Thursday, March 19, 2020
The Government of US
The Government of US The US is the only state in the international system with the busiest elections calendar. This is because elections are held at state, federal, and local levels. This means that the American voter would vote more in his or her lifetime as compared to German, Japanese, and British voters. High-visibility elections are given much focus due to the intense lobbying and voter mobilization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Government of US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The senatorial, presidential, and governorship mobilizations are conducted by professionals, such as media advisors, pollsters, speechwriters, and political scientists. Presidential mobilization emphasizes more on mass communication. In this regard, television adverts are often utilized to access voters. Furthermore, high-visibility elections are based on issues rather than ethnicity and partisan politics. At the local levels, elections are waged on sm all scale because local politicians do not have enough resources to launch formidable elections. It is surprising to learn that even judicial offices are contested in the US. In other parts of the world, judicial officers are simply appointed by governmental agencies, such as the judicial service commission. The main aim of contesters is to reach potential voters. Individuals seeking political offices are faced with a dilemma of balancing scarce resources with the demands of voter mobilization. The author reveals some of the astonishing factors that are considered when designing a campaign structure. One of them entails the steps that would be taken when formulating campaign policies while the other factor relates to cost-effectiveness (Gerber and Green 37). Cost-effectiveness and restructuring of campaigns are the two useful factors that influence voter mobilization in any voter recruitment process. The two factors influenced the electorate in the just concluded US presidential ele ctions in a number of ways. Regarding cost-effectiveness, it is always important to consider the number of votes that a single dollar would bring before spending. In a densely populated region, making phone calls would be ineffective because few voters would be reached. In a densely populated region, a door-to-door campaign would be effective. Door-to-door campaigns are costly, but they generate high number of votes as compared to making phone calls.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In particular, randomized door-to-door campaigns have higher chances of soliciting high numbers of votes as compared to any other technique. The technique is preferred in the US because of a number of reasons. One of the advantages is that it defines the observed population. The observed population consists of all individuals who will be sampled. Another advantage is that the sampled population i s divided into a number of groups. The sampling itself is random meaning that those mobilized would represent all groups in a sample. Another advantage is that an intervention strategy would be devised upon studying the group behavior. For instance, members from the treatment group would be contacted through emails, encouraging them to vote for the preferred candidate. The above technique was applied in the just concluded presidential elections. The Republicans and the Democrats had limited resources yet they had to reach many voters in the country. In regions considered that belonged to Republicans, Democrats employed randomized voter recruitment technique because it would help in identifying some of the behaviors of voters. However, each party had an effective method of reaching voters. It is because of advanced voter mobilization techniques that the pollsters predicted a cutthroat presidential competition. However, the party that had the ability to blend the various techniques em erged winner. Gerber, Alan and Donald Green. ââ¬Å"Social Pressure and Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Large-scale Field Experiment.â⬠American Political Science Review 102.2 (2008): 33-48. Print.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
How to Answer the Most Common Job Interview Questions
How to Answer the Most Common Job Interview Questions Going into a job interview can feel a bit like prepping for the Hunger Games. You have a general idea of what youââ¬â¢re facing, but you donââ¬â¢t know the specifics- who knows what those devilish game makers will have in store for you? Nobody dies here (unless job interviews have really changed since the last time I went on one), but there can be only one person left standing: the victor, the one with the job offer. And as in any good conflict where you want to come out on top, you want to be as prepared as possible going into it. Itââ¬â¢s impossible to know exactly what questions to expect ahead of time, but thereââ¬â¢s enough commonality in how job interviews are structured that you can take an educated guess- and educate yourself accordingly. Hereââ¬â¢s how to answer common interview questions. 1. Standard Interview Questions2. Behavioral Interview Questions3. Tricky Interview QuestionsThe first thing to do is to figure out what kinds of questions you might face be fore you even think about trying to prep for specific questions. The question types fall into two categories: what weââ¬â¢ll call ââ¬Å"standardâ⬠interview question and behavioral interview questions.Standard interview questions are about what youââ¬â¢d expect: questions that ask you about your past experience, your current skills, and your professional goals. Some examples:ââ¬Å"Tell me more about your coding background.â⬠ââ¬Å"Can you tell me about your day-to-day responsibilities in your most recent job?â⬠ââ¬Å"How did you get started in this industry?â⬠ââ¬Å"It says here that you worked for seven years at Job Co. What did you work on there?â⬠ââ¬Å"What is your biggest strength?â⬠(And its devilish counterpart, ââ¬Å"What is your biggest weakness?â⬠)ââ¬Å"Where do you see yourself in five years?â⬠These are straightforward questions with (hopefully) straightforward answers. You know your resume and your experience better than anyone, so own the information.How to Approach Standard Interview QuestionsIf it helps, think of these questions as a kind of game show, like The Interview Guys do. Thereââ¬â¢s a concrete answer available for every standard interview question. ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t knowâ⬠or uncomfortable silence will throw up a major red flag to the interviewer, so make sure that youââ¬â¢re solid on your resume, the job description for which youââ¬â¢re interviewing, and the talking points you want to use in the interview. (Iââ¬â¢ll take ââ¬Å"Leadership Experienceâ⬠for $400, Alex.)Top 5 tips for answering standard interview questions:Be confident! Youââ¬â¢re talking about your best professional self, so be ready to cover your skills and accomplishments.Donââ¬â¢t give short answers. If youââ¬â¢re asked about your background in coding, donââ¬â¢t just say, ââ¬Å"I took a class five years ago,â⬠then wait for the next question to come along. Say, ââ¬Å"I start ed with a class five years ago, and took off from there. Iââ¬â¢ve used and grown those skills in my current job, where I was responsible for updating and maintaining the company website.â⬠You donââ¬â¢t need a novelââ¬â¢s worth of details, but the interviewer is looking for you to expand on your own history- all he or she knows is whatââ¬â¢s in the bullets on your resume. Itââ¬â¢s your job to fill those out and make yourself look like a well-rounded candidate.Remember: itââ¬â¢s not about you. But, you say, isnââ¬â¢t it about my experience and skills? Yes and no. The whole point of the interview is to see how youââ¬â¢ll fit in with this job and this company. So when you frame your answers, make sure youââ¬â¢re always emphasizing how this skill or that experience point relates to the job at hand.Be honest. This kind of question is where, uh, soft spots on your resume might come to light. The interviewer will expect you to be able to answer all of these questions with concrete info, so if you canââ¬â¢t offer supporting information, or have long and awkward pauses, thatââ¬â¢s a problem. If youââ¬â¢re not fluent in Spanish, donââ¬â¢t list it. If you werenââ¬â¢t really the youngest CEO ever at your last company, donââ¬â¢t suggest you were. Forget a background check- if you canââ¬â¢t back up your resumeââ¬â¢s assertions in the interview, youââ¬â¢ll never even get to that stage.Be specific. This isnââ¬â¢t so hard for questions about your background or your software proficiencies, but itââ¬â¢s tougher when you get to questions about your strengths and weaknesses. The best way to hone in on these is to think of specific examples from your past. For example, ââ¬Å"At my current job, I developed a workflow that improved sales reporting, so Iââ¬â¢m very good at zeroing in on challenges and working with a team to solve them.â⬠Or, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢d say my greatest weakness is my tendency to try to tak e everything on myself. In my last job, that led to a lot of stress around deadlines, and Iââ¬â¢ve since learned that I need to work harder on prioritizing and setting boundaries to get everything done smoothly.â⬠RELATED:à How to Answer These 5 Common (but tough) Interview QuestionsThe best advice we can offer you is to think about how to answer common interview questions in advance and anticipate having to give anecdotes about your experience. You wonââ¬â¢t know ahead of time which ones are likely to come up, but by having talking points in your pocket for every part of your resume, you can be ready for any standard questions that come up.Behavioral interview questions are a little less straightforward, with no easy answer. These questions are kind of like storytime: the interviewer will ask you to talk about a specific time you faced a challenge or demonstrated a skill. Youââ¬â¢ll know behavioral questions when you hear them because theyââ¬â¢ll have telltale phr ases like:ââ¬Å"Tell me about a time youâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"What would you do ifâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"Show me how you handledâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"Walk me through a time when youâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"How would you deal withâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ What do all of these have in common? Thereââ¬â¢s a performance element, and usually an action verb. Itââ¬â¢s on you to come up with an answer, and phrase it in a smooth interview operator kind of way.RELATED:à How to Answer Behavioral Interview QuestionsHow to Approach Behavioral Interview QuestionsThe approach for these questions isnââ¬â¢t so different from that of traditional questions. They just require a little more thinking on your feet, because thereââ¬â¢s no easy factual answer. Youââ¬â¢ll be drawing from your history directly (ââ¬Å"tell me about a time when youâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ), or indirectly (ââ¬Å"what would you do ifâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ).Top 5 tips for answering behavioral interview questions:Itââ¬â¢s not about you, itââ¬â ¢s about them. The advice for standard interview questions (#3 above) remains the same here: remember that itââ¬â¢s really about the interviewer and the company, not you. Youââ¬â¢ll be providing info that illustrates how you have operated and will likely operate as an employee, but that information will be weighed against what the company wants and needs for this job opening. Youââ¬â¢re not answering the questions in a vacuum. So make sure that your answers dovetail with the job description.Donââ¬â¢t be brutally honest. If youââ¬â¢re asked about the biggest challenge in your career so far, and your most trying time happens to have been the royal-est screwup in the history of royal screw-ups, donââ¬â¢t bring it up. Before the interview, spend time thinking about less dramatic anecdotes that donââ¬â¢t make you look bad. Or if you do end up talking about a time you messed up, absolutely make sure to follow up with a quick point about how you learned from it and hav e turned it to your advantage.Come up with pre-answers in certain categories. Behavioral questions usually seek to draw you out on skills like leadership, problem-solving, and personal interaction. Long before the interview, start doing a personal audit of your work history and come up with a list of relevant anecdotes in the following areas:Challenges you faced, and how you overcame themTimes you led others or managed a complicated project with numerous peopleWorkplace conflicts or differences of opinion, and how you handled themKeep it brief. You donââ¬â¢t want to leave them confused or wanting more by being too abrupt, but if you feel yourself start to ramble on (adding details that arenââ¬â¢t really necessary, explaining things in tangents), then rein yourself in a bit. Rehearse your likely stories ahead of time, so you can adjust the flow, and what feels like the right presentation. Rambling can come off as nervous babbling, and you donââ¬â¢t want to undermine your con fident aura on interview day.Keep it professional. Theyââ¬â¢re definitely not looking for examples from your personal life- make sure you limit your stories to things that happened at work.The Trickiest QuestionsOnce you know the types of questions and how to mine your resume and experience to prep ahead of time, you can focus more on the most challenging questions of all: the ââ¬Å"you tell usâ⬠questions. These arenââ¬â¢t really standard interview questions, because theyââ¬â¢re not straight facts or expansions on points found on your resume. Theyââ¬â¢re not really behavioral, either, because they donââ¬â¢t illustrate how youââ¬â¢ve approached workplace issues in the past (or would). Theyââ¬â¢re open-ended, and thatââ¬â¢s what makes them scarier. Some examples of these extra-hard interview questions.ââ¬Å"Tell me about yourself.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why should we hire you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Why do you want to work here?â⬠ââ¬Å"Why did you leave your last job ?â⬠ââ¬Å"Do you have any questions for me?â⬠ââ¬ËWhat is your biggest weakness?â⬠Spin negatives into positives. This applies most fully to the ââ¬Å"biggest weaknessâ⬠and ââ¬Å"why did you leave your last job?â⬠questions (especially if you were let go, or left in a bad situation). The kind of formula you should keep in mind is, ââ¬Å"I experienced X, but I learned Y, and now I work very hard on achieving Z. Itââ¬â¢s an experience that I take very seriously.â⬠Donââ¬â¢t pull the interviewerââ¬â¢s leg. If youââ¬â¢re asked about a weakness, talk about a weaknessâ⬠¦donââ¬â¢t try to say you work too hard, and gosh darn it, thatââ¬â¢s your biggest flaw. Every single one of us has real flaws, and candidness can be the key to establishing trust with the interviewer. However, when you talk about a weakness or a challenge youââ¬â¢ve faced, always, always (did I mention ââ¬Å"alwaysâ⬠?) talk about what you did/do to overcome i t, and what youââ¬â¢ve learned from it.Donââ¬â¢t panicâ⬠¦or pause too long. The deer-in-headlights reaction is not a good look during the interview. Either you look like youââ¬â¢re trying to invent an answer, or you look like you just donââ¬â¢t know how to respond. Practicing answers for the questions above (using, again, specific examples from your resume and your work history) can help you feel more comfortable with repurposing your material for a variety of potential questions.Always tie it to the job/company. Before the interview, review the job description, and highlight the areas that connect to your resume. If the job calls for managerial skills, ââ¬Å"tell me about yourselfâ⬠can be a quick walkthrough of your rise to leading men and women to greatness (increased sales or efficiency). If itââ¬â¢s a general question about why you want to work here,Keep it professional (redux). If you want to work for this company because your commute would be cut in h alf, donââ¬â¢t say that. ââ¬Å"Tell me about yourselfâ⬠is not an invitation to show pictures of your beloved pet lizard, Dr. Greenjeans III. Just give a quick rundown of where you are, professionally, and where youââ¬â¢re hoping to go. Personal opinions and personal life donââ¬â¢t really belong in an interview. (Exception: mild small talk before or after the interview- but even then, no big personal confessions or controversial opinions.)RELATED:à How to Answer the Toughest Interview QuestionsThe best way to deal with any interview questions is to prepare in advance- you can practice the spirit of them, if not the exact content. If you have a trusted buddy or family member, have them lob unscripted (professional) questions at you, so you can get better at fielding things on the fly. And if you need a cheat sheet on common interview questions and how to tackle them in the meantime, hereââ¬â¢s a quick overview you can use as a reference. [via UndercoverRecruiter]A nd remember the most important part: you got this! Donââ¬â¢t panic no matter what youââ¬â¢re asked, and answer with confidence. May the interview go ever in your favor!
Sunday, February 16, 2020
The effect of feedback on learners of a Foreign Language in the Dissertation
The effect of feedback on learners of a Foreign Language in the development of the writing skill - Dissertation Example Although writing is one of the most important aspects of language learning, it has been observed that when learning second language much emphasis is on the fluency of speech and error free writing is neglected. A written piece of work with grammatical and other errors is a real eyesore and shows poor command over the language. Writing in a second language is difficult for students mostly because they do not have sufficient working knowledge of the target language. The biggest challenge the students of second language face is writing an error free composition. Error free composition in second language is possible through practice and through the guidance of the teacher in the form of feedback. Research shows that feedback plays an important role in language learning as it not only helps in the development of writing skills of the students but it also improves the general language learning (Hyland 2011). Teachers give different type of feedback in different situations; usually errors i n speech are corrected on the spot while errors in writing are corrected after some time. Teachers either simply point out the errors or sometimes write comments. Self-correction and peer correction are common techniques for error correction but learners have little confidence in these techniques and prefer their teachersââ¬â¢ remarks. ... Written comments from the teachers, on the other hand, are not easy to ignore and cannot be forgotten and are thus the most preferred form of feedback used in teaching. Though written feedback is very useful in helping students develop their writing skills while learning a foreign language, empirical evidence gleaned from experience of teaching written French language skills to undergraduate students, shows that there is a lack of engagement with written feedback on their written language assignments. This impedes student progress in target language acquisition. This research study aims to identify how students engage with written feedback provided by their teachers and while focusing on undergraduate French students aims to explore the level of engagement of students with different forms of responses in the area of language learning. This qualitative research project that started from the premise that students may be unaware of the ways in which feedback can be exploited as a valuab le learning tool, progressed to identify the ways in which students currently respond to feedback from their tutors and how and why they feel a certain form of feedback is more effective. Based on the findings, this study also suggest new ways of delivering feedback in different formats and how the written feedback can be improved further in ways that are considered more effective by the students.à 1.1 Background and Context Despite the paramount importance of written feedback on the assignments of students learning foreign language, less emphasis is placed on research in this area. There has been research on what students perceive about writing in a second language (Ismail 2011); also teaching writing to students of foreign language (Gaudiani 1981; Caywood & Gillian
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Place Before And After Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Place Before And After - Essay Example The kids in the neighborhood just loved to play sports in the park, families go on fishing, mothers do their groceries and the rest of the town dwellers just walk the streets for some fresh air even in the night as it was safe and well crowded. This was the best place for me, and I intended to pass it on to my future family the things, events and the values I loved which my father shared with me. However, these perceptions of mine in the said town did not seem to last as I saw a different place 15 years after. The change of the said town motivated me to discover the reasons as to why this paradise town and an ideal place to be in before, suddenly turned into a place where nobody would prefer to be in now. The town's safety, people, perceptions, and environment took its downturn from the time I enjoyed it 15 years ago. The ideal place for safety, celebrations, cleanliness, family values, hospitality, and peace now turned into a meeting place and fighting arena of gangsters and alike. The once clean and safe streets now turned into a drastic place of murderous acts, piles of garbage with beer and bottle cans scattered everywhere. The once happy and peaceful park is now known to be a graveyard of murdered gang members and even old folks of the said town, which were killed out stolen valuables. The celebrations such as holidays and Thanksgiving have once celebrated freely anywhere in the town, but now it is advised and preferred for residents to stay in their homes when celebrating these events.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Definition and purpose of computer accounting information system
Definition and purpose of computer accounting information system This literature review will begins with definitions and the purpose of (AIS) and discussion of the studies of general IT adoption and then reviews studies specifically focused on accounting software adoption. Then it will discuss the Uses,development and the step of AIS. The end of this literature review will discuss the effectiveness of accounting information system. Definition of computer accounting information system (AIS): The computer accounting information system (AIS) was invented by professor Karen Osterheld, It was used as a system of records for business keeps to maintain its accounting system. This includes the purchase, sales, and other financial processes of the business. [1]The purpose of AIS is to accumulate data and provide decision makers (investors, creditors, and managers) with information to make decision, while this was previously a paper-based process, most modern businesses now use accounting software such as UBS, MYOB etc. [1] IT Adoption Factors for computerized accounting: [2] Several studies (Thong 1999; Harrison, Mykytyn and Riemenschneider 1997; Cragg and King 1993; Moore and Benbasat 1991; Treadgold 1990) of IT adoption have identified a variety of motivating factors. Thong (1999) attempted to consolidate the myriad of IT adoption research by developing an integrated model of information systems adoption. This model is a useful framework in reviewing the variables that impact on business owners decision to adopt IT. Thong categorized the variables into four elements: 1. characteristics of the organizational decision makers: 2. characteristics of the technological innovation; 3. characteristics of the organization; and 4. characteristics of the environment in which the organization operates. According to the literature all of the above characteristics influence, to varying degrees, the owner- managers decision to implement IT. Characteristics of the Organizational Decision Makers In large businesses teams are typically involved in the IT decision-making process. This is in contrast to small business where the owner-manager is usually the IT decision maker (Thong 1999). In small business, therefore, the characteristics of the owner-manager are critical in determining the organisations attitude to IT (Rizzoni 1991). The particular owner-manager characteristics important to IT adoption are: innovativeness, computer self-efficacy, level of IT knowledge, education, and IT training experience (Thong 1999). Compeau and Higgins (1995) defined computer self-efficacy as a judgement of ones capability to use a computer. Small businesses that have CEOs (typically the owner) that have undertaken computer training and possess computer self-efficacy are more likely to implement IT (Delone 1988, Raymond 1988). Conversely, owner-managers can inhibit any worthwhile IT achievements through hostility or detachment toward IT (Thatcher and Perrewe 2002). Characteristics of the Technological Innovation The characteristics of the technological innovation itself are also an important determinant in the decision to adopt IT. Applying Rogers (1983) theory to the adoption of accounting software as the innovation, the software must be perceived better than the predecessor system (most likely a manual accounting system); must be consistent with the needs of the adopter, such as capable of handling GST; must be easy to learn and use; the results must be apparent; and the accounting software should be available on a trial basis. Over the past decade, the advent of powerful, low cost micro-computers coupled with user-friendly accounting software, have improved and lifted the barriers to IT innovation adoption. This has led to an increase in the adoption of IT by small business (Thong 1999). Characteristics of the Organization The characteristics of the organization are other variables that influences the decision whether to adopt IT. Organizational characteristics such as: business size, employees level of IT knowledge, industry sector, business location, and information-intensity has been analysed in previous research studies (See for examples: Fink 1999; Burgess 1998; Wenzler 1996; Attewell 1992; Yap 1990; and Delone 1988). Generally, the larger the number of employees, the greater the sales turnover, the more information-intensive the industry the more likely a small business will adopt IT innovation. Moreover, businesses tend to suffer resource poverty (Thong 1999) in terms of financial capacity, available time and IT skilled staff to facilitate innovation adoption. Characteristics of the Environment The characteristics of the environment in which the organisation operates relates to variables such as competition and external agents. For example, Link and Bozeman (2001) established that competition leads to innovative technology adoption. Treadgolds (1990) study indicated that small businesses with high IT adoption rates had been influenced by external agents such as: trade associations, wholesalers, voluntary groups and franchisors. Wenzler (1996) found that small business customers were a significant reason for implementing IT, more so than the influence of competitors. This paper extended the external agent influence to the role of accountants in the decision to adopt accounting software. Many small businesses are impeded by resource poverty, consequently the owner-manager does not have the available time or funds to source, analyze, review and implement software applications. Public Practice Accountants are in a unique position to provide systems analysis, design, implementation and support advice to their clients, thereby spreading the cost of acquiring this expertise among multiple customers. The accountant, therefore, could generally provide this service more efficiently and effectively, than if the small business owner performed the function himself or herself. Furthermore, at the time of this study, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was an external influence on small business owner-managers decisions to adopt a CAS (see for example Lief 2000). Motivating factors for the adoption of Accounting software [2] The advent of powerful, low cost microcomputers, together with user-friendly accounting software, has allowed a greater number of business to implement IT in recent years (Raymond and Bergeron 1992). The need to facilitate financial management is another motivating factor for adopting accounting software (McMahon and Holmes 1991; Gorton 1999). Moreover, some researchers have identified a link between the use of CAS and enhanced business performance (see Gorton 1999; Smith 1999; and Reid and Smith 2002). An alternative view is that a growing SME faces increased financial challenges and consequently there is a greater need for careful attention to financial management and financial reporting (McMahon 2001). The major benefits of implementing a CAS are to increase business efficiency and to facilitate timely information (Burgess 1997). The impediments to implementing a CAS are lack of time (Proudlock et al. 1999), owner-managers view that the CAS is costly (Head 2000), perception that the technology is not suited to the nature of the business (ABS 2000), and lack of IT expertise (ABS 2000; Burgess 1997). Accounting information systems Technology: [3] Input The input devices that needed win Accounting information systems include: standard personal computers or workstations running applications; scanning devices for standardized data entry; electronic communication devices for electronic data interchange (EDI) and e-commerce. Process Basic processing is achieved through computer systems in the personal computers to large-scale enterprise servers. However, processing model is still the double-entry accounting system . Output Output devices used include computer displays, impact and nonimpact printers, electronic communication devices for EDI and e-commerce. The output can be financial reports from budgets and tax reports to multinational financial statements. Uses of AIS [3] AISs cover all business functions from backbone accounting transaction processing systems to sophisticated financial management planning and processing systems. Financial reporting starts by capture important business transactions such as normal production, purchasing, and selling activities then these transactions are classified and summarized for internal decision making and for external financial reporting. Cost accounting systems are used in manufacturing and service company. This accounting system will help these organizations to track (measure) the costs for the production of goods and/or performance of services. In addition,it can provide advanced analyses tracking the cost of product or service. Management accounting systems are used for planning, monitoring, and control for a variety of activities . This allows managerial-level employees to have access to advanced reporting and statistical analysis. The systems can be used to gather information, to develop various scenarios, and to choose an optimal answer among alternative scenarios Development [3] The development of AIS includes five basic phases the time period associated with each of these phases can be as short as a few weeks or as long as several years. This five phases include: Phase 1 planning : In this phase the entails determination of the scope and objectives of the project, the definition of project responsibilities, control requirements, project phases, project budgets, and project deliverables. Phase 2 analysis :This phase is used to both determine and document the accounting and business processes used by the organization. It include three type of analysis which are: Data analysis is a thorough review of the accounting information that is currently being collected by an organization. Current data are then compared to the data that the organization should be using for managerial purposes. Decision analysis is a thorough review of the decisions a manager is responsible for making. Then models are created to support the manager in gathering financial and related information to develop and design alternatives, and to make actionable choices. Process analysis is a thorough review of the organizations business processes. These processes can then be modified or reengineered to improve the organizations operations in terms of lowering cost, improving service, improving quality, or improving management information. Phase 3: design: The design phase takes the conceptual results of the analysis phase then develops and involves the detailed design of all inputs, processing, storage, and outputs of the proposed accounting system. Inputs may be defined using screen layout tools and application generators. Processing can be shown through the use of flowcharts or business process maps that define the system logic, operations, and work flow. Logical data storage designs are identified by modeling the relationships among the organizations resources, events, and agents through diagrams. Output designs are documented through the use of a variety of reporting tools such as report writers, data extraction tools, query tools, and on-line analytical processing tools. Phase 4 Implementation:The implementation phase consists of two primary parts: construction and delivery. Construction includes the selection of hardware, software and vendors for the implementation;building and testing the network communication systems; building and testing the databases; writing and testing the new program modifications; and installing and testing the total system from a technical standpoint. Delivery is the process of conducting final system and user acceptance testing; preparing the conversion plan; installing the production database; training the users; and converting all operations to the new system. Phase 5 support: This phase has two objectives. The first is to update and maintain the AIS. This includes fixing problems and updating the system for business and environmental changes. For example, changes in generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or tax laws might necessitate changes to conversion or reference tables used for financial reporting. The second objective of support is to continue development by continuously improving the business through adjustments to the AIS caused by business and environmental changes. These changes might result in future problems, new opportunities, or management or governmental directives requiring additional system modifications. The Accounting information systems is very useful for companies and businesses in order to make the accounting process easier by spacial computer program or other system . Accounting software, make it easier to accumulate financial data for use in taxes, payroll, and other bookkeeping requirements. The step of the accounting system: [4] Step1: Recording ( recording expenses and profits that are very important to keep on file). Step2: Information processed for use (when processed, it is filed in the areas where it is most important). Sep3: Communication phase (common communications of this data will be used for payroll and tax purposes). In the first step all the data recorded in the accounting system in daily basis or minute by minute as sales, profits, expenses, and many other items will be used for future use in financial reports. Much of this data has to be kept on file for a number of years for example tax purpose. The next step that is taken is processing. In this stage most accounting software or programs, have different files and categories where records can be stored this filing or storage can be done manually by the individual or group of people who work on it and can also be set to do this automatically as information is entered into the system. Certain criteria can be set up in the program to allow the program to place files and data in the places or areas where it is supposed to go. The final step is the process of communicating the data in the area in which it should be communicated. First, and most importantly, tax records that are recorded and processed can be communicated at the time that filing taxes is done. Most corporations communicate there financial information on quarterly basis, other companies especially smaller businesses on an annual basis. In large corporations, like major retailers, there are often several smaller stores or branches of the company that must share information through accounting software or systems This information can help the company forecast sales, profits, loss, and a variety of other things. Many corporations share this information on a daily, weekly, or quarterly basis. The process of communication is probably the most important stage of accounting information systems because this is the point where results are known and records will be put to use. Most of the businesses and corporations now use the accounting system and become big part of them. Using resources available through accounting information systems allows major corporations and small businesses to record transactions and other financial information for use in the future. Moreover that the use of the accounting system by this company can make: the process much smoother, save money for the business, and save a great deal of time. easy to file and send documents to the IRS or other interested individuals. no need to take paperwork or other materials to an accountant for tax and payroll purposes. Taking advantage of this type of system can provide many great benefits to a large or small business. Accounting is a very important part of running and maintaining a business and the success of a company will often heavily rely on the practices and procedures that are used in the bookkeeping efforts of the company. The effectiveness of the computerized accounting [5] (Markus- 1983) shown that successful implementation of accounting systems requires a fit between three factors [17]. A fit must be achieved with dominant view in the organization or perception of the situation. Second, the accounting system must fit when problems are normally solved, i.e. the technology of the organization. Finally, the accounting system must fit with the culture, i.e. Systems will be useful when information provided by them is used effectively in decision-making process by users. (Otley-1980)[20] argues that Accounting Systems are important parts of the fabric of organizational life and need to be evaluated in their wider managerial, organizational and environmental context. Therefore, the effectiveness of accounting information systems not only depends on the purposes of such systems but also depends on contingency factors of each organization. (Ives-1983)Accounting information systems are said to be effective when the information provided by them serves widely the requirements of the system users. Effective systems should systematically provide information which has potential effects on decision-making process [12]. Accounting information usually is categorized under two groups: information that influences decision-making and mainly used for the purpose controlling the organization and information that facilitates decision (Huber-1990) [11] argues that, integration of accounting information systems leads to coordination in organization which, in turn, increases the quality of the decisions. (Cameron-1986 / Delone-1992) show that the effectiveness of accounting information systems depend upon the quality of the output of the information system that can satisfy the users needs [3,8]. Generally, accounting information systems; 1) provide financial reports on a daily and weekly basis and; 2) provide useful information for monitoring decision-making process and performance of the organization. (Simon-1987) [22] in his study used the first part of the above statement as measure of control for management and the second part for evaluating the effectiveness of the accounting information systems via continuous monitoring. Accounting information system is a computer-based system that (Nicoloau-2000) [19] defines as a system that increases the control and enhances the corporation inside the organization. Management is engaged with different types of activities which require good quality and reliable information. They also need non-financial information such as production statistics, quality of production and so on. However,( Essex and Magal -1998 ) said that quality of information generated from AIS is very important for management [10]. (Kim-1989) [13] argues that usage of AIS depends on the perception of the quality of information by the users. Generally the quality of information depends on reliability, form of reporting, timeliness and relevance to the decisions. (Doll and Torkzadeh-1988) [9] for studying the satisfaction of users use some concepts to measure the effectiveness of the accounting information systems. These concepts are information content, accuracy, format, ease of use and timeliness.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Creative Deviance: Apple Org Chart Essay
One of the major functions of an organization hierarchy is to increase standardization and control for top managers. Using the chain command, managers can direct the activities of subordinates toward a common purpose. If the right person with a creative vision is in charge of a hierarchy, the results can be phenomenal. Until Steve Jobsââ¬â¢ regrettable passing in October 2011, Apple had used a strongly top-down creative process in which most major decisions and innovations flowed directly through Jobs and then were delegated to sub-teams as specific assignments to complete. Then there is creative evidence, in which individuals create extremely successful products despite being told by senior management to stop working on them. The electrostatic displays used in more half of Hewlett-Packardââ¬â¢s instruments, the tape slitter that was one of the most important process innovations in 3Mââ¬â¢s history, and Nichiaââ¬â¢s development of multi-billion-dollar LED bright lighting technology were all officially rejected by the management hierarchy. In all these cases, an approach like Appleââ¬â¢s would have shut down some of the most successful products these companies ever produced. Doing ââ¬Å"business as usualâ⬠can become such an imperative in a hierarchical organization that new ideas are seen as Threats rather than Opportunities for development. Itââ¬â¢s not immediately apparent why top-down decision making works so well for one highly creative company like Apple, while hierarchy nearly ruined innovations at several other organizations. It may be that Appleââ¬â¢s structure is actually quite simple, with relatively few layers and a great deal of responsibility placed on each individual for his or her own outcomes. Or it may be that Apple simply had a very unique leader who was able to rise above the conventional structures of a CEO to create a culture of constant innovation. Do you think itââ¬â¢s possible for an organization to deliberately create an ââ¬Å"anti-hierarchyâ⬠to encourage employees to engage in more acts of creative deviance? What steps might a company take to encourage creative deviance?
Thursday, January 9, 2020
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