Cost Accounting – Acct 3334 Chapter 9 Solutions

Chapter 9 solutions (P9-28, -29, -40)   9-28 (10 min. ) CDenominator-level problem 1. Budgeted fixed manufacturing overhead costs rates: Budgeted Fixed Budgeted Fixed Denominator Manufacturing Budgeted Manufacturing Level Capacity Overhead per Capacity Overhead CostConceptPeriodLevelRate Theoretical$4, 560, 0003, 600 $ 1, 266. 67Practical4,560,0002,4001,900. 00 Normal4,560,0001,2003,800. 00 Master-budget4,560,0001,4403,166. 67 The rates are different because of varying denominator-level concepts. Theoretical and practical capacity levels are driven by supply-side concepts, i. e. , â€Å"how much can produce? † Normal and master-budget capacity levels are driven by demand-side concepts, i. e. , â€Å"how much can we sell? † (or â€Å"how much should we produce? †) 2. In order to incorporate fixed manufacturing costs into unit product costs, fixed manufacturing costs have to be unitized for inventory costing.Absorption costing is the method used for tax reporting and for financial reporting using generally accepted accounting principles. The choice of a denominator level becomes relevant under absorption costing because fixed costs are accounted for along with variable costs at the individual product level. Variable and throughput costing account for fixed costs as a lump sum, expensed in the period incurred. 3. The variances that arise from use of the theoretical or practical level concepts will signal that there is a divergence between the supply of capacity and the demand for capacity.This is useful input to managers. As a general rule, however, it is important not to place undue reliance on the production volume variance as a measure of the economic costs of unused capacity. 4. Under a cost-based pricing system, the choice of a master-budget level denominator will lead to high prices when demand is low (more fixed costs allocated to the individual product level), further eroding demand; conversely it will lead to low prices when demand is high, forgoing profits.This has been referred to as the downward demand spiral—the continuing reduction in demand that occurs when the prices of competitors are not met and demand drops, resulting in even higher unit costs and even more reluctance to meet the prices of competitors. The positive aspect of the master-budget denominator level is that it indicates the price at which all costs per unit would be recovered to enable the company to make a profit. Master-budget denominator level is also a good benchmark against which to evaluate performance. -40(20 min. )Cost allocation, downward demand spiral. 1. = = Budgeted denominator level=2,920,000 meals WHM is using budgeted usage as its denominator level for calculating the budgeted fixed costs per meal in 2007. 2. Alternative denominator levels include: a. Capacity available. The data in the problem note that the facility can serve 3,650,000 meals a year. With this denominator level, there will be budgeted unused capacity, which could be recorded as a separate line in the cost report for the Santa Monica facility. . Budgeted usage of capacity. With the 2007 budgeted usage of 2,920,000 meals, the fixed costs charge is $1. 80 per meal. The marketplace is signalling that WHM’s own central food-catering facility is not providing value for the costs charged. If Cheung decides to raise prices to recover fixed costs from a declining demand base, he will likely encounter the downward demand spiral: Budgeted Denominator(1)| Variable Cost per Meal(2)| Fixed Cost per Meal$5,256,000 ? 1)(3)| Total Cost per Meal(4)| 3,650,000| $4. 56| $1. 44| $6. 00| 2,920,000| 4. 56| 1. 80| 6. 36| 2,550,000| 4. 56| 2. 06| 6. 62| 2,000,000| 4. 56| 2. 63| 7. 19| Cheung might adopt a contribution margin approach, which means viewing the $4. 56 variable cost as the only per-unit cost and the $5,256,000 as a fixed cost. Alternatively, Cheung could use practical capacity to cost the meals and work to reduce costs of unused capa city. 3. Three factors managers should consider in pricing decisions: a. Customers.Cheung is facing customers who are dissatisfied with both the cost and the quality of the meal service. Three of the 10 hospitals have already elected to use an outside canteen service. b. Competitors. For the three hospitals terminating use of the Santa Monica facility, at least one competitor is more cost-effective. The seven remaining hospitals likely will be very interested in how this competitor performs at the three hospitals. c. Costs. Jenkins should consider ways to reduce both the variable costs per meal and the fixed costs.

The Shallows Essay

He notices himself jump around a lot more than before and feels that it is becoming more and more apparent to the people he discusses his issues with. The main thing noticed that the author speaks of is although that we become more distracted and lose more of our deep thoughts as technologies change, but overall we are gaining more information since the internet is changing the way we think. It used to be before that there were libraries where you went to go study and read, but now the books online and Google have transcended to be able to find information faster, therefore seeing and learning more.Carr provides much info on different studies and experiments on how the human brain works regarding plasticity and how the human brain winks. The author points out that before the world wide web that the art of book writing was mulch more powerful, and it seems from his point five;u that he enjoyed the books more when people were actually writing by hand as opposed to typing books on compu ters now. From my perception he points out that older generations before new technological advances were prone to know more about one specific issue/item and were able to use deep reading to be empowered.Nowadays, the technology has kept our minds â€Å"distracted† and moving faster to see information more quickly as opposed to re-internet days since the information is readily available. He does a good providing the IQ test example where he states that we aren't smarter than our parents, but we're smart in different ways due to these technological advances, and the resources available compared to earlier generations. Analysis of The Shallows This book opened up my mind quite a bit and made me sit back and realize how Carts points are actually what I feel the majority of the time.I see every day how technology has changed the world and also how the way we think. It is obvious to see in the workplace and just in life that the newer generations finitely have more technological k nowledge than earlier generations. For example, a couple months ago my mother bought her first phone and she wanted me to show her how to operate and use the phone. I was far ahead Of her in the technology sense Of things, and it seems apparent that earlier generations try to avoid dealing with the new technological advances.It surprises me how many earlier generations stick with their â€Å"old school† phones just because they don't want to bother having to learn all that the phone does, and mostly because they despise of it as well. What was once a Barry full of books in primary/secondary schools has now transcended to everything being electronic due to the ever-changing technology and cost savings of not having to buy the books and storing them in the library, as well as hiring librarians to operate the facility.Also, the way we use to study and write papers has completely transcended to online capabilities in order to get whatever we need accomplished. I can't remember th e last time I have been to a library to gather information from credible sources such as encyclopedias, newspapers, articles, etc. It is essentially non-existent now u to the power of the internet. Personally, I agree with Carr and how the internet/technology has created basically a â€Å"scattered† brain and has completely changed the way we think. Member when was elementary/ middle school/high school and we did everything on the chalk board, wrote everything on notebook paper, and read hardback books. I felt like everything was a little bit easier to absorb and I think it was due to there being no distractions of technology. Not only was more focused in the material that I was learning but I felt the â€Å"deep thought† senses that Carr describes in the book. Even now in grad school, we are leaning away from the classic hardback books, and moving towards e-books on the Kindle that Carr talks about as well in the book.We have received one hardback book so far out of t he many classes we've taken thus far, and that could be due to the fact that it was accounting, but the rest have been via kindle. Of course see this transition more of a cost savings more than anything, but the ability to do this is due technological advances. I feel like it is easier and I feel more focused learning on a hardback book as opposed to looking at a screen. Even maneuvering around on kindle makes it a hassle and not as easy to find the info you are looking for is a huge reason why prefer the hardback book.It is much easier to physically flip through pages to get to the page you want. Also, highlighting, taking notes, putting sticky notes in the hardback book makes it much easier to study and remember where all your important info is for that specific book/class. What is funny is even as type this paper I feel the need to take more breaks, and the comical part is I picked up my phone to check my email as soon as I took a break. Personally, I think a huge part of castrat ions has to do with just people being so busy because of technology and the ability to check your phones, computers, etc. ND know you have a schedule filled. In earlier generations before technology' it took quite a while to relay information so the day to day life was much simpler per say. One chapter that stuck out to me was the Google chapter. Carr argues that Google is a huge distraction and basically in the business of distraction, and agree 100% with him. Even though the first thing people say when they are looking for something is â€Å"Google it†, Google definitely uses many distractions such as pop ups and advertisements to sway people to become distracted from their original destination.Major game changers regarding the internet are Twitter and Backbone. These social media platforms have completely changed the way people think, more so Twitter in my opinion. Find myself throughout the day checking Twitter every hour or so just to keep in the loop with all the news g oing on in the World, financial advice, sports, etc. I use this platform as opposed to sitting down and reading through a newspaper. Not only does it take more time to sit down and read a newspaper, it doesn't roved as much information that Twitter can.I have absolutely everything I need on my Twitter as far as the people/businesses that I follow and always seem to have the information faster than most people. Twitter has changed the world in how fast information is revealed, but again is a distraction as well. The ease of bringing up Twitter on any electronic device distracts you from your main goal at any given time. Backbone is a different type of social media that provides more of a social platform as far as knowing what other friends are doing at any given time. Ink this is more of a distraction than anything, but they are starting to move towards providing news updates as well. The way portray Backbone is if I see someone online at work then it is more of a playing around on t he internet talking/seeing what friends are up to. When I see Twitter, me personally, I feel it is more news based to gather info that you are interested in. Realizing the way we think currently and how we have changed due to technological advances will make me more aware Of situations in the workplace. Notice this daily just because of the fact that we conduct equines strictly via computer and internet now.It used to be that a trade floor would deal with trades manually and over the phone as well. Now traders use instant messaging and online trading platforms to conduct business, which makes it more efficient but at the same time is completely different than earlier business. Instant messaging allows me to be more productive when dealing with counterparts because you can be dealing with multiple customers at one time, rather than picking up the phone and talking to each one. At the same time instant messaging is a distraction in the sense f customers knowing that you are online and are able to IM you at any time.Many times I get Aim's when I am in the middle of completing daily work that needs to be done so have to stop what I'm doing to answer customer's questions since customer service is our top priority. Another place you see distraction a lot is in meetings and people with their cell phones. Probably the worst thing you can see in a meeting is people just scrolling on their phone while an important meeting is taking place. This is an area where technological advances hurt employees thinking and focus while in a meeting Hereford it has led me to keep my cell phone on silent and in my pocket during any meeting.

Fantasy in 20th Century Children’s Literature

Most critics agree that children’s literature is a diverse paradoxical area of study combining different literary genres. Like the concept of childhood, children’s literature is a social and cultural concept that evolves over time. Since the fourteenth century, children’s literature has gone through different literary periods each defined by its own divisions and genres. Many children’s novels, such as J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, and C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe were published in the twentieth century and became classics. These books were marked with an increased diversity of literary genres such as mystery and fantasy literature. Fantasy literature has been a dominant literary genre in twentieth century children’s literature, particularly in Barrie’s and Lewis’s novels. In general, as a genre, fantasy literature integrates imaginative elements that shift away from reality into a secondary world . Fantasy literature in the twentieth century, namely in Barrie’s Peter and Wendy and Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wadrobe serves to help children develop vast imagination, and through imagination it allows children to understand and resolve real-world social issues. Doubtless, most people would be able to name some of the features of fantasy literature. Richard Mathews in his book Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination describes fantasy as a distinct literary genre that may be best thought of as a â€Å"fiction that elicits wonder through elements of the supernatural or impossible† (Matthews 2). Fantasy literature assumes the existence of supernatural elements within the framework of a certain text. These supernatural elements can exist in many locations throughout the text: they may be buried in, or leak into the apparent real world setting, the case of the boy character Peter Pan and his fairy Tinker Bell in Barrie’s Peter and Wendy. Supernatural elements may also appear in a secondary world where characters are drawn into a world with such fantastical elements. Narnia in Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an example of such setting. The fictional realm of Narnia contains various mythical creatures, and magical occurrences. Narnian inhabitants such as Tumnus and the White Witch are themselves supernatural creatures with unusual traits often seen in European mythology and preceding British fairy tales. Fantasy literature can be categorized into two main sub-genres; high fantasy, which consists of a distinct entirely fictional secondary world, and low fantasy, characterized by being set in the real or primary world with the inclusion of supernatural elements. In almost all cases, supernatural elements shift events away from reality. The secondary world operates according to its own rules and altered laws of reality, different in many ways from those in the primary world. Fantasy and supernatural occurrences in the secondary world are depicted as being â€Å"natural† within its boundaries. This feature is important in keeping the secondary world internally consistent. To maintain this inner uniformity, fantasy in this modified world must be realistic. Improbable fantastical events must appear probable within the framework of rules and laws in the secondary world. As Aristotle puts it, â€Å"you can have a text that is improbable with reality as long as it is consistent. As long as the improbable is consistent, then fantasy is realistic†. Probable fantasy in the imaginative world is hence an essential prerequisite for Fantasy literature. The secondary imaginative world and the fantastical events that contain within play an important role in shaping the way Fantasy literature elicits a child reader response. Perhaps one of the most recognized characteristics of Fantasy literature is its appeal to imagination. Fantasy stretches the imagination, enforces creative thinking and encourages dreams. Through the use of the supernatural elements in the secondary world, children travel on a journey fueled by imagination and inventive creation. The way Fantasy literature is received by children audience has a direct effect on the ideas and responses it elicits on them. The act of reading fantasy requires the use of the imagination. In this sense, a great deal of interplay between the writer and reader is present. Because the role of imagination is so important, children readers have much to contribute as they read fantasy. In general, the writer provides the setting, characters, plot and other elements, but the children readers add their imagination to whatever the text allows. It is when children enter this secondary world, engaging with its characters and events that they become part of the story. They feel a sense of pride when characters rise to goodness and a sense of disappointment when the characters fail. Their sense of self and identity is fully shared with the characters as they live the experiences of the fantasy story. Take Barrie’s Neverland for example, a world without esponsibilities, filled with unlimited possibilities – seemingly all wishes of children come true. Neverland is a space where restrictive parents are absent, school is unheard of, and playtime is only interrupted by self-imagined meals (Barrie 113). At first glance, the ideal place to be as a child. Children readily associate with Neverland, this utopian world where everything is made possible stimulates their imagination. They imagine how seawaters are inhabited with mermaids, the endless fights with pirates, and the magic of fairy filling up woods (Barrie 116). Children create their own Neverland using their own imagination. An interesting point to note is that even the story characters themselves in Peter and Wendy imagined their own Neverland. For Michael and John, Neverland was a dream, the extraordinary world they dreamed about when they were asleep and the place where they desired to live in real life. John’s Neverland for instance, â€Å"had a lagoon with flamingos flying over it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was very small, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it† (Barrie 74). Barrie’s story itself reflects a prime example of uncorrupted imagination through the child’s interactions with the text. Barrie carefully explains that the Neverlands are located within the children’s minds, and although every Neverland is always more or less an island, each one will be uniquely individual. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis creates Narnia and supernatural Narnian creatures to provoke wonder and imagination in the minds of children. Narnia offers children a separate world where they escape to allowing them to paint their own images of this far secondary world. Lewis further creates heroines, who are gifted in imagination and who readily accept Narnia, the fantasy world, as a valid reality. One of the heroines, Lucy, goes into an enormous wardrobe and suddenly finds herself in this imaginary world, Narnia. Lucy felt a â€Å"little frightened, but she felt very inquisitive and excited as well† (Lewis 9). She later meets Mr. Tumnus, a Faun who asks her how she came to Narnia. Lucy, so puzzled, asks him: â€Å"Narnia? What’s that? † (Lewis 11). Right from the start, Lewis engages children in this imaginative world. By showing Lucy’s vast imagination and acceptance of Narnia, children readers extend their imagination accordingly, and view this secondary world as a valid reality. The heroines explore the new worlds of Narnia without hesitation. In Lewis’s book, the Pevensie siblings go through the Wardrobe to leave the primary world and enter into the secondary world, Narnia. The Wardrobe in the story functions as a portal between the two worlds. After reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, every child is left imagining the sight of wardrobes. This common and tangible object that most children had in their rooms during the time Lewis wrote his book opened a gateway of wonder, imagination and curiosity for the secondary world. It is very interesting how Lewis takes ordinary familiar ingredients and transforms it in a certain way which fascinates children and stretches their imagination. Imagination is very important in allowing the child resolve real world issues. Fantasy literature, through the imagination elicited within its context plays a central role in promoting the idea of a capable wise child. Adults like to view children as innocent, unable to comprehend surround real life situations. Warner in Little Angels, Little Monsters refers to Kipling’s unforgettable vivid Mowgli, and J. M Barrie’s Peter Pan, the boy who would never grow. Both examples reveal the depth of adult investment in a utopian childhood image (Warner 134). Heywood, in Some Themes in the Cultural History of Childhood, refers to the ideal innocent child incapable of solving real world problems, as part of the nineteenth and twentieth century British culture (Heywood 34). Certainly, many other authors of the twentieth ce ntury including Barrie and Lewis tried to convey the image of the innocent powerless child, unable to comprehend universal situations. This ideal image of childhood is seen in Barrie’s Peter Pan, as the boy who is â€Å"suspended in a state of perpetual childhood†, refusing to grow up (Cuthew 43). This eternal childhood is supported by Neverland, the secondary world where such attitude is cherished. Although this idea of innocent child is deeply integrated in the works of Barrie and Lewis, but without doubt, fantasy in both of Barrie’s and Lewis’s texts serves to promote a whole different role of the child. The secondary world, Narnia, provides a setting where children deal with issues universal to humankind and ones specifically associated with childhood and adolescence. Both Lewis’s and Barrie’s child protagonists are faced with numerous epic challenges, journey and battles in the imaginary world. By using fantasy, and placing this struggle in a secondary fantasy world, children’s actions and decisions are given adult proportions and importance, whilst the safety remains in the known world to which they will return. As Zipes states, by using fantasy, the child understands universal situations in a complex, â€Å"adult-life† manner (Zipes 178). Warner believes adults see it as their task to socialize children and teach them how to work on real life issues (Warner 139). In some cases even, children â€Å"outsmart adults (Warner 137). Warner further mentions Novalis who stresses on the importance of fantasy literature in creating an â€Å"intimate connection† between children and a wonderful, â€Å"free-floating world† of imagination (Warner 135). Novalis insists that the observable, active fantasy-life displayed by childrens books gives children access to a world of wisdom. For him, through myth and fairy tale, a child is seen as a â€Å"good deal cleverer and wiser than an adult†. Spielberg’s children characters in E. T and Back to the Future fiction films are prime examples of such children. Twentieth century fantasy literature particular to children's authors such as Barrie and Lewis, enforces imagination to deal with universal social issues. The fantasy world contained within Barrie’s and Lewis’s texts allows children to rely on an imaginary world that will offer them order and meaning. In both Peter an d Wendy and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the child protagonists, Peter Pan and the Pevensie children are sent on a fantasy adventure and they encounter various challenges. Through their experiences, these child characters drive children to rely on their own imagination and creativity to solve problems around them. In bother novels, child protagonists are virtual role models for the child reader and so their actions and the way they deal with real life issues carry great relevance to the child reader. By allowing children make their own decisions, children are given agency and added responsibility. Children learn to use their own imagination and gain insight on how things should operate without adult rules hanging over their heads. In Barrie’s book, the story character, Peter and Wendy go on a journey to Neverland, a world where restrictive parents are absent. Peter and Wendy face different challenges. Wendy mothers the Lost Boys; Peter has various encounters with Hook. In both cases, these two child figures are left without adult guidance. Despite the lack of parental rule, these children characters manage to face difficulties and apply their insight to solve problems that come across in Neverland. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe reflects another important example of children’s ability to comprehend certain moral and social issues without adult guidance. In Lewis’s book, Edmund, the third oldest Pevensie child learns the importance of honesty and trust, and the severity of lying. When he is given Turkish delight the first time, he directly falls under the White Witch’s trap and agrees to bring back his siblings to her. All he wants is to â€Å"shovel down as much Turkish Delight as he could, and the more he ate the more he wanted to eat† (Lewis 38). Upon Edmunds betrayal to his siblings, Lucy notices the change of Edmund, because Edmund’s face is â€Å"flushed and strange† (Lewis 42) and he looks â€Å"awful† (Lewis 44). This quotation indicates that a treacherous person has a different appearance. Without explicitly saying to the child, â€Å"you should not lie†, fantasy and fairy tales allow children to see the bonuses and consequences of virtues followed and disobeyed. Through fantasy, children are also allowed to come to their own consensus of the binaries of good and evil, right and wrong without having parents guide them through the entire learning process. Fantasy gives children the freedom to create their own set of morals through stories, characters and imaginative places. Take Lewis’s treatment of the concepts of good and evil in Narnia. The Pevensie children are set on an adventure taking them into the fantasy world that is equipped with ideal tools for exploring good and evil. In this fantasy world, the children protagonists are offered many chances to use their own judgment in differentiating right from wrong. Lewis uses this secondary world to allow children see extremes of good and evil. On one hand, Lewis shows the White Witch, the evil queen of Narnia. She seems to abuse her evil powers and carries a wand that can turn creatures into stones. On the other hand, Lewis shows Aslan, the king and God of Narnia. Aslan is a noble lion who sacrifices his life so that the Witch will spare Edmund. Not only does Lewis place his setting in a fantasy world, but he also takes advantage of fantastic creatures to stimulate the child reader’s sense of dread and imagination. These extreme Narnian characters offer two opposite extreme measures of good and evil for which children can compare to. By looking at real world issues, the child is able to deal with situations of good and evil the same way they were played out in the imaginary world. The child is better able to understand his or her position in the world in relation to those around. Allowing the child to judge the good and evil can arguably be seen as means of socialization, a way of opening the child’s eyes to their surrounding society. Through eliciting imagination in children, twentieth century Fantasy literature has also highlighted social values of its period. Even in fantasy when authors write adventures taking place in a secondary world, it is quite difficult to escape certain institutions and values which make our society function. Twentieth century Fantasy literature carried many adult social messages to children. As Henry Jenkins mentions in Introduction: Childhood Innocence and Other Modern Myths, children’s social learning is shaped both by â€Å"adult desires and childhood fantasies† (Jenkins 25). Warner further adds on the topic by saying that in society there is a deep involvement of adults in shaping children. As members of a functional society, how we treat children â€Å"really tests who were are and fundamentally conveys who we hope to be† (Warner, 137). British writers made comments on society and British life through children’s fantasy books. For example, Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mentions the Beaver family in Narnia. The Beaver family can be seen to function on the stereotypical model of a twentieth century British family. In one example, Mr. Beaver rushes out in the cold with Peter to provide food for the family, meanwhile â€Å"the girls were helping Mrs Beaver to fill the kettle and cut the bread† (Lewis 69). It can be argued that through Narnia, Lewis reflects the British life in the twentieth century where men spend long hours working away form home whereas mothers shield the home from the corruptions of the outside world (Jenkins, 7). It is now agreed that twentieth century Fantasy literature is vital in the child’s development of imagination. Although children’s minds are less developed than adults’, their ability to imagine is far greater. Fantasy stories not only allow children to imagine other worlds, they let children create those worlds. Barrie and Lewis wrote for children in a sense that they used simpler language and fantastical settings. These authors tried to fully engage children readers with texts. But, not for a moment did they underestimate the child’s ability to comprehend greater universal and social problems such as the arguments between siblings, the struggle to fight temptation and make the right decision, the importance of imagination in providing children with self-guidance and the ability of evaluating good and evil in society. Twentieth century British authors such as Barrie and Lewis also used Fantasy literature to comment on social issues of that period and reflect certain values of society. In twentieth century children’s literature, fantasy is not used to deceive but to enlighten.

Bureaucracy

One of the characteristics off eructation school/organization is specialization. Specialization is concentrating on a specific task for example; bursar as one of the school officers regulates finances of the school. According to Weber as cited in Ho and Missile (1 991 ) â€Å"division of labor and specialization means that the regular activities required for the purposes of the bureaucratically governed structure are distributed in a fixed way as official duties† (p: 104). This is to say, work in schools is divided into different task hence everyone have his/her specific task.Teachers are specializing by teaching a specific subject for example, Mathematics. Mathematics teacher specialize by teaching only Mathematics to all the grades in the school that is, form one, two and three. This is advantageous due to the fact that it makes one's job easier and to be of high quality since he/she deals with a specific subject. Furthermore, specialization goes hand in hand with what is ca lled division of labor. Light, Keller and Calhoun (1989) state â€Å"in bureaucracies the work to be accomplished is broken down into clear-cut division of labor and people are trained to specialize in performing each task† (p: 219).This is division of labor which refers to dividing work into small and manageable tasks. Therefore since tasks in schools are too complex to be performed by a single individual, division of labor is crucial. Everyone in a school has a position for example; there is a head teacher who is responsible for the running affairs of the school and teachers who are responsible for imparting knowledge to students or simply instruction delivery. Division of labor among positions improves efficiency. Ho and Missile (1991) postulate that division of labor produces specialization hence efficiency increases.And this is because specialization helps employees to be knowledgeable and expert at performing their prescribed duties. So the authors suggest â€Å"such d ivision enables the organization to employ personnel on the basis of technical qualifications. Hence, division of labor and specialization produce more expertise in school personnel† (p: 105). This is to say that workers are employed for the type of work they have skills on. Another characteristic of bureaucratic school/organization is a hierarchy of offices.According to Ho and Missile (1991) offices are arranged hierarchically; ACH lower office is under the control and supervision of a higher one. In agreement YMMV. Clientà ¨les. Com suggests that the structure of a bureaucracy is called a hierarchy because it includes a series of levels from the most menial worker in the organization to the highest executive. Each level has clearly defined authority and responsibilities. Therefore, this makes work to be easier and more manageable since everyone knows his/her responsibility in the school/organization. Light, et al. (1989) state that when an organization's operation is divide d into smaller, more manageable tasks; the arioso activities must be put together. Thus, the solution is to organize workers into a hierarchy with each person being responsible to the person directly above in the chain of command. This means that everyone will have a supervisor. For example, senior teachers can supervisor teachers to assess the efficiency of their work in the classroom. Moreover, a hierarchy of offices helps in keeping order within the organization since everyone understands his place very well and what is expected of him/her.According to Stark (1989) â€Å"all employees in the organization must know who their boss is and each errors should always respect their chain of command† (p: 594). To support this, employees should respect those in authority or their supervisors by doing what they expect them to do. They should also follow a channel of communication within the organization. The author also postulates â€Å"in this way the people at the top can be sure that directives arrive where they are meant to go and know where responsibility lie† (p: 594).Therefore, a hierarchy of offices is very important characteristic of a bureaucratic school/ organization as it allows workers to focus on their responsibilities since it Leary define them. It also encourages carefulness among workers as it is easier to trace who is not doing his/her work properly. Www. Baccalaureate's. Com/excerpts suggests that a formal hierarchy is the basis of central planning and centralized decision making of a bureaucratic school/organization.This is due to the fact that these offices are for the people who are responsible for the operation of the school/ organization hence; they plan and make decisions together on how best to do that. Stark (1989) postulates ‘to ensure order in decision making, business is inducted primarily through written rules, records and communication† (p: 593). This is to say, planning and decision making is central to a hie rarchy of offices within the school/organization due to the fact that it is where written rules, records and communication are found.Rules and regulations are one of the characteristics of bureaucratic school/organization. In any organization rules and regulations are very vital because they ensure that there is order. Weber as cited in Stark (1989) â€Å"stressed that rational bureaucracies must be managed in accordance with careful developed rules and principles that can e learned and applied†¦ † (P: 595). To support this, a bureaucratic school should have rules that guide employees' behavior since they are applied equally to everyone of them. They cannot be broken due to the fact that by doing so punishment will follow.Therefore, rules and regulations are important in a bureaucratic school since they promote self-discipline and self- control among workers. This will help the organization to run smoothly and efficiently since workers need not to be followed to do their work as they are guided by the rules and regulations. Rules and regulations maintain control thin the organization as according to Ho and Missile (1991) â€Å"†¦ By taking advantage of the screening functions of bureaucratic rules, administrators can gain and maintain some control over organizational activities.They anticipate that general and impersonal rules will be good because they provide direction without creating status distinctions. Control is the us maintained by using bureaucratic rules†¦ † (P: 109-110). Moreover, to ensure that rules and regulations are the characteristics of bureaucratic school/ organization; Bernard, Burgess and Kirby (2004) suggest that a bureaucratic school/organization should have a body of rules that governs it. For example, employees usually have a code of conduct. According to Fragrant (1980) a code of conduct is a set of rules for professional conduct since teachers are professionals.These rules are divided into two; a commitmen t to the students and to the profession. A commitment to the students are rules which outline what the teacher should do and not to do to students for example, the teacher disclosing information about students without their permission. And a commitment to the profession are rules which outline hat they society expects from the teacher for example, the teacher should not dress in an unprofessional manner. Ho and Missile (1991 ) state that rules and regulations provide continuity of operation and help to coordinate activities.This is because employees are guided by rules on what they should do and not to therefore, rules and regulations in a bureaucratic school promote cooperation within the organization since employees work well with each other. Lastly, one of the characteristics of bureaucratic school/ organization includes rewards based on merit. According to Light, et al. (1989) â€Å"positions in a bureaucracy are awarded on the basis Of technical qualifications (as measured by tests, educational degrees and diplomas and other standardized yardsticks) not on the basis of who one knows† (p: 220).This is to say that jobs and promotion in a bureaucratically school/ organization are obtained through qualifications. For example in Botswana, for one to be a secondary school teacher should have at least a certificate of Diploma in Secondary Education not just passed form five and then be employed as teacher. Employees should be employed for the job they qualify or so that work cannot be difficult for them since they will be doing what they are trained for. This will in turn, helps the school/organization to be effective and efficient.Furthermore, rewards based on merit will allow us providers to give promotions to the ones who are qualifying for those positions. This is to say they will not give promotion on the basis of favoritism like to their relatives and friends. Stark (1989) states â€Å"to ensure expert management, appointment and promotion are base d on merit rather than favoritism and those appointed treat their positions as full-time, primary arrears† (p: 593). To support this, people are rewarded because of the efforts they put in their work.So that's why in schools teachers can be promoted and given positions such as, from being a subject teacher to a subject coordinator. Nevertheless, giving jobs and promotions to people because one knows them, will make the school/organization to suffer since they do not qualify for those works. Ho and Missile (1991) suggest â€Å"promotion is dependent on the judgment of superiors† (p: 105). This is to say that promotion is made by supervisors but even though, it is upon them they should do it fairly.

Oil Industry Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Oil Industry Master - Essay Example This hike in price of oil comes with several causes as well as consequences. There are many factors that lead to a significant rise in oil price when the cost of producing it remains constant. Also, a rise in price brings with it several challenges to the economies of net importing countries and opportunities for exporting countries. The factors affecting the oil price in an international scenario tend to be on the demand as well on the supply side in both short and long run. The effects of oil price happen to be on the business side, consumer side and pure macroeconomic side. This paper investigates into the major factors that bring about a change in the price of oil, in particular, in the recent scenario of oil price hikes. It emphasises what actually has led to such unexpected oil price shocks in the recent years. The paper also sheds light on the effects of changes in oil price on businesses and economies around the world by way of affecting production, consumption, investment and major macroeconomic indicators. The recent dramatic rise in oil price has led the scholars to investigate into the factors affecting the price of oil in short and long term. ... The major demand-side factors that affect the price of oil are economic growth and increased consumption etc. On the other hand, the major supply-side factors playing a role in increasing oil prices are incapability of OPEC to produce more, inability to gauge future demand and political factors etc. Other important factors influencing the price of oil are speculation and futures trading. The point that is important here is that both the demand and supply related factors as well as some apparently uncontrollable factors combine to cause such unexpected hike in international oil price as witnessed in the last few years. In the beginning of last century when oil was considered to be sufficient for world consumption, the economic growth was limited to a few countries. Most of the oil was imported to the highly developed countries of that time to fuel their industries and transportation etc and the consumption of oil was also limited as compared to present times. As the time passed, major changes in the world economy began to mark their presence. More and more countries entered the race of economic growth with certain prominent countries like the United States, Britain, and other European countries accelerated their economic growth. Barrell and Pomerantz also propound that "changes in oil prices have been associated with major developments in the world economy" (2004, p152) This economic growth came about through obviously a thorough industrialisation process in these countries enhancing the demand for more and more oil. Thus, a rapid economic progression of already developed countries has led to ever rising consumption of oil, causing a deterioration of world

Ethical Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Theories - Assignment Example However, most of the time a decision taken for the interest of an individual usually affects the interests of others. In such a case, other people may regard such actions as unethical. A critical evaluation of such a situation is likely to lead to a conclusion that every person is an egoist because an offence usually occurs when their interests are not achieved. According to Cecily and Payne (1990), â€Å"the free market economy operates under such philosophies†. This kind of market devoid of government influence through regulations generates a society in which each individual seeks to satisfy personal interests, and if everybody is successful, then the society will benefit as a whole. So long as each individual in business will be capable of making profits legitimately, then he/she will have fulfilled the moral obligation of the business. However, it is important for people to distinguish between egoism and selfish interests. It is most likely that selfish interests will cause an imbalanced society whereby some individuals will be deprived. Export of capital is significant in fulfilling economic goals. It facilitates growth of foreign direct investments and businesses in foreign countries grow. This helps in increasing the profitability of capitalists who would otherwise suffer a reduction in profits due to lack of opportunities for investment despite the surplus capital. In the less developed countries, there is scarcity of capital while the market remains unexploited, and there is availability of cheap land. On the other hand, there are cheap labour as well as cheap raw materials. Export of capital is also significant in the maintenance of a balance of trade (Tone 1991). This is because if a country liberalizes its market for foreign investors, which is the case in the United States, it also needs to find market for its domestic products, which helps in increasing exports so that the imports do not exceed the

Variable pay strategy and program for an online retailer Research Paper

Variable pay strategy and program for an online retailer - Research Paper Example Variable pay can at times be long termed (more than a year) while at times it can be short termed (less than a year). Incentives refer to pre determined standards or criteria used in award determination. Bonuses on the other hand are wards delivered to the people concerned at the end of a certain period. The period on the case of bonuses is determined by the subject judgment of the quality of the performance while a reward is warranted (Variable Pay and Performance Linked Incentives, 2010). Strategy An effective variable pay program is as result of a strategic variable pay strategy, this strategy acts as a guideline for a quality design and program administration. A strategic program has the following characteristics: the clearly fit in the organizational structure and are steers of the organizations success. For a strategy to contribute to the success any organization, it must be in line with the mission and vision of the organization concerned. The speed of a strategy does not brin g about and importance because most likely it may be speeding to the wrong direction. A quality and strategic program should target to meet the objectives of the organization by lying down the require plans which if properly and rightfully administered, it would take the firm to another level. The strategy of the program should be also sound enough to bring about sustainability of the firm putting in consideration all the core strengths of the organization. It is also critical for a strategy to be in a specific context. It must bring out feasibility where it suits with the culture of the organization and that of the human resource, this must consider the organizational environment and realities that exists. Integration must also prevail where the structure of the program suits in the structure of the specific organization including the human resource’s structure. The program must also be flexible enough to respond to appropriateness and changes within an organization (Variabl e Pay Plan Development, 2011). There are differences between other compensations and variable pay, this differences occur on the bases of benefits and base pay. Variable pay program does not fit in entitlement cultures, this is because it’s not career annuity where base pay increase and must be compensated trough earnings over the given period. In reference to financial perspective, variable pay is a variable cost but the benefits and base pay are naturally fixed. There are difficulties in administering variable pay, competitive measurements is on of these difficulties. Levels of variable pay vary dramatically unlike levels of base pays, this helps in transforming average of the prevailing market into a broad-range, other than a specific point. One of the major characteristic of these variable pays is that it can be combined with other components to evaluate the performance of different levels in the organization both long term and long term (Variable Pay and Performance Link ed Incentives, 2010). The most significant benefits associated with variable pay compared to other types of compensations it that cost related to planning can be combined with performance/revenues and therefore vary economically. In Alaska, there is an advantage of using this kind of system because when the world’s economy is open to large variation, it carries with itself competitive advantage because the situation disadvantages them