Narrative Interview Essay

The person that I interviewed is Sarah Arsenault, she is a registered nurse that works at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3). Among the things that caught my attention to interview her are: the preparation that involves being any type of practionner of medicine. How to be prepared to act in any different type of situations involving health matters. During the interview Sarah was very kind and gentle, we had a very nice sort of conversation instead of a strict session of questions and answers. We got along in a great way and the conversation allowed me to get to know about how nursing is in the United States. At the same time she was very open about her experiences and at some times even about her personal life. As soon as the interview started we were exchanging very funny comments, some about the questions that I asked, others about present issues and even one about â€Å"booze† or alcohol. It took me about 25 minutes to finish the process, this is probably because we had a fluent and nice conversation and not just went to straight to the matter. To start I asked about what inspired her to become a nurse, â€Å"My mom, she replied, growing up and watching her knowledge about the human body†, that resulted very exciting to Sarah and had influence in her choice of career. She explained to me the requirements to complete the nursing career; she studied at TC3 for 2 years to obtain an associate’s degree in order to become a nurse. At the moment she is studying to complete a bachelors degree. She made a joke about men being nurses; she said that still in these times is a bias for a man to be a nurse, although the number is slowly increasing in the US. Sarah loves her schedule at TC3, â€Å"great hours compared to a hospital† she said. When I asked her about how she deals with complaining patients her answer was: â€Å" With humor and telling them that they are being rude, if you want my help respect me†. After dealing with her patients Sarah feel a sense of satisfaction, joy perhaps, because being helpful makes her feel good, she  also appreciates the feedback from past patients. She expressed that she didn’t want to become a doctor because of the length of school here in the US. Among the rewarding things about her job are making relationships with people and the feedback they give her. When she feels stressed she likes to talk it out with her co-workers, a couple jokes and then all its fine. It was curious because when I asked this question her immediate answer was â€Å"Drinking† but we both knew it was a joke so we laughed for about a minute or so. This moment made her more confident and open towards me. She likes working with others over working by herself because she is a people’s person. Overall Sarah’s personality is very kind and open. I liked doing the interview because I learned a lot about nursing, their purposes, kindness and their willingness to help others. To me the interview was very clear and sincere. Sarah is a straight up person that talks in a direct form about every subject but at the same time enjoys helping others with her service and knowledge. To talk about nurses is a very important topic worldwide because they play a central role in delivering health care to the people. They promote health, educate patients about illness and injury, provide care and assist in cure. These are critical matters all around the world. Overall nurses provide many different services and this results very positive for society in general. This and many other reasons were the ones that made me one to interview a person involved in this world, in this case Sarah Arsenault. I am very glad to have performed this interview because now I see things related to this matter from a very different perspective than the one I had before.

BMW Harvard Case Studies

What is the strategic significance of the BMW Z3 launch? Firstly, the launch of the BMW Z3 is significant for the company as it helped the company inch closer towards their long term goal in becoming a global brand. Prior to the introduction of BMW Z3, the most common mindset of the general public about BMW is that the superior quality of their products are due to the fact that it was made in Germany. With the Z3 manufactured in Spartanburg USA, BMW can show that they can be a successful global company by manufacturing at strategic locations even when it’s not in Bavaria.Furthermore, this launch had helped people to associate the quality of BMW’s product to the company itself rather than its manufacturing location. Secondly, the launch of Z3 further supported BMW’s effort to reposition their brand from â€Å"Yuppie Status Symbol† to their much preferred â€Å"Ultimate Driving Machine†. As shown by the BMW Unit Sales History, this campaign was succes sful in helping BMW increase their unit sales in the U. S. and Worldwide by 10. 7 thousands and 16. 2 thousands respectively in a year. This is significant as the Z3 helped generate dealer traffic while stimulating interest in other BMW product line.Lastly, the production of the Z3 model also satisfied the needs of a certain segment in the market while simultaneously enabling them to become the pioneer of the modern roadster category by releasing it before their such as Porsche and Mercedes. The Z3 appealed to the Generation-Xers as it gives them a sense of uniqueness, it appealed the Gen-40s as the Z3 materialized their roadster car they’ve been dreaming of all their lives and lastly, the Z3 reminded the Baby Boomer of the roadsters of yesteryear. 2. How would you measure the overall performance of the launch?In my opinion, one way to measure the overall performance of the launch is by simply comparing the projected unit sales against the actual unit sales. However, another way of measuring Z3’s launch performance is by analyzing the publicity impact of BMW’s advertising campaign such as: 1 The GoldenEye Product Placement: This was a brilliant decision as it allowed them to, without any monetary fee, add attractiveness to the Z3 and reach foreign customers and younger generation who are generally harder to reach.In addition, the time gap between the movie’s premier and the Z3’s launch gave BMW the opportunity to build cars to exact customer specification. 2 Neiman Marcus Catalog: By offering a James Bond edition of the Z3 in the catalog, BMW had successfully created a buzz and excitement by requiring over 6000 customers to be on a waitlist to purchase the 100 cars that were available. 3 BMW Internet Site: The â€Å"Build Your Own Roadster† module was important as it generated buzz by building excitement, anticipation and awareness towards the Z3 and perhaps other models.4 Press Launch in Central Park: This particular activity resulted in extensive coverage in both broadcast and print news companies. This was a good decision as it increases the awareness of the product with a higher reach than many traditional advertising methods. 5 Jay Leno & Radio DJ Program: Normally, I would advocate against practicing these methods of advertising as they are a very risky and has a very large reach. However, the amount of word of mouth resulted from these methods suggests that this program was in fact successful.6 â€Å"Go: An American Road Story† Video: In my opinion, this method was unnecessary as the emotional and nostalgic content of the video contradicts with Z3’s new and exciting image. 3 What are your recommendations for the Phase 2 and why? After the success of the first phase, BMW now faces another problem as they must formulate a strategy that can both sustain the public interest and convert those interests into actual order. To preserve the public’s interest, BMW can maintain c ontacts with their potential customers by disclosing relevant messages through e-mail, mail, or phone.The content of these messages should be designed in a manner that will stimulate an immediate physical or psychological reaction. For instance, the message can include an information regarding the current state and development of the Z3 or perhaps the message can include an invitation to take the Z3 for a trial during a specific time window. To convert interests to actual order, I would recommend BMW to implement a more informative advertising rather than another awareness building, non-traditional marketing.For instance, perhaps now BMW can inform its audience about its financing option for the Z3 or the steps that they can take to pre-order the car. Should they implement another non-traditional marketing campaign, they may wane off the charm and effectiveness of their initial advertising, thus slowly turning them into a traditional marketing in the future. As non-traditional marke ting was essential to the success of Z3’s introduction, it would be within BMW’s best interest to prevent excessive non-traditional marketing so that they can continue to implement it for their future new product offerings.

Why is United Airline a good company to I have an internship on it Research Paper

Why is United Airline a good company to I have an internship on it - Research Paper Example The airline company employs over 80,000 people across the world and carries over 210,000 passengers all through the week. Moreover, the company has the most fuel-efficient fleet among U.S network carriers (â€Å"The World’s Leading Airline†). Through Star Alliance, the foremost global network, United’s customers are able to access over 729 destinations across the globe. In 2010, United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines in a bid to create synergy within two dissimilar employee performance review procedures. HR teams from both companies came to a decision that saw a new working philosophy established; where two cultures were integrated and a culture of working together was reinforced. This reflected on United Airlines valuing of a culture centered on working together (Kuehner-Herbert). In August 2013, United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek in an interview said that the company now has the capacity to provide more stable careers through consolidation and capacity d iscipline. This was after he had insisted that he intended for employees to view the company as a business not merely an airline.

Information Technology Infrastructure Library Term Paper

Information Technology Infrastructure Library - Term Paper Example All these are aimed at service delivery and eliminate the errors. Incident management deals with the preparedness of the system to deal with occurrences that emerge into the system with a potential threat of causing deterrence on the operation of the system. Its main goal is to ensure that normal operations of the business are restored immediately following such a setback. Continual Service Improvement (CSI) is one set defined in the ITIL volume which aims at ensuring that IT services comply with the ever changing business environment. It should be noted that ITIL could prove very expensive and almost inappropriate for non-commercial users who could benefit from such a system of IT service management. The business world as we have it today has experienced changes in technological management and applications. The use of computer technology has become necessary in varying proportions. Consequently, computer technology has been a requisite for any business. However, the technology has come embodied with challenges and additional requirements. Companies have failed to understand to what extent they can use computer technology or information technology systems. Even in circumstances where the companies understand the scale of application of information technology they fail to understand which one is the best system to adopt. While investing in Information Technology Systems, companies should consider the costs of buying, installation and training that comes with the new technology. This should be after the company has established the suitability of the system to the company’s operations and compare the rate of return associated with the technology. In this light, the appropriate technology is one which, although not cheap to install, will give the employees and the management easy time to integrate adapt to while ensuring efficiency in business operations throughout. Therefore, methods that have been

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis - Essay Example One of the most important responsibilities for the Fed is that of ensuring monetary stability in the economy, which can be achieved through a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Fed comes out with monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities, similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. ... (Demand and Supply for Housing).Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial institutions specialized in granting housing loans. This price war resulted in a greater demand for owner occupied houses and consequently the demand for houses grew stronger, resulting in a substantial increase in price. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Mortgages) Besides the above-mentioned factor of mortgages there are other factors like stamp duty and planning that affect the market for housing. Mortgage interest relief at source (MIRAS) was a tax concession to owning a house. It reduced the house owner's liability to income tax as the money spent on the interest on mortgage was considered to be tax-free. This made borrowings cheaper and as a result there was a huge demand for housing and the prices shot up. With the introduction of MIRAS in 1990 many people were exempted from stamp duty. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Stamp Duty and Planning) The central bank sets a fixed interest

Regression Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regression Analysis - Research Paper Example It is an effective tool of mathematical analysis, which allows estimation and evaluation to the nearest proximity compared to the past. It also allows predicting a certain future value through comparison and combination of two or more variables. Usually, hypotheses are taken up for case estimation and evaluation which involve plotting of various variables dependent on the time factor. Regression models can be both linear and non linear in nature. Response variables are generated by the comparison of numerous variables that are involved in the computational process. Response variable is of quantitative nature and derived as result of other variables tested and compared amongst each other. Regression analysis is used for predicting certain event (mostly the dependent variable), its outcome in terms of numerical percentage and value in combination with other variables (independent) which might be elements of the present time (Seber & Lee, 2012). Equations are derived which contain both the dependent and independent variables, against some constant. Regression analysis equations are linear in nature. The function so obtained is a straight line, in form of linear equation. Often the natures of the dependent variables have direct impact on the kind of final linear equation being yielded. In case of the dependent variable being dichotomous, the logistic form of regression is handy in such cases for evaluation of the linear plots. When multiple independent variables are up against one dependent variable, it constitutes standard linear multiple regression (Hill & Lewicki, 2006). In such cases, the single dependent variable can be compared one on one against the respective independent variable. Numbers of variables are set against each other and each of them affects the other directly. For example in case of stock exchange the stability of and sound running of stocks are dependent on various external factors, which can include the economic condition, the security and saf ety, any major political decisions in the governmental corridors. Any unexpected decisions are ascribed to the rise or fall in the stocks value. In this case, the stock market is one variable which is dependent on number of variables that are aforementioned. Each of these variables, both dependent and independent are plotted against a graph with x-axis representation and y-axis along a straight linear line. Stocks standing = Stable Market, Political decisions, other variables plus a Constant. For any economic factor indication, the variables that can be taken in to account include the net flow of income at a particular instance of time, the dependent variables on the fixed amount, the surplus amount in form of the revenue generated and the possible depreciation of the capital. All these are equated and compared against each other in form of plot to estimate the future trends. Mostly, it involves number of variables being operated upon; however at a particular instance of time when o ne variable is under observation, it constitutes a simple regression analysis scenario. For example in case of an individual’s average spending against his profession, his resources, his requirements, all these alone make for attributes which are evaluated and analyzed for a certain desired future scenario through the regression tool of estimation. If for a given scenario, more number of

Theoretical Framework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theoretical Framework - Assignment Example According to Duffy (1997), the three key constituents of the health promoting model include the amending factors. These factors influence behaviors that promote health by acting on the cognitive-perceptual aspects. The cognitive-perceptual aspects are a constituent of the model that control partaking in behaviors that promote health. The model also comprises of the likelihood of taking part in behavior that enhances health. Diabetes is a highly prevalent disease that is evidenced by its number seven ranking in the year 2010. Its rate increases with certain factors like age with persons between the ages of 45 and 60 been twice as likely to die from diabetes. Sandra (2002) notes that Hispanic Americans had higher diabetes risk. Lorraine et al. (2005) reports that demographic factors such as lack of knowledge on diabetes, age, minimal exercise, and been without appropriate health care all contribute to reduced individual health. Padilla & Villalobos (2007) assert that Hispanic men and women show individual health features that are poor. The poor individual health features increase the prevalence of diabetes among these persons. Pender’s health promoting model articulates for a lifestyle that enhances health. A health-enhancing lifestyle can be used by an individual to manage diabetes. Melko et al. (2010) argue that a lifestyle that enhances health is one whose day to day undertakings ensure that an individual is healthy. Duffy (1997) writes that, persons who take part in behaviors that enhance health, recognize the importance of health management; they show a great deal of control, are cognizant of the importance of quality in life, and they believed in their ability to undertake certain acts. If Hispanic men and women, along with non-Hispanic African-American women undertake behaviors that lead to a health-enhancing lifestyle like

Medicare Reimbursement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Medicare Reimbursement - Essay Example Part A will cover the inpatient expenditures of Mrs. Zwick since she was in SNF a whole of 40 days. Part A covers full expenses for SNF for the first 20 days and after that it requires the policy holder to pay $148/ day up to 100 days. Part B will cover the equipment charges for the patient. Under the DME (Durable Medical Equipment), the walker that has been prescribed for Mrs. Zwick, will be paid for by Medicare. Mrs. Zwick will have to pay 20% of the amount that has been approved by Medicare, whether she chooses to rent it or purchase it. Part D will cover the drugs that have been prescribed by the doctor under the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDPs). Mrs. Zwick has authorization that these drugs are medically necessary for her, but she will need to ascertain the quantity of the drugs. Step therapy will be applied to see if similar low cost drugs will be effective in the treatment, only then will Plan D cover the prescription drugs. The actual cost will depend n the type of drug used. Since Mrs. Zwick developed a Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection which was an HAI (Hospital Acquired Infection), and which could have been avoided by following infection control steps recommended by the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Medicare, 2013), thus the hospital will have to cover all the inpatient and SNF costs that have occurred after the acquired condition. In 2008, Medicare centres started to adopt a â€Å"no pay† policy for infections and complications acquired from the hospitals (O’Rielly, 2012). These hospital acquired conditions can be prevented and should be paid more attention to. CAUTI is one of the 10 conditions that are targeted by the CMS (Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services) policy. CAUTI is the most preventable hospital acquired infection, a research â€Å"Estimating the proportion of healthcare-associated infections that are reasonably preventable and the related mortality and costs†, revealed that 65% - 70% cases of CAUTI are preventable by adopting certain practices (Umscheid, Mitchell, Doshi, Agarwal, Williams & Brennan, 2011). 80% of Infection control professionals are of the opinion that such a policy from CMS has led to a greater focus on healthy practices and prevention of such acquired conditions (O’Rielly, 2012). Under the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), hospitals will have to report secondary diagnosis, which will not be subjected to payment by Medicare unless they were present on admission of the patient (Paddock, 2007). But the medication and walker prescribed by the doctor will be covered by Medicare. After being admitted to the hospital, Mrs. Zwick developed an HAI, which could have been prevented by following control steps by the hospital. Ethical implications of such hospital acquired infections can be great. Mrs. Zwick suffered from pain tremendously due to the infection and had to stay in the SNF for an extra 19 days. Due to the carelessness of the hospital, the infection was caused, which led to taking of HIV antibiotics for Mrs. Zwick. Taking so many high potency medications at the age of 77 can be extremely harmful for the patient, as it can lead to further complications. The new rule may force the hospital or centre to compensate for the financial aspect but by all means the implications of such infection in terms of pain, time and extra high potency medication have to be borne by the patient him/herself. Scenario 2 COBRA (Consolidated

Code of Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Code of Ethics Paper - Essay Example (Donaldson, 2005) Section 54.1 Disclosure of Confidential Information Prohibited., Section 68: Retention of Clients records, Section 68.5 Audit Documentation Retention and Destruction Policy are the policies that when violated can lead to criminal or vivil accountant liabilities. The controversy involving powerful institutions has made an immense impact in the corporate world leading to their downfall and the implementation of stringent laws of the government. Enron and Arthur Andersen faced the collapse of their careers which affected the industry and the birth of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The largest bankruptcy in history marked the existence of fraudulent accounting procedures by Enron and Arthur Andersen in 2001. the once blue chip stock ended up to be valued for small meager amounts. Most of Enron’s profits were from transactions with controlled limited partnerships which turned into debts that were not reported on its financial statements The economic implications of the Enron case included the accounting industry’s review of their financial policies with the fear of having the same fate as Enron. Other companies who also used the same aggressive accounting methods as Enron have been affected. They steered away from the limelight and have seemed to have lay-low for the meantime while the issues are still steaming.. The existence of corporate fraud was verified by the emergence of the Enron case. With this, President George W Bush enacted a new law which targets the detection and prevention of company fraud. The US Pension regulations underwent scrutiny when it was found out that the worker of Enron lost a huge amount of money due to their pensions scheme being invested largely in Enron’s own stocks. The accounting profession tried to reconsider its structure and policies to be able to take notes of those that need to

Pharmacy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pharmacy - Personal Statement Example I believe taking up the field of Health Science and Medicine Pharmacy shall allow me to make a positive contribution towards health science. Therefore, the significance of Health Science and Medicine Pharmacy cannot be underestimated as we can learn from Louis Pasteur’s work that played a major role to save lives of million people against the infection. I believe as we progress further into the twentieth first century the field of health science will face several challenges and I want to play may part to tackle these challenges. I love to work, understand different types of drugs and their contents that may affect people’s health to transform their lives. In my opinion, the field of medicine is a vast field, and by enrolling in the course I shall be able to enhance my knowledge and apply it to make other’s lives better. I have always dreamt of running my own business for Aurvedic medicines, and I believe that by enrolling in the course, I shall be able to accompl ish my dream. The field of Health Science and Medicine Pharmacy is a tough field, which requires students to work with a higher dedication. Though, I have encountered several difficulties during the course of my A-level, my aspiration and hard work towards the field assessed me to gain good grade in the next round. I believe my determination and interest in the fields of sciences shall persuade me to the course more effectively with good grades. For me, the field of Health Science and Medicine Pharmacy is more a passion to me, since my sixth grade. I was always curious to know how these small pills can actually work to fight diseases. In addition, the dream to work in a place where I can dedicate myself to serve the humanity drove me to work harder to acquire good grades in the second round of A levels. I have worded as HSE Assistant Trainee in a Marine company. It allowed me to enhance my knowledge regarding Health and Safety Environment. In addition, it also provides me

Frederick Winslow Taylor Essay Example for Free

Frederick Winslow Taylor Essay Frederick Winslow Taylor (March 20, 1856 – March 21, 1915) was an American mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency.[1] He is regarded as the father of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants.[2] Taylor was one of the intellectual leaders of the Efficiency Movement and his ideas, broadly conceived, were highly influential in the Progressive Era. or passed the Harvard entrance examinations with honors. However, due allegedly to rapidly deteriorating eyesight, Taylor chose quite a different path. Instead of attending Harvard, Taylor became an apprentice patternmaker and machinist, gaining shop-floor experience at Enterprise Hydraulic Works in Philadelphia (a pump-manufacturing company whose proprietors were friends of the Taylor family). He left his apprenticeship for six months and represented a group of New England machine-tool manufacturers at Philadelphias centennial exposition. Taylor finished his four-year apprenticeship and in 1878 became a machine-shop laborer at Midvale Steel Works. At Midvale, he was quickly promoted to time clerk, journeyman machinist, gang boss over the lathe hands, machine shop foreman, research director, and finally chief engineer of the works (while maintaining his position as machine shop foreman). Taylors fast promotions probably reflected not only his talent but also his familys relationship with Edward Clark, part owner of Midvale Steel. (Edward Clarks son Clarence Clark, who was also a manager at Midvale Steel, married Taylors sister.) Early on at Midvale, working as a laborer and machinist, Taylor recognized that workmen were not working their machines, or themselves, nearly as hard as they could (which at the time was called soldiering) and that this resulted in high labor costs for the company. When he became a foreman he expected more output from the workmen and in order to determine how much work should properly be expec ted he began to study and analyze the productivity of both the men and the machines (although the word productivity was not used at the time, and the applied science of productivity had not yet been developed). His focus on the human component of production eventually became Scientific Management, while the focus on the machine component led to his famous metal-cutting and materials innovations. While Taylor worked at Midvale, he and Clarence Clark won the first tennis doubles tournament in the 1881 US National Championships, the precursor of the US Open.[1] Taylor became a student of Stevens Institute of Technology, studying via correspondence[5] and obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering in 1883. On May 3, 1884, he married Louise M. Spooner of Philadelphia. From 1890 until 1893 Taylor worked as a general manager and a consulting engineer to management for the Manufacturing Investment Company of Philadelphia, a company that operated large paper mills in Maine and Wisconsin. He spent time as a plant manager in Maine. In 1893, Taylor opened an independent consulting practice in Philadelphia. His business card read Consulting Engineer Systematizing Shop Management and Manufacturing Costs a Specialty. Through these consulting experiences, Taylor perfected his management system. In 1898 he joined Bethlehem Steel in order to solve an expensive machine-shop capacity problem. As a result, he and Maunsel White, with a team of assistants, developed high speed steel, paving the way for greatly increased mass production. Taylor was forced to leave Bethlehem Steel in 1901 after discord with other managers. After leaving Bethlehem Steel, Taylor focused the rest of his career on publicly promoting his management and machining methods through lecturing, writing, and consulting. In 1910, owing to the Eastern Rate Case, Frederick Winslow Taylor and his Scientific Management methodologies become famous worldwide. In 1911, Taylor introduced his The Principles of Scientific Management paper to the American mechanical engineering society, eight years after his Shop Management paper. On October 19, 1906, Taylor was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Pennsylvania.[6] Taylor eventually became a professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.[7] In early spring of 1915 Taylor caught pneumonia and died, one day after his fifty-ninth birthday, on March 21, 1915. He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Work Taylor was a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. Taylor is regarded as the father of scientific management, and was one of the first management consultants and director of a famous firm. In Peter Druckers description, Frederick W. Taylor was the first man in recorded history who deemed work deserving of systematic observation and study. On Taylors scientific management rests, above all, the tremendous surge of affluence in the last seventy-five years which has lifted the working masses in the developed countries well above any level recorded before, even for the well-to-do. Taylor, though the Isaac Newton (or perhaps the Archimedes) of the science of work, laid only first foundations, however. Not much has been added to them since – even though he has been dead all of sixty years.[8] Taylors scientific management consisted of four principles: 1.Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks. 2.Scientifically select, train, and develop each employee rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. 3.Provide Detailed instruction and supervision of each worker in the performance of that workers discrete task (Montgomery 1997: 250). 4.Divide work nearly equally between managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks. Future US Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis coined the term scientific management in the course of his argument for the Eastern Rate Case before the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1910. Brandeis argued that railroads, when governed according to Taylors principles, did not need to raise rates to increase wages. Taylor used Brandeiss term in the title of his monograph The Principles of Scientific Management, published in 1911. The Eastern Rate Case propelled Taylors ideas to the forefront of the management agenda. Taylor wrote to Brandeis I have rarely seen a new movement started with such great momentum as you have given this one. Taylors approach is also often referred to as Taylors Principles, or, frequently disparagingly, as Taylorism. Managers and workers Taylor had very precise ideas about how to introduce his system: It is only through enforced standardization of methods, enforced adoption of the best implements and working conditions, and enforced cooperation that this faster work can be assured. And the duty of enforcing the adoption of standards and enforcing this cooperation rests with management alone.[9] Workers were supposed to be incapable of understanding what they were doing. According to Taylor this was true even for rather simple tasks. I can say, without the slightest hesitation, Taylor told a congressional committee, that the science of handling pig-iron is so great that the man who is physically able to handle pig-iron and is sufficiently phlegmatic and stupid to choose this for his occupation is rarely able to comprehend the science of handling pig-iron.[10] Taylor believed in transferring control from workers to management. He set out to increase the distinction between mental (planning work) and manual labor (executing work). Detailed plans specifying the job, and how it was to be done, were to be formulated by management and communicated to the workers.[11] The introduction of his system was often resented by workers and provoked numerous strikes. The strike at Watertown Arsenal led to the congressional investigation in 1912. Taylor believed the laborer was worthy of his hire, and pay was linked to productivity. His workers were able to earn substantially more than those under conventional management,[12] and this earned him enemies among the owners of factories where scientific management was not in use. Propaganda techniques Taylor promised to reconcile labor and capital. With the triumph of scientific management, unions would have nothing left to do, and they would have been cleansed of their most evil feature: the restriction of output. To underscore this idea, Taylor fashioned the myth that there has never been a strike of men working under scientific management, trying to give it credibility by constant repetition. In similar fashion he incessantly linked his proposals to shorter hours of work, without bothering to produce evidence of Taylorized firms that reduced working hours, and he revised his famous tale of Schmidt carrying pig iron at Bethlehem Steel at least three times, obscuring some aspects of his study and stressing others, so that each successive version made Schmidts exertions more impressive, more voluntary and more rewarding to him than the last. Unlike [Harrington] Emerson, Taylor was not a charlatan, but his ideological message required the suppression of all evidence of workers dissent, of coercion, or of any human motives or asp irations other than those his vision of progress could encompass.[13] Management theory Taylor thought that by analyzing work, the One Best Way to do it would be found. He is most remembered for developing the stopwatch time study, which combined with Frank Gilbreths motion study methods later becomes the field of time and motion study. He would break a job into its component parts and measure each to the hundredth of a minute. One of his most famous studies involved shovels. He noticed that workers used the same shovel for all materials. He determined that the most effective load was 21 ½ lb, and found or designed shovels that for each material would scoop up that amount. He was generally unsuccessful in getting his concepts applied and was dismissed from Bethlehem Steel. Nevertheless, Taylor was able to convince workers who used shovels and whose compensation was tied to how much they produced to adopt his advice about the optimum way to shovel by breaking the movements down into their component elements and recommending better ways to perform these movements. It was largely through the efforts of his disciples (most notably H.L. Gantt) that industry came to implement his ideas. Moreover, the book he wrote after parting company with Bethlehem Steel, Shop Management, sold well. Relations with ASME Taylors own written works were designed for presentation to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). These include Notes on Belting (1894), A Piece-Rate System (1895), Shop Management (1903), Art of Cutting Metals (1906), and The Principles of Scientific Management (1911). Taylor was president of the ASME from 1906 to 1907. While president, he tried to implement his system into the management of the ASME but was met with much resistance. He was only able to reorganize the publications department and then only partially. He also forced out the ASMEs long-time secretary, Morris L. Cooke, and replaced him with Calvin W. Rice. His tenure as president was trouble-ridden and marked the beginning of a period of internal dissension within the ASME during the Progressive Age.[14] In 1911, Taylor collected a number of his articles into a book-length manuscript which he submitted to the ASME for publication. The ASME formed an ad hoc committee to review the text. The committee included Taylor allies such as James Mapes Dodge and Henry R. Towne. The committee delegated the report to the editor of the American Machinist, Leon P. Alford. Alford was a critic of the Taylor system and the report was negative. The committee modified the report slightly, but accepted Alfords recommendation not to publish Taylors book. Taylor angrily withdrew the book and published Principles without ASME approval.[15] Taylor published the trade book himself in 1912. Patents Taylor authored 42 patents.[16] Taylors influence United States One of Carl G. Barths speed-and-feed slide rules. A Gantt chart. †¢Carl G. Barth helped Taylor to develop speed-and-feed-calculating slide rules to a previously unknown level of usefulness. Similar aids are still used in machine shops today. Barth became an early consultant on scientific management and later taught at Harvard. †¢H. L. Gantt developed the Gantt chart, a visual aid for scheduling tasks and displaying the flow of work. †¢Harrington Emerson introduced scientific management to the railroad industry, and proposed the dichotomy of staff versus line employees, with the former advising the latter. †¢Morris Cooke adapted scientific management to educational and municipal organizations. †¢Hugo Mà ¼nsterberg created industrial psychology. †¢Lillian Gilbreth introduced psychology to management studies. †¢Frank Gilbreth (husband of Lillian) discovered scientific management while working in the construction industry, eventually developing motion studies independently of Taylor. These logically complemented Taylors time studies, as time and motion are two sides of the efficiency improvement coin. The two fields eventually became time and motion study. †¢Harvard University, one of the first American universities to offer a graduate degree in business management in 1908, based its first-year curriculum on Taylors scientific management. †¢Harlow S. Person, as dean of Dartmouths Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance, promoted the teaching of scientific management. †¢James O. McKinsey, professor of accounting at the University of Chicago and founder of the consulting firm bearing his name, advocated budgets as a means of assuring accountability and of measuring performance. France In France, Le Chatelier translated Taylors work and introduced scientific management throughout government owned plants during World War I. This influenced the French theorist Henri Fayol, whose 1916 Administration Industrielle et Gà ©nà ©rale emphasized organizational structure in management. In the classic General and Industrial Management Fayol wrote that Taylors approach differs from the one we have outlined in that he examines the firm from the bottom up. he starts with the most elemental units of activity – the workers actions – then studies the effects of their actions on productivity, devises new methods for making them more efficient, and applies what he learns at lower levels to the hierarchy[17] He suggests that Taylor has staff analysts and advisors working with individuals at lower levels of the organization to identify the ways to improve efficiency. According to Fayol, the approach results in a negation of the principle of unity of command.[18] Fayol criticized Taylors functional management in this way: In Shop Management, Taylor said[19]  « the most marked outward characteristics of functional management lies in the fact that each workman, instead of coming in direct contact with the management at one point only, receives his daily orders and help from eight different bosses these eight were (1) route clerks, (2) instruction card men, (3) cost and time clerks, (4) gang bosses, (5) speed bosses, (6) inspectors, (7) repair bosses, and the (8) shop disciplinarian.  »[19] This, Fayol said, was an unworkable situation, and that Taylor must have somehow reconciled the dichotomy in some way not described in Taylors works. Switzerland In Switzerland, the American Edward Albert Filene established the International Management Institute to spread information about management techniques. USSR In the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin was very impressed by Taylorism, which he and Joseph Stalin sought to incorporate into Soviet manufacturing. Taylorism and the mass production methods of Henry Ford thus became highly influential during the early years of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless [] Frederick Taylors methods have never really taken root in the Soviet Union.[20] The voluntaristic approach of the Stakhanovite movement in the 1930s of setting individual records was diametrically opposed to Taylors systematic approach and proved to be counter-productive.[21] The stop-and-go of the production process – workers having nothing to do at the beginning of a month and storming during illegal extra shifts at the end of the month – which prevailed even in the 1980s had nothing to do with the successfully taylorized plant s e.g., of Toyota which are characterized by continuous production processes (heijunka) which are continuously improved (kaizen).[22] The easy availability of replacement labor, which allowed Taylor to choose only first-class men, was an important condition for his systems success.[23] The situation in the Soviet Union was very different. Because work is so unrhythmic, the rational manager will hire more workers than he would need if supplies were even in order to have enough for storming. Because of the continuing labor shortage, managers are happy to pay needed workers more than the norm, either by issuing false job orders, assigning them to higher skill grades than they deserve on merit criteria, giving them loose piece rates, or making what is supposed to be incentive pay, premia for good work, effectively part of the normal wage. As Mary Mc Auley has suggested under these circumstances piece rates are not an incentive wage, but a way of justifying giving workers whatever they should be getting, no matter what their pay is supposed to be according to the official norms.[24] Taylor and his theories are also refe renced (and put to practice) in the 1921 dystopian novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Canada In the early 1920s, the Canadian textile industry was re-organized according to scientific management principles. In 1928, workers at Canada Cotton Ltd. in Hamilton, Ontario went on strike against newly introduced Taylorist work methods. Also, Henry Gantt, who was a close associate of Taylor, re-organized the Canadian Pacific Railway.[25] With the prevalence of US branch plants in Canada and close economic and cultural ties between the two countries, the sharing of business practices, including Taylorism, has been common. Criticism of Taylor Management theorist Henry Mintzberg is highly critical of Taylor’s methods. Mintzberg states that an obsession with efficiency allows measureable benefits to overshadow less quantifiable social benefits completely, and social values get left behind.[26] Harry Bravermans work, Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century, published in 1974 was critical of scientific management. This work pioneered the field of Labor Process Theory. Taylors methods have also been challenged by socialist intellectuals. The argument put forward relates to progressive defanging of workers in the workplace and the subsequent degradation of work as management, powered by capital, uses Taylors methods to render work repeatable, precise yet monotonous and skill-reducing.[27] James W. Rinehart argued that Taylors methods of transferring control over production from workers to management, and the division of labor into simple tasks, intensified the alienation of workers that had begun with the factory system of production around 1870-1890.[28] Tennis accomplishments Taylor was also an accomplished tennis player. Together with Clarence Clark he won the inaugural United States National tennis doubles championship at Newport Casino in 1881 defeating Alexander Van Rensselaer and Arthur Newbold in straight sets.[1]

Purpose and Use of Different Accounting Records

Purpose and Use of Different Accounting Records Accounting record is defined as the all of the documentations involved in the preparation of financial statements and records which are relevant to financial review and audits which include recording of assets and liabilities, ledgers, journals, and any other supporting documents like invoices. Ledger: Maintaining ledger is a must in all accounting system. Ledger is used for preparing trial balance which checks the arithmetical accuracy of the accounting books. Ledger is the store-house of all kind of information which is used for preparing final accounts and financial statements. Prime entry books: The other one is prime entry books which are also known as books of original entry are books where transactions are first recorded. The main books of prime entry consists of sales day book, purchase day book, sales return day book, purchase return day book, general journal and cash book (Ducha, et.al, 2008). Accounting plays important and useful role by developing the information for providing answers to many questions faced by the users of accounting information. It provides information how good or bad the financial condition of the business is, which activities or products have been profitable. Accounting is important for a business entity for the following reasons: Accounting record, set on the base of even practices, will assist a business to compare results of one period with another period. Insulating records, backed up by proper and genuine vouchers are good evidence in a court of law. Increased volume of business results in large number of transactions and no businessman can remember everything. Accounting records avoid the necessity of remembering various transactions. Fundamental concepts of accounting Accruals concept of accounting: Other than the cash flow statement, the accounts have been set on an accruals basis. The accruals basis of accounting involves the non-cash of transactions to be mirrored in the financial statements for the period in which those effects are experienced and not in the period in which cash is actually received or paid (Open University Course Team, 2006). Going concern: The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis which means that the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. It further clears that the accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the authority will continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The Avenue account and Balance Sheet assume no intention to significantly curtail the city Councils operations (Open University Course Team, 2006). Consistency concept: There are a number of different ways in which some concepts can be applied. Each business must choose the approach that gives the most reliable picture of the business, not just for this period, but over time also. According to the consistency convention, when a method has been adopted for the accounting treatments of an item, the same method will be adopted for all subsequent occurrences of similar items. However, it does not mean that the firm has to follow the method until the firm closes down. (Open University Course Team,2006). Prudence Concepts: The account should be prudent when preparing financial statements. In other words, if something is in doubt, plan for the worst and, if a transaction has not yet been completed ignore ant possible benefits that may arise from it (Open University Course Team, 2006). Business entity concept: It is one of the main accounting principles of accounting this concept says that Business should be treated separately from the property owner or investor In simple words we can say owner of the business should be treated separately from the business whatever profits come in to the business should be taken in company account. Under the business entity concept, the activities of a business are recorded separately from the activities of its owners, creditors, or other businesses (Ducha, et.al, 2008). Different factors of accounting system: Computerised accounting system: Keeping accurate accounting records is a vital part of managing an organisation. Apart from helping to keep it afloat financially and legally, it is also a requirement of funding bodies. Smaller groups can usually manage with simple book-keeping procedures but bigger groups juggling with larger sums of money and more complex financial transactions may find their workload eased by using a computerised accounting system. The good news is that there are easy to use and reasonably priced computerised accounting packages on the market that are either aimed at, or can be adapted to, voluntary sector organisations (Ducha, et.al, 2008). Manual Accounting Systems: Accounting systems are manual or comprised. Understanding a manual accounting system is useful in identifying relationships between accounting data and reports. Also, most computerised systems use principles from manual systems. In other words, Manual accounting and bookkeeping systems are the traditional form of maintaining a businesses accounts and records. They involve keeping various ledgers and files which typically include a cash book, sales and purchase day books and petty cash sheets. Although the use of basic manual bookkeeping systems requires little knowledge or skill in accounting, they are still the preferred method of accounting for those who have used them in the past (Drew, et.al, 2000). Considering factors when using computerised and manual accounting system: The capacity to generate sales /increase invoices; the necessity to compute/include VAT in accounting; cost how much can a firm truthfully afford on software, updates and support, the capability to process payroll, and stock control are the considering factors of computerised accounting system. Task 2 Meaning of business risk: Business risk is associated with the uncertainty of a companys future cash flows, which are affected by the operations of the company and the environment in which it operates. It is the variation in cash flow from one period to another that causes greater uncertainty and leads to the need for greater compensation for investors. For example, companies that have a long history of stable cash flow require less compensation for business risk than companies whose cash flows vary from one quarter to the next, such as technology companies (Fabozzi, et.al, 2007). Components of business risks: Operational risks: The risk of loss resulting from insufficient internal processes, people and systems, or from external events which includes legal risk. In other words, the risk of loss resulting from failure to comply with laws as well as prudent ethical standards and contractual obligations which includes the exposure to litigation from all aspects of an Institutions activities. The definition does not focus strategic or reputational risks. In other words, operational risks are concerned to enhance operational risk assessment efforts by encouraging the industry to develop methodologies and collect data related to managing operational risk. Strategic and reputational risk is not included in this definition for the purpose of a minimum regulatory operational risk capital charge which focuses on the causes of operational risk and the Committee believes that this is appropriate for both risk management and, ultimately, measurement (Fabozzi, et.al, 200). Compliance Risks: Compliance risk can be defined as the current and potential risk to earnings or money arising from violations of, or non-conformance with, laws, rules, approved practices, internal policies, and methods, or moral standards which arises in situations where the laws or rules prevailing certain bank products or activities of the Banks clients may be unclear or unverified. This risk exposes the institution to fines, civil money punishments, payment of damages, and the voiding of contracts (Fabozzi, et.al, 200). Liquidity risks: Liquidity risk can be explained as the current and approaching risk to earnings or capital arising from a banks incapability to meet its obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses. Liquidity risk includes the inability to manage unplanned decreases or changes in funding sources. Liquidity risk also arises from the failure to recognize or address changes in market conditions that affect the ability to liquidate assets quickly and with minimal loss in value (Neu, and Malz, 2007). Meaning of risk management: The true connotation of managing the risks is combined with the activities of human wherein the identification of the risk, risk evaluation, adapting techniques to manage it and lessening of risks by using managerial strategies is done. The various ways in creating risk management includes moving the possible risk to other group, preventing the risk from happening, lessening the risks negative effects and recognizing all the consequences that a specific risk might bring (Blokdijk, 2007) Corporate governance According to Cadbury Report, Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled where the role of the shareholders is to appoint the directors and the external auditors, and to satisfy themselves that an appropriate governance structure is in place where directors are responsible for setting the companys strategic aims, providing the leadership to put these into effect, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship. Corporate governance involves a set of relationships between a companys management, its board, its shareholders and other stakeholders. Corporate governance also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. (Gupta, 2005) Cadbury code: The Cadbury Report, formally entitled The Report of the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance was published in December 1992, following the recommendations of the Cadbury Committee. The establishment of the Committee in May 1991 by the Financial Reporting Council, the London Stock Exchange, and the accountancy profession arose in response to the occurrence of financial scandals in the 1980s involving UK listed Companies, which had led to a fall in investor confidence in the quality of companys financial reporting (Cadbury, 1992). Fraud Risk Assessment To be protective of itself and its stakeholders efficiently and effectively from fraud, an organization should recognize fraud risk and the specific risks that directly or indirectly relate to the organization. A structured fraud risk assessment, tailored to the organizations size, complexity, industry, and goals, should be performed and updated periodically. The assessment may be integrated with an overall organizational risk assessment or performed as a stand-alone exercise, but should, at a minimum, include risk identification, risk likelihood and significance assessment, and risk response (ww.acfe.com/documents/managing-business-risk). Managing the risk of fraud, the risk based approach: A risk-based approach enables organisations to target their resources, both for improving controls and for pro-active detection, at problem areas. Developments in corporate governance, including the requirement for statements on internal control, create the atmosphere in which fraud can be considered as a set of risks to be managed alongside other business risks. Managing the risk of fraud should be embedded in the entirety of an organisations risk, control and governance procedures. In wider sense, assessing and managing the risk of fraud involves assessing the organisations overall exposure to fraud, recognising the areas most vulnerable to the risk of fraud, assigning ownership, calculating the scale of fraud risk, responding to the risk of fraud; and determining the success of the fraud-risk strategy (ww.acfe.com/documents/managing-business-risk). Assessing the Organisations Overall Vulnerability to Fraud: Vulnerability to fraud can be assessed at different levels in an organization where a quick assessment of the overall level of risk an organisation is exposed to is often a good starting point and may highlight particular vulnerabilities where some action needs to be taken immediately rather than wait for the results of a more in-depth risk assessment to be completed. A fraud risk assessment should additionally be carried out during the development of any new policies, activities or operations to ascertain whether any new risks arise that need to be managed. The risk assessment should also be reviewed and re-assessed whenever a change in policy occurs or when changes are made to the way in which a policy is to be implemented (ww.acfe.com/documents/managing-business-risk). Fraud risk identification may include gathering external information from regulatory bodies, industry sources, key guidance setting groups), and professional organizations, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), The CICA Alliance for Excellence in Investigative and Forensic Accounting. Internal sources for identifying fraud risks should include interviews and brainstorming with personnel representing a broad spectrum of activities within the organization, review of whistleblower complaints, and analytical procedures. A proper and working fraud risk identification process includes an calculation of the incentives, pressures, and chances to commit fraud. Employee incentive programs and the metrics on which they are based can provide a map to where fraud is most likely to occur. Fraud risk assessment should consider the potential override of controls by m anagement as well as areas where controls are weak or there is a lack of segregation of duties (Vallabhaneni, 2008). The speed, functionality, and accessibility that created the enormous benefits of the information age have also increased an organizations exposure to fraud. Therefore, any fraud risk assessment should consider access and override of system controls as well as internal and external threats to data integrity, system security, and theft of financial and sensitive business information (Costa Lewis, 2004). Assessing the likelihood and significance of each potential fraud risk is a subjective process that should consider not only monetary significance, but also significance to an organizations financial reporting, operations, and reputation, as well as legal and regulatory compliance requirements. An initial assessment of fraud risk should consider the inherent risk8 of a particular fraud in the absence of any known controls that may address the risk. Risk assessment The control environment Control activities Information and communication Monitoring (Costa Lewis, 2004). THE COSO MODEL: In the United States many firms have adopted the internal control concepts existing in the report of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tread way Commission (COSO). Published in 1992, the COSO report describes internal control as: A process, affected by an entitys board of directors, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories: effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reliability of financial reporting, and Compliance with applicable laws and regulations. COSO describes internal control as consisting of five essential components. These components, which are subdivided into seventeen factors, include: The control environment Risk assessment Control activities Information and communication Monitoring (Vallabhaneni, 2008). Duties and responsibilities of auditor In most countries the auditor has a statutory duty to make a report to the entitys members on the truth and fairness of the entitys annual accounts. As we have seen in the foregoing section, this report must state the auditors opinion on whether the statements have been prepared in accordance with the relevant legislation and whether they give a true and fair view of the profit or loss for the year and state of affairs at the year end. The duty to report on the truth and fairness of the financial statements is the primary duty associated with the external audit. The auditor has a duty to form an opinion on certain other matters and to report any reservations. The auditor must consider whether: 1. The entity has kept proper accounting records; 2. The entitys balance sheet and income statement agree with the underlying accounting records; 3. All the information and explanations that the auditor considers necessary for the purposes of the audit have been obtained and whether adequate returns for their audit have been received from branches not visited during the audit; 4. The entity has complied with the relevant legislations requirements in respect of the necessary disclosures. If the entity has not made all the disclosures required the audit report should, if possible, contain a statement of the required particulars (Vallabhaneni, 2008). Relationship between internal and external audit The coordination of internal audit activity with external audit activity is very important from both points of view: from external audits point of view is important because, in this way, external auditors have the possibility to raise the efficiency of financial statements audit; the relevancy from internal audits point of view is assured by the fact that this coordination assures for the internal audit a plus of essential information in the assessment of risks control The role of internal auditing is determined by management, and its objectives differ from those of the external auditor who is appointed to report independently on the financial statements. The internal audit functions objectives vary according to managements requirements. The external auditors primary concern is whether the financial statements are free of material misstatements; the external auditor should obtain a sufficient understanding of internal audit activities to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and to design and perform further audit procedures. The external auditor should perform an assessment of the internal audit function, when internal auditing is relevant to the external auditors risk assessments. Liaison with internal auditing is more effective when meetings are held at appropriate intervals during the period. The external auditor would need to be advised of and have access to relevant internal auditing reports and be kept informed of any significant matter that comes to the internal auditors attention which may affect the work of the external auditor. Similarly, the external auditor would ordinarily inform the internal auditor of any significant matters which may affect internal auditing (Diamond, 2002). Appropriate audit tests Meaning of audit test: An audit test is a procedure performed by either an external or internal auditor in order to assess the accuracy of various financial statement assertions. The two common categorizations of audit tests are substantive tests and tests of internal controls. Both types of tests are used in external and internal audits in order to reach established audit objectives, as can be outlined in audit checklists or determined based on the results of audit questionnaires. Audit tests typically are performed on a sample basis over an existing group of similar transactions. Sampling approaches can either be statistical or non-statistical, with the ultimate goal being to obtain the most representative sample of the population before testing begins (Diamond, 2002). Types of audit tests It is essential for internal auditors to understand how this method works, as well as its purpose. Also, given the variety of testing methods that may be used during the audit process, it helps to distinguish sampling from other types of examination. Identifying the qualities that distinguish sampling as a distinctive form of testing will provide good understandings for beginning auditors to know why it is used under certain circumstances and determine when to employ this process. During an operational audit, an internal auditor might use observation as an aid in evaluating a units procedures (Diamond, 2002). Simple Random Sampling: In auditing, this technique practices sampling without replacement; that is, once an item has been selected for testing it is not included in population and is not subject to re-selection. An auditor can implement simple random sampling in one of two ways: computer programs or random number tables (Beasley, et.al, 2005). Systematic (Interval) Sampling: This method describes the choice of sample items in such a way that there is an unchanging interval between each sample item. In this method, every Nth item is selected with a random start (Beasley, et.al, 2005). Stratified (Cluster) Sampling: This method describes the selection of sample items by breaking the population down into stratas, or groups. Each stratum is then treated separately. For this strategy to be effective, distribution within clusters should be greater than distribution among clusters. An example of cluster sampling is the inclusion in the sample of all payments or cash disbursements for a particular month. If blocks of homogeneous samples are selected, the sample will be subjective (Beasley, et.al, 2005). Audit tests Process mapping analysis: Develop process maps of the supplier delivery and accounts payable/ approval processes and analyse these maps to identify potential for suppliers to refuse to deliver supply Survey techniques: Perform a supplier satisfaction survey to identify details, magnitude and external perspective of supplier concerns over the accounts payable process. Analytical review: Perform benchmarking analytical tests to compare key process operating statistics with industry best practices and compare specific processes with best practice procedure. Inquiry through facilitated groups: Conduct a focus group involving several major suppliers, key members of the accounts payable process and major departments required to authorize invoices (Beasley, et.al, 2005). Difference between management and auditors responsibilities: In considerable certainty, managements responsibility is to create internal control. Internal control includes the whole system of controls and procedures, both monetary and operational, which are established to lessen risks and their impact, safeguard assets, and ensure efficiency and to inspire devotion to College policies and directives where, it is Internal Audits role to carry out an independent evaluation of the efficiency of these controls. Audit is not part of line management where internal audit does not grow and install procedures, make records or involve in any activity which could compromise its independence (Wilkinson, et. al, 2008). Audit planning: Initial audit planning takes place before the thorough audit work begins, and in planning for a specific audit assignment an auditor must take on a plan with regard to the timing, nature and degree of the audit work to be carried out. The aims of the plan are to ensure proper attention is dedicated to the different areas of the audit and potential problems are identified. On the other hand, audit plan have to be observed as a organized plan of action plotting out the audit processes to be carried out with the aim of reporting on whether a stated set of accounts show a factual and fair-minded view. However, the fact that the audit assignment is the commercial motion of the audit firm should be recognised, and if the costs of carrying out the planned procedures are likely to exceed the client entities budgeted fee then this unevenness should be informed at the planning stage by discussing with the management of the entity (Gupta, 2009). Scope of audit planning: It is importance to keep in mind the formal scope of audit work when considering audits role in risk management. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the internal audit activity should evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of controls encompassing the organizations governance, operations, and information systems which should include reliability and integrity of financial and operational information. Effectiveness and efficiency of operation, Safeguarding of assets, compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts are the scope of audit planning (Spencer Pickett, 2006). Audit testing: Direct tests of account balances and transactions are designed by determining the most efficient manner to substantiate the assertions embodied in the account or transactions. There are many alternatives open to the auditor in planning audit tests. The following are the types of audit tests. Tests of effectiveness: It is essential to determine whether the controls are effective over cash disbursements. Utilize the information performing an integrated audit of controls and account balances. Dual-Purpose Tests of Controls and Account Balances: It is useful to determine whether the controls are effective to help plan the nature, timing, and extent of other audit tests, and test the accuracy of recording the related transactions. Substantive Analytical Tests: It is essential to determine whether account relationships meet expectations, including the possibility that some of the receivables are not collectible. Direct Tests of Account Balances: It is essential to test the existence and dollar accuracy of account balances as stated at historical cost. Direct Tests of Transactions: It is essential to test the existence of sales transactions (Gramling, et.al, 2009, Auditing: A business risk, Cengage Learning Publishing (Gupta, 2009). Evidences that auditors collect from audit files and working papers: There are 7 broad categories of evidence from which the auditor can choose which are physical examination, confirmations, documentation, analytical evidence, written representations, mathematical evidence, oral evidence, and electronic evidence(Online resource: accessed at 20th May 2010, www.issai.org/media). Audit files and testing papers: Working papers provide evidence that an effective, efficient, and economic audit has been carried out. They should therefore be prepared with care and skill. Importance of working papers: Working papers are important because they are necessary for audit quality control purposes provide assurance that the work delegated by the audit partner has been properly completed provide evidence that an effective audit has been carried out increase the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the audit contain sufficiently detailed and up-to-date facts which justify the reasonableness of the auditors conclusions retain a record of matters of continuing significance to future audits(Online resource, accessed at 18th May 2010: www.accaglobal.com/pubs/students). Meaning of Statutory Audit Statutory Audit is a checking of accounts required by law where a municipality may be required by its own law to have an annual audit of financial records or a company which is governed by any Law, the Law may require the audit to be conducted and the manner in which audit should be conducted and to whom the report of auditors should be presented (Stittle, 2003) Statutory Audit Report Statutory Auditors Report is prepared in accordance with Article L(225-235) of the French Commercial Code, on the report prepared by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Peugeot S.A., on the Internal Control procedures relating to the preparation and processing of financial and accounting information(Stittle , 2003). Purpose of statutory Audit Report The purpose of Statutory Audit Report is to present the fair presentation and the consistency with the financial statements of the information given in the Management Report of the Board of Directors, and in the documents addressed to the shareholders with respect to the financial position and the financial statements; the fair presentation of the information provided in the Management Report of the Board of Directors in respect of remuneration and benefits granted to certain company officers and any other commitments made in their favour in connection with, or subsequent to, their appointment, termination or change in function(Stittle , 2003). Contents of Audit Report The subjects of audit report are title, addressee, opening or Introductory Paragraph, Scope Paragraph, opinion paragraph, signature, place of signature, and date of report. Auditors view of a financial statement, given without any reservations, such view basically states that the auditor feels the company followed all accounting rules properly and that the financial reports are an accurate demonstration of the companys financial condition opposite of qualified opinion(Stittle, 2003). Statutory audit report: The Audit Commissions auditors issue two types of statutory reports: reports in the public interest (RIPIs) issued under Section 8 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 immediate referrals to the Secretary of State issued under Section 19 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 Reports in the public interest Where matters are serious and an auditor decides a matter should be brought to the attention of the public he does this by issuing a report under S8 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 This report is issued to the health body concerned and copied to the Secretary of State. It is for the health body concerned to make this public and to respond to the report and for the NHS Executive to ensure they do so( Sangster, and Wood, 2008) Qualified and unqualified report: An unqualified report is a report from an independent auditor who has examined the accounting records and found no irregularities which has the following demerits a) Lack of consistent application of generally accepted accounting principles b) Substantial doubt about going concern c) Auditor agrees with a departure from promulgated accounting principles d) Emphasis of a matter e) Reports involving other auditors A Qualified Opinion report is supplied when the auditor met one of two types of situations which do not comply with normally accepted accounting principles, however the rest of the monetary statements are properly presented. This type of judgement is very alike to an unqualified or clean opinion, but the report states that the monetary statements are clearly presented with a certain exception which is otherwise misstated. The two types of situations which would cause an auditor to issue this opinion over the unqualified opinion are: Single deviation from GAAP this type of qualification occurs when one or more areas of the financial statements do not conform to GAAP, but do not affect the rest of the financial statements from being fairly presented when taken as a whole. (Accounting Standards Board, 1988)

Dangers of Methamphetamine

Dangers of Methamphetamine Mark Dawod The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has estimated that five hundred metric tons of amphetamine-type stimulants are produced, coinciding with almost twenty-five million abusers. The US government reported in 2008 that about thirteen million people over the age of twelve has used meth, with over half a million being regular users of the substance. Meth has a market price in the US of thirteen billion dollars, which corroborates with its high street price, ranging from three to four hundred dollars for a fourth of a gram. Although meth is known for its disastrous side effects such as severe damage to the brain and heart, it helps those suffering with ADHD, narcolepsy, and dietary problemy. Overall, methamphetamine is a perilous stimulant that cripples the lives of its users and bystanders. However, with strong public awareness and education regarding the drugs deleterious effects, the dilemma of meth exploitation can be stopped. What is meth? Where did it originate from? Amphetamine, a dialect of the perilous methamphetamine we know today was first synthesized in Germany in 1887, however, scientists were blinded to its stimulant effects at the time. A few years later in 1893, meth was synthesized in Japan, it was not until 1919 that crystal meth was synthesized, similarly in Japan. At the time, the effects of this drug were not fully understood and were not perceived as dangerous, in turn the drug began to gain its popularity, although it did not fully take off until after the second great war. Methamphetamine was given to troops in wars such as World War II, the Korean Wars, and the Vietnam War to help them attain alertness throughout the battles, gaining an advantage over their counterparts. Additionally, methamphetamine was used during Nazi Germany as Hitler was intoxicated and enjoyed indulging in drugs. However, it was not until he sent Nazis thirty-five million pills of meth, known as Pervitin, which gave them the alertness to stay awake and fo cused for days at a time, they believed this pill to be just like coffee. Soon after World War II, biker gangs in California saw the value of this stimulant and began producing and smuggling it, resulting in them making a hefty profit as the drug was easy to produce and sell. To this day, methamphetamine is very well known and used frequently, especially in densely populated regions such as Miami and California. Methamphetamine also has very limited medical use, but is used largely by women seeking to lose weight as the drug suppresses appetite well. Methamphetamine is referred to as crystal, speed, ice, dope, whizz, chalk, and fast, just to name a few. Meth, usually used as a club drug, taken mostly at rave parties, is a poison that systematically destroys the body. I tried it once and BOOM! I was addicted, said a meth addict that lost all that he stood for because of this stimulant. Methamphetamine addiction is single handedly one of the toughest drug addictions to treat and resul ts in death largely because it burns up bodily resources that can only be replenished through frequent consumption of the drug. Who uses meth? And How? Studies show that meth users range from thirteen years old to thirty-three users old, although typically, users are within the fifteen to twenty-two year old age gap. Concerning race, African Americans are less likely to use meth than Caucasians. Meth users are predominantly Caucasian, blue collar workers, unemployed, and studying in either high school or college. Methamphetamine is also largely used in Native American communities because the spread of addiction has been widely spread from Mexican Drug Cartels, which is one of their main access sources for the substance. Women are also more likely to consume meth compared to other stimulants like heroin and cocaine because of its appetite suppressing side effect. Meth can be snorted, smoked, injected, and ingested; statistics concerning the different ways meth is consumed are as follows: 3% injest 12% snort 25% inject 60% smoke How does meth affect the body, mind, relationships, and environment? Upon the consumption of meth, the heart rate of user increases, along with their breathing patterns. Methamphetamine also releases exceedingly high levels of dopamine, 1100% more than cocaine does. This stimulant effect is also one of the main reasons that this substance is very addictive. However, with time, the brain builds a shield to the substance and the only way to get around this is by the consuming the drug more frequently and in higher doses, at this point the user is addicted and builds a reliance on the drug to feed their body resources. Short term, according to drugfreeworld.org, methamphetamine effects include the following: A limited desire for food Heightened heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature Dilated pupils Disorganized sleeping patterns Nausea Abnormal behavior, possibly violent if permitted Hallucinations and irritability Panic and psychosis Convulsions, seizures, and death Long term, according to drugfreeworld.org, methamphetamine effects include the following: Permanent damage to blood vessels, the brain, and/or the heart Liver, kidney, and/or lung damage If smoked, the carnage of nose tissues If injects, excessive diseases Malnutrition which leads to weight loss Harsh tooth decay Disorientation Increased psychological dependence Psychosis Depression Effects of Alzheimers in the brain Methamphetamine also plays a considerably large role in disturbing relationships between family members and friends. When on meth, the drug basically controls the body, resulting in unintended physical, mental, and emotional harm. The producing of meth within the household or near others is also significantly dangerous to those near by. Through explosions, fumes, or even waste (one pound of meth results in five pounds of waste) which in turn damages the environment. How can we lower the consumption and use of methamphetamine not used medically? According to P.A.C.E representatives, users of methamphetamine have indicated that the drug takes complete control over their body. This is due partially because of the high levels of dopamine that is released through the consumption of the substance. However, if a community is well-educated through a program such as Meth360, methamphetamine use will drop and more awareness will spread through neighboring areas. Conclusion Methamphetamine is a perilous stimulant that cripples the lives of its users and those surrounding them. Although, knowing what it is, its effects, and the dangers of its consumption, along with circulation of such information, the use of this drug will decrease and the environment, along with many families coping through the addiction of a loved one, will improve.

Nineteenth Century Insane Asylums Essay example -- Exploratory Researc

Nineteenth Century Insane Asylums No matter where they were, mad houses, or insane asylums, have the same basic features and functions. The views of asylum life changed drastically over the course of the nineteenth century. The growth of the number of mad houses during the nineteenth century is quite remarkable. Before 1810, only a few states had insane asylums. By 1850, most of the Northeastern and Midwestern states' legislatures supported having asylums. As early as 1860, 23 of the 33 existing states had some sort of public institution for the insane. (Perrucci, p.11) The view of what caused insanity was widely disputed during this time period. Some physicians viewed insanity as being caused by a disease of the brain resulting in lesions. The opposing view, held by many Europeans, was that insanity was caused by civilization or society as a whole. (Perrucci, p.12) Classification played a significant role in the asylums and how they were run. First there is the classification between sane and insane. This division has continually been the center of study and discussion. Perhaps those that are considered insane aren't really. "Nineteenth century records make it clear that those alone, whether single, divorced, or widowed, were particularly vulnerable to institutionalization." (Dwyer, p.106) The next classification distinction is whether a person is temporarily insane or chronically insane. In many places, the need for a separate institution for the chronically insane was discussed. When a New York state asylum was considering a separate location, superintendent John Gray "opposed the idea of a separate institution for the chronically insane." (Dwyer, p.46) This idea was discredited throughout America and Europe. (... ...bility for Poe's story does exist. Mad houses were hardly present at the beginning of the nineteenth century. They quickly sprouted up throughout Europe and the United States. For the most part, they were run by a powerful, authoritative hierarchy. Towards the end of the century, people realized the major problems of asylums, and reform swept both Europe and the States. Bibliography Beaver, Harold, Ed. The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. Penguin Books. London: 1976. Dwyer, Ellen. Homes for the Mad: Life Inside Two Nineteenth Century Asylums. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick: 1987. Perrucci, Robert. Circle of Madness: On Being Insane and Institutionalized in America. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1974. Porter, Roy. A Social History of Madness: The World Through the Eyes of the Insane. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. New York: 1987.

The Affect of Acupuncture on the Nervous System :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Affect of Acupuncture on the Nervous System Acupuncture is an ancient practice which arouse in China at least two thousand years ago and has been used since then by healers to cure people of their ailments. The art is focused on the Qi (pronounced chee), which is the energy flow through the body. It is believed acupuncture helps to stimulate different areas of energy flow which can help cure pain and sickness(1). Although acupuncture has been around for a long time the validity of the techniques and results has been questioned by many medical specialists. Only fairly recently (mid 20th Century) did this practice come to the United States and it has yet to be accepted as a certifiable medical practice. Even though this is the case, acupuncture has been used to help treat asthma, myopia, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, stroke and obesity, just to name a few (5). Although the healing affects of acupuncture aren’t fully understood, they have been tied to different physiological changes in the body. As mentioned earlier, the natural energy in the body, Qi, is the focus of the treatment. Qi is connected to the ideas of Yin and Yang, which are two forces that offer balance to life. Yin and Yang have to be together because a disturbance in the relationship leads to disease (1). The image of Yin and Yang demonstrates how they have to be connected, represented by the white and black halves, each with a small circle of the other color. In this belief if the balance of energy in the body is thrown off, then the body becomes weak and sick. In Chinese medicine, when you restore the Qi in the body then health will return. The practice of acupuncture involves sticking very fine needles at different predetermined spots on the body: 365 points in a human body. These points have been uncovered over thousands of years but can not been seen through dissection or microscopy (6). It is believed that the insertion of needles at these points causes the Qi to move to the point. It is said that when a person is experiencing pain, that there is a blockage in the Qi in the body and that the acupuncture returns the flow to normal (1). Many of the acupuncture points are located only millimeters from peripheral nerves in the skin, others are very close to arteries.

freedol Noras Freedom in Ibsens A Dolls House Essay example -- A Do

Nora's Freedom in The Doll House      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nora is initially introduced as a macaroon-loving, naà ¯ve individual constantly trying to please her husband.   However, when the audience discovers that she borrowed the funds that allowed her and her husband to travel to Italy for a year in order to save Torvald from certain harm, Nora demonstrates that she is actually a much stronger character than originally portrayed.   However, the real problem lies with the way in which she burrowed the money.   In order to get the cash, Nora forged her father's signature.   As a result, she is in debt to the man who leant her the money, Nils Krogstad.    Within the context of modern times, Nora's crime appears almost daring and creative, rather than completely criminal (Egan 67).   In comparison, Torvald's reactions to Nora's crimes seem almost cruel and unimaginative.   When he scolds Nora's father for a similar failure to secure proper signatures and condemns Nils for doing the same, he appears to be an unsympathetic individual.   He scolds people and judges them for their actions without considering why the may have done what they did.    Furthermore, the household in which Nora and Torvald live in is completely patriarchal, again demonstrating Torvald's limited imagination.   He gives Nora very little power and very little credit, when she appears to be much more imaginative than him.   Within the house's walls, all items exist for one purpose: to entertain Torvald.   Also, Torvald appears to lack the understanding that other people may be interested in other things, and that there are people on this planet who should be considered within the same class as him.      The play was initially seen as an attempt to express the conflict... ... Henrick Ibsen: A Biography.   Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.    The student may wish to begin the essay with the quote below:    Good grief, can't you understand?   The old man never existed; that was only something I'd dream up time and again whenever I was at my wits' end for money.   But it makes no difference now; the old fossil can go where he pleases for all I care; I don't need him or his will-because now I'm free.   Oh, how lovely to think of that, Kristine!   Carefree!   To now you're carefree, utterly carefree; to be able to romp and play with the children, ,and to keep up a beautiful,   charming home-everything just the way Torvald likes it!  Ã‚   And think, spring is coming, with big blue skies.   Maybe we can travel a little then.   Maybe I'll see the ocean again.. Oh yes, it is so marvelous to live and be happy!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   --Nora in The Doll House.

Artificial Intelligence, Are the Machines Taking over Essay

While a machine is just a machine made of metal, plastic, silicone and computer chips, it is only as smart as the human that programmed it right? The strides made thus far are only be the beginning of the huge impact and achievements of the computer revolution , and technological advances are creating machines, usually computers that are able to make seemingly intelligent decisions, or act as if possessing intelligence of a human scale. It is only a matter of time before we live in a world of robots that serve humans as portrayed in the 20th Century Fox movie â€Å"I Robot†, because researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech and even play games with us. As our minds evolve, so does our imagination and the creations we come up with. Artificial intelligence may have been first imagined as an attempt at replicating our own intelligence, but the possibilities of achieving true artificial intelligence is closer than any of us have imagined. Computers, when first invented were fast at computing data, but now they communicate and calculate data much faster than most human beings, but still have difficult fulfilling certain functions such as pattern recognition. Today, research in artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and many people feel threatened by the possibility of a robot taking over their job, leaving human beings without work. When computers were first developed in the 1950’s, the hype about how machines could think like human beings took the scientific world by storm, but the truth of the matter was that computers were very slow, and not capable of what inventors thought they could be. A few years later, an IBM computer defeated world chess champion Gary Kasparov at a game of chess and the hype was reborn. People immediately believed that computers would take over the world and robots would be here to stay. When thinking of Artificial  Intelligence (AI), we have to look at what is considered both strong AI and weak AI. Strong AI makes the bold claim that computers can be made to think on a level at least equal to humans; that they are capable of cognitive mental states. This is the kind of AI that is portrayed in movies like â€Å"I Robot†. What this means is that the computer thinks and reasons like a human being. This then becomes the human-like AI. Also a form of strong AI is the non-human like AI in which computer program develops a totally non-human sentience, and a non-human way of thinking and reasoning. Weak AI simply states that some â€Å"thinking-like† features can be added to computers to make them more useful tools; that machines can simulate human cognition, in other words act as if they are intelligent. This has already started to happen, for example, speech recognition software. Much of the focus during the development of AI research draws from an experimental approach to psychology, looking at things such as mood and personality and emphasizes what may be called linguistic intelligence. In an article from the University of Zurich titled â€Å"Experimental Standards in Research on AI and Humor when Considering Psychology† Laughter is a significant feature of human communication, and machines acting in roles like companions or tutors should not be blind to it. So far, the progress has been limited that allows computer-based applications to deal with laughter and its recognition in the human user. In consequence, only few interactive multimodal systems exist that utilizes laughter in interaction† (Platt et Al 2012). Laughter is partly a contribution to moods in human beings and in research this is just one element that is being attempted to be recreated in AI. â€Å"Understanding the psychological impact of the interface between computer and human allows for the evaluation of the AI’s success† (Platt et Al 2012). Linguistic intelligence is best explained or shown in the Turing test. Named for Alan Turing who in 1937, being one of the â€Å"first people to consider the philosophical implications of intelligent machines† (Bowles 2010), the Turning test was designed to â€Å"prove whether or not a computer was intelligent† (Bowles 2010). The test consisted of a judge having a conversation with both a person and a computer, both hidden behind curtains to determine the difference between the person and the computer. If the determination could not be made then the computer was considered to be intelligent. â€Å"The Turing Test became a founding concept in the philosophy of artificial intelligence â€Å"(Bowles 2010). AI development also draws information and theories from animal studies, specifically with insects. By studying insects, it has been shown that insect movements are easier to emulate with robots that those movements of humans. It has also been argued that animals, also simpler than humans should be easy to mimic as well, however insect study has proven to be more productive. Practical applications of such computers with artificial intelligence could really be endless in the world. One such application was presented in 1997 with the creation of Deep Blue a chess playing computer by IBM. In that same year, â€Å"Deep Blue was able to beat Garry Kasparov, the world’s highest ranking chess player, in a series of six matches† (Bowles 2010). Deep Blue was a highly powerful computer that was programmed to solve the complex, strategic game of chess. But IBM’s goal behind Deep Blue was a much grander challenge. Other applications include optical character recognition such as that in a license plate reader that is used on police cars. License Plate Reading (LPR) Technology uses specialized cameras and computers to quickly capture large numbers of photographs of license plates, convert them to text and compare them quickly to a large list of plates of interest. LPR systems can identify a target plate within seconds of contact with it, allowing law enforcement to identify target vehicles that might otherwise be overlooked. This technology is not only used for locating violators of registration and licensing laws but also for the use of Amber Alerts when children are abducted and the vehicle plate that the perpetrator is operating is known. Another widely known practical application that many people of the world know and use is speech recognition such as â€Å"siri† of the Apple IPhone fame. This type of software is designed to learn how the operator speaks and from listening to a sample of the operator’s voice can determine whether to call â€Å"home† or â€Å"work† just by saying the command. Despite the conflicting opinions on the whether human beings will be successful in creating an artificial intelligence, the possibility is very real and must be considered from both ethical and philosophical perspectives. Substantial thought must be given not only to if human beings can create an AI, but if they should create an AI. Certainly we have crossed over the question of â€Å"if we should create AI† and in some forms it does exist today. Isaac Asimov wrote, in his book â€Å"I Robot† in 1923 the â€Å"Three Rules of Robotics† which are as follows: â€Å"1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws† (Bowles 2010). The legal and ethical dimensions of AI are strongly linked. Scientists and researchers argue that ethical considerations, such as making sure AI is programmed to act in an ethical way, making sure the ethics of people who design and use AI technology are sound, and ensuring people treat AI agents (robots) in an ethical manner are increasingly being seen in terms of legal responsibilities. If self-aware AI agents do indeed become more ubiquitous in the future, legal theory provides the framework for considering responsibility and agency. There are those who argue that these agents will need to have legal rights, the more they become advanced. Questions are being asked such as, should AI agents be given partial responsibility for their actions? Another consideration is how responsibility is transferred between humans and AI agents. This thought process consists of us considering how to prevent humans from unjustly attributing responsibility for their actions onto AI agents or deciding whether to charge an AI agent’s programmer or owner with negligence if an AI agent causes damage or breaks the law. Most of us have seen the movie, â€Å"I Robot† from 20th Century Fox. The lead robot in the movie â€Å"Sonny† was designed to look and move like a human. Will Smith’s character even asks then question â€Å"why do you give them faces†. There have already been great strides in producing a computer that is faster than the human brain and for that matter much more accurate as well. There are robots that exist today, not that they could walk down the street and not be noticed or pointed out as a robot because of their movements, but they do exist and they do function based on their programming. In conclusion, we are seeing more and more technology that is making our lives easier. From our cell phone assistants such as â€Å"Siri†, to our Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV’s) that are not only saving pilots but also saving the need to put boots on the ground. These machines or agents are just that, machines right? They are made of metal, plastic, silicone and computer chips. If I tell a UAV to turn left it will listen, right? I don’t believe that the machines are taking over just yet, but with computers such as â€Å"Deep Blue† being the founding father of AI, and human curiosity to see if true AI can be created the possibility exists.