Beginning The Audit Report Essay

I would like to thank you for vesting your company and trust in our firm to be your auditors. In this letter an explanation of the general terms and the process of our audit will be defined. This is only an educational purpose letter and is not an agreement. THE AUDIT PROCESS An audit is an examination and review of companies financial statements. The examination is performed with a view to portray an opinion of whether the companies financial statements prove a true and fair statues of the company. Auditing the activities of the company will be planned, executed properly and thoroughly reviewed to assure that all statements are in compliance with laws and regulations. The following is the process as to which our firm will be conducting the audit: We have a strict clientele screening process, once the screening process of  the company is concluded and confirms that you’re company is an acceptable client we will proceed with the next step in the process. Once the screening process is passed we might need to contact the companies previous auditor and have agreed consent from them to proceed. If the previous auditor does not consent or if your company does not allow us authority to contact he previous audit our firm will not perform the audit in your company. After all consents have been given there will be an audit engagement letter that will be issued to your company, which would represent the agreement between your company and our firm. The agreement would give the fundamental basic terms of the way the audit will be performed and what expectations of the firm and company will be. Once your company receives the engagement letter, all data will be collected from your company and the environment. The information collected will allow us to identify problem areas from prior audits. When all data is gathered we will complete a risk assessment of the company so that the best audit approach may be selected. For low risk companies we may test controls to analyze whether or not the companies internal controls are functioning followed by a smaller set of substantive testing. If the company is high risk your internal controls are weak, we would will rely heavily on substantive testing in order to make sure that there is no misstatements in the companies accounts. Whichever approach is chosen the analytical process during different parts of the audit will be the same. Once the main work is completed we will review the audited work and bring forth any issues to you that have risen from the audit work. When the issues are resolved (if any), the audit report will be issued. This would conclude our audit process on the companies accounts and statements for the year. Attached you will find other documents which will give you a better understanding of the audit process. Please if you have any questions please feel free to write to us. Thank you, The auditors. _Attachments:_ Engagement checklist Engagement letter Timeframes for the audit ENGAGEMENT CHECKLIST AUDIT YES/NO Introductory letter sent to client Screening process of client complete First meeting with client complete General issues were discussed with client Consent to contact previous auditor requested Detailed meeting with client discussing engagement terms held Letter of engagement sent to client Changes to scope made (if any) Letter received by client and accepted Audit timetable copy sent to client ENGAGEMENT LETTER To: Directors of Apollo Shoes. This letter serves as representation that we will act as auditors for Apollo Shoes, therefore responsibility of the company and our firm in all respected areas of the audit. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Responsibility of preparation and accurate presentation of the financial statements in accordance with IFRS and SFAS will be held by management. The respected responsibility includes: Appropriate accounting policies should be selected and applied Internal controls relevant to the preparing and presenting financial statements should be designed and implemented. Financial reports should be free from misstatements. Accounting estimates should be made to a reasonable and circumstantial amount (Apra, 2009). AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITY Our firm’s responsibility is to give the company an opinion on the financial statements that are presented to us based on our audit findings. We will review all data collected and ascertain that information and work is in compliance with statutes, regulations, GAAP, SFAS, and IFRS. We will also ascertain that the data is in compliance with the code of ethics for professional auditors (Apra, 2009). Audit will include the review and examination of all figures and facts on a test basis. Due to the nature of the test there may still be a risk that some misstatements will go undiscovered. In order to reduce risk we encourage and need Apollo to provide and make necessary arrangements relating to the execution of the audit. Our firm will require unrestricted access to all records, documentation and all information requested by our firm. Any representation that the company makes in connection to the audit will be expected to be confirmed and in writing. When the firm feels that there is sufficient work reviewed and completed by the auditors to establish an opinion, the firm will issue and audit report. The report will be given to the company if all issues and circumstances brought forth by the auditors is resolved by the company. FEE AND OTHER ISSUES The firms fee will be charged on a fixed amount of $12,000 plus an additional hourly wage based on the number of hours worked by the firms staff on your companies audit engagement. This additional fee will vary depending on the level of seniority the individual has and time spent. Our firm will issue a management letter, which will focus on the companies weaknesses in the internal control system, which arose from the audit. This letter is a professional courtesy letter and is not a part of the audit. Please sign this letter and send it back to us. Once signed, this letter will represent the confirmation of the terms of engagement. This letter will remain effective until the letter is superseded, canceled or amended. Sincerely, Auditors On behalf of directors: Signature: __________________________________ TIMEFRAMES FOR THE AUDIT AUDIT DATE COMPLETED DATE REVIEWED Gathering of knowledge about client: Industry stats Product range Markets operated Key customers Key suppliers Competitors Risk assessment Initial analytical procedures Key evaluation of audit approach Selection basis of samples Testing receivables Testing and checking inventory Testing payables Testing long-term liabilities Testing capital and other shareholders’ funds Testing and verifying non-current assets Verification of cash and bank details Final analytical review Review of post balance sheet events Application of accounting standards Audit finalization Issue of audit report References Arens, A.A., Elder, R.J., & Beasley, M.S. (2012). _Auditing and Assurance Services_ (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Prentice Hall.FASB. (2014). Apra. (2009). _Auditor Report._ Retrieved from http://www.apra.gov.au/Superannuation/upload/AuditReport_Vn2-Sept.pdf

UK’s Barclaycard and the Need to Outsource

In the 21st there are two terms that keep on buzzing in the headlines: globalization and global telecommunications. These two are related because if technology continues to improve then the whole planet goes high-tech – each person beginning to realise that the world is shrinking and every year or so improvements in mobile communications, the Internet and the proliferation of wireless devices makes it easier to communicate with one another. One major implication of technology change is a concept called outsourcing.This idea is nothing new but UK’s Barclaycard is just one of the many global corporations that acknowledges the need to outsource. But it is not as simple as that, Barclaycard had to make a difficult decision, to choose between two places where they can outsource a portion of their operations – whether to ship some of their work to India or the Philippines. Overview According to Richard Bolin, Director of The Flagstaff Institute, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA , the phenomenon of outsourcing is nothing new and even as early as 20 years ago there are industrialised countries who made the connection between outsourcing and profitability:Japan intentionally got rid of sewing factories to Southeast Asia by 1981. They couldn’t waste their precious labour supply on low value sewing operations. This is what outsourcing is all about. If a company does not outsource, it will die. And if its country does not find new industries to replace the inefficient ones, it will not attract new investment and better jobs. Everybody has to understand this (Bolin). Bolin is just one of many business leaders that place their faith in outsourcing and believing that this strategy is not a threat to the nation’s economy.In the long run it will benefit the economy because it will create a very efficient system where the following positive outcomes can be expected (Brown, 2005): †¢ Increase sales opportunities †¢ Prevent missed opportunities à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Reduce annual costs almost immediately †¢ Enable business to focus on core competencies †¢ Reduce or eliminate customer complaints †¢ Increase customer loyalty In a nutshell, outsourcing is the obtaining of services from an external source, outside the company.A more technical definition uses the term Business process outsourcing (BPO), â€Å"†¦BPO occurs when an organisation turns over the management of a particular business process such as accounting or payroll †¦ the underlying theory is that the BPO firm can complete the process more efficiently† (Brown, 2005). It is easy to comprehend that if global corporations fail to figure out the beauty of outsourcing then they will be left behind by their competitors.They will eat the dust left behind by those who were able to grasp the idea that allowing others to do low value operations is the future of effective business management. It is similar to hiring a driver to do the more redundant work of driving in order to free up the CEO to do more important tasks. The positive feedback is the main reason why business process outsourcing is such a hot topic in the world today. But it does not mean that everything will turn out to be great whenever a company decides to outsource part of its operations overseas.There are obviously so many things to consider. Each case must be treated separately and a thorough analysis of the operation, the core values of the company as well as pertinent information regarding the outsourcing destination must be considered prior to the decision to shut down one portion of the operations component of the firm and outsource it outside the country. Barclaycard UK A casual overview of companies that decided to outsource part of their operations overseas will reveal that most of them have a common denominator.These companies are either in the manufacturing industry or it is a business that relies heavily on Information Technology. Those in manufacturing w ill find the conditions in China particularly attractive because of the availability of cheap labour as well as the competitive costs of building and maintaining factories. Those in need of IT personnel will turn to India simply because this is a nation where there is a relatively high concentration of English speaking people that are at the same time tech-savvy and many are knowledgeable about current trends in the IT sector (Pogson, 2008).Barclaycard is one European powerhouse that could not afford not to outsource. Barclaycard is part of the Barclays Group a conglomerate that can be found in the United Kingdom. It is Europe’s largest multi-brand credit card and also provides other forms of consumer lending businesses. Barclaycard continues to lead the way in Europe and according to their official press release they are the most recognized brand in UK with over 10 million retail customers.But they are still expanding – there are currently 8. 8 million credit cards in issue outside the UK and the firm also maintains operations in over fifty countries and four continents. According to another expert, outsourcing is unavoidable and yet he cautions that it must be likened to a journey, requiring adequate planning and coordination (Pogson, 2008). This is especially true for Barclaycard. It is not an ordinary firm responsible for the manufacture of cheap products.It is a company that handles a very important aspect of European business which is the issuance of credit cards and various lending services. In other words this is a type of business that requires high level thinking and performed by not only the most technically proficient people in the planet but also those that have the highest integrity. There are three possible destinations if Barclaycard decides to outsource part of their least important operations outside the country there are three possible candidates: India, Philippines, and the Republic of Ireland.Considering first the Republic of Ireland, it is easy to gauge that it will not be as cost-effective as transferring the operations to India or the Philippines. The only possible advantage is that the Republic of Ireland is culturally similar to the UK and the English speaking inhabitants will never pose a problem in terms of communication. But other than these two considerations, it is doubtful if Ireland can compete in terms of outsourcing rates when comparing the wages of workers in Europe to those in Asia. Considering India It is not hard to put India on top of the list.There are many advantages of using the skilled workforce of India to tackle the outsourcing needs of Barclaycard. According to finance experts at Moody’s, â€Å"India will remain a top outsourcing destination because of its tech-savvy and English-proficient urban workforce whose wages are much lower than their western counterparts† (Moody’s Investors Service, 2009). The nation has a population of more than one billion people . From this number there are millions of educated English speakers entering the workforce each year (Kobayashi-Hillary, 2004).The Indian workforce provides a compelling argument as to why Barclaycard should outsource to India. Trevor Foster-Black is the managing director of Coalition Development, a UK research company that provides information to recruitment firms and he remarked that their company uses researchers from India to structure and format data and he adds, â€Å"It would be very difficult to find such high-calibre people to do similar work in London †¦ They arrive at 4am our time and everything’s finished by the time we arrive† (Kobayashi-Hillary, 2004).It is truly amazing to realise that the location of India can be a source of another advantage; in essence Barclaycard’s operations can be sustained 24 hours a day and seven days a week due to the time differences. If Barclaycard will use the same strategy in their UK offices they would incur sign ificant costs in terms of payroll alone. One can only imagine the numbers that will be generated by overtime and other costs related to keeping an operation functioning round the clock.But if they will outsource to India, the executives at the UK headquarters can send part of their workload to their people in India and they can work while the executives are going to bed. This ensures that workflow is not interrupted and therefore Barclaycard can achieve cost-efficiency very quickly. If Barclaycard will outsource all of its call centres to India then the same level of efficiency and cost savings can be expected. The English speaking workforce in India will ensure that credit card holders can be assured of easy access to customer representatives 24/7 wherever they are in the world.The low outsourcing rates in India will also allow Barclaycard to maintain a 24 hour cycle operations without downtime and therefore Barclaycard is just a phone call away whenever a customer encountered prob lems with their credit cards. Barclaycard will definitely find it worthwhile to invest in India but globalization as well as rapid development in technology can create weakness out of strength. This means that India can be a victim of its own success. According to one commentary there are two issues that concerns would be investors: 1) security; and 2) the unravelling of a top IT service provider, Satyam.These problems are forcing European companies to create more geographically dispersed portfolio of IT outsourcing providers (Overby, 2009). India is bordered by Pakistan on one side and one only has to remember Pakistan’s association with extremists groups to understand the spate of terrorist attacks in India. It is high time therefore to consider an alternative and a quick glance at Asia will reveal that there is none better than the Philippines. Considering the Philippines There are many advantages in choosing this country as a BPO destination and these are listed as follow s:1. Outsourcing rates are low and can easily compete with those of India; 2. Transportation such as flights coming from the Western hemisphere is arguably better than other Asian countries; 3. It is culturally compatible with the United States because it was a U. S. commonwealth in the early 20th century up to 1946; 4. English is widely spoken and can be considered as the second national language; and 5. The most successful outsourcing engagements in this country are for call centres (Mezak, 2006).If seems that both countries are evenly matched in many aspects pertaining to BPO. The Philippines can boast of a highly-skilled workforce considering that it has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia, even higher than India. The only reason that India can offer more tech-savvy workers is due to the fact that there are a billion people in India while the Philippines has only less than one hundred million people. But in the English department both countries can provide excellent servic e.When the Americans came to this nation in the early part of the 20th century the country was exposed to world class education systems and even if the Americans left in the middle of the 20th century the Filipinos were able to adapt and they were able to create a system that can produce top calibre graduates annually. But there is one problem with the Philippines, â€Å"†¦it is the lack of skilled project management and experience with large software development projects †¦ it is easier to find body shops offering programmers than vendors with well-structured and well-managed teams of programmers† (Mezak, 2006).This is where India has a clear advantage over this tiny island nation. Yet, again the Philippines will not give up that easily, based on a 2007 report, Barclaycard already closed its call centre in Manchester and since the Philippines excelled in this type of business process outsourcing then it must be considered as a future destination of Barclaycard†™s call centres. Conclusion Without a doubt, outsourcing is a must if a global conglomerate hopes to stay competitive in the 21st century.If one considers outsourcing, there are three things will easily come to mind, cost-efficiency, cost-efficiency and more cost-efficiency. There is no executive in this planet that will pass up the opportunity to streamline operations and make more money in the process while retaining customer loyalty through the creation of customer friendly operations. With globalisation comes wage increase and various overhead costs that can easily force a company to bankruptcy if excess fat is not trimmed down.Instead of reducing the size of the company it is much better to outsource. With the advent of modern technology and the efficiency of 21st century transportation services it is easy to do business on a global scale. Barclaycard is just one of the many European powerhouses eager to outsource and there are three destinations: the Republic of Ireland, the Philippines and India. The Republic of Ireland already dropped out of contention considering that it is located in Europe and logic dictates that competitive outsourcing rates can only be found in Asia.Considering the fact that Barclaycard is into the credit card business and that outsourcing requirements entails the capability to provide English speaking and tech-savvy personnel there are only two remaining contestants bidding for the rich rewards of outsourcing contracts – India and the Philippines. At first glance it seems that India is the best choice for Barclaycard. This is because India has already proven itself in the BPO business especially in the IT sector which is a major requirement for Barclaycard.It boasts of English speaking and tech savvy personnel that can easily handle communication needs of the said UK firm. Moreover, if there is a need for programmers, the ability to communicate with English speaking Indian programmers are a definite advantage as compared to the hassle when communicating with programmers from other countries with poor English proficiency. There are other non-tangible advantages for India. While the Philippines was under the control of the American in the early part of the 20th century, India was for many centuries under the hegemony of Great Britain.If the Filipinos were heavily influenced by American culture, Indians were heavily influenced by British culture. As many will know there is quite a difference between U. S. English and U. K. English. If this is an important consideration for Barclaycard’s outsourcing needs then India will win hands down. If one combines this with the technical capabilities of Indian workers then this combination of factors will be very difficult to beat. On the other hand India has its share of weaknesses. India is suffering from a bad image following the debacle of Satyam, one of India’s top IT providers.The scandal that hounds Satyam will easily make future investors une asy with the idea that they are placing all their eggs in one basket. If this is combined with the recent spate of terrorist attacks then capital flight will most likely follow. If there are less investors willing to invest then India’s IT infrastructure will not be upgraded and more bad news will follow. The security threat is also serious because outsourcing is a strategy with inherent risks and yet CEOs are willing to beat the odds with the promise of profitability and efficiency.But if terrorist attacks will continue then there is a chance that operations can be affected. Barclaycard could not afford to lose one day of inactivity due to security problems. It is therefore logical to consider the Philippines as an alternative. It is also a nation blessed with English speaking and tech savvy personnel. Furthermore, the Philippines is lagging behind India thus it will remain competitive with its outsourcing rates to attract more customers and investors. If Barclaycard will ch oose the Philippines then it can expect more savings and therefore increase the satisfaction of key investors.On the other hand the Philippines is not yet ready to wrest the crown away from India. The debate will never end. There are strengths and weaknesses for both countries but it seems that Barclaycard has spoken. Two years ago Barclaycard made an important decision, â€Å"Barclaycard will move some of its operations to India following the announcement it is to close its Manchester call centre this summer† (Ferguson, 2007). While the Philippines is also strong in the call centre industry, India can provide something that is beyond the grasp of the Philippines.It is a country that is culturally similar to the United Kingdom and therefore the Indians are more adept with UK English as compared to the Filipinos. Furthermore, India was once under the domain of Great Britain and therefore Indian laws and their current legal system closely mirrors that of the UK and so for Barcl aycard it can be argued that it is easier to do business in India as compared to the Philippines. References Brierley, S. (2005). The Advertising Handbook. UK: Routledge. Buttle, F. (1996). Relationship Marketing. UK: Paul Chapman Publishing, Ltd. Brown, D.(2005). The Black Book of Outsourcing How to Manage the Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities. New Jersey: Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ferguson, T. (2007). â€Å"Barclaycard Closes Call Centre, Offshores to India. † CBS Interactive Retrieved 09 March 2009 from http://services. silicon. com/ offshoring/0,3800004877,39166239,00. htm Kobayashi-Hillary, M. (2004). Outsourcing to India. Germany: Springer-Verlag. Mezak, S. (2006). Software Without Borders. California: Earthrise Press. Moody's Investor's Service. (2009). â€Å"India to Remain Among Top Outsourcing Destinations: Moodys.† Retrieved 09 March 2009 from The Economic Times. http://economictimes. indiatimes. com/Infotech/ITeS/India-to-remain-among-top- outsourcing- destin ations-Moodys/rssarticleshow/4241062. cms Overby, S. (2009). â€Å"Philippines Looks Beyond the Call Center for Future Outsourcing Growth. † Retrieved 09 March 2009 from CIO Magazine http://www. cio. com/article/483178/Philippines_Looks_Beyond_the_Call_Center_for_Fut ure_Outsourcing_Growth Pogson, I. (2008). Outsourcing from the UK to the Far East. In Outsourcing and Human Resource Management R. Taplin (Ed. ). UK: Routledge

Graduation Speech College And Pursue A College Degree

In America, some go to college and pursue a college degree. With a college degree you can do a lot of things. Also, generally speaking obtaining a college degree will get you a job that would make more money than a job without a degree. Making more money leads to better quality of life in America because of the many different doors that open up for you and your family, also it allows have you have some extra money to spend. In America, college is expensive, and leaves a very large number of students leaving college with a lot of debt. Student debt is something that often times is being paid off for most of their life. Some people see this as a problem and other see it as a system that is working but with issues. After the recent 2016†¦show more content†¦In America, it is Win-lose situation for going to college, you need the degree to get a better life for yourself. However, if you go you leave with long term debt and if you don’t go it limits your job opportunities and an opportunity for a better life. This is a part of the system that America has built for higher education for its citizens. The cost of college is rising and making it harder and harder for people to afford. It has now become a big issue in America. â€Å"The mother of all problems in higher education today is high tuition at public colleges and universities, which forces students into decades of debt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wiener) Tuition has risen dramatically over the years and it is hurting graduated students and incoming students in different ways. Future students have to deal with paying high costs and graduated or past students have to deal with the student debt long after school. For example, the University of California cost to attend is so much that it actually forced students who couldn’t afford it to choose a different school. (Wiener) This is a problem that is common with high school grads that can’t afford high tuition rates. This is where some think that the educational system is unfair and where it doesn’t work. According to Jon Wiener, tuition free would drive out for-profit schools and it would help because, â€Å"For profit colleges represent predatory capitalism at itsShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of College Education975 Words   |  4 Pagesschool graduation is what counts when you go out looking to make a career for yourself. Going into the start of high school parents, teachers, counselors, and many other administrators prep you for the path you need to take to college. An education that is beyond your senior of high school can be very beneficially to shaping your life and helping with many accomplishments you wish to have. A college education is something that shapes and helps develop you into an adult. Hence, going to college can helpRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Steve Jobs Speech848 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause of how they connect with the audience. Steve Job’s speech during the Stanford’s grad uation was inspiring to many of the college graduates. Many people think in order to be successful a college degree is mandatory. Even if they do not like what they are doing. People should love what they do, and should not follow dogma. With his speech, Steve Job’s convinced the multicultural population at Stanford University to be prominent and to pursue their passion by relying on three personal stories inRead MoreWalden University And My Future802 Words   |  4 PagesI am finally at the end of my journey and my graduate degree from Walden University is almost in my hand. Walden has asked me to give a speech at the graduation ceremony. When I was asked to do this, I was not sure what I would say. I spent some time thinking about my past year at Walden, and all of the things that I learned. I went from not knowing what to say when I was originally asked to having an abundance of things I could say about Walden. My future is bright thanks to Walden UniversityRead Mor eCollege And The Inherent Expectations879 Words   |  4 PagesCollege and the Inherent Expectations Unbeknownst to its Participants Although some speak of college serving only as a stepping-stone into a career, the intended outcomes and goals of this four-year institution reach much farther. These objectives provide for a more fulfilling experience overall, but are seldom spoken of in the classroom. By pursuing a university degree, students sign into a contract laced with expectations – expectations of civic responsibility, public service, and participationRead MoreWhat is the Purpose of College? Essay example1366 Words   |  6 PagesA college education gives a person the opportunity to be successful in life, either financially or morally dependent on the goals that they set for their life. They will choose a college that offer programs for the major of their choice, where they will specialize and receive a degree. The decision to pursue a higher education will give the opportunity to earn a better income over someone who does not have a degree. College is more of life preparation course that will help m ake sure a successfulRead MoreGraduation Speech - Original Writing992 Words   |  4 Pagesare there after me. Graduation was one of the better days of my young life. If you haven’t figured it out, I was not a fan of high school. They couldn’t pay or beg me enough to teach at any high school here in the county, hence why I am teaching at the middle school level, as my middle school days were sadly, the best days of school I ever had. I was miserable all three of the years that I spent here, the fourth where I left classes here to pursue community college instead as even that was betterRead MoreThe Importance Of A Career Education1189 Words   |  5 PagesCollege is a costly but worthwhile endeavor that any high school graduate should strive for. But the question on most high school graduates minds is about what to study in college and dedicate the rest of there life to. Many students pursue a liberal education or a career education in college. In my opinion a career education is an important use of a college education because it is more applicable than a liberal arts educa tion in a job setting in todays capitalist society.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people assumeRead MoreWhy Education Is Not An Economic1398 Words   |  6 PagesWhy Education is Not an Economic Panacea 1. What arguments is Marsh making about the relationship between inequality and education in the United States? How does he distinguish his position from other common arguments about the degree to which education, especially higher eduction, can or cannot serve as a panacea for social ills in this or other countries? Marsh is saying that education is not the way to fix low income and poverty. It is the other way around, to improve educational services forRead MoreWhy I Am An Engineer926 Words   |  4 Pageswith data management knowledge, analytical capability and problem-solving skills. I, Bhaskar Nayak am an Engineer in Information Science from Sapthagiri College of Engineering, a reputed institution under Visvesvaraya Technological University. I am applying for the admission to Master’s program in Business Intelligence and Analytics. The goal to pursue a career in the field of business has always been part of my plans since my early teen years. I believe that the interest I possess leads to continuousRead MoreThe Debt That Affects Young Students1270 Words   |  6 Pageshopes of joining a college. Sadly, for countless students, they remain financially unable to receive the education they need. I propose that you consider Bernie Sander’s introduced bill â€Å"College for All Act†. You have recognized the crippling debt that affects young students, and even launched a plan making low interest rate grants and loans available. You’ve shared how you believe that college is where people pursue their dreams, on the other hand, paying more for college is in fact pressing

Essay about Shinichirō Watanabe Genre Mixing at Its Best

Cowboy Bebop is a title which many anime fans are familiar with. Arguably, it is one of the best anime series ever made, but nonetheless can be recognized as a great piece of art created by the show’s director; ShinichirÃ…  Watanabe. Truth is, this is not Watanabe’s only spectacle. Although it first aired in 2004 (about five years after Cowboy Bebop last aired), Samurai Champloo can also be recognized as another one of Watanabe’s â€Å"masterpieces†. Even though he uses the same style as a basis to craft both Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop, each show brings a completely different experience. What makes them unique from other anime is an element that can be known as â€Å"genre mixing†. How Watanabe mixes genres between Samurai Champloo and Cowboy†¦show more content†¦Slowly the scene becomes more and more intense as we keep getting surprised to what Spike endures to survive right until the moment where both Vicious and Spike face off. T he spaghetti western genre can be seen through how the fights feel, never giving the viewer a chance to even be able to guess what will happen next before and after that first shot or move is made. The show is also a brilliant comedy. Though the show wouldn’t necessarily be placed under comedy for its genre, the clever use of it gives the audiences a form of relief that makes sure the show does not fall into taking itself too seriously. After the shootout is over and Spike wakes up on a couch completely covered in bandages, he listens to Faye hum a smooth tune. He then signals her to come close to be able to whisper to her, â€Å"You sing off key†. After having that ruthless shootout finally conclude, there is wiggle room to add a joke and give the viewer a better feeling of relief. There is also episodes that are meant to be completely comedic (Mushroom Samba), but would never be as funny if we hadn’t had the chance to get to know these characters before. Most of the use of comedy is by placing the characters in ridiculous situations which you haven’t seen them in before. Cowboy Bebop is also influenced by Bruce Lee and the Martial Arts. Spike’s fighting style is the same as Bruce Lee, which is called Jeet Kune Do. One major piece of evidence behind this is when Spike

Pest Analysis of the Fast Food Industry Essay - 770 Words

Pest Analysis Fast Food Retail Sector Introduction Political Factors McDonald’s food safety is of a very high-quality and is recognised as one of the best in the fast food retail sector. One of their main successes has been their training programme. They 1 train all of their staff before they begin work in one of their restaurants on all aspects of food quality, food safety and hygiene. This training, along with being made aware of the importance of cleanliness, continues throughout their employment. Another of their regulations they impose is in the food handling areas were staff must wear special aprons and hats to maintain hygiene, and also have to abide a strict washing procedure which is monitored on a day-to-day basis. Due to†¦show more content†¦4 Technological Factors Smaller businesses tend to rely on technology that saves them time as energy saving equipment usually costs a lot of money. Technology, such as industrial deep fat fryers and high power ed ovens, allow businesses to produce multiple items at fast rate therefore reducing time required per product and becoming more efficient. 5 Conclusion To conclude, the PEST analysis on the fast-food retail sector has revealed how large companies, in particular McDonalds, can deal with their environments in a far superior way than smaller businesses. Finally, the PEST analysis has shown the importance of using technology to increase profits. The major companies have invested more money recently on the saving of energy which makes the business more productive, and therefore make more money. Most of the smaller businesses have no resources to invest in the energy saving equipment and so try to concentrate on increasing productivity using much more ‘low-tech- technology. In the long run, it will be most probably be the investment in saving energy that wields higher results. Bibliography Baertlein, L. (2008, October 31). Reuters: Cost fears calmed by recession risk. Retrieve d December 27, 2008, from Reuters:Show MoreRelatedMcdonald Business Environment906 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction McDonald Corporation is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurant. There are over 30,000 McDonald’s restaurants in more than 100 countries and served an average of 50 million customer daily. A McDonald restaurant is operated by either a franchisee or by the corporation itself. The very first McDonald was open in Singapore in 1979 and today there are over 120 McDonald restaurants across the island which served 1.2 million customers weekly. McDonald employs around 9Read MoreMarketing Plan For The Fast Food Industry Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pagesmarket analysis, consumer behavior analysis and the environmental analysis mainly supports in maintaining the focus for strategic incorporation of the innovative marketing strategies and channels. RESEARCH STRUCTURE Therefore, the purpose of the particular report is to structure the comprehensive Marketing Plan, for the new healthy menu range of the well-known fast-food chain, McDonald s. The overall plan will include the Environmental and the Industry Analysis, which will involve the PEST AnalysisRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Fast Food Industry Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pagesconsultants has been hired to examine the fast food industry, in order to provide an industry analysis of the business environment, as this will give an insight of the industry’s current situation and recommend to our client of whether it will be a good market to enter. The following outline of the report will include a brief description of the industry, followed by the industry’s analysis that includes the macro environment demonstrated through a PEST analysis, the industry parameters, the competitive environmentRead MorePest Analysis on Fast Food Restourants796 Words   |  4 PagesTable of Contents Introduction to Fast Food Industry in Bahawalpur 1 PEST ANALYSIS 1 POLITICAL 1 ECONOMICS2 SOCIAL / CULTURAL 2 TECHNOLOGY 2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION3 Introduction to Fast Food Industry in Bahawalpur Today, eating out definitely is part of modern lifestyle, or can be said as necessity of modern age. Fast food is mainly targeted to youngster who is providing the fast food Restaurant the most revenue. The high fat foods taste good to these youngsters, which in turnRead MoreEssay on Analysis of Kingsford Charcoal1698 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Kingsford Charcoal (graphics not included) In this report, we will be analyzing the current performance of Kingsford in the marketplace and identify the main cause of revenue deterioration. Thereafter, a comprehensive strategy and marketing plan will be presented. We will begin with identifying current business orientation of Kingsford. Then, we will analyze its position in the marketplace and various external forces. In-depth analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of KingsfordRead MorePEST Analysis for target canada Essay1442 Words   |  6 PagesCase 1 PEST analysis for Target Canada MGMT 6057 Contemporary Business Management Fanshawe College Submitted To: Albert Knab Submitted By: Deshana Shah Student Id: 0725963 Date: October 18, 2014 Target Canada gets to be favoured shopping goal from retail chain roots. First and foremost Target store was secured in 1962. Target Store is focused on its legacy of dependable corporate citizenship, moral business hones, natural stewardship and liberal group help.    PEST Analysis PEST is creationRead MoreEssay on Introduction to Border Security1026 Words   |  5 Pagesthe government, industries and individual New Zealanders. Biosecurity does not just happen at the border; it includes managing risks before they get access to the border as well as within the border (Biosecurity New Zealand, 2009). It is well recognised that having a risk free border is not possible and as such the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has measures in place to control and manage the biosecurity risks to New Zealand. Discussion The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) was formedRead MoreMarketing Strategy : Ac Restaurant1048 Words   |  5 Pagesopportunities of AC restaurant. They are factors such as political, economic, demographic, cultural, technology and natural (Template, 2011). PEST Analysis is implemented on a macro level and used to judge the overall situation of the particular country. PEST Stands for Political Factors, Economic Factors, Social Factors and Technological Factors Following is PEST Analysis of UK to have an overview of business feasibility in the UK: Political Factors: restaurants has reached the peak phase of its lifecycleRead MoreSubway2248 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Before introducing the history, mission, and vision, I am enterprising a fast food company, Subway ® restaurants in Malaysia. Subway ® restaurants are the worlds biggest submarine sandwich chain working more units in the US, Canada and Australia than McDonalds does (Dec 16, 2009). Today, there are more Subway restaurants in the world than other restaurant chain, 42996 restaurants in 108 countries, and there are 177 restaurants in Malaysia. â€Å"Subway, eat fresh†. (Nov27, 2013) History Read MoreBenefits Of Genetically Modified Food Production1491 Words   |  6 PagesModified (GM). Presently, most existing GM foods originate from plants, however, in the future, food may be obtained from GM animals or micro-organisms (Bawa and Anilakumar 2013, p.1036). The subject of GM foods including crops, vegetables and fruit and how safe they are is the cause of many controversial debates globally, however there are several arguments that support the encouragement of genetically modified food production. Enthusiasts of GM foods maintain it will assist to end world hunger

Overoptimism and Performance of Entreprenurial

Question: Discuss about the Overoptimism and Performance of Entreprenurial. Answer: Introduction Personality has been regarded as the overall profile or the combination of stable psychological attributes, which captures the uniqueness nature that exists in an individual. The character that is exhibited in person has a bearing on the performance as well as impression(Heaton, 2002). Further, the personality of people has specific impacts on the individuals who interact with that person. Decision making is a vital part of the successfully running of a corporation. Many authors define it as the thought process of selecting the logical choice from all the available actions. Individual weighs both the positive and the negative of each option(Malmendier Tate, 2005). Personality of a person is vital towards making the right decision in a corporation or perhaps in corporate investment. The essay will aim to draw the logic relationship that exists between personality and decision making. Each individual has their own character, one such personality that will be analyzed is overconfidence . According to Malmendier Tate (2005), defines overconfidence as the tendency to be very sure of an absolute fact and later finding that the objective was totally difference(Hartman, DesJardins MacDonald, 2014). When one is overconfidence you tend to misjudge your values, opinion, and abilities and you have more confidence than one should, given the parameters of the objective of a situation. Nonetheless, investment is an attribute of the decision making and one need to be in sound mind to make the best choice(Lowe Ziedonis, 2006). Many scholars have considered investment decision as a willpower, which is made by the management about how, when, where and the amount of funds that would be invested on a given opportunity of an investment. The business decision often follows a research to determine the cost and the returns for each of the available options. According to Heaton (2002), on his article on managerial optimism and the corporate finance, highlights that there are dominant features that could emerge from a basic model of business finance with the positive managers as well as the cost-efficient capital industry. He clearly identifies on the aspects of overvaluing and undervalue of the firm's risky securities. On his findings, he established a tradeoff of underinvestment and overinvestment to the free cash flow with even reasonable agency costs(Lowe Ziedonis, 2006). The business leaders are generally confident if they overestimate on the possibility of the sound efficiency of the business and also undervalue the possibility when the performance is unattractive. Additionally, Malmendier Tate (2005), on his review article on CEO overconfidence and business investment claims that the executive overconfidence might create the enterprise investment disturbances. The supervisors who happen to be overconfidence generally overestimate the returns to their investment ventures when they look at their external finances as unduly costly(Malmendier Tate, 2005). Therefore, these people overinvest once they have obtainable internal sources and curtail the investment in the event like when they need external funding. The CEO are considered overconfidence when they neglect to reduce their own subjection to the organization specific threat. Ultimately, the essay would concentrate on the article by Lowe (2006) on overoptimism as well as functionality of the entrepreneurial organizations. He highlights that overoptimism affects on the decisions of the entrepreneurs to create and maintain of new projects. Furthermore, the entrepreneurs are set held longer to the facets of technology, which do not attain the commercial results. Additionally, they may be in denial of the decline on the possibilities such as inventions(Heaton, 2002). The author identified that the new venture business along with the recognized ones can operate as complementary as opposed to getting alternate vehicles for industrialization of different technologies particularly in the accreditation of the university. References Heaton, J. B. (2002). Managerial optimism and corporate finance. Financial management, 33-45. Lowe, R. A., Ziedonis, A. A. (2006). Overoptimism and the performance of entreprenurial firms. Management science, 52(2), 173-186. Hartman, L. P., DesJardins, J. R., MacDonald, C. (2014). Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility. McGraw-Hill. Malmendier, U., Tate, G. (2005). Overconfidence and corporate investment. The journal of finance, 60(6), 2661-2700.

Role playing in video games and real life relationships an Example of the Topic All Posts by

Role playing in video games and real life relationships Introduction People often wonder what one gets from computer role playing games (RPGs). They think it ruins ones life values. Well, you can say that if you are addicted to it, for it will really cause problems. Often times, RPG players are caught up in the web of things to attend to, actions and characters to play that they do not keep track of time, so the people they love and care about, family and friends think they are so very into it. There are so many topics of interest along this field, but this paper will look into how RPG affects real life relationships. Need essay sample on "Role playing in video games and real life relationships" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Computer Role Playing Games Computer role playing games (CRPGs), often shortened to RPGs, is a type of video or computer game that uses traditional gameplay elements found in pen and paper role playing games (wikipedia p1 line 1-5). In these games, players are given the freedom to improve their characters in various settings; often travelling long distances and having encounters and combats along the way. Some critics say that most RPGs focus on combat and statistical character management rather than story telling and character development (wikipedia p6 line 48-49). Examples of modern RPG games are Diablo, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest. They can also be culturally classified as Western (American/European) and Japanese (East Asian) games (wikipedia 4-6) Computer role playing games situationer Computer/video games, in general, have generated interest since its birth. According to Squire in his introductory paragraph in an article in the international journal of computer game research, these games have both fascinated and caused fear in politicians, educators, academics and the public at large (1). He cited that some advocates of digital game-based learning imply that developing educational games is a moral imperative, as kids of the videogame generation do not respond to traditional instruction (See Katz, 2000: Presnk, 2001). He also reported that Provento (1991, 1992), an educator, worry that games is inculcating children with hyper competitive or warped sexual value (1). Subrahmanyam, Greenfield, Krauf and Gross conducted a review of researches on the impact of computer use on childrens and adolescents development on several aspects including cognitive skills, academic development, social development and relationships, and perceptions of reality and violence behavior. Their research review suggested that spatial skills were related to video game playing (14). In a cross cultural study carried out in Rome and Los Angeles, Greenfield, Camaioni et al. (cited in Subrahmanyan, et al. 14) said that in playing a computer game style shifted from verbal to iconic skills. The same authors cited Cole (16) experiment on use of electronic communication and games with children in classroom and after school settings for nearly 15 years. The after school programs are called the Fifth Dimension, and include use of educational software, computer games, Internet search and multi-user dungeons (MUD) activities. His findings indicate that well designed games and Internet activities for home use can have lasting impact on childrens academic performance. Computers, RPGs and real life relationships As the child grows into teen and adulthood, his sphere of relationships became bigger, from the parents and relatives this expanded to friends and peers. This is part of growing up. However, the solitary nature of most computer activities raised concerns on the child forming electronic friendships (Subrahmanyan et al 17) with the machine than friendships with peers, thereby hindering development of interpersonal skills. In a study by Mitchell (cited in Subrahmanyan 17) done in 1980s, 20 families with new home computer game sets were interviewed on the benefits and dangers of playing games. Results suggest that computer games brought the members of the family together for shared play and interaction. Does this finding still apply today considering that computer game sets at home have increased and are usually located in respective bedrooms indicating solitary play. This area can be a subject of further study. In RPGs, the personal knowledge of players outside of the game can contribute to the evolution of the game story. Liz Henry mentioned that in a Vinland game, she knew about a player and his real relationship with his father. So she maneuvered her character to let the story play with father-son relationships. Likewise, she said that the game master knew of her life ambitions and conflicts being a poet, so the game master explored how Norse Vinlanders viewed poets and poetry. Although Liz Henry discussed the relationships from the game viewpoint, this can be taken from the persons view on real life relationships. The players life is brought into the game. If conflicts in the relationship exist, these are explored in the game. It is good if these conflicts are resolved in the game, and somehow resolved also in real life relationships. Liz Henry also cited other ways wherein game play can cross story/real life boundaries (17-18), as follows: players use characters to explore aspects of their own personality current events or issues such as war, became central to the story players real life relationships influence events or understanding of the story players get to know each other better in real life through analysis of each other character players use characters who are unlike themselves to explore different identities or ethical systems players use a game to deepen their understanding of a particular history or culture players game in a fictional world such as Tolkiens, and deconstruct it Children, teenagers and young adults can use the characteristics in the RPGs to explore their own personality. For example, in Pokemon, the best selling RPG series worldwide which sold 91 million units across 11 different titles as of 2004 (wikipedia P8 L48), children and teenagers can explore what they wanted to achieve and where do they want to go. Their sense of competition with peers, the desire to achieve, go places and have adventure can come to fore. They can also find out whether they have the desire to take care of pets and other things from this RPG. This can also mirror how they relate to other people in their lives such as cousins and friends. In Final Fantasy, the second best selling series worldwide which sold 60 million units in 2006 (wikipedia P4 L49-50), the players can see explore their own personality in terms of good traits that they see from the characters such as being humble, and desire to protect people from harm. In this RPG, the values they learn in real life can be affirmed too. However, for children, there should be processing of what they see and hear from these games so that the real and reel life can be distinguished, and thus not cause blurring of reality. The gender issue and relationships can also be seen in the RPG games played. Liz Henry quoted from a Hong Ooi, The easiest way to tell a Real Man from the rest of the role playing crowd is by the game he plays. Real men ply Dungeons and Dragons. Quiche Eaters play GURPS and Story Teller (P16 L27-28). The playing style of girls and women in RPGs show that they are less competitive than males. They are more concerned on The process by which a goal is reached, not the goal itself according to Elizabeth B. (Henry P6 L37 and P7 L1). This also manifests in the way the females relate with the people around them. Women are known to be nurturing creatures, so they are more on to processes than end results. Although focused on the outcome, importance is placed on the steps or procedure how to relate to people and achieve tasks and/or goals. Achieving peace and harmony in relationships at the individual, family and community levels can also be one area of research for individuals interested on the effects of RPGs on the players. One fear about games with violence portrayed is its effect on the player. Will he or she get to have that quality of being violent in real life? Will she adopt it in his or her relationships Kurt Squire has this to say, Despite (and perhaps because of) the hundreds of hours Ive spent playing war games, Im pretty much a pacifist. I love Return to Castle Wolfestein, yet Id never own a gun (P2 L34-36). The concerns on the effects of violent video games, according to Kurt Squire, drew attention away from the broader social roles and cultural contexts of gaming (P2 L40-41). These contexts are yet left unexamined and maybe this can be another area of research. Squire gleaned from anecdotal evidence from teachers that the impact of gaming on millions of players who grew up playing best selling games suc h us SimCity, Pirates or Civilization is starting to be felt (P2 L59-60 and P3 L1). There also cultural differences in the RPGs, mainly the Western (American/European) and the Japanese (East Asian). In the Western RPGs (good examples are Baldurs Gage, Fallout, Planetscape: Torment, The Elder Scrolls and Neverwinter Night), the personalities of the characters are more varied than the Japanese counterparts and avoid any real absolutes in morality. They feature ancient struggles for power that never end with any given faction (wikipedia P5 L1-9). These are also reflective of their society and the relationships at the community and individual levels. The Japanese family of graphical RPGs (good examples are Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Suikoden, Grandia and the Lunar series) are inspired by Japanese comics Manga and animation Anime. They are more into epic, ultimate battle of the forces of good and evil, and players often end up fighting for a good cause (wikipedia P5 L20-29). In these RPGs, the players can carry over the sense of good and evil outside of the game and into real relationships. There is a need for de-processing the game (or de-briefing as used in a Bond movie) in the mind and emotions of the children and teener players so as to situate them in real life. And in this de-briefing the parents and the elders should play a major role. Sobrahmanyan et al reported that some research analyses focused on Internet have shown that the use of computer is associated with declines in social involvement and the psychological well being that goes with social involvement (P18 L40-42). They gave as an example the analysis of a longitudinal data on HomeNet study (Kraut et al.) wherein they found out that as participants spent more time online; they experienced greater declines in social and psychological well being. In particular, I quote greater use of the Internet was associated with small, but statistically significant, declines in social involvement as measured by the communication within the family and the size of peoples networks, and with increases in loneliness, the psychological state associated with social involvement. Greater use of the Internet was also associated with depression. Among teenagers, greater use of the Internet was also associated with declines in social support (P19 L1-8). An interview with a player To provide a reflective insight on the RPG and the player, I have interviewed an avid player who is a graduating student in college in a prestigious university. He said it has two effects on the real life relationships. One is the negative effect, that is, on budgeting of time. More often, I forgot about time as I pursue the game. I spent more time than I should on it, so I forgo my time for studies and even duties at home. My parents are upset since I usually go home late. Being immersed in the game even outside of the game, my personal relationships with the family suffered. Furthermore, he said, I became lazy, not doing my tasks at home and even my studies requirements, and it made me stubborn. He spent more than the required years to finish his course. The positive effect of the game, according to the interviewee, is the release of stress RPGs it offers, the bonding between and among friends who play common games, and even among boyfriend and girlfriend relationships. Comments and Recommendations Studies have been conducted on the impact of computer use on children and teeners, on role playing games and how it affects relationships. However, there are few studies on how exactly RPGs fit into the lives of the children and teeners as well as their parents and friends. Questions on why do the prefer to play games and role play, rather than engage in real life relationships, and pursue deeper and closer relationships among families and friends are also good pursuits for study. In the discussion, some small areas for study have been raised. From the personal interview I conducted, I suggest a cross sectional short research on the effects of the RPGs on the lives of teenagers and young adults can be made, especially high school college students. Likewise, parents of these students can also be studied in terms of the behavior of their children, and their relationships with them. This could provide interesting results that can help the field of study on RPGs, students and relationshi ps that would be helpful in the field of digital games and education and social sciences. Works Cited Cole, M. Cultural psychology: A once and future discipline. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996. (cited in Sobrahmanyan, et al., 2001) Greenfield, P, Camaioni, L., Ercolani, P, Weiss, L, Lauber, B and Perucchini, P. Cognitive socialization by computer games in two cultures: Inductive discovery or mastery of an iconic code? Henry, Liz. Group Narration: Power, Information, and Play in Role Playing Games. Katz, Jon. Up, up, down, down. Slashdot.org. Originally published November 30, 2000. Kraut, R, Scherlis, W, Mukhopadhyay, T, Manning, J and Kiesler, S. The HomeNet field trial of residential Internet services. Mitchell, E. The dynamics of family interaction around home video games. Special Issue: personal computers and family. Marriage and Family Review 8 (1985): 1-2, 121-135. (cited in Squire, K, 2002) Prensky, M. Digital Game-Based Learning. New York: McGraw Hill, 2000. (cited in Squire, K, 2002)