Introduction to Accounting and finance -- Economics, Finance and Assignment - 6

Introduction to Accounting and finance -- Economics, Finance and Management - Assignment Example reality this may not be the case, the company may face sudden changes in any of these estimates and if any major change occurs, it would definitely affect the estimate and the cash flow forecast presented above. Although the company’s cash position improves gradually during the 6 month period according to the cash flow forecast there may be certain areas that may need to be considered. (BusinessLink, 2010) Managers need to be aware of the huge interest that the company has to pay for the overdrafts and the loans taken out by the company, managers should choose between the best possible sources of loan i.e. either the overdraft or the long term loan to manage the company more effectively. (Wilkinghoff, 2009) There is a major difference between the cash earned by a company and its profit. The profits that a company makes are usually based upon accounting techniques and standards and these do not always show the correct picture of a company. Profit is derived by deducting the revenue earned from the cost incurred in gaining those revenue plus other immaterial things such as depreciation, provisions, amortization, goodwill, etc. these figures are fictitious and are not in cash terms i.e. no cash is either received or paid when such things occur. Cash on the other hand gives a better picture of a company which can clearly make the managers ascertain the liquidity position of a company and the company’s actual earnings with respect to its actual spending. The cash figure clearly tells the managers as to how much liquid cash is available that can be used to invest in the business or can be paid off to its shareholders. (Liquidity, 2010) The balance sheet of Hide and Seek Ltd clearly shows the depreciation figure used up in calculating the net worth of the noncurrent assets of the organization. The balance sheet clearly shows that the company has a good working capital of around  £3100 but this is not shown in the cash flow forecast for the month of June, which

The development of new reproductive technologies Essay Example for Free

The development of new reproductive technologies Essay Explain some of the religious and moral issues relevant to the development of new reproductive technologies. [35] The development of new reproductive technologies have revolutionised the way society views infertility. However, many object to methods such as IVF, cloning, ICSI and PGD for moral and religious reasons. In examining these issues, a good place to start is IVF. IVF – in vitro fertilisation – is one of the most commonly used reproductive technologies. This method bypasses the need for intercourse to conceive; embryos are instead created in a lab and implanted into a mother. It can either use gametes from two parents, or in the case of a homosexual couple some of the material will be donated. From a human-rights perspective everyone has the right to a family life, which some interpret to mean a right to IVF. However, even from a purely secular point of view there are moral problems with IVF. For example, the new ICSI method bypasses many of the bodys natural defences for weeding out unfit sperm and therefore the child is at a higher risk of genetic abnormalities. Additionally, some feminists view reproductive technology with suspicion. Feminists refer to a `pro-natalist ideology prevalent in Western society, whereby women are encouraged to believe that their fulfilment and happiness depends upon their being able to bear children. They fear women may be coerced into IVF. The main issue that Christians would have with IVF is that many embryos are created and then destroyed. More embryos are produced in order to increase the chances of successful implantation, but in the UK you cannot use more than two embryos per IVF cycle. This creates spare embryos that are discarded, experimented upon or frozen for later use. The majority of Christians believe that life and personhood are intertwined, and both begin at conception. Christians believe in the sanctity of life, meaning that all human life is created in God’s image and has intrinsic worth. The most important verse they turn to is part of the Decalogue: â€Å"do not kill.† Moreover, Psalm 139 says, â€Å"you knit me together in my mother’s womb.† Therefore the discarding of spare embryos is murder of an innocent life. As with any issue, denominational opinions differ. The Roman Catholic Church defends traditional family structures and view IVF as unnatural. They published a document in 1987called Respect for Human Life in its Origin and the Dignity of Procreation. This emphasised the principles concerning the sanctity of life laid down much earlier in the Papal Encyclical, Humanae Vitae of 1968. In summary it claimed that children were a gift from God and not a commodity, and the proper place for children is within marriage. The church has expressed fears that IVF trivialises intercourse. Protestant churches tend to take a more lenient view. For example, the Free Presbyterian Church accepts IVF provided that the couple are married, spare embryos are not created and no donors are used. Both the Methodist Church and the Church of England are quite positive about all forms of IVF and even permit research on spare embryos up to 14 days old because it can be of great help to doctors researching genetic diseases, although embryos should not be created solely for this purpose. Other more drastic forms of reproductive technology pose a bigger problem for the churches. The successful cloning of Dolly the Sheep opened up a debate on the potential of human cloning and saviour siblings. Reproductive cloning would devalue individuality and result in negative psychological effects in the cloned person. Cloned animals tend to have a shorter lifespan and there is a genuine fear that a sub-class of humans could be produced in order for their organs to be harvested. This commodification of life sounds like science fiction, but according to Paul Ramsey it is a real threat. Cloning also removes the need for a male. In the case of Dolly, she had three ‘mothers’: one provided the egg, another the DNA and a third carried the cloned embryo to term. The embryo was given an electric shock in order to begin the division process. For Christians this disrupts God’s design for reproduction and parenthood. The only form of cloning that some churches would permit is therapeutic cloning, when a person’s stem cells can be used to produce organs that are an exact match. Mary Seller, a member of the Church of Englands Board of Social Responsibility, states, Cloning, like all science, must be used responsibly. Cloning humans is not desirable.† Furthermore, another key form of reproductive technology is PGD pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This process can eliminate genetic diseases by selection (negative therapy) and can also alter the genes to ‘improve’ an embryo (positive therapy). It can be used to prevent suffering for both the child and parents. Moral objects are raised because, just like IVF, negative therapy involves fertilising several embryos with the intent of destroying those with the disease. This is dehumanising to disabled people, because it suggests that society would be better off without them. Positive therapy takes it to another level, and could result in a class of humans that are genetically modified for maximum health, intelligence and appearance. This destroys individualism and Christians refer to it as, â€Å"playing God.† According to the Free Presbyterian Church, â€Å"remember that each time cells are harvested for the treatment of someone who is sick, a new and sacred lif e is callously ended.† Moving on, reproductive technology can be evaluated according to traditional ethical principles. Starting with Utilitarianism, Patrick Steptoe is quoted as stating that It is a fact that there is a biological desire to reproduce.† If this is the case, then the maximum amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people will be achieved if they are able to reproduce, even if they need IVF or other interventions. Since successful IVF treatment will bring an enormous amount of happiness utilitarians are in agreement with such treatments. In the case of an infertile couple the utilitarian will look at the options available and strive towards to goal of conception. Likewise, if PGD and cloning can help alleviate human suffering it will be supported by utilitarians. Situation ethics bases the morality of an action on the circumstances that surround it. The only underlying principle is that we should always choose the most loving course of action, and there is no absolute morality. Whether an infertile couple should have access to IVF is based entirely on their individual situation. Natural law, on the other hand, is not so accepting. It is similar to the view the Roman Catholic Church takes. IVF and other technologies are unnatural and therefore immoral. Some criticise this theory because they claim that it is no more unnatural then the countless other forms of human intervention such as when we have an operation. Ultimately, reproductive technology causes us to rethink our views on family, marriage, sex and what makes a mother. Regardless of their views, Christians should be compassionate towards those suffering from the effects of infertility. You cannot understand their situation unless you have experienced it personally.

Human Resource Planning in a Healthcare Organisation

Human Resource Planning in a Healthcare Organisation Analyse the business factors that underpin human resource planning in a healthcare organization Human resource planning refers to the series of steps or actions in analysing and identifying the need for human resources or employees of the organization to meet the company’s goals and objectives. It aims to provide for the future staffing needs of the company and to make certain the use of employees to the greatest degree. Having an efficient and effective human resource planning will result in organization’s stability and sustainability. There are several business factors that underpin human resource planning. These factors dictate the need to plan human resources by considering the influence of the internal and external factors. Some of these business factors include business growth, decline, change, and competition; impact of technology and labour market competition and employee development. Business growth Business growth is the process of improving some measure of an enterprise’s success. Business growth can be achieved either by boosting the top line or revenue of the business with greater product sales or service income, or by increasing the bottom line or profitability of the operation by minimizing costs. Business growth also means expansion in business that causes increased spending and increased business opportunities. As the company expands, so do their HR operations to meet the complex needs of a growing workforce. The HR manager should consider factors such as hiring new employees or training existing employees to meet the demands of its increasing clients. With this, HR management needs to prioritise the departments or units where more staff are needed, do a job analysis, and draw job specifications that will help them in recruiting the right person on the job. Business decline Business decline refers also to a downturn in an organization which is characterized by decreased in profits or clients. When this happens, management compensate by trying to reduce cost which may include cessation in hiring or reducing work hours of the employee. During this stage, planning and implementing workforce reductions and reallocations is also possible. Business change Organization change occurs when business strategies or major sections of an organization are altered. It can create the need for the HR department to focus on staffing issues such as hiring and terminating employees, training of staffs, or changing job specifications which may result from a change in job functions. Business change can also create confusion, resulting the need for HR management to enhance communication by conducting group meetings to keep employees informed about what to expect during the change process. Competition Every businesses face competition so human resource planning will need to ensure that the company stays ahead of other competitors. This forces the management to expand and hire more staff in order to withstand competition and remain competitive in a particular field. Impact of technology The impact of technology innovations has shaped human resource management. Softwares used in HR management is useful in managing and maintaining employee information such as payroll, benefits, hours worked, performance appraisals, and training and development participations. These applications can help the management to be more productive, effective, and error-free. Technology advancements may also increase or decrease the demand for employees in certain industries or profession. For example, human resource management may plan to hire staff who are knowledgeable in computers or they may also reduce staff because what can be done usually by two persons can now be done by one with the help of technology. Furthermore, technology can assist HR in the recruitment process through online recruitment, video interviews, and social media. Labour market competition As the organization plans its future workforce needs, so do other organizations in the same field or industry. This then will result to labour market competition. It is imperative for HR management to do human resource plans such as taking aggressive actions in recruitment or giving incentives to attract more qualified and talented applicants. Having the right people with the right knowledge and skills in the appropriate positions is very important and the lack of it will result to dissatisfaction from clients that may cripple the organization. Employee development As the business continues to evolve, it requires a skilled and knowledgeable workforce composing of employees and staffs who are flexible, motivated, and focused. It is one of the main responsibilities of the HR manager to develop the staff through encouragement, coaching, and conducting training and development activities that match the employee’s career objectives and goals. Analyse the human resource requirements and factors that underpin human resource planning in a healthcare organization. Identifying internal personnel requirements Human resource planning identify the workforce required to perform organizational activities. First, HR managers do assessment which includes job analysis and inventory of the workers and skills available within the organization. Then they need to determine the future needs for human resource in terms of quantity and quality. Then HR department needs to do a matching process to bring demand and supply in an equilibrium so that shortages and over staffing position will be solved. In case of shortages, HR department needs to train staff within the organization or hire new ones. On the other hand, in case of over staffing HR management may also need to reduce the level of existing employment. Internal and external factors in matching personnel to organisational requirements Human resource planning in healthcare organizations involves looking at the current workforce skills and motivation strategy and comparing them with what is needed in the future. To do this the organization has to consider both the internal and external factors in matching personnel to organisational requirements. Internal factors includes skills requirements and workforce profiles. Skills requirements means assessing the skills of the existing staff or employees to build up a profile of the training, experience and qualifications that employees have. Workforce profiles means that the manager observes and monitors the types of employee working for the organization. These observations include details such as age, gender, ethnicity and availability. External factors includes supply of labour. Supply of labour refers to the number of workers willing and able to work in a particular job. The supply of labour is dependent on in unemployment and the type of skills that are needed by employ ers. Government policies Policies of the government like labour policy, industrial policy, and policy towards reserving certain jobs for different communities affect HR planning. The organization needs to comply with these legislations or policies to avoid penalties or possibly closure of the healthcare facilities. HR department should plan to avoid this dilemma by ensuring the compliance of the organizations. Labour market competition As the aging population or healthcare facilities increases in different countries, there is a high demand for healthcare workers. This causes shortages in the skilled profession such as nurses and doctors which then resulted in tight labour market competition. HR department needs to devise a creative recruitment strategy to attract and retain qualified healthcare professionals. One effective recruiting strategy lies on how the healthcare employer profiles itself on job postings. Hospitals or healthcare facilities known for their quality healthcare services and advancements appeal to most applicants. Another strategy is giving out incentives or sign-in bonuses to qualified applicants. References: What is business growth? definition and meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/business-growth.html What is organization change? definition and meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organization-change.html The impact of human resource technology in a changing workforce environment. Cleveland Human Resources | Examiner.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/the-impact-of-human-resource-technology-a-changing-workforce-environment

The Force of Evil :: Essays Papers

The Force of Evil "And something had come to life†¦It was a kind of shadow, a poisonous blackness filled with bewildered loathing. †¦something hateful and unspeakable in the souls of men." An apparent introduction is made in the three works, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, The Child by Tiger by Thomas Wolfe, and The Destructors by Graham Greene; the unwelcome but necessary introduction to the sinful nature of mankind, to evil without limits, and without cause. When confronted with the presence of evil around them, the characters react in very different ways. A few triumph, one just stands in awe. In The Most Dangerous Game Mr. Rainsford, at first, tries to shrug off a fellow sailor's belief of a nearby 'dark' island by saying "Pure imagination . . . One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear." The sailor replies with haunting faith, "Sometimes I think evil is a tangible thing - with wavelengths, just as sound and light have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil." When Rainsford comes to believe the crucial meaning of his friends' words, it is too late; he is already in the midst of the very place that was spoken of. Appalled at first, by faced with no other choice than to confront the very source of evil, General Zaroff, face to face, Rainsford realizes the danger of his position and takes what he is dealt right in stride. He was now the wanted prey of the most dangerous of hunters. "He had not been entirely clear-headed when the chateau gates snapped shut behind him. His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and General Zaroff. . . Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation." Mr. Rainsford, an experienced hunter himself, had found himself in a position he probably had never imagined before. This kind of hunting was new to him, for this time the quest was for him and his pursuer was of the most wicked species; the devil, so to speak. "Is there anything a man don't stand to lose when the devil wants to take it all away?" To try an out run, out fox and altogether put an end to the 'devil' was the task, and Rainsford did it the only way he knew how; by being the poacher and the quarry, setting traps while taking flight, and leaving no traces behind to be followed.

Of the Dawn of Freedom Essay

In â€Å"Of the Dawn of Freedom,† author W. B. Du Bois (1903) points out the historical basis for the persistence of racism as a problem. Written almost three decades after the civil war, the text is addressed to both African-American and White people who comfort themselves with the illusion that the granting of the right of suffrage to African-Americans instantly solved the problems of inequality. This is evident in how Du Bois illustrates that contrary to popular perception, the Civil War did not totally lead to the emancipation of African-Americans and that the subsequent â€Å"Negro suffrage ended a civil war by beginning a race feud† (34) wherein African-Americans became the subject of contempt of Southern White populations who fought against the abolition of slavery. Indeed, Du Bois’ observations accurately mirror the situation of African-Americans until today. Clearly, African-Americans are still subjected to deeply-held stereotypes that systematically degrade and debase them on the basis of what Du Bois calls â€Å"the color-line. (9) Despite the abolition of slavery, African-Americans continued to be socially-marginalized. Consequently, African-American’s situation as â€Å"a segregated servile caste† (37) after slavery was abolished only resulted in the formation of a double consciousness or an identity confusion owing to the lack of their clear role in society and their alienation from the dominant White culture. In effect, the abolition of slavery also uprooted both African-Americans and White Americans from the customs and clear norms that arose from centuries of slavery. Without the delineations of the slave order, African-Americans found it difficult to establish their identity especially as the White Americans did not want to accommodate the ex-slaves into the folds of society. It is therefore not surprising that African-Americans continue to be subjected to racist perceptions. As Du Bois rightly points out, the freedom of the Black Americans was immature in so far as the Whites regarded them not as their equals but looked condescendingly at the newly-freed Black people as their inferiors and â€Å"helpless wards. †(34)

The Importance of Asking for Performance Feedback

The Importance of Asking for Performance Feedback Do you know if you’re doing well at your job? More importantly, do you know if others (including your direct supervisor) think you are doing well? Sometimes the days, weeks, and months pass by so fast in such a busy haze of work that you don’t have time to assess your performance. Then, as you gear up for your annual review, you’re in the dark.  Might you get you promotion this year?  What do  your co-workers think of you?Take charge of your career by removing uncertainty from the equation–ask for specific feedback at least once a month from someone at your workplace. Being proactive about your performance status will give you targeted advice on where you excel and where you need improvement.Just finished a big project?Schedule a one-on-one with your manager to discuss how it went, where you thrived, and what you can do differently next time.Work side-by-side with the same people every day?Shoot a co-worker an email to ask how she thought you handled a recent stressful situation.Do you have clients you deal with on a regular basis?The next time you talk, check in to see if they’re getting everything they need from you.Soliciting feedback not only shows you’re invested in your career and in improving your skills as an employee, but it also demonstrates you are committed to working toward the future of your workplace.