TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR FIELD OF STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR FIELD OF STUDY - Essay Example Mobile technology has greatly improved communication in today’s world. Mobile technology has made sending and receiving of information faster than ever before. In today’s world someone who is in a far country can call directly and talk to another who is in another continent within minutes. Today people can receive live news of what has happened all over the world faster than ever before (Barney, 2005). Very large texts can be sent across the world without the use of messengers and can be received by recipients located in different parts of the world. This has made it easier to communicate with these people, improving the time and speed of communication. Because of advances in communication technology, it is now possible for universities to offer long distance courses. All that a student needs is an access to computers, and internet connectivity. Long distance courses or classes are a popular method that universities use for purposes of reaching out on students who are in other countries. Some students also prefer to use long distance classes, because of time factors. Mobile technology has also increased efficiency and reliability in the methods and ways in which business leaders communicate with their employees. Due to the advancement of mobile technology, a business manager can now control his workers whichever place they are (Preston, 2001). It is not a must for the business manager or administrator to go to the location of his or her employee. They can use the mobile phones to request for information they need. Companies with large number of branches are able to give orders to be received immediately by their specific branches with a lot of ease. We can collaborate with co-workers no matter how spread out they may be. Any one who needs confirmation or approval of vital decisions can get them without waiting for the head of the organization to return from a trip in order to make approvals. Mobile technology has made doing

Designing a system for an IT user Essay Example for Free

Designing a system for an IT user Essay John would need at least a 4GB RAM as that will provide john with a lot of temporary memory to make his computer faster. Task 2- Storage Devices Item Description Why Required? Hard Disk It stores data, all data is stored on the hard disc. The hard disk is the main storage device on a computer it is needed for storing everything from pictures to software. The data is stored in this magnetic material. Thus, the hard disk is known as a magnetic storage device. He needs to save all his music, movies, work and other files. Everything he does needs to be saved on the hard disk so he needs. He needs a hard disk that comes with his computer to have a lot of memory preferably more than 500GB, so it is unlikely for him to need more memory. Flash Memory A flash memory, also known as a USB, stores memory which can be transferred from one computer to another computer. They are usually lightweight and easy to use. He needs a USB to transfer his work from his computer to another computer so he can also edit his work when he is studying on another computer. John can save a lot of work on a Flash Memory because they can be up to 64GB. CDs and DVDs CDs and DVDs are used to store audio or video files which can be played in a compatible CD or DVD player. A single sided DVD can store about 4. 7Gb of data. DVDs which store data on both sides can hold over 9Gb of data. He could use DVDs or CDs to store his music or the homemade movies that he makes. They are small, portable and are very easy to use but Johns computer will need a disk reader which usually comes with the computer. Task 3- Software Requirements Item Description Why required? Windows 7 It is the latest edition of windows operating systems. It has more features than windows vista such as improved booting times. It also has pre-installed programs such as windows movie maker, windows photo gallery and other programs. Windows 7 is quick and easy to use. He can also save files that can be compatible with other operating systems. I think that this will be the most useful operating system because most programs are compatible with windows and this is the latest edition of windows. Other operating systems like Apple (Mac) are much more expensive and not all programs are compatible with an Apple Mac and a Linux. Microsoft Office Professional 2007 It is cheap (i80 minimum price), Microsoft office 2010 is not a lot different but is i 430. Although this isnt the latest edition of Microsoft office, it isnt much different from the new 2010 edition and the 2007 edition is much cheaper. Microsoft office professional is one of the easiest software applications that can be used and it is very powerful which enables John to do many tasks at one using many different features such as word art. Although Microsoft office doesnt have as much creativity skills as other software, such as Adobe Photoshop, it still has many other features such as creating publications and presentations. Word : Excel : PowerPoint : Outlook : Publisher: Microsoft Word is easy to use and can also be saved in different formats. The 2007 version of word is compatible with word 2003, which he uses at college. Word also gives options of different layouts and different templates. It features calculation, graphing tools and many features what can be used in a spreadsheet. Excel is extremely useful as it can do anything a calculator can do and plot it into graphs and tables. Excel isnt all calculations; it also has some design features, for example colourful tables, graphs, text and table templates. PowerPoint can be used to make slideshow presentations which are easy to use. PowerPoint has custom animations which can be used on text, picture and slides. PowerPoint also gives templates which can make the presentation look of high standard as the templates have a colour scheme which makes a presentation look professional. Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. This is a publishing program which is easy to use, has many templates and produces good quality documents. Publisher is very powerful and easy to use. It lays out work for anyone who wants to produce work. To use publisher a custom layout doesnt have to be designed which makes work much quicker. Other publication software is not as fast as publisher. He needs word to help him with his A-levels and he uses Microsoft office at college so he is used to it. He can also use word to create flyers and other documents for his participation at the local conservative. Word can be used to create documents, letters, flyers and general editing. Word has many simple features which will make Johns work look good. He will use excel to make spreadsheets as he could be using this for his ICT A-level. Word is a very cleaver, powerful application as it can solve equations deal with difficult numbers and plot them into graphs. He can also use excel to plot tables for general use, for example how many leaflets he has printed for his local conservative party and how much were the printing costs. He could use PowerPoint to help him with his ICT A-level and because John is used to using Words at his college. He can also use PowerPoint to make presentations in his other a-levels, for general use and to give presentations about the local conservative party. He needs outlook to view his emails and easily manage everything. John can send and receive emails quickly using outlook. He can also use outlook to attach files, e. g. take work from college and back it up on home computer by sending files through an email. He needs publisher to produce flyers, leaflets and other documents he has Microsoft office 2003 so it is compatible with Microsoft 2007. He can also use publisher to produce letters that he can send and use generally. Publisher has many templates for example letters, flyers and business cards and they come in different sizes (A4, A5 and more). Access : Microsoft access is a program which allows you to make tables and search information in a database. If formulas are not needed it is better to use access than excel because it is easy to navigate to an area of data out of a database. He is likely to use this in his ICT A-level so when he does his work at college, he can finish it off at home. John can also use access to create tables about the amount of leaflets he has made. He can also use a database to record everything that goes on during the conservative party meetings. Adobe Photoshop Elements Adobe Photoshop is editing software used to edit pictures. It is also cheap. Adobe Photoshop elements might not be able to produce finalized documents like word or publisher but it can create stunning design picture, text and other shapes. He could use adobe Photoshop to edit his picture or graphics in Art/Design level. He also likes photography and he will be able to edit his pictures. To produce quality leaflets for his local conservative party John can create shapes and a design scheme in adobe Photoshop and bring it into word so he can add text and finalize his document. Adobe Premiere Elements Adobe Premiere Elements is a video editing software application for nonlinear video editing, published by Adobe Systems. It is a scaled-down version of the professional-level Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe premiere elements have features which can edit each individual time frame. John likes making and editing home made movies and adobe premiere is a professional movie making software. An alternative video editing software is windows movie maker which comes free with windows 7, but windows movie maker doesnt have as much editing features because it is free and John will usually get more for something he pays for. Task 3 -Software Requirements Item Description Why Required? Reason Reason is a music making program which allows you do add and edit different sounds. Reason is a professional music making software which allows someone to edit music or sounds, just like professionals e. g. DJs. In Johns free time he likes making his own music so reason would be a good program for him to use. John can create a remix of other people music tracks or he can create his own music. He can also go back and edit every time frame of his music track. Microsoft German Language Pack Microsoft German language pack converts any language to German. It can even convert an internet page to German language. He studies German for his A-levels. John can use the German language pack to help him convert English to German if he needs help with his work. /he can also use the German language pack to convert all of his settings to German language so he can get used to reading German. Windows Live Messenger. Msn messenger is a free messenger which is easy to use and is used by many people. John can also use windows live messenger on his mobile so he can talk to a contact even when he isnt at his compute. It is very easy to use and he can add any contacts and make video/voice/text chats to them. John needs to talk to his friends and family. He also likes to make video calls. Windows live messenger is free and can be used just to write messages to a friend or family and John can also send happy or sad emotions to a contact he can also attach and send files to somebody in his contact list.

How to say no Summary :: essays research papers

Chapter 1- Saying No: The Basics In the first chapter of How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty, the authors present the basics of saying no. But why say no? Many times people are persuaded into doing things they don’t want to do, simply because they can’t find the right words to say no. Another reason why people don’t say no is because they are afraid of what the person will think of them if they say no. I can understand this, because many times I have found myself doing things for people because I couldn’t think of a good excuse to get myself out. After reading the first chapter, I learned the basic techniques to politely saying no. The first one is surprisingly simple—just buy more time. If you can put off your decision to accepting a request from someone, you then have the time to really think about what it will take to satisfy the other person. One of the phrases they suggested was, â€Å"I need to find out if I work first†. As a college student, my work schedule is anyth ing but consistent, so that phrase will be great for me to use. Another suggestion was to say you have a â€Å"policy† against doing something. It’s good because it lets the person know how important it is to do what you need to do. But for me, I don’t think this would be any good, because my friends wouldn’t buy the fact that I have a â€Å"policy†. The prevention technique seemed like it would be a good one. I have a friend who whenever I see, he always wants to go out to a bar and drink. I normally don’t mind, but if I go over to visit him and I’m not in the mood to go out, he will insist that we go anyways. Prevention would be good in this case because if I don’t feel like going out that night, I should probably just avoid this friend entirely. Lying to someone in order not to hurt them, or the face-saving excuse is also a good tactic. If an unattractive girl were to ask me out, I wouldn’t tell her no because I thought she was unattractive. I would probably tell her that I have a lot of work to do for the next couple of months, and I don’t really have time to be going out with her.

Immigration to the United States and America

Immigration Jennifer Lippert ENG/102 March 12, 2012 Dr. Kimberly Stanley In the United States of America, we live in a sea of opportunity. Many people come from other countries to live in America to explore those opportunities, but the laws governing immigration have failed to change with the ever-increasing immigrant population. We watch as Border States deal with the rising costs to support immigrants and wonder whether this was what the founding fathers had in mind when the first Immigration Laws were passed.We wonder about the effects on America’s economy as our immigrant population work in this country then send these U. S. dollars to their home country to support their families. We observe an ever-changing landscape continually affected by the legal and illegal immigrants who land in our great country. We contemplate whether America is the land of opportunity and the land of the free, or simply a place for immigrants to land and live for free. As citizens, it is not only our right, but also our duty, to question our leaders and our laws particularly when those laws no longer appear to fit America’s vision.Immigration laws have remained stagnant for far too long and, although immigrants were the founding fathers of our nation, it is time to examine America’s position before the social and economic costs become insurmountable. America’s founding fathers believed that immigration was necessary to increase the population of our country, but also believed that they must prove a loyalty only to America to become citizens. Beginning with George Washington, in the late eighteenth century, a statement was made that immigrants should be integrated into American life so that Fonte  Ã‚  (n. . ) â€Å"by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures, laws: in a word soon become one people. â€Å"This then became a new basis for immigration. In this case, the term â€Å"assimilates † means to conform to a way of life. In a 1790 speech to Congress about immigration, James Madison argued that America should welcome those immigrants who could be incorporated into our society, but exclude those immigrants that could not readily assimilate.Thomas Jefferson was convinced that immigrants were not prepared for the new society America was building and thought the country should wait another 27 year before opening its shores. In fact, when addressing immigration in Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson wrote: Fonte  Ã‚  (n. d. ) They will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw them off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentiousness, passing, as is usual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the point of temperate liberty.These principles, with their language, they will transmit to their children. In proportion to their number s, they will share with us the legislation. They will infuse into it their spirit, warp and bias its direction, and render it a heterogeneous, incoherent, distracted mass. In other words, by allowing a mass immigration into such a new society, America could be allowing the immigrant population to distort the principles established by our new laws and policies. To some degree, Alexander Hamilton echoed the thoughts of Thomas Jefferson, but his emphasis was on the threat to national safety.His concern was in granting citizenship to every immigrant upon arrival in the country. He believed that there should be some proof of allegiance to America before any rights were given to new immigrants. However, both Jefferson and Hamilton shared the same beliefs that immigrants should conform to the ways of America and leave their old government attachments behind. After much debate, it appeared that Jefferson and Hamilton could claim a small victory. The Naturalization Law of 1795 was passed, wh ich required that before becoming American citizens, immigrants would have to â€Å"renounce under oath† all previous sovereign allegiances.This â€Å"renunciation clause† remains part of the naturalization law and part of the oath to the U. S. Constitution that all new citizens must take. (Fonte,  n. d. ). Changes in immigration laws over the past two centuries have certainly contributed to the overall rise in U. S. immigration statistics, but it would take almost a century before the first amendment to that law would take shape. The Naturalization Law of 1795 required five years of residence and a three-year waiting period before citizenship was granted. This allowed new immigrants the opportunity to assimilate and demonstrate allegiance to America. However, by 1868, with he end of the Civil War, the population was burgeoning with ex-slaves and their descendants who had been brought to this country without the rights of citizenship. In fact, in 1857, the Supreme Co urt ruled that African Americas were not citizens and were not entitled to the rights and privileges of citizenship. In order to rectify the situation, the Fourteenth amendment was passed which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States of America. Interestingly enough, it would take another war and its devastation to bring about a new amendment to U. S. immigration law in 1921 with the Emergency Quota Act.Following World War I, the country faced widespread unemployment and an anti-immigration uprising. This Act limited the number of immigrants allowed to enter America from any country on an annual basis to three percent of the number of residents from that same country according to the 1910 census with the hope of maintaining the ethnic composition of America. While the quota system remained in effect until 1965, there was one additional revision to the Emergency Quota Act in 1952 with the Immigration Act of 1952, which revised the quotas and elimin ated racial distinctions from immigration policy.National quotas were eventually abolished entirely in the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 at the height of the Civil Rights movement, changing the face of America, as it was then known. According to 2011 Census statistics, the U. S. immigrant population continues to change the face of America. Not only do non-whites account for ninety two percent of the U. S. population growth in the past ten years, but also forty million foreign-born individuals now reside in the United States, making up almost thirteen percent of our population.Most of this population lives in metropolitan areas rather than the suburbs, with estimates as high as fifty percent of the population in twenty-two large cities across America. In fact, nine metropolitan areas saw their immigrant population double in the last ten years, but the five cities with the largest immigrant populations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Houston) actually d ecreased their share of this part of the population over the last ten years dropping to a total of 38 percent of the population in 2010 compared to 43 percent in 2000.In some areas of the country, rapid growth in immigration population may create policy backlashes, which could ultimately threaten these places’ long-standing economic comfort. Given the current economic climate and high unemployment rates, do the most recent census figures show any relationship with rising immigration levels? The best available evidence suggests that neither legal nor unauthorized immigration is the cause of high unemployment, and that the higher wages and purchasing power which formerly unauthorized immigrants would enjoy were they to receive legal status would sustain new jobs (American Immigration Council,  2012).In order to make informed decisions regarding immigration reform, however, we cannot limit our assessment to the changing face of our nation; we must also examine the economic cos t to the United States. Recent studies have shown that the United States spends $113 billion annually to support both legal and illegal immigrants, but much of the total U. S. burden is borne by only a few Border States. California, for example, reports spending close to ten billion dollars a year to support its immigration population, which now accounts for almost forty three percent of its total population.Texas reports spending $4. 5 to $6 billion per year sustaining its illegal immigrant population and Arizona drops $2. 7 billion on its immigrant population. While Border States would likely argue for more stringent laws to limit the number of immigrants allowed to enter the country in order to lessen their burden, there are also States that would argue against reform to the immigration system due to its projected adverse effect on their economy. For instance, Kansas has reported that it could possibly lose up to $57. 3 million in their income if stricter immigration laws come in to affect.They claim that with change in immigration laws only comes a higher tax for their state. Kansas also claims that the State will lose millions of dollars in court costs alone if the law makes it difficult for immigrants to live and work in their State. As staggering as these numbers are, other studies show that immigrants have actually boosted the U. S. economy by bringing in $245 million to the gross domestic product. This estimate, however, is nothing compared to estimated wages of foreign employees working in the United States for less than one year which grew from $550 million in $1980 to $8. billion in 2003. These earnings, in turn, are partially returned to immigrant workers’ home countries to help support families in the form of remittances out of the United States. In fact, a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in 2003 reported that â€Å"a considerable share of all immigration is motivated at least in part by the opportunity to send home remittances. à ¢â‚¬  According to the study, workers’ remittances from the United States went from $4. 1 billion in 1981 to $25. 5 billion in 2003. While these reported numbers sound staggering, remittances are not considered to have a negative impact on the U.S. economy. In fact, the study also notes that remittances exceed U. S. government provided development assistance to developing countries and may be partially responsible for keeping the cost of such assistance down. America is the land of opportunity. When we look at current immigration laws, our founding fathers’ vision for growth in this country remains intact. In fact, the ideas brought forth by Jefferson and Hamilton for allegiance to the country is still a part of the renunciation oath taken by all new citizens.By the numbers, there is evidence to support immigration reform and there is evidence that the influx of immigrants to the United States actually help our economy. Until the country can come together as a whole t o fully support immigration reform, it is likely that it will take another catastrophic event to catapult immigration to the forefront of American policy reform. References Kerwin, D. (2011). Fixing Immigration. (cover story). America, 205(18), 12. Fonte, J. (n. d. ). To â€Å"Possess the National Consciousness of an American†. Retrieved from http://www. cis. org Frey, W. H. , Berube, A. , Singer, A. & Wilson, J. (2011, December). Five things the census revealed about America in 2011. State of Metropolitan America, 48, 3-4. Retrieved from http://www. brookings. edu Shackleton, R. , Palriwala, A. , & Gordon, A. (2005, May). Remittances: International Payments by Immigrants. The Congress of the United Stated congressional budget office. Retrieved from http://www. hsdl. org Bad for Business: How Anti-Immigrant Laws Can Hurt the Kansas Economy. (2011). Retrieved from http://immigrationpolicy. org American Immigration Council. (2012). Immigration Reform and Growth. Retriev ed from http://immigrationpolicy. org

Course Project – Walt Disney

Walt Disney Company Adriana Arroyo Course Project ACCT 307 August 19, 2012 Professor Stuart Thomas TABLE OF CONTENTS Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Financial Report consolidated statements of income4 consolidated balance sheets5 consolidated statements of cash flows6 consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity7 Required Questions [1] What is the amount of property and equipment on the balance sheet for the two most recent years? What is the amount of depreciation expense?What amounts are on the cash flow statement for the most recent year that relate to depreciation, gains and sales of property and equipment, and purchases and sale of property of equipment? What amounts are permitted  for inclusion in the capitalized cost of property and equipment? 8 [2] Looking at the footnote disclosures of the company, what are the individual components of property and equipment? For example, what are the amounts for land, building, equipment, accumulated depreciation, and so forth? How do c ompanies account for nonmonetary exchange and dispositions of property and equipment? [3] Does the company have intangible assets? If so what are the types of intangible assets (patent, copyrights, etc. ) and their amounts? What is the amount of amortization expense? What amounts on the most recent cash flow statement relate to the purchase and sale of intangible assets? How do intangible assets differ from property and equipment? What costs do we include in intangible assets? 9 [4] Goes the company have goodwill? What are the footnote disclosures relating to goodwill and the related acquisition?Please also describe the calculation of goodwill and how we account for differences between fair value and book value of assets acquired. 10 [5] What are the company's depreciation methods? What is the range of estimated useful lives used for depreciating their assets? Does the company use the same depreciation methods for financial statements and tax returns? If not, please describe the met hods used for tax purposes. 11 [6] What are the company's footnote disclosures relating to impairment? Please also describe how to determine if an impairment exists and how to calculate the impairment loss. 1 [7] What are the amounts and descriptions for the company's current liabilities for the most recent year? Does the company have any contingent liabilities? If yes, please describe. What are the three categories of contingent liabilities and the treatment for each type? Does the company have any subsequent events disclosed in their footnotes? If so, please describe them. 12 [8] What are the amounts and descriptions for all of the company's long-term liabilities on their balance sheet for the most recent two years? What is the interest expense for the two most recent years?What amounts are included in the cash flow statements for proceeds from issuance of debt and repayment of debt for the most recent year? For each note payable discussed in the footnotes disclosures, what is the interest rate, total amount borrowed, and maturity date? 12 [9] Does the company have bonds payable? If so, what are the amounts? Please also describe how bonds payable differ from notes payable and how to account for the issuance of bonds at par, at a discount, and at a premium. How is the discount and premium amortized? What is the effective interest method? 14 [10] Does the company have capital leases?If so, what are the amounts and terms of the leases? What are the four criteria for a lease to be considered a capital lease? What are the additional criteria for the lessor? What is the difference between a sales-type lease and a direct financing lease? 15 Bibliography 18 The Walt Disney Company financial analysis details the finances of the company. The analysis includes a brief summary of the company’s history and important financial information to determine the value of the company. Walt Disney Company was founded on October 16, 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney as Disney Bros . Studios which was then incorporated.Their headquarters are located in Burbank, California. Walt Disney Company has five business segments which are Media Networks, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Interactive Media. These segments were created to support and enhance the original business model as a studio producing animated shorts and full length films. Each segment adds new and additional paths to market that together ensure the company fulfills its mission. What is the amount of property and equipment on the balance sheet for the two most recent years? What is the amount of depreciation expense?What amounts are on the cash flow statement for the most recent year that relate to depreciation, gains and sales of property and equipment, and purchases and sale of property of equipment? Parks, resorts, and other property are tangible assets that are held by an entity for the use in production or supply of goods and services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes which are expected to provide economic benefit for more than a year. Walt Disney Company’s parks, resorts, and other property amount for the fiscal year of 2011 was $35,515,000 with an accumulated depreciation of $19,572,000.This is an increase from 2010 where parks, resorts, and other property was $32,875,000 and the accumulated depreciation was $18,373,000. The Statement of Cash Flows provides information about a company’s cash receipts and cash payments during an accounting period which shows how these cash flaws link the ending cash balance to the beginning balance shown on the company’s statement of financial position. The depreciation and amortization for the fiscal year of 2011 was $1,841,000. The gains on dispositions are $75,000 for 2011. Looking at the footnote disclosures of the company, what are the individual components of property and equipment?For example, what are the amounts for land, building, equipment, accumulated depr eciation, and so forth? How do companies account for nonmonetary exchange and dispositions of property and equipment? According to the footnotes, the individual components of property are attractions, which are located in the Parks, Resorts, and Other Property, buildings and improvements, leasehold improvements, land improvements, and furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The cost for each of them for the past two years are as followed: Name| 2011| 2010| Attractions, buildings, and improvements| $17,662,000| $15,998,000| Leasehold improvements| 650,000| 644,000|Furniture, fixtures, and equipment| 13,746,000| 12,575,000| Land improvements| 3,727,000| 3,658,000| Total| $35,515,000| $32,875,000| The accumulated depreciation for 2011 was $19,572,000 where in 2010 it was $18,373,000. Does the company have intangible assets? If so what are the types of intangible assets (patent, copyrights, etc. ) and their amounts? What is the amount of amortization expense? What amounts on the most recent cash flow statement relate to the purchase and sale of intangible assets? How do intangible assets differ from property and equipment?What costs do we include in intangible assets? Walt Disney Company is required to test goodwill and other indefinite lived intangible assets for damage on an annual basis. The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Number 142 requires that goodwill is allocated to various reporting units. At the end of each fiscal year, the company performs an annual damage test for goodwill and other indefinite lived intangible assets which include FCC license and trademarks. Amortizable intangible assets are usually amortized using the straight line method and the useful life is up to forty years.The costs to periodically renew Walt Disney’s intangible assets are expensed as incurred. The company also determined that there are currently no legal, competitive or economic factors that will materially limit the useful life of FCC licenses and trademark. Th e total amount of goodwill is $29,266,000. The goodwill and intangible assets by segment are as followed: Name| 2011| 2010| Media Networks| $17,421,000| $17,442,000| Parks and Resorts| 172,000| 171,000| Studio Entertainment| 6,498,000| 6,416,000| Consumer Products| 3,715,000| 3,699,000| Interactive Media| 1,330,000| 1,323,000|Corporate| 130,000| 130,000| Total| $29,266,000| $29,181,000| The net amortizable intangible assets total is $3,161,000. Intangible assets are assets that are not physical but intellectual property. For example, patents, trademarks, and copyrights are examples of intangible assets. It can be classified as either indefinite or definite depending on the specifics of the asset. However, property and equipment is a physical asset that is important to business operations but cannot easily be liquidated. The value of this asset is depreciated over an estimated life.What are the footnote disclosures relating to goodwill and the related acquisition? Please also describ e the calculation of goodwill and how we account for differences between fair value and book value of assets acquired. The footnote disclosures relating to goodwill are under Acquisitions. Marvel Entertainment, Inc. , a character-based entertainment company, is required to allocate the purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets obtained and liabilities assumed based on their fair values. The excess of the purchase price over those fair values is recorded as goodwill.This reflects the value to Disney from leveraging Marvel intangible asset. The goodwill recorded as part of this acquisition is not amortizable for tax purposes. Goodwill can be calculated by using one of the three methods which are average profit method, super profits method, and capitalization method. By using the average profit method, goodwill is calculated on the basis of the average profit of previous years. The formula is Goodwill = Average Profit x Number of Years Purchase. The next method, sup er profits method, is a method which tries to measure the capital needed for earning a super profit.There are three steps to this method which are as followed: [1] Normal Profits = Capital Invested x Normal Rate of Return / 100 [2] Super Profits = Actual Profits – Normal Profits [3] Goodwill = Super Profit x Number of Years Purchased The final method to calculate goodwill is capitalization method which is the whole value of the company is calculated by capitalization of the average or actual profits. The formula is Goodwill = [Actual Profits / Normal Rate of Return] x 100 (Study Test Time). What are the company's depreciation methods?What is the range of estimated useful lives used for depreciating their assets? Walt Disney Company uses the straight line method for depreciation. According to Stock Analysis on Net, the estimated useful lives for attractions: 25-40 years, buildings and improvements: 20-40 years, leasehold improvements: life of lease or asset life if less, land improvements: 20-40 years, and furniture, fixtures, and equipment: 3-25 years. What are the company's footnote disclosures relating to impairment? Please also describe how to determine if impairment exists and how to calculate the impairment loss.Walt Disney Company recorded $33 million for Studio Entertainment and $22 million for Interactive Media creating a total of $55 million in restricting and impairment charges during 2011 for compensation and amenities costs. While in 2010, they recorded $151 million for Studio Entertainment, $95 million for Media Networks, and impairment charges of $132 million generating a total of $270 million in restricting and impairment charges. What are the amounts and descriptions for the company's current liabilities for the most recent year?Does the company have any contingent liabilities? If yes, please describe. What are the three categories of contingent liabilities and the treatment for each type? Does the company have any subsequent events disc losed in their footnotes? If so, please describe them. Walt Disney’s current liabilities are the total obligations incurred as part of normal operations that are expected to be paid during the financial period. The current liabilities are accounts payable and other accrued liabilities, current portion of borrowings, unearned royalties and other advances.The company is involved with legal proceedings and has accrued estimates of the probable and estimable losses for the resolution of these claims. They are also certain contractual arrangements that would require the company to make payments or provide funding if specific situations occur. On May 19, 2004, Celador International Ltd. , an associate of the television program â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire,† filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Company and some of its branches, which included the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. nd Buena Vista Television, LLC, stated that Walt Disney Company did not pay the their s hare of the profits. On July 7, 2010, the jury announced their verdict for breaching the contract against certain branches of the Walt Disney Company and awarding $269. 4 for the plaintiff in damages. Walt Disney Company believed the jury’s verdict is wrong and is trying to pursue an appeal. What are the amounts and descriptions for all of the company's long-term liabilities on their balance sheet for the most recent two years? What is the interest expense for the two most recent years?What amounts are included in the cash flow statements for proceeds from issuance of debt and repayment of debt for the most recent year? For each note payable discussed in the footnotes disclosures, what is the interest rate, total amount borrowed, and maturity date? In the section of Liabilities in the Balance Sheet provides creditors, investors, and analysts with information on company’s resources and its sources of capital. It also provides information about the future earnings amount of a company’s assets along with cash flows that may come from receivables and inventories.The long term liabilities are the total obligations incurred as part of normal operations that is expected to be repaid beyond one year or business cycle. Walt Disney Company’s long term liabilities increased from 2010 to 2011. The total long term debt for 2011 was $12,454,000 and deferred income taxes were $3,150,000. For 2010, the total long term debt was $12,582,000 and deferred income taxes were $3,206,000. The income statement provides information on the financial results of the company’s business activities over a period of time.It also communicates how much revenue the company generates during a period and what cost it has incurred that connects with generating that revenue. The interest expense for the fiscal year of 2011 was $343 million and for 2010 was $409 million. The amounts that are included in the cash flow statements for proceeds from issuance of debt and repayment of debt for the fiscal year of 2011 are commercial paper borrowings was $393 million, borrowings was $2,350 million, and reduction of borrowings was $1,096 million. Under Note 9: Borrowings, there is an outline for each of the notes ayables. Commercial paper debt outstanding, which is a short term unsecured promissory notes issued by companies, was at $1. 6 billion by October 1, 2011. In February 2011, the company agreed to another four-year $2. 25 billion bank facility with a group of leaders which will mature by 2013. At the end of the fiscal year, the company has a shelf registration statement which allows the Walt Disney Company to issue various types of debt, for example fixed or floating rate notes, US dollar or foreign currency, redeemable notes, global notes, and dual currency.Another note payable is U. S. Medium Term Note Program where the total debt outstanding was $8. 4 billion. The maturities of current outstanding borrowings rang between one to eight two year s and the interest rate ranges from 0% to 7. 55%. European Medium Term Note Program is another note for the issuance of various types of debt that include fixed or floating rate notes, U. S. dollar or foreign currency denominated notes, redeemable notes, or dual currency notes. It matures in 2013 and has an interest rate of 1. 65%.Next, is Other Foreign Currency Denominated Debt where the company has a credit agreement in Canadian dollars which matures in 2013 and has an interest rate of 1. 42%. Lastly, Capital Cities/ABC Debt has an outstanding balance of $114 million, matures in 2021, and has an interest rate of 8. 75%. Does the company have bonds payable? If so, what are the amounts? Please also describe how bonds payable differ from notes payable and how to account for the issuance of bonds at par, at a discount, and at a premium. How is the discount and premium amortized?What is the effective interest method? Walt Disney Company issued corporate 30 year bonds in this fiscal yea r. These bonds are high quality long term and are worth $600 million. A note payable is a written agreement between a lender and a borrower to pay stated sums of money at future dates, classified a current or non-current of the balance sheet date. Bonds payable are a long term liability account containing the face amount, par amount, or maturity amount of the bonds issued by a company that are outstanding as of the balance sheet date.If the coupon rate of a bond matches with the market rate of interest when the bonds are actually sold to investors, then the bonds will sell at par value. Bonds are issued at a discount when the coupon interest rate is below the market interest rate which leads to the company receiving less cash than the face value of the bonds. A bond will trade at a premium when it offers a coupon rate that is higher than current interest rates. When bonds are sold at a discount or premium, the interest rate is adjusted from the face rate to an effective that is clos e to the market rate when the bonds were issued.It is important to amortize the discount or premium bonds over the life of the bonds by using the straight line method which allocated a fixed portion of the bond discount or premium each interest period to adjust the interest payment to interest expense. When a bond is sold at a discount, the amount of the bond discount is amortized to interest expense over the life of the bond. According to Investopedia, the effective interest method is the practice of accounting for the discount at which a bond is sold as an interest expense to be amortized over the life of bond (Investopedia, 2012).In other words, the effective interest method is a technique for calculating the actual interest rate in a period based on the book value at the beginning of the accounting period. Does the company have capital leases? If so, what are the amounts and terms of the leases? What are the four criteria for a lease to be considered a capital lease? What are th e additional criteria for the lessor? What is the difference between a sales-type lease and a direct financing lease? Walt Disney Company carries a capital lease obligations of $288 million in the fiscal year of 2011 and $224 million in the fiscal year of 2010.They have non-cancelable capital lease which is mainly for land and broadcast equipment. The future payments for the leases are as followed: 2012 $70 2013 $59 2014 $51 2015 $60 2016 $27 Thereafter $519 Total minimum obligations $786Less amount representing interest ($480) Present value of net minimum obligations $306 Less current portion ($18) Long-term portion $288 (The Walt Disney Company, 2012)In order for a lease to be considered a capital lease the four criteria are [1] title of the asset passes automatically from the lessor to the lessee at the end of the lease term, [2] lease contains a bargain purchase option under which the lessee may acquire the leased-asset at less than its fair market value of the end of the lease terms, [3] lease term is for a period longer than 75% of the estimated economic life of the asset, or [4] the present value of the lease payments is greater than 90% of the fair market value of the asset at the beginning of the lease term.The additional conditions for the lessor are [1] the collectability of minimum lease payments is assured and (2) no important uncertainties surround the amount of un-reimbursable costs yet to be incurred. Sales-type lease is a lease where a company rents its own assets that it needs to run its business. This lease is used when a manufacturer is leasing a property or the usage of property.Because the lessee receives the use of property in exchange for payments and assumes the liability for the asset, the lease looks like the purchase of an item. However, the lessor expects the lessee to return the equipment or provide payment for its purchase when the expiration of the lease is up. On the other hand, direct financing lease is a lease agreement where the lessor obtains equipment for the purpose of leasing it and generating revenue through interest payments.The lessor is not a manufacturer or dealer and the lessor purchases the property only for the purpose of leasing it. The main difference between sales-type leases and direct financing lease is the value of the lease in relation to the property. In a sales-type lease, the lessor records a profit or loss on a property based on the amount of payments received. On the contrary in the direct financing lease, the lessor only earns profit on the interest from sending out payment amounts.Today, Walt Disney Company operates under a new and reengineered model that has worked to increase revenues by creating and exploring original across their five business segments. The company is developed on tradition with a well-defined vision for the future and continues to distinguish itself among other companies. As the company moves forward, they have a solid financial profile which will provide the company constant financial flexibility. Bibliography Investopedia. (2012).Retrieved August 2012, from Effective Interest Method: http://www. investopedia. com/terms/e/effective-interest-method. asp#axzz23eVWKTSl The Walt Disney Company. (2012, January). Retrieved August 2012, from Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Financial Report and Shareholder Letter: http://cdn. media. ir. thewaltdisneycompany. com/2011/annual/WDC-10kwrap-2011. pdf Study Test Time. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 2012, from Methods of Valuation of Goodwill: http://www. studytesttime. com/about-goodwill/10-methods-of-valuation-of-goodwill

How to be a great manager, according to Facebook

How to be a great manager, according to Facebook Tons of managers are fine and get the job done, but merely â€Å"okay† doesn’t inspire people to do great things. If you’re a manager, are you putting your all into your job, making sure that your direct reports are blossoming under your direction? In an interview with Glassdoor on February 27, 2018, Facebook VP of Human Resources Janelle Gale detailed the qualities she’s experienced that makes a great manager. She also discussed what makes certain managers merely â€Å"meh† at their jobs. Let’s take a closer look at what sets both manager types apart.Great managers  aren’t controllingSome managers tend to take the reins and pull them too tight. They become fixated on certain ways of doing business and do not give their employees an inch of leeway. According to Gale, these are not the very best managers. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg agrees, actually insisting that the â€Å"real art† of management is being so un-control ling that managers allow employees to do things they don’t agree with, but may lead to greatness.Great managers promote growthGreat managers also never allow their employees to stagnate or rest on their laurels. They promote growth by giving employees opportunities to learn new skills and serve as daily mentors to their direct reports. They reward strong performances and make sure that they, too, find new ways to grow in their own upper-level jobs so they can meet new challenges and accomplish increasingly complex tasks.Great managers like their jobsOne of the most important qualities of a great manager is being happy in the leadership role. Those who feel stuck in their jobs will exude a stagnant air that employees will not miss, undermining the manager’s effectiveness tremendously. A manager who is happy to be a manager will exude an aura of positivity and productive spirit that will be downright infectious.Great managers are supportiveAnother positive managerial tra it is supportiveness. As Gale says, â€Å"At Facebook, the great managers are supporting, they’re taking care of people, they’re reinforcing people’s strengths, they’re trying to make sure they get the opportunities to learn and grow in their jobs.†hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});â€Å"Okay† managers are supportersNot all managers have mastered the art of management as Gale described it, though that doesn’t mean they are necessarily bad at their jobs. We’re talking about the adequate, the acceptable, the merely okay. These are the managers who could use a great deal of improvement, and Gale says that a main issue with the okay manger is that he or she functions more as a supporter than a manager. Now, this is distinct from being supportive, which is a positive trait. However, when a manager works too closely with employees, micromanages, or practically does employees’ work for them, th at manager has crossed over from being a manager to being a supporter. At Facebook, a more hands-off management approach is a major element that contributed to making the company such a raging success.The okay manager can easily transform into the great one by recognizing her or his own negative or just-okay methods and bringing them in line with Gale’s recipe for great management. If you are too controlling, break that bad habit to manage with a lighter touch. If you are not sufficiently supportive, try to be more mindful of how you interact with your employees. If you notice that your employees are stagnating, promote their growth with rewards programs, mentoring programs, and opportunities to learn new skills. And if you are miserable being a manager, find a new line of work or find a way to enjoy what you do.

Blood Lab essays

Blood Lab essays To show how you determine your blood type. 1. DO NOT TOUCH ANYONE ELSES BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2. When cleaning up where latex gloves. Put anything that has blood on it in the biohazard container. If anything should get blood on it wipe the blood off with a alcohol swab! 1. Gather 1 alcohol swab, 1 glass slide, 3 toothpicks, cotton balls, grease pencil, 1 band- aid, RH Typing Block, Lancets, and Anti-serums A, B, and RH. 2. Take the glass slide and with a grease pencil divide the slide into 3 sections. Label one section A, the next B, and the last one D. 3. Take the alcohol swab and rub your finger with it, then dry it with a cotton ball or let your finger air dry. Then with a lancet prick your finger. 4. Next take your finger and put a drop of blood on each of the sections on your glass slide. 5. Then take Anti-serum A and put 1 drop on the square that is labeled A. On square B put 1 drop of Anti-serum B, and on square D put 1 drop of Anti-serum RH. Then stir them using separate toothpicks for each one. 6. Then place the glass slide on the RH Typing Block for 2 minutes. 8. Clean up. Follow the safety procedures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I determined that my blood type is O negative. I am this blood type because my blood did not clot in A, B, or D. I can give blood to anybody because the blood does not contain either antigen A or B. This is why my blood type is the universal donor. I can only receive blood from blood group O. If I married a RH positive person the first baby I have will be o ...

Knowin When to Hold em

Knowin When to Hold em Now I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know a thing about poker. If Kenny Rogers hadn’t sung â€Å"The Gambler†, I wouldn’t even know about holdin’ and foldin’. But one thing I do know, there’s a time to submit my works and there’s a time to â€Å"hold† ‘em. And I know that because I came close to lettin’ go at the wrong time. Twenty and excited about entering a radio station’s poetry contest, I rushed through the rules, eager to start writing. All night I lost myself in the narrator, an elderly lady on her porch reliving memories. I chuckled watching the children grow from playing to courting on the porch, I cried seeing the now-empty porch, and rejoiced picturing future reunions on the porch. The next morning, ready to mail my entry, I read the rules again and froze. I’d overlooked â€Å"Whether or not your poem wins, it will become the property of the radio station.† Whoa! With little chance of winning, I could never submit my poem anywhere else or use it myself? Disappointed, I slipped it in a drawer where it stayed for 15 years until I resigned as college professor to enter full time the field of writing and speaking. For my first tour, I retyped the poem on a more modern typewriter and had 100 copies made on plain white paper.  The first evening, in costume as story teller, I quoted a bit of the poem and following as myself, mentioned it would be available afterward. I’d laid out 25 copies with a sign, â€Å"Poems: Donation of any size† and while greeting folks heard a yell, â€Å"Go get more poems!† Already all 25 had sold! I hurriedly brought in 25 more only to hear in another few minutes, â€Å"Go get the rest of the poems!† Except for two to use for copying along the way, all had sold. It was the same each place on the two-week tour. Back home I chose a ream of quality buff-colored faux parchment paper and learned if I’d wait a few days until the store used dark brown ink, the printing could be done commercially for less money. From then on, whether driving or being flown I’ve taken the poems, although Folks want to take something home from an event but not everyone can buy our books or DVD’s. Smaller printed or craft items make buying possible for those who can’t and lagniappe for those who can. (Lagniappe [lan’ yap], an oft-used term here in Southeastern Louisiana meaning â€Å"a little something extra†.) If I’d entered that early contest and won, I’d have received eight copies of a cheap magazine with few readers. BUT, Glad I decided â€Å"No† to â€Å"sold† and â€Å"Yes† to â€Å"hold†!

The buyer must give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel name, Essay

The buyer must give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel name, loading point and, where necessary, the selected deliver - Essay Example Both parties privy to the contracts have their rights and responsibilities. The rights of one party are usually the responsibilities of the other, just like in many other contracts. In FOB contracts, the seller fulfills his obligations with regards to delivery once those goods pass the ship’s rails.3 The most common terms of FOB contracts are Incoterms that were generated and published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They are however subject to be affected by the local laws of the countries from where the buyers and seller are transacting from.4 Despite these most of the obligations of the buyers and sellers remain intact. This paper will explore the buyer’s obligations under an FOB contract to nominate the vessel. The Buyer’s Obligations under an FOB Contract Under the FOB contracts, the main obligation of the buyer is to provide the seller with sufficient notice of the vessel name, loading point, and where necessary, the selected delivery time within the agreed period.5 This obligation has of late been reviewed because of changing circumstances as shall be pointed out later in the paper. Apart from this obligation, the buyer has a series of other obligations that are similar to those in other buyer-seller contracts. First, the buyer has the obligation of paying the price for the goods as provided in the contract.6 This does not even have to be stipulated since it is presumed that both parties know their duties. The seller has the duty of providing the goods and receiving the payments while it is the buyer’s duty to receive the goods and make payments for the same. According to Incoterms, the buyer also is under an obligation, at his own risk and expense, to obtain any official authorization, including a license to import, and where necessary, the permission for the goods to transit through other countries.7 This is because it is the duty of the buyer to transport the goods having been loaded to the vessel that was specifi ed and at the specified loading point. The buyer is obligated to contract, at his own expense, for the freight services to be provided if he does not have his own. Just like in any other contract of sale, the buyer is under an obligation to take the delivery of goods usually at the named loading point and vessel at a specific date or period, where applicable. Since the seller’s obligations cease once the goods pass the ship’s rails on the loading point, the buyer is obligated to bear all the risks of loss or damage to the goods. The buyer should also accept and give proof of delivery of the goods as directed in the notice that he furnished the seller with.8 The other obligation is that of inspecting the goods as to whether they are in sellable condition. It is the buyer’s duty to pay for the cost of pre-shipment inspection expenses.9 The exceptions here are when it was otherwise agreed between the two parties or where the authorities of the country of export exp licitly direct the seller to incur the expenses for pre-shipment inspection. Lastly, the buyer is under an obligation to reimburse the seller all the expenses incurred in his bid to render his assistance to the buyer. This obligation is carried out more as an issue of

Dangers of Underage Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dangers of Underage Drinking - Essay Example Almost a third of college students exhibit a high-risk alcohol consumption behavior. The authors claim that these behaviors lead to the excessive alcohol consumption that not only affects the performance of the students but also drives them to alcohol dependence. Combined with environmental cues and exposure to stress, past sexual or physical abuse, college students are likely to continue drinking up to the alcohol dependency level (McGuiness & Kelly, 2012).   Exposure to stressors such as memories of abuse complicates treatment or recovery and may cause treated individuals to start drinking again. Individuals consume more alcohol if they face severe stressors. McGuiness & Kelly (2012) also note that lack of social support also serves to increase the rate of alcohol consumption. Users hope to get a time off from the difficulties they face in life though alcohol consumption.The article documents treatment options that are most viable for college students. The motivation enhancement therapy is one intervention that seeks to identify the causes of the drinking behavior, sources reasons for abstaining from alcohol consumption and the emphasis on the dangers of alcohol consumption. The prevention of relapse entails the identification of stressors such as financial stressors, relationship issues and environmental cues (McGuiness & Kelly, 2012). From this identification, there is an implementation of coping strategies as well as measures to curb the influence of the surrounding environment.

Recuitment & selectionCMI LEVEL 3 DiPLOMA Assignment

Recuitment & selectionCMI LEVEL 3 DiPLOMA - Assignment Example The process of hiring the candidates starts with human resource planning which helps to determine the type and number of employees an organization needs. Hiring is an ongoing process and not confined to the formative stages of an organization. This is because some employees leave the organization through retirement and resignation. The process stops only when the organization ceases to exist. Answer 2 It is regarded as the systematic process of identifying jobs to identify the various activities, tasks and responsibilities which are associated with a particular job or a particular group of jobs. The main purpose of the job description is to gather information systematically, focus on behaviour, tasks and outcomes. Although, it is not the analysis of work process yet it helps in defining the job related to the process the work behaviour (Bennett, 2002). Job analysis will help in the analysis of various organizational purposes that provides a fundamental basis for managerial decision m aking. It also helps the manager for various fundamental bases for legal decision making and develops broader decision classification. It helps the managers largely to classify the various jobs according to various categories and then adapt to the changing world dynamics. For conducting an accurate job analysis a systematic flowchart needs to be drawn which help in drawing out reliable information (Price, 2011). Answer 3 Job description can be clearly defined as a clear and concise description of the job duties and responsibilities. The job description can take various forms and they are composed of four elements (Choi, Woods and Murrmann, 2000). These include job summary, list of job functions, requirement sections and other information. The main objective of the job description would include task of finding, interviewing and also makes the hiring and selection process easier and smooth. These job descriptions also serve important purposes like communicating job expectation to the employees, measuring future performance, planning of future and also boosting the employee morale. Answer 4 Person specification includes the skills that the job candidates have in order to accomplish the tasks effectively for a designation offered by the company. The person specification can outline the basic qualification, training expertise, experience and much other personal specification. These describe the job requirements which a job holder needs to possess to execute the job actions smoothly. Basically, these person specifications include the educational, qualification, training, experience and varied other personal attributes. The most important methods of creating the advertisement would be to make them understand that they can undertake the job responsibility dutifully. Task B Presently, there had been a sudden vacancy in the organization for the post of the receptionist and the process of recruitment of receptionist would be as per the requirements of the organization. T he process of recruitment would be as follows: Firstly, a group of prospective candidates are selected for screening and interview purposes to assess their degree of qualities and knowledge in terms of

Justice and Home Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Justice and Home Affairs - Essay Example An intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic countries , the European Union was founded under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). Nevertheless, several aspects of the Union did exist prior to that date through a series of predecessor relationships, which dates back to 1951. Today, the Union has a common single market, which consist of a customs union, a single currency (the euro) managed by the European Central Bank (adopted by 12 of the 25 member states), a Common Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, a Common Fisheries Policy, and a Common Foreign and Security Policy. Passport and customs checks were done away with at most of the EU's internal borders, creating a single space of mobility for EU citizens to live, travel, work and invest. Justice ministers and Interior ministers are brought together by the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and Interior ministers almost once every two months to talk about the development and enforcement of cooperation and common policies in this area. The creation of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, is a main objective of the EU Treaty. Majority of the things in this field are unanimously decided with a consultation of the European Parliament. ... In 1990, Germany, France and the Benelux countries signed the Schengen Agreement, which was a major step toward cooperation among the Member States in this area. In the years that followed, many Member States acceded to the Schengen Agreement. The objective of the agreement was to introduce genuine freedom of movement of persons without being controlled at internal borders, while providing for desperate measures in the areas of external border controls, visa policy, police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal affairs. The Treaty on European Union, enforced in November 1993, took a further step by including Justice and Home Affairs in its institutional framework, thus adding a further dimension to the construction of Europe. In May 1999 the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty included the Schengen rules into the institutional framework of the European Union. One of the major aims of the Treaty is to retain and develop the Union as an area of freedom, security and justice, in which there would be free movement for individuals coupled with appropriate measures relating to the control of external borders, asylum, immigration, as well as the prevention and fight against crime. The Maastricht Treaty on European Union, which was enforced in 1993, came up with a new legal basis for police and judicial cooperation as well as cooperation in home affairs by completing the Community structure with a third pillar. Cooperation encompasses seven areas of common interest: asylum, the crossing of external borders, immigration, fight against drugs and drug addiction, battling international scam, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal affairs and police and customs cooperation. Because these are often extremely sensitive spheres,

Intel in early 1990s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intel in early 1990s - Essay Example In this essay, let us examine some of these policies in early the 1990s that have made Intel the industry leader it is today and the organizational consequences they brought about. 1. Diversification: Due to intense invasion of the Japanese in the memory market, Intel decided to cut its losses and phase out its DRAM product. It shifted its focus to manufacturing of CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) processors with renewed vigor and this became Intel's largest source of revenue. It had also lined up secondary products like Flash memory and RISC(Reduced Instruction set Computer) processors. Intel began calling itself "The Microprocessor Company" .By pushing both its CISC and RISC technology, Intel hoped to maintain its dominance in processor market.(Dakota Hatch(October 2004). 2. Innovation: Innovation has always been Intel's ace in the sleeve .By its passionate pursuit of the latest and greatest in technology and futuristic vision, it has carved itself an undeniable place in the history of evolution of technology. The emergence of multimedia in the early 1990s signaled a new era of personal computing. Intel was up for the challenge. The Intel Pentium processor served as the engine of this multimedia revolution by making it easy for users to incorporate speech, sound, handwriting and photographic images. The Internet era of personal computing, debuted roughly halfway through the 1990s, marked by the mainstream deployment of Web browsers. The Intel Pentium II and Pentium III processors powered PCs through this pivotal stage of high tech evolution. (Intel Press Release).The Japanese tended to be the process technology leaders into each new smaller line width process generation. By the early 1990s, however, Intel found itself in the position of needing new p rocesses in advance of the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) industry's needs or its willingness to invest in such processes. Intel had to learn to be a process technology leader and to develop systems whereby it could continue to improve process technology while accelerating its pace of product development. Intel crafted a brilliant 3DCE strategy that used product/process modularity to reduce significantly the complexity of the company's technical challenge: Throughout the 1990s, the company launched each new microprocessor generation on the "platform" of an old (linewidth) process. Alternately, each new process generation was launched with an "old" product technology. In no time, Intel's process technology was second to none .( Sean Osborne,1993). 3. Creation Of Intel Architecture lab in 1991: During the early 1990s, PC demand was poor because of the obsolescence of PC architecture and the non-willingness of PC industry leaders to advance system hardware along with the software. This lack of platform leadership in the industry had limited the scope of innovation at the system level. This was a serious issue for Intel because the microprocessor was a big growth industry and the fact that many companies had a say in PC design indicated that no single supplier could change the system by itself. To tackle the PC platform obsolescence problem and also

Justice and Home Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Justice and Home Affairs - Essay Example An intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic countries , the European Union was founded under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty). Nevertheless, several aspects of the Union did exist prior to that date through a series of predecessor relationships, which dates back to 1951. Today, the Union has a common single market, which consist of a customs union, a single currency (the euro) managed by the European Central Bank (adopted by 12 of the 25 member states), a Common Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, a Common Fisheries Policy, and a Common Foreign and Security Policy. Passport and customs checks were done away with at most of the EU's internal borders, creating a single space of mobility for EU citizens to live, travel, work and invest. Justice ministers and Interior ministers are brought together by the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and Interior ministers almost once every two months to talk about the development and enforcement of cooperation and common policies in this area. The creation of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, is a main objective of the EU Treaty. Majority of the things in this field are unanimously decided with a consultation of the European Parliament. ... In 1990, Germany, France and the Benelux countries signed the Schengen Agreement, which was a major step toward cooperation among the Member States in this area. In the years that followed, many Member States acceded to the Schengen Agreement. The objective of the agreement was to introduce genuine freedom of movement of persons without being controlled at internal borders, while providing for desperate measures in the areas of external border controls, visa policy, police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal affairs. The Treaty on European Union, enforced in November 1993, took a further step by including Justice and Home Affairs in its institutional framework, thus adding a further dimension to the construction of Europe. In May 1999 the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty included the Schengen rules into the institutional framework of the European Union. One of the major aims of the Treaty is to retain and develop the Union as an area of freedom, security and justice, in which there would be free movement for individuals coupled with appropriate measures relating to the control of external borders, asylum, immigration, as well as the prevention and fight against crime. The Maastricht Treaty on European Union, which was enforced in 1993, came up with a new legal basis for police and judicial cooperation as well as cooperation in home affairs by completing the Community structure with a third pillar. Cooperation encompasses seven areas of common interest: asylum, the crossing of external borders, immigration, fight against drugs and drug addiction, battling international scam, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal affairs and police and customs cooperation. Because these are often extremely sensitive spheres,

Date Rape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Date Rape - Essay Example This will bring the researchers one large step closer to determining which factors are correlated with the occurrence of date rape incidents. This is an important aim for the researchers to focus on, as it will help them keep the acquisition of information limited to valid and relevant data. Another aim of the research should be to ensure that the data collected is of high validity as well as responsibility, as these two characteristics are major determinants of how valuable the collected data is to the research. The methodology can ensure this through the careful selection of sources, highly skilled researchers and the use of comparison groups, the latter of which is essential when determining correlations (Kumar, 2005). These tactics will be explained in further detail in the latter part of this paper. Finally, the researchers will aim to conduct the research within the time and resources allotted, since this is a proven challenge concerning primary research. Resources Needed The r esearch will require time, financial funding, and a team of experienced researchers. As time is a large constraint when it comes to primary research, the researchers will have a total of three months to conduct their research. If the research goes as planned, this will be an ample amount of time for the researchers to collect and assemble the data, so that the researchers can embark on the following stages of the research, such as statistical analysis of the data as well as the textual analysis of the gathered facts. The researchers will also have to adhere to the financial plan that the researcher will choose once the funding is secured. Finally, the research team should consist of four to five experienced and skilled researchers, who will be conducting the surveys, interviews as well as any other forms of research necessary. According to the plan for research, this number of researchers will be sufficient for completing the research within the allotted time. Sample In order to gat her sufficient and reliable evidence, the researcher will need to use a broad sample. The sample in this case will be the north side of the city of Houston (you may change it). Within this sample, the main sources of information will be police stations, hospital records, prison records and, if possible, members of support groups for rape victims, all of which are available in comparatively higher quality documentation as opposed to other areas of the Texas. The research will focus on rape cases reported within the previous year, whereas the victims interviewed will be those relevant to cases within the last two years. This is because, one year’s records of reported cases will be accessible the researchers without much difficulty, and will thus be enough. However, the researcher anticipates that finding rape victims who are willing to be give interviews will prove to be a very difficult task, not just because of the highly traumatic nature of the crime, but also the cultural f actors relevant in this situation. People do not openly discuss the sensitive topic of rape, where the victims are more likely to hide away instead of actively confronting the happening of such an incident. Thus, victims will be hesitant to be give interviews about their incidents, which will result in a very small number of interviews from this source of research. Thus, it would be more practical to take into account, the victims of more than one year. This sample size will roughly draw around a hundred cases, which is the minimum number expected from one year’s data. The sources of surveys and checking criminal records will be for extracting enough data to run statistical analy

Acquired capability and skills Essay Example for Free

Acquired capability and skills Essay Looking at my overall capability and skills acquired in my current academic class, I argue that I had improved a lot since I started taking this course. The activities the professor provided gave me the opportunity to recognize my strengths and weaknesses in composition and other elements significant in completing and creating a good paper. Given this idea, I seek to elaborate on areas that I had sought to improve on and other specific elements that need further attention. At the same time, to support these claims, I shall provide several examples from my previous works to highlight changes that occurred. One relevant element in academic writing is the creation of thesis statement. This sentence/s provides readers direction of the topic and helps them better understand the relevance of the subject (UNC, p. 1). Seeing this, our professor taught us that creating thesis statement must then encompass all of the paper and effectively summarize and point out the arguments presented in a particular paper. Due to this, my first intention was creating such statement and find ways to persuade, entice or provide information to readers. Looking at my compositions, it can be seen that I had significantly changed the way I approached creating thesis statements. In my earlier compositions, these statements are either too vague for readers to comprehend or just implied in the paper. Due to this, I had to make the necessary adjustments to improve the way I compose such. However, this problem has been addressed accordingly in my last paper. In here, I placed the statement at the end of the paper which says that â€Å"The growing problem of poverty simply created the other problems concerning other facets of life; environmental issues, urban housing, health issues, corruption, and the like† (The Slum Residents Feed Off From Danger, p. 4). Seeing this, I feel that I need to improve in the way I create thesis statements. This is to further create impact in my papers and foster deeper understanding on my readers. Whether it is an informational or persuasive, I must find ways to align my paper accordingly to my given thesis statement. Another area that I had seen myself improve is the creation of supporting details to assist my given thesis statement. I had learned in class that for a paper to be academic, it must be able to provide details that will either supplement or sustain the arguments provided in the main idea. That is why, during the course of activities, I had tried to find ways to align my paper to the given topic I chose. For example, the flyer I created concerning malnutrition sought to bridge together the idea of how this issue has affected many and what ways can one try to address the issue. Assessing my current capabilities as far as this facet is concerned, I feel that I still need to improve in the way I link my supporting details to my main idea. This is because there are still several non-related topics that get inserted within my paper. At the same time, I must make sure that these details correlate and synchronize effectively within my work. By actively doing this, I can give readers an easier time in understanding and comprehending my overall intention for writing the paper. Introduction is also a vital element in the creation of an academic paper. This is because it gives readers the ability to become aware of either a backgrounder or the topic discussed in the paper. Having an effective introduction can entice readers to read the article and help them become acquainted with the issue given (UNC, p. 1). Looking at my personal experience in generating introductions, I feel that I had made considerable progress. Though at first this may seem to be the most difficult part of the paper to write, I sought out different strategies that can help me maximize my ability to create a good academic paper. Looking at my compositions, there is one paper that I feel provided a good opening for my paper. Since the topic I am talking about revolves around contact zones, I began my paper by describing the idea for readers to actively decipher what to expect in the paper. It mentions: It is important to understand that the social construction of racial, ethnic, and hierarchical differences, whether physical or cultural, exist as a human experience in the form of contact zones. (American Society and Contact Zones, p. 1). Thus, assessing my capabilities in this facet, I feel that I had made improvements in the way I construct introductory sentences that bridge the main idea or topic to the readers. However, I still feel that there are still setbacks that I need to address to be able to maximize my ability in creating effective statements. I need to make sure each time that this assertion coincides with what I want the readers to make sense of. As far as creating conclusions are concerned, throughout the duration of the course, I had tried to improve on the way I compose these statements. It has been taught that is necessary that I make a striking ending assertion so that it can stick to the mind of readers. Allowing these things to happen can help increase the strength of the paper and further justify the arguments I presented. Analyzing my success in doing this, I feel that I still need to improve in the way I do this because my ideas only try to point out again what I wrote in the previous sections (e. g. Global Community and American Society). Rather than just restating what I mentioned before, I must also highlight the overall stand of the paper and signify the justifications for advocating such belief. Lastly, I had also learned that my conclusion must not end in conveying another topic because it can make the readers confused and think that this is just another part of the paper. Structure, organization and coherence are the next elements I wish to evaluate myself on. These three factors also contribute to the ability of an academic paper to convey information and insights to readers. By taking into consideration the relevance of these ideas, I can increase the ability of people to actively learn from the process and prevent concepts and arguments to be scattered (Darmouth, p. 1). Assessing my growth in the element of structure, I feel that I have shown great strength in making sure that my composition fit a particular structure in the paper. In here, I approached each research in a different manner depending on the scope and tone that I wish to convey. For example, in my argumentative essay entitled Global Community, I structured the paper by first pointing out my main argument and then providing justifications and details to support the paper. On the other hand, in my flyer paper, I brought out the thesis statement and provided relevant information associated with the said topic which is malnutrition. Thus, I feel that I had shown advancement as far as this idea is concerned. For coherence, I still feel that I need to focus on increasing and establishing links in every paragraphs of my paper. This is because the ideas I present in every section seem to not directly relate with one another. Such can give my readers a hard time in establishing a link with the main idea presented and the way I seek out to justify each one. Seeing this, I need to come up with good transition statements that can help readers relate the concepts from the previous paragraphs to the next. These statements can either be in sentence pattern or words such as (1) Moreover, (2) Likewise, (3) In addition, etc. This can help supplement the way I address the paper and signify a new set of ideas to be introduced to the reader. Another strategy I wish to explore and improve on is making effective outlines for a specific research/academic paper. I had learned in class that by making outlines, I can effectively and efficiently prevent mistakes in organization and coherence because this can serve as the backbone for the paper. Allowing myself to device an outline for a specific topic, I can insert and attach important items and concepts on categories it best fits. The last part I wish to ponder on revolves around sentence construction, grammar usage and punctuations. Since I am dwelling with academic paper and not a personal blog it is essential that I see to it that my papers are proofread and follow the rules of the English language. This can then help me hone my grasp of the language and apply the standards I had learned. Reviewing my punctuation marks, I feel that I still need to master and learn several elements. This is because, I can see that I still common mistakes in placing periods, semicolons, colons and commas in a sentences. In here, I must review and understand where each one should be placed and under what conditions can they be only applied. Due to this, I feel that I had only satisfactorily achieved this element and needs to be further improved. As far as grammar usage is concerned, I also consider myself satisfactory because I still have to improve on the words I use in a specific sentence or paragraph. Since these words convey meaning in a particular argument or statement, it is essential that I choose the idea that best fits the description. Though I also learned that using simple words is good, however I must also make sure that these things never get repeated over and over in a particular paragraph. In the end, I feel that the subject has given me new avenues to improve and develop. Comparing my previous compositions, I had seen myself acquire new ideas and skills that can help boost my ability to write academic paper. However, I must also recognize that there are still elements that I need to work on. By constantly working and honing these things, I can maximize my ability and skills to serve my purpose not only in this subject but also for my own personal growth. Works Cited Darmouth. edu Writing: Considering Structure and Organization. 2005 accessed 1 June 2009 from http://www. dartmouth. edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/write. shtml UNC. edu Introductions. 2007 accessed 1 June 2009 from http://www. unc. edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/introductions. html UNC. edu Thesis Statements. 2007 accessed 1 June 2009 from http://www. unc. edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis. html

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks

Currency Exposure to Hedging Currency Risks Hedging Currency Risks at AIFS, we shall now address the many stipulations regarding issues such as currency exposure and hedging decisions of the AIFS Company. Looking at the theory and practices of Archer-Lock within the company, with the information given we shall now analyze and interpret the report of AIFS. Using the financial Instruments of the foreign exchange market, the effect these instruments have on hedging will further be discussed, as well as the result of these instruments on the hedging decision. It is important to note that Becky Tabaczynski, CFO for the groups high school travel division ACIS, portrayed the idea a good hedging result is gained due to good relationships across the board. Whilst in some companies, hedging is considered a financial decision, independent of the business needs here; were trying to match the business needs. Now with the information provided in the case study, combined with knowledge of hedging options, the topic of currency exposure will be discussed. Q1. What gives rise to the currency exposure at AIFS? Currency exposure is the extent to which the future cash flows of an enterprise, arising from domestic and foreign currency denominated transactions involving assets and liabilities, and generating revenues and expenses are susceptible to variations in foreign currency exchange rates (International Federation of Accountants, 2010). Currency exposure at AIFS can be caused by 3 risks: the bottom-line risk, volume risk and competitive pricing risk. These 3 risks happen at AIFS because of the AIFSs hedging policies, so before analysing these 3 risks it is necessary to analyse AIFSs hedging policies. AIFSs Hedging Policies AIFS starts to hedge foreign currencies between 6 months and 2 years before the main pricing date, and uses forward contracts and currency options to hedge currency; the main hedging technique is forward contracts. Then AIFS uses these currencies to pay its customers expense abroad. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based price from its customers, so no matter how the exchange rates change in the spot market, AIFS never changes its price in that period. AIFS uses forward contract to hedge before it has completed its sales cycle. So AIFS has to predict its business then hedge based on its prediction, but the situation that the number AIFS pays equals to the number AIFS buys is very hard to carry out. When the currencies that AIFS has bought are smaller than it has to pay, AIFS has to buy some more currencies by using currency options. When the currencies it has bought are greater than it has to pay, currency exposure happens. The Bottom- Line Risk Exchange rate is always fluctuant. EURO is one of the main currencies that AIFS needs to hedge. Looking at the graph, the exchange rate between USD and EURO in January was highest in 2010, which was 1.427$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, and the exchange rate in June was the lowest, which was only 1.221$/à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, the difference between highest and lowest is 0.206à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬/$, so when purchasing large amounts of EURO by using USD, the large difference of price will appear. The main hedging technique of AIFS is forward contracts, so if the exchange rate at the contract date is higher than the exchange rate at the settlement date, AIFS is at a disadvantage (maybe AIFS can choose currency options at this time, but it needs to pay premium, so the cost may be not reduced so much). When this situation happens, AIFSs cost will be higher and it will lose profit. 2010- American Dollars to 1 EUR Average Rates January 1.42721 USD (20 days average) February 1.36857 USD (20 days average) March 1.35685 USD (23 days average) April 1.34095 USD (21 days average) May 1.25653 USD (21 days average) June 1.22085 USD (22 days average) July 1.277 USD (22 days average) August 1.29029 USD (21 days average) September 1.3067 USD (22 days average) October 1.38978 USD (21 days average) November 1.38806 USD (12 days average) From X- rate.com, 2010 The Volume Risk When AIFS uses forward contract to hedge currencies, it doesnt know the number of customers it will get in this period. AIFS has been doing culture and educational exchanges for more than 40 years and got a very good praise and has a large number of customers, every year many young people go abroad via AFIS. Because its so popular, its hard to say how many customers will be increased next time. Also, war, terrorism and policies and other uncertainties will affect peoples mind, these factors will make more people prefer to stay at home rather than go abroad, and in that case the number of customers will be decreased. So its hard to predict the number of customers, its hard to say whether the number of customers will increase or decrease. In negative situations where there will be a lack of customers, the foreign currencies that have been bought will not be used; this is when currency exposure is evident. The Competitive Pricing Risk When AIFS is purchasing and using currencies, its competitors are doing it as well. These companies may contract with banks in lower exchange rates, which makes their charges lower than AIFS and therefore makes AIFS less competitive. Customers may buy currencies from other companies, and so AIFSs currencies cant be sold up and currency exposure happens. The changes of transportation fees (like train, boat, plane ticket), living fees, hotel fees can also give rise to the currency exposure. When these fees reduced, AIFS will pay less and may not use all of the currencies it has bought. According to AIFSs hedging policies, it has to predict the exchange rate fluctuant, the number of customers, which may be different with the final exchange rate and the volume when selling currencies, so the currency exposure happens. The actions of AIFSs competitors may make AIFS less competitive resulting in minimum sales of the currencies bought, further resulting in currency exposure. So the bottom-line risk, the volume risk and the competitive pricing risk will give rise to the currency exposure at AIFS. Also, the changes of fees may cause currency exposure. Q2. What would happen if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all? According to the case, The American Institute for Foreign Students (AIFS) organizes students who study abroad and the cultural exchange programs. It has two major divisions which are Archer-Lock managed The Study Abroad College and the High School Travel division, whose finances Tabaczynski managed. The problem faced by AIFS is the revenues of the company are mainly in US dollars, but most of their costs are in British pounds and Euros. AIFS sets guaranteed prices for its exchanges before its final sales figures are known. Therefore, for AIFS, the foreign exchange hedging is the key important area. The managers use currency hedging to protect their bottom line and cope with changes in exchange rates. But if Archer-Lock and Tabaczynski did not hedge at all, it would mean full exposure to the currency risk, the company could lose a lot of money if USD depreciated. Maybe the company can produce good results and have a really good profit when the USD appreciated if they did not hedge at all, as there are no other losses to erase their total revenue. However, they cannot know what the future sales volume and future exchange rate are, and so they may need to face losing a tremendous amount of money if USD depreciated. The cost base of the company would increase, and the revenues in USD will remain the same, this means their profitability would be erased. Also, AIFS needs to preserve their price guarantee policy. If they did not hedge at all, the company may incur losses by following this policy. Moreover, there may be a difference between final sales volumes and projected sales volume, and this exposes the company to having either more or less of the foreign currency depending on the final sales volume. For instance, as we know from the case, every year AIFS expected 25,000 students in their project. If the currency exchange rate decreased to USD 1.01/EUR, the company could save USD 5.25 million, however, if the exchange rate increased to USD 1.48/EUR, the company lose USD 6.5 million. Q3. 100% hedge with option and 100% hedge with forward The data shows above, When 100% hedge with option, currency rate 1.01, and the outcome is higher than total cost, the company can gain the profit. Rate becomes to 1.22 and 1.48, the outcome is lower than total cost, and the company has risk and a loss of money. When 100% hedge with forward, the fixed rate is locked in 1.22, the outcome is 0. That is means no risk and no profit. Q4. Using the forecast final sales volume of 25,000, the following are the possible outcomes relative to the zero impact scenario described in the case. Zero impact happened with rate (1.22) when they use forward contract were the same as project costs. When dollar becomes weak (1.48) it would cause a negative impact by a loss of money. When dollar becomes strong (1.01) it would cause a positive impact through gain of profit. When the USD is strong (1.01), the more options there are to hedge, the lower the cost. When USD is weak (1.48) the more options there are to hedge, the more the cost. Q5) what hedging decision would you advocate? Should we not hedge at all? As AIFS guaranteed its prices would not change before the next catalogue, if the USD goes weak, AIFS need to more USD to pay for its overseas cost ¸ however the price cannot be changed, which means AIFS will lose money. To eliminate this risk, AIFS better hedge. What do you advocate? (Advantages and Disadvantages) The forward contract is a simple arrangement widely used by the companies to manage the exchange rate risk. It can guarantee the amount of currency AIFS would receive in the expiry date of the contract, so it can get larger profits with forward contracts if AIFS count on a favourable exchange rate. The company can also avoid the 5% option premium, but it is not easy to get the counter party who would agree to fix the time period and the future exchange rate which would result in illiquidity. Thus being bilateral private contracts, the forwards have to be executed. The option contract can eliminate the downside risk and being more flexible, it can be seen as a combination of covered interest arbitrage depending on the difference in currency options and interest rates; it gives the company the right to sell or purchase a currency at an agreed exchange rate, but not the obligation. With the option contracts AIFS can hold the currency until the favourable exchange rate arises, so it would be more secure for the company. However, the premium cost is the disadvantage of option, and it has to be paid up front. Both forward contract and option contact work if the company is tight on cash and cannot spend 5% option premium in this case the forwards contract is a better choice. However, if AIFS has sufficient funds and foresees changes in exchange rates, then it should use option. AIFS does not have to exercise the contract when currency moves to unfavourable exchange rates. What happens if sales volumes are lower (10000) or higher (30000) than expected (25000)? According to appendix 3 and 4: The sales volume increase to 30000, exchange rate is 1.01. AIFS Company can gain the profit. Exchange rate is 1.22 and 1.48, AIFS Company exist risk loss the money; but when use 100% forward to hedge Company can avoids risk and there is no profit. The sales volume is decrease to 10000, the total cost is 1000* 10000= à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 There are 3 possible situations that will happen at this time. = 0.4 = 40% According to the calculation above, when AIFSs currency hedge is covered less than 40% of its prediction (it predicts 25000 sales volumes), AIFS needs to buy some more currency to reach à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000 by using spot trading rate; when AIFSs currency hedge is covered at 40%, the currency it buys is equal to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000000; when the currency hedge covered over 40%, AIFS cant use all of the EUR it has bought, so AIFS has to sell the extra EUR or save them and use them in the next period. 1.48 1.01 10000 30000 Source: AIFS case There will be 4 outcomes with the in the money and out of money positions and high and low sales volume (30000 or 10000). Square 1 shows low sales volume (10000) with strong USD that when the company is out of money (1.01USD/EUR). AIFS has an excess of currency. In this case, if it locked into surplus forward contracts then it would lose money. So the option contract is more favourable. AIFS does not execute the contract, it just lets it expire. In square 2 shows low sales volume (10000) with weak USD, The requirement of the currency is below the projection (25000), and the exchange rate is high (1.48USD/EUR). If AIFS uses forward contract the gain is larger compared to when it uses options contract because the options contract costs 5% of the nominal USD strike price. In square 3 the exchange rate moved out of money (1.01USD/EUR) and the sales go higher (30000) than expected. So AIFS doesnt have to buy euro at higher rate, therefore, the Options contract is better, as the extra volume they need (5000), can be bought at the spot rate. The increase of the Spot and Fixed rates and the difference of the volume of sales are the reason for company loss. The tricky square 4 shows when the exchange rate moved in the money (1.48 USD/EUR) and AIFSs sales volume came in higher (30000) than projections, which means the company need more currency (5000), however, the exchange rate is high. In this case, Forward contracts should be used and the extra volume at the spot rates should be bought. The increase of sales may offset the downside. For companies that work with more than one currency, several hedging techniques are available to guard against foreign exchange fluctuations. After studying and addressing the case study of AIFS, it can be concluded that the changes in fees can be the cause to currency exposure. The fact that the companys revenues are in USD, and costs in GBP and Euros may result in a rise to currency exposure. After analyzing the affects of financial instruments such as forward and option contracts will have on the company, it has been decided that the company would be at a better advantage with Forward contract in order to prevent risks. AIFS charges USD by catalogue-based prices from its customer, and as the company guaranteed the prices will not change, if the rate of the USD decreases then the company will be at a loss as they will have to cover other expenses with the currency they have bought, and in order to prevent this risk, the company would be in a better position if they hedged. REFERENCES: International Federation of Accountants, 2010, http://www.mia.org.my/handbook/guide/imap/imap_3.htm#Business%20Implications [Accessed on 4/11/2010] X-rate.com, 2010, http://www.x-rates.com/d/USD/EUR/hist2010.html [Accessed on 16/11/2010]