Monday, September 30, 2019

Gandhi, King and Mandela: What Made Non-Violence Work?

All through history governments and empires have been overthrown or defeated primarily by the violence of those who oppose them. This violence was usually successful however, there have been several situations, when violence failed, that protesters have had to turn to other methods. Non-violent protesting never seemed to be the right course of action until the ideology of Mohandas Gandhi spread and influenced successful protests across the world. Non-violent methods were successfully used, most notably, by Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela. Mohandas Gandhi’s methods not only led to India’s independence from Britain but also had victories over racial discrimination in South Africa. Gandhi saw, upon his return to India from South Africa, that Britain had run India’s people into poverty and subordination. Indians were not allowed to manufacture or own their own salt. This affected the poor population most because of how often they used salt. Gandhi began by writing to the English Governor in India describing his plan to â€Å"convert the British people through nonviolence and [to] make them see the wrong they have done to India† (Document 1). He felt that the â€Å"British rule [was] a curse†. Even though Gandhi spent a total of 2.338 days in prison, he â€Å"did not feel the slightest hesitation in entering the prisoner’s box† (Doc. 7). People followed Gandhi in his protests and many followed him into jail feeling â€Å"firm in [their] resolution of passing [their] terms in jail in perfect happiness and peace† (Doc. 7). While he was in jail, Mme. Naidu, an Indian poetess, filled in his position in leading protests. She encouraged the protesters by reiterating that â€Å"[they] must not use any violence†¦ [they would] be beaten but [they] must not resist†¦not even raise a hand to ward off blows† (Doc. 4). The author felt that â€Å"the western mind finds it difficult to grasp the idea of nonresistance†, but this was not the case. Just 25 years later Martin Luther King, Jr. found his own kind of victory using Gandhi’s techniques. King began his career of peaceful protests as a follower, not a leader. In 1960, he â€Å"toke part in the lunch counter sit-ins† in order to â€Å"bring the whole issue of racial injustice under the scrutiny of the conscience of Atlanta† (Doc 2). King hoped to help not just the African-American population but the white population as well. By 1963, King had been chosen as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which sought to aid in the efforts to put an end to segregation. He accepted â€Å"volunteers to serve in [their] non-violent army† knowing that they would have to â€Å"accept and endure violence without retaliating† (Doc. 5). Their will to fight was from â€Å"the conviction that [they] were right†. King’s followers were so empowered that, for their participation in the Montgomery bus boycott, â€Å"people had rushed down to get arrested†¦ [they] were now proud to be arrested for the cause of freedom† (Doc. 8). King got white and blacks to work together for the â€Å"March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom† (Doc. 11). He wanted them to ‘b able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood†. Nelson Mandela used the same â€Å"Gandhian principles of nonviolence†¦that seeks to conquer through conversion† (Doc. 3). He lived under the strict laws of apartheid that separated the white Dutchmen from the native African population. In similar circumstances as M.L. King, Mandela supported the same acts of nonviolence in order to gain rights for South Africans. He knew that â€Å"attempts at violence†¦would be devastatingly crushed† under the power of the state. At his protests in Johannesburg in 1952, he knew that â€Å"the authorities would seek to intimidate, imprison, and perhaps attack [them]† (Doc. 6) however, like Gandhi, he encouraged the volunteers not to retaliate. Mandela spent 26 years and 8 months in jail as punishment for his protesting however, he felt that â€Å"no sacrifice was too great in the struggle for freedom† (Doc. 9). He spent time in jail with other protesters that all felt that â€Å"whatever sentences [they] received, even the death sentence†¦ [their] deaths would not be in vain† (Doc. 9). Freedom for the South African people from apartheid finally came in 1993. To Mandela this was not just the freedom of his people but â€Å"the freedom of all people, black and white† (Doc. 12). â€Å"South Africa’s New Democracy† rose after years of continuous nonviolence from the populace. Gandhi, King, and Mandela each fought for their causes with a method that was very rarely used but even less rarely successful. Their efforts at peaceful protest without retaliation to attacks were successful in overthrowing trans-continental rule and ending segregation of races. Gandhi transformed the idea of non-violence into a way to fight for freedom and justice which would ultimately end in success and peace.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Asdasdas

Let's discuss both briefly:Poverty leads awards a gap between poor and rich and this gap get wideband the poor becomes poorer and rich, richer. This situation leads the propelled towards frustration and to get normal they harm their own self restoratives society. Thus, this frustration leads the young people towards addiction of drugs or crimes. They start smuggling, commit thefts to snatcher so called right and this leads towards societal insecurity and sportspeople. People are killed and robbed and the concept of welfare state sidestroker.Moreover, pressure of rolling Inflation and the social inequality,where people see their fellow citizens using luxuries lead poor people thwarted evil of bribery which is common feature of the public sector offices Inpatients. This Increases the greed of the people taking bribery and the wholeheartedly of the public administration get corrupted which is the case inpatients. The frustrated people seek refuge under the shelter of drugs and the healt hy nation get close towards the doom of destruction.This situational very much common in Pakistan where unemployment is on the peak indication reference or bribery the good Jobs cannot be secured and the tittered frustrated educated preventative of the young nation starts outstanding. This story do not ends here. The children are abolished to go to schooling are forced to work for their livelihood. The work conditions and wastewater for such children are shamefully worst. Yet they are forced to do thrower Like beasts.Due to poverty fathers cannot afford another social evil that's ‘Jazz' and the poor daughter remains unmarried and sometimes commissioned by taking poison or burning themselves and if unfortunately she straddled she has to live with taunts or her In laws kills her and simply say hat†the stove get blasted†. Moreover, she is tortured for the doings she environment in her life. The women have been the subjected to the social evils before the Islam weasele d on the earth. The Arabs use to bury their daughter alive. But in caboose Pakistan this tradition seems to be prevailing in other ways. Kara Kari' Asian old tradition prevailing in the Kinds province of Pakistan according twitch when a man and women are found suspected to have relations the tribal ‘Jaguar' may give the verdict to kill them both even if the superstructure could to be proved, which Is against the morality and humanity-Moreover, to secure the property for the male heirs the female heirs reformed to marry with The Holy Quern which is outrageous and neither Isolator the law enforced In the country allows media,other behaviors of the people living in the society of Pakistan also can bookbinderies as evil.There seems to be a change in the behaviors and actions the people living here, which is making them selfish and greedy. A welkin concept of individualism imported from western countries, which isms, me, me and only me behavior which indicates towards the behavior of people seeing themselves an individual not the part of wider society. It sonly ones profit that matters even if it is for the cost of other's life. Illuminates here in Pakistan do not take the necessary measures to dispossess the wastes of their plants because these measures are costly and let theatres and waters of the country pollute that affect on the health of people.Engineers nobody believes the concepts of right and wrong. We are losing revalues where children do not have time for old parents or grandparents and the core values f honesty, tolerance, empathy and respect are ventilated. In context of Pakistan, religious extremism has lead towards maypole's people do not know the true spirit of Islam and commit unjustifiable like suicide bomb blasts and terrorist activities to destabilize topological and social environment of the country.Moreover, there are religiousness's like Sashays and Sunnis who keep rowing each other. The unreason for such thing is mainly lack of educati on and political and classlessness. People do not know their rights and others powerful Paleolithic them. This situation is very much severe in the less developed underlay controlled areas of Pakistan. The feudal lords intentionally restrict development of their governed areas as to the basic facilities of education,infrastructure and utilities.Feudal lord is considered the owner of not only lands of that area but also the life of people living under his vicinity. Then there are so called festivals and functions which do not relate adaptations as Basalt and Emends. People spoil a lot of money on disconnections for nothing and cause harm for society. During the festival of Basalt lot of innocent people are killed or get injured. Emends creates theses of inequality among the society. The key question is here to ask our self.Where are we going? Have any of squash contributed towards the eradication of these evils? But we don't waste our time on such things and say it's the responsibili ty of government. But,what's our responsibility? To elect that government who do not listens toothier people after they are elected? It is another social evil. Not taking transportability for our surroundings. When a business man is required to coupe with all environmental and social issue which

Friday, September 27, 2019

Explain the terms span of control and control loss. Are these concepts Essay

Explain the terms span of control and control loss. Are these concepts useful in understanding the design of organizations - Essay Example There are frequent opportunities, so they tend to make the best selection. This has caused the people to raise their expectations manifolds. Today, companies have to be very skillful and knowledgeable in order to make the same benefits that they did in the past with much lesser skill and technical knowledge. In the contemporary market scenario, a businessman can not afford to be uneducated on such technical aspects of business as â€Å"span of control† and â€Å"control loss†. This paper explains the concept of the two terms; span of control and control loss and analyzes their usability in the design of organizations. The concept of span of control was first introduced by by Sir Ian Hamilton in 1922 in the UK (â€Å"Reference for Business†, 2011). Hamilton developed the concept after having studied the British military leaders’ capacity to control a maximum of 3 to 6 people. Since then, this number has been recognized as the standard average number of peop le to be managed by one individual. According to Col. Urwick, an optimal span of control should not exceed 6 (Hattrup, 1993). Hamilton believed in the fact that managers come with limited time and energy to devote to their work. Hence, there has to be a maximum limit on the number of people one individual can effectively manage on the average. Span of control is also called as the span of management. It is essentially a term pertaining to human resources management (HRM). It tells the exact number of workers that a supervisor may adequately manage. Fig: Span of control example (tutor2u, n.d.). The term is of huge significance particularly to the small business runners. Span of control is largely taught in business and management institutions all over the world in the contemporary age. The concept is frequently employed in such large institutions as military, schools and many agencies of the government. However, not many business entrepreneurs are yet familiar with the concept and us ually have no technical means to judge what maximum number of workers should be given in the charge of one supervisor. As a result of lack of knowledge, many businessmen tend to increase the span of control. This, in turn, limits a company’s capacity to grow. What to talk of inexperienced lot, even the most experienced and competent managers have a hard time solving issues of too many people. This saps their ability to concentrate on long term plans, and they are not able to competitively position their business in the market scenario. A business is susceptible to be affected by a lot of risks in its lifetime. Losses may occur due to a variety of reasons. Whenever a business suffers from a loss, it is not just the owners that are affected. Indeed, the whole business is affected. The loss results not only into direct cost, but also the indirect expenses associated with it often exceed the direct costs. Let’s assume a case where the a construction site owner did not prov ide the workers with sufficient safety equipment on the site. One of the plastermen fell from the scaffolding because there was no bracing to support him. He fell on the ground and received several scars and wounds all over his body. He bled heavily. The whole crew left the work and attended the injured. He was taken to the nearby hospital for treatment after the first aid was given on the site. Many workers took it as an opportunity to indulge in lengthy discussions and gossip with one another, discussing how the accident happened, to what extent the

Old American Special Occasion Baskets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Old American Special Occasion Baskets - Essay Example We would also be advertising this website as much as we can, so as to get people to visit our website, on which they would be able to find more information about our business. The site will also contain contact information, for customers and prospective customers to reach the shops administration via e-mail, and also by live chat. We envision our shop to be the most up-to-date, fastest, most accessible and the most outstanding gift basket shop in the whole area. Our store will boast of everything that our clients want, ranging from birthday gifts to thanksgiving gifts, and "Thank You" gift baskets. We aim to ensure that clients feel extremely comfortable and awed whenever they enter our shop. We will be filling the store with 20th century charm, but also surround it with the 21st century comfort. As a short-term goal, we also plan to carry out extensive promotions in the area and on the Internet. We would hand out fliers and do promotions on the radio and local newspapers. We will al so put a site on the web exclusively devoted to our shop and business. We will also put up big banners all over the mall, and we will be visiting different orphanages, houses and business establishments to promote our gift basket business. We also have some intermediate goals.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Newton's laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Newton's laws - Essay Example Newton's laws of motion (law of inertia, fundamental law of dynamics, law of reciprocal actions) were verified by experiment and observation for over 200 years, and they are excellent approximations at the scales and speeds of everyday life. At the atomic scale, they become a poorer approximation to quantum mechanics, and at speeds comparable to the speed of light, they become a poorer approximation to relativity. Just as they fail for material objects moving at speeds close to the speed of light, they fail for light itself. Newton's first law appeared to be in the past just a special case of the second law, and it was thought Newton stated the first law separately simply in order to throw down the gauntlet to the Aristotelians. However, modern physicists think that the First Law defines the reference frames in which the other two laws are valid. These reference frames are called inertial reference frames or Galilean reference frames, and are moving at constant velocity, that is to say, without acceleration. (Note that an object may have a constant speed through its motion path and yet have a non-zero acceleration, as in the case of uniform circular motion. This means that the surface of the Earth is not an inertial reference frame, since the Earth is rotating on its axis and orbits around the Sun. However, for many experiments, the Earth's surface can safely be assumed to be inertial. The law of gravity became Sir Isaac Newton's best-known discovery. Newton warned against using it to view the universe as a mere machine, like a great clock.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Impact of Downsizing on Organizational Competitiveness & Assignment

The Impact of Downsizing on Organizational Competitiveness & Innovativeness - Assignment Example Such strategies will become their key success factors in the future. The competition is forcing organizations to change their forms and the fundamental practices of management which they follow (Bresnen and Fowler 1994). The competitive advantage durability depends on the value of the human resources working in the organization and the intellectual capital they imply to perform their work (Wilkinson 2005, Guthrie and Datta 2008). To have a strong competitive edge in the business market is extremely vital for the firm to succeed otherwise survival of organizations starts to become quite difficult with such extreme competition taking place vigorously. The impact of downsizing is playing a major role in causing a shift in the social, economic, and the competitive organizational structures (McKinley, Sanchez, and Schick 1995). It can be observed that downsizing can strongly impact the competitiveness of organizations. At times downsizing may cause the business to lose their valuable employees and during the downsizing phase, many of the employees that are being retained may become troubled over their sense of job security which in turn may affect their performance greatly. The main purpose of this research is to find out the impact of downsizing; in what ways are the strategies for competitiveness and innovation of an organization affected whence it decides to downsize. This will be achieved by investigating firms that have conducted downsizing. A deeper look will be taken at the aftermaths of downsizing which was faced by these organizations. 2. To find out whether innovative practices of organizations are successful when firms opt for the downsizing process; a basic question is how the innovation model of any firm changes due to downsizing.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Structures Available to Small Voluntary Organizations Case Study - 6

Structures Available to Small Voluntary Organizations - Case Study Example Despite of there is a rather thorough interview process for volunteers that is aimed at determining the skill-need matches as well as a prior verbal scheduling of all the volunteer times, there seems to be a pertinent problem with the communication process at the organization as the volunteer supervisor constantly did not have the projects ready for the volunteers to work on during their previously agreed upon volunteer time slots. This persistent lack of a communication plan and clear communication processes is seen to have resulted in there being diminished enthusiasm for the cause fronted by the volunteer organization. There are a number of different communication processes that can effectively be used by small voluntary organizations; these processes which include the horizontal communication processes, diagonal communication processes, lateral communication processes and vertical communication processes. Horizontal Communication Processes: Horizontal communication structures and processes which are also referred to as lateral communication are defined as being the flow of messages across the different functional areas at a given level within the organization. In lateral communication processes, people working at the same level within an organization are able to communicate directly with each other without their having to go through the different levels of the organization. Lateral Communication Processes: Lateral communication processes and structures are seen to involve communication which occurs between individuals that do not stand in any form of a hierarchical relationship with each other. Diagonal Communication Processes: Diagonal communication structures and processes are seen to refer to communication that occurs between an organization’s workers and managers who happen to be located at different functional levels.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Phrase that makes you think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Phrase that makes you think - Essay Example The moment that you failed to do what they entrusted you with, you will be a disgrace to them. That example that I gave is done everyday without them being aware that it follows a certain phrase, â€Å"with great power, comes great responsibility†. Another example is when a local cop is granted the power to question people on why they drive in a barbaric manner. One temptation for the cop is to directly arrest the person in denial and get his cash as a sign of â€Å"release†. For some people who do not know or are not familiar with this phrase, they are tempted to be corrupt. I believe that once this quote is failed to be followed, they intend to be corrupt by default. In conclusion, this phrase could remind us repeatedly that we are all tempted to use our powers for doing bad things, and that we have to be careful because we are the masters of our own hands. This phrase would also help people to be aware on their current positions and that of they have to use it wisely .

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Long-Lasting Hostility Among Indians Towards British Rule Essay Example for Free

Long-Lasting Hostility Among Indians Towards British Rule Essay How far do Sources 10, 11 and 12 suggest that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule? Sources 10, 11 and 12 suggest that the Amritsar Massacre, the incident in which British troops under the order of General Dyer fired at a crowd of Indian protesters on the 13th April 1919, did create widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards the British. Creating the British government to be portrayed as repressive and irresponsible. However, the alternative view presented by the sources is that Indians were not hostile towards the British, but they were in fact appreciative of their help and did not feel that they were repressive. The view of which the Amritsar Massacre did create widespread and long-lasting hostility amongst Indians towards British rule is presented in Source 11. ‘The Empire have become dishonest and unscrupulous, with no regard to the wishes of the Indian people.’ This article was written by Gandhi in 1920, which is shortly after the Amritsar Massacre, and the reliability of it is not that high as it is published in his own newspaper. Although it is still useful as Gandhi was a highly influential figure and supported by the masses so what he said would be key. Using strong words such as dishonest and unscrupulous, suggests strong feelings of hostility towards British rule. Also Gandhi feels as though the British are almost cheating the Indian people, meaning that the British are doing what they want without consulting the people they are ruling over. This source shows that the hostility felt by Indians was in fact widespread as it is written by Gandhi, a man who represented and was supported by the masses within India. This source does suggest that the Amritsar Massacre did create widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule. This theme of hostility towards British is also shown within Source 10, ‘Irresponsible government rights of human beings are denied to us.’ This extract is from a speech made by Motilal Nehru at the meeting of Congress a few days after the Massacre occurred. The usefulness of this is not as high as source 11 as we cannot be sure if the hostility was long-lasting as it is the same year as the Massacre itself. Although the reliability is still high Nehru was addressing the whole of Congress meaning he could not lie and also as it a few days after the Amritsar Massacre would increase the reliability as it will show the true feelings of Nehru. This extract shows that the Indians once again felt that the British were doing as they pleased without Indian voices being heard, which is also shown in source 11. However, as this source is written by Motilal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress, it is difficult to say from this source that hostility was in fact widespread as Nehru only represents the Indian National Congress which has the high caste community as a significant majority. Although this source does not show that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians, however it does suggest that it was leading to this point. However, the alternative view shown within source 12 is that Indians were not hostile towards the British, but they were in fact appreciative of their help and did not feel that they were repressive. ‘Without British protection we would not be completely oppressed by their majority.’ This extract was from a Muslim shoe merchant, Hafiz Hussain, investigating Hindu-Muslim riots during the civil disobedience campaign in 1931. This extract is useful and also reliable as it is from a common Muslim who would have no reason to lie and would give an overview and insight into the situation. As Hafiz Hussain is talking about the pressure the Hindus put the Muslims under to close their shops as a mark of respect for an executed terrorist, he is glad that the British are protecting them as they would have no choice in closing their shops as the majority would oppress them into doing so. This shows that this hostility towards the British was not caused by the Amritsar Massacre but that of the execution of a terrorist. This suggests that the Amritsar Massacre was not the only reason widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule was created, it shows that other factors came into play. The view that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards the British is shown mainly within source 11, as it is the most useful and reliable source, but also source 10 as well. Although source 12 does suggest that there were other factors leading towards the hostility among Indians towards the British its provenance is not as great as those of sources 10 and 11 combined. As source 10 is the most useful and reliable at showing the widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians due to the Amritsar Massacre it outweigh the points given by source 12. Suggesting that that the Indian people did have widespread and long-lasting hostility towards British rule because of the Massacre.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Toyota Hr Policies Essay Example for Free

Toyota Hr Policies Essay INTRODUCTION Toyota is one of the worlds largest automobile manufacturers, selling over 8.8 million models in 2006 on all five continents. A Top 10 Fortune Global 500 enterprise, Toyota ranks among the worlds leading global corporations and is proud to be the most admired automaker, an achievement the company believes stems from its dedication to customer satisfaction. Toyota has been shaped by a set of values and principles that have their roots in the companys formative years in Japan. The Toyota story begins in the late 19th century, when Sakichi Toyoda invented Japan’s first power loom, which was to revolutionize the country’s textile industry. In January 1918, Sakichi founded the Toyoda Spinning Weaving Company, and with the help of his son, Kiichiro Toyoda, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of building an automatic loom in 1924. Two years later, he established Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. Like his father, Kiichiro was an innovator, and during his visits to Europe and the U.S. in the 1920s, he became deeply interested in the nascent automotive industry. Making the most of the  £100,000 that Sakichi Toyoda received for selling the patent rights of his automatic loom, Kiichiro laid the foundations of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), which was established in 1937. From looms to cars, the Toyota experience has been shaped by extending the boundaries of manufacturing. GENERAL HR POLICIES The Toyota company-wide culture is the key ingredient in its success as the global leader in operational excellence. They achieved by the following means * Attracting, developing, and engaging exceptional people * Encouraging problem solving at all levels of your organization * Making management accountable to employees * Inspiring your people to be committed to the company, family, and community * Turning your HR department into the arbitrators of fair and consistent daily practices DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPURTUNITY 1. Toward Promotion of Womens ParticipationIn 2002, based on the principle of respecting diversity and with the aim of reforming management throughout the company, Toyota set its sights on womens participation, reviewing its arrangement with regard to female employees, and taking steps to put a better environment in place. In order to promote the creation of an environment more conducive to participation by motivated female employees, Toyota has made a three-pronged effort to: * Help enable women to work and raise children at the same time; * Assist in womens career building, * Reform the working environment and employee awareness. Toyota has also introduced flexible working arrangements and constructed child-care facilities at business sites. 2. EMPLOYMENT FOR DISABLED PERSONAs of March 2003, Toyota employed about 800 disabled people in many kinds of positions at various workplaces. Toyota believes in helping the disabled achieve autonomy within society, and makes it a basic rule to have them work together with other employees. Human consideration is given to the conditions of their disability at the business sites and ways are devised to accommodate them in workplace facilities so as to create a workplace environment that is safe and easy to work in. As of the end of March 2003, Toyotas disabled employee’s ratio was 1.95%, exceeding the 1.8% Legal Employment Quota.| 3. TOYOTA CHILD CARE BUBU LANDIn March 2003, the Toyota Child Care Bubu Land, an on-site childcare facility (in Toyota City, Head Office area), was opened so that all employees, both male and female, who wished to continue working while raising children could do so without worry. The facility has many useful features, which include having a resident nurse on the staff and staying open until 10:30 pm. One female employee using the facility (with a one-year-old child in care) expressed her sentiments in the following way: Its located at the company, so drop-off and pick-up are easy, and I can continue working without having to worry if extra work should suddenly crop up. PRACTICE OF THE TOYOTA WAY| Toyota Way| Values and ways of thinking that should be held by those working for Toyota| Toyota problem-solving techniques| Techniques for improving current conditions in order to realize ideal working conditions| Ji Kotei-Kanketsu (Built-in quality with ownership)| How to work in order to continually produce the best output| Education of subordinates| Systems for training subordinates through ones daily work| Policy management| Managing implementation items that should be initiated in order to accomplish workplace missions and create new value| Basic skills| Minimum skills necessary for production line work| Production skills| * Knowledge regarding recognizing irregularities and work points * Trouble-shooting capability| Skills and Roles of Management and Supervision| * Manager and supervisor skills for soundly managing standard operations * | | ICT PROGRAM FOR SELF-RELIANCE OF AFFILIATES AND CONTRIBUTION TO LOCAL COMMUNITIESIn order to promote self-reliance in overseas affiliates, the ICT (Intra Company Transferee) program temporarily transfers employees of overseas affiliates to TMC for human resource development through on-the-job training. Transferees learn skills and know-how throughout their training periods which range from six months to three years. As of the end of April 2012, a total of 450 transferees from 48 affiliates in 27 countries were working in Japan under the program| |

Friday, September 20, 2019

Waterfall Model Vs Prototyping Model

Waterfall Model Vs Prototyping Model Software products developed in todays era are mostly customer oriented. It is either drives the market or it driver by market. Customer Satisfaction was the main aim in the 1980s. Customer Delight is todays logo. Market needs more customers oriented and less emphasizes on the technology. Though the technology factor is always the prime factor behind the deliverables, the product should always satisfy the customer needs. The product development should start focusing on the customer requirements in case of both the retail based products and products developed based on pre-defined specifications. The software products like other engineering products have various types of development or manufacturing strategies to obtain the final output. The most famous software development strategies are as follows: Waterfall Model Evolutionary Model or Prototyping Model Incremental Model Spiral Model The most used models are Waterfall models used for generally small scale projects and single release based software products, whereas the Prototyping Model is used for developing large scale products generally developed in multiple parts rather than single release also called version of release. The software developments strategy I prefer is Prototyping Model. The reason for selecting the Prototyping Model encourages progressive strategic development with course of time. With prototyping model, I am also using non-agile approach and USDP methodology as active part of the development process. The usage of the prototyping non-agile approach and USDP methodology is justified below to be the best choice for my Project. WATERFALL MODEL vs. PROTOTYPING MODEL Waterfall Model is a flow based model which consist of following phases:- 1. System/Information Engineering and Modeling 2. Software Requirements Analysis 3. Systems Analysis and Design 4. Code Generation 5. Testing 6. Maintenance A Waterfall method of software development has to pass through every phase once, and not meant to go back to previous phase again. Once the requirements request made freeze, changes cant be done during any phase. That is why, it is used rarely now a days. Due to this If there is any change in requirements, and then it becomes difficult as well as costly affair. Apart from this each phase takes a lot of time to produce solution for its consecutive next phase as it is irreversible process the solution should be well optimized and satisfactory. If one phase result goes wrong means subsequent phases get effected. Prototyping Model is a technique that uses the technique of replication of few aspects or feature of expected product and it is then developed upon it to obtain the full software. It can be called designing of software prototypes or temporary versions of software program being developed for full edition deliverables. The main theme behind the prototyping is to allow users to evaluate developers proposal for the design of expected product based on real time analysis by user rather than interpreting by the developers themselves. So it is also referred as an efficient way of controlling the prototype that act as a key factor in the commercial relationship between clients and respective solution provider. The client and the contractor can compare if the software made matches the software specification, according to which the software program is built. In Prototype strategy of development as we create a number of Prototypes of the product, before the release of final one. We release number of Prototypes with some differences between them just as versions, and take client opinion, and modify the final Product, as per client suggestions. Prototype is developed by keeping currently known requirements in the mind. Development of prototype undergoes design, coding, testing like phases which give client an actual feel of the system. Prototype is a model which looks exactly like Software development life cycle (SDLC). AGILE MODELvs NON-AGILE MODEL Agile software development is mainly based on iterative development in which solutions are generated from the collaboration between the phases and functional teams of development. The agile software development approach has taken the software developing industry by storm. Agile software development has been en vogue in this decade. It started with the popularity of Extreme Programming (XP) and Kent Becks series of books on the topic. Somewhere it creates a misleading impression that agile is not formal and hence maintenance cost is reduced or controlled by spending more on up-front design. Of course, traditional (non-agile) methods shine in other areas. Agile methods are counter indicated, for example, where there are no system experts, so that only exhaustive study can possibly reveal whats truly needed. Most agile methods are, of course, informal, and so will not work unaltered in a problem area where formality is one of the requirements; but enough agile methods have been formally documented that for any formal project where exhaustive study is NOT a requirement, there should be precedent for using a (formal) agile method. Non-Agile software development provides a traditional simple way to develop software. It reduces the whole cost as well as time consumed in the development. It is less affected from the type of resources. Management information system (MIS) A management information system (MIS) is a process that provides the information which are essential to run an organization professionally. MIS are totally different from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities in the organization. Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making. MIS are computer-based system that provides managers with the tools for organizing, evaluating and efficiently running their departments. In order to provide past, present and prediction information, an MIS can include software that helps in decision making, data resources such as databases, the hardware resources of a system, decision support systems, people management and project management applications, and any computerized processes that enable the department to run efficiently. MIS are designed for ease of any type of business or organization. Now almost every kind of organization has its own MIS. It is a suite of software applications that together make it possible for people or businesses to store, modify, and extract information from a database. There are many MIS places in your everyday life like in banks, hospitals, hotels; colleges and universities have their own management system. MIS are helpful for organizations and institutes. Universities have their own managements systems. There are many departments in a university like examination, admission, registration, administration, hostel, finance. All these are required a proper and complete management, so for this reason MIS are designed to manage these departments. Every department has its own MIS which is specifically designed to handle its operation like data retrieval, storage and modification. Whenever the internet came every organization and institute is try to provide the better facilities through making their MIS online to satisfy their client. Todays every company and organization is moving on internet and building database in such a way that provided the better facilities and interaction to their clients as compare to past. Library information system (LIS) LIS are designed to record and maintain the information related books and activities of library. LIS plays unavoidable role in a university library because it provides the information about all types of books in a better organized manner. LIS keeps the track of all the books in a university. It contains records of each and every book and the members who borrowed the book. In other aspects LIS also serves as an accounts manager for library. It tracks and calculates possible fines, takes care for member securities and when required provide monetary calculation related to library to the university accounts office which manages university financial resources. The LIS is always ready to share data with the university central accounting system [1]. Traditionally manual file based systems serve as LIS in universities. Registers and note books are used to maintain records for available and borrowed books. A university having multiple departments normally has requirement to maintain a separate register for each department and sometimes for each session a department may demand to have a separate register. This builds a large register set which is very difficult to maintain and is highly error prone. In such scenarios to issue book needs much effort whereas at the same time to calculate and report monetary issues, and perform other managerial tasks may sometimes take days or even weeks. The library user pool is mainly the students and the university staff. Library cards are issued to each of them. When Students or staff members borrow books from library, the librarian needs to search for the relevant register and enter the information of borrower and the borrowed book on relevant page. At the same time he needs to assure that the member should be clear from library issues, the book can be borrowed and it is also his responsibility to provide the member with his time to possess the book. Sometimes members are not known to timings or forget to return the book in time even when they want to return it. In manual management of LIS it is not possible to regulate to process of warnings for library members when their returning dates are near to come. On the very other side where student are staff also feel very difficult to integrate with such system because the most irritating part of this system for them is the time took on any process, either to borrow book or to search book or most irritating when they need their clearance from the library and it take a day to just get a single signature. The only solution to these drawbacks of manual LIS lies in automation of the library information system by computerizing it and integrating with other management systems of a university. By automation of LIS it means to develop a fully computerized system that serves to enable the complete library operations through computers. Automations have some traditional advantages over manual systems like no paper work required and easy to backup, higher consistency of data and it is possible to schedule those tasks which are somewhat impossible in manual systems. Similarly, in context of LIS automation results in ease of library administration, control and tracking processes. The convenience of both librarians and members who use library is increased due to higher decrease of time. It becomes a matter of minutes to perform managerial tasks and estimating monetary matters and many other issues which are never resolved in manual systems. It all becomes wonderful when automation also occurs in making the system online, because through this the system becomes available for 24 hours 7 days a week. It means the student has no need to go through so many book racks to find a book and does not need to go to library to reserve a book. He just needs to go there and get his reserved book. He must not be worried to remember the returning date because he knows that he will be sent an alert indicating the return date of the book he has borrowed. So all this becomes more and more convenient with the increased automation in the process of LIS. LIS Automation for university means to develop a fully computerized system that enables the complete library functions through computers. The system provides the basic set of features to add/update/delete member, add/update/ delete books, search for books, and manage check-in / checkout processes. Automated LIS is designed to meet the needs of libraries both large and small, not only to meet the traditional requirements of a resource centre, but also able to keep track on borrowed books in university. This system is very helpful for university staff, student members and librarians because this system is also interact with the bar code reader and magnetic card reader. When the student and staff members are registered in university they are issued library cards from library. Through this card they can borrow books from the library. When they enter in library their cards are identified through the magnetic card reader and barcode reader is helpful for them in searching the books. The automation of LIS lessens human efforts in university. The maintenance of the records is made efficient, as all the records are stored in the database, through which data can be update, delete and retrieved easily. It also reduced the chance of frauds and errors because all things are computerized. Existing solution EXISTING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE The existing LIS in university is completely manual and file based. It contains the records of all books and members of the university so this builds a large register set which is very difficult to maintain. In this situation to issue book, return book, fine management, catalog management and member registration verification need much effort whereas at the same time to perform other managerial tasks may sometimes take days or even weeks. C:Documents and SettingsATIFADesktopuntitled.JPG Figure 1: Manual Library System In this system, it is also very difficult to control the process of warnings for library members (student and staff) when their returning dates are near to come. Student and staff members are also faced the problem of book search and borrow. And when they need their clearance from the library, it also takes a day to just get a single signature. In existing manual system all the library members (librarian, staff and students) are faced a lot of difficulties when they are going to issue book, return book, fine management, book catalog management and member registration verification. Issue Book To issue a book in an existing system is a big matter because when student and staff members borrow books from library, the librarian needs to search for the relevant register and enter the information of borrower and the borrowed book on relevant page. At the same time the book can be borrowed when librarian is assured that the member should be clear from library issues. Return Book To return a book process is also very irritating and time consuming as well as the issue book process. Sometimes members are not known to timings or forget to return the book in time even when they want to return it. In this system it is not possible to regulate the process of warnings for library members when their returning dates are near to come because this system is completely manual. Fine Management Because the existing LIS in university is completely manual so the fine management is also a tuff and time consuming task. It is very complicated to tracks and calculates possible fines, takes care for member securities and when required provide monetary calculation related to library to the university accounts office which manages university financial resources. Book Catalog Management University central library contains the records of all books related to its every department and its LIS is manual so the book catalog management is not easy. When members returned the borrowed books then there is no proper management to see is the book is placed at right location or not. To add, delete and search the required book is time consuming process because librarian needs to arrange the proper registers for this. Member Registration Files and registers are used in university for member registration, so that all the student and staff members records are saved on them. When the members information are added, deleted and updated the entries in associated registers are also updated which required a large amount of time. Student and staff members registration information is also required to LIS to issue the library cards of each of them. Library staff adds all these information in registers to keep the track of members of LIS so this is also required enough time. The complete functions of existing system are shown in figure. It represents the overall functionality of library in university. Proposed System Architecture Scope of Proposed System Library System is a library information and knowledge management system. This application is used to support a librarian in managing a book library in university. The system is designed to provide the basic set of to add, delete or update members, add, delete or update books, and search for books processes. The main focus of this system is to reduce human efforts. The maintenance of the records is made efficient, as all the records are stored in the database, through which data can be retrieved easily. Some of the other specific objectives of the Library System are as following: Minimum amount of work should be required. Special hardware such as bar code reader and magnetic card reader should be used with this system for security and efficiency. Permanent storage of data should be done easily by using the database instead of the registers. It provides the interface for librarians to interact with the backend library database. It provides the interface to add, delete or update new student and staff member in the database. It also provides the interface to add, delete or update book information in the book database. GUI to search for a book based on user inputs. It provides the interface to check out of books which are issued by student and staff member. It also checks in the books which are returned by student and staff member. Calculate and manage the record for fine. Provide a facility to automatically send reminders to university members when required. Product Perspective The Library System is developed for the library to help the staff members, students and Librarians to search and borrow books. The system provides information related to books to the members of the library. The Librarian can keep the tracks of books updated all the time so that the student and the staff members get the up to date information all the time. This system is developed to interact with its users like librarian students and staff members of the university. The system has to interact with other systems like: Library System, Member Registration System, Catalog Management System, Accounting System, Email System, Fine and Reminder Bot System, Purchase Management System, and Online Client System of university. Software Requirment specifications Introduction The library system provides the information about the books available in the Library. It provides different type of services for its users, such as reserve book, renew book, check items, and check fines and view hold requests in the account. The following requirements specifications and required functions of the Library System are given below: Library members The Library has university staff and students as its members. All members must be registered with the library and issued with Username and Password for accessing their account in Library System. Book issue and return When a library member login via his account he can issue books. The system restricts the borrow limits as this a staff member can borrow up to 4 books up to 4 weeks and a student can borrow up to 2 books for up to 2 weeks. When a book is borrowed or returned by the library member, the information should be captured in the system and the account of the member should be updated. Only book items can be issued in library, currently journals and magazines should only be read in the library. Fine calculation and send late book reminders The system is able to calculate fines and send reminders to members automatically. When a return date is overdue, information about overdue items, overdue days and accumulated fines is sent to the user via email. Adding and deleting books Librarian is responsible to maintain the information about catalogues and library members. He can add, update and delete books in database. Querying to find books The system provides search functions to library members they can search a book through online catalogue. All book items in library are searched either by ISBN No or Author. Report generation Library system generates reports for the system administration automatically. User characteristics The main users of the system are student and staff members, librarian of the university who maintain the system. It is assumed that the members and librarian have the basic knowledge of internet and computers. This system ensures that the system administrator have enough knowledge of the internals of the system such as he is able to correct the small problems like disk crashes and power failure. The proper GUI, users manual, online help and the guide to install and maintain the system must be provided with the system to educate the users. System Constraints All the users information must be stored in a database that is accessible by the library system. The library system is connected to the university server and that is available 24 hours. The library system is accessible for the users who have internet connection with their computers in university. The Member Registration System, Catalog Management System, Accounting System, Email System, Fine and Reminder Bot System, Purchase Management System, and Online Client System are connected to the Library System and the database used by these systems must be compatible with the interface of the System. The users login into Library System through their username and password which they are assigned. System Assumptions and Dependencies Enough knowledge of computers should be required. To access the system online in university internet connection should be required. Library system can access the university student database. Microsoft SQL Management studio 2005 to store the database. To developed the product by using ASP.Net and C #.Net. Requirements For the Online Table Booking system following features will be provided to the customers related to table reservation. Students/Staff Requirements Search Books Search Issue Book by Student/Staff ID Search Reserve Book by Student/Staff ID Get Fine by Student/Staff Get Total Fine for Student/Staff Analysis Models Design Models The Physical design of the system is developed from logical design, which is completely based on logical design [9]. It is completely based upon the relationship among the data rather than the storage structures. The systematic organization of data which is used in automated system makes a database different form of record keeping [10]. While designing the database for the system, theses facts such as data integration, data sharing, no redundancy and data consistency have been taken care. Physical design consists of Table Design and Specifications. Database Physical Schema Tools and Technologies Tools and technologies refer to the text which describes the used and required technical specifications of the designed system. The system is a kind of information system which is targeted to be an n-tier application without losing desktop application style. The requirement to be n-tier and also to have a desktop application demands for a technology combination where following areas can be integrated to build up the system. Centralized data source Interoperability Ease of use Integrity Availability Integrating with the existing system Rapid development All these areas have their own constraints, some of which make it difficult to introduce them in a single system. While our technology study our team was working to find a solution that can help us in such a situation. In earlier stages we had an idea to provide a client server application where the data source will be centralized server and clients will call that for data services. This idea could have worked if the available time was not very short, so we left this option. Later we found a better solution to design a web application that provides the required services and we started working upon that but soon our team found a complete solution that had solved our problems. Creating a web application has some constraints which are number 2 and 3 in the above list. These constraints were removed by the new solution where we shifted to service oriented architecture and used a protocol based approach to provide data to our client application; this architecture is named as SOAP Service Oriented Architecture Protocol. Deciding finally on our system architecture we decided to use the same database management system, which is used by the university website. This decision was to support to integration of the new product with the old system and for the same reason we had used the web technology used by the website. One of the targets of the system design was to lower the cost for the deployment of the developed system, because it will only add up with the existing system and no changed will be required. On the other side no need to buy or manage or maintain any new server. It will just require simple system with required software packages installed and the system will start providing its services. Normally there will be no need to configure the client side application. The coming text will describe the software technologies which were used to design the software with their justification to use them. Server Side: Server side was build with following technologies: ASP.NET The reason to use this web technology is already described above. The website for University of Sargodha is designed using ASP.NET and is currently active and working. So to support integration with the existing web application our team decided that we must use the same technology there are using. It is very famous Microsoft technology and is used to build any kind of web solutions from simple personal websites to n-tire enterprise level web application. In comparison with other similar technologies like PHP and Java Server Pages it focuses on development of quality products rapidly. MSSQL Server 2005 MSSQL server is a database management system which is a product of Microsoft. It is very famous with medium scaled data driven business solutions. It supports client server architecture and at the same time it also provides parallel user access to the databases. Such kind of DBMS also sounds good for web technologies. In normal practice MYSQL another DBMS is used more frequent on web due to the compatibility of MYSQL with LINUX / UNIX based operating systems. MSSQL is only compatible with Windows based operating systems. Similar is the case with ASP.NET, from the introduction of MSSQL 2005 and ASP.NET both are known to be the best for each other for web technologies. The university website is also using the same combination and that is why we also are using the same technology. Web Services Web Services are a technology which is derived to provide a central source not only to provide data but also to receive data. There are many pros when we talk about this technology. Its expandability is inherited from web. Similar to a website a web service can also have unlimited number of clients, only constrained by the hosting server of the web service. This was the biggest reason to use web services in the designed solution. It does not cause change in the existing architecture of the system, but just add to the existing system. This kind of integration ability was very useful for the designed system. Web service use a protocol named SOAP which uses xml to transfer data to/from the clients of the web service. The global nature of xml enables another option in web services, that they do not restrict their clients to be the one kind of system. Any system, which can generate the kind of xml schema required for a web service and can receive and interpret the returned xml document from the web service, can call it. Another reason that made us to use the web services was the ease to call them, we called them from our desktop application where they worked just like normal routine calls, and it made it easier to proceed with the same system. Crystal Reports This technology refers to generating reports from vast data to support business decision; in our system we used crystal reports to generate several reports which are help full in providing the results regarding the library information to higher management. The reason to use this technology was to make it easier to generate reports. We concluded the ease with crystal reports from there automatic database interpretation and retrieving objects from the database schema to design reports. Reports designed in crystal reports are also not very specific to IT; their design can be modified by any designer so university is not constrained to us for required change after the deployment. Client Side: .NET The name Dot Net refers to a Microsoft technology framework which is intended to design managed and secure applications. The reason we used this framework was the ease and speed of development which is supported by .NET. The application, build on .NET assemblies needs .NET to be installed on the system where the application has to run. Our client application requires pre installation of .NET on the hosting system to run on it. The application was built using .NET 2.0 so at least .NET 2.0 or any newer version can support the application. Visual C# It is a programming language with is supported by .NET development environments. The reason to choose this language was to focus on the functionality of the system rather than bug fixing. Communication Method The server side of the system has to be deployed on a web server with the existing website. So considering this the system uses Ethernet as the communication medium to send and receive data from web services. To call/discover the web services the system uses HTTP protocol to send and receive requests to web services. Browser Technology While developing the web based interface, we have tried to make it well formed on most famous browsers which are IE6, Firefox 3.0 and Chrome 1.0. In all of these browsers it has almost similar and well formed look and feel. Another browser is targeted theoretically, which is safari. But this browser is not tested. Regarding to studied problems most of the layout is static which has a complete compatibility in all browsers. No layout uses absolute or relative positioning. System Evaluation introduction The library information management system is designed and developed using the client server architecture and is implemented

Thursday, September 19, 2019

trees :: essays research papers

Trees are terrific. They cover the world and provide air and beauty for all to enjoy. Yes indeed trees are terrific. There are many uses for trees and their byproducts. Everywhere we look there are trees or some kind of shrub that always give us something to look at.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trees make life more pleasant. They make the world beautiful. When we go and lay in parks where there are lots of trees we feel peaceful, at ease, and most of all happy. Trees make life more pleasant. Trees make people more at ease and have also shown that hospital patients recover faster when they around trees. People have strong ties with trees. Some people always remember that one tree that they grew up around and never forget it for as long as they live. The strength that trees have gives people a feeling of self strength to help them get through everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of trees are private property, but that does not mean that they are not part of the community also. Since trees are everywhere, there is a lot of planning that goes into the placement of trees so that they benefit everyone. Trees provide people with privacy for their homes and yards. Trees also serve an architectural function as well. Many architects use trees to improve the looks of a businesses and public areas to make people more at home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trees also benefit the environment. They alter the environment in which we live by moderating the climate, improving the air quality, conserving our water source and harboring wildlife. They take in energy from the sun, block the wind, and rain. Trees also control the temperature. In the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. The larger the tree, the greater the cooling, the better a person feels because they are not in the sun. Air quality is also improved through the use of trees, shrubs and turf. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing the dust and other particles from the air.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Cousin’s Funeral :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Cousin’s Funeral I dreamt once that I was in love with my cousin Rob Campbell. In the dream, he was rosy and cherubic. When we kissed, he was soft. In the morning, my lips remembered Rob’s kisses. I felt the sensation dancing quietly just above my skin, woven and brushed, like a cashmere sweater. I talked to my dad over instant messenger and told him that I had a dream that Rob was my lover. I didn’t want to tell him this, embarrassed, but something seemed to propel me forward. He typed his response, slowly. I waited. â€Å"That’s O.K,† the screen read. â€Å"I dreamed a lot about my brother when he died too.† My grandfather Hank died one day in my living room. He fell out of bed and called to my mom, singing on the night air, â€Å"Peggy, Peggy...† No one heard him until it was the cusp of dark and light. There was a moment when he died. He was a fountain of coagulation and mucus. He was very pale and his skin looked like a molded piece of white rubber. I was 16 but I felt like an infant in that moment when my grandfather took his last breath. At Rob’s visiting hours, there is a reception line. His mother and father and sister and brother stand up next to the casket. My dad and mom—his uncle and aunt—are up there too, along with my paternal grandparents and my dad’s brother Mark. I sit in the back with my brother and his wife and my boyfriend. I watch as the room fills with people. The line toward the casket is jumbled and when people first enter the room, they don’t see Rob. They see Debbie and Paul and Becky and Aaron first. Then, as the line straightens out, they see Rob, white and chalky. I watch as mouths open, lips quiver, eyes close, Rob’s apples jump, breaths halt. I feel bad watching their pain so I watch their hands instead. Hand to hand. Grasping hands of my dad and my grandfather. Strangers. Sweaty hands, clammy hands, nervous hands, sad hands. At one point, my grandmother leaves the receiving line. She is wearing the purple flowered dress from J.C. Penney that she wore to my high school graduation. â€Å"Susan, I’m glad James and I got the flu shot,† she whispers to me on her way to the bathroom.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Everything you Need to Know About Human papillomavirus Essay

Chances are you have at least came into contact with the human papilliomavirus and had no clue you did. Most adults have whom are sexually active have been exposed to HPV, with as many as 20 million estimated Americans to be infected with the strains that cause genital warts. The good news, most cases have no symptoms of health problems. Now for the bad news, it causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer . In many ways, you can compare HPV to genital herpes. Both are incurable and rarely have symptoms. However, both are capable of causing medical problems and are both widespread in this country. Luckily, HPV only causes cancer in a small percentage of those infected. Besides cervical cancer, which is usually all that ever gets mentioned when discussing this infection, HPV can also cause cancer of the vulva, penis, head, neck, and anus, but these are extremely rare. These viruses are called papillomavirus because they tend to cause warts, or papillomas. Which are benign tumors. Warts caused from HPV can appear in the hands, feet or on/around the genital area. The strains of HPV that cause warts on the hands and feet are rarely the same as the ones that cause genital warts. There are about two hundred different types of HPV. Only about forty strains are caused from some form of sexual contact and only a handful are associated with cervical cancer. More than ninety-five percent of HPV viruses cause no symptoms and problems. The Gardasil vaccine, a serious of three shots over a period of six months, was approved for women between the ages of thirteen and twenty-six. This vaccine was shown to prevent HPV strains sixteen and eighteen, strains causing seventy percent of cervical cancer. Gardisil does not cure or prevent all strains of HPV. Researchers don’t know if patients who show no symptoms are as contagious as the ones who are.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Quantitative Research and Black Males Essay

On the run: Wanted men in a Philadelphia Ghetto. American Sociological Association, 74(3), 339-357. After reading the article, it was clear that it was written to give insight on what really happens in black neighborhoods and how daily lives are affected. Goffman’s (2009) purpose is to show that, â€Å"Although recent increases in imprisonment are concentrated in poor Black communities, we know little about how daily life within these neighborhoods is affected† (p. 39). Additionally, there are no research questions directly stated, but are implied throughout the article as to how exactly prejudice and racism towards the black communities can affect a black person’s life and to those around him. The major independent variable in the analysis is that over the years, young black males with little or no education have been imprisoned at least once in their life. The number of people being incarcerated keeps growing. The dependent variable ,or effect, of this cause is how being incarcerated even just once, can affect their daily lives in getting employment and always being on the run because of fear of being incarcerated again. The article did show theoretical frameworks as part of the literature review which focused on young uneducated black males. This article focused on the failure of young black men’s color, on how they could get arrested just by being seen as a black male. Other research and/or studies would focus on the â€Å"ghetto,† not just as a black male ghetto, but possibly people from other origins who live in ghettos such as Latino gang members. Goffman (2009) focuses only on black male gender theory. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the article. For quantitative methods, a percentage of black males being imprisoned were shown. As evidence, Pettit and Western (2004) stated, â€Å"30 percent of those with only high school diplomas have been to prison, and 60 percent of those who did not finish high school have prison records by their mid-30s,† (p. 39). Wildeman (2009) also stated, â€Å"One in four Black children born in 1990 had a father imprisoned,† (p. 339). For the qualitative method, Goffman (2009) used descriptive events and places that she was actually involved and observed in. The research design made the article more understanding and interesting by giving us a clear picture of how pe rcent numbers grew for black males being incarcerated and how the outcome of it affected their daily lives. In order to obtain information for the article, Goffman (2009) would actually spend time hanging out with young male men who had a record of being incarcerated and living in a bad neighborhood where cop surveillance had increased. Goffman (2009) would be, â€Å"spending most of my waking hours hanging out on Chuck’s back porch steps, or along the alley way between his block and Mike’s block,† and â€Å"for the next four years I spent two and six days a week on 6th street and roughly one day a week visiting members of the group in jail and prison,† (p. 42). The data collection Goffman (2009) obtained consisted of observations and actually taking field notes with the young men’s consent, although she would not directly ask questions. Goffman (2009) used quotes of what people would say by, â€Å"typing it down directly onto a laptop or by using a cell phone text message,† (p. 342). She also interviewed lawyers, police officers, probation officer s and a judge to get more research information for the article. Goffman (2009) analyzed the data she obtained by observing actual events that went on in Black communities and placing them in the article very descriptively. They were systematically described by the events being in order and giving readers a clear view of imagining what exactly was happening. As a result of all the evidence put together, Goffman (2009) found out that because black males had been incarcerated they were the main target of being incarcerated again because of their color, due to this fact they live in fear of going back to jail and are always on the run. They cannot keep a decent life and those around them such as family, friends, and girlfriends use the fact that they can be incarcerated again to their advantage to get money, keep them â€Å"in check†, and to get payback if they’ve been done wrong by them. Goffman (2009) also stated that, â€Å"Young men also turn their wanted status into a resource by using it to account for shortcomings or failures that may have occurred anyway,† (p. 354). These findings are accurately and adequately described so that readers can evaluate the claims and have a good picture of how their lives are affected. The research findings matter to me in a sense that I now have a much broader understanding on what black males go through in the type of neighborhoods that they live in. I was able to see how prejudice and racism also play a big role in young black male men being the target of being incarcerated. The issue in American society that may have shaped this article and research is racism because due to a male’s color they are automatically suspected of doing something wrong and whether or not they’ve done something wrong at the time they are taken to jail. Very much creditability should be given to the research and findings of this article because it helps us see the side of the story we did not know about. The research is solid and very useful because it helps us understand how and why young male black men live in fear and can’t lead a normal life without actually being caught by authorities. Goffman’s (2009) article helps provide a new outlook on how lives are in fact affected in Black neighborhoods.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Marketing Plan Power Point Presentation Essay

The purchase of the new hotel brings many opportunities as well as challenges. As the Human resources department, we have to done thorough research to find ways to accomplish all concerns presented by the executive team. We have found ways to address financial concerns, marketing, and operation concerns. We have also included concerns found by the human resources department and created was to address the concerns. Also included is our recommendation on the merger. Start-up costs and finance concerns The Chief Finance Officer is concerned about startup costs of the acquisition to include increased labor costs, renovations, and the higher salary being paid to the current Italian workers. In the start-up phase, training will be crucial and will come with a cost. The money has to be spread out in a few areas such as management and staff training-this will cover chain of command, hotel administration, finances, customer complaints, customer service, maid service, room service, restaurant services, fitness center cleaning, pool cleaning, and daily operations of the hotel chain. Language and culture courses should be the initial training focus so as to avoid language barrier and cultural conflicts between staff and guests, as it is imperative that we all know a little about each Nation’s language and culture. Equipment training-The hotel will be modernized with computers. The system will have a website for online booking, payments, complaints, maps, local features for tourists, and any other information a guest may want or need. The system will be used within the hotel for check in and checkout, bill handling, maid servicing, laundry acquisitions, room service, dining facility, training courses in culinary arts, food handling, and restaurant management. In the training process we have to get all of the employees (both American and Italian) in synch with each other. This will help with language and cultural barriers, should those issues arise. In the matter of employment money is always the issue. In this hotel chain all staff will bpaid based on their position and duties within the hotel. All employees will be evaluated every six months to establish whether a pay raise is warranted or not. Benefits will include health insurance, dental insurance, and paid vacations. Marketing Concepts I agree with the Chief Marketing Officer in that there will be added expense in marketing globally and in a foreign language. Our marketing strategy would have to take a different direction when promoting the hotels in Italy. Since we won’t be an â€Å"Albergo Italiano† we will still be an American hotel situated in another country. The Italian economy is dominated by small, family run hotels and organizations – 92 percent of Italian businesses are small or medium sized ((â€Å"Doing Business in Italy; 2012 Country Commercial Guide for U. S. Companies†, 2012). Our marketing strategy could focus on appealing to tourists who want the experience of being in Italy, but the comforts of a hotel chain that they are familiar and comfortable with. Our U. S. based company will face strong competition from local and other European based hotels, which can be achieved by maintaining our American hotel reputation and charm. Our goal is to keep the culture, quality and customer service of the hotel chain up to the same standards as in the U. S. By going global, it will give our current customers more options and opportunities to travel and still be able to stay in the comfort of a Pinnacle hotel. I don’t feel that decertifying the union at the startup is a good process. Unions are a good idea, but when you think about, having unions involved can cause things to get a bit more complicated. My advice it to try and get close to the union leaders and build a strong working relationship with them. Assuring them that the employees’ needs matter. I would recommend negotiating a lower benefits package to reduce labor costs. Daily Operations To address the goals of the Chief Operations Officer I have research position at other international hotels to find the best ways to produce high quality service. Since, the hotel will be servicing many customers with language as well as employee different nationalities. Manager positions will be created to accomplish administrative duties required from executive team and will oversee multiple departments. All managers will be required to have extensive training and experience in hotel management. Also, there should be a preference for managers with international hotel experience and that are multi-lingual. With the new merger, managers with that type of experience will be the best with communicating with employees and customers of different nationalities. With Europe having a high international market of hotels and 40 percent of its population speaking two or more languages, it will be the best place to recruit for manager positions. We should pay them over the current market pay to be aggressively recruit and maintain managers. Also, we should create department supervisor for all of the different areas. The department supervisor would be a liaison between lower level employees and managers and ensure that all tasks are being completed daily. They will also be able to investigate and communication with problems in each department to relieve the managers of some of the hands on duties. Supervisors will be crossed trained to fill in other sections to create flexibility when another supervisor is sick or on leave keeping the continuity of quality service on a daily basis. To recruit supervisor, the company should meet the current market for pay, this will decrease turn over, but if one to leave we would then hire a team leader from within the department. Supervisors recruited from the local region will have first-hand experience working with the Italy’s union enabling them to best supervise employees within regulations of the unions. A preference will for supervisors speaking more the one language will be preferred, but we would create programs and incentives to help facilitate learning different languages. After researching positions of other hotels, a team lead for each section has proven to be beneficial. The team lead has the most experience of the lower level employees but has no supervisory experience and only fills in when the supervisor is not in the department. Lastly, lower level positions that can be taught buy on the job training and will only complete daily tasks with in their departments. They will not be crossed trained due to the fact that we would pay lower than the current market pay and increase the number of employees as compared to other hotels. Although this could create a higher turnover rate, replacements would be easy to finds and the continuity will have little if no interruption. A separated department will need to be created to maintain of the building. One of this highest skills found in Greece was construction and general contracting. With Greece having a high unemployment rate and the readily available skills, it would be the prime place to recruit from to fill the department. Human Resource and Personnel Management My role as the Chief Human Resource Officer is to ensure that the employees of the organization have the right knowledge, skills, and abilities now and in the future. It is vital that the CHRO obtains a knowledge of the area that they will be working in, as there are many factors to consider in determining what is best for the organization as a whole. By purchasing the hotel chain in Italy, the company will be able to grow and expand cultural diversity into the company. U. S. based employees will have the ability to travel and learn a new culture and new type of work environment, this could support retention and would potentially be a strong recruiting tool for quality employees. It would give current employees new benefits, such as travel pay if they were assigned to Italy. Also, all employees would have the opportunity to learn basic Italian culture and language, helping to make the employee feel empowered and important. Our company is a non-union company, but in Italy the hotels are run by unions. This could cause a problem as the Italian workforce does not work outside of their defined job descriptions and duties. The current staff is not properly trained to take on more responsibilities at their current wages. This would require the company to retrain those employees into the positions creating a higher startup cost and more time to provide the training. Another issue is the culture of the Italians, they are accustomed to having more time off from work, more say in how the company’s operations are conducted, and they also have boundaries when it comes to their work schedule and limitations on what they perform. That could cause problems with U. S. employees, since they are not accustomed to limited position descriptions and are used to being able to perform a variety of tasks. Another potential problem is the lack of EEO laws in Italy. As the CHRO it is our responsibility to ensure that our employees are protected under the current laws and regulation. Our employees are very aware of the importance of EEO laws so the lack of the same respect for this law in Italy could disenfranchise individuals, especially when it comes to sexual harassment. On the other hand, training the Italians to follow the U. S. EEO laws could cause problems in recruitment, since they may feel that they do not have to follow U. S. laws in Italy. Lastly, the Italians are used to benefits that are required by the Unions. Our company does not have a department to deal with Unions, so we would have to assemble a team that could negotiate benefits for the Italians. We would have to find out if U. S. employees would be receiving those same Union benefits and if they would be required to pay Union dues. This could cause problems with our U. S. employees if they do not want to join a Union. Furthermore, if we are succeed in negotiating lower benefits, then Italian recruitment could be low, since they would rather work in another hotel that would provide higher benefits. Recommendation In summary, there are pros and cons to acquiring hotels in Italy. It would give a new set of skills to our current employees. It would allow our US employees the ability to travel and learn new skill sets. It would also broaden the culture of this company and be able to give the current employees the benefits of learning a new culture and a new language. It would open up the company to global recognition and more vacation choices for our current customers. On the other hand, it will not be an easy transition. Current Italian employees are limited in how long they can work, what positions they can fill, and are unfamiliar with our EEO laws. The Italians lack of knowledge, skill and abilities would cost this company a lot manpower, which needs to be calculated to see if it is worth the cost. The Italians are also used to obtaining many benefits that this company is not accustom to giving. A new separate department would need to be created to be able to negotiate and speak to the Unions. All of these issues would need to be addressed prior to obtaining the hotels and the Finance Department would need to be able to calculate the cost and benefits. As the CHRO, we recommend acquiring the Italian chain as the long term benefits outweigh the initial start-up costs and concerns.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Accounting Treatment of Intangible Assets

Accounting Treatment of Intangible Asset Draft Pace University ACC692 Summer I By Yigal Rechtman July 30, 2001 Introduction What is the problem? Accounting for intangibles has gained prominence in the past few decades due to changes in the way the business world operates. The technological revolution and in particular, the information age, has brought intangible resources to the fore of the business environment. Businesses ( even the most traditional production manufacturers ( are moving towards an information age where a competitive edge is increasingly linked to resources other than the fixed and liquid assets as understood by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Some research has shown that accounting for Intangible Assets (IA) – a general term that will be defined and separated later – will fulfill the accuracy requirement of the accounting functions and reports. Other research has shown that accuracy will have to be traded off with relevance of the accounting functions and reports. Still other research claims that neither accuracy nor relevance are served by accounting for resources that do not meet the current definitions of Assets under GAAP. Accordingly, there are two questions regarding the accounting for IA: 1. Should the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles recognize as financially relevant and accurate events that arise from IA? 2. How should GAAP account, process and present these IA related events (if the answer to question number 1 is positive. ) Question number one is answered in the positive: the existence of IA in the current business environment is proven in repeated investigations. Further, the economic effects of IA on corporations has shown that not disclosing or accounting for such resources amounts to miscomunications regarding the activity and financial state of a business. The research that was used in this paper has shown that Intangible Resources are increasingly a factor in the business world. Intangible resources, as will be discussed below, is a super-set group of strategic elements that contribute to the success of a business. IA, in turn is a sub-set of the Intangible Resources. The paper intends to explore the current range of thinking relative to IA and how such resources should be valued, recognized and presented in the financial reporting of U. S. companies. The question of how to account for IA poses different challenges, some of them related back to the answer of the first question. As this paper will show, recognizing IA on an entity(s books can be seen as a natural next step, especially for certain knowledge industry type businesses. However, the challenges to the issue of recognition remain: how to determine IA in a meaningful manner? How to report IA and what are the possible ramification of alternative accounting treatments? Scope and Method of Exploring the ProblemScope and Method of Exploring the Problem The process of finding information about the topics relating to IA, and obtaining an understanding of the issues, involved an introduction by means of participating in a conference on the subject and obtaining complimentary readings of published articles. The Third Annual Conference on Intangible Assets, sponsored by New York University(s Ross Institute produced a documentary of the presentations, which were used in this paper. Additional published material was obtained through the ABI-Inform database, by searching for (Intangible Assets(, (Intangible Accounting( as well as (Assets Valuation( and (Appraisal, Intangibles( for the years 1976-2000[? ][i]. The search was limited to articles available in full form on line (versus articles in which only the abstract is available on line. ) This paper refers to twenty articles that were obtained through ABI-Inform and ten articles from presenters at the NYU(s conference. Two points should be made in terms of the scope of the discussion. First, the discussion includes IA as it is captured and presented for external, possibly audited, users of the entity(s comprehensive financial statements. Unless otherwise stated, financial statements herein are presented with conformity of United States( Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP). Within the latter confines, estimates such as amortization and useful life of an Intangible Asset (IA), although a valid issue, will be generally out of the scope of this paper. The reason for the limitation is that for cash flow purposes, as well as for balance sheet analysis, such estimates represent regulatory requirements and provide little by way of capturing the essence of the issues surrounding IA. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of this paper is to venture out of the confined safety of U. S. GAAP and investigate what other isms are possible for presentation of a Statement of Financial Position which incorporates intangible assets. The method of this paper consists of discussing the three criteria which are used to assess the alternatives to accounting IA: valuation, recognition and presentation. Each of these criteria is measured on a scale from 0 to 100 (alternatively, from 0. 0 to 1. 0) to show the extent of the departure of the alternative from the currently accepted method, usually the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Because Goodwill is already an established IA under current accounting rules, it will be discussed first (for each criteria) to show the extent of the existing treatment. Although other IA such as Human Capital or Patents exist, they are often either unaccounted for or simply replaced by a generic (Goodwill( entry on the books. Although they are all intangible resources[? ][ii], it can be shown that not all are Assets (as defined herein). This paper will also explore the possibility that, perhaps intangible assets such as Human Capital should not be substituted for by the generic (Goodwill( entry. Definitions Some unclear, overlapping and unstructured definitions occupy the set of IA issues. in turn, some researchers have used inconsistent definitions of IA, reducing the transparency that accountants and financial experts have to discuss these issues. Although excellent analysis has been published, such research is often not consistent in scope or definition to other frame work and conceptual essays that are contemporarily published. Therefore, aside from giving this (creature( a proper name, and calling all its parts using the same taxonomy, coupled here from various sources. The dictionary defines IA as (an asset that is saleable though not material or physical([? ][iii] and (Intangible: †¦ an asset that can not be perceived by the senses†¦ such as Goodwill or dedication([? ]. According to the FASB, an internally generated IA is proposed to be defined[? ][v] as: (1) a past event that has a (2) measurable effect and that presents a (3) future benefit. The FASB Special Report[? ][vi] states that there is not a need for different rules of recognition for internally and externally generated IA. The FASB clarifies that internally generated IA is simply an (Asset( without a physical presence, nor does have to it be an external acquisition: as long as all three tests are conformed with, any business event or process can produce an IA. The FASB further notes that there is an embedded conflict in this definition because it contains a departure from the (historic cost( principle. The move to a (forward looking( definition is defended by the FASB in making an argument for further disclosure, not a modification for the format and content of the existing presentation rules. In this presentation, for the purpose of defining IA (internally or externally generated) the FASB definition will be applicable. Intellectual Capital (IC): A business entity uses three types of capital: physical, financial and intellectual[? [vii]. Intellectual capital (IC) is defined as an intangible asset that is not financial or physical and that has been (formalized, captured and leveraged to produce a higher-valued asset([? ][viii]. The raw material, captured and formalized in the process of capitalization of IC, is knowledge. Knowledge resides within an individual, a group of individuals or entity-wide. Knowledge that is structured in a formal manner (usually with an information system, computerized or otherwise) is just data. When it is purposeful and useful, data is considered information. Information made use of is knowledge[? ][ix], which can become an IC. In the discussion of IC, several disaggregation of IC exist. For the purpose of this discussion, the following categorization will suffice as (all inclusive(. This paper does not intend to be exhaustive in its definitions. It can be shown that other examples of IC can be found (and the definition extended) without diluting the effect of the issues at hand. The classification proposed in this paper uses the following examples of IC: Human Capital, Intellectual Capital and Structural Capital. Human Capital (HC) is arguably the most elusive from accounting for in financial or quantitative terms. Some[? ][x] argue that HC is the most active value driver in the business world today. Intellectual Capital (InC) has been at times presented under different names, too: (Patents and brand names[? ][xi]( or Social Capital (the latter is a definition of a hybrid of Human Capital and Organizational Capital. ) InC, abstractly is intellectual property that stem from (or relate to) innovation within the entity(s business. Structural Capital (SC) can be better described that defined: SC is any leverage that can be described in terms of the relationships of functions within the organization and the leverage of entities outside the organization. For example, a customer base relationship – qualified or quantified – is a SC that can be portrayed as an external relationship; an Enterprise Resource Plan (ERP) that allows departments within a company to facilitate resource allocation is an instance of SC. Goodwill: Goodwill is arguably the most conforming IA to GAAP: It is the excess of Fair Value (FV) over Book Value in a purchase transaction. Currently, treatment of any of IA has been confined to Goodwill produced on the balance sheet from acquisition under the purchase method. As the only allowed IA capitalization, Goodwill appear in many studies pertaining account for IA. For GAAP purposes, three tests are applied to allow recognition of an event as an Asset: 1. the event is a past-event, 2. it is measurable and 3. it contains probable future benefit. Goodwill passes the (past event(, (measurable effect( and (future benefit( tests. The reason Goodwill can be seen as a past event is that it is easy to date the creation of an acquisition under the purchase method where the fair value (FV) of an acquired entity is lower than the adjusted basis (AB) to the acquiring entity. Goodwill arising from a consolidation, merger or takeover transaction has produced inconsistent definitions of the (other( classes of IA. For example, at times a well trained workforce is describe plainly as (unrecognized Goodwill( due to the disallowed recognition under GAAP (the proper classification for such a workforce is HC). Although this paper is not intended to disprove these notions, definition clarification can aid in seeing the general direction of accounting for IA Evaluating possible answers to the question of Accounting Treatment of Intangible Assets Treatment by an accounting method is based on Measurement, Recognition and Reporting dimensions. In order to present these dimensions, this paper will attempt to survey the range of possibilities and plot them on three dimensional coordinate axises of possibilities: 0 being the most conservative point and 100 being the most (daring( in terms of relevance and accuracy. Thus, the treatment of IA can create a multi-dimensional view of the accounting classification, reporting and even auditing. Imagine a three dimensional cube with an X, Y and Z axises. On the X axis spread are the ideas about recognition of IA. On the Y axis we shall plot the various metrics (measurement) that are proposed for IA. Finally on the Z axis will lie the proposed solutions for the presentation aspects of IA. The difference between recognition and metrics should be explored further: metrics are the models upon which, ultimately, monetary amounts are made available for classification. Recognition, on the other hand, are the issues that mandate the accounting perspective of the monetary (and possibly non-monetary, too) information that can be captured. The matter of presentation touches on the financial statement and the disclosure issues that surround IA. Measuring and Valuing Intangible Assets Goodwill measurement is the only existing allowed GAAP-related event. The measurability of future benefit from Goodwill is based on known measures of financial events, namely the Adjusted Basis (also known as Book Value, or AB) and the Fair Value (FV). In a Goodwill event, the FV is the purchase price. The AB amount is discernable; the FV amount can arguably be changed according to market and strategic conditions. This discussion will assume, however, that FV is a fixed amount, available to accountants and the public. Therefore, Goodwill is an excess between two set amounts, Fair Value (of assets acquired) and Adjusted Basis (paid by acquiring entity). By definition, this is a measurable amount. Realizing Goodwill can be stated this way: the reason an acquiring entity is willing to pay more for the acquired entity more than the estimated assets( FV is because of difference of assumptions in the definitions of FV. Therefore, the FV to the acquiring corporation is different than the FV to the acquired corporation: the former sees future cash flow that is greater than the cash flow seen by fundamental look at the balance sheet of the acquired entity. In a sense, this is a statement about the value of the effect of (gamma( ( the effect of (growth( ( in the example given elsewhere in this paper (see Appendix). Thus, the acquiring entity sees a measurable amount of inflow of cash that can justify the excessive cost up front. Current research indicates that IA and, in general, non-financial events are measurable. The main conflict is deciding on which model to rely on, and moreover, which model to use as a standard measurement. The problem with measuring IA is that such measurements are too specific to an industry and perhaps to a particular entity. Research yields plenty of data showing how measurements can be conjured up to measure certain non-financial, intangible events. For example, measurements models exist to quantify information[? ][xii], or the value of business alliances[? ][xiii], et cetera. These models show that values of quantity, rate of growth and other statistics can be obtained at a feasible cost[? [xiv]: (existing techniques and expanded use of nonfinancial metrics seem to offer a more cost effective solution. ( However, the FASB Special Report states that making such proprietary measurements useful for general purpose accounting and financial reporting is not likely. The problem with value models or future-inflow metrics is that they are estimates. Like depreciation schedu les, valuation methods are based on assumptions. Because they often include not just one or two variables but numerous independent variables, the number of assumptions grow at least in linear proportion to the number of variables. For example, a Human Resource valuation model by Skandia, an insurance and financial corporation (Sweden) has been criticized for having up to 140 variables[? ][xv]. Unlike depreciation, which requires disclosure of one or two assumptions, disclosure of such complex models, even if they include only 5 to 10 variables, can be quite unfriendly to the user. Furthermore, a multi-variable model is generally susceptible to greater risk of contradicting of any of the assumptions, leading to invalidating the results of the entire model. Generally, measuring IA is a departure from historical cost[? ][1]. GAAP requires that the cost, or past event principle, guide any valuation. This requirement is in keeping with GAAP(s frame work of conservatism. When an IA is appraised in value it becomes a forward-looking measurement which is not compatible with other elements of GAAP. Future Value is the opposite of the principle of reliability in GAAP driven financial reporting: the accuracy of past events reported is the crucial element of its reliability[? ][xvi]. However, value projection can be manipulated to create certain effects. For example, a projection can be made by Management (and included in a financial report) about the future effect of a certain Internet domain name that is owned by a company, such as (money. com(. The projection is unique enough that it cannot be verified by other sources. In order to have measurability of IA, a compromise between the forward looking and historic cost principles is sought. Seemingly, past-based and future based measuring can not be consistent. It may be possible however to reconcile the projective nature of valuating IA and the required verification by historic cost in GAAP by creating an appraisal mechanism. Arguably, appraisals can be done by means of three approaches[? ][xvii]: cost, comparable market or income. Approaches used in Appraisals: Approaches used in Appraisals The cost approach estimates the value of an asset at an arm(s length transaction; this approach is inapplicable to IA; for example, HC is not measurable or even possible to conceive as an (arm(s length( transaction. Goodwill, also by definition, can not be an (arm(s length( transaction because an excess is paid by a purchaser above the FV of an acquired target. Similarly, SC can not be assessed this way because of its unique, untransferable characteristic. The market approach states that appraisals of similar purchased (or sold) goods or services can be a basis for estimating the value of the transferred property. Although a model for HC or InC can be built based on the market appraisals approach, SC can not be fit into a model that includes transferring assets in an exchange. IA of that nature loses its value in such a transfer. The income approach is most fitting to the accounting use in terms of IA. Present Value analysis is available and established within GAAP as a model. Its application in an IA valuation depends on the class of IA. Goodwill, for example, is inherently suited to the income approach valuation: the excess over FV represents the purchaser(s belief in enhanced cash in flow over a known (fixed) length of time, such that this inflow will surpass not only the declared FV but also the (higher) purchase price. However, SC has little known useful life, as does in part InC. For example, a distributed warehousing corporate structure, or a Just In Time production process can not have a reasonable income based appraised value because their useful life is not known, nor can it be averaged in the same way that for example, investment in employee training (HC) can be. However, HC is not completely compatible with the income approach, either: employee satisfaction and loyalty (both IAs) are similar in concept to the element of (going concern( because once HC(s useful life is in doubt, the going concern of the entity is generally in doubt, too. Users of financial statements are often wary of appraisals as they represent – at best – a range of possibilities. Consequently, an approximation of value diffuses the utility of fundamental analysis of the financial statement in question. At worse, appraisals represent a biased, subjective and diverted view point of the management. Even in an honest attempt to value an IA, a range must by provided or alternatively, a tradeoff measure of (confidence level( accompanies any so-called (fixed( dollar amount. In any way, an Appraisal[? ][xviii] does not produce a consistent monetary measure. On the Y axis all appraisals are at the high read: unsubstantiated, (daring() end, at Y=90. A (Real Options( valuation model describes a series of future inflow of cash (or other benefits or desirable effects, such as employee morale) in a recursive manner: the first event (event number 1) in the series is an evaluation of the chance that a successful beneficial event will come to pass i n the second event (event number 2). For events that are not the first event, (Real Options( model defines the event number N+1 as (if event N has been successful to obtain a desired result, evaluation of the possibility of event N+1 to occur is computed, along with the possible benefit of N+1. If event N has a result that is undesirable, the entire process ends. ( So, instead of seeing the model of future cash flow (or desirable result events), a Real Options model does not have a (useful life( but attempts to predict when the series of events will end and what the accumulated result will be. The Real Options model, however weak (in terms of assumptions or addition to understanding of (useful life(), does solves another conflict in measurement of IA: the conflict between consistency of an entity-specific measurement and the fair-value approach. The key for consistency is that no assumptions are made a-priory to using the model: each step has its own unique scenario and set of assumptions that can be extended and extrapolated by an external user or for internal use[? ][xix]. Because it is a projective model where future benefits are based on some assumptions, it can not be much more conservative than any value model conjured up by managers (or auditors). Consequently, (Real Option(s( place on the Y axis is 85. Proprietary Value Models: Although research abounds with successful examples of special valuation model, the test of consistency is a challenge to these models: (1)consistency of measurement over time (because not enough materials have been collected under any particular model) ; (2)consistency between business units (because the measurements are proprietary and a valuation model that fits an insurance corporation(s will be likely mot fit for a flower-delivery corporation or even an academic institution). And (3)consistency with GAAP: although these measurements are all non-GAAP compliant, by definition of this discussion, they do not rely on GAAP in their assumption. These models often use non-financial reporting assumptions that puts them closer to cost accounting than to financial accounting. For example, banks and lending institutions use proprietary value models to assess credit worthiness of certain IA-laden companies[? ][xx], although these valuations are typically limited to IA such as patents or copyrights because they have leverage in marketable or contractual terms[? ][xxi]. Simply indicating to the user ( external or internal ( that certain valuation is (estimated( or (based on a model( without specifying the assumptions, can lead rendering the valuation an act of providing useless or mis-stated financial value. An abstract standard setting is required to fulfill the task of measuring IA. Attribution of Income: IA can be attributed and recognized by measuring normalized operating income and subtracting the portion of income attributable to other classes of assets. This is a generalized value model that is based on fewer assumptions. It, too, can be located at Y=100. Discussion of examining the range of measurements available for Intangible Assets: On the axis of measurement (Y in this paper), some possible points can be plotted: first, measuring cost is the GAAP derived method (Y=0). For example, historic cost of training, benefits and other outlays of resources can be aggregated to measuring the intangible value of Human Capital, as an asset. Of course, whether such measurement can be recognized or reported must be construed on the respective X and Z axis, as presented elsewhere herein. The historic cost measurement will be on the 0 point of the Y axis (Measurement). In contrast, at the maximum point on the Y axis (Y=100), we plot the concept that allows any proprietary value model. Whether it is acceptable as consistent (read: GAAP compliant) or not, value models are available for managers and users of financial information on any IA-based event. Data mining and computer-oriented accounting information system make creating such models a relatively easy task, albeit a proprietary tool for the reporting entity or industry. Appraisals were often hailed as the magic bullet for such metric setting and some might set that to be the magic (Y=50( on the Y axis. But, as shown earlier in this presentation, appraisals are simply value models that have been warranted or certified and are founded on their own (multiple) assumptions. Because applying the right mix of different appraisals methods, human judgement and experience causes variation in the consistency of this valuation[? ][xxii], appraisals can not be a consistent or reliable method of measuring IA. Thus, appraising an IA receives a mark of 90 on the Y axis. As alternative of future benefit inflow models, a (real-options( model is also available to some small relief of the issues. Real Options, too is set at Y=90. Recognition of Intangible Assets Recognition of Intangible Assets There exists a notion that recognizing IA is a threat to proper disclosure of current period expenditures: capitalization of certain outlays can be seen as a scheme for expense deferral, designed to enhance the perceived value to creditors (shareholders et al). Proper classification, processing and reporting structures designed to deter such improper reporting can be effective. Overall, requiring additional disclosure can only enhance the utility of the financial report to its users. On the other hand, it is easy to prove logically (see Appendix) that IA should be recognized, assuming that it can be properly and consistently measured. The argument for capitalization essentially shows that if one assumes that (1) A company must have a growth factor ((gamma() in its assets in order to survive; (2) Outlays of assets (cash) in period N reduces Equity in period N; (3) If (gamma( is present then recognizing outlays as expenses in period N understates Equity in period N; Therefore, the recognition of expenses is inaccurate, and the capitalization of these outlays is required. In this paper, the X axis will become the range of possible recognition treatments of IA. In general, several points of view are identifiable on this axis. Currently, GAAP does not allow for recognition of IA (except Goodwill from purchase transaction) either because of the control test[? ][xxiii] or because of the measurability test (measurability pertains to the Y axis in this model). An opposing view is presented states in essence that IA are either any excess of market value over book value, or that earned income, before depreciation, amortization, and taxes (or some other similar representation of operating income) can be allocated([? ][xxiv] to the different asset classes: fixed, financial and intangible. Finally, using a completely projectionist method future cash flow as the value of an IA (perhaps in conjunction to subtracting the adjusted-basis and adding the disposal value) might allow non-GAAP recognition of an such an IA. GAAP Recognition: Currently GAAP contains no reco gnition of IA, other than Goodwill as provided by GAAP. As discussed in the measurement section, above, Goodwill is recognized only under certain purchases where certain tests of the excess of FV over AB are present, giving rise to Goodwill. However, Goodwill is often realized and recognized when another class of IA should be created, instead. Goodwill is realized and recognized due to an excess of a purchase consideration over FV (GAAP). This excess, however can be disaggregated or classified more finely than simply calling it Goodwill: Take for example a hypothetical acquisition of a Value Added Network (VAN) provider by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The former provides the communication tools, the phone lines and the data traffic from customer(s homes to the Internet. The latter, the Internet Service Provider, can benefit from this acquisition by avoiding renting the VAN(s and instead capitalizing on the acquisition(s future cash in flows. Moreover, the ISP can direct its customer base to use VAN as a preferred channel, creating certain loyalties, flexibility (for the customers) and other added value benefits. Assuming – under GAAP – that the ISP paid the VAN(s shareholders more than the FV of their stock, an entry for Goodwill is required. However, this entry is a misnomer: the Goodwill is not really for the excess value but for the additional structure capital (SC) of the acquiring entity. Mostly, the VAN(s organizational structure can benefit from this excess (only in secondary order is the future cash inflows of the acquired VAN to the ISP. ) Because Goodwill is the only GAAP compliant IA combined with its possible vagueness or generality, it receives a position of 0 on the X axis. Recognizing only Marketable IA: This method allows for some latitude in recognizing certain IA, for example, patents, copyrights, and contractual leverage (with employees, suppliers or customers). Using this method excludes most internally generated IA because their effect is not legally binding. Recognizing IA based on their enforcability and to some degree, marketability gets placed at X=50. Recognizing All Events: Some knowledge based essays argue that all events in a business entity is one of IA. As such, all otherwise not measured events can be considered intangible and once measured, recognized on the entity(s books. Because it is the most relaxed method, recognizing all non-financial events in an index or model of fair value[? ][xxv] obtains X=100. Recapitulate: Valuation & Recognition Valuation and Recognition of IA has yielded a two dimensional plain on which different methods are available. At the most conservative level, GAAP driven, is the point (X=0,Y=0) which asserts that measuring asset must be according to the past-event principle (historic cost) and that with the exception of Goodwill, no internally or externally generated IA are accounted for. Departing from this basis, on the valuation scale (the Y axis) are proposed method of measuring the value of IA ((future cash flow(, (appraisal( or (real-option( models) make an interesting combination. For example, assume the point (X=0,Y=100) on the X,Y plain is proposed and accepted. This means that a only historic cost (X=0) is realized and yet, that future cash flow (Y=100) is used for measuring the value of these asset. Thus, any hybrid of such a nature (cell D in the Table I) of conventional measurement and unconventional recognition poses the challenge to the third axis in this paper: presentation of IA.    |   |   |   | |   |Recognition: X=0   |X=50 |X=100 | |   |   |   |   | |Valuation |(A) |(B) |(C) | |Y=0 |( IA not recognized[? [2] |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | |   |( Historic Cost |market, contractual. |classified elsewhere they are IA | | |   |( Historic Cost |events | | | |( Historic Cost | |   |   |   |   | |Y=85 |(D) |(E) |(F) | | |( IA not recognized |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | | |( Real option valuation model |market, contractual. classified elsewhere they are IA | | | |( Real option valuation model |events | | | | |( Real option valuation model | |   |   |   |   | |Y=90 |(G) |(H) |(I) | | |( IA not recognized |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | | |( Appraisal (cost, market, income |market, contractual. classified elsewhere they are IA | | |approaches) |( Appraisal (cost, market, income |events | | | |approaches) |( Appraisal (cost, market, income | | | | |approaches) | |   |   |   |   | |Y=100 |(J) |(K) |(L) | | |( IA not recognized |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | | |( Proprietary Value Model |market, contractual. |classified elsewhere they are IA | | | |( Proprietary Value Model |events | | | | |( Proprietary Value Model | Table I: Intersection o f measurement and recognition approaches for IA[? ][3] Presentation of Intangible Assets The issue of possible presentation of IA as part of a financial statement must be addressed by the Reporting utilization that such a report contains. Not specifically within the scope of GAAP(s IA (other than Goodwill) are vaguely disclosed in the financial statement. As research shows, some Securities and Exchange Commission regulated corporations disclose Goodwill in aggregated format, while others disclose the underlying detail. Moreover, the other (disclosure( of IA, specifically to the external user, is done by the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) that accompanies most financial statements of publicly held entities. However, MD&A is a really only another form of appraisal, and not unbiased at that, in relation to IA valuation. In reference to accounting for IA, MD&A is inapplicable as interpretation of the value, structure and other forms of unclassified (and unaudited) material statement can become vague in its message to external users. It is important to note that the internal users of a financial statement are slightly better equipped to properly ascertain the message in the financial report; internal accounting practices, cost management and non-financial reporting facilities can aid an internal user to better gauge the weight and context of an IA reference within the financial statement, be it a Goodwill or otherwise disclosed IA. The current GAAP disclosure practice (but not requirement) is at the lower end of the Z axis (Z=0). Under GAAP, a balance sheet of a corporation that might have intangible resources at its disposal might be presented in the following way (example 1): |   | |Balance Sheet, GAAP Driven | |   | |Assets $1000 | |   | |Liabilities (100) | | | |Equity (900) | Example 1: GAAP Driven Balance Sheet Complete inclusion of any intangible resource available to a company is in contrast to the current GAAP treatment. A complete inclusion of non-required disclosure of IA is at the farthest end of the Z axis the concept of full integration of IA in the financial reporting (Z=100) . Of course, this in itself is a valid notion because full disclosure of IA represents expressing mostly relevant information to the user of the financial report. [? ][4] Relevance however, has a trade off with accuracy. The relevance of including any and all IA in a financial statement might hinder on its accuracy; the example below makes this point. Full integration of IA in a financial report can lead to a balance sheet of the following format (example 2):    | |With Considering IA, Complete Inclusion | |   | |Assets $1500 | |(capture events related to both tangible and intangible resources) | |   | |Liabilities (100) | |   | |Equity (1500) | Example 2: Complete Inclusion driven Balance Sheet A possible over-statement of Assets by $500 exists under a complete inclusion method, which is most permissive in relation to GAAP. This type of presentation contains all resource-based events pertaining to the business at hand. It includes both financial and non-financial events pertaining to the entity. Some of this superset(s contents are IA that are externally or internally generated. For example, employee loyalty or positive media coverage are non financial events that affect its financial position. A possible reconciliation between the requirements to present certain financial statement elements (such as fixed assets, financial assets, current and non current liabilities, shareholders( capital et cetera) can be obtained in a tiered financial report. The concept behind a tiered financial report is that the core of any financial report must be GAAP driven. Its benefit to any user must continue in order to provide consistent, accurate and standardized language of communication of a financial position. Within this core, GAAP reporting is one where the balance sheet presents the assets and the claims against them. This fundament is in turn included in a larger set which can include not only cost-related assets but value driven assets, i. e. IA. Conceptually, IA that provide a growth factor (recall: gamma > 1) is meaningful to the financial position of the reporting entity. For example, suppose an internally generated IA such as organizational structure or shared knowledge exist (assuming it can be valued and recognized). Under GAAP IA are not attributed to growth of several periods (by definition, growth is the increase of the value of an asset between successive periods). However, for the users of the financial statement, the information about such growth is important in making educated decision about the going concern and prospects of the entity. Thus, the compromise format of financially reportable events includes a degree of IA-related events that can affect a reasonable user(s decision-making process. This type of reporting mechanism is about mid-way between GAAP and Non-GAAP reporting format, at Z=50. An example of a tiered balance sheet follows (example 3): |   |   | |Without Considering IA |With Considering IA, Tiered Format | |   |   | |N/A |Intangible Asset $300 | | |(Note: Recognize IA events based on historical ost) | |   |   | |Assets $1000 |Assets 1000 | |   |   | |Liabilities (100) |Liabilities (100) | |   |   | |Equity (900) |Equity (900) | |   |   | |N/A |Equity Attributed to Intangible Asset | | |(300) | Example 3: (Padded( Balance Sheet In essence, this type of (padding( of a balance sheet is derived from the set concept introduced above. The (core( statement, consisting only of Asset, Liabilities and Equity, remains intact. An extended set of financial events allow further disclosure of the financial effect of IA (in this example, by using the most aggressive GAAP-departure valuation method). Recapitulate: Recognition and DisclosureRecapitulate Recognition and Disclosure Just as Valuation and Recognition can be plotted on a two dimensional plain, so can the axis of Recognition and Disclosure. Overall, the X,Y and Z axis allow us to examine the problem at hand on a three-dimensional basis. The intersection point of the Recognition alternatives in relation to the Disclosure alternatives follows: |   |   |   |   | |   |Recognition |   |   | | |X=0 |X=50 |X=100 | |   |   |   |   | |Disclosure |(M) |(N) |(O) | |Z=0 |( IA not recognized |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | |   |( No GAAP required Disclosure, |market, contractual. classified elsewhere they are IA events | | |only discretionary MD&A |( No GAAP required Disclosure, only |( No GAAP required Disclosure, only | | |   |discretionary MD&A. |discretionary MD&A | |   |   |   |   | |Z=50 |(P) |(Q) |(R) | | |( IA not recognized |( Select IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | | |( Tired ((Padded() Financial |market, contractual. |classified elsewhere they are IA events | | |Report |( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report. ( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report | |   |   |   |   | |Z=100 |(S) |(T) |(U) | | |( IA not recognized |( Sele ct IA recognized, based on |( All events recognized, if not | | |( Full financial incorporation |market, contractual. |classified elsewhere they are IA events | | |of IA – undefined |( Full financial incorporation of IA. |( Full financial incorporation of IA | Table II:Intersection of measurement and reporting approaches for IA. Cells M-U describe the X,Z plain (the letter are assigned sequentially). To complement tables I and II, the intersection of valuation alternatives and disclosure methods available are included in Table III: |   |   |   | | |   |Disclosure |   |   | | |Z=0 |Z=50 |Z=100 | |   |   |   |   | |Valuation |(V) |(W). (A1) | |Y=0 |( No GAAP required Disclosure, |( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report. |( Full financial incorporation of IA | |   |only discretionary MD&A |discretionary MD&A. |( Historic Cost | | |( Historic Cost |( Historic Cost | | |   |   |   |   | |Y=85 |(A2) |(A3) |(A4) | | |( No GAAP required Disclosure, |( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report. ( Full financial incorporation of IA | | |only discretionary MD&A |( Real option valuation model |( Real option valuation model | | |( Real option valuation model | | | |   |   |   |   | |Y=90 |(A5) |(A6) |(A7) | | |( No GAAP required Disclosure, |( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report. ( Full financial incorporation of IA | | |only discretionary MD&A |( Appraisal (cost, ma rket, income |( Appraisal (cost, market, income | | |( Appraisal (cost, market, |approaches) |approaches) | | |income approaches) | | | |   |   |   |   | |Y=100 |(A8) |(A9) |(B1) | | |( No GAAP required Disclosure, |( Tired ((Padded() Financial Report. |( Full financial incorporation of IA | | |only discretionary MD&A |( Proprietary Value Model |( Proprietary Value Model | | |( Proprietary Value Model | | | Table III:Intersection of measurement and disclosure approaches for IA. DiscussionDiscussion The problem of Intangible Assets revisited Conceptually, the accounting for IA is at the heart of the framework that links the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement: at its core the balance sheet is a statement of resources while the income statement is a an expression of the utilization of these resources (tangible or otherwise available to the entity). Coupled, the traditional balance sheet and income statement includes only tangible resources. However, the traditional Income Statement includes activities that stem from using all available resources. In the asymmetry lies the reason for inclusion of IA resources on the Balance Sheet. For example, outflows for compensation is often the single largest expense of a corporation. Yet, employee knowledge, or other types of Human Capital are rarely disclosed. Further, any activities that are profitable, i. e. where the growth factor ((gamma() is greater than 1, are attributed only the tangible resources. Classes of Intangible Assets IA can be divided to two classes: resources that are within the control of the organization and resources that are only partially within the control of the organization. To maintain a mathematic model, we can introduce OC, Organizational Control, such that: For IA such as Customer Base and Customer Relations Index, Vendors( Credit and Trust, Internal Production or Service Procedures, OC = 1. 0, i. e. there is complete control over the resource, which is an intangible asset; For IA such as Human Skill Level , Employee Satisfaction and public Relation Index ((Public Image(), OC < 1. 0. The following is an imaginary – yet possible – comparison of two companies that might have different levels of Organizational Control over their IA, classified according to their business type. Table IV is an illustration of OC levels: |   |   |   | |   |(Tobacco and food conglomerate(|(Northeastern Ice-cream | | | |Manufacturer( | |   |   |   | |Organization Control Level = 1. 0 |   |   | |   |   |   | |Customer Base |1. 0 |1. | |   |   |   | |Vendor(s Credit |1. 0 |1. 0 | |   |   |   | |Internal Production Procedures |1. 0 |1. 0 | |   |   |   | |Organization Control Level < 1. |   |   | |   |   |   | |Human Skill |0. 9 |0. 7 | |   |   |   | |Employee Satisfaction |0. 8 |0. 8 | |   |   |   | |Public Image |0. 5 |0. 9 | Table IV:The (determined) values of Organizational Control (OC) over Resources We assume these values derive from internal yet consistent studies and valuation, we can see that for the first three (classified as IA over which the entity has complete control) the OC value remain 1. 0. This simply indicates an existence of an IA (completely within the company(s control). The second group of so called (assets( (or generally: resources) are not completely within the control of their respective entity. We can say, perhaps, that the ice cream factory workers need less training than the tobacco production plant workers but that they are equally satisfied. Further it is clear that the tobacco conglomerate has less leverage in their public image (OC = 0. 5) than the ice-cream maker (OC=0. 9). The important point about all these resources is that the entities are not controlling the value drivers. Therefore, for example, their public images is different and it can not be enlisted as an (asset( because it is outside the scope of their respective control. [? ][5] The three sets of resource group can be summarized as follows: The most inner core of assets that are GAAP driven: Tangible Assets that are at the core of the Income Statement and Balance Sheet pair. These assets produce tangible activities such as cash (inflow) or products (output). The intermediate outer tier consists of resources that are fully under the control of the entity, thus they can be classified as Assets, albeit intangible: they too produce activity such as competitive edge (HC) and customer loyalty (SC). In contrast to HC and SC, the outmost tier class of resources are intangible resources that are not fully under the control of the entity thus fail the control test of the definition of an Asset. In a sense, the inner set of Balance Sheet and Income Statement represent the fundamental analysis that an external or internal user of these statement might be interested in. Under this framework, fundamental ratios and projections are available in the most traditional sense. Extrapolating from that tier, the resources described as (true( Intangible Assets, i. e. hat they are measurable resources that occurred in the past and are within the entity(s full control, describe the effect of growth and going concern. Growth is indicative of innovation or competi tive edge, while going concern is more general and encompasses other factors. In this vein it has been shown that IA are a source of both growth and continuity: IA are key to strategic planning and success[? ][xxvi]. Resources such as reputation, employee know-how, and organizational culture were also linked to success factors of companies[? ][xxvii]. Finally, the outer tier of partially controlled resources can be described ( if so wished by the reporting entity ( as additional disclosure of interest to the user of a financial report. The outer tier is only marginally useful because of the lack of full control the reporting entity might have over factors such as public image. It will be interesting to see if the two outer tiers of resources will play out in future disclosure: the FASB is now encouraging companies to discloses elements of intangible assets in their financial reports. However, from a review of the two tiers it seems that disclosing resources in the intermediate tier can add to the reporting utilization of the entity(s financial report, perhaps if it is presented in a two tier Balance Sheet ((padded(, described earlier). Resources that are not within the complete control of the entity (the outer tier(s elements) will most likely not be disclosed. Assuming a valid and consistent index can be obtained   (by an external review, for example), there can be usefulness to disclosing elements of intangible resources which are (true( IA such as index of customer base, customer loyalty and vendors( credit which reflect on a positive (going concern(. In contrast, disclosure of elements such as employee retention, public image and human skill index, can provide external users a marginal utility regarding the activity and prospects of the entity. Conclusion Measurement of IA is the area where the disparity is widest (on the Y axis in this discussion(s three dimensions model). The alternatives to historic cost are valuations based on proprietary models or based on certified models. Both alternatives are insufficient because they require judgement which lead to substantial variation. Historic cost is most consistent but inapplicable because it can not measure certain IA such as customer base or affiliations and alliances. Therefore, an allocation approach is suitable: computing the ratio of growth in equity to fixed, financial and intangible asset allows measurement of IA at least as a class of resources on the balance sheet statement[? ][xxviii]. Further discussion and research is required in order to properly weigh the specific intangible assets within this class, and thus compute the financial value attributed to it. Generally, the emergence of IA and in general, intangible resources, is unavoidable. The accounting profession should treat this type of financial event within its GAAP guidelines and not attempt to preclude it from recognition. Plainly, accounting for IA by including it in the financial statement (specifically, as part of the Balance Sheet) is not helpful to the external user. Such recognition will simply inflate the value of corporations and will cause comparisons to be more difficult and the financial statement viewed more skeptically. However, by methodically presenting IA in a tiered manner, users of the financial statement can view the traditional fundamental (current) GAAP elements as well as supplementary elements. In a sense, allowing companies to literally (pad( their balance sheet with separate IA and IC (Equity due to IA) will put to a (vote( of the external and internal users the concept of systematic disclosure. To wit, instead of a honorable mention in the MD&A section or a buried treasure in the footnotes to the financial statement, disclosing IA on the face of the balance sheet, without reducing its existing utility, might be a solution to the emerging need to report IA as a financial event. References [pic] [pic] [1][1]IA are often labeled knowledge assets. Much has been written about a knowledge economy and some attempted to define all resources as knowledge-based. The device in which this is possible is usually illustrated by an example of an organization that can be described all in terms of knowledge. Such zeal is convincing only to the extent that a counter example is not produced. Knowledge is information produced by data and ideas. Transforming knowledge to a benefit producing resource ((value() converts knowledge to an IA. Thus, in terms of scope of valuation of IA, not all business process are considered IA: only business processes that have not been measured or presented elsewhere can be considered measurable for purposes of this discussion. [2][2]In all the instances of Y=0, IA is not recognized except for Goodwill in purchase. [3][3]The recent FASB sponsored attempt to account for certain types of IA by rules of annual impairment valuation (read: appraisal valuation method) is position in box (B( of Table I: using historic cost and a (certified) appraisal of fair value of an IA to trigger both valuation and recognition. 4][4]However, (strange bedfellows( effect might occur if we simply plot the Z axis against, say the Y axis (measurement): the point (Y=0, Z=100) yields an IA that (is not recognized (Y=0)( and (integrated in the financial report( (Z=100). Therefore, at least from a practical point of view, these type of pairing with GAAP (Y=0 and Z=100) can not be used for our analysis: this point in our exploration model is undefined. [5][5]It is the public, the society in which they operate for example, that determines which company is the (Kind American Corporation( and which is the (Evil American Corporation. ( [i][i]. ABI-Inform is available via the Internet from ProQuest Information and Learning Company. [ii][ii]. Accuracy of the yield and direct capitalization methods: A twenty-year empirical study of the electric utility industry(; Assessment Journal Chicago; Richard R Simonds; Vol. 6; No. 4; pp. 49-55 [iii][iii]. Internet: available: www. dictiornary. com. Source of this citation: 1997 Princeton University. [iv][iv]. Internet: available: www. dictionary. com. Citation source: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition. [v][v]. FASB presentation, Nakamura in 4th Annual Intangible Assets Conference, Ross Institute, New York University, May 2001. [vi][ vi]. Financial Accounting Standards Board; Special Report : Business and Financial Reporting, Challenges from the New Economy; Wayne S. Upton, Jr; No. 219-A; April 2001 p. x (Executive Summery). [vii][vii]. Lynn, Bernadette, CMA; Intellectual Capital Key to Value added Success in the Next Millennium; Society of Management Accountants of Canada, CMA Magazine. Available: Internet http://www. cma-canada. org. [viii][viii]. Lynn, Brenadette. [ix][ix]. Data is the superset of information which in turn is the super set of knowledge. Purposeful and formal conversion of data to information and information to knowledge, creates Intangible Capital, which can be leveraged. [x][x]. Berry, John; MIT, Wharton Search for IT Asset Metric; Internetweek; Manhasset; Feb 5, 2001. [xi][xi]. (†¦ Brand assets and patents are knowledge assets, not just technology(. Companies May Be Unwittingly Ignoring The Bulk of Their Asset Value; Investor Relation Business; New York; Dec. 3, 1999; p. 4. [xii][xii]. Hal Varian; How Much Information is Produced Worldwide? University of Berkeley; Presented in the 4th Intangibles Conference at New York University, Stern School of Business, Ross Institute of Accounting Rese arch; May 2001. [xiii][xiii]. Christopher Tucci; The Value of Collaborations and Alliances; New York University; Presented in the 4th Intangibles Conference at New York University, Stern School of Business, Ross Institute of Accounting Research; May 2001. [xiv][xiv]. FASB; Special Report; Chapter 2. [xv][xv]. John Rutledge, You(re a Fool if You Buy into This One; Available: ABIinfrom. [xvi][xvi]. Alfred M. King, Jay M. Henry; Valuing intangible assets through appraisals; Strategic Finance; Vol. 81, No. 5, Montvale; Nov. 1999. pp. 32-37. [xvii][xvii]. Alfred M. King, Jay M. Henry, Strategic Finance, Nov. 1999. [xviii][xviii]. Lawrence C. Rose; Accuracy of Appraisers and Appraisal Methods of Closely Held Companies; Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (ET&P) Vol. 17, No. 3; Spring 1993; pp. 21. [xix][xix]. FASB; Special Report; p. 39 [xx][xx]. Alfred M. King, Jay M. Henry, Strategic Finance, Nov. 1999. [xxi][xxi]. Wiley A. Scott, Jr. ; Borrowers( Intangibles May be Off-Balance-Sheet Gold; Commercial Lending Review Vol. 9, No. 3; Boston; Summer 1994, pp. 26. [xxii][xxii]. Lawrence C. Rose; Accuracy of Appraisers and Appraisal Methods of Closely Held Companies; Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (ET&P) Vol. 17, No. 3; Spring 1993; pp. 21. [xxiii][xxiii]. FASB; Special Report; Chapter 4. [xxiv][xxiv]. Lev, Baruch. [xxv][xxv]. IAS 36 defines (value in use( as (future cash flows expected to arise from the continuing use of an asset. [xxvi][xxvi]. Joseph A. Patrick et al; Global Leadership Skill and