Criticisms in An Inspector Calls Essay -- Critics An Inspector Calls S

Criticisms in An Inspector Calls 'An Inspector Calls' is a very thought provoking and rousing play. It was obviously written to make a strong point and illustrate the social gap between classes. This play was written in 1945 and since then, times and situations have changed enormously. However, this play still has great relevance today due to the fact that as a country we retain strong upper class societies who are very definitely detached. In the following essay, I aim to outline the many arguments and lines of thought that this play incites. To illustrate this I will use extracts from the play. I will also use my own thoughts and opinions: Before the Inspector enters, we are already forming opinions and views on the characters. Mr Birling seems very worried about wealth and social ranking. He says to Gerald who is his daughter's fiancÃÆ'Â ©, 'You ought to like this port Gerald. Finchley told me it's exactly the same port as your father gets from him.' Gerald's parents have a much higher social status than Mr Birling, and he is obviously trying to impress Gerald so he will pass it on to his parents. Mrs Birling also seems very prudish and stuffy. When Mr Birling makes a comment about the quality of the meal and asks her to inform the cook she replies with, 'Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things-' Although not as obvious as her husband, she is also trying to make a good impression and convey the fact that she is an important lady, with wealth and rank. She is anxious for the marriage between Sheila and Gerald to go ahead because she is always trying to smooth things over and make it run smoothly. For example, when Gerald tries to get Sheila to admit how much he loves her and she does not r... ...n anyway or show any sorrow or repentance. I think that this shows that older people find it harder to adjust and some people are just set in their ways and have no inclination to change. The play also illustrates and criticises the gap in social stature and behaviour. If people are believed to be 'upper class' then they treat anyone below them with disdain and no interest. This play is illustrating that the Inspector treats both classes with the same attitude. He treats the Birlings with the same respect or resistance he would to any other suspect or interviewee. He does not give them preferential treatment and I think that this is showing how everyone should treat each other. The play is criticising the fact that as individuals we do not consider the consequences of our actions, and that as a society we do not realise what one action can lead to.

A Case Study of the H.B. Fuller Case on Honduras Essay

As the CEO of the H.B Fuller Company, I have a great degree of first-hand knowledge and can honestly say that when it comes to business ethics, few American corporations have a better image than the H.B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. We are a leading manufacturer of industrial glues, coatings and paints, having won various awards, honors and inclusion in a variety of socially conscious mutual funds, all of which attest to our standing as a good corporate citizen. Recently, however, its handling of a stubborn image-staining problem has tainted our reputation. Specifically, there was illegal abuse of its shoemaker’s glue by homeless Central American children who became addicted to the product’s intoxicating and dangerous fumes (Henriques, 1995, p. 1). By ignoring this very serious issue we are indirectly saying to businesses and stakeholders, the community and society in general that we are concerned with financial gain at the expense of people’s safety. Such perceptions, however, are in direct contrast to our vision statement and it is of the utmost importance that we make all necessary changes to restore the faith of both the public and private sectors. One of the ways that this can be accomplished is through a series of commercials that address the fatal affects of â€Å"huffing† glue and which will erase the pairing of our brand name to drug use. In conjunction with various subsidized drug awareness programs, we can save costs in combating our recent negative publicity, restoring our profits and, more importantly, saving lives. A first step will be to add a warning label or disclaimer directly to each tube of glue that may be harmful if inhaled. An additional and well-documented plan is to add oil of mustard to the product, which will make it less attractive to inhale. In addition, for approximately one year a portion of our proceeds will be reinvested into programs that will provide counseling to children about the dangers of drug abuse. Furthermore, we plan to work with the local government to educate locals about financial opportunities in their area, the lack of which is the primary cause of escape and overdosing. The overriding and primary plan will be to implement a well thought out CSR (corporate social responsibility) plan, the foundation of which has been outlined above. Our vision statement ought to serve as our guide. Vision StatementH.B. Fuller’s following vision statement includes our purpose  and mission to be a leader in our industry as well as our commitment to our stakeholders:Our purpose is to deliver value to our customers using knowledgeable people and the best technologies. Our mission is to be a leading worldwide formulator, manufacturer and marketer of technology-driven specialty chemical products and related services and solutions. We are committed to the balanced interests of our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. We will conduct business ethically and profitably, and exercise leadership as a responsible corporate citizen. Our commitment is to continually:Enhance our capabilities;Expand our presence in existing markets and our brand identities;Extend our reach geographically and through new businesses;Execute our strategies with urgency and discipline;Energize our employees by creating a culture that recognizes performance, values contributions, celebrates success, and respects work-life balance (H.B. Fuller, 2006, p. 1 – 2). H.B. Fuller’s environment, health and safety efforts are guided by the following missionstatement:†We will be a responsible company with respect to the environment, health, and safety by operating in a manner that protects our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. We will provide the resources and technology to develop, implement, and maintain environmental, health and safety programs that support the achievement of company goals† (H. B. Fuller, 2006, p. 1 -2). According to our vision and mission statements we are fundamentally responsible for the way we do business, â€Å"and the company’s progressive and proactive environment, health, and safety efforts reflect this philosophy† (H. B. Fuller, 2006, p. 2). One of our primary goals is to continually progress toward reducing, and where possible, eliminating, the release of substances that cause environmental damage by the use of â€Å"periodic self-examinations of manufacturing plants which help the company identify  risks and exposures that may exist or develop, so that best management practices can be proposed and implemented† (H. B., 2006, p. 2). Corporate Environment, Health and Safety ProgramWe have already implemented a corporate Environment, Health, and Safety program, including a team of experts who provide specialized expertise to all H.B. Fuller operations worldwide. â€Å"Standardized policies and practices, often more stringent than local regulations, are implemented and managed by regional and local EHS specialists around the world (H.B., 2006, p. 2). This team will be responsible for working with local drug agencies to provide public service anouncements. According to Jeffrey, â€Å"the H. B. Fuller Company’s employee profit sharing, corporate giving and funding of a University of Minnesota chair in corporate ethics won it rave reviews from the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) community and a listing in the book The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America† (1995, p.1). Elmer L. Andersen, founder and president of the H.B. Fuller Company which he bought in 1941, was a liberal Republican who as g overnor of Minnesota pressed for new park land and human rights and helped turn Fuller into a Fortune 500 company (â€Å"E. L. Andersen,† 2004, p. 1). However, â€Å"South of the Rà ­o Grande, this transnational with 1995 revenues of $1.1 billion supplied the drug of choice to Latin American street children seeking an escape from poverty, abuse and family disintegration (1995, p.1)? As such, it is important that we instill in the children the sense that their lives are not hopeless and that they do in fact have opportunities. According to Henriques, â€Å"some child welfare advocates have demanded for years that the company add a noxious oil to its glue to discourage abusers. The company had resisted that approach, possibly because it might reduce the glue’s effectiveness, possibly because the smell would be irritating to legitimate users.† We have done all we reasonably could to prevent abuse. But by some estimates, tens of thousands of Central American children sniff some sort of glue. These kids are often called resistoleros, a reference to Fuller’s Resistol glue† (par. 1995, p. 1). This is a dangero us association, which must be erased. By speaking with local and national news media, we can insist that the media not refer to those who sniff our glue as resistoleros. Although our main consumers are shoemakers and leather workers, a vast though unknown quantity ends up under the noses  of street kids. â€Å"The adhesive’s fumes go straight to the frontal lobes, the switchboard of the brain, and to brain areas that control emotions. Resistol turns off the brain’s connection to reality, neutralizing stress, pain and fear, taking the place of parental affection. Short-term use can produce nosebleeds, rashes and headaches. It can also lead to long-term use because toluene is psychologically addictive. Chronic abuse can cause neurological damage, kidney or liver failure, paralysis and death† (par. Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1).There is no doubt that our glue was designed for shoes, not immature brains, and although we are not responsible for product abuse, we do feel a moral and social responsibility to rectify this situation. ‘We don’t sell to street children. We sell to legitimate users who are manufacturing a product,†™ says Dick Johnson, Fuller’s executive vice president for investor relations. ‘If people, children or adults, get it illegitimately, that’s a concern to us, but you’ve got to remember that’s not our main focus'† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1). In contrast, activists argue that glue makers can speak to the abuse dilemma in the manufacturing process. In 1968, the U.S. based Testor Corporation became an industry model as soon as it added mustard oil to its model airplane glue. Mustard oil made the glue difficult to inhale, dramatically reducing Testor glue abuse and sales. Confronted with rising toluene addiction ten years ago, children’s activists in Central America requested manufacturers to learn from Testor’s case. Activists did not think that the additive would get rid of inhalant abuse, because hard-core users could turn to other substances. Instead, it was argued that additives would discourage first-time users and do away with the most available inhalant. Glue makers refused (par. Jeffrey, 1995, p. 1 – 2).Consequently, the Honduran Congress passed a law in 1989 that required the addition of mustard oil to toluene-based products to which we responded with a lobbying blitz. â€Å"David Calvert, an advocate for street children in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, stated that Fuller barraged shoemakers w ith claims that mustard oil would endanger our health, a tactic he called ‘a campaign of lies'† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 2). In retrospect, the triple bottom line could actually be greater with the added mustard oil because of the positive publicity it would likely generate. In addition, by adding mustard oil, we can use this distinguishing factor as a selling point. Concerned friends and family who care about their loved ones would certainly  be more likely to purchase a product with the additive if they know it will deter the temptation for abuse. In conjunction with anti-drug campaigns we can bring the epidemic of inhaling chemicals to the surface. Once this issue is acknowledged, we can pair the additive with reduced levels of abuse. As such, there would likely be a subsidy for our commercials. We could recommend that people buy only glue with mustard oil, such as our particularly. Our lobbying campaign worked and a government commission decided that toluene products in Honduras do not have to contain any mustard oil. This resulted in controversy and poor media publicity. In 1992, a few days before NBC ‘Dateline’ was to tape a critical Fuller piece, we pledged to â€Å"discontinue its production of solvent adhesives where we are known to be abused† (Jeffrey, 1995, p. 2). In addition to this, any loss of profits could be remade by concerned people who do not want their loved ones to be tempted by inhalants. EconomyHonduras’ economy has a GDP per capita of $2,050.00 (U.S.) per year (1999). It has persisted to increase gradually but the sharing of wealth continues to be quite polarized; normal wages are persistently low. Economic growth is approximately 5 percent per year. Nevertheless, several people stay below the level of poverty. It is anticipated that there are over 1.2 million unemployed people. The rate of unemployment is 28 percent. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund recorded Honduras as eligible for debt relief. This debt relief was given in 2005 (par. Wikipedia, 2006, p.1).According to the Global Business Center, U.S. GDP per capita for 1999 was roughly $30,200.00 and the GNP was $8.083 trillion (GDP, 2001, p. 1). In addition, there is greater distribution of wealth among the U.S. population as well as a democratic form of government and free economy. In contrast, Honduras has a centralized government that shows little concern for the welfare of its people resulting in poor economic growth and lack of stabilization in that country. â€Å"Both the electricity services (ENEE) and land line telephone services (HONDUTEL) were run by government monopolies, with the ENEE receiving heavy subsidies from the government because of its chronic financial problems. HONDUTEL, however, is no longer a monopoly, the telecommunication sector having been opened after December 25, 2005†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wikipedia, 2006). Although there is a somewhat overwhelming and even helpless sense of unemployment rate in Honduras, there are in fact opportunities. Regardless of education, the tourism industry is booming and if the locals are educated about such opportunities. With the knowledge of how to break into the tourism industry, kids and teenagers who are more likely to be attracted to drug abuse may realize that there are in fact other opportunities. Whether it be selling trinkets to tourists, taking them on guided tours or other opportunities, tourism can offer people from Honduras a constant flow of cash. With these opportunities the sense of hopelessness which breeds drug abuse in general and huffing of our glue in particular, will be greatly reduced. To implement such an educational program would not be very costly and could make a significant difference in many people’s lives. The Honduran government started to actively encourage tourism in the late 1960s (Ritchie et al 1965). Emphasis was placed on building three separate physical as well as cultural geographical areas which include the following: â€Å"the Mayan archeological site of Copà ¡n, the beaches and colonial history of the North Coast, and the coral reefs of the Bay Islands (ibid). La Mosquitia and the Rà ­o Plà ¡tano Biosphere Reserve were added as ecotourism became a popular world trend in the 1990s† (Rivas 1990). In the 1980s,the government of Honduras established a set of laws that established special â€Å"tourism zones.† These zones were helpful in drawing foreign investments by making available liberal tax and import enticement. Nonetheless, Article 107 of the Honduran Constitution prohibits foreign land ownership within 40 kilometers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Fonseca as well as the international borders of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Aware of this barrier, in 1990 the Honduran National Congress passed Decree Law 90/90 to permit foreign property purchases in specific tourism areas, recognized by the Ministry of Tourism. This was done to construct never-ending or vacation homes (Tourism as a Geographical Phenomenon, 2006)Regions all along the North Coast and the Bay Island were among the most well-liked for investment. Sustained speeding up of these â€Å"neoliberal† financial policies took place during the 1990s in particular with the formation of Tourism Free Zones in 1993 (Decree Number 98-93 1993). Tourism investors were give the  same benefits as the private Export Processing Zones. This includes 100 percent â€Å"foreign ownership of property, federal and municipal tax exemptions, tax free imports for any materials needed to further the industry† (Decree Number 98-93, 1993). Within the beginning five months of 1995 the tourism industry in Honduras produced $90 million US dollars, a 62 percent increase from 1994 (Durà ³n, 1995). The Bay Islands made up nearly 25 percent of this total. According to Maria Callejas de Durà ³n (1995), Senior Commercial Officer for Honduras, in 1995 tourism ranked fifth in the revenue generation for the country, but it did not reach its full potential. Despite the tourist attractions offered by the continuously warm weather, it was believed that the country still lacked supplemental motivation in the areas in which the flow of foreign visitors was the highest. â€Å"Nevertheless, with the institution of the Tourism Free Zone Law, ecotourism programs, and the national demand for additional tourism projects, she felt tourism had the potential to become the country’s leading industry (Durà ³n 1995). By 1997 tourism ranked third in foreign exchange earnings (US $ 143 million) behind coffee (US $330 million) and bananas† (US $ 239 million) (Tourism as a Geographical Phenomenon, 2006). Social ConscienceFuller claimed that that mustard oil was itself a toxic substance which cause harm to the respiratory system and mucous membranes stating that it did not make sense to add toxic chemicals to our products when our goal was to reduce overall toxicity. When asked about the Testor decision, Fuller responded ‘that maybe 50 percent of our sales of glue went down when we added oil of mustard. Were we only selling to abusers’ (par. Jeffrey, 1995).’The Fuller experience provides a textbook example of the thorny moral equations that lie beyond the simple arithmetic of the bottom line (Henriques, 1995). Did we leave themselves open for attack? Or does this case emphasize the importance of a corporation to live up its self-created image? â€Å"Fuller does repeatedly present itself as a good citizen. Year after year it sprinkles its annual reports with statements proclaiming that it has a commendable corporate conscience† (Henriques,  1995). Fuller mu st live up to its â€Å"good citizen† image if it wants to survive. â€Å"A September 1995 study by the Washington, D.C. based Social Investment Forum (SIF) found that $639 billion, or one out of every 11 professionally managed investment dollars, is held in a fund subject to some kind of ethical screen. More than 1,000 members of SIF, which includes large institutional investors, technical analysts, foundations and individual investors, pledge to invest responsibly by applying ‘honest, thorough and diligent methods of research and evaluation’ to investment picks. Interviews with SRI firms, many of which are bullish on Fuller stock, suggest that this pledge is easier to take than to practice† (Jeffrey, 1995). We are not the only company guilty of exaggerating its adherence to its â€Å"good citizen† principles. In addition, glue-sniffing is not a new issue for the makers of solvent-based adhesives. ‘The Testor Corporation added a noxious ingredient to discourage abuse of its hobby glue in July 1969. And Henkel, a German chemical company that competes with Fuller, stopped making certain toxic glues in Central America†¦in 1994†³ (Henriques, 1995) We too plan too add a similar additive to discourage such abuse. Nevertheless, our company dominates the Central American market with its Resistol brand of glue and it seems to have been singled out. If we had a lesser reputation we would be less of a target (Henriques, 1995).Finally, Fuller’s board adopted a resolution in 1992. â€Å"For years, the directors had been under pressure by a loose alliance of child advocacy groups concerned about the hazards of glue-sniffing among the homeless children of Central America. Then, on July 16, 1992, the board abruptly but unanimously voted to stop selling Resistol adhesives in Central America. As the company explained in its 1992 annual report: ‘Faced with the realizations that a suitable replacement product would not be available in the near future and that the illegitimate distribution was continuing, the Board of Directors decided that our Central American operations should stop selling those solvent-based Resistol adhesives that were commonly being abused by children'† (Henriques, 1995). Unfortunately, â€Å"by October 1992, the advocates had learned that we had not stopped selling Resistol in Central America — and did not intend to. It no  longer sold the glue to retailers and small-scale users in Honduras and Guatemala, but it did sell large tubs and barrels of it to industrial customers in those countries, and to a broader list of commercial and industrial users in neighboring countries† (Henriques, 1995). Consequently, we have since taken other steps to address the abuse. We have â€Å"changed the product’s formula, dropping the sweet-smelling but highly toxic solvent toluene and substituting the slightly less toxic chemical cyclohexane. It has tried to develop a water-based glue, which is not intoxicating. It has studied the issue ‘thoroughly and carefully’ and has contributed to community programs for homeless children in Central America† (Henriques, 1995). Many of our critics and experts in business ethics have accused the company of image polishing but â€Å"the company has been praised for a high level of corporate philanthropy, including giving 5 percent of its profits to charity in each country where it operates† (Henriques, 1995). Nevertheless, â€Å"on Jan. 3, 1995, Mr. Hendler and a co-counsel, Michael Brickman of Charleston, S.C., filed a wrongful-death claim against Fuller in state court in Dallas which was eventually dismissed. We stopped distributing solvent-based glues in Latin America on November 30, 1999. We spent the better part of the past decade trying to make our solvent-based glues harder for children to obtain and less attractive to inhale, while at the same time developing water-based alternatives (par. Kokmen, 2000). Industry watchers, however, suspected that our change in policy may also have to do with shifts in Fuller management. The president and chairman retired and I was brought in to head the firm. Another theory is that the company pulled out of Latin America for fear of litigation and poor sales due to the change in the formula (par. Kokmen, 2000). ConclusionAfter failing to keep our initial heralded promise to withdraw abused adhesives, we eventually pulled our glue off the market. â€Å"Even with such skillful management, another company might not have been able to escape further scrutiny. But Fuller has a bid advantage: Its good name, its dollars, and its employees are woven so deeply into local politics, business, media, and nonprofits that to tug at its reputation means to rip big holes into the fabric of Minnesota Nice. In addition to its network of community and business connections, Fuller has taken advantage of a key  principle of corporate relations: Get your story out first, and your critics will bear the burden of refuting it. That’s how the glue issue could be defined as a â€Å"blemish† on an otherwise spotless reputation, rather than as one of the problems created by a large, multinational chemical company† (N’Kauoa, 1993). â€Å"The solution is not for Fuller and other companies to stop selling toxic glues, but rather to help get children off the streets and into productive lives. Fuller has said previously that its goal is to help get children off the streets in Central America. It donates thousands of dollars each year to children’s groups aiding in that effort† (Kurschner, 1995). Like Central America and the Honduras, the US also has social issues such as illicit drug use and homeless children. Fuller and other companies should use their resources for improving the quality of life for the citizens of the US and Central America. And we have the money to do just that. According to Shah, Fuller’s global adhesive revenues grew 13% for its fiscal first quarter ended February 2005 and our sales were strong in Europe, as well, during the quarter (Shah, 2005). We plan to help children by introducing them to opportunities such as tourism; this will hopefully allow them to realize that there is in fact hope for the future. In partnership with anti-drug campaigns, we can raise awareness of the dangers of a inhaling glues and the benefits of buying only products that contain mustard oil and which are simultaneously less harmful. In short, we will c onvince and prove to the public that our product is safer and less likely to be abused. References Andersen, E.L. 95, Ex-Minnesota Governor. (2004, November 17). The New YorkTimes. p. A27. â€Å"GDP.† (2001, January 2). Global Business Center [Online]. Retrieved September 26,2006, from http://www.glreach.com/gbc/en/Englishphp3†³H. B. Fuller, About Us.† (2006, September 24). This is H.B. Fuller [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006, from http://www.hbfuller.com/About_Us/index.shtml#P0_0Henriques, D. B. (1995, November 26). Black Mark for a â€Å"Good Citizen.† Money andBusiness/Financial Desk: The New York Times, p. NA. Jeffrey, P. (1995, December). Glue Maker’s Image Won’t Stick [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006 from http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/fuller.htmlKokmen, L. (2000, February 9). Coming Unglued. City Pages Online [Online]. Retrieved September 26, 2006, fromhttp://www.citypages.com/databank/21/1001/article8414.aspKurschner, D. (1995 July/August). Product Liability: Is Resistol Too Sticky For H. B. Fuller To Handle: Litigators want to paste company with â€Å"wrongfuldeath† suit over child’s misuse of product. Business Ethics [Online]. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2006, from http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/ethics.htmLee, L. (1996, August 30). Free, unlimited energy brightens rural Honduras — but at acost. Honduras This Week [Online]. Retrieved September 26, 2006 from,http://www.marrder.com/htw/aug96/national.htmlN’Kaoua, L. (1993, August 11). The Sweet Smell of Success (Part 2 of 2) [Online]. Retrieved September 23, 2006 from,http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/citypg2.htmlShah, V. (2005, September 28). Prices Rise, But So Do Costs. Chemical Week, 167, 42Honduras. (2006, September 24). Wikipedia Encyclopedia RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras

Colton Jones Inc. Essay

Marion Jones was once the sole shareholder and president of Chempla, Inc.; in 20X1 she sold her stock to Westcoat Industries. She signed an agreement to be a consultant for five years. After being unable to make a profit Westcoat decided to sell their interest in Chempla, but were unable to find a buyer. Westcoat offered Chempla back to Marion Jones and an agreement was reached on September 1, 20X4. Included in the agreement Marion would be majority shareholder of the newly formed corporation. A purchase price was set for the net assets and market values of accounts receivable, inventories, property, plant, and equipment, and accounts payable were obtained. Marion Jones with other investors was able to finance the acquisition of Chempla’s net assets. Colton Jones, Inca doped LIFO basis of accounting. Under the U.S. GAAP Codification of Accounting Standards, Codification Topic 805: Business Combinations; Colton Jones accounted for the acquisition of Chempla as they should have. The acquisition method was used as it should have been, one entity was identified as the acquirer, an acquisition date was stated, and the recognition and measurement principals are present. All parts of the acquisition that needed to take place were present in the case.1 1 GAAP Codification of Accounting Standards, Codification Topic 805: Business Combinations Prestone, Riles, & Nye Associates Prestone, Riles, & Nye (PRN) is a marketing communications company with offices throughout the US and a subsidiary in the United Kingdom and they want to expand into Eastern Europe. In their efforts to do so PRN entered an agreement to acquire outstanding stock of Broadwick Communications, Inc., a firm with contacts in Europe. Brodwick has three shareholders owning 25% each and eight owning the remaining 25%. PRN is responsible to pay $14 million to Broadwick shareholders and form a new entity, BPRN International, Inc. BPRN will conduct the activities of Broadwick and will have two classes of stock, Common A, voting and Common B, nonvoting stock. Income distributions or losses will be shared with the ownership of Common B shares. BPRN will issue 48 percent of its voting stock to PRN and 52  percent to the former Broadwick shareholders. PRN plans to use the equity method to account for and report its investment BPRN. PRN’s decision to use the equity method is supported by APB 18: The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock, which states, â€Å"that the equity method of accounting for an investment in common stock should also be followed by an investor whose investment in voting stock gives it the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies of an investee even though the investor holds 50 percent or less of the voting stock†¦ an investment (direct or indirect) of 20 percent or more of the voting stock of an investee should lead to a presumption that in the absence of evidence to the contrary an investor has the ability to exercise significant influence over an investee.†1 PRN’s investment in BPRN meets these criteria. The reason for using the equity method is to accurately report PRN’s share of net income from BPRN and for PRN’s investment account to reflect its share of BPRN’s net assets. We agree with PRN’s decision to account for and report its investment in BPRN using the equity method since it meets the requirements of GAAP as stated above. PRN also plans to acquire a majority of the voting stock in BPRN, at which time it will become a subsidiary of PRN. Since the basic accounting procedures for applying the equity method are the same in each case PRN will be able to continue using the equity method if and when it acquires a majority of the voting stock and is required to prepare consolidated financial statements 1 APB Opinion No. 18, paragraph 17. Stanomat, Inc. Stanomat, Inc. plans to acquire the outstanding common stock of Kesser Instruments and make it a subsidiary. An agreement is made that allows Stanomat to acquire 55 percent in two months and will purchase additional shares and outstanding shares will be purchased over a four year period. Stanomat will issue a note to Kesser payable over four years for $20 million with interest 1.5 percent above prime. During the period of the note Stanomat will acquire unissued shares of Kesser and upon complete payment of the note Stanomat will own 100 percent of the subsidiary. At 55 percent of ownership, Stanomat will record its investment at 100 percent ownership. We do not believe it is appropriate for Stanomat to record its investment in Kesser based on the 100 percent ownership that it has committed to purchase. Stanomat will use the equity method to account for its investment in Kesser and prepare consolidated financial statements since it owns more than 50 percent of the company. However, in order to accurately reflect its share of Kesser’s assets and income, it should only record and report the portion that it is entitled to. FASB Statement 141R â€Å"requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date.†1 Therefore Stanomat must recognize the noncontrolling interest held by Kesser until such time as it has acquired 100 percent ownership. In business combinations contingent shares are shares that will only be issued under certain circumstances or when certain conditions are met. A predetermined set of events must occur before the shares would be issued to investors. In this case, shares of Kesser stock will only be issued to Stanomat when a payment has been made. Deferred payment shares are issued to the investors in advance of payment. If the Kesser had issued its shares to Stanomat in advance of payment, Stanomat would be able to report and record the investment based on the 100 percent of shares it had received. If Stanomat records the investment in Kesser at the 55 percent level it would not be appropriate or practical to treat the purchase as a step acquisition. Step acquisition is only necessary when the investor owns a noncontrolling interest in the investee and then acquires additional interest giving it significant influence. â€Å"In a business combination achieved in stages, the acquirer shall remeasure its previously held equity interest in the acquiree at its acquisition-date fair value and recognize the resulting gain or loss, if any, in earnings.†2 Stanomat will acquire a controlling interest in Kesser in the first transfer of stock. Therefore it will be using the equity method to record the investment. Upon acquiring additional shares there will be no need to adjust its investment accounts. 1 FASB Statement 141R summary 2 FASB Statement 141R paragraph 48 Falco Industries, Inc. Falco, a supplier of automotive parts, sells its parts to aftermarket segments of the auto industry, including the manufacturer, rebuilder, warehouse distributor, mass merchandiser, and specialist. Falco acquired 10 percent voting common stock in an automotive store, Tidy Automotive, and in the same year acquired an additional 12 percent. Falco has a June 30 fiscal year and Tidy has a year end of October 31st. At year-end Falco Industries wanted to use the equity method to account for the investment in Tidy Automotive Stores. The market value of the investment in common stock on June 30th was 6 percent less that its acquisition cost. During the year Falco acquired a total of 22 percent of outstanding common stock in Tidy, which gives Falco between 20 and 50 percent of outstanding common stock, and therefore Falco’s interest in Tidy is significant. To account for this type of investment, Falco would need to use the equity method. The interest in Tidy would not be significant if Falco had acquired less that 20 percent, in this case Falco would need to use the cost method to account for the investment. If Falco had acquired more than 50 percent they would have to issue consolidated financial statements.

Cosmetology and College Search

When wanting to be a good Cosmetologist that person has to have good work ethics as in being self-motivated with their work. Cosmetology careers are jobs that help someone’s appearance look better over time as the hair is done by a licensed worker (An Introduction to Cosmetology). For someone to be a good cosmetologist he or she has to have a creative mind and has to be a friendly person (An Introduction to Cosmetology).When that worker is working with someone’s hair, the main thing to remember is to ask the customer how the hair is going to be cut and the instructions of that person always needs to be followed in order to keep the customer. Cosmetology workers can earn lots of money if taken the right path to succeed their possibilities in the future.The general tasks a hairdresser may do daily and many more could include keeping work stations kept clean at all times and cleaning hair accessories after each use, being sure to ask the customer what hair style they would like and follow their instructions on how they want it, â€Å"look at the hair and give the customer a couple of ideas on how the hair style could look†, picking up the phone and taking customers calls and scheduling appointments, â€Å"going through all files and making sure they are updated with all the customers correct information†, being on cash register duty to take the customers money from them, selling hair care products is a major component of this career and cosmetologists like to show customers before they leave the salon and demonstrate the items that would work best with their hair for them to sell. (College Search and Planning Guide).A cosmetologist can â€Å"make an average of $11. 21 an hour and make an average of $43,250 a year† (College Search and Planning Guide). In order for a worker to make this much they usually have 40 hour workweeks. â€Å"In the United States, there are about 349,210 hairdresser/cosmetology jobs offered to people in in terest of being a cosmetologist†(College Search and Planning Guide). The work environment for hairdressers is 99% always clean to satisfy a customer in their own personal salon or someone else that owns that salon (College Search and Planning Guide).

Openess and Assistance in Workplace

What recommendations would you offer the CEO to encourage a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance? When It comes to encouraging a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance, there are several things that can be done. According to Long, the first thing that needs to be done is for the upper management to set the example (2013). You cannot expect the employees to be honest If management Is dishonest. Management needs to promote open and honest communication between them and the employees. If an employee has a problem with their supervisor, there has to be a way for them to deal with the situation without fear.Also, If there Is not open communication, If someone knows about something dishonest going on, they are less likely to report It. Management needs to communicate the Importance of addressing mistakes as soon as they are realized (Long, 2013). It does not matter who made the mistake, it needs to be corrected as soon as possible. Everyone makes mistakes. It is part of being human. But if a mistake is not corrected it can be detrimental to the company. Next, when someone displays any negative or unethical behavior, it must be dealt with immediately (Long, 2013).If negativity or unethical behavior is not nipped in the bud, t can spread throughout the company. It will breed more and more negativity and unethical behavior. If it is dealt with swiftly and Justly, it will keep others from trying to get away with it as well. The last thing that you could do to promote a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance is to recognize those who show honest behavior (Long, 2013). This recognition could be as simple as extra vacation days or a pay raise. If a person is honest and works for years at the same company and is never recognized for their work, they will burn out and begin to resent the company.That is when most of the fraud ends up happening, especially in small companies. Do you think that a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance can exist as sugg ested by Ms. Moore? Or is it a utopian idea with no understanding of how human nature works? I do think a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance can exist as suggested by Ms. Moore. But it has to start from the top down. Also, If someone Is being dishonest, It must be dealt with swiftly. If employees see that the management takes honesty seriously they are more likely to respond In the same way.But we must also member that there will be people who will be dishonest no matter what. But you cannot Judge everyone by those few. References Long, N. (2013). How to Create an Atmosphere of Honesty In the Workplace. Retrieved from http://seamlessness. Chronic. Com/create-atmosphere-honesty- workplace- 10098. HTML Creating Atmosphere of Honesty, Openness and Assistance in Workplace By Tattoo When it comes to encouraging a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance, expect the employees to be honest if management is dishonest. Management needs with the situation without fear.Also, if t here is not open communication, if someone knows about something dishonest going on, they are less likely to report it. Management needs to communicate the importance of addressing mistakes as soon Ms. Moore. But it has to start from the top down. Also, if someone is being dishonest, it must be dealt with swiftly. If employees see that the management takes honesty seriously they are more likely to respond in the same way. But we must also Long, N. (2013). How to Create an Atmosphere of Honesty in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://smelliness's. Chronic. Com/create-atmosphere-honesty- workplace-10098. HTML

International Business Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Business Operations - Essay Example ccording to the Wall Street Journal (2012), the increasing labor costs in China have influenced a decrease in market share and also rising competition from countries that have realized the potential that lies in manufacturing. Other than this, China’s labor providing population also lacks the necessary skills required in the diversified production market, hence pushing manufacturer’s to seek services from other countries. It is also difficult for foreign manufacturer’s to set up base in China because state-owned companies are the most dominant. The other aspect is likely to put China out of the manufacturing business is the fact that more and more countries are looking to set up their own manufacturing companies within themselves as a way of cutting down on production expenses. The shipping costs related to the exportation of raw materials that exporter’s haveto incur is one of the key aspects that countries have sought to override by failing to give China the manufacturing job. In my view, most of the competition that China is facing tends to be from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, which have taken up most of China’s market exports to the US for clothing (McCann 2011). In essence, the trading environment provided in other nations such as Vietnam have made America to shift their manufacturing interest from China because of the free trade agreements provided by the latter. In this regard, Vietnam has become the greatest gainer because most of the US investors such as Nike have made their established their manufacturing base because of the projected cost benefits that would come as a result of not operating in China. Therefore, Vietnam is the greatest competitor to China as they have also attracted investors in the electronics sector, which was China’s stronghold to companies such as Samsung and Nokia. On the other hand, China is also losing out its market share in the manufacture of automobiles to Mexico because of the competitive labor costs

Making Sense of American Popular Songs Research Paper

Making Sense of American Popular Songs - Research Paper Example The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. In this work, much emphasis has been put on specific individuals that perform and work on popular music. In addition, the work has focused on a specific eras in which popular music were at its best in America. The book reveals what propelled people to start singing and performing popular music. These factors taken into consideration, the work is good enough to address the issues of American identity through popular music. Fuld, James J. The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular and Folk. Foreward by William Lichtenwanger. New York: Crown Publishers: 1966. This book looks at a wide range of music in America and their artists. The important information given about such music and their artists is imperative in the tracing of American identity through music. Among the cultures explored in this work are classic, popular and folk. As such, I found this book imperative in the writ ing of this paper. Grove Dictionary of American Music. Restricted database available online at through some schools and colleges. This source has a lot of information on the artists of popular music from the composers of songs to the performers. The information included is the bibliographic works for the artists. This makes the book significant in researching on the American identity through analysis of bibliographies of the composer and performers of pop music. Hamm, Charles. Yesterdays: Popular Song in America. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1983. Of significance about Charles’ work is that it concentrates on major works. Through the information found in this book, it is easy to establish the wave movement of Americans to the initiation of popular music. As... The paper tells that popular music in America took on a transformation in the second half of the 19th century to emphasize commercial expansion. This overlapped into the twentieth century and traces can still be seen in today’s popular music. As a result, the expansion of the music industry meant that more songs had to be composed, staged, produced and listened to in the entire country of the United States of America. In the first place, popular music was restricted to ethnic minorities or immigrant people to express their dissatisfaction in the manner in which the government was running social and economic matters in the country. However, commercialization expanded the market for such songs as well as thematic implications attached to the songs. On the other hand, Jewish artists incorporated segments from their tradition into the American music. This is well illustrated when Sophie Tucker performed her pop song â€Å"My Yiddishe Momme† which was staged in 12925. The so ng was performed in both Yiddish and English. Additionally, the Afro-American values resulted into a sequence of characteristic song style. This made most of the African American performers to be enthusiastic and confident with the themes central to pop culture. Nevertheless, there was a change in issues that were held true to popular music by 1950. These changes were in the contradictions over the period in which such songs were performed. In the first place, some songs remained stable from one period to another. The rise of other genres in music performed and composed in America like rock and roll, blues and soul music has an overriding impact on popular music.