Persuasive Essay on Eating Healthy free essay sample

In order for a person to be healthy and stay healthy, they have to exercise daily, eat the right kinds of food, staying clean, and that person would feel good about themselves in the inside and outside. In the inside, they will feel good about themselves. That person won’t be worrying about their weight or how their appearance may look like because they feel beautiful in the inside just by staying healthy. In the outside, the person will feel good and strong. They will have a positive self-esteem about themselves. They can be able to do or achieve anything that comes into the person’s way without having negative thoughts. If a person were to eat a lot of junk food, drink a lot of soft drinks, and do things that could destroy their health, they are destroying their body. If they don’t eat the right kinds of food, exercise daily, and stay clean, they could kill themselves faster and they could easily catch a sickness and die from it, because they don’t have enough strength to fight the sickness. We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive Essay on Eating Healthy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In their mind, they will have negative thoughts and not positive thoughts. They will put themselves down and also everyone around them, including their loved ones. They won’t have the strength to do anything, except just sleep, eat, and talk. In other words, they will become very lazy, because they won’t have enough energy to do anything. So, in order to stay healthy, we have to eat the right kinds of food, exercise daily, and stay clean so that we can feel good about ourselves inside and outside. If we don’t eat healthy and stay healthy, we might become lazy or catch a sickness really fast and die. So, I leave you with this quote â€Å" Healthy Me, I Feel Good†.

Ethics and Good Prostitution Essays

Ethics and Good Prostitution Essays Ethics and Good Prostitution Paper Ethics and Good Prostitution Paper Prostitution: In the End, There’s Nothing Wrong with It. Prostitution is defined by Florida State Statute 796. 07 in 1994 as â€Å"the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire but excludes sexual activity between spouses† (â€Å"Legal Definition of Prostitution†). Though it has been illegalized, an age old discrepancy dealing with the morality and ethical concepts of prostitution is still a controversial topic being discussed today. The main ethical problem being debated about the profession of prostitution is if the selling of sex, something that is meant to be private and personal, should be allowed and morally accepted within society if used for monetary gain in order to pay for the necessities of life. Some question whether prostitution should remain outlawed if it just a means of profit and a way to continue to support oneself in everyday life, while others fully condemn the selling of the human body to others for pleasure. After evaluating the normative theories discussed in Noel Stewart’s Ethics, one could bring about four noticeably differing views towards prostitution, two of which will be discussed in the following essay. While the theory of utilitarianism would initially state prostitution to be moral and acceptable as long as it brings happiness and utility to oneself and greater numbers of people, Kant’s moral theory would first condemn the moral duty disturbed by selling sex, but then consequentially develop an allowance for prostitution after classifying it as a mutually respected act and not a means to an end for one person of the relationship. The general principle and three concepts outlined within the normative theory of utilitarianism with reference to John Stuart Mill’s rule utilitarianism specifically, as well as Kantian beliefs dealing with the categorical imperative however, reach the same conclusion in the view of prostitution, deeming it morally ethical through slightly different thought and ideological processes. â€Å"Utilitarianism gets its name from the word ‘utility’, which means happiness rather than usefulness† (Stewart 13). When viewed from a utilitarian point of view, prostitution can been seen as an act to bring about money and in turn, happiness, from the ability to support oneself without the heavy reliance on outside influences. Good prostitution would require a certain skill level to create a good living through it; this skill would instill self-worth for prostitutes and a sense of satisfaction with themselves and their abilities. All three concepts of utilitarianism an be applied to the act of prostitution to provide evidence as to why a utilitarian would view prostitution as acceptable. Utilitarianism states â€Å"that it’s the results or consequences of the action that count in deciding whether it’s right† (Stewart 13). The results of prostitution can be summed into two things: monetary benefits for the prostitution and satisfaction for the client, both of which are needed within life. Humans have always traded whatever they had in exchange for something they needed,† proving that prostitution has never truly created an immoral or unjustifiable situation which needed to be illegalized (â€Å"Sexual Autonomy amp; Prostitution†). Utilitarianism also â€Å"holds that happiness/utility is good in itself . . . . So things such as money, power, friendship and so on are only instrumental goods,† meaning that using prostitution as an â€Å"instrumental good† is morally viable so long as it brings about happiness and utility (Stewart 13). Sydney Biddle Barrows, perhaps better known to millions as the ‘Mayflower Madam,’ found herself moonlighting as a phone girl at an escort service . . . less than a year later she opened up her own agency,† proving that prostitutes do find utility and happiness from their professions (â€Å"Is It Wrong†). The third and final concept of utilitarianism states that â€Å"the principle of utility is the most fundamental moral principle†; this principle says â€Å"You sho uld always try to bring about ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’† (Stewart 13). Prostitution would follow right along this principle if legalized for the pure fact that prostitutes would bring happiness to themselves as well as the several clients who currently hide their acts and desires for this profession. All three noted types of utilitarian theories find prostitution to be morally just. With a specification to Mill’s utilitarianism, most realize that there are certain health issues that would need to be addressed and limited by rules, as outlined by Mill’s â€Å"rule utilitarianism† (Stewart 23-33). Prostitution would have to be regulated,† in ways such as â€Å"’closely monitoring a prostitute’s health, rigorously training the prostitute, imposing strict standards for conduct while at work, and monitoring client contact to assure quality and efficiency of service,† which would in turn be viewed by people as a base for which rule utilitarianism could be applied as another factor of proving prostitution as acce ptable and moral (â€Å"Sexual Autonomy amp; Prostitution†). Jeremy Bentham, the mind behind act tilitarianism states that, â€Å"Pleasure is therefore always good, and happiness consists of having pleasurable experiences† (Stewart 15). Prostitution brings pleasure to both the prostitute and their client: monetary and mental pleasure for the prostitute and sexual pleasure for the client. It has even been found that â€Å"97% of house-prostitutes like themselves more after than before becoming prostitutes,† proving the happiness gained by prostitutes in their profession (â€Å"Prostitution Should Be Legal†). Finally, there are the concepts of preference utilitarianism, which also finds prostitution to be morally just. In this form of utilitarianism you act so as to satisfy the greatest number of preferences in the greatest number of people† (Stewart 33). Polls conclude that a promising 83% of people want prostitution to be legalized and 3% have no pr eference, leaving less than 15% of people who want prostitution to remain outlawed (â€Å"Prostitution Should Be Legal†). There is more than enough evidence that can be found to not only parallel utilitarianism in finding prostitution morally just, but also show popular desire for the profession. Though Immanuel Kant â€Å"argue[s] against the stern laws of duty and their validity, or at least [thinks] to place their purity . . . in doubt,† everything within his deontological theory finds prostitution completely permissible and moral (Kant 21). Kant’s moral theory focuses on the categorical imperative; the categorical imperative â€Å"distinguishes between right and wrong actions by universalizing the action’s maxim and seeing if this can be done consistently† (Stewart 36). This test of whether things are right or wrong is broken into two formulations, through both of which prostitution can be found as moral and acceptable. The first is the â€Å"formula of universal law, which states ‘Act only on those maxims which you can will to be universal laws’† (Stewart 37). This being stated, prostitution has the ability to be conducted in a manner willed to be universal law because of its nature as a relationship as opposed to an uneven take but do not give balance. When prostitution is compared to other professions, â€Å"it is arguable that there are many possible jobs which no one should have to do merely to survive,† as well as that of prostitution (â€Å"Sexual Autonomy amp; Prostitution†). All jobs are needed in an individual’s life in order to survive: to buy food, to pay for a place to live, to provide and support families, etc. Just as teachers are paid for teaching, bank tellers are paid for banking, and car services are paid for transportation, prostitutes are paid for sex. These relationships are all equal in their give-take balance, yet only prostitution is found illegal for some unjust reason. These relationships tie into the second formulation of the categorical imperative; â€Å"the formula of ends, which states, â€Å"Always treat other persons as ends in themselves and never only as means’† (Stewart 37). When it comes to the selling of sex, â€Å"both sides [of] the relationship [are] merely a means to a private end,† where the relationship is a means to a private end, and not the prostitute or client themselves (Primoratz 161). These relationships are respectful and mutual, allowing them to be found moral and accept by Kant’s moral theory. Professor of Economics Tyler Cowen has written numerous books which emphasize the necessary ties between these fields in order for society to strive (â€Å"Is It Wrong†). So although prostitution is interpreted to be a distasteful and unsanitary profession, it is not much different in its relations and purposes from many other necessary jobs, therefore it is not morally wrong. Contrary to the assumptions that prostitution is a crime-related field dealing with just drugs, sex and money, prostitutes use the monetary gain of selling sex by means of prostitution to â€Å"encompass such an incredibly broad range of ideas,† making it impossible to say that most if not all prostitution is acted about for a certain reason involving one’s needs in life (â€Å"Is It Wrong†). The motivations for prostitution can range from helping a medical student pay for graduate school to supplementing the income of a mother just getting by on supporting and feeding her children; the situations that this profession could serve to help are impossible to estimate on a grand scale. Most of the negative views towards the profession of prostitution developed only when feminists began to look at it as an abuse to women and sex. When this evolved, prostitution became crime-associated and soon after, outlawed in almost every state. Media and the general crowd alike associated â€Å"verbs‘fuck’, ‘screw’, ‘have’ . . . metaphorically to indicate deceiving, taking advantage of, [and/or] harming someone† (Primoratz 180). If it was not for such a farfetched interpretation of an act that was meant to be a profession for monetary gain, prostitution would still be a prospering field today. Prostitution was not as frowned upon until it had a onnotation of being crime-based by media and laws that do not fully grasp the potential and purpose of moral prostitution. After reviewing the normative theories of utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics, it is seen that prostitution should be legalized with regulation because it is moral and acceptable under these theories. Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, meaning it has been desired and acted upon as a means of surviva l since the human race learned how to use trade for their benefit. Of all arguments against prostitution, â€Å"None effectively counters the notion that if peoples are allowed to see their bodies in so many other ways in order to earn money, then they should be allowed to sell their bodies sexually in order to earn money† (â€Å"Sexual Autonomy amp; Prostitution†). Utilitarianism emphasizes this statement by explaining prostitution as a way of achieving what one needs, providing a service, and finding a deeper sense of happiness and self worth. Furthermore, Kantian ethics states that if there is a mutually respectful relationship and if people themselves are not being used as a means to an end without adequate compensation, prostitution is moral and acceptable within society. Philosopher Igor Primoratz argues, â€Å"It has been pointed out time and again that there is no morally significant difference between the common prostitute and the spouse in what used to be called a marriage of convenience,† which, if being paralleled to prostitution, should be illegal as well (160). This is not the case; marriages of convenience are not illegal, nor should prostitution be. Edward Tabash writes in Freedom USA, â€Å"If we, as a society, really care about women, we will not only provide them with equal rights and opportunity, but we will stop turning some of them into criminals merely because they have chosen to exchange sex for money† (â€Å"Legalizing Prostitution†). Prostitution is an act which is used specifically for the bettering of a person’s life; after looking over two normative theories and finding evidence that this profession is moral and acceptable, there is no reason why it should be seen as a moral problem with the right regulations and health precautions. â€Å"Is It Wrong To Pay For Sex? † NPR. Chip Walters All Things Human. PBS, 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. Kant, Immanuel. Fundamental Principles Of The Metaphysic Of Morals. Kessinger, 2004. Print. â€Å"Legal Definition of Prostitution. †Ã‚  The Lectric Law Librarys Lexicon. Lectric Law Library. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. â€Å"Legalizing Prostitution. † About. com. The New York Times Company, 24 Jan. 2004. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Primoratz, Igor. â€Å"Whats Wrong with Prostitution? Philosophy. Vol. 68. Cambridge UP, 1993. 159-82. Ser. 264. JSTOR. Web. 27 Oct. 2009.   jstor. org/stable/3751160  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Prostitution Should Be Legal: The Statistics Prove It. † Kuro5hin. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. â€Å"Sexual Autonomy amp; Prostitution: Sex Sells, But Should Sex Be Sold? † About. com. The New York Times Company. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. Stewart, Noel. Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy. Malden, MA: Polity, 2009. Print.

Describe three economic issues concerning President Obama's Health Research Paper

Describe three economic issues concerning President Obama's Health Care Plan - Research Paper Example The first source is directly from the White House and considers the economic benefits of President Barack Obama’s health care plan. As it is directly related to the President it is undoubtedly slanted; however, it also is important in that it directly reflects the White House perspective on the economics of health care reform. The White House argues that the health care plan will make health care more affordable for Americans. It argues this will occur since the health care plan will provide significant tax cuts for middle class Americans. These tax cuts are intended to reduce the premium costs of over ten million families, as well as millions of small businesses. In all, the article argues that this helps, â€Å"32 million Americans afford health care who do not get it today – and makes coverage more affordable for many more. Under the plan, 95% of Americans will be insured.† (White House, Web) In addition to the specified benefits, the White House argues that there are a number of other benefits that can be derived from the recently passed health care bill. The arguments are that the health care reform bill will establish a competitive environment among health insurance companies that will further reduce costs and improve quality of service. In addition it is intended to give many Americans the same quality of service that many members of Congress have. It is also intended to bring more accountability to health insurance companies, as the rules will require more transparency and accountability. Furthermore, it notes – and this indeed is one of the major issues that concerns the economic status of Obama’s motivation for health care reform – namely that individuals with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health care coverage. Finally, the site argues that this reform will set the country on the right path for economic success. While

Case study of Cherie Cosmestics Ltd Elegante Division

Of Cherie Cosmestics Ltd Elegante Division - Case Study Example or a company’s top level management to put into place reliable systems that can effective coordinate communication process and other important aspects of management. The communication function of effective management is responsible for creating reliable communication channels as well as structures that can be followed by all company workers. It is important to understand that all branch managers in a large company work towards a similar goal, that of success and increase of market share, for this reason, there is a need for collaboration and consultations among the managers. However, it is important that all these consultations and collaborations have to follow certain laid down procedures to avoid conflict of interest and the need to outdo each other at the expense of company goals and objectives and the spirit of good governance. Communication is an important function of any business activity, it ensures that directives are set effectively and implemented by company workers (Kuhn 2005). Effective communication has been the chief cornerstone of any development in any organisation; in fact, it is what enables company and organizational managers to carry out their basic functions and duties in the organisation. Communication skills, whether formal or informal have always been cited as the basis for the success of any business activity (Cheney 2007). Systems that do not have poor communication mechanisms often end up having misplaced priorities with people doing what they feel is pleasant to them and not what is stipulated in the company’s effective practice. The problems affecting the management function at Cherie Cosmetics Limited can be traced down to a breakdown in the communication process. In the first place, the company’s vice president has not taken steps to address the challenges and bring about sound management systems and communication in the company. There appears that some managers like Heather have the passion of working in this company and

Social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social responsibility - Essay Example This would mean that such businesses would do anything to evade the monolithic trends, which could be adversarial economically. Usually, a number of corporates engage in social responsibilities for their own reasons, even if the motives behind their participations raise questions. As a way of showing charity and concern for the surrounding community, most corporates participate in certain social responsibility programs in which they too stand to gain. In essence, the main motivation behind the participation in corporate social responsibilities for most corporates include gaining public trust, indicating business diplomacy, and as a way of looking into the welfare of the employees. Perhaps it is important to reveal that these corporates merely masquerade under the guise of such virtues while their main objective in this course is to set a defensive maneuver against a wide array of critics as to the manner in which they make profits. In ardent efforts to protect their profits, these big companies stage-manage their social responsibility programs as to paint a self-righteous light in the public gallery while in real sense they run the risk of being perceived as being self-conscious. Since the competition in the corporate world is rather heightened, most corporates come up with various strategies including the nonprofit approach towards certain aspects of their businesses. This could be because of either flopping in the market or simply trying to settle business scores. Nonetheless, it is incumbent upon organizations to show that they care about the public and that their efforts are not only reflected in the huge protest that they make but instead incorporating social responsibility into their management plans. In the contemporary world, Marxism is the way to go for the corporates as capitalism only erodes the integrity of the companies. This means that a good company in social

Fair Value Practice: Suitability in Accounting

Fair Value Practice: Suitability in Accounting Introduction The issue of the use of fair value as a model for financial standards and reporting has been subjected to significant debate and argument since the IASB[1] Framework was first introduced in 1989. As can be seen from a number of accounting industry responses, such as that of Peter Willams (2005), the use of fair value is becoming increasing contentious and could pose difficulties for the ISAB. Some fear that if this issue is not addressed to the satisfaction of all parties, it could affect the power and influence of the ISAB. The intention within this paper is to discuss the theoretical concept of â€Å"fair value† and to assess its suitability of use for accounting reporting purposes. The paper will also look at the practical application of the â€Å"fair value† measurement as determined by the IASB within their current international reporting and accounting standards. The Concept of Fair Value The concept of â€Å"fair value† is to enable recognition of the reliable economic future value of certain assets and expenses, the latter of which is intended to ensure the correct level of increase or decrease of balance sheet assets or liabilities. The result of this method is to create a defined link between income and expense to reflect the movement in the value of assets and liabilities. For those who promote the concept of fair value, or what is sometimes known as fair â€Å"market† value, it is the sale price achieved for an asset offered on the market at the time of the statement, based upon the reasonable opinion of a professional evaluator (A.M. King 2006, 45). Fair value at present has no specific and identifiable measurement definition within current international accounting standards. It is currently determined through an amalgamation of a number of different and diverse accounting measurements used by corporations in accounting and financial reporting, although these models all have their disadvantages. For example, in the case of the historical cost measurement basis, fair value is deemed to be at the measured at the date of purchase, as this reflects market value at that time. Although this model is seen as one of the least volatile methods of value measurements, it is perceived to have shortcomings. The main issues are that cost dates are earlier than sale date leading to a potential for profit overstatement, and that it is not the ideal model on which to based future business decisions. In fact some commentators see that the current moves on fair value, although they may signify a move away from the less volatile performance of the previously used historical cost method, produce a measurement that is more in line with the real volatility of life and business activity generally (Mary Barth 2006, p.324). An alternative measurement, which uses a price index system such as the RPI[2], and is still based on transactions, is current purchasing power. The fair value determination here is set to reflect the capital of the business in relation to the general price trends. The difficulty with this model is that it assumes all prices move in line with the index, which is clearly not the case and thus can create an artificial monetary unit. The replacement cost and net realisable value model (NBV) use a fair value system based upon market entry and exit costs respectively. The former has the advantage of being able to calculate current values on a realistic basis, and can therefore identify gains in operating and other business areas, thus preserving the capability of the business. However, its subjectivity is aggravated by the speed of technological development and the fact that this leads to the possibility of no similar asset being available to compare values. The NBV model is clearer as it is based upon the probable selling price of the asset. It also does away with the estimation of depreciation as that selling price already reflects this. However, NBV does not take into account that the majority of assets are not disposed of, but utilised within the business. The problem with this calculation of fair value can threaten the concept of the business being a going concern. The ISAB intend to move towards a definitive fair value model, which supporters see as a positive action, the cost of which will not â€Å"be significantly higher than the cost of trying to implement the mixed measurement system† (Langendijk et.al. 2003, p.292). Mary Barth (2006), a member of the IASB, agrees with this statement, adding that a more definitive â€Å"fair value† model will assist in the elimination of some of the perceived volatility presently in existence. However, the opponents are equally vocal in their objections. A.M. King (2006, p.45) poses the question whether â€Å"all assets on a balance sheet [should] be shown at Fair Value?,† continuing to comment that the ability to achieve a particular model does not necessarily mean that it should be implemented. De Vries (quoted in Langendijk et.al. 2003, p.174) also questions whether it is a move in the right direction for financial reporting, and others fear that it will lead to less, rather than more reliance upon financial statements by investors and other stakeholders (Peter Williams, 2005). In the author’s opinion it appears that, whilst professional preparers of financial statements understand the concept of the â€Å"fair value† model being sought, those who utilize the statements as a basis for making investment and other business decisions, including stakeholders of all sizes, find difficulty equating the results with other factual information. In addition, the term fair value will only be valid at the date of preparation of the statement and, as a result, itself becomes historic from that moment. Thus, there is an argument for maintaining its use with the commonly used historical cost model. Use of Fair Value in accounting and reporting standards The term â€Å"fair value† is liberally spread throughout the international accounting and reporting standards. It is referred to in four of the IFRS[3]’s and at least fourteen of the international accounting standards, as shown in the summaries of the IAS (2006). The context of fair value within IFRS relates to treatment of the initial adoption of the standards, business combinations, insurance contracts and non-current assets and discontinued operations. In terms of the initial adoption, IFRS grants exemption of some non-current assets from the fair value model. The intention of the inclusion of fair value here is to ensure that the movement in the market value of an asset or liability, in other words the increase or decrease in value, is reflected within the financial statements at the prevailing date of those statements, identifying if this is different from actual cost. With the movements being recognised within the profit and loss, the anticipated result is to enable, a more accurate reflection of the capital (or share) value of the business at the given date (Antill and Kenneth 2005). In addition, IFRS demand that these fair value measurements be performed at each subsequent financial and accounting statement date, thus endeavouring to provide for the organisation’s Balance Sheet to reflect the impact of market conditions at all times. The inclusion of fair value within the international accounting standards is concentrated mainly within the areas of assets and liabilities, and in relation to specific business sectors, such as banks and similar financial organisations (IAS 30), Investment property (IAS 40) and agriculture (IAS 41). Two of the IAS’s do relate specifically to non balance sheet items. IAS 18 deals with fair value within the context of revenue. In this respect, it deals refers to the treatment of deferred income, where the fair value is achieved by the discounting of future receipts. The intention here is to take into account the change in revenue value by deferring the time of receipt, for example, how a rise in RPI[4] might influence the income in real terms. In IAS 21, which deals with foreign exchange transactions, the presenter of the financial statement is required to determine a fair value in the foreign currency in question before converting at the exchange rate applicable at the determination date. When dealing with the treatment of assets, impairment of assets and liabilities, as in IAS 16, 17 and 19, the fair value model intends the financial statements to include a valuation that accurately reflects the realisable worth in the marketplace of that asset or liability at the date of the valuation, notwithstanding whether the intention is to retain or dispose of that asset. In this respect fair value differs from historical cost accounting, which records the value of such items as at the date of purchase and, in many cases applies a depreciation content to the items, irrespective of their worth to a prospective purchaser. The historical cost result is twofold. Firstly, the financial statement recognition of any gain or loss against the real market value of an item may be delayed by several years and secondly, the statements will therefore not portray an accurate and fair view of the real value of the business at the date of the statements. The fair value model aim is to accurately align the varying fortunes of the business and its capital worth with the market forces of the date, allocating gains and losses within the period of time that they actually occur, rather than, as is the case with the historical cost model, creating an unrealistic movement in value within the space of one accounting period. A simple example of this in action is where, in the historical system, depreciation is attached to an asset at a predetermined annual rate, annually reducing the asset value. In reality, the sale of that asset would often achieve greater value than the statements showed, leading to a sudden annual increase in profits and growth in capital. Fair value proponents’ state that, by reassessing the market value on an annual basis, the real annual growth achieved by a business entity is more accurately defined, and that this provides investors with statements from which they can make more realistic judgments and use of as comparisons against other organisations, which is of benefit in their investment decision making process. Conclusion The core intention in the adoption of a fair value model as the most appropriate method of measurement for financial and accounting statement is to create a balance sheet and capital value of an organisation that accurately reflects the real market position of that organisation at the date of the statement. One difficulty and concern with this is the inherent problem in the evaluation and establishment of the fair value in respect of all of the items included within the statements. Langendijk et. al. 2003, p.52). At the time of this paper, the IASB has entered into further discussions with the various parties involved with, and affected by the fair value model. This is an attempt to arrive at a clearer definition of the model itself, and to seek a position on fair value, which is more acceptable for the future. References Antill, Nick and Lee, Kenneth (2005). Company Valuation Under IFRS: Interpreting and Forecasting Accounts Using International Financial Reporting Standards. Harriman House Publishing. UK Barth, Mary (2006). Fair Values and Financial Statement Volatility. International Accounting Standards Board, UK. ISAB Framework (2001). Framework for the preparation and presentation of Financial Statements. International King, A.M (2006). Fair Value for Financial Reporting: Meeting the New FASB Requirements. John Wiley Sons Inc., New Jersey, US. Langendijk, Henk., Swagerman, Dirk and Verhoog, Willem (eds) (2003). Is Fair Value Fair?: Financial Reporting from an International Perspective. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. UK Staff Team (2004). Fair Value Accounting and Financial Stability. European Central Bank. Occasional Paper Series, No. 13, April 2004. Retrieved 19 January 2007 from http://www.ecb.int/pub/pdf/scpops/ecbocp13.pdf Summary of International Accounting Standards (2006). International Accounting Standard Boards. Retrieved 20 January 2007 from http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm Williams, Peter (2005). Accounting – The next wave of convergence. Financial Director, 1 Feb 2005. 1 Footnotes [1] International Accounting Standards Board [2] Retail Price Index [3] International Financial Reporting Standards [4] Retail Price Index

Ritz Carlton Essay examples -- essays research papers

In 1983, President and COO, Horst Schulze, decided upon a strategy to manage the Ritz Carlton in order to compete on quality. The strategy affected the entire organization, with significant differences in:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defining traits of all company products defined in the company Credo  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Translating the Credo into basic standards to clarify the responsibilities for employees  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personally train employees the new Ritz-Carlton Credo and basic standards (the Gold Standards)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aggressively instilling a passion for excellence Five years later, Schulze began using the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award criteria to develop a system of business excellence. This system used the Deming Wheel in order to achieve optimum performance levels throughout the organization. With these new policies in place, Schulze lead Ritz Carlton to the first recipient of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award for Service. The 1999 Ritz-Carlton application summary is as follows: Criteria 1: Leadership â€Å"Plan† – There are seven specific decisions collectively made by Senior Leaders to set direction for business excellence:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10 year vision  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategy  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 year mission  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Methods  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 year objective  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foundation  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 year tactic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The senior leaders formed the Gold Standards, which are comprised of the Credo, The Basics, Three Steps of Service, the Motto, and the Employee Promise. Together, the Gold Standards have the ability to empower employees to take initiative in thinking and acting with innovation and independence, for the overall benefit of not only the company, but the customers as well. â€Å"Do† – Specific actions by senior leaders in order to properly manage the new leadership approach are made up of three salient processes:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensuring each new hotel’s goods and services are characteristic of all other Ritz Carlton’s on opening day.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The results of seven specific decisions defined at the annual ... ... well as drivers of employee satisfaction. 7.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Supplier and Partner Results The Ritz-Carlton ensures that performance requirements of their suppliers are met through a thorough Supplier Compliance and Quality survey that measures key aspects of supplier quality. Purchasing personnel at each hotel fill out the survey every six months and rate specific issues, for example, fit for use, accuracy and service, etc. Suppliers who achieve an 80% or better overall rating on all attributes meet Ritz-Carlton’s quality requirements. 7.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational Effectiveness Results Ritz-Carlton’s C.A.R.E. program of systematic preventive maintenance has kept their property and equipment at world-class levels at reduced costs. This is in line with their goal of pursuing a defect-free environment. With unemployment at a low and significant competition for skilled workers, the Ritz-Carlton embarked on a major project to improve the cycle time from when a potential new-hire walks in the door and a job offer is tendered. Using scientific quality approaches, the Ritz-Carlton has improved cycle time from 21 days in 1996 to just 1 day in 1999.