Crazy Eddie Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crazy Eddie - Case Study Example Internal auditors are responsible for fraud at Crazy Eddie as they are the ones committing and concealing fraud to both external auditors and the general public (Buchholz, 2011). . The computations above do not indicate any problem at Crazy Eddie. The gross margin ratio of 24%, though it might not be conclusive, shows that the company is operating a healthy business and might be able to service its operating expenses. The inventory turnover ratio too, indicates that the company turnover is high and hence healthy at 482%. 2. There were several barriers to independence at Crazy Eddie. Auditors at Crazy Eddie’s case were not able to detect fraud due high-level fraud cover up from suppliers’ side to its consumers. Fraud occurred on many fronts; liabilities and expenditures, asset valuations, fictitious revenue, disclosures and accounting period differences. Liabilities and expenses were concealed like unpaid bills wouldn’t be declared and paid in the next financial year of held for long periods. Accounting periods would not be cut off at regular intervals in order to add good sales occurring after what should have been a closed book, to inflate revenue falsely. On assets, some were overvalued or the company employed tricks like borrowing the merchandise that would not be paid for immediately. They also used to ship stock from one store to another as auditing was spread out in stores hence double-counting (Knapp, 2013). 3. If I were a partner to audit Crazy Eddie, I would accept to audit this company thoroughly as it was a family entity with all management positions reserved for family members. This was one sign of some weakness as family members can manipulate accounting procedures, and lack of proper conduct can be compromised. Very important too, was the fact that this company was characterized by hype about its success. The crazy hype should be a

BUS303 MODULE 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUS303 MODULE 1 - Assignment Example Additionally, defamatory statements should be avoided because the company will take them with a lot of seriousness. This may entail filling a court suit against employees who tend to use defamatory statements when sending their emails, the company may further terminate the services rendered by employees who continue violating company email announcement policies. This means that they should disclose their contact details such as names, employee pin address, phone numbers, email address and the subject of their emails. The company will not accept emails containing graphics because the company would consider them less formal and unprofessional. Any email received from employees and all the stakeholders will be maintained in the company data base for future references and communication. Incase of clarity and quick responses employees are advised to follow the procedure of filling the forms available in the company website. Connectively, employees are advised to close check their emails b efore they press a sent button in order to clarify any unclear issue. On the contrary, XYZ company will ensure that all email sent by employees comply with the company email policies. In above connection, email sent will be treated with a lot of confidentiality and that no email sent by employees will be disclosed to any third party without the consent of the recipient. Additionally, after the company has received an email from employees or any other stake holder, an automatic email notification will be sent within twenty four hours to show the recipient that the XYZ Company is in receipt of an email sent. Afterwards, the relevant department will review the email sent and provide necessary feedback within two to five business days whereby, weekends and holidays will not be considered as business days. During the review the relevant department will assess whether the email sent is in compliance with the company email policy guidelines as provided in the book let. The company is looki ng forward to supply email policy booklet that provide a comprehensive discussion of the email policy guidelines. Incase of any assistance, employees are encouraged to seek for the advice in order to ensure that email policies are followed to the latter. Therefore, employees are advised to read the XYZ Company email policy guidelines and adhere to them until further announcements are made. From the Managing Director, XYZ Company Signature Summary on email policy announcement The main aim of adopting new email announcement policies is because the XYZ Company is contemplating global expansion to diversify its portfolio into other nation across the world. Therefore, the company wants to be more professional unlike before when dealing with its employees and all the relevant stakeholders (Christensen, Para, 3). This is because by being professional the company will attract numerous investors from the diaspora as many investors would have confidence with the company (Christensen, Para, 3- 5). The policy of ensuring that an email addressed to XYZ Company are precised and to the point may help to capture the necessary information without much strain and therefore, efficiency and effectiveness in communication will be enhanced (Johnson, PP.14-17). Connectively, the policy of using non defamatory statement aims at ensuring that the information

HRIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRIS - Essay Example This problem could potentially affect all areas of business for many companies. 2. The reason why so many organizations found themselves vulnerable to the Y2K bug is because they were not disciplined when it came to phase containment. The problem was not only a result of initial legacy systems; many replacement custom systems simply replicated or converted the old programming logic without fixing them. Along with a company's unwillingness to research to find a true fix to the problem, many waited too long and were left rushing to find a solution. The warnings of experts and futurists only added fire to the alarm felt by already panicked companies as many turned to extremely expensive quick fixes. Many of these quick fixes ended up costing billions more than if companies had simply stayed disciplined to phase containment from the beginning. 3. Phase containment can be maintained by acting immediately to any kind of problem as soon as it presents itself. The term "pay a little now, or a lot later" should be applied to every aspect of business along with the realization that even if a maintenance cost may seem expensive at the time, it will end up saving money in the long run. Keeping in close contact with employees and everyone who uses the HRIS software can help keep everyone aware of problems as they present themselves. Part B. 1. Based on the out of date process detailed in figure 4.5 many changes can be made. There are many manual processes required for this HR model and as research has proven manual processes often contain large amounts of human error. By analyzing the current system, businesses can evaluate "where they are now" and what can be done to improve their system. For example a business may use interviews, focus groups, or surveys to help assess their system to see what aspects can be streamlines or eliminated. Looking at Figure 4.5 it may be seen that instead of manually filling out a time card each day, employees could clock in and out with a computer or their hours could be paid through a salary system to avoid any miscalculations, unreadable written information, or typos. The company could download a kind of fact checking system to make sure that the hours employees clocked in and out for were properly documented, eliminating the need for a payroll assistant. By setting up a salary system, there would be no need to hire anyone to calculate payroll, because it would be the same amount of money every time. Then, if an employee notifies payroll of a mistake there will be no need to have to go in and manually recheck what was entered because it would all be electronically calculated. 2. Based on the Hacket Best Practices Benchmark Study of Human Resources' estimate that $17 is wasted in every manual HR transaction this new process can save a company a fortune. If every step in the 6 step model represents a transaction then the company could potentially be wasting $102 for each employee whose payroll they process. With the new improved system the company could save all of this money by eliminating unnecessary transaction steps. If a company pays 10,000 employees once a month, they would save 1,020,000 per month and 12,240,000 per year. 3. Overall, based upon my analysis of this

To what extent might the gender, disability, sexual orientation, Essay

To what extent might the gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic identity, class, age or politics of a critic determine o - Essay Example These are modern system of art forms that began emerging in the eighteenth century, also called the fine arts. Back in the middle ages, art was merely the correct way of making or doing whatever one happened to be making or doing. Then, art was much more concentrated on cobbling, navigation, medicine as well as the martial arts as these were simply skills or knowledge based crafts or practises whose participants were those who had mastered the techniques of achieving the point of the practice at hand. Criticism is associated with something negative in the ordinary language, nevertheless it should be recognised that criticism is more than fault finding as it may also commend and even recommend. However, one of the primary functions of criticism is not to eviscerate artwork but to rather look into assisting in discovering to be heard from the works under review as well as offer guidance concerning what is worthy in art work while at the same time playing an important role in contempora ry culture. Literateconsumers of the art depend upon criticism to help them negotiate the avalanche of artworks on offer across an array of different media as more art is already available now than in any time of history. Critics are looked at to recommend and guide the selection of what needs to be attended to and assist in comprehending and appreciating the vast amount of work that had been put into art as well as play an important role in introducing new ideas and presumably a debate with critical pronouncements. Consumers of the work of art need a philosophy of criticism, a sense of what it is and a conception of its nature and function as well as test the hypothesis on the work of art but on the other hand the same criticisms need to meet a certain criteria for it to be effective in its role. Criticism assists readers in discovering what is of value in the art work under examination in connection with what the artist has achieved in the work. One of the leading components of cr iticisms is the operation of evaluation in terms of description, contextualisation, classification, elucidation, interpretation and analysis. Although appraisal of artwork in virtue of its membership in a kind of class may not be the most common form of appraisal, sometimes the consumers of art work do issue cross categorical evaluation of art works. This evaluation should be grounded in reason and evidence otherwise art criticism is not rally distinguishable from comparable forms of discourse about art. According to (Eagleton, 1984, p. 9) modern European criticism was born of a struggle against the absolutist state, within a repressive regime in the seventeenth and eighteen centuries and during this time, criticism opens itself to debate as it attempts to convince as well as invite contradiction. Adrian Searle being a trained painter as well as a teacher of art plays a critical role in being a critic of the Guardian as elsewhere in the west; people have been saying extravagant thin gs about the arts for two and a half centuries. Some claimed art is sacred in that they unite us with the supreme being and they are the visible appearance of God’s kingdom on earth, they breath spiritual dispositions into us, they inspire love in the highest part of thesoul, they have a higher reality and more veritable existence thanordinary life, they express

Health Disparities in New Zealand from a Marxist Perspective Essay Example for Free

Health Disparities in New Zealand from a Marxist Perspective Essay In New Zealand society there many are people who encounter with Health disabilities and issues that do not only impact their wellbeing but also their lives. However the majority of them cannot control their Health situation due to their lifestyle, in addition to this problem the distribution of Health services contribute to the creation of ‘Health Disparities’. In this essay I will classify Heath Disparities in New Zealand from a Marxist perspective, where it will become visible that Health inequality within our country lies in the structure of society. However our society is constructed through social stratification which is the process where people are classed in the hierarchical system; based on superiority and subordination (Llewellyn, A. , Agu, L. , Mercer, D. 2008). This technique of classing society contributes to why inequalities exist today. I will focus on how Marxist’s perspective integrates the structure of capitalism and social class in society where it influences Health in New Zealand. Inequalities within health are distinguished between different population groups, where there is variance in a group’s health or health care (Reid Robson, 2006). This is caused by gender, ethnicity, age, environment and economic status (Howden- Chowden, 2005). Health disparities in New Zealand conflict with the structure of society, however it is logical that in order to have an impact on society we must hold power (Dew Kirkman, 2007). This brings us to the Marxist perspective where Karl Marx (1818-1883) focused his research on the development of capitalists (Cree, 2010). The rise of capitalism originated from the modes of production, which relates to the way society organises production of material and also enables surplus value to become generated (McLennan, McManus Spoonly, 2010). Capitalism within New Zealand is based on the operation of production allowing the continuation of profit to increase for owners; however this means superiority constructs society in a manner where it will benefit them while alienating other classes (Dew Kirkman, 2007). Marxist’s main focus of capitalism is class structure where the process of social stratification comes into place. An individual’s status in the class structure is measured through their socio-economic status, this can also be calculated by the amount of power they have in society (Llewellyn, Agu Mercer, 2008). Through the Marxist theory we come to an understanding of the development of low income that workers earn through production. The functions of capitalism and class structure identifies that individuals whom receive low income, is impacted in every domain of their lives this includes health. Health inequalities are strongly influenced by socio-economic differences which expose’s factors such as income, housing, diet and occupational toxin as high impacts on a person’s health. Through the Marxist perspective we understand that capitalism’s main focus is based within the growth of profit, however the power that capitalist’s (known as owners of production) hold influences the health of their workers. Capitalists have control over wages; work hours and the environment of workers (Newman, 2008) they also go to the extent of exploitation and alienation in order for their profits to increase (McLennan, McManus Spoonly, 2010). Workers face the effects of class consciousness (McLennan, McManus Spoonly, 2010) they become competitive and are blinded from realizing that they are being over worked and at the same time under paid. Proletariats become vulnerable to ill health through poor working conditions and also lack of freedom (Howden- Chowden, 2005). For example lack of freedom in their work environment can lead proletariats to stress and fatigue illnesses. Health disabilities such as chronic illness, toxic appearance in an individual’s immune system and also serious accidents are caused from poor working conditions (Howden- Chowden, 2005). Capital is known to be a factor that contributes to human misery and alienation, which leads to health disabilities. Health Disparities within our society varies throughout the different levels of class. The class structure consists of two main levels which are Bourgeoisie; the highest class that contains capitalists and individuals who hold power. The Proletariat class is for workers in production, and who have no power (Joseph, 2006). Health services within New Zealand are distributed unevenly where it benefits the wealthy (Bourgeoisie) and excludes others such as the Proletariats (Dew Kirkman, 2007). Although health services in our society are available for everyone’s use, it is imbalanced within the quality. For example individuals in the upper class have access to higher quality services, such as private insurance and specialists (Dew Kirkman, 2007). However through research it has become more apparent that workers have the highest exposure to ill health (Howden- Chowden, 2005) this means they need this service more than others but it is not affordable. The gradients of avoidable and unavoidable death rates are very different; Proletariats have high rates within avoidable deaths, this means that the majority of deaths could have been avoided through medical consultation. As for the Bourgeoisie class it is at high rates of unavoidable deaths, although they’ve received quality treatment it cannot be cured (Dew Kirkman, 2007). Inequalities within social class have different influences on an individual’s health, in particularly the quality of health provided for each class level. Through the development of capitalism and social class, it’s obvious that the creation of ‘low income’ becomes one of the main attribute to health disparities. Proletariats that encounter this issue have higher risks of low life expectancy and also a high mortality rate (Howden- Chowden, 2005) they are also forced to live in high levels of Deprivation (Dew Kirkman, 2007). This situation does not only impact workers but also their families, where living in a damp cold home increases vulnerability of ill health such as cardiovascular diseases (Howden- Chowden, 2005). Low income also influences a family’s diet as they can only afford food that are high in calories and low in nutrition, this leads to morbid obesity and also Diabetes (Howden- Chowden, 2005). By understanding the impacts of low income in an individual’s life we also recognize that low income leads to poverty. Through the notion of Marxist’s perspective of health disparities within our country, it is understandable that in order to unravel this issue the system within society must change. This can transpire by establishing additional organisations that hold a responsibility to support population groups who encounter with health disabilities but cannot afford health services; this will support families in debt and also decrease health inequalities. Our system needs to improve their public services where it is affordable yet good quality, allowing workers to receive health support in order to maintain an occupation to provide for their families. Improvement of health services available for workers is extremely important not only for themselves but also for capitalist, as they will decrease in profit if workers become ill and lose jobs. If this process continues it will come to a point where capitalists increase their surplus value impacting other workers, where exploitation and alienation will intensify. By having the capability to unpack health disparities from a Marxist perspective, we are able to understand that inequalities in New Zealand health mainly impact the working class. Where the construction of society makes it visible that low income is the central foundation of health disparities, and also poverty. We need to understand that the only way out of inequality not only in health care, but in general is through improvement of the system. Kevin Dew and Allison Kirkman (2005, pp. 241) stated â€Å"People are not poor because they are sick, they are sick because they are poor. †

Questions and Answers on the Growth and Success of Starbucks

Questions and Answers on the Growth and Success of Starbucks Evaluate the role played by Howard Schultz in the growth and success of Starbucks. Is the company in danger of relying too heavily on Mr. Schultz? Howard Schultzs vision was for Starbucks to become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of. Schultz wanted to recreate the authentic Italian coffee bar culture in the United States (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). He believed that building a company that valued and respected its people, that inspired them, and that shared the fruits of success with those who contributed to the companys long term value was essential, not just as an intriguing option. His aspiration was for Starbucks to become the most respected brand name in coffee and for the company to be admired for its corporate responsibility (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). Schultz strategized a plan to lead the Starbucks Coffee Company by speculating to open 125 stores in the next five years of the companys operation. To symbolize the merging of Starbucks and II Giornale, Schultz instituted new changes by creating a new logo and equipping espresso machines in all the coffee resta urants. In 1987, Schultz was able to regain the mood of the employees and also ventured in new markets such as Vancouver, Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Starbucks store expansion targets proved easier to meet than Schultz had originally anticipated and he upped the numbers to keep challenging the organization and so there was 161 stores, which was above Schultzs original target of 125 stores in 1992 (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). Howard Schultz argued that patience was needed as the company invested in the infrastructure to support continued growth. He contended that hiring experienced executives ahead of the growth curve, building facilities far beyond current needs, and installing support systems laid a strong foundation for rapid, profitable growth down the road. Even though Schultz was the founder of the Starbucks Corporation and managed it for long time, I dont think the company would be in danger if he leaves the position he holds today. Some basic reasons to these are, since Starbucks heavily depends on Schultz, I believe he most likely has a careful succession plan for the betterment of the company. I also firmly believe that Schultz has already developed a sound contingency plans for his position. That is he might already have set the plan of who should take over the reins on a short notice. If these strategies are in place, then Starbucks future would not be uncertain. Discuss the business engineering processes used by Starbucks to stay competitive. How does the company track performance and use its control systems? Starbucks created its own house team of architects and designers to ensure that each store would convey the right image and character. Stores had been custom -designed because the company didnt buy real estate or build its own freestanding structures, rather, each space was leased in an existing structure, making each store differ in size and shape. The company had emphasized the four stages of coffee making: growing, roasting, brewing, and aroma. With increase in its stores, greater store diversity and layout quickly became necessary. The company had some special seating areas to help make it a desirable gathering place. The company also came with the drive through windows in locations where speed and convenience were important. Just as recent as June 2009, the company announced a new global store design strategy (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). This meant that each new store was to be a reflection of the environment in which it operated and was to be environmentally friendly. To better control average store opening costs, the company centralized buying, developed standard contracts and fixed fees for certain items, and consolidated work under those contractors who displayed good cost-control practices (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). The retail operations group outlined exactly the minimum amount of equipment each core store needed so that standard items could be ordered in volume from vendors at 20 to 30 percent discounts, then delivered just in time to the store site either from the company warehouses or the vendor. Modular designs for display cases were developed. The layouts for new and remodeled stores were developed on a computer, with software that allowed the costs to be estimated as the design evolved. All this cut store opening and remodeling costs significantly and shortened the process to about 18 weeks (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). What is the compensation strategy that the company has used to motivate its employees to focus on the companys strategy and its execution? Howard Schultz deeply believed that Starbucks success was heavily dependent on customers having a very positive experience in its stores. This meant having store employees who were knowledgeable about the companys products, who paid attention to detail in preparing the companys espresso drinks, who eagerly communicated the companys passion for coffee, and who possessed the skills and personality to deliver consistent, pleasing customer service (Thompson, Peteraf et al, 2012). Some of the compensation strategy that Starbucks used to motivate its employees included instituting health care coverage for all employees whether full time or part time. From 1988, part timers working 20 or more hours were offered the same health coverage as full-time employees. Starbucks paid 75 percent of an employees health insurance premium; while the employee paid only 25 percent. The health insurance coverage was also offered for unmarried partners in a committed relationship (Thompson, A.A. et al., 201 2). The company also had presented a stock option plan for all employees .This was aimed at turning all employees into partners, giving them a chance to share in the success of the company, and make clear the connection between their contributions and the companys market value. The company also implemented an employee stock purchase plan that gave partners who had been employed for at least 90 days an opportunity to purchase company stock through regular payroll deductions. This had really motivated many employees and since the inception of this plan, some 23.5 million shares had been purchased by partners; and one third of these partners participated in stock purchase plan during the 2000-2009 period (Thompson, A.A. et al., 2012). Starbucks workplace environment was good for its employees. The management believed that the companys competitive pay scales and comprehensive benefits for both full time and part time partners allowed it to attract motivated people with above average ski lls and good work habits. How would you describe Starbucks corporate culture? What is the relevance of corporate culture for Starbucks future growth and success? The cornerstone value to build a company with soul was that Starbucks would never stop pursuing the perfect cup of coffee by buying the best beans and roasting them to perfection. Schultz and other senior executives were adamant about controlling the quality of Starbucks product and building a culture common to all stores. Schultz was rigidly opposed to selling artificially flavored coffee beans. The management was also emphatic about the importance of employees paying attention to what pleased customers (Thompson, A.A. et al., 2012). At the very base of the companys culture was its roots within the community. Howard Schultzs goal was to build a company with soul, which included corporate responsibility. In 1997 the Starbucks Foundation was established. The foundation was one of the largest contributors to C.A.R.E. which provided health and education programs to third world countries most of which Starbucks purchased its coffee beans. Starbucks is also committedÂÂ  to the enviro nment.ÂÂ  It has organizedÂÂ  a Green Team of store managers from all regions that assist the community in environmental efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The team has introduced innovative ways to reuse some of the paper, plastic and cardboard the store uses. They have reused packing materials and have donated these materials to local schools for art projects. These corporate cultures that Starbucks developed over the years had been very useful and would emphasize the companys growth into the future (Starbucks 2006).

Of the Coming of John by W.E.B. Du Bois :: Fighting for Civil Rights

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were very important African American leaders in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They both felt strongly that African Americans should not be treated unequally in terms of education and civil rights. They had strong beliefs that education was important for the African American community and stressed that educating African Americans would lead them into obtaining government positions, possibly resulting in social change. Although Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had similar goals to achieve racial equality in the United States, they had strongly opposing approaches in improving the lives of the black population. Washington was a conservative activist who felt that the subordination to white leaders was crucial for African Americans in becoming successful and gaining political power. On the other hand, Du Bois took a radical approach and voiced his opinion through public literature and protest, m aking it clear that racial discrimination and segregation were intolerable. The opposing ideas of these African American leaders are illustrated in Du Bois’ short story, â€Å"Of the Coming of John†, where Du Bois implies his opposition to Washington’s ideas. He shows that the subordination of educated black individuals does not result in gaining respect or equality from the white community. In fact, he suggests that subordination would lead the black community to be further oppressed by whites. However contrasting their views might have been, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were significant influential black leaders of their time, who changed the role of the black community in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Booker T. Washington’s ideologies for economic advancement and self-help played a major role in his approach to fight for equal rights. By founding the Tuskegee Institute in Mound Bayou, he created a university that was segregated for black students and encouraged higher educational standards (Meier 396). These students were also encouraged to follow the social system of segregation in order to achieve political status in the United States. In an interview with reporter Ralph McGill, Du Bois recalls that in the process of obtaining funds for the Tuskegee Institute â€Å"Washington would promise [white philanthropists] happy contented labor for their new enterprises. He reminded them there would be no strikers† (Du Bois, qtd. in McGill 5). This shows the nature of Washington’s contradicting approach in obtaining political power by embracing the system of segregation and working with white leaders rather than against the m to achieve his goals.