Application questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Application questions - Essay Example I used the experience to make new friends, learn all about their culture, language, and environment. More importantly, living in Togo humbled me as a human being. You might said that I had an epiphany while I was there. This was how it unfolded: It was one more day with surge of Sub Saharan heat, when Simon, one of the orphans, brought me noodles with a sprinkle of chicken pieces, saying that he earned some money and bought noodles with it. I asked, â€Å"Where is yours?† The boy replied, â€Å"I have more in the kitchen, don’t worry.† I was stupid to believe him. I ate everything at the speed of light and then brought the bowl to the kitchen to be washed. I saw Simon there and stopped to say thank you once again for the hearty snack. Then I saw what he was eating, a mere bowl of porridge. I never felt more ashamed of myself in my whole life. I should have known better. I should have known that being the stranger in town, they would give me the shirt off their backs in a show of hospitality. That was when I vowed to make a difference in their lives pf those living in the Third World countries as soon as I was able to. A. I worked in the regional public hospital as an assistant to the doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners who needed an extra hand. Sometimes, I even found myself working in the ER. While I was there, I experienced the problems that their kind of hospital often encountered and I had a chance to speak to their patients, doctors, and nurses regarding their ill effective national health systems which did nothing to help their society prevent even the most common illnesses from becoming epidemics in their area. B. I will never forget the poverty that I witnessed in this hospital. Having come from a better off country, I was aghast to see that the African health care system was so destitute that they could not even provide the most basic medical supplies, equipment, and even slightly competent doctors

Islamic banking system study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Islamic banking system study - Essay Example Britain is a country with an important position in the global market; in accordance with a recent report – based on the data available on the British economy – the British economy is considered to be the ‘the seventh largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $30,900 in 2005’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The development of the British economy is monitored by the country’s government but also by the Bank of England which ‘was founded in 1694, nationalized in 1946, and gained independence in 1997; the Bank of England is the central bank of the U.K.’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The banking market in Britain has a decisive role in the development of the country’s economy – a phenomenon common in all countries internationally. Recently, in 2004, the country’s existing banking system – which can be characterized as Western – has been alternated; the main feature of this change has been the establishment in Britain of the Islamic Bank of Britain, the first bank of this type established in a Western country; the change of the characteristics of the British banking market was completed with the introduction of another bank that is based on the Sharia law, the European Islamic Investment Bank. Current paper focuses on the examination of the key features of Islamic banking business in Britain; the country’s banking market has been examined and the major competitors of this market are presented; at the next level, the key operational characteristics and the performance of Islamic banks in Britain are identified and critically analyzed. Islamic banking is reviewing and evaluated as a common form of banking in modern Britain – taking into consideration the fact that Islamic banking products are available also by British banks – referring to those banks based on the Western mode of banking. It is concluded that Islamic banking in Britain has many chances to achieve a further growth but it is necessary that measures are taken

Conference paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conference - Research Paper Example The discussion of this paper focuses on the different cultural perspectives and how this influences the personal and social interactions of the students and scientists’ perceptions. Personal interaction is the manner in which individuals interact with each other in a group or a community through communication. The language of people to a great extend determines how an individual interact with each other. There is high power vested on personal relations, with communication playing a vital role in unifying the members of a particular group (Eby & Allen, 2012). Communication plays an important role in ensuring a smooth running of events in a group or community. Language as a form of communication unites the people speaking the common language. Differences in communication and language could be a source of conflict. It is believed that language classifies people into different social and is responsible for people’s ethnicity and social grouping. Social interaction is the way in which two or more people who are mutually oriented interact with each other through acts, actions, or practices (Argyle, 2007). The behaviour of these people affects each of the parties’ subjective experiences or intentions. Parties involved in this form of relationship should be aware of one another and put each other into consideration. Such a relationship requires the parties to behave towards each other, portraying the mutual consent of the existence and presence of the other person. Trust is essential to the success of the social interaction, and secret spying on the other party without their consent is likely to bring issues into the relationship. The behaviour of the parties influences the success of social interaction. According to Nganga & â€Å"University of Wyoming† (2006), people need to be aware of their cultural influences as they relate to one another in the society. Students of different backgrounds and cultures sharing the same learning facilities need to

Islamic banking system study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Islamic banking system study - Essay Example Britain is a country with an important position in the global market; in accordance with a recent report – based on the data available on the British economy – the British economy is considered to be the ‘the seventh largest economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $30,900 in 2005’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The development of the British economy is monitored by the country’s government but also by the Bank of England which ‘was founded in 1694, nationalized in 1946, and gained independence in 1997; the Bank of England is the central bank of the U.K.’ (Forex Market resources, 2010). The banking market in Britain has a decisive role in the development of the country’s economy – a phenomenon common in all countries internationally. Recently, in 2004, the country’s existing banking system – which can be characterized as Western – has been alternated; the main feature of this change has been the establishment in Britain of the Islamic Bank of Britain, the first bank of this type established in a Western country; the change of the characteristics of the British banking market was completed with the introduction of another bank that is based on the Sharia law, the European Islamic Investment Bank. Current paper focuses on the examination of the key features of Islamic banking business in Britain; the country’s banking market has been examined and the major competitors of this market are presented; at the next level, the key operational characteristics and the performance of Islamic banks in Britain are identified and critically analyzed. Islamic banking is reviewing and evaluated as a common form of banking in modern Britain – taking into consideration the fact that Islamic banking products are available also by British banks – referring to those banks based on the Western mode of banking. It is concluded that Islamic banking in Britain has many chances to achieve a further growth but it is necessary that measures are taken

Green Computing Research Essay Example for Free

Green Computing Research Essay The Green Computing research project is well underway and we have to select a research tool that will help with quality control. The choices are Cause and effect diagrams, control charts, Run charts, scatter diagrams, histograms, Pareto charts and flow charts. I am a huge fan of statistical analysis however; it is not one of the seven tools we have to work with. Therefore, I have chosen the Pareto Chart method to help with our quality control. A Pareto Chart will allow us to look at energy consumption over a period of time and break it down to what was the major factor leading to the increase or decrease. Therefore, we can evaluate changes made in hardware and processes and see which ones had the greatest or worst effect over that period. This will help to satisfy Ben and Ito’s concerns for the projects quality research and fulfill the company’s goal of reducing costs, increasing profit margin and at the same time becoming greener. This project should be fairly easy to map out. We will simply take a detailed analysis of the energy consumption of periods of time and then look to see what variables made different periods greater or less than others. The Pareto principle is sometimes referred to as the 80-20 rule (Schwalbe, 2011) where 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the causes. This could also be considered inversely where 80% less energy consumption can be attributed to 20% better habits. This method can also easily be translated into a flowchart over time, allowing us to focus in on the energy consumption for processes, equipment and times of day. Once the problems or benefits are identified processes can be developed to act on them accordingly. The use of this method will help to break out the consumptions for the project team and leadership in a simple to follow diagram, that can be used in the decision making process. The Pareto tool works well when the processes can be easily categorized into benefits and detriments. Once the processes are categorized, then they can be prioritized. This is where the whole leadership team gets involved, to include the stakeholders. Then these prioritized categories can be made into a hierarchical structure with substance and value. This Pareto analysis chart is rather easy to produce in Microsoft Excel, which is a good thing because I am fairly competent with the process using MS Excel. We simply put in a table the consumption values during the determined period of study and then turn it into a chart and you have a visual of the consumption periods. We can then find the highest consumption periods and compare them to any changes or patterns differences from the lower periods. Then these values can be re-charted in another analysis chart to visually compare the major causes of energy consumption. In conclusion, the Pareto analysis will allow us to identify the major energy consumption issues or the major energy conservation savings factors and allow us to prioritize them in a hierarchical manner. Then the decision making process can begin to work to reduce the overall costs and save energy at the same time.

A standard costing and variance analysis

A standard costing and variance analysis Study suggests that many companies use standard accounting to determine costs and for measuring performance. However, there has always been speculation on standard costing being the most effective measurement. The actual cost usually differs from the standard costs, which is based on calculations and assumptions. Standard accounting takes into account various factors like price, specifications, quantity and quality of the material. The estimations involved in analyzing and setting standard costs involve the efficiency of the management. If a difference between the actual cost and the standard cost is observed, an investigation is required since it suggests the inefficiency in the calculation of estimates. Relevance of Standard Costing and Variance Analysis The standard costs are calculated according to the following flowchart and the variance is monitored and recalculated at every interval to reduce cost variance. Definition of standard cost: a pre-determined cost calculated in relation to a prescribed set of working conditions, correlating technical specifications and scientific measurements of material and labor to the price and wage rates expected to apply during the period to which the standard cost is intended to relate, with the addition of an appropriate share of budgeted overhead (CIMA [ICMA] definition) The standard costs are to be set by the management after a set of calculations. These calculations can either be based on historical records or on engineering studies. Depending on the type of company and volatility in costs, a great deal of care is to be taken into setting standards. Standard costing is usually applied in conjunction with other costing methods (or variance analysis): Absorption and marginal costing Job and process costing Budgeting and budgetary control Advantages of Standard Costing The costing standards are helpful in establishment of prices, budgets and production schedules. The employees are motivated to maintain efficiency to reduce errors in achieving a target. Management by exception is allowed to be practiced by variances. Record keeping and stock evaluation are harmonized and simplified due to a standard set of costing used across the system. Responsibility is defined with the help of variance analysis. The technical analysis necessary to set standards will result in better methods, greater efficiency and in cutting costs. The standards provide essential control information which help in comparing the actual costs to the standards. Disadvantages of Standard Costing Firstly standard costing will not be very efficient for companies that use a lean system. In lean production, the volumes produced are lowered and the inventories re consumed only after the determining amounts of the quantity demanded. Secondly, there might be changes in the working practices, the prices and volumes of the raw materials, which reduce the standards and are misleading and inappropriate. Many costs are incurred in maintain and calculating the standard costing systems. Over assumptions of costs in an urge to make the standard costs favorable may lead to high cost variances. This may also lead to non-productive work like measuring and completing forms. Standard costing is overly focused on statistical data and thus there might be a conflicting boundary between the standard cost and estimated cost. For example the overheads may require running at full efficiency even though the excess production is not required. Standard costing maybe applicable in larger firms with high production lines and bigger resources, but for smaller firms, the basic thumb rule methods are more appropriate for use in control. Alternative methods Activity Based Costing In this method, the costs are recognized due to the cause and effect relationship between the activities and costs that drive the company costs. This method can theoretically be used in any industry due to its flexibility in determining costs at different levels. ABC, just like the other traditional costing systems, it often results in recognizing indirect costs on easily identifiable figures such as direct labor hours. It often results in inaccuracy in assigning the costs to its relevant activity. However, this method is used effectively in complex companies where certain costs are not easy to record and evaluate. It is used in companies which are not completely service based. Balanced score card The balanced score card is used as a performance measure and for strategic planning in major organizations. It was invented by Dr. Kaplan and David Norton that analyzed measurements in a combination of traditional and strategic method to give a more balanced view to the management. The balanced scored had four main perspectives: Learning and growth perspective The scorecard considers learning as one of the most important perspectives in the case of employees and at an organizational level. Funds can be adequately allotted by managers to ensure the training needs of a worker since the developing industry requires a continuous improvement in the skill level. Business process perspective In this perspective, metrics are used to allow the managers to understand the importance of their internal business and whether the products and services are capable of satisfying the customers needs. The metrics for a business process are best when designed by a highly experienced internal manager. Customer perspective The constant increase in the market trend from a customers perspective has increased companies to use metrics to define customer satisfaction levels. If the quality of the products and services reduce, the customer satisfaction would drop and thus he would switch to a more competitive company. Hence, frequent measures such as the scorecard and customer feedbacks have to be used to understand the customers requirements. Financial perspective A company needs to constantly calculate its financial data and create a capacity to fund the current projects. The accuracy involved in this data will help the managers create a planned and organized expenditure. Data such as the risk assessment and cost-benefit data has to be identified in this perspective. The standard costing requires accuracy in calculating this data since any errors could cause a large cost variance and affect direct labor and direct material cost. Target costing Target costing is a cost management tool for reducing the overall product cost in a production life cycle. This approach is most commonly used in Japanese companies along with Six Sigma, Kaizen and various other approaches. Unlike traditional methods, target costing takes a very proactive approach to pricing. It analyzes the costing information of the product and suggests the best possible price upfront. This saves the wastage in time and costs involved in re-engineering and design. In particular, target costing concentrates on phase wise reduction of costs in a product life cycle. The decisions involve a large team a multi-level team of staff from production, engineering, etc. to determine the acceptable market price. Just-in-time method The JIT method is one of the lean methods used in the new production systems. It is very efficient in supply chains and production units in determining the quantity of products to be produced depending on the customer requirements. However, JIT method also results in a few disadvantages such as purchasing inventory that is not required immediately. Due to the stock up of inventory, there are chances of the goods being damaged or lost. Also, the more assets a company is holding, the higher premium it has to pay. Thus having excessive assets is not an efficient option. Assets include both cash and inventory, but cash is more flexible and helps in precluding loans which means lesser liabilities for the organization. When the demand increases, the orders would have to be rushed and thus greater staffing working in overtime is required. This would lead to an increase in the direct labor costs and also would reduce employee satisfaction. The company would also have to manage the orders in a short period of time which create a lot of trouble for the middle level management. This change in costs further affects the standard costing of a company. Total Quality Management Total quality management involves the continuous improvement of products and services while also involving the managers and employees in a quality management approach. TQM is aimed at increasing the quality while reducing the wastage in production of goods. Some of the popular companies involved in the adaptation of TQM include Toyota motor company, Ford motor company, Phillips semiconductor and SGL carbon. TQM involves the continuous improvement of a process, and thus improving the future results of a process. It contains a combination of quality management tools which helps in increasing the quality at pace with the improving market standards. Kaizen methods Kaizen in Japanese stands for improvement in simple terms. When the word is split, kai means change and zen means good. The most important aspect of a kaizen method is to standardize your process. Most of the companies that follow the kaizen method use a PDCA life cycle. One of the leading motor companies using this method efficiently is Toyota motors. Toyota has extensively implemented the continuous improvement strategy in its lifecycle. The basic steps of the kaizen method involve the Plan-Do-Check-Act life cycle. As the title suggests, the first step of the process involves planning the costs and estimating the costs accurately. The next step involves measuring and implementing the costs and the effectiveness using various measuring techniques. The third phase involves checking whether the standards are optimal and efficient and if not act accordingly towards continuous improvement. After achieving the new results, these are set as the new standards and thus create accuracy. The cycle repeats itself continuously improving the process. Pricing decisions in service sectors Most healthcare organizations do not realize the benefits of standard costing in an organization and thus result in high cost variances. The application of standard costing systems used in such organizations can help in realizing the losses in unrecovered overhead on time and hence take corrective action. In todays world, customers in the service sector demand the prices to be lowered and a better cost information system. The most effective way to deal with this is to use standard costing and variance analysis. Full costs per unit should be measured in advance of providing a service. The variable costs can thus be easily estimated since the facilities in the service sector directly use the pricing process.

Voter Habits Based on Demographics Essay example -- Voting Voters Demo

Voter Habits Based on Demographics Abstract In this paper I intend to evaluate the voting habits of the American public. I will look at how race, sex, education level, marital status, income level, current employment status, and age affects whether or not people vote. I am also going to examine which political parties these groups have historically voted for, why they vote for them, how this has changed over the years if it has changed at all, and why it has changed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that from previous voting information you could fairly well predict the voters’ choices. I’m not saying you could foretell the outcome of upcoming elections, but you could figure out what to expect given the state of current affairs. I find this interesting because I didn’t know there were so many statistics out there on this. Many that I have looked at already are pretty surprising. It would give me a better foundation of understanding of how our country and society works. Understanding the world around me better will assist me for the rest of my life. Academically I think this is very important and relates to the future elections. For a true democracy people need to get out and vote. With this information we can see what groups aren’t being represented through a lack of voting and we can take action about this. They can be educated on the importance of voting and what a difference they can make.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my research I will need to find out a lot of statistics. Also I will need to know where they came from. Then I will need to find some information on how to evaluate all this information and what conclusions can be made about it. I will most likely find this information in studies and information included with the statistics. Body There are many differences that separate the American population. I am going to examine some of these differences in relation to voting and make some assumptions as to why these differences occur. These conjectures will be based on statistical numbers obtained from the 2002 congressional elections and previous years. I have chosen to exclude the presidential elections because I feel that they would be too complicated to analyze in a paper of this length. Also I believe the congressional elections provide more consistent and traceable trends in our society. First I will have to take into account the number of people that a... ...he polls. About thirty percent of registered voters did not vote in the 2002 congressional election. Twenty-seven percent of these people said they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules. This group was mostly made up of younger males, Hispanics, and people with higher education levels. Going back to education levels, people with lower levels of education were more likely to report that that chose not to vote because they were just not interested or they felt that their vote wouldn’t make a difference. In congressional elections each persons vote carries more weight, because it is only the voters in your state that decide who is going to be your representation on the federal level. There needs to be more information given to people when they register to vote to decrease these numbers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I found many more aspects to the evaluation of voting while doing my research for this paper than I had thought existed. It brought to light many difficulties that our country needs to overcome to try and achieve a situation where everyone’s voice is heard. There are programs and services in place to help try and achieve this goal, but there is still much work to be done.