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MAKING FINANCIAL DECISIONS

TASK 1

There are different types of accounting records and such records are important in any organization. One of the common account records is the income statement. An income statement provides one with an accurate description of the company’s profitability over a set period of time. An income statement could be described as an accounting statement that matches a company’s revenues with its expenses over a given period of time usually a quarter or a year. An income statement is composed of several items including sales, costs, increase and decrease in intangible value, taxes, and outstanding shares. Another key accounting record is the balance sheet. A balance sheet categorizes a company’s resources such as assets, liabilities and owner’s equity. According to Pandey (2002, p.67) the components of a balance sheet are divided into current and long-term categories. Pandey (2002, p.68) further observes that these components are listed in order of liquidity. Beside a balance sheet and income of statement, a statement of cash flows is also very important in a business. Cash flow statement provides one with information about a company’s cash receipts and cash payments. According to Khan and Jain (2003, p.56) a cash flow statement has several objectives. Firstly, it is effective in predicting the amounts of timing and ascertaining of future cash flows. Secondly, it indicates how cash is used and generated. It also helps the creditors, stockholders and customers to determine the flow of cash in a business. Thirdly, it helps an entrepreneur to understand the differences between net income and net cash flow from operating activities. Finally, it helps an entrepreneur to examine a company’s investing activities and financing transactions.

Needless to say, it is important for an entrepreneur to understand different accounting concepts the common of which are business entity, matching concept, money measurement, going concern, accounting period, cost concept, realization concept and accrual concept. To understand the importance of each of these concepts it is instructive to examine their roles. To start with, a business entity treats a business and an owner as two different entities. In other words, a business entity is the very basis of accounting concepts, conventions and principles. The money measurement concept allows an entrepreneur to distinguish between transactions that can be expressed in terms of money and those that cannot. The going concern concept assumes a business entity can carry out its activities for an indefinite period of time. This concept is important as it facilitates the preparation of financial statements. The accounting period concept is important in calculating tax, predicting future prospects of a business and helping an entrepreneur to procure credit from financial institutions. The accounting cost concept requires all assets to be recorded in the books of account at their purchase price. This requirement is helpful in the sense that it allows an entrepreneur to calculate depreciation of fixed assets. Another key concept is the dual aspect concept which allows an entrepreneur to detect errors and the realization concept which makes accounting information more objective. Equally important is the accrual concept which helps an entrepreneur to know the actual expenses and income during a particular period of time. Using this concept an entrepreneur should be able to calculate the net profit of his or her business. Finally there is the matching concept which states that revenue and expenses should be recorded in the same accounting period. This concept should help an entrepreneur to ascertain the exact amount of profit or loss of the business.

In order to effectively run a business it is also important for an entrepreneur to understand the factors that influence the structure of accounting system. One of factors is the company’s need for accounting information. Accounting information that is generated in a company could be useful not only to the investors but also the creditors and the management. It is also worth noting that accounting systems are influenced by the nature of the business and the operations of that business. Other factors that come into play include the perception of the employees and the management, the level of training accorded to the users, the nature of implementation and the implementation partners, and the resources available for the operation of the system.

TASK 2

Risk in any business could affect both primary and supporting assets.

Failing to manage risk can lead to litigation. Litigation can end being costly as businesses are forced to incur a number of injurious costs including attorney fees, out-of-pocket expenses, and foregone revenues. Failure to manage risk could also lead to sanctions from private and public regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission. It could also lead to impaired professional reputation as a result of adverse publicity.

In any organization there is a possibility of risk occurring. Fraud in an organization manifests itself in many ways. For instance, fraudulent financial reporting could occur due to improper revenue recognition, overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities. Other actions that are fraudulent include misappropriation of assets, revenues or assets, conflict of interests, discrimination, antitrust practices and environmental violations.

In an organization, fraud and risk can be prevented and detected through a number of ways. Firstly, fraud and risk can be managed through auditing and monitoring. However, according to Prasanna (2006, p.71) it is not possible to audit every fraud and misconduct risk and so it becomes necessary to perform a risk assessment before hand. For this method to work, it is imperative to have competent employees who should have a comprehensive understanding of what fraud is and what its red flags are.

Beside auditing and monitoring, fraud and risk can be prevented and detected through proactive data analysis. Proactive data analysis has been found to be effective in identification of suspicious transactions, assessing the effectiveness of internal controls and monitoring fraud threats and vulnerabilities. Organizations could choose to either use continuous transaction monitoring or retrospective based analysis. The former allows organizations to continuously monitor areas that pose strong risks while the later allows organizations to analyze transactions in one or two-year increments.

Another prominent way of fraud prevention and detection is the use of process controls. According to Prasanna (2006, p.71) process controls are effective in detecting fraudulent activities. In his view Pandey (2002, p.81) observes that to effectively manage risk and fraud in an organization, the management should put in place internal controls. But what are internal controls? According to Charles, Gary and John (2009, p.80) internal controls refer to the procedures and policies that are adopted by the management to ensure a business entity operates in an efficient and profitable manner. Internal controls safeguards both physical and un-physical assets. This is achieved by conducting reliable and safe back-up procedures, clearing assignment of duties and controlling operating environments. It is also worth noting that one of the other roles of an internal control system is producing accurate and complete accounting records and timely preparation of financial reports. Most importantly, a control system is composed different component. The first component is maintenance of a control environment. In order to avoid risk and fraud it is important for all the stakeholders to understand, be aware and commit themselves to the policies and procedures established. A strong control environment should be implemented using tight budgetary controls and effective internal audit functions. The second component is risk assessment which is the act of identifying, prioritizing and implementing risk management strategies, policies and procedures. The third component is control activities which include accounting systems and specific control policies and procedures. In this regard, setting up an accounting and portfolio tracking system could be helpful play an important role in the process of data preparation, data entry, and transaction processing and document generation. Control procedures could include activities such as performing independent checks, separation of duties, authorization and approval of transactions and activities, use of adequate documents and records, and maintaining physical control over assets and records. The fourth component is information and communication. In this regard, internal audit reports, monitoring and evaluation reports need to be shared among the stakeholders. Finally, internal control cannot be effective without continuous monitoring and supervision. This can be achieved by strengthening the internal audit functions.

TASK 3

Factors to consider when planning for an audit

In this scenario audit risk is high because the company’s financial statements are likely to be misstated. It is also highly possible that the auditor will fail to detect such material misstatements. Given these possibilities, the auditor is likely to issue an inappropriate opinion on the financial statements. To effectively conduct the audit it will imperative for the audit to keep the audit risk at low levels.

Given the prevailing circumstances it will be important for the auditor to ascertain the degree to which users will rely on the client’s financial statements. Using incomplete or erroneous documents could prove injurious to the users and the auditor. It is also worth noting that some businesses have high levels of inherent risk. To deal with this problem, the auditor is required to identify inherently risky areas and gather appropriate evidence regarding those areas. Inherent risk is also determined by the integrity of the management, results of pervious audits and client motivation to misstate the financial statements. Another important component of audit risk is detection risk. In this scenario detection risk is high and as such the auditor will be required to select proper audit procedures.

Another important concept in the auditing process is materiality. In this regard, the auditor should determine whether the misstatements will distort the view given by the financial statements and influence the understanding and economic decisions of the users. The scope of audit is also very important and it should help the auditor all areas of concern. In order to improve the accuracy of the audit report it will important for the auditor to get an assurance from the client as to whether the information contained in the accounting records is reliable and sufficient. Most importantly, the auditor will be required to apply the compliance test and substance test examine the validity of the information contained in the financial records.

Audit tests

Audit tests will play an important role in detecting any misstatements in the financial statements. According to there are several types of tests that can be used during the auditing process and they include: risk assessment procedures, test of controls, substantive tests of transactions, analytical procedures, and tests of details of balances. The risk assessment procedures can be used by the auditor to assess the risk of material misstatement in the financial statements. In this case, analytical procedures will also be important for preliminary analytical review. Given that conducting a detailed audit may be difficult, analytical procedures will give the auditors an accurate view of the level of material misstatements.

TASK 4

Purpose of an audit report

Auditing plays a pivotal role in providing the internal and external parties with financial information about particular information. The information generated by an audit could be helpful to the employees, the management, shareholders, lending institutions, regulatory agencies and security market. According to Prasanna (2006, p.81) auditing is an important social control mechanism for promoting accountability. There are four types of audit reports, each of which is discussed below.

Types of audit report

Qualified opinion

A qualified opinion is issued when a report fails to conform to generally accepted principles of accounting. A qualified opinion is also expressed when there no sufficient audit evidence. A qualified opinion contains an explanatory paragraph contains a paragraphs where the auditor highlights the reasons why the audit report is not unqualified

Unqualified opinion

It states that the financial statements were prepared were prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles and is presented when auditor ascertains that each of financial records is free of any misrepresentations. This kind of report is repaired by an unbiased third party and its titles contain the word “independent.”

Adverse opinion

In Charles, Gary and John’s (2009, p.80) view this is the worst type of an audit report that a business entity can receive. This report does not conform to generally accepted accounting principles and indicates that the financial records provided by the business have been grossly misinterpreted. When a auditor expresses an adverse opinion he or she is required to include an explanatory paragraph that should contain all the reasons for his or her adverse opinion.

Disclaimer of opinion

A disclaimer of opinion is expressed when the auditor is unable to make an informed opinion as to the fairness of presentation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP. It is also appropriate if the auditor is unable to perform a sufficient audit. When this happens, the auditor is required to issue a disclaimer explaining the issues why the opinion of the firm’s financial status could not be determined.

Constituents of an audit report

An audit report should have a title indicative of the word “independent.” The title is followed by an address and an introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph indicates the responsibility of the external auditor, and the management. It also contains the company’s financial statements including the balance sheet, statement of income, and statement of cash flows. An audit report also has a scope paragraph indicating the purpose, the nature and the scope of the audit. In any report, there must also be an opinion paragraph which indicates the auditor’s assessment of corporate risks and controls. An opinion paragraph is followed by an explanatory paragraph. A sample of an auditor report is detailed below.

AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT_____________________

The Board of Directors,

Upton Company,

New York.

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of the Upton Company which comprise of the balance sheet as of 31st December 2012 and other financial statements for the year(s) ended then.

Scope paragraph

The audit was conducted according to the generally acceptable accounting principles. The prevailing standards requires the auditors to examine whether financial statements are free from material assessment, to examine evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, and evaluate the principles used.

Opinion

In our opinion, the financial statements give a true view of the financial position of Upton Company as of 31st December 2012, and of the results of its operations for the year ended in accordance with GAAP.

Stratton and Briggs limited

24th December, 2012_____________________________________________________________

Purpose and contents of a management letter

A letter of management is written by the auditor towards the end of the audit. It contains information on weaknesses that have been identified by the auditor and recommendations of how they can be mitigated. The letter of management serves several purposes. Firstly, it enables an auditor to give his or her comments regarding accounting records, systems and controls. Secondly, it highlights any materials errors and ways through which they can be rectified. Thirdly, it offers the management constructive advice and improves the quality of the evidence gathering process. A letter of management starts off with an opening paragraph, after which any matters arising from the audit are listed. A raft of weaknesses and recommendations are then listed. The letter ends with a concluding paragraph. An example of a management letter is show below.

__________________ MANAGEMENT LETTER___________________________

Stratton and Briggs limited

Certified accountants and registered auditors

London

The Directors,

Upton Company,

New York.

Dears Sirs,

Audit for the year ended 31st December 2012

We are writing to you regarding the matter arising from the audit for the year ended 31st December 2012. Our responsibilities are guided by the relevant regulations and in accordance with generally acceptable accounting principles. This report has been prepared for the use by the management and others within the organization and none of its contents may be disclosed to external parties. The matters detailed in this report reflect matters coming to our attention during the auditing process.

Forecasting

Present system

Appropriate forecasting procedures are not undertaken and this problem can be attributed to the significant turnover in the finance management directorate.

Implications

The management does not receive reliable information for the decision-making process.

Recommendations

A strong financial management framework should be put in place.

We would be pleased to discuss the above issues at your own convenience.

Yours faithfully

Stratton and Briggs limited________________________________________________________

Reference List

Charles T. H., Gary L. S., and John A. E. (2009). Introduction to

Financial Accounting. Pearson Education

Khan, M. Y. & Jain, P. K. (2003). Financial Management – Text and Problems.

New Delhi: McGraw Hill Publishing Company Limited, New Delhi

Pandey, I. M. (2002). Financial Management. Vikas Publishing House Pvt.

Prasanna, C. (2006). Financial Management – Theory and Practice. New Delhi:

Hill Publishing Company Limited,

MGT603 Systems Thinking (2)

MGT603: Systems Thinking

Name

Course

Date

Abstract

The activities and operations within the emergency department often have life and death consequence implication. Other than providing needed immediate care, hospital emergency department personnel also play a role in assorting and directing patients to relevant departments where they will be best served. Organizations that operate based on complex and long system archetypes are prone to challenges such as longer patient waiting hours, loss of life due to delayed needed healthcare service delivery e.t.c. Also, the structure of an organizations system archetype is important because it dictates how fast the decision making process will be or not. This report is a case study that explores systems modeling tools including archetypes and how they impede organizational performance, application of value stream mapping analysis for a case study hospital emergency department and to reduce patient waiting times.

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” 1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc450572701 h 3

2. System Archetypes PAGEREF _Toc450572702 h 4

2.1 System archetypes that may impede Performance PAGEREF _Toc450572703 h 4

2.1.2 Systems that fail PAGEREF _Toc450572704 h 5

2.1.2 Drifting goals PAGEREF _Toc450572705 h 5

2.1.3 Shifting the Burden PAGEREF _Toc450572706 h 5

2.1.4 Limits to success PAGEREF _Toc450572707 h 6

2.1.5 Growth and Underinvestment PAGEREF _Toc450572708 h 7

2.1.6 Success to Successful PAGEREF _Toc450572709 h 7

2.1.7 Escalation PAGEREF _Toc450572710 h 8

2.1.8 Tragedy of the outcomes PAGEREF _Toc450572711 h 8

2.2 Current State Value Stream Map Analysis PAGEREF _Toc450572712 h 10

2.3 Recommended new State Value Stream Map PAGEREF _Toc450572713 h 11

2.4 Intended and Unintended Consequences PAGEREF _Toc450572714 h 12

3. Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc450572715 h 13

4. Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc450572716 h 14

5. References PAGEREF _Toc450572717 h 14

MGT603: Systems Thinking

1. IntroductionThe world is presently scrambling with the devastating effects of the global Coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals are at the center of the race to contain the spread while seeking long-term solutions such as vaccines and other viable treatment regimens. So far, Hospital emergency departments have proved vital to the overall success of interventions towards beating COVID19 in any medical institution because it is tasked with the provision of first line medical care assistance to patients coming in need of mediate care. The activities and operations within the emergency department often have life and death consequence implication. Other than providing needed immediate care, hospital emergency department personnel also play a role in assorting and directing patients to relevant departments where they will be best served. According to Sözen et al., (2017), operational efficiency or lack of it within hospital emergency departments is dependent on the existing system archetypes that dictate the flow of service as well as communication and treatment.

Organizations that operate based on complex and long system archetypes are prone to challenges such as longer patient waiting hours, loss of life due to delayed needed healthcare service delivery e.t.c. Also, the structure of an organizations system archetype is important because it dictates how fast the decision making process will be or not. The emergency department operates based on the principle of urgency and therefore quick decision making contributes significantly to the effectiveness of service delivery and the general operational efficiency of the department as well as the entire medical facility. A casing example in this report is the challenges faced by medical facilities in effectively handling the rising cased of corona virus infections across the globe. This paper posits that system archetypes promote organizational learning in a hospital emergency department and that has the potential to significantly improve general service delivery efficiency. Therefore system archetypes must be continuously evaluated and modified to prevent undesirable outcomes such as long hospital queues and delays in service delivery to patients among other unintended and undesirable outcomes.

2. System ArchetypesSystem archetypes are essential and highly effective tools used to study understand organizational behavior patterns; patterns that reflect the underlying gaps and disconnections within the systems being studied. According to Vaillancourt et al., (2014), system archetypes are tools used by managers to identify patterns of behavior in within organizational systems and serve as a medium for gaining deeper understanding of the underlying systems structures and how the observed organizational behaviors originate. Gillies & Maliapen, (2008), in support, explains that system archetypes do not describe one specific problem within a systems but rather a series of problems with causal factors and that is the value they create in terms of offering deep insights into complex and dynamic systems and system behavioral outcomes.

2.1 System archetypes that may impede PerformanceThere are currently 8 common system archetypes. These include systems that fail, drifting goals, shifting the burden, limits to success, growth and underinvestment, success to successful, escalation, and tragedy of the outcomes.

2.1.2 Systems that failThese are often the quick fixes that are passed on disguised as solutions to address symptoms of a seemingly urgent problem. The drawback that arises from such fixes is that they tend to set in motion unintended consequences. These consequences may not always be evident at the onset but will add to the problem in the long-term.

2.1.2 Drifting goalsThis refers to fixes that are applied in the case where there is a significant gap between the system performance and the target goal. The solution is usually to lower the goal or target but in the long run, this fix result in the unintended outcome of lowered organizational performance or productivity. In this case, managers are always faced with the problem of organizational performance that fails to meet the set goals. Rather than finding proper solutions, the managers apply symptomatic solution by finding justifications for lowering the targets to a level that seems easily achievable rather than applying the fundamental solution of finding the performance impediment. In the long run, this archetype becomes a performance impediment because the organization will be forced to adjust its goals downward each time the performance fails to meet targets and this creates a culture of laxity towards goal setting and so the organization will spiral into a downward trend of setting lower and lower targets just to ensure that the goals are achieved regardless.

2.1.3 Shifting the BurdenThis is a situation where managers opt to address symptoms of the problem with both short term and fundamental solutions. Managers often adopt this approach as a way to deflect pressure. When a problem occurs, they seek symptom-based quick fixes that will make the problem go away rather than making a commitment to finding long-term solution. This approach impedes organizational performance because when a quick fix is applied and the problem goes away, the organization’s need to find fundamental solutions also goes away until the same problem reoccur. The outcome behavior overtime is that this pattern will continue until the quick fix applied in one area of the system ends up creating more problems in other system functionality areas thereby creating a performance gridlock.

2.1.4 Limits to successThis is a situation where particular efforts become constrained such that the effort no longer generates positive performance outcomes. Behavior overtime is that the overall organizational performance becomes stagnated no matter how much effort is applied. In this type f archetype, the efforts to sustainably achieve growth will be successful in the early stages but eventually, the system reaches the limits to growth and the efforts applied no longer generate desired outcome in terms of growth. A good example can be drawn from the case study of the hospital emergency department operations. The department manager faces the problem of reduced number of patient attendances because of longer waiting times and long queues at the reception.

To address the problem, the manager decided to eradicate some of the services along the treatment chain that are deemed non-essential. The resultant effect is that the patients are attended to faster and the waiting times are reduced significantly thereby encouraging more people to come to the facility. The long-term behavior is that since the facility is working with limited staff, the huge numbers of patients overwhelm the service providers and therefore the patients will still have to wait longer in queues however fast the providers attend to the patients. The outcome is that overtime, most of the patients will opt to seek help elsewhere.

2.1.5 Growth and UnderinvestmentThis archetype points to the significance of addressing the dynamics in investment balancing loop especially from the managerial decision-making perspective. This is observable in a case where an organizational growth is approaching limit that could easily be avoided by investing in capacity but the managers opt to save on cost instead. The behavior overtime is the resultant performance degradation thereby resulting in low quality product and or service delivery. The decline in product or service quality causes significant decline in demand by targeted consumers of the product or service. The decline in demand consequently leads to decline in revenues, which in turn reduces resources available for investment.

2.1.6 Success to SuccessfulThis archetype is observed in a situation where two or more interventions are competing for the same limited resources, the most successful intervention gets assigned significantly higher amount of resources at the expense of the others. Success to successful archetype therefore creates insights into the trend of rewarding performers while neglecting underperformers. In an organization, the management is likely to fall into the trap of rewarding better performing employees, departments or products by allocating more resources to them at the expense of the underperforming ones without proper understanding of the underlying conditions or factors. Instead, a manager should critically evaluate the circumstances and conditions that contribute to the observed performance gaps and derive a resource allocation strategy that maximizes the potential of all the involved efforts. Otherwise, the rewarded efforts will continue to improve in performance while the unrewarded efforts continue to decline further in performance. This is not a desirable situation for any organization seeking to create and sustain its competitive advantages.

2.1.7 EscalationManagers are expected to create and sustain organizational competitive advantages and superiority over competitors through escalation structures. Managers justify their actions and decisions based on the strong belief that they are acting in the best interest of the company even if the implication of the decision stand to reduce the organization’s value to the customers, and other stakeholders. In the long run, the organization gets caught up in cutthroat action-reaction competition schemes, which in the long run harm the company and its interests, which the managers claimed to be protecting in the first place.

2.1.8 Tragedy of the outcomesThis archetype gives insights into the concept of reductionist thinking and its implication for overall organizational success. A properly functional organization is a collective of resources including people, space, finances, and systems among other resources. These resources are interlinked into a functional system with each aspect significantly dependent on the activities of the other systems. The problem arise when people in an organization for example continue to operate in a manner that does not recognize and appreciate the fact that there are interconnections within the system that contribute to their ability to perform assigned duties and achieve set goals and targets. Eventually, they end up placing too much pressure on such common resources which consequently collapse therefore incapacitating all the other dependent factors from functioning properly as expected including the people. A typical example of common resource is the IT department in a hospital setting. All hospital departments depend on the IT department top function yet when each department asserts increasing pressure on the system without considering the needs of the other departments, the IT department become too constrained for resources and when it eventually collapses, all the other departments cannot continue to function effectively as expected.

-287020115570002.2 Current State Value Stream Map AnalysisThe presented value stream map for the hospital emergency room gives a representative insight into the underlying system structures contributing to the lengthy waiting times. The lengthy waiting times can be traced to existing system archetypes including growth and underinvestment, as well as tragedy of the outcomes. The concept of growth and underinvestment is traceable to the limited space and personnel within the facility. The chine of service delivery is spread across with significant dependency on the attending nurse. The hospital should hire additional staff or capacity build the attnendants at the first level of triage to be able to perform the basic patient examinations. The records station and the ER should be within the same space or proximity to eliminate time wastage in the waiting area. Additionally, the attending doctor and the nurse should work in the same room so that; once the nurse is done examining the patient, the attending doctor takes over. The increased dependency on the attending nurse creates immense pressure on him/her to work faster and see more patients; this may lead to high risks of burnout and collapse, which may then lead to the breakdown of the entire service delivery chain.

2.3 Recommended new State Value Stream Map-57150018478500

Several research studies have been carried tout to determine the effectiveness of value stream mapping as a tool for improving organizational turnaround time in sectors such as healthcare as well as industrial production systems (Satyadi, 2012; Ramaswamy et al., 2017; Aizat Ahmad, 2019). After extensive fact analysis and consideration of existing value stream map, this report recommends adopting the lean approach as proposed by Improta et al., (2018). Their findings on similar problem for the emergency department at AORN Cardarelli hospital proved that lean approach significantly reduces patient waiting time to half the time used in the previous service delivery system. The lean method has proved to be efficient because it is based on simplified and streamlined operational efficiency attributable to task specification, streamlined communication, simple process architecture and results based or evidence based problem solving interventions. The proposed approach is to digitize the health information management system as well as computerization of the major procedures to eliminate time wasted waiting for information and communication transfer between the departments. Additionally, the proposed value stream mapping creates a service delivery system where the medical staff has been reorganized so that those who are interdependent are closely connected to create seamless uninterrupted workflow through out the process.

2.4 Intended and Unintended ConsequencesThe new value stream mapping has significantly reduced the patient waiting time by eliminating process interruptions and fast tracking diagnostic processes through computerization. These interventions will be effective for the long-term but has one major unintended out come. That is the risk of tragedy of outcomes. The system has been highly computerized from records management, communication as well as diagnostic procedures. This creates additional pressure on the existing IT department, which if not properly capacity built, may become overwhelmed, and breakdown resulting in a complete service delivery shutdown. Additionally there is the archetype of growth and underinvestment archetype. The management can opt for the proposed computerization and information system digitization but if they do not invest in capacity building the staff with knowledge and skills for operating and managing the equipment then the waiting time may double since the technology is new to them and they have to take time performing diagnostic procedures with limited knowledge and skills. The healthcare providers are also highly likely to commit errors as a result and this may have significant negative implications for the patients as well as the hospital as a whole in cases of misdiagnosis and wrong treatment related adverse events.

3. ConclusionsSystem archetypes promote organizational learning in a hospital emergency department and that has the potential to significantly improve general service delivery efficiency. They are essential and highly effective tools used to study understand organizational behavior patterns; patterns that reflect the underlying gaps and disconnections within the system being studied. There are 8 major archetypes that can influence or impede organizational performance and must be critically evaluated and understood during decision-processes. Also, value stream mapping is a great tool for visualizing emergency hospital department operational processes for ease of service delivery standardization and problem identification, evaluation and problem solving. Through the lean method, an organization can easily improve its turnaround time, especially in hospitals where timely decisions and interventions mean the difference between life and death for the patients.

4. RecommendationsBased on the findings of this report, the following recommendations are put forward for consideration. Organizations intending to sustain competitive advantage need to critically evaluate its systems to identify existing gaps and formulate long-term solutions rather than symptom based interventions, which are bound to cause additional problems in the long-term. There is need for further studies on value stream mapping approaches to come up with standardized methodologies for addressing related organizational process challenges regardless of the type of industry of business activity in future.

5. ReferencesAizat Ahmad, A. (2019). Process Time improvements through the application of Value Stream Mapping support Lean System. International Journal Of Advanced Trends In Computer Science And Engineering, 8(1.6), 310-317. https://doi.org/10.30534/ijatcse/2019/4681.62019

Gillies, A., & Maliapen, M. (2008). Using healthcare system archetypes to help hospitals become learning organisations. Journal Of Modelling In Management, 3(1), 82-99. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465660810860390

Improta, G., Romano, M., Di Cicco, M., Ferraro, A., Borrelli, A., & Verdoliva, C. et al. (2018). Lean thinking to improve emergency department throughput at AORN Cardarelli hospital. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3654-0

Ramaswamy, R., Rothschild, C., Alabi, F., Wachira, E., Muigai, F., & Pearson, N. (2017). Using Value Stream Mapping to improve quality of care in low-resource facility settings. International Journal For Quality In Health Care, 29(7), 961-965. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzx142

Satyadi, C. (2012). Practical Application of Value Stream Mapping in Process Improvement of Emergency Department Testing Turnaround Time. American Journal Of Clinical Pathology, 138(suppl 2), A250-A250. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/138.suppl2.201

Sözen, S., Celik, S., Akpinar, C., Güven, F., Yel, C., Kavalci, C., & Salt, Ö. (2017). Analysis of the patients admitted to emergency department due to urogenital trauma and investigation of factors that affect mortality. Journal Of Acute Disease, 6(2), 70-73. https://doi.org/10.12980/jad.6.2017jadweb-2016-0066

Vaillancourt, S., Shahin, I., Aggarwal, P., Pomedli, S., Hayden, L., Pus, L., & Bhattacharyya, O. (2014). Using Archetypes to Design Services for High Users of Healthcare. Healthcarepapers, 14(2), 37-41. https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpap.2015.24107

MGT5STR BOYALIN 18855469(1)

Analysis for Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd

Name: BOYA LIN

STUDENT ID :18855469

COURSE: MGT5STR

Identification and Profile of the Company

Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd is one of the recognized agribusiness organizations in Australia and beyond. As per the historical understanding, the company was established in 1905, making it one of the significant entities of the 20th century in Australia. Notable is that the products from the company are renowned worldwide due to their consistency and quality. In line with the exportation position, Thomas Borthwick& Sons Pty Ltd has stood out as one of the companies from Australia with a good reputation outside the Australian borders. Even though Thomas Borthwick& Sons Pty Ltd is recognized globally, most of its operations are felt in Australia as its top country of origin. Concerning the logical point, the company stands out as one of the entities with significant employment opportunities within the affiliates connected to it in the country. Still, on the historical background, the original plant was built by the government of Queensland in 1970, after which it was purchased by the investors bearing the names of Borthwick’s in 1978. After the takeover, the new investor embarked on an expansion mission, including increasing productivity to include the global scope. The company stands as wholly-owned NH food of Australia. On the same note, it is known as an integrated beef abattoir that processes various types of cattle.

Business Units for Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd

As can be seen from the company’s website, the organization has 387 outlets within its name and structure. For the industry, there is the Animal slaughtering and processing as part of its outlets. Also, the Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd stands as a food processing and manufacturing thereby occupying that part of the sector. One of the parts the company is more renowned with is meat packaging plants as there is more connection to livestock processing and selling within its name. As for the sector, the company occupies the consumer staples as part of its recognized areas of operations. Still, on the industry Homas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd is standing out as a consumer staple products. Additionally, for the sub-industry it is known to be basically food. The company is lauded in Australia as one of the best in Australia following its calls and keenness on the health of its products. For there to be a claim on healthy matters of food, there is the need for the notification of the Australian body in charge (Wellard-Cole, 2019. p1687). In the overall perspective, the Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd operates on food products. Specifically, the company operates on the meat and livestock commodities that is the definition of its objectives and operations

Identification and Analysis of Business Revenue Units for Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd

The company has a stream of revenue and income units. One of its main revenue generators is beef, fresh and frozen. There are various economic activities on this main revenue stream, including animal slaughtering, preparation of the processed meat, and their byproducts. Also, there is the rendering and refining of the animal fat, meat scraps and bones. As for the company, there is engagement in activities including the packaging and assembling of edible animal products. When looked at from the economic angle, reducing the animal losses and the quality of products is considered one of the essential elements that should be looked into as it results in mitigation of losses (Sinclair et al., 2019, p.2). Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd is mindful of the products and is keen on seeing that there is the mitigation of any possibility of excesses that might arise. As per the reports from the company, it has achieved revenues of AU$300,000,000. However, the company’s other income generation activities are marked by animal food manufacturing supplied to the livestock keepers. On the same note, there are meat packaging plants whose service is sold for people who slaughter businesses in Australia and abroad.

Analysis of the Business External Environment

Political Environment

The Australian government and the political class have currently designed the country’s agribusiness sector in readiness for the political and power shift to the Asian continent. Thus, the country is seen to capitalize on bilateral and multilateral trade with its partners worldwide. There is changing political context in Australia regarding agribusiness and livestock in general. For a long, it has been assumed that the urban population has not been keen on the plight of the rural farmers, thereby creating political instability between the two groups. On the international scene, the business has been significantly impacted by the geopolitical instability in various regions. The Australian farmers and businesses, including Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd, are confronted with the politics of animal welfare (Locke 2015, p.1). Thus, the company is confronted with political challenges both domestically and at the international levels. Thus, it calls that there is consideration of the stability of the political situation on both fronts.

Economic Environment

Concerning the economic environment for Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd, various factors influence the stability and operations. The first aspect is the availability of farm products, which informs its raw materials such as meat and livestock products. Most of the meat processed at the company is locally sourced from Australian farmers. Then there is the aspect of the market that significantly informs the stability of the organization’s revenue streams. Currently, the company is digging into international platforms such as the Chinese, Japanese and American markets for expansion purposes. A market for the products locally and internationally has been essential for Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd. It is increasing its revenue streams. Also, there is the income of the customers that have been influenced globally by the pandemic and the income of the consumers. It is essential to learn that there is a decline in the market with the emergence of Covid-19 .

Social Environment Affecting the Business

For the social environment, there is the internal and external factors that are created by the Australian society and the rest of the world. The Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd deals in animal products and their operations are on food processing. Thus, it is inevitable that they are confronted with the social issues ranging from the rights of animals to health of consumers of their products. There have been calls from the animal rights activists to see that there is the handling of animals with care. Still on the social context, there are religious beliefs including the Hindu community in Australia who are not taking lightly the aspect of beef and cruelty remitted on animal. Health is one of the social aspects that matters significantly for the consumable products such as meat and other animal merchandize. There should be the consideration of social stability in the production of food products including the meat processing and the manufacturing of the same (Pratley et al., 2020, p.420).Through the consideration of the social environment, the company has been able to win the confidence of people.

Environmental Factors

The environmental factors include the consideration of the pollution coming from the factories owned by the company and the sustainability of the surrounding. Each business, regardless of whether enormous or little, is influenced from interior hierarchical factors as well as, from a few outer variables. Organization have no control on outside climate. Creating showcasing techniques ought to incorporate considering ecological factors so a precise image of the market patterns and climate can be introduced and to comprehend with respect to where the organization is standing. Overlooking ecological angles is like strolling on a way where there are ineffective advertising and lost incomes which can eventually affect the strength of the business brand. Also, there is the consideration for the composition of the environmental concerns arising from the local people and the international bodies.

Technological factors

The utilization of machines in the food business additionally guarantees quality and moderateness. By utilizing machines, it drives down the expenses of keeping the food new and expands usefulness. As indicated by the report, “The ascent of mechanical technology in the food business is a substantial illustration of food tech. The quantity of robots in the European food industry is above and beyond 30,000, while the quantity of robots per 10,000 representatives rose from 62 out of 2013 to 84 of every 2017. Despite the fact that Germany is the biggest market, robot thickness is generally most noteworthy in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. Australia has stood out a one of the countries that are cognizant of technology and innovation for its production activities.

Internal Organization

One of the factors significantly influencing the internal environment for Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd is the resource base. The human resource in the company is one of the advantages the company is endowed with in its general formation. Also, the company is priding itself with the machineries and equipment for processing and manufacturing of food products within the premises. Still, on resources, the company has financial muscles that enables it to purchase the livestock form Central Highlands. As for the competencies, the company has the management from different sections of the country that are sourcing the products. Again, there is marketing department that is geared at promoting the company to various parts of the world. The company has been of high quality within a consistent streak making it one of the highly recognized in Australia.

Competitive Advantage

The main competitive advantage of the Thomas Borthwicks and Sons Australian Pty Ltd is that it has reputational presence globally. Also, the company is market by huge capitation that makes it more monopolistic than the rest in the market.

Recommendations

It is recommended that the company expands its international market base to include the Asian and American markets

The Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd should be cognizant of the environmental factors to reduce the challenges from the consumers

The Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd should be cognizant of the animal rights to prevent the reputational damage

The Thomas Borthwick and Sons Australian Pty Ltd should increase its Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

Bibliography

Lockie, S. (2015) Australia’s agricultural future: the social and political context. Report to SAF07 – Australia’s Agricultural Future Project, Australian Council of Learned Academies, Melbourne.

Pratley, J. and Kirkegaard, J., 2020. From conservation to automation in the search for sustainability. Australian agriculture in, pp.419-435.

Sinclair, M., Fryer, C. and Phillips, C.J., 2019. The benefits of improving animal welfare from the perspective of livestock stakeholders across Asia. Animals, 9(4), p.123.

Wellard-Cole, L., Watson, W.L., Hughes, C. and Chapman, K., 2019. How effective is food industry self-substantiation of food–health relationships underpinning health claims on food labels in Australia?. Public health nutrition, 22(9), pp.1686-1695.

MGT603 Systems Thinking

MGT603: Systems Thinking

Name

Course

Date

Abstract

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” 1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc450572701 h 3

2. System Archetypes PAGEREF _Toc450572702 h 4

2.1 System archetypes that may impede Performance PAGEREF _Toc450572703 h 4

2.1.2 Systems that fail PAGEREF _Toc450572704 h 5

2.1.2 Drifting goals PAGEREF _Toc450572705 h 5

2.1.3 Shifting the Burden PAGEREF _Toc450572706 h 5

2.1.4 Limits to success PAGEREF _Toc450572707 h 6

2.1.5 Growth and Underinvestment PAGEREF _Toc450572708 h 7

2.1.6 Success to Successful PAGEREF _Toc450572709 h 7

2.1.7 Escalation PAGEREF _Toc450572710 h 8

2.1.8 Tragedy of the outcomes PAGEREF _Toc450572711 h 8

2.2 Current State Value Stream Map Analysis PAGEREF _Toc450572712 h 10

2.3 Recommended new State Value Stream Map PAGEREF _Toc450572713 h 11

2.4 Intended and Unintended Consequences PAGEREF _Toc450572714 h 12

3. Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc450572715 h 13

4. Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc450572716 h 14

5. References PAGEREF _Toc450572717 h 14

MGT603: Systems Thinking

2.3 Recommended new State Value Stream Map-57150018478500

Major, Career, Goals

Name:

Institution:

Course:

Tutor:

Date:

Major, Career, Goals

I chose to join a nursing school at ACC and I am currently working on three prerequisite classes and applying to a Licensed Vocational Nurses School. Ultimately, I plan to work as a licensed vocational nurse while becoming a Registered Nurse. I am particularly interested in pursuing physical rehabilitation and pediatrics. At my bachelors and masters level, I majored in Political Science and Library Science respectively. To date, I have not been able to find a kind of Job that would allow me to work comfortably. Librarian jobs are generally scarce and they require one to work not only during evenings but also on weekends. Being a single mother, this is inconveniencing as it does not give me sufficient time to cater for the needs of my daughter.

My mother was a registered nurse and a nurse educator and I really admired her when I was growing up. This is because she portrayed positive values and was able to inculcate the same in us. In addition, she was able to work conveniently and earned enough to support the family. She was certainly a positive role model who was dedicated to ensuring that her children are well nurtured to fit in the current society. I also wish to not only be a role model to my daughter, but to also support her through life. I think I can be able to achieve this through going back to school and enhancing my skills. It is for these reasons that I chose to major in nursing.

My career goals are to work in a field that I love and one that would enable me to reach out to the society. Notably, this has some significant intrinsic as well as extrinsic benefits. The inherent satisfaction and rewarding compensation would enable me to derive the best from my career. Moreover, this experience would provide me with useful insights with respect to nurturing my daughter in a socially acceptable manner. The exposure to persons from diverse backgrounds and who have different problems would be instrumental in enabling me to appreciate different life experiences. In the long run, this will turn out as a lifelong learning experience for both my daughter and I.

Austin Community College offers the licensed vocational nurses program and would therefore enable me to pursue this. Since the program is flexible and takes a period of one year, this is convenient for me. Besides, it is affordable and would therefore not be financially strenuous. The institution has sufficient modern resources and dedicated staff that would ensure that I gain the right skills to fulfill my goals. Besides, the large network that the institution developed would ensure that I am exposed to a diverse working environment through its internship program. This experience would be fundamental in preparing me for the career ahead.

Malabar Gold and diamond company ECONOMICS REPORT

NAME

AFFILIATION

Question 1

The name of the company is Malabar Gold and diamond and the branch which the students (in a group of 5) had visited has been in operation since the last couple of years located near ruwais mall near to their college. The company has 5 branches in UAE. It is famous for its jewelry making and watches made of precious items like Gold, Platinum and other gems. The company has been operational since the last 6 years and currently has an annual turnover of $3.5 billion (Heyne, Boettke, Prychitko, 2014).The company has also established 10 additional whole sale units apart from the offices, design centers and the factories. The target customers of the company is every range and it maintains a unique collection for every individual regardless of age. The majority of the ornaments available at their restaurants ranges from 18,000 to 22,000 making it relatively easy for the average customer to have access to it hence quadrupling the sales.

Question 2

The law of demand is a very common law that prevails in every industry. It simply states that the price of the product will fall if the quantity demanded decreases and vice versa. In the context of this company, the primary products of the company are gold and diamonds but it is an interesting fact that the price of the gold ornaments are less than the diamond ornaments at present (Heyne, Boettke, Prychitko, 2014). The recent fluctuations have caused the increase in the gold price hence the demand should have been decreased. However, in the case of this company this is not the case. It is evident from their financial structure that they have introduced two schemes by the name of Malabar monthly scheme and the wedding purchase scheme. The primary reason for the introduction of such schemes is that the company allows you to invest for a period ranging from 3 months to three years with three or thirty six installments respectively. These schemes have the embedded option available which allows you to lock in the gold rate which was at the initiation of the time of installments. In a country like India, where women are highly attracted to it and follows the traditional custom of wearing it at different occasions. Gold is also considered as a good investment as majority of the people do invest in gold or companies who are in the business of mining gold in order to earn superior returns than the market.

The above mentioned facts have allowed the demand of the gold to rise even if the prices are rising. This is a violation of the law of demand but it can be termed as capturing of the niche market which has allowed the expensive metals like gold and diamonds within the grasp of a common man who would have only thought to give gold to his daughter at the time of his marriage.

Question 3

On the contrary, scarcity is the primary economic problem which implies that there are unlimited wants existing in the human world and there are very few resources to satisfy it. In other terms, the concept of scarcity can be stated as there are limited resources for the satisfaction of unlimited human wants. In the context of the above mentioned definition, it is evident that to obtain something one has to give up or trade off something. The price of the good involved in this matter reflects the scarcity of this good (Mankiw, 2007).

When we discuss the company Malabar gold and diamond, it can be seen that the element of scarcity is prevailing in the society as the people intends to purchase more and more gold, they have to quit some of their wants or have to make a sacrifice to obtain the gold. The concept of scarcity is vital to survive in the real world because it results in the arousal of competition which subsequently results in people striving with each other in order to qualify for the criteria which will be used to determine who will be able to get the most. The system of pricing in the community is responsible for allocation of the resources (Mankiw, 2007). If the society tends to make economic improvements on the monetary terms basis then people will work hard to get monetary benefits. Gold and diamond ornaments is a want which will be satisfied as people will be more oriented towards savings that will help them to earn gold. The company pricing policy has resulted in such circumstances that the price gap has been greatly reduced hence the concept of scarcity of resources is easily being met. The branch has a lot of products hence the reason at why the client prefer to do business with the main branch.

References

https://www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com

Heyne, Paul; Boettke, Peter J.; Prychitko, David L. (2014). The Economic Way of Thinking (13th ed.). Pearson. HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number” o “International Standard Book Number” ISBN HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-13-299129-2” o “Special:BookSources/978-0-13-299129-2” 978-0-13-299129-2.

Mankiw, G (2007). Principles of Economics. South-Western Cengage Learning. p. 470. HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number” o “International Standard Book Number” ISBN HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-324-22472-6” o “Special:BookSources/978-0-324-22472-6” 978-0-324-22472-6.

Brainstorming Informative Speech Topics

STUDENT’S NAME:

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION:

COURSE:

PROFESSOR’S NAME:

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

Brainstorming Informative Speech Topics

Private Prisons in the US

GENERAL PURPOSE: To inform about the continuous emergence of privatized prisons in the United States of America.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience on the significance of the private prison system in the US criminal justice.

THESIS STATEMENT: The overcrowding witnessed in US public prisons due to increased incarcerations has necessitated alternative ways of housing inmates such as privatized prisons.

MAIN POINTS:

As of 2020, the United States prison system had approximately 2.4 million adults incarcerated, a population larger than some major American cities.

According to reports by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2018 about 128,063 inmates were held in privately run prison facilities which is a 47% increase from 87,369 inmates in 2000.

Privatized prison system saves the US federal government 20% cost of housing an inmate as well as the burden of prison administration.

Domestic Violence in the US

GENERAL PURPOSE: To inform on the current prevalence of domestic violence in the United States amidst the economic downturn caused by the covid-19 pandemic.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience about the main victims of domestic violence and how they can be saved.

THESIS STATEMENT: Domestic violence is a serious public health problem in the US which requires mass sensitization for its prevention.

MAIN POINTS:

Domestic violence comes in various forms of abuse such as physical, emotional, sexual, and economic, and the victims are majorly the perceived weaker groups such as children, women, and the elderly.

According to various studies conducted in the US, there are approximately 1500 deaths recorded annually that are directly related to domestic violence.

Children who witness or are victims of domestic or family violence are highly likely to engage in it in the future as a mean of conflict resolution in relationships.

Covid-19 Pandemic: What we have Learnt

GENERAL PURPOSE: To inform on what covid-19 pandemic has revealed about our global healthcare system.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience about the useful economic and healthcare lessons that we have acquired from the covid-19 pandemic for future use in case of a similar flu outbreak.

THESIS STATEMENT: Covid-19 pandemic exposed the unpreparedness and poor healthcare policies that underline healthcare provisions in most developed economies.

MAIN POINTS:

Proper funding of medical research is a very important arsenal in disease prevention.

Healthcare is a universal and basic need that should be a priority for all governments.

There is need for the world economic system to be primarily predicated on technological production to prevent future economic downturn as currently witnessed.

Anti-Racism Movements: Black Lives Matter

GENERAL PURPOSE: To inform on the current anti-racism movements witnessed around the globe on the endemic racism against black people.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience on what Black Lives Matter movement in the United States of America is all about and its goals.

THESIS STATEMENT: The endemic racial prejudice and state-sanctioned violence against blacks that continues to be witnessed in the US ethically obliges every patriotic American to join the Black Lives Matter movement in dismantling the injustices.

MAIN POINTS:

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Global Network was officially established in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teenager, as he walked from his local store towards home (Ramaswamy, 2017).

The primary goal is to intervene in cases of state-sanctioned or vigilante violence against blacks, and to eradicate any form of white supremacy.

The public protests by BLM activists and supporters does not in any way imply that other lives do not matter save for blacks, rather it is against the racial prejudices that is more directed towards the black community.

Brainstorming exercise is primarily important for the organization of one’s creative thoughts on a given topical issue. It gives freedom for the exploration of as many ideas as possible, and the final selection of the main ones that effectively supports the central idea. Additionally, it gives a clear roadmap for writing which quickens the whole process.

Breach of Informal Norms

Student’s name

Lecturer’s name

Course

Date

Breach of Informal Norms

Informal norms are casual behaviors that society members conform to provide guidance and direct behavior, thus bringing order in society. Informal norms are an essential part of society because they allow members to understand each other and create predictable social relationships. Reactions to a breach of informal norms vary depending on the relationship between the two parties in play. The OpenStax textbook states, “First, consider the

elements of a relationship. One is attachment, or the bond that people form with each

other. (OpenStax chapter 4, section 1). For the breaching of informal norms experiment, I decided to take the lift while facing the opposite direction from everybody in the lift. Normally elevator etiquette dictates that people fill it starting from the back as they face the door. I choose the school resource center’s elevator on a Monday because it is usually full of students. People got into the lift and faced the door as they waited for it to move and reach their respective floors. Additionally, people in an elevator tend to maintain silence throughout unless they share s special connection like a friendship. I got into the lift last and faced people in the lift. To make it more interesting, I decided to take another step and plug my earphones and dance like it was commonplace for the activity. However, no music was playing on my phone the whole time. I identified two individuals in the lift and tried to maintain steady eye contact by persistently staring at them and watching their reactions.

The elevator consisted of a total of ten individuals of different genders. Two individuals expressed amusement in my actions. On the other hand, five people, particularly those close to me, expressed discomfort. According to the OpenStax textbook, “what is considered deviant is determined not so much by the behaviors themselves or the people who commit them, but by the reactions of others to these behaviors.” The lady right in front of me removed her phone from her purse started scrolling to distract herself from whatever I was doing and avoid eye contact. The man next to her covered his face with his hands in disbelief and looked down the whole time in the elevator. He avoided eye contact with me because it made him uncomfortable. In this experiment, I broke the informal norm that requires people to face the same direction and not interfere with personal space since it’s a small cubicle and is for a short while. The discomfort and amusement of people in the elevator made my actions feel awkward and out of place.

Shifting the social context and introducing this informal norm in a different physical setting. The breach of the informal norm in the elevator opened my mind and allowed me to realize how society, mainly human behavior, is guided and controlled by unspoken rules. The reactions from the people in the elevator made me feel a little embarrassed. However, I had to see it through and gather as much information as possible through their reactions. It helped me appreciate the presence of unspoken rules in society.

A television presenter

Television presenting is the act of introducing and hosting televisions shows, which include news interviews, news, and events. The process of television hosting is done directly by a television host or presenter, who become the face of the show and in the frontline of the shows. Recently, in television the main people who have become main people main in hosting are celebrities. However, some individuals have solely majored in the hosting and presenting and made that a career. When we talk of television presenters, some significant names come in the industry come up, and this includes people like Oprah Winfrey, Chris Tarrant, Matt Baker, Michael Palin and the most controversial Ellen DeGeneres.

In the recent past, for one to become a presenter, they must have a degree, most preferably in journalism. An experience in the field was also a significant added advantage for someone to get to present. Many presenters had confessed to having worked behind the scene for a very long time before they started presenting. The qualification of being a presenter has changed with time; this has been seen because many celebrities are now doing hosting in popular television shows.

The primary qualification nowadays is the number of viewers one is able by been a presenter and how well you are to own a particular character that the show is presenting. There is an introduction of days training with professionals courses that are embraced day in day out. The main purpose ad advantage for this kind of training is to prepare someone and make the familiar with the camera and how to conduct themselves in the shows. BBC, one of the world’s biggest broadcast, offers training schemes and short courses for people who are interested in becoming broadcasters and presenters.

To be presenters, one has to possess some skills and characters so that they can fit in the business. For someone to become a presenter, they need to be outgoing by nature, attractive, confident and a personality that is strong. The characters enable someone to has the confidence that is required hosting. People in presenting the need to have the eye contact with people they are interviewing and their audience in general, this will enable them to have the best of the information that they’re trying to attain from the interviews. Television hosts also need to be able to handle pressure; they should be able to make quick decisions. In hosting a lot of emotions are involved both from viewers and the people being interviewed. Therefore, the host should be capable of producing quick decisions that would keep the show and the interviewer controlled. In the event the interviewee is mad and not pleased with the questions being directed to them then they need to have a way of managing such situations. Presenters are required to have knowledge and awareness of media law so that they do not break any code that binds them and their clients. They are expected to have excellent performance skills so that they can have excellent demonstrations in any situation that requires them to; they also have a clear voice that can communicate well. The language that is used to present should fluent and well familiar to the person interviewed.

Even though the main responsibility of a presenter is hosting and presenting, they have other duties. Some of the duties that they have is doing more research and coming up with an exciting topic that they will viewers subscribed more to their channels. They are required to lias and team with technical teams so that they can run the shows successfully. They have to listen to their directors and follow and on their instructions so that the show can run smoothly, and afterward, they are required to help the crew in assessing reviews for the upcoming shows.

Many expectations come with being a presenter, and some of them are negative. When one becomes a presenter, their private life is mostly compromised, this is because they are public figures with a massive following. They might have paparazzi following them around and documenting everything they do. Presenters are required to work in all conditions, they can find themselves in the studios and other times they in harsh conditions, and their main concern should not be the condition but to deliver at all times. Another expectation the people expect from presenters is for them to be fashion cautious. Most people look up to television presenter because of their flashy life depicted in the expensive clothes they wear; this has made media house to pay most presenters wardrobe allowances so that they can look their best during hosting.

Many presents have their managers and agents who run their business. The managers act as a publicist to them and also negotiates contracts on behalf of them, in the contracts they negotiate on how much they expect them to be paid. The managers also manage most of their social media pages and control what goes up and what should not. They maintain their careers, however, not all television hosts have managers, and others do it on their own.

In conclusion, television is one of the best paying careers in the journalism industry. In American, a presenter in tv is paid close to four hundred dollars on a monthly basis. Even though a lot of dedication is required in the job, this kind of job is one of the best. For the people that love social life and travel, this would be a good career for them. The industry is vibrant, exciting and full of surprises.

brain_stimuli

BRAIN STIMULI

STUDENT NAME

AFFILIATION

DATE

Introduction

The brain is a sensitive part of a human’s body; it is also the part that controls everything we do. According to (Carter, 2014) a brain is sensitive to different chemicals and can affect it negatively or positively. This is because it is a part of the nervous system that controls every part of our daily life. When eating a pizza the properties in the pizza itself interact with the brain, in lay mans terms is chemical dose from mouth to brain (Carter, 2014).

It affects the brains sensory nerves because there are many reactions before actually eating the Pizza. The smell of any type and the feeling in the mouth are the most crucial in making the experience pleasurable. In other words it is not necessarily due to energy homeostasis that we desire to eat (August, 1987).

The part that is involved with sensory and motor signal relay is called thalamus. In sense it is correct to indicate that most sensory processes such as eating involve thalamatic nucleus that receives sensory signal. It acts as a gateway that directs impulses to the cortex from the sub cortical nuclei. It does not play a major role in feeding as opposed to hypothalamus but it controls energy homeostasis. In pizza the fat in cheese and mushroom which contain fat actually helps gain more energy .Reason being the body burns curbs more quickly and this generates more energy (Carter, 2014).

The hypothalamus helps in regulating temperature, hunger, blood pressure, heart rate and thirst. It performs its function by navigating signals of the homeostatic mechanisms that it controls such as hunger and energy balance. As mentioned it helps our bodies maintain homeostasis especially when calories are low (Carter, 2014). This is why when an individual takes a bite of pizza it activates brain pleasure center that relays message to the entire body. The thing people understand as craving is actually a hunger hormone known as Ghrelin which increases lust before meals.

There is a nervous tissue located in the temporal lobe of the brain. It is responsible for the perception of emotions and acts as stimuli in survival. The activity that brings satisfaction to the brain on the different flavor of any pizza is formulated through the amygdala. It detects the flavor intensity of a particular food and acts as an emotional regulator especially cue on food. Through the connection from the hypothalamus and amygdala we essentially learn how to regulate food behavior. When an individual walks by a pizza outlet the cue for food intensifies. That is where the brain identifies intensity of flavor that determines the degree of hunger and desire. In order to control eating there is a median that is known as amygdalohypothalamic that controls.

The hippocampus acts a server for the brain as it stores memories of all past knowledge and experience. After eating a slice of Pizza the body feels relieved but the next day we desire some more. Thus the Hippocampus main role is to recall facts or events that the brain purposely wants to remember.

Conclusion

The brain requires all the above to process while eating a pizza .When consuming a pizza an individual salivates before even inserting the pizza in His or her mouth (Carter, 2014). The reason we enjoy foods with sprinkles, added ingredients and sauces is because they cover the taste buds causing us to salivate.

Reference

August, P. (1987). Brain functions. New York: Chelsea House.

Carter, R. (2014). The Brain Book,USA: Dorling Kindersley Limited.