to the conclusion that Haier needs to build healthy and long-term relationship with their carrier for ensuring a sustainable development. They can utilize the proposed process of developing relationship with their selected carrier. References Aguezzoul, A. (2014). Third-party logistics selection problem: A literature review on criteria and methods.Omega,49, 69-78. Ben-Akiva, M., Bolduc, D., Park, J. Q. (2013). Discrete choice analysis of shippers preferences. InFreight Transport Modelling(pp. 119-141). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Bergami, R. (2013). Incoterms 2010: The newest revision of delivery terms.Acta Universitatis Bohemiae Meridionalis,15(2), 33-40. Bergami, R. (2013). Managing Incoterms 2010 risks: tension with trade and banking practices.International Journal of Economics and Business Research,6(3), 324-338. Choudhary, D., Shankar, R. (2014). A goal programming model for joint decision making of inventory lot-size, supplier selection and carrier selection.Computers Industrial Engineering,71, 1-9. Govindan, K., Palaniappan, M., Zhu, Q., Kannan, D. (2012). Analysis of third party reverse logistics provider using interpretive structural modeling.International Journal of Production Economics,140(1), 204-211. Graham, A. (2013). Understanding the low cost carrier and airport relationship: A critical analysis of the salient issues. Tourism Management,36, 66-76. Greg Knowler, S. (2017).Haier expands China logistics business as 3PL demand grows.Joc.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017, from https://www.joc.com/international-logistics/haier-expands-china-logistics-business-3pl-demand-grows_20140827.html Haier.net. (2017). History | About Haier | Haier Group. Retrieved 7 November 2017, from https://www.haier.net/en/about_haier/history/ Meixell, M. J., Norbis, M. (2012). Integrating carrier selection with supplier selection decisions to improve supply chain security.International Transactions in Operational Research,19(5), 711-732. Stapleton, D. M., Pande, V., O'Brien, D. (2014). EXW, FOB OR FCA? Choosing the right Incoterm and why it matters to maritime shippers.Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics, and Policy,81(3), 227. Winter, M., Knemeyer, A. M. (2013). Exploring the integration of sustainability and supply chain management: Current state and opportunities for future inquiry.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,43(1), 18-38. Zhao, W. (2012).U.S. Patent No. 8,214,536. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain Essay Example

Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain Essay RESEARCH SURVEY ON USE OF OPPORTUNITY COST IN PROJECT EVALUATION AT SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN A RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTED TO THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AMA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN BY MUBEEN FATIMA August, 2012 ABSTRACT Accounting and Economics work for two different purposes. Today managerial decision making uses economics, as well as accounting concepts, methods practices of scrutiny given by decision sciences. Literature shows that there are four basic tools and techniques of decision making used by economists, these are; augmentation, statistical valuation, projecting, numerical study, and game theory, most of which are equally procedural in nature they helps us to gather the idea of how decisions are made in economics. Since resources are limited relative to wants, the usage of resources in one way hinders their use in other means. This implies the cost of opportunity, which is lost, is actually the profit of whose output is given up, this indicates that, lost time, satisfaction or any other benefit that provides usefulness should also be taken as opportunity cost. Opportunity cost in literature is the cost referred as the next-best choice available to a rational consumer who has to select between a number of mutually distinct projects. It is, thus the key concept in economics. It has been illustrated as conveying the basic relationship between deficiency and choice. Yet its relation to the economic profit is seldom discussed. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Prior research work provides us the idea that opportunity costs is one of the key differences between the concepts of economic cost and accounting cost. Being treated as a cost, opportunity cost had always been considered vital in calculation of the true cost of a project has always effected a management accountant decision However the modern economists, particularly the Austrian school of thought treats opportunity cost as something that has neither existence nor has any importance in decision making. Though the field of economics gave birth to the concept of opportunity cost, the awareness about assessing the second best alternate is now taken over by management accounting, today this concept is being taught in academic graduate courses of economics however; in practice, the economists today emphasize on mathematical techniques in decision making there by ignoring various conceptual factors like opportunity costs and worth of projects being missed. Evaluating opportunity costs is important to find out the true cost of any project under consideration. If the financial worth of second best alternative of an investment project is low, then, overlooking that opportunity costs, gives an impression that benefits of next best alternative, cost practically nothing. The invisible opportunity costs then become one of the hidden costs of that particular project. Mr. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and a civil servant was the first man to give the idea of Opportunity Cost in his economic theory of free markets as well as explaining his concept of liberty and an individual and freedom of choice. Opportunity costs are thought of as the retrospective costs that cannot be recovered in the field of Economics and Corporate decision making. Opportunity costs are occasionally compared with â€Å"potential costs† which obviously are the future costs that may or may not incurr depending upon the decision taken. Both past aswell as prospective costs can be either static or dynamic Austrian school of thought pay attention to the concept of opportunity costs on both sides of the market links very deeply to the importance of finance and economic profit estimation in their model of the market process. They argue that the money of an investor having opportunity cost means that his money has many uses but the uses are not unlimited. With the assumption of a market with seamlessly exclusive capital goods, those goods will have no opportunity cost as every exclusive good has only one yield. In a market of seamlessly standardized capital goods, they have no opportunity cost because all of the goods are same in terms of use and benefit thus can be used equally well for each yield. In practice the calculation of project cost by an accountant is different from that of an economist. This variance is not grounded in different fundamentals on what to assess or how, but lies in the basic difference in understanding-of costs and profits. However if opportunity costs are not ignored by the economist then while calculating the GDP of Country the economist must also consider the large scale pearl diving industry in certain areas of Bahrain. Statement of the Problem The study aims to discuss the relevance of the concept of Opportunity Cost in project evaluation procedure adopted by commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain. The opportunity cost has different importance in the opinion of economists and accounts professionals and therefore the use of this concept in project costing . This research will attempt to find out importance of Opportunity cost while considering an investment proposal. Specifically it sought to answer the succeeding questions. 1. What is the status of the opportunity cost in project evaluation at Selected Commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain? 2. What are the banking operations where opportunity cost is deemed important by Commercial Banks in Kingdom of Bahrain? 3. What are the factors effecting the importance of opportunity cost faced by Commercial Banks in Kigdom of Bahrain? 4. What are the problems encountered in application of Opportunity cost concept by the Bankers while evaluating a project? Assumption The study assumed that the respondents are honest in answering all the questionnaire Significance of the Study The study is beneficial to the following: Decision Makers: the study will help the decision makers in Commercial Banking industry to find the true cost of a project and therefore finding the true profit or loss generated by it Future Researches: the study will help in relating the two concepts i. e, opportunity cost and Project Costing by using the quantitative methodology of research. It will further help in decision making and project evaluation for the accounts Managers and Economists. Scope and Limitation The aim of this study is to deliberate the significance of the concept of Opportunity Cost in project evaluation procedure adopted by Commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain. The opportunity cost has different importance in the pinion of economists and accounts professionals and therefore the use of this concept in project costing . The study includes Bank Officers at selected Commercial Banks working in Kingdom of Bahrain. The target population is Executives and managers (top and middle level ) who are directly involved in decision making This research focused on finding out importance of Opportunity cost while considering an investment proposalstudy is conducted in Commercial Banks of Bahrain, the re sponses therefore reflect the most important sector of Bahrain economy. The study is conducted in the natural settings i. during the business hours and responses are taken while the samples are on their work places, therefore 100 percent reliability of responses is not possible due to various un controllable distractions. The period covered by this study is January till December 2012. All the data is collected in Bahrain and responses therefore will represent the local population. Definition of Terms Opportunity Cost (OC) The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action (John Stuart Mil) Economic Value Added (EVA) A measure of a companys financial performance based on the residual wealth calculated by deducting cost of capital from its operating profit (Stern Stewart) EVA is also referred to as economic profit. CHAPTER 2 Review of Related Literature and Studies Foreign Literature Mankiw ( 2000) from Harvard University USA and the author of† Principles of Microeconomics† explained here that Economic profits are calculated by using both explicit as well as implicit costs however Accounting profits are calculated using only explicit costs. Therefore , accounting profits are higher than economic profits Neale( 2001) have found that due to forgoing opportunity costs, delayed decisions can be seen as option between certain loss and the risk of greater or zero loss. Chung, (2005)from Princeton University have conclude in their work â€Å"The Opportunity Cost of Admission Preferences at Elite Universities† that economic cost of a decision relies on the cost of the project that is selected and also the profits that the second best alternative project may had given if selected. This perspective of scarcity of resource leads to the dimension of opportunity cost. Hawkins et. al ( 2008 ) in their article â€Å" Cost and benefit Analysis† are of the view that the â€Å"next best alternative† is an important concept in cost and benefit analysis (CBA). The benefits gone by not implementing the second favorite choice are known as opportunity costs. Opportunity costs are relevant in calculating costs of a project. Opportunity costs help in economic scrutiny. In financial investigation market values are used as the market price for man power has the market value same as a person’s wage The Indian scholars are also of the view that Opportunity Cost of Idle Capacity Zero, supporting the work of (Coase 1938). The researchers of M2 Presswire publications have found that opportunity cost of ignoring the markets, have disastrous results as eBay failed to beat yahoo in this regard. Buchanan (1969 ) says that it is just to bind the term opportunity cost to this idea that only decision changing cost represents an analysis of given up â€Å"opportunities. † and to invent other vivid terms to mention ecision altering cost in a logic of choice and to the objective cost of the predictive theory. Hebert (1985 ) gave a very comprehensive idea about the market value. Yet his belief of fundamental value has quite possibly been a red-herring in the antiquity of economic analysis, according to him market value is sensitive to elements other than â€Å"on record costs† few of them are independent. Horwitz (2010) identifies the partiality of opportunity costs on either si des of the market connections so well to the importance of capital and economic calculation in the Austrian theory of the market process. Aherns (2008) says that management accountants’ most prior duty is to relate the available reserves with the future dealings of the business. Whereas this process is rather simpler in economics to determine which of the available alternates is going to pay off highest future cash flows Kearing et. al (2005) are of the view that multiple allocation of capital funds , commercial analysis and manufacturer side opportunity costs are all the unified part of the Austrian ideology. Woodbery (2000) says that the true opportunity cost of using the additional capability is the change in the worth of the firms choices. By emphasizing on the state-contingent nature of best decisions, his framework distinguishes that the cost is not always identical to the present value of explicit venture or manufacturing decisions. Taylor (2005) suggests that many proficient economists may not completely comprehend opportunity cost. Frank (2005) said that comparative prices helps in finding out the comparative worth of ordained opportunities. His hypothesis is based on an indepth study of consumer indifferense curves. According to the author the economic cost is virtually the opportunity cost. Samuelson( 2009) puts stress on a close link between opportunity costs and cost of available resources. Economic cost consist of not only the noticeable monetary purchases or on record financial transactions but also more indirect opportunity costs, such as the profits on the manpower supplied by the owner of a resource company and other returns of similar nature. The factors mentioned are firmly controlled by the quotations available and demand in competitive markets. Henderson (2011), said that by â€Å"opportunity cost† of a resource, the economist mean the financial worth of the second favourite utilization of the available resource. Opportunity costs as in (Lawrance Gitman 2000) are those profits or returns that could be obtained from best alternative use of an a retained asset. So opportunity cost is the cash that shall not be obtained because of engaging an asset in project under consideration. Due to this, opportunity cost should be included as an expense or loss while doing the project evaluation. Raftery et. al(1999) writes that consideration of opportunity cost is essential for the economists while determining the costs. As resources are less compared to the needs, so application of resources in one profitable project hinders their use in other profitable pojects Bauman (2011) says that opportunity cost is the second best choice, he said that it is difficult to clearly frame the opportunity cost as identifying second best choices is a knotty matter. According to him the concept of opportunity cost can only be clearly defined in academic problems as in practical field a project â€Å"price to worth† calculations are complex Kimberly (1998) said that computerized accounting systems today solely emphasize on cash in and out of the firm, this eventually attracts clever dealers to dump credits that produce a big accounting profits. By the introduction of opportunity cost in persuit of calculating the true costs enforces further control on reporting process. Such concept implication helps the auditors to identify the fake earnings shown in the financial statements made in the year end. Recklies (2001) argues that from economic perspective the cost include all those expenditures that are crucial for perpetual succession of a business as as going concern, it also consist of the reimbursement for owners in shape of profit so that they maintain their investment portfolio within the firm. Marshall (2009) identifies the income as a total of personal skills, capital funds invested, assets possessed and the reputation of the business. Leeson (2008) has explained in his research work the uses if the concept of uncertainty and derives from this concept of the value of information and how it can be calculated. And emphasized upon the role of management accounting in the decision-making Berntell (2005) have focused on the optimum utilization of scarce resources like water to give maximum utility by reducing various costs and losses. For which economist must make a clear cut cost and benefit analysis Dmytrenko (1997 )has elaborated in his price to value investigation the opportunity cost of increased automation in a firm via changing the human resource by computers and equipment Caplan (2003) says that the term opportunity cost is sometimes confusing. Sometimes it is used to submit to the profit foregone from the next best option, and Often it is used to mention the difference in benefit of decision made and the benift of second favourite decision that is given up Fraker( 2006) suggests that EVA is a unique financial performance determining tool . Unlike other financial efficiency ratios, it gives a different outlook of a Bank’s financial health by including the cost of Capital employeed in the business and is more of concern to its shareholders. Shcherbakov( 2012) explains that implication of the concept of EVA is an enhanced measuring technique to find out the effect of internationalization on the commercial performance of any business King (2009) explained that Accountancy and Economics work for different purposes. He explained the multi-national corporation scenarios and compared the use of economic profits with that of accounting profits Local Literature (Hasan Al-Basteki 1998) worked on the use of modern Accounting techniques in the decision making in Bahrain and he concluded that not just the western world is implementing the new costing techniques but the middle east is also adopting the modern techniques Synthesis of the Literature Review The synthesis of the literature reviewed enlightens few similarities and differences with this research studies . The main similarities found in the literature are as follows i) Opportunity cost has been used in different parts of the world particularly in Banks and Construction industry ii) The No. f alternatives available influence the Opportunity Cost iii) Economic factors like inflation has effect on the project evaluation by the Banks . A closer review of these research papers show that Economists belonging to the Austrian school of thoughts are of the view that i) Opprtunity cost is not as important as Economic Profits are for economic decision making ii) Scarcity of resou rce is a factor which effects the decision makers approach The literature explains the significance of opportunity cost in framing the actual picture of the financial position of a company, same is the case evaluation of an investment project. Opportunity cost helps identifying the true cost of a project Opportunity cost is important in the determining the accurate financial position, hence in this research the relationship between the factors effecting opportunity cost and decision making is under study Theoretical Frame Work The study tends to explore the Opportunity cost and EVA for a given project in order to understand their relationship with each other. Very little literature is available in Economics and Accounting to determine the true profits of an organization(Denise Woodbery). The idea behind this research is to establish the nature of relationship between Economic value added that reflects the monetory importance of a given project or in other words the economic profit and that of Opportunity Cost that reflects the accounting profit of the same project. Conceptual Frame Work The idea behind this research is to find out how effective is Opportunity cost in project evaluation perceived by the Bankers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The data is collected and analysed to understand what status opportunity cost concept holds in project financial evaluation and its relative efficiency perceived by the bankers at selected commercial banks of Kingdom of Bahrain The study tends to explore the two concepts for a given project in order to understand their relationship with each other. The Opportunity cost as discussed in literature like any other relevant cost adds to the overall project expenditure (Ferraro Laura O Taylor) Opportunity cost effects the total Cost of a Project , any increase in Opportunity cost means increase I nthe total cost of the project The higher the Opportunity Cost of a Project is the Smaller will be the net profit of it However the higher the net profit of the project is Opportunity Cost of the Project will be lower. Financial decision making tends to go for a project with smaller cost and hence inclusion of opportunity cost will alter the project cost and alter the decision ultimately. Various factors like availability of alternatives (James Raftery 1999), Scarcity of resources (Robert Frank 2005), Economic factors like trade cycle recession, inflation (Peter T leeson 2008) effects the use of opportunity cost in Project costing CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research design and methodology, sampling design, respondents of the study, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, data gathering procedures, and statistical treatment of the gathered data. Research Design This study used the descriptive type of research which involves assembling data which provide knowledge about the variables and then systematically tabularizing, portraying, and defining the data gathered (Glass Hopkins, 1984). To get evidence concerning the current standing of the incidences to describe what happens in terms of change in value of the variables or settings in a state of research.. Opportunity Cost reflects the monetary importance of the next best alternative project. The study helps to find out how effectively this concept is incorporated in project evaluation procedure Research Design This is a descriptive research in which the population from which data is collected are the Management Personals from different business concerns established and working in Kingdom of Bahrain, directly or indirectly associated with the decision making and investment evaluation . Respondents of the Study The target population includes the working class particularly the managers , assistant managers and executives who work in Bahrain and their field esponsibility include Investment Analysis ,Project evaluation and decision making of similar nature. Sample Size The sample size is 50 and the response rate is well above the international standard of quantitative research required to validate the result of the study Sampling Design There are many methods of sampling; however for this study Random Sampling is used that is from the target population a sample of 100 is coll ected on random basis. The study uses random sampling for convenience and to avoid bias of respondents that work in one organization have one opinion(as in cluster sampling) Research Instrument The instrument used in this study is Questionnaire, the content of the questionnaire that consist of 20 queries the first five of which are about the general information of the respondent, remaining queries for which the respondents will answer on a Likert Scale. All the queries will help to find the relation between the two variables Opportunity Cost (IV) and Decision Making (DV) Part I: Provide demographics of the respondents in terms of age , gender, educational attainment, work experience in years Part II: Provide the data about the respondents opinion on various factors that influence their decision while making financial evaluation of a project. The answers to these questions will be given on a five point rating scale. 5. Strongly Agree 4. Agree 3. Moderately Agree 2. Disagree 1. Strongly Disagree Validity of the Instrument The validity of instrument is carefully checked by the research committee that includes research professors, statisticians and advisors. The recommendations were incorporated. The justification of this validation was to avoid vague items and bias statements which have been correctly achieved. Reliability of the Instrument The questionnaire is pre-tested to test the reliability of it, with a small group of individualsworking in different companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in order to check their understanding of the questions. Data collection Method Questionnaire copies were distributed among bank officers in different branches of distinct commercial banks in various regions of Kingdom of Bahrain. The target respondents are expected to be acquainted with the subject and questions, included in the questionnaire. There are other methods of data collection like documentary analysis and interview however for this study survey methodology is opted. A copy of questionnaire is provided in the appendix Statistical Treatment of the Data There are many choices of appropriate statistical methods however Correlation Coefficient as statistical method is used, so to find out the relation between the two variables. The survey form was used the Likert five point scale for the respondents to choose from as follows: [pic] Very few enterprises are using opportunity cost for just one reason. It is clearly evident that Opportunity cost related information is being used to accurately manage wide range of activities across a banking organization. Activities influenced by Opportunity cost calculation Activities |% of respondents | |Product Costs Profitability |65 | |Performance Measurement |47 | |Shared Service Costing |41 | |Planning Budgeting |40 | |Customer costing |38 | |Customer/Channel Costs Profitability |38 | |Transfer pricing |25 | |Outcome / Output based management |25 | Expectedly, opportunity cost is used for product costing by approximately two by three of those respondants working in banking sector. It ’s precision over traditional costing methods is borne out later in the survey with 87% finding that their Opportunity Cost product costs differed substantially from traditional costing methods, leading around 50% to reprice their products as a result! Validating the views expressed by Kaplan Norton in their latest book ‘Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes’, which lays emphesisis on the importance of using Opportunity Cos to support a Balance Scorecard, nearly half of all respondents are using their Opportunity Cost data to support their Performance Management The use of Opportunity Cost to support Shared Services costing has increased in popularity over the last few years. Now that internal services are represent up to 30% of an organisation’s costs, it has become imperative to accurately reflect how those services are consumed by business units. Over 40% of respondents are using opportunity cost to support Shared Service costing, enabling them to understand who and what is driving consumption of their internal services, and thereby increasing the effectiveness of their focus an core business. These trends are repeated by those who do not yet use opportunity cost, but are plannin g to. They want to use opportunity cost to support Initiative |% of respondents planning to use OPPORTUNITY COST | |Product Costing |55 | |Planning Budgeting |36 | |Customer costing |27 | |Process/Continuous Improvement |27 | The most noticeable difference is that only 18% are planning to use the information to support Performance Measurement. This could well be because the ease of which opportunity cost lends itself to Performance Measurement is not evident until an opportunity cost is up and running. Alternatively, the respondents may be looking to introduce opportunity cost to solve a pressing business requirement, and the links between Opportunity Cost and performance metrics are not immediately apparent. Opportunity Cost for Planning The emphasis of Bankers has moved from historical costs to future costs. An enormous 94% of those questioned are now using opportunity cost, or plan to use, opportunity costs for developmental drives. Opportunity cost Planners are looking at all aspects of their organisations in order to identify improvement opportunities. Some 60% are looking to identify process improvements, with 55% looking at activity level improvements via resource planning, and 49% looking to affect strategy formulation. However, only 13% are questioning their organisation’s process design in a fundamental way. Consistent with historic uses of opportunity Cost planning data is being used to support a variety of initiatives, although there is a surprising focus on opportunity cost for goal setting. |Initiative |% of OPPORTUNITY COST Planners | |Shared Service Costing |51 | |Product Costing |49 | |Defining team/dept goals |27 | |Defining organisational goals |13 | Product/Service Costing and Customer Profitability By using cause and effect tracing rather than allocations, opportunity cost better reflects the value chain of how organisations consume costs and provides more accurate product, service and customer costings than achieved using traditional costing techniques. The difference in opportunity cost product costs to absorption or other allocation based costings can be dramatic. The survey shows that 87% of practitioners found that their product and service costs differed from traditional costings markedly. The majority had an average variation of between 5 and 10%, which can be dramatic at a gross or net margin level. However, a surprising number of respondents (11%) experienced variations of over 100%! |Average variation |% |Maximum variation % | |0 |13 |; 10% |25 | |1-5% |15 |10-25% |17 | |5-10% |26 |25-50% |25 | |10-15% |13 |50-75% |14 | |15-20% |10 |75-100% |8 | |; 20% |23 |; 100% |11 | Cost Reduction and Process Improvement That ABC can improve your bottom line is beyond doubt, with potential cost savings amounting to 25% of cost bases being identified. Some organisations are yet to find where they can reduce their costs, but it is worth noting that over 70% of those who have not identified cost savings have less than 100 activities in their model. Whilst it is important to prevent ABC models become too large and unmanageable (primarily because they can induce analysis paralysis), it is essential that a reasonable level of detail is available, so that there is sufficient information on which to make cost reducing or revenue enhancing decisions. After all, profit outcomes are the result of process design and activity workflow Maximum potential cost saving as a % of cost base |% | |0% |18 | |1-5% |21 | |5-10% |33 | |10-15% |8 | |15-20% |13 | |20-25% |2 | |;25% |5 | A variety of methods are being used to help organisations translate their ABC data into real cost reductions. Cost driver analysis is the m ost frequently used method for aiding cost reduction and/or process redesign, with 67% of organisations using this technique. Process mapping and benchmarking are also popular, as is repricing of products and/or services, and analysis of the value that an activity adds to an organisation. Top techniques used to aid cost reduction |% | |Cost driver analysis |67 | |Process mapping redesign |52 | |Benchmarking |52 | |Repricing |50 | |Value adding analysis |42 | |Product rationalisation |38 | |Value chain analysis |32 | Conclusions ABC can, and does, add value to organisations. 96% of respondents have found the experience to be beneficial to their organisations, and 98% are expecting their implementations to deliver even more positive returns on their investment in the future Level of benefit delivered by ABC |% achieved |% future | |Adverse impact |4 |2 | |Negligible benefit |22 |13 | |Moderate benefit |54 |60 | |Substantial benefit |20 |25 | Regardless of the benefit analysis above, respondents recommend the use of ABC unanimously! In particular, practitioners recommend using ABC for product costing and cost reduction, to derive the most benefits, although there is a general belief held by ABC practitioners that the methodology should be broadly used as shown below. ABC supporting |% of organisations | |Product/service costing profitability |80 | |Cost reduction |65 | |Continuous Improvement Program |56 | |Business Process Re-engineering |55 | |Shared Services Costing |51 | |Customer, channel or value chain analysis |44 | ABC is generating real benefits for all sorts of organisations across Australia. These benefits can only increase as more organisations are looking to start an ABC project for the first time, but the full potential of ABC will not be realised as so many existing ABC users are still not employing ABC to its full capabilities. It is important that experienced ABC compani

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Essay on Roman constitution essays

Essay on Roman constitution essays In the course of ancient history many nations rose and fell and many forms of government were tried. Some were successful, some were a terrible failure, and others were just sufficient. The Greek historian Polybius believed that the constitution and government of Rome at the time of the Hannibalic War was by far the best of any form of government ever set up by any other nation (Polybius pg. 311). The Hannibalic War took place from 218-201 B.C., Polybius (205-118 B.C.) was writing in the second century B.C. (quotationspage.com/author.php?author=Polybius). To Polybius the greatness of Romes government was that it combined three forms of government; aristocracy, monarchy, and democracy and utilized the best aspects of each while each had some form of a check and balance on the others to help curb the vices of each (Polybius pg. 317). Polybius believed Rome had set up a balanced constitution that had advantages over any others, but he did not foresee the political and social pressu res that led to the downfall of the Roman republic. Roman government consisted of two consuls, the Senate, and the people. Consuls were an elected office. The people were represented by an assembly and elected tribunes, of which there were originally two to match the two consuls. There were other magistracies in the Roman government, but they are not necessary to mention for this paper. The Senate was made up of the men who had held consulship, been tribune, or held any other magistracies (Shelton pg. 207). Once a man was a member of the Senate he was so for life (Shelton pg. 207). The consul, the people and the Senate represent the three kinds of governments (monarchy, democracy and aristocracy) that Polybius believed balanced Romes constitution and set it apart from others (Polybius pg. 311). For Polybius the Roman constitution, its form of government, carried out by three branches, was so interdependent and checked and...

Friday, November 22, 2019

College Spotlight Series: Everything You Need to Know About Yale

Yale University stands as one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the United States, often mentioned in the same breath with luminaries like Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. The popular US News and World Report rankings place it in a tie for #3 in the National Universities category, and its alums are well-represented in positions of leadership and excellence in the United States and throughout the world. Given this reputation, it’s unsurprising that Yale is a popular choice for motivated students applying to competitive colleges. However, Yale isn’t just a big name; it’s also a real place where real people live, work, and learn. The school has its own culture, traditions, and particular character that makes it an especially good fit for certain applicants. Likewise, getting accepted to Yale isn’t just about proving your academic aptitude. It’s a competitive and challenging admission process that addresses not only your grades and scores, but the potential and perspective you bring to campus and how well you fit with Yale’s approach to college education. Gathering knowledge is a necessity when you’re crafting a successful application for a college like Yale and deciding whether it’s the right fit for you. Read on for all the basics facts about Yale you’ll need to get started with your research. Current enrollment: 5,472 undergraduates, 12,458 students in total Average financial aid award: $48,294 (2015-16) Average SAT score: 1545 (roughly equivalent to 2265 on the old SAT) Yale is well-known for its culture of academic excellence and intellectual rigor. Its students are people who take their education seriously and intend to prepare themselves for leadership roles in the future, though this doesn’t prevent them from having other interests and goals. Undergraduates make up slightly less than half of Yale’s medium-large student body of over 12,000 students, meaning that graduate and professional students do take up some of the resources on campus. However, you don’t need to worry that undergraduates won’t get their share of attention. Yale takes its commitment to high-quality undergraduate education very seriously, and is ranked in US News and World Report’s top 10 schools for undergraduate teaching. As with most colleges on this tier, Yale is an expensive place to go to school. The most recent figure for tuition places that charge at $51,400 per year, and the total cost of attendance for most students is around $64,275 per year. Yale awards only need-based financial aid , meaning it does not provide athletic, academic, or other merit scholarships . However, this need-based financial aid is very generous for students who qualify, and many students end up paying significantly less than their full cost of attendance. Yale’s aid awards are also entirely composed of grant-based aid, meaning that no student is required to take out student loans. Yale’s main campus is located in the downtown area of New Haven, Connecticut. The university owns various properties, including athletic facilities, that are separate from this main campus, but if you attend Yale, the main campus is where you’ll most likely spend your time. New Haven is not far from the urban center of New York City, making the larger city a popular destination for students on weekends and breaks as well as a resource for academic and career development. The campus itself, however, has plenty of charms. It’s well-known for its architectural and historical significance, and was even named the most beautiful college campus in the United States in 2011 by Town & Country Magazine. The most popular academic majors at Yale fall within the fields of economics, political science and government, history, psychology, and biology. In recent decades, Yale has produced a large number of alums who have become significant figures in government and politics, giving the school a reputation as a place where future political leaders are formed. Of course, these aren’t the only areas of academic excellence you’ll find at Yale; the school’s resources and prestige draw well-known scholars and foster top-tier scholarship in many different areas. One area of special interest is Yale’s drama program, which has trained many of today’s leading actors and other media professionals. Yale students are committed to their studies, but they’re just as eager to pursue challenges and activities outside the classroom. The campus is home to over 380 student groups at present, and new groups and programs are always in the works. If you can’t find your preferred activity, you’ll always have the opportunity to create it for yourself. Competitive and informal athletic teams at Yale include the infamous sport of â€Å"bladderball,† a Yale tradition that has been banned by administrators and revived several times. The well-known a capella group the Whiffenpoofs is only one of many performing arts groups on campus, and other activities include a wide range of cultural groups, political organizations, and the Yale Record, the oldest college humor magazine in the country. Like Harvard, Princeton, and quite a few other top-tier schools, Yale’s student housing is arranged according to a residential college system. Most students live on campus within these smaller residential communities. Residential colleges provide students with a place to live, eat, socialize, and find support within the larger Yale community. Each college has associated faculty members and advisors who mingle with students, provide resources, and help organize community events. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Yale receives over 30,000 applications every year for a matriculating class that usually ends up numbering around 1,300, so the admissions process is quite competitive. In the past few years, only about 6% of applicants have been accepted, and about 70% of those accepted have chosen to attend Yale. Given the large number of applicants, many of whom have very strong qualifications, Yale should always be considered a reach school when you’re making your college list. There simply isn’t enough room for all qualified applicants, so some impressive high school students will inevitably be turned down. Broadly speaking, successful Yale applicants are students who have demonstrated intellectual promise and an ongoing commitment to academic excellence. Their very high GPAs and standardized test scores reflect this level of achievement. However, especially given the strength of the applicant pool, top grades and scores aren’t enough to get you admitted to Yale. You’ll also have to show that you have the potential and the drive to take full advantage of the opportunities that your time at Yale will offer. Yale is looking for students who will not only excel in the classroom, but also use their talents to make a unique impact on the world. Yale offers applicants a choice between the Early Action timeline and the Regular Decision timeline. Early Action applicants submit applications by November 1st and receive their admissions decisions in mid-December. Regular Decision applicants submit applications by January 2nd and receive responses by late March. Both groups of applicants have until May 1st to decide whether to accept Yale’s offer. If you’re considering the Early Action timeline, you should keep in mind that Yale’s Early Action program is what’s known as a single-choice or restrictive Early Action program. This means that you’re not contractually obligated to attend if you’re accepted, but you won’t be permitted to apply to any other colleges in the Early Action or Early Decision round. For more information, take a look at the blog post 6 Things to Consider Before Early Application Deadlines. Applicants to Yale can choose to use either the Common Application or the Coalition Application . Neither form is preferred, so you can choose whichever suits you best. Along with the main Common or Coalition application form, you’ll need to submit Yale’s application supplement, which will ask you a number of additional questions. Your answers will range from a sentence or two to a full essay, and the number of questions you’ll answer depends upon which application form you choose and which academic subject you list as your prospective major. Yale requires applicants to submit scores from the SAT with essay or the ACT with writing; SAT II subject tests and AP tests are recommended, but not required. You’ll also need to submit two teacher recommendations , your transcript, a counselor recommendation and report from your school, and an $80 application fee or fee waiver. Applying to Yale—or to any similar top-tier school—can be a very challenging process. Expectations are high, competition is stiff, and there’s a lot to do before you submit your application. To give yourself the best chance of getting accepted, it’s necessary that you put in the time to get to know Yale and its expectations. We hope this information puts you on the right track toward making informed college choices! Interested in learning more about applying to Yale and other Ivy League schools? Don’t forget to visit the Yale undergraduate admissions office website . When you’re done, check out these posts from the blog for our best advice. Everybody can use a little help with the college application process, and ’s experienced mentors are here to provide that help. We can assist you in identifying your passions, setting appropriate goals, preparing for college application season, and making the most out of your time in high school. For more information about the services we offer, visit our Student Mentorship Program on our website.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Research and findings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research and findings - Essay Example Some of his furniture is a re-work of initial ideas like the combination of a part of a chair and that of a steel material. He is a great designer and studied technology to the professor level in furniture design and industrial design2. The big easy chair is a very famous piece of furniture that was designed and created by Ron Arad particularly for Moroso. This chair is made of a frame from steel material that has stress resistant foam made of polyurethane and also polyester fiber. Although this cover cannot be removed, the armchair has both the properties of a waterproof material and also resistant to light. This makes it easy to use the chair, as it is portable and can be used both outside and inside. It is a rotational chair that can be molded and recycled with colored polythene. The main advantages of this chair are that, it can be used for both outdoor and indoor activities. It is also essential to note that it is waterproof hence, resistant to fade3. This was the first piece of furniture chair that was produced by Ron Arad. This piece of furniture is a fusion of two ideas. The ideas came from readymade of Kee-Klamp scaffolding which was designed originally in the 1930s. The other part that clumps onto the Kee-Klump is the seat of scrap yard which came from a Rover 200. This chair is basically a combination of a car chair with a frame of structural tubing. The frames are what provide the arm and feet rest for the individual sitting on this chair. In 1981, this chair was sold almost at three times its production cost due to its attractive nature. The seat is made of leather while the frames painted in black made of steel material.4 These two designers made it big in the early 1907 to 1978. They were modern architects and also designed furniture. They worked in the industrial and also graphic design including film and fine art. Charles worked in a steel company where he

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Division of Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Division of Labor - Essay Example The role of people at a different level are labor specific and conform to the specified exchange of service that is needed to perform at that level therefore what is being exchanged becomes more important to who is exchanging. The social division of labor is characterized by complexities in the social hierarchy and traditions in any cultural production that is focused towards development and often results in conflicts. These conflicts basically comprise of developmental issues and ideological contradictions which arise due to disparate social exchanges, promoting social stratification on the basis of class, race, and culture. Within a wider spectrum of social issues which focus on division of labor, conflicts arise because of varying interests of the state and individual during cultural production in a developmental process. Cultural production signifies construction of collective identities on the basis of cultural diversification and therefore, the platform that promotes this production stresses the importance of the technical division of labor that emphasizes the specialized type of labor inputs, required for the different level of production. The technical division of labor, therefore, has become more job specific and highly skilled. The rapid globalization and technological advancement of the recent time have greatly revolutionized the labor processes. With the advent of technology, the collective production has become more complex. There is a significant paradigm shift in the technical division of labor from direct to indirect model that is focused on regulation, administration, improvement, and innovation to meet the challenges of the changing time.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Knowledge and Plato Essay Example for Free

Knowledge and Plato Essay Plato is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy and has had an impact on nearly every philosopher from all time periods. Alongside his mentor Socrates and his student Aristotle, Plato created some of the most significant works in philosophy; ultimately building the framework for western philosophic education. The dialogues of his works are wide ranging, from focuses on life and reality beyond what we see and hear, and subjects as practical rules, laws, education and punishment. Historians believe that Plato was born between 427 and 429 BC in Athens, Greece. Born in to an aristocratic family, Plato was involved in politics from an early age; however, he did not stay on the traditional political path for long. In Plato’s work The Republic, his ideas were to transform and improve political life, as he knew there was no escaping it. As the result of an early failure, Plato came to the conclusion that political action would not stop violence and greed, which is what changed his philosophic approach. It is believed that Plato met his mentor, Socrates, in his youth and his education under Socrates shaped his ideas about the world. Socrates played a role in almost all of Plato’s works and was a robust influence in Plato’s life and ideas. Plato was a believer in the importance of ethics and true self-introspection. In many of his writings, he references the importance of self-reflection; â€Å"First and best victory is to conquer self, to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and objectionable. †1 Plato was also passionate about music and its importance in education. He stated, â€Å"I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning. † 2 Many of Plato’s later works were profoundly influenced by the idea of the soul and the concept of dualism, meaning the separation of the mind and the body. 3 He believed that the real reality is not what we see or what we hear but is something that subsists in a higher realm beyond our day to day life. Many of his ideas on the soul influence a multitude of religions today as he believed that a human’s soul is immortal and that the soul is separate from our physical being. In 387 BC Plato founded what is credited as the first European university, The Academy, in Athens, Greece. The Academy focused on subjects such as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. While at the Academy, Plato wrote many of his most significant works, including The Republic. 4 Plato spent his time at The Academy encouraging students to learn through discussion in order to become freethinkers. Plato even felt that his works and dialogues should be used more as supplementary aids and that no one should rely solely on what they read in a book or dialogue. Plato’s dialogues are used to this day to aid in the teaching of subjects ranging from philosophy to math. Plato’s out of the box thinking will continue to be thought provoking and influential for thousands of years to come. Many of his idealisms are still taking place in teachings and the living of every day life. His diverse subjects and desire for equality will continue to bring positive motivation to those study his works. Bibliography Cooper, John M. , and D. S. Hutchinson. Complete works. Indianapolis, Ind. : Hackett Pub. , 1997. Hunt, Lynn , Thomas Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, and Bonnie Smith. From the Classical to the Hellenistic World. In The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 114-115. Richard, Kraut. Plato (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/plato/#PlaCenDoc (accessed September 23, 2013).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Marketing :: essays research papers

WELFARE STATE- A social system whereby the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.It was created by FDR during the New Deal. TRADITIONAL ECONOMY-It's a characteristic of unendustrialized society. Societies that produce tradition in the old fashioned way where the son inherits the job that the father had. It's harder for that economy to modernize when people are fixed in certain roles and traditional occupations. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT-In 1935, guaranteed workers the right to orgonize unions adn forbade employers to adopt unfair labor practices. This marked the beginning of the rise of the uninization in the US. JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES-British economist who proposed that high unemployment, being a result of insufficient consumer spending, could be relieved by government-sponsored programs. WAR ON POVERTY-It was a program of Linden Johnson where in 1964, in kansian style he sought to spend a lot of money to end the problem of poverty in the US. OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It was an organization of primarily Middle Eastern oil producing countries that vurtually crippled the economy for many nations when they raised the price of oil. Cap ·i ·tal ·ism-An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation of profits gained in a free market. Dust Bowl-this was th ephenomenon during the depression in 1932 on were large area of the Middle West in the US due to drought the top soil became so dry that the winds came and blew this dust all over the place. Agriculture was just strangled and people had to move out of mid-west. Bretton Woods-In 1946, this agreement established taht the value of the US dollar in terms of gold would be fixed at $35 per ouns, and other curancies would be valued at fixed ate in relations to the dollar indirectly to gold. It established the US as the leader in world trade and it really defines the begining of the golden age capitalism. Deindustrialization-the decline in production due to the change in the economy. It refers to the end of heavy industry of steel production, factory work. It is replacing it with McDonalds, Banks,etc. STAGFLATION-slow economic growth coupled with a high rate of inflation and unemployment. It is the end of the Golden Age in 1973. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS- it was part of the first new deal. It was when the gov't put millions of young men to work in conservation projects

Monday, November 11, 2019

Park and Sprague

The average American life expectancy is at 75 years, which reflects an increasing population of Senior citizens projected to reach around 80 million when year 2050 comes around. This is also true with countries as developed as the USA and that of Korea estimating to be at one for every five persons belonging to the senior category. What is also projected is the fact that also by 2050, more Americans will live at 85 and above at a 30 percent increase of the population.This implies a lot of things; mainly, the need for continuing care will be increased as facilities for such arrangements obviously have to be taken cared of or planned as well (Park and Sprague, 2007). Changing values in the family, the fact of urbanization and improved financial capabilities of those reaching their senior years account for this increased need for continuing care retirement institutions. The picture of current sophisticated nursing care for the elderly is no longer confined to the typical home for the ag ed.Today’s communities prepared for those in their retirement years take into consideration the sense of independence or autonomy of senior adults, the preservation of their dignity and especially the needed care of each unique individuals, making the residents feel that home becomes an integral ambience of their stay (Park and Sprague, 2007). Definitely, the challenges that are distinctive of the senior years include first and foremost the physical decline of the elderly.This alone cascades into several ramifications including the loss or diminished use of some sensory capacities such as loss of touch and impairment of hearing and visual capabilities (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision. † 2005). Reduced strength becomes a source of daily struggle since motor reflexes become slow as energy levels are equally diminishing (Park and Sprague, 2007). With these changes, the decision to commit elderly to the care of professionals in institutions is usually made when al l the advantages and disadvantages have been considered.Advantages include having the facilities such as residential care social services where the physical needs are virtually taken cared of; senior community center where the social interactions are looked after to alleviate loneliness and sense of detachment from the family and the community; independent housing, and nursing home care where the health is maintained and diseases are reduced to a minimum; all the needs of the elderly have been thought of and designed basing on the continuum of care concept (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision.† 2005). Bathing, meals, and medications are practically relieved from the care of the immediate relatives and provided for by trained personnel. In addition, the elderly who can hardly sustain themselves are provided with skilled nursing facilities; those who have become totally dependent such as the bedridden and myriad health problems (Park and Sprague, 2007). Disadvantages start with the rent or cost which is understandably high.Some residential areas may be lower in cost but the isolation may complicate or worsen the health conditions of those who become lonely for their loved ones and other vital connections. Other disadvantages are the risks of physical abuse and neglect which are not hundred percent guaranteed in some or many facilities despite the promise of administrative personnel to their clients. In addition, there may limitations as to the number of residents that a facility may take in; hence it may take a while to apply and be accepted in some of the excellent communities.Questions arise whether excellent care is actually given to the elderly, or whether the staffs that are hired are actually knowledgeable and skilled to take care of the individual clients (Park and Sprague, 2007). In conclusion, the relatives or loved ones of the elderly will eventually make their decision on affordability and sense of security that they feel concerning the pr ospective community that they will confine their elderly into (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision.† 2005). Studies reveal that most elderly have maintained and/restored vitality when confined to the care of these trained professionals. On the other hand, it would probably be all important that decisions be made exhaustively, as residents may find their options are decisions they need to accept as lifetime (Krooks and Stoppel, 2007) as they will be leaving homes and loved ones, and in all probability will include the decision to sell their residential abodes. Reference:Krooks, Bernard and Kirsten Stoppel. 2000. Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Accessed February 18, 2008

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

The play â€Å"A doll’s house† is written by Henrik Ibsen and was adapted into a film in 1973. It deals with gender discrimination in the Victorian age. It highlights specifically the paths women of the West have treaded to find respect and equality. Ibsen makes it possible to imagine the barbarities that existed within the law and society of those times. Through the years, controversial writings like these, have intentionally or unintentionally forced women to rise up and reclaim their rightful legal and civil rights. In the Victorian Period law dictated that property; children and income belonged solely to men. Divorce or Separation was unthinkable. Women who worked were frowned upon by society. Their status was equivalent to the slaves, criminals or the insane. The main role of a woman was to reproduce children, keep the house clean, and feed the children while their husbands worked. It is sad that although women in the developed world have found equal rights in this century through various equal rights acts and amendments however the women of the developing world still lack basic rights and struggle everyday between gender power relationships. The entire film takes place at Mr. and Mrs. Torvald Helmer’s Apartment. The film is set in Norway in the late 1800’s during Christmas time. This one room shows various shades of hypocrisy, discrimination, arrogance and dishonesty exhibited by society. The room is a microscopic vision of the world. It shows the plight and suffering of every woman in every household all around the world. The fact that Nora does not leave the room throughout the film shows how she is entrapped in this Victorian Doll House. The protagonist of the film is Nora, a Victorian middle class woman. She is ruled by her husband and complete oblivious to her state of unfulfillment. She is thrown into a difficult situation and to protect her husband and family commits forgery. Unaware of the legal consequences she tries dishonestly to obtain a loan. She sits on a puffy pink cloud thinking that her special status would always protect her and her kids in the eye of the state. However, the law expects her to know better. The hypocrisy of the system hits Nora and she tries to break out of her Victorian Doll like shell. She desires a life less frivolous, so she decides to work independently and earn money. She starts enjoying this new found freedom. Her relationship with her husband also spirals downwards and sows the seed of doubt and self reflection. Ibsen broke boundaries when he ended the original play with Nora rebelling against her husband, her father and ultimately the patriarchal society. However, the controversial ending caused shock and disagreement and forced him to change the ending. He later on lived to regret the change. The theme of the play made audiences agree that women should get equal pay for equal work; equal rights to enjoy an independent self sufficient life; rights to child custody and divorce; equal stature in legal matters; Equal access to knowledge. It is unfortunate that Victorian times were so suffocating that Nora had to leave her husband or she would continue to be treated as nothing more than a mere rag doll. She was just an inanimate object, dispensable by others and deserved no respect, rights or esteem. Works Cited Page: Johnston, Ian. (July 2000). On Ibsen's A Doll's House. Johnstonia. Retrieved April 3rd 200. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/ibsen.htm Gillis, G. J. and Westhagen, Jen. SparkNote on A Doll’s House. 2 Apr. 2007 .          A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen The play â€Å"A doll’s house† is written by Henrik Ibsen and was adapted into a film in 1973. It deals with gender discrimination in the Victorian age. It highlights specifically the paths women of the West have treaded to find respect and equality. Ibsen makes it possible to imagine the barbarities that existed within the law and society of those times. Through the years, controversial writings like these, have intentionally or unintentionally forced women to rise up and reclaim their rightful legal and civil rights. In the Victorian Period law dictated that property; children and income belonged solely to men. Divorce or Separation was unthinkable. Women who worked were frowned upon by society. Their status was equivalent to the slaves, criminals or the insane. The main role of a woman was to reproduce children, keep the house clean, and feed the children while their husbands worked. It is sad that although women in the developed world have found equal rights in this century through various equal rights acts and amendments however the women of the developing world still lack basic rights and struggle everyday between gender power relationships. The entire film takes place at Mr. and Mrs. Torvald Helmer’s Apartment. The film is set in Norway in the late 1800’s during Christmas time. This one room shows various shades of hypocrisy, discrimination, arrogance and dishonesty exhibited by society. The room is a microscopic vision of the world. It shows the plight and suffering of every woman in every household all around the world. The fact that Nora does not leave the room throughout the film shows how she is entrapped in this Victorian Doll House. The protagonist of the film is Nora, a Victorian middle class woman. She is ruled by her husband and complete oblivious to her state of unfulfillment. She is thrown into a difficult situation and to protect her husband and family commits forgery. Unaware of the legal consequences she tries dishonestly to obtain a loan. She sits on a puffy pink cloud thinking that her special status would always protect her and her kids in the eye of the state. However, the law expects her to know better. The hypocrisy of the system hits Nora and she tries to break out of her Victorian Doll like shell. She desires a life less frivolous, so she decides to work independently and earn money. She starts enjoying this new found freedom. Her relationship with her husband also spirals downwards and sows the seed of doubt and self reflection. Ibsen broke boundaries when he ended the original play with Nora rebelling against her husband, her father and ultimately the patriarchal society. However, the controversial ending caused shock and disagreement and forced him to change the ending. He later on lived to regret the change. The theme of the play made audiences agree that women should get equal pay for equal work; equal rights to enjoy an independent self sufficient life; rights to child custody and divorce; equal stature in legal matters; Equal access to knowledge. It is unfortunate that Victorian times were so suffocating that Nora had to leave her husband or she would continue to be treated as nothing more than a mere rag doll. She was just an inanimate object, dispensable by others and deserved no respect, rights or esteem. Works Cited Page: Johnston, Ian. (July 2000). On Ibsen's A Doll's House. Johnstonia. Retrieved April 3rd 200. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/ibsen.htm Gillis, G. J. and Westhagen, Jen. SparkNote on A Doll’s House. 2 Apr. 2007 .       Â