Accounting For Infrastructure and Consistencyâ€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About the Accounting for Infrastructure and Consistency of Cost Benefit Analysis in the Assessment of Major Project? Answer: Introducation Accounting is one of the most important subjects in the world. Without accounting knowledge, the economy can easily tremble. Imagine a multinational company that has no accountant at all. This implies that financial accountability will not exist in the company. By definition, an accountant refers to an individual who performs accounting roles such as audits or the analysis if financial statements, and keeps and inspects financial records of individual people or businesses and also makes financial tax reports (Investopedia, n.d.). Accountants are, therefore, considered as an important part of the society. The profession plays a significant role in the economy of any state. As professionals, accountants are to act in a way that promotes the interest of the public as noted by Kaidonis (2008). There is a particular reference regarding the accounting profession to the CLERP Act 1999 and the ASIC Act 2001 (Kaidonis, 2008). In serving the public, the accounting professionals are expected to follow the objectives of the nation in supporting capital markets while, at the same time, help the society. Much has been said about the role of accounting and the requirements for one to be certified as an accountant. This project gives insight into what it means to be a professional accountant. There has been a rapid growth in infrastructure in Australia, but the question is, how are these projects appraised? Are the appraisals transparent enough to ensure proper use of the public funds? To answer these questions, one needs to have a better understanding and knowledge of accounting. Cost-benefit analysis is a method that is used to appraise projects in a bid to ensure that there accountability in the corporate and national financial expenditures. Honesty and transparency are the virtues that guide professional accountants in carrying out their roles. The project explores how the transparency and consistency can be used enhanced in the cost-benefit analysis appraisals. Background and Problem Definition Infrastructure developments play an important role in uplifting the livelihood of the Australian. The agency which deals with auditing of projects has established guidelines on how assessment is done. There are, however, some loopholes in the appraisals of these projects. According to Auerbach et al. (2014), there is a need to enhance the appraisals and selections of projects and how cost-benefit analysis is performed. The quality of life of the Australians as well as the productivity and sustainability are at stake if effective cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects is not enhanced (Davies, 2016). This calls for major reforms to be made in the selection process by acknowledging transparency and fairness as noted by Haimes (2015). The strategies to foster transparency are aimed at ensuring sustainable infrastructure projects throughout Australia. Justification for Relevance of Issue/Problem Accounting Transparency is one of the core pillars of the accounting profession. Cost-benefit analysis is one of the techniques used by accounting professionals to appraise projects. Infrastructure is a core pillar for economic development (Laurence et al. 2015). Without transparency in project appraisal, there will always be possibilities of people to misappropriate funds and interfere with infrastructure development. As per the accounting code of conduct, transparency is a mandatory when carrying out any task (Ravesz, 2016). Despite of the importance of transparency in resource allocations, the current professionals and government agencies do not incorporate transparency in their operations. This necessitates the need to conduct a study on how transparency can be enhanced in cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects. The study will provide guidelines on the best practices for enhancing transparency which is relevant to the accounting professionals and the entire society. Aim The aim of the study is to conduct a review and come up with the best strategies that can be used to enhance efficiency and transparency in project appraisals in a bid to escalate infrastructure developments in Australia. Objectives To improve transparency and consistency in the appraisals of infrastructure projects through the cost-benefit analysis technique. Research Question The project seeks to address the following research question: What are the means and strategies that can be used to enhance consistency and transparency of CBA in a bid to improve appraisals and selection of infrastructure projects? Literature Review The issue of infrastructural projects appraisal in Australia has drawn the attention of many researchers. There are various studies that have explored the importance of project appraisal using various methods. Cost-benefit analysis, as a method of project appraisals, is one of the most important methods. To capture the necessary information on the study, the literature was conducted on the following topics. The Cost Benefit Analysis Method Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is a standard technique applied in the assessment of public investment. The technique is used in the planning, support of decisions, evaluation of programs and proposals, and for other aims in various organizations. Brzozowska (2007) did an in-depth analysis of the technique and how it is used in investment decision-making. According to Brzozowska (2007), the Cost Benefit Analysis technique helps in decision-making concerning costs of projects and choosing the right project or business idea undertaken by investors. When using CBA method, an individual intends to select the optimal alternative that would result in the greater good. With the scarcity of funds and the presence of many social needs, such solutions are very crucial. These situations necessitate the need for selecting the most important or effective project. When properly done, CBA enables financial analysts and policy makers to determine the potential Pareto improvements and establish the differences between profits and losses (Brzozowska, 2007). The Cost Benefit Analysis technique ensures that the public sector and other sectors are capable of allocating the limited resources effectively to accomplish various projects being undertaken. Cost Benefit Analysis is used to estimate the totals up the equivalent value of money of the projects benefits and the project costs to the community in order to determine whether they are worth investing in (Brzozowska, 2007). This implies that it is a necessity to measure the projects benefits and costs in terms of their equivalent money value in a given time. According to the CBA technique, a project is to be undertaken only if the benefits are expected to be higher than the expenditures. With the knowledge and understanding of what the CBA entails, it is imperative to look at transparency and consist ency in cost-benefit analysis. The Australian Government Project Assessment Framework The Australian has long been using an appraisal criterion for its infrastructural projects which does not take into account transparency in the process. There is a body in Australia called the Infrastructure Australia which is responsible for managing the infrastructure developments in the nation. Its main role is to provide advice to all government levels and investors in the infrastructure industry (Infrastructure Australia, 2016). The IA's framework of assessment is structured in a way to identify a problem and to ensure project development and delivery (Infrastructure Australia, 2016). The IAs assessment framework comprises of five stages. As stated by the Infrastructure Australia (2016), the framework was developed on the basis of development project activities grouping in line with the various stages that various territories and states use. The role of IA in the assessment is to advise and support the various proposals put forward by different proponents through the initiative and project development process with a bid to select the best business case that takes into account the balanced economic, social and environmental perspectives (Infrastructure Australia, 2016). The first stage is goal definition and identification followed by initiative identification. The third stage is the assessment of options which is followed by business case assessment. The last stage is "benefits realization" (Infrastructure Australia, 2016). Using the CBA technique, the IA analyses the suitability of the project based on the financial outcome that the project will have. However, the agency does not put any focus on transparency in the assessment process. Trends in Cost-Benefit Analysis of Infrastructural Development Dahl, PTV, Meunier, LVMT Quinet (2015) conducted a study to determine the current and past trends in the cost-benefit assessment of projects in Germany and France. According to Dahl et al. (2015), the guidelines were mainly based on classical analysis whose main focus was time and cost reduction. The value was then multiplied by some predetermined coefficients to account for environmental costs and effects such as air pollution, noise, and carbon dioxide emissions (Dahl et al. 2015). There is no focus on transparency whatsoever. All the emphasis is put on cost reduction and environmental impact assessment (Jones, Moura Domingos, 2014). How can one be sure that the figures presented are correct? That is the question that I can ask because a lot of funds have been misappropriated in Australia without realising the actual objectives of the various infrastructure projects in the nation. Transparency and Consistency of Cost-Benefit-Analysis Transparency and consistency in appraising infrastructural projects have been an issue in the Australian government. Transparency in the execution of a budget, honesty in the procurement of resources and other things, as well as the efficiency in the management of funds are very critical in making investments stable and predictable and in ensuring that rent seeking opportunities are reduced. According to IMF (2015), Australian finance ministries are expected put an emphasis on protecting the investment expenditures within the country. They can do this by the appropriation of the total costs of projects at the beginning of every project, protect the budgets from being manipulated to meet the current pressures, and allow debts to be carried over to the future generations (IMF, 2015). IMF (2015) further states that transparency and accountability are needed during project management, evaluation and monitoring for the purpose of strengthening incentives for a timely delivery of projects while adhering to the budget allocated and ensuring that the value for money is realized in using public resources. Even with the importance that IMF puts on transparency in project appraisals, the current system of the Australian Government does not put that into consideration. Douglas and Brooker (2013) conducted a review of the transport project appraisal in NSW Australia. The study revealed that the appraisal has always been centred on Cost Benefit Analysis for over forty years in the Australian government. The approach has remained to date from the 1960s (Douglas Brooker, 2013). The major change that has occurred to date is the inclusion of environmental impact assessment of the infrastructure projects. According to Douglas and Brooker (2013), the appraisals of roads were done on the basis of engineering economy, which emphasized on highway design, speeds and the discounting of present and future values of costs and benefits (p. 3). NSW provided guidelines on assets economic appraisals based on CBA and cost-effectiveness in 1988 (Douglas Brooker, 2013). The NSW Treasury in Australia conducted workshops and published a list of accredited agencies and consultants who were certified to carry put evaluations as a way of promoting good practice (Douglas B rooker, 2016). The Government agencies were urged to conduct economic evaluations (Douglas Brooker, 2016). Most of the infrastructure projects, the Cost Benefit Analysis report incorporated few risk management studies and demand management assessment. Very few project completion reviews were done (Douglas Brooker, 2016). The Gap: The studies conducted on the project appraisals using the CBA technique do not touch on transparency. The main issue that is of concern for most of the CBA appraisals is value for money. In most cases, investors aim at maximizing profits without putting into considerations what the public perceive of certain projects being undertaken. In theory, the private sector, as well as the government sector, is expected to safeguard the interest of the public by ensuring that there is transparency in all the undertakings and a guaranteed value for money. In practice, however, this is not the case; members of the government are always under pressure to follow short-term objectives at the expense of the public interests (Beukers, Bertolini Te Brmmelstroet, 2012). Most of the government officials sign contracts that are driven by self-interests and benefits and not to deliver long-term benefits to the public (Sagalyn, 2012). The costs for future are ignored. In as much as the government is tryin g to develop infrastructures, the main stumbling block is the lack of transparency in the appraisal processes. The Australian government relies heavily on external consultants during the CBA appraisals of infrastructure projects some of whom may have a conflict of interest as noted by Phillips, Ellis Boshier (2010). There is, therefore, need to ensure transparency prevails so that the government and its advisors are exposed to a broad range of other views in making decisions on matters that concern the public interest. The current literature does not provide guidelines on how the transparency can be incorporated in the Cost Benefit Analysis to ensure infrastructure projects are well selected. Methodology To ensure that the topic is tackled correctly, the study involved a review of literature in understanding the gap that exists. This gap formed the basis of the study and was used to formulate the research design. Theoretical Framework The decisions made concerning the topic were informed using the utilitarian approach. According to West (2017), utilitarianism tells us how we can evaluate a range of things which involve choices faced by people in their daily lives. The actions that people take, the laws and policies that govern various practices and the moral codes are of great importance when appraising infrastructure projects in Australia and other parts of the world. The utilitarian theory is a type of consequential theory as it focuses on the consequences that the choices made may have on people and the society (West, 2017). According to this approach, the best option that people should choose is one that maximizes utility, i.e. the best option should be able to produce the largest amount of good (West, 2017). When appraising the infrastructure projects, the consequences that each option may have should closely be evaluated and the best option selected. Infrastructure projects affect the entire public in Austra lia; focussing only on value for money is not enough. Transparency has to be incorporated so that the rest of the public members can have their say on the ongoing projects (Williams Samset, 2010).). Using this theory, various alternatives were evaluated, and the best strategies for enhancing transparency in CBA were selected and discussed in the recommendation section. Research Design The study utilized a mixed approach; it incorporated both qualitative and quantitative approach. It involved a review of the already published literature on project appraisals in Australia and other parts of the world. This gives an insight on weaknesses in addressing the issue of transparency in CBA. Questionnaires were handed over to a selected number of accounting managers for the purpose of finding how much the managers know about the enhancing transparency in CBA and the challenges facing the appraisal of infrastructure projects in Australia. A sample size of 100 was used. The results were then analyzed in pie charts and tables using Microsoft Excel software. The qualitative data, on the other, was analyzed mainly in writings and explanations of the implication. Findings and Analysis (500) Current Practices It was found that the Australian government relies on Australia Infrastructure to do an appraisal of projects. AI uses Cost Benefit Analysis to evaluate the suitability of infrastructure projects. The process is conducted in five stages. The first stage is the goal definition and problem identification. At this stage, problems and opportunities are identified and then assessed on their significance to the national goals and objectives. After identification, the next stage is initiative identification. In this stage, the project proposals are assessed on whether they demonstrate constraint on achieving the intended goals and objectives. The relevant data on addressing the problem is assessed and prioritized. The third stage is option assessment. In this stage, AI develops a number of possible options to address the problem, which includes possible reforms and investment proposals which may entail a reduction of demand, improvement of productivity and increasing supply. The best option is then selected upon justification using evidence obtained from various studies. The next stage is business case assessment. This is where a thorough cost-benefit analysis is carried out. The most common estimates in the CBA are the probabilistic risk-based cost estimates which are used in requesting for financial assistance. A certain financial model has been developed to determine the viability gap and in further exploring the best choices for and impact of the various funding options available. The AI has also been able to put in place a plan for assessing risks in a bid to provide a guarantee that the proposal will be delivered within the proposed budget. The final stage is the benefits realization. In this stage, the project outcome is assessed to determine whether the benefits have been realized. Knowledge of incorporating Transparency in CBA The knowledge of CBA was assessed through interviews with financial managers in various companies. Fifty managers were given questionnaires to fill their views on how best they know the incorporation of transparency of Cost Benefit Analysis. The results were as follows: Figure 1: Knowledge of Enhancing Transparency in CBA of Projects Criteria used to Analyse Projects This particular aspect was aimed at finding out the weights of various criteria used when conducting Cost Benefit Analysis of infrastructure projects. The criteria selected are as follows: Strategic Fit: This criterion assesses the suitability of a project to address the set the intended goals and objectives of a project and its significance Economic: The economic criterion assesses a project based on the economic implication. This mainly involves the identification whether a project is able to meet the financial goals by balancing the expenditures and profits. The best option is one that has delivers more value for money. Environmental Value: Environmental criterion involves the assessment of the environmental impact that a project will have. Under this criterion, a project is expected to be environmentally friendly. Social Value (interest of public): The social value criterion assesses a project on the impact that a project will have to the society. Is it beneficial to the society? How will it transform the society? The project should address the interest of the public. Deliverability: Deliverability assesses the risks that are inherent in delivering a proposed project and the measures that an investor has proposed for mitigation and managing these risks. The results on the weights put on the various criteria are as follows: Figure 2: Percentage Weights on Various CBA criteria Discussion Current Practices Based on a review of literature conducted on the current practices employed in cost-benefit analysis, the Australian Infrastructure is the agency responsible for appraisals of projects. The agency has clear guidelines on how the assessment of projects is done. The focus of infrastructure project appraisal is mainly value for money. Most of the respondents said that more emphasis is put on the profitability of a project. 30% have a slight knowledge on how they can incorporate transparency and they were willing to do so if they are educated on the same. Knowledge of incorporating Transparency in CBA When asked whether it is possible to incorporate transparency into the cost-benefit analysis when appraising infrastructure projects, most 66% of the respondents said it is impossible. According to them, transparency in the process of evaluating projects is an impossible task because, as much as that is what the public wants, the investors and the evaluators fear that the public may interfere with their operations if everything is to be discussed to the public. When asked whether they have any plans for enhancing transparency in the appraisals, the 66% of them said they dont even know the strategies that can be put in place to enhance transparency. Only 4% of the respondents had knowledge and willingness to enhance transparency. When asked whether they practice, they replied that they have been trying, but there are lots of challenges due to different perceptions by the investors and some of the government agencies. They acknowledge that the accounting professionals have a crucial ro le to play in ensuring that transparency prevails in the infrastructure projects appraisals using the cost benefit analysis technique. Criteria used to Analyse Projects After analysing the results on the weights of the criteria used in analysing infrastructure projects, it was shocking to note that most of the social aspect carried the lowest weight at only 8%. The highest weight was put on economic value, at 40%. This implies that the investors emphasize more on profitability at the expense of the interest of the public. Based on this criterion, the investors and the government agencies responsible for appraising projects termed threats from the public as the reason for not exercising transparency in appraising their projects. An environmental assessment was the second, having a weight of 20%. The respondents cited strict environmental regulations as the reason for emphasizing on the environmental impact assessments. Strategic fit criterion had a fair share of 17%. The financial accounting professionals emphasized on the achievement of project goals. Of all the entire criteria, there was nothing to do with an emphasis on public interest. The financ ial accounting professionals who were involved in the cost-benefit analysis of projects did not have any strategies to incorporate transparency. According to them, the realization of profits was more critical and that the public did not have any role to play in assessing projects. Their response is evidenced in a research conducted by Mouter, Annema, and van Wee (2013). Based on the results, it is apparent that there is a need establish strategies to ensure there is transparency when performing a cost-benefit analysis of the infrastructure projects which play a significant role in the economy of the Australian government. Recommendations and Conclusion Resource allocation is a critical aspect of the infrastructure projects. In many times, investors only think of their interests at the expense of the public (Phillips e Costa, 2010). The approach of putting value for money as the biggest priority imposes a dilemma when considering the interests of the public (Cavill, Kahlmeier, Rutter, Racioppi Oja, (2011). The cost benefit analysis should be inclusive, open and transparent as proposed by Phillips e Costa (2010). According to European Investment Bank (2013), resource allocation is not just a technical matter of using the right modelling. There should be trust and fairness within which the modelling is executed (Franks, 2012). Various stakeholders should be engaged in when carrying out the project appraisals as proposed by Mulgan (2010). There is a need to create awareness on the importance of transparency in cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects (Forrer, Kee, Newcomer Boyer, 2010). The government should make use of tec hnology to encourage public participation in CBA, such as the use of social media as proposed by Paez, Bishop, and Williamson (2012). Implementing these strategies will, indeed, enhance transparency which will, in turn, improve appraisal and selection of infrastructure appraisal. References Auerbach, D. A., Deisenroth, D. B., McShane, R. R., McCluney, K. E., Poff, N. L. (2014). Beyond the concrete: Accounting for ecosystem services from free-flowing rivers. Ecosystem Services, 10, 1-5. Beukers, E., Bertolini, L., Te Brmmelstroet, M. (2012). Why Cost Benefit Analysis is perceived as a problematic tool for assessment of transport plans: A process perspective. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 46(1), 68-78. Brzozowska, K. (2007). Cost-Benefit Analysis in Public Project Appraisal. Engineering Economics, (3 (53)), 78-83. Cavill, N., Kahlmeier, S., Rutter, H., Racioppi, F., Oja, P. (2011). Economic analyses of transport infrastructure and policies including health effects related to cycling and walking: a systematic review. Transport policy, 15(5), 291-304. Dahl, A., PTV, A., Meunier, B. D., LVMT, U., Quinet, E. (2015). New trends in cost-benefit assessment of public investments in France and Germany. Davies, W. (2016). How assumptions influence the results of a cost benefit analysis. In ARRB Conference, 27th, 2016, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Douglas, N. J., Brooker, T. (2013, October). A Review of Transport Project Appraisal in NSW Australia. In Australasian Transport Research Forum Proceed (pp. 2-4). European Investment Bank. (2013, March). The Economic Appraisal of Investment Projects at the EIB. Retrieved from https://www.eib.org/attachments/thematic/economic_appraisal_of_investment_projects_en.pdf Forrer, J., Kee, J. E., Newcomer, K. E., Boyer, E. (2010). Publicprivate partnerships and the public accountability question. Public Administration Review, 70(3), 475-484. Franks, D. (2012). Social impact assessment of resource projects. International Mining for Development Centre, 3. Haimes, Y. Y. (2015). Risk modeling, assessment, and management. John Wiley Sons. IMF. (2015). Making Public investment more Efficient. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2015/061115.pdf Infrastructure Australia. (2016). Assessment Framework: Detailed Technical Guidance. Retrieved from https://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/Assessment_Framework_Detailed_Technical_Guidance.pdf Investopedia. (n.d.). Accountant. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/accountant.asp Jones, H., Moura, F., Domingos, T. (2014). Transport infrastructure project evaluation using cost-benefit analysis. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 111, 400-409. Kaidonis, M. A. (2008). The Accounting Profession: Serving the public interest or capital interest?. Australasian Accounting Business Finance Journal, 2(4), 1. Laurance, W. F., Peletier-Jellema, A., Geenen, B., Koster, H., Verweij, P., Van Dijck, P., ... Van Kuijk, M. (2015). Reducing the global environmental impacts of rapid infrastructure expansion. Current Biology, 25(7), R259-R262. Mouter, N., Annema, J. A., van Wee, B. (2013). Attitudes towards the role of CostBenefit Analysis in the decision-making process for spatial-infrastructure projects: A Dutch case study. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 58, 1-14. Mulgan, G. (2010). Measuring social value. Stanford Soc Innov Rev, 8(3), 38-43. Paez, D., Bishop, I. D., Williamson, I. P. (2012). DISCUSS: A methodology to support public participation in cost-benefit analysis. Phillips, L. D., e Costa, C. A. B. (2010). Transparent prioritisation, budgeting and resource allocation with multi-criteria decision analysis and decision conferencing. Annals of Operations Research, 154(1), 51-68. Phillips, P., Ellis, M., Boshier, J. (2010). Infrastructure Investment: Supporting Better Decisions Report. Centre for Advanced Engineering, University of Canterbury. Revesz, R. L. (2016). Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Structure of the Administrative State: The Case of Financial Services Regulation. Sagalyn, L. B. (2012). Public-private engagement: Promise and practice. Planning Ideas That Matter: Livability, Territoriality, Governance, and Reflective Practice, 233. West, R.H. (2017). Utilitarianism Philosophy. Encyclopaedia Britanica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/utilitarianism-philosophy Williams, T., Samset, K. (2010). Issues in front?end decision making on projects. Project Management Journal, 41(2), 38-49.

Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Essay Example

Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Relating Saint Leo Core Values to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Indeed, it is evident that the tenets embedded within the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights emulate the Core values embedded in Saint Leo University. The principles within the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights coincide with the Core Values of Community of Saint Leo University in various ways. This is based on the primal assertion exemplified by the ethics and morals exalted in both institutions regarding the individual and the society. Irrespective of the differences in the objectives of the two institutions based on the stakeholders, it is still clear that both principles and values within the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and Saint Leo University relate to provide equality, fairness and respect of human dignity within the community and society. In accord with the Prelude of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasis is put on the development of aptitudes, character and knowledge by Saint Leo University for the sole purpose of maintaining its excellence. Saint Leo University ensures that it sets a general standard of accomplishment for all students in order to allow them to develop their skills, personalities and understanding and as such, acquire appropriate and effectual acknowledgment nationwide and globally. This relates considerably to the overall overture of the Declaration of Human Rights, which also acts as a general standard of accomplishment for all persons and countries for ensuring the protection of rights and liberties and recognition locally and universally for all peoples through instruction and education. Consequently, with respect to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ principles, Saint Leo University endeavors to promote the development of sociable and cordial learning communities countrywide and worldwide. Furthermore, to fulfill this objective, Saint Leo University attempts to nurture a sense of belonging, interdependence and unity without political, sex, color, language or racial distinctions. As such, Saint Leo University plans to build a communally responsible environment for learning that excludes discrimination that arises from a country’s international status regarding the specific community receiving service from the University. This is in line with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which strives to ensure that every individual receives education and learning irrespective of ideological, physical and terrestrial distinctions. Alternately, Saint Leo University strives to ensure that the exclusive talents and aptitudes innate within an individual receive value or appreciation and reverence. Regarding the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the University attempts to promote friendship and lenience, indulgence among various stakeholders of institutions such as groups and students. The objective of this is to ascertain the provision of an abundant scope that will support the liberated trade of thoughts and innovations among persons. This specific statement correlates to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which endorses and fosters the delivery of opinions without intrusion and restriction and the reception and exchange of innovations, ideas and information among individuals through various forms of media irrespective of any boundaries. Furthermore, Saint Leo University strives to promote personal development for all individuals. Based on this value, Saint Leo University urges the development of every individual’s body, soul and mind in order to acquire balanced lives. As such, members within the community must express their obligation towards individual development in order to reinforce the disposition of the community. As such, Saint Leo University ensures that personal development is exalted through education in order to ascertain decent development of the individual personality. This is in accordance with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which ensures that every person within the community possesses communal duties aimed at complete development of personality. Furthermore, the communal duties should make it possible for personal development. Finally, Saint Leo University facilitates communal development on a global scale by ensuring that it provides the require resources. As such, the University nurtures a force of service in order to facilitate the provision of resources that will assist in the development of communities. Saint Leo University ensures that resources are optimized and applied within the community in order to adhere to the goals and mission of the institution. This is in accordance with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which ensures that every person and community are entitled to receive resources in order to ascertain full development of individual personalities and the development of the community as a whole. In conclusion, the principles in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Saint Leo’s Core Values of Community indeed relate to a considerable degree. Both doctrines ensure that peoples and communities live with each other cohesively. Consequently, the doctrines for both institutions stress on the full development of personality among individuals regardless of the distinctions and as such, negate the use and support of discriminative and biased tactics. Restricting such practices based on the principles and the values upheld by both codes propels the objectives of the institutions, which involves the facilitation of equality and fairness in the provision of intrinsic needs for every person in every community nationally and internationally.

Punk Rock and Green Day free essay sample

Green Day is punk Rock Punk rock defined by dictionary. Com is, a type of rock-n-roll, reaching its peak in the late 1 sass and characterized by loud, insistent music and abusive or violent protest lyrics, and whose performers and followers are distinguished by extremes of dress and socially defiant behavior. Personally, the definition that people put to the word punk rock may be a little different than the actual definition, but the original definition still is the backbone of punk rock. A band that stuck out to me as being a punk rock band, even through all the criticism of them being a pop rock band is Green Day. In my eyes they have created their punk ethos through their music. Green Day would perform and be seen with very unorthodox clothes when you think about punk rock. For example, they perform in suits and ties, which was very unorthodox for people to see. We will write a custom essay sample on Punk Rock and Green Day or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was very unique, and it may not be exactly what the original definition had defined, but they continued the trend of punk rock by being different and not by following what others have already done.That alone, their ability to be risky and try something new, like their outfit, really gives them their punk ethos in my eyes. As well as their unique loathing, they would also wear eyeliner and other accessories that were different for their time, even though it was after the peak punk rock time. Lyrically, being described as a pop rock band means their lyrics dont go against certain social norms, which I strongly disagree with.For example, their song Good Riddance was a risky move that lead them to more success. But during their time, no song similar to that was ever created. The lyrics and the tempo were very different than all past songs. Also, albums like American Idiot in the title alone reject certain social norms. Songs such as Basket Case and Boulevard of Broken Dreams were so unique and were very different than the music being produced by other rock bands.Green Day does not exactly follow some of the ass bands that created the punk rock movement, but Green Day was a different time and yet they still followed some of the ideas that those bands in the ass were formed by. To be fair, the older songs of Green Day were more accepted to be defined as punk rock, but the band is still punk rock and they created a punk ethos by experimenting and being so different from others. Their visual appearance as never seen before, their eyeliner was a very noticeable change from the punk rock era, and their hair was unique as well.Even without their looks, their music is meaningful and rejects the social norm Of their time. Some Of their songs are still to this day unique which is another reason why Green Day is definitely punk rock. One of their famous albums, Doggie, is a perfect example of rejecting the social norm. Their songs, even in the album alone, are different and dont have the same style as other bands. Green Day is definitely a punk rock band, and has created its own punk ethos from their looks and lyrics throughout their time.

Prayer In Schools Essays - Prayer, Christian Prayer, Spirituality

Prayer In Schools Essays - Prayer, Christian Prayer, Spirituality Prayer In Schools Prayer in Public Schools: Should It Be Constitutional The courts have ruled against prayer in school. Many agree with decision; yet many disagree including myself. Prayer should be allowed in public school because it is already practiced, it prevents immoral acts, and it enhances the learning environment. The issue of prayer in school has been debated in the U.S. since the North West Treaty (1787and 1789) which states: Religion, morality, and the knowledge being necessary for good government and the happiness of man kind, schools and the means of learning shall forever be engorged. Thus, religion, which includes prayer, was deemed to be necessary. Many people believe that prayer is not allowed in the public schools. In fact prayer is allowed in the school system on buses, at the flagpole, in student religious groups, and in the cafeteria. However, prayer is not permitted in the classroom itself when class is in session. Prayer in class would violate the principles of church- state separation, which is defined by court interpretations of the First Amendment. This requires that public school teachers, principals, and boards to be religiously neutral. The reason for this is to prevent any arguments among students and teachers about their specific religion. Public schools had prayer for nearly two hundred years before the supreme court ruled that state- mandated class prayers were unconstitutional (Engle, 1962) The fact that prayer was practiced for nearly two-hundred years established it by precedent as a beneficial practice in our schools. Since the court outlawed prayer, the nation has been in steady moral decline. Former secretary of education William Bennett revealed in his cultured indexes that between 1960 and1990 there was a steady moral decline. During this period divorce doubled, teenage pregnancy went up 200%, teen suicide increased 300%, child abuse reached an all time high, violent crime went up 500% and abortion increased 1000% . Morals must be taught and they can not be taught properly without religion, because most of the strong moral beliefs stem from religion such as the Ten Commandments. There is a strong correlation between the expulsion of prayer from our schools and the decline in morality. The third argument is prayer enhances the learning environment at public schools. Prayer enhances the learning environment because when there is a test coming up or a paper due, you think to yourself, How am I going to do all of this, and do well? I know from personal experiences, that having a number of assignments due at the same time can be frustrating. When this happens, I always turn to God, and he guides and gives me strength and understanding. The outcome from doing praying is always good and the things that I asked for in my prayer are always bestowed upon me. Prayer may not enhance everyones learning environment but I know before I start my day, I ask God to let me have a good day and let everything that I do, be a true learning experience for me. The experience may not always be good, but if it happens, it happens for a reason. Finally, I will end with a quote from An Outrageous Idea: Natural Prayer written by Patty Jo Cornish. We have forgotten that we are all in this together and we keep separating ourselves by ourselves by colors, by football teams, by clothes, by money, by creed, by greed, by boundaries, by age, and so on and on. We need something to pull us all together, natural prayer could be that miracle. It includes everyone even the non-believers.

You choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

You choose - Essay Example The term leadership simply means the method of influencing a group of people and guiding them towards the accomplishment of a common objective. Our present topic of discussion is the effect of leadership within an organization and its application within the management of an organization. Generally the organizations get highly benefitted by the implementation of proper leadership approaches as it results in improved quality of goods and services produced by the organization. Leadership refers to the way by which an individual organizes a group of people so as to achieve a common goal. Leadership is a process of social influence in which an individual attempts to gain the support and help of a group of people to accomplish a common goal. Transformational Style- in this style the leader guides and transforms the staff. The leader makes continuous efforts to address the grievances of the employees and motivate them for improved performance. Here open communication between the staff and the leader is always encouraged and the leader follows participative style of management. The staff gets highly influenced by the leader in Transformational Leadership Style (Ingleton 2013). Transactional Style- Here the main focus of the leader is on management’s objectives. In this style the leader constantly motivate his followers by offering rewards for completed tasks. These leaders are mostly work oriented; they usually follow a particular structure and practice directive style of management. In this style of management, innovativeness and creativity are ignored and people are often motivated by the use of extrinsic motivational factors like incentive and holiday trip (RUGGIERI and ABBATE 2013). Laissez-faire Style- This is also termed as Passive Leadership which exercises least control on the staff. The managers avoid the responsibility of setting objectives and making important decisions. It allows the scope for macro management and self

Opportunities for the Multinational Enterprise Term Paper

Opportunities for the Multinational Enterprise - Term Paper Example The meaning of Globalisation can easily be interpreted from the word itself. It is nothing but going international. When people realized that they cannot survive from the resources that they had available in their vicinity, they began exchanging goods with their neighbors, which got expanded to exchange with other countries, organizations, etc. This exchange of goods for goods, or the Barter system, gradually turned into import and export of goods mainly based on availability, or technically the lack thereof, which brought about this whole cycle. When focused from an overall perspective, the term globalization is something, as part of which common people, organizations, etc interact among themselves in different spheres of their lives, including cultural sphere, financial sphere, etc, etc.. â€Å"Globalization may be thought of as the widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life, from the cultural to the criminal, the financial to the spiritually.† (Wiley, Nandi and Shahidullah 1998, p.21). Although from the above definition, one can infer that globalization can be referred to any form of global integration or interaction, the fact, it is mainly used with an economic perspective and multinational business, and the resultant interaction between organizations particularly Multinational Companies (MNC). The term ‘globalisation’ involves increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services, free international capital flows and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology. To make things simpler, we can say that Globalisation is a process of rapid integration of countries particularly MNCs, and how those companies utilizing opportunities in a particular market or another country, enter it to do business or another process there. On the other hand, critics of Globalisation emphasize the ensuing debate regarding the roles and relationships of corporat ions and the country’s citizens in maximizing economic development and social welfare. There appears quite a number of challenges for the MNCs while doing business in new markets as part of the globalization. So, this paper first discussing the main forces driving the globalization process, will explain the opportunities and then the challenges that globalization presents to multinational businesses. Forces driving the globalization process As the various trade and other barriers between the countries got broken, MNCs, using the globalization plank, have entered and are entering into different business sectors. This entry of MNCs into various territories to do business was not a new phenomenon, but an age-old phenomenon, which happened under the guise of imperialism. From time immemorial, various geographical territories, as well as nations, have been indulging in business with one another, to fulfill their product or service wants and shortages, as well as to garner good fin ances through product sale and thereby strengthening their economies. Even the British entered Indian subcontinent to do business under the tag of British East India Company. This form of trade has been going on for many centuries, however, certain countries in different points of their history have put certain restrictions on trade with other countries or enterprises due to political, financial as well as other social reasons. That is, this trade based entry started transforming into imperialism, as the European and other Western powers, tapping the weakness of the Asian and African ruling powers, eventually captured the nations’ territories and started to rule them. This set a bad precedent, and after independence many countries started actualizing a protectionist regime, preventing or restricting entry of foreign organizations. These countries or territories did not allow the entry of foreign companies as well as its products and even went to the extent of preventing its o wn companies to do any business with the foreign companies.

What colleges should teach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What colleges should teach - Essay Example Burke-Vigeland concluded that the current fixed forward step-sitting arrangement of lecture halls is unsuitable for interactive learning as it prevents students from expressing their individuality. He advocates for a flexible classroom which allows professors and students to restructure the classroom to allow team discussions, reversible writing on the walls, incorporation of technology that enables communication with other students around the world, and adaptation of the room for different course work (Burke-Vigeland, n. p.). In the article, What Should Colleges Teach? Stanley Fish raises concern regarding a recent trend whereby college courses are increasingly diverting from their main discipline of focus into other unrelated disciplines. He focuses on the discipline which he teaches, literature, and points out an observation he made whereby writing courses in colleges nowadays tend to focus on analysis of various social issues such as globalization, racism, and sexism instead of f ocusing on writing. As a result, few students taking writing courses in college are able to write a clean English sentence. The author asserts that writing courses should focus exclusively on writing and teach nothing other than grammar and rhetoric (Fish, n. p.). In the article, Rethinking the Way College Students are Taught, Emily Hanford asserts that the traditional method of teaching in colleges whereby students learn through non-interactive lectures is no longer effective since most students are not able to absorb most of the information that is usually disseminated in a single lecture. The author advocates for the peer-instruction method of teaching in colleges and provides proof of its effectiveness by referring to the success of a number of professors who use this method to teach their students. These include Joe Redish, a physics professor at the University of Maryland, Brian Lukoff, a researcher in education at Harvard University, and Eric Mazur, a professor of physics at Harvard University (Hanford, n. p.). In Rethinking the Way Colleges Teach Critical Thinking, Scott Johnson laments the way through which colleges teach critical thinking. He asserts that current practices whereby students are taught through lectures to memorize information is not achieving one of its aims of developing student critical thinking skills. He uses his specialty discipline of instruction, Earth Science, as an example to demonstrate how students can be taught facts while simultaneously gaining crucial critical thinking skills. Johnson asserts that the best way to achieve this purpose is to dedicate a significant portion of the course teaching students how the factual information of the course was gathered through logical and critical evaluation of available information (Johnson, n. p.). In the article, Colleges Should Teach Intellectual Virtues, Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe underline the importance of helping college students develop intellectual virtues in addition to the traditional roles of teaching them the skills of their discipline, literacy skills, and critical thinking. The authors assert that colleges should help students develop intellectual virtues so as to mold them into all-rounded human beings (Schwartz and Sharpe, n. p.). From the five articles analyzed, it is evident that the education students acquire in colleges does not completely suit their needs and requirements for both professional and personal development. Technology and globalization have