Free Essays on A History Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict

can be used to best summarize the region: volatile and unstable. The distrust and genuine hatred between the Israelis and the Palestinians and Arab community has created a recent history marked with thousands of skirmishes, hundreds of minor conflicts, countless terrorist actions, and four major wars. The 1990's offered a ray of hope in Palestinian/Israeli relations. Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat, began to publicly assume a less radical stance than was the previous norm. Arafat and the PLO denounced terrorist acts around the world and under the influence of the Clinton administration entered into a less hostile stance towards Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Ahud Barak, both from Israel's more liberal parties, agreed to open negotiations with the PLO. These striking moves and new actions toward peace were a first in the history of the State of Israel. With the combination of both sides being willing to make previously unheard of concessions along with a Clinton Administration that was actively focusing on a Middle East Peace Agreement, a stage was being set the stage for a monumental peace accord. Greatly helping the situation was the fact that the mid to late 1990's marked an era of relative peace and stability throughout the entire Middle East region. In the years following the 1991 Gulf War the major radical figure of the region, Saddam Hussein, was greatly weakened and therefore his influence on the region was reduced. The public began to see the face of a new, more peaceful, less radical Middle East. Hussein's Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace accord between the two countries in 1995. It was during this era, that a feasible possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians could be wrought. Despite the great hope for p... Free Essays on A History Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict Free Essays on A History Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict In the fifty- three years following the establishment of an Israeli homeland on May 14, 1948 in Palestine, two words can be used to best summarize the region: volatile and unstable. The distrust and genuine hatred between the Israelis and the Palestinians and Arab community has created a recent history marked with thousands of skirmishes, hundreds of minor conflicts, countless terrorist actions, and four major wars. The 1990's offered a ray of hope in Palestinian/Israeli relations. Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat, began to publicly assume a less radical stance than was the previous norm. Arafat and the PLO denounced terrorist acts around the world and under the influence of the Clinton administration entered into a less hostile stance towards Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Ahud Barak, both from Israel's more liberal parties, agreed to open negotiations with the PLO. These striking moves and new actions toward peace were a first in the history of the State of Israel. With the combination of both sides being willing to make previously unheard of concessions along with a Clinton Administration that was actively focusing on a Middle East Peace Agreement, a stage was being set the stage for a monumental peace accord. Greatly helping the situation was the fact that the mid to late 1990's marked an era of relative peace and stability throughout the entire Middle East region. In the years following the 1991 Gulf War the major radical figure of the region, Saddam Hussein, was greatly weakened and therefore his influence on the region was reduced. The public began to see the face of a new, more peaceful, less radical Middle East. Hussein's Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace accord between the two countries in 1995. It was during this era, that a feasible possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians could be wrought. Despite the great hope for p...

The Three Best Places to Start Your Journalism Career

The Three Best Places to Start Your Journalism Career When I was in grad school I had a part-time gopher job at the New York Daily News. But my dream was to be a reporter in a big-city newsroom, so one day I put together my best clips and walked into the office of one of the papers top editors. Id toiled at several student papers and had an internship under my belt. Id also worked part-time at a local daily paper when I was an undergrad in journalism school. So I asked her if I had what it took to get a reporting job there. No, she said. Not yet. This is the big-time, she told me. You cant afford to make mistakes here. Go and make your mistakes at a smaller paper, then come back when youre ready. She was right. Four years later I did return to the Daily News, where I worked as a reporter, Long Island bureau chief and eventually deputy national news editor. But I did so after getting solid newsroom experience at The Associated Press, experience that prepared me for the big leagues. Too many journalism school grads today want to start their careers at places like The New York Times, Politico and CNN. Its fine to aspire to work at such lofty news organizations, but at places like that, there wont be much on-the-job-training. Youll be expected to hit the ground running. Thats fine if youre a prodigy, the Mozart of journalism, but most college grads need a training ground where they can be mentored, where they can learn - and make mistakes - before they hit the big time. So heres my list of the best places to start your career in the news business. Weekly Community Papers Probably not a sexy choice, but short-staffed weeklies offer new hires the opportunity to do a little bit of everything - write and edit stories, take pictures, do layout, and so on. This gives young journalists the kind of broad newsroom experience that can be valuable later on.​ Small to Midsized Local Papers Local papers are great incubators for young reporters. They offer you the chance to cover all the things youll cover at bigger papers - cops, courts, local politics and the like - but in an environment where you can hone your skills. Also, good local papers will have mentors, older reporters, and editors who can help you learn the tricks of the trade. There are plenty of very good local papers out there. One example: The Anniston Star. A small-town paper in southwest Alabama may not sound like the most exciting place to start out, but The Star has long been known for solid journalism and a crusading spirit. Indeed, during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, The Star was one of few southern papers to support school integration. The states racist governor, George Wallace, nicknamed it The Red Star for its liberal stance. The Associated Press The AP is the boot camp of journalism. People in the AP will tell you that two years at the wire service is like four or five years anywhere else, and its true. Youll work harder and write more stories at the AP than in any other job. Thats because while the AP is the worlds largest news organization, individual AP bureaus tend to be small. For instance, when I worked at the Boston AP bureau we had maybe a dozen or so staffers in the newsroom on a typical weekday shift. On the other hand, The Boston Globe, the citys largest newspaper, has dozens if not hundreds of reporters and editors. Since AP bureaus are so small, AP staffers have to produce a lot of copy. While a newspaper reporter might write a story or two a day, an AP staffer might write four or five articles - or more. The result is that AP staffers are known for being able to produce clean copy on very tight deadlines. In an age when the 24/7 news cycle of the Internet has forced reporters everywhere to write fast, the kind of experience you get at the AP is highly prized. In fact, my four years at the AP got me the job at the New York Daily News.

Countries with low birthrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Countries with low birthrates - Essay Example This report aims to highlight the changes in Italy and Germany’s population structure and the population policies I’d implement to achieve future sustainable growth levels. Italy’s population is expected to significantly decline from its current level of 61 million to around 55 million by 2050 (CIA, 2011). Italy’s current population growth rate stands at 0.42%. This will result in an aging population as life expectancy increases (currently 81 years) and birth rates fall (currently 9.18 births per 1000 of the population). Italy’s total fertility rate at 1.39 children per woman is also below the replacement level of 2.1. Only 13.8% of Italy’s population is under the age of 14, compared with 20.3% of its population who are over 65. Germany’s population has also started to decline by -0.208% from 82.5 million in 2004 to 81.47 million in 2011 (CIA, 2011). There are currently 8.3 births per 1,000 of the population and an average fertility ra te of 1.41 children. Germany also has a great population imbalance in which 13.3% of the population are under the age of 14, whilst 20.6% of the population is over 65.

Modernity and Tradition in Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modernity and Tradition in Asia - Essay Example Modern history discusses the historical timeline after the middle Ages. It has two stages which include; early modern and the late modern periods. Contemporary history tells more about the period of historic events that are immediately applicable to the present time. Modern period is a period of important growth in various fields that include; politics, warfare, technology and science, these fields not only dominated the Western Europe and North America but nearly every cultured area on the world. Cultural nationalism is a body that mainly forms the modern political societies within an unsanctioned state authority hence it is a form in which a nation is defined by an inherited culture and it is a strong belief that interests a particular state. Role of cultural nationalism in china Cultural nationalism played some roles in the China community and made it what it is today. The China’s nationalism today (present) was produced by its pride in its history and its century of the humiliation at the hands of the west and the Japan. The Chinese nationalism had a positive impact that came all over during the post WWII era. Role of cultural nationalism in India Nationalism is commonly understood as a political concept hence, it is an ideology that provides source for the national integration, solidity and as well as seeking national independence from the colonial. Cultural nationalism has played a major role in the political reshaping of all the central Europe. During the post-WWII era nationalism emerged as a powerful force. It acted as a suitable system of acquiring economic aid and security declaration. During the post- WWII era nationalism reemerged as a serious factor in improving the worldwide political scene in the post cold war era. Modern Asian Civilizations Civilization is a controversial word that has been used in various connected ways. It is used to refer to the human cultures which are obviously complex in terms of science, technology and division of labor. The civilization advancement is usually and often measured by its progress in long distance trade, agriculture, urbanism and occupational specialization. 1. Japan The Japanese civilization began in approximately A.D. 400 when the Yamato clan who were based in Kyoto gained extreme control of family groups in the Western and Central Japan. In the 700s the Japan was influenced by China, this influence made the Yamato clan to set up a majestic court that was similar to that of the China. The Yamato ruling system contributed largely to the formation of the Japanese culture and its tradition that stated gods of the others s hould be venerated equally hence other people’s gods should be treated and be compared to their own gods (this Japanese tradition stills remains to date) (Matsumoto and Hosaka 1). 2. China China being an East Asian country has a large territory, an ancient history and a huge population. It has written records that date back to 4000 years. China is considered to be an ancient civilization that extends over a large area in the East Asia. China is among one of the four great world’s oldest civilizations and one among the most highly developed societies and economies. Most of the china’

The positive change Essay Example for Free

The positive change Essay Economic growth implies the positive change or increase in the level of production of goods and services by a given economy or country over a certain period of time. Economic growth can either be nominal economic growth or real economic growth. Nominal economic growth in an increase in production which also include inflation. Real economic growth in the increase in production excluding inflation. The nominal economic growth does not factor inflation and as such the growth is given in monetary terms in the market price whereas in the real economic growth, the growth is given in monetary terms but expressed in constants prices implying that the later expression does not suffer from the money illusion. The differentiating between the real and nominal economic growth is important because the unit in which its expressed, that is monetary terms is subject to changes that make its value to increase or decline, making it less reflective on the real physical increase in goods and services produced in a given country over a specified period of time. Causes of economic growth Economic growth therefore from the definition can be perceived as the change in the countrys Gross Domestic Product, and for this matter an increase in the Gross domestic product. From the expenditure approach of calculating the Gross Domestic product, the GDP is comprised of the sum of Consumption, investment, government purchase and also the net exports. The change in the components of the Gross domestic product is what that brings about the economic growth and this is according to QuickMBA Consumption is the largest component of the gross domestic product and it comprises the durable and non-durable goods and also services expenditure which are incurred by the ultimate users of the goods and the services. The term ultimate user has been used so as to avoid the double counting problem which may arise when estimating consumption, because one firms output can be used as an input in the other firm, and for this reason a mistake may be done of recounting the output which was already counted implying double counting. Consumption is however not affected by value of the goods which are imported. Investment implies the purchase of fixed assets which are expected to assist in the further production of goods and services, and also the increase in the inventory which means the increase in the number of goods and services that have been produced but not yet consumed. The inventories are perceived as being Investments because they are assets which are expected to be sold out for economic gain. The Investments are assumed to be financed by the savings that are made after the consumption. The government purchases implies the summation of all government expenditures and then subtracting the government transfer payments. The transfer payments imply the payments made to transactions which did not contribute to the production of goods and services, therefore they are subtracted from the government expenditure because they did not contribute to the GDP. Net exports imply the difference between exports and imports in a specified period of time. The imports are subtracted from the exports because imports are a kind of expenditure that is incurred but it does not benefit the locals, thus a form of cash outflow from the economy. Exports are included as part of the Gross Domestic product because the expenditure on them is likely to benefit the locals because the goods and services were produced in the country in question according to Barro and Robert . Therefore economic growth arises from the change in any of the components of the gross domestic product as illustrates above.

Herman Melvilles Billy Budd - Innocence is More Important that Wisdom :: Billy Budd Essays

Herman Melville's Billy Budd - Innocence is More Important that Wisdom  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Billy Budd, the author, Herman Melville, presents a question that stems directly from the original sin of ouAdam and Eve: Is it better to be innocent and ignorant, but good and righteous, or is it better to be experienced and knowledgeable?   Through this work, Billy Budd,Melville is telling us that we need to strike some kind of balance between these two ideas; we need to have morality and virtue; we need to be in the world, but not of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To illustrate his theme, Melville uses a few characters who are all very different, the most important of which is Billy Budd.   Billy is the focal point of the book and the single person whom we are meant to learn the most from.   On the ship, the Rights-of-Man, Billy is a cynosure among his shipmates; a leader, not by authority, but by example.   All the members of the crew look up to him and love him.   He is "strength and beauty.   Tales of his prowess [are] recited.   Ashore he [is] the champion, afloat the spokesman; on every suitable occasion always foremost"(9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite his popularity among the crew and his hardworking attitude, Billy is transferred to another British ship, the Indomitable.   And while he is accepted for his looks and happy personality, "...hardly here [is] he that cynosure he had previously been among those minor ship's companies of the merchant marine"(14).   It is here, on the Indomitable that Billy says good-bye to his rights.   It is here, also, that Billy meets John Claggart, the master-at-arms.   A man "in whom was the mania of an evil nature, not engendered by vicious training or corrupting books or licentious living but born with him and innate, in short 'a depravity according to nature'"(38).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Here then, is presented a man with a personality and character to contrast and conflict with Billy's.   Sweet, innocent Billy immediately realizes that this man is someone he does not wish to cross and so after seeing Claggart whip another crew-member for neglecting his responsibilities, Billy "resolved that never through remissness would he make himself liable to such a visitation or do or omit aught that might merit even verbal reproof"(31).   Billy is so good and so innocent that he tries his hardest to stay out of trouble.   "What then was his surprise and concern when ultimately he found himself getting into petty trouble occasionally about such matters as the stowage of his bag.

Using the Data and Your Economic Knowledge

Using the data and your economic knowledge, evaluate the possible consequences for UK macroeconomic performance if the euro area and the US seek to reduce their balance of payments deficits on current account. The four major objectives are (i) full employment, (ii) price stability, (iii) a high, but sustainable, rate of economic growth, and (iv) keeping the Balance of Payments in equilibrium.If a country is suffering from inflation and a balance of payments deficit, it is usually because the government is spending too much. In such circumstance, the Fund agrees to lend the country some â€Å"transitional funds†, providing the government agrees to reduce its deficit and slow growth in the money supply That should raise the value of sterling, reduce the price of imports, and reduce demand for UK goods and services abroad.However, the impact of interest rates on the exchange rate is, unfortunately, seldom that predictable. Changes in spending feed through into output and, in turn , into employment. That can affect wage costs by changing the relative balance of demand and supply for workers. But it also influences wage bargainers’ expectations of inflation – an important consideration for the eventual settlement. The impact on output and wages feeds through to producers’ costs and prices, and eventually consumer prices.Some of these influences can work more quickly than others. And the overall effect of monetary policy will be more rapid if it is credible. But, in general, there are time lags before changes in interest rates affect spending and saving decisions, and longer still before they affect consumer prices. Cutting the interest rate, causing savers to move their money from UK banks to other banks, this will cause a fall in demand for pounds and so a depreciation in the currency.This will therefore make UK exports seem cheaper abroad, and therefore increase the level of exports as we have greater international competitiveness on pri ce But there are certain draw backs, such as Savers are not garunteed to respond to a cut in the interest rate. and therefore the value of the pound may be unaffected? Lowering the interest rate will increase borrowing and expenditure, including increased expendiiture on imports therefore increasing the Balance of Payments deficit

Management Accounting

Overall requirement * Explain how management accounting can supply information to assist the management of the organisation. * You are not required to investigate and report on the organisation’s actual management accounting system (even if you can find out). * You are to write a 1500 word report as though you were a management consultant writing to the board of directors. * WE DO NOT WANT ANY NUMBERS UNLESS YOU CREATE THEM TO DEMONSTRATE AN IDEA * This is like assessment 1a – you are to imagine and create! This is a report * It has an introduction A main body (see the next slides) * A conclusion How your marks will build up * Background to the organisation showing good reading of appropriate sources 25% * Review of the nature and role of management accounting 10% * An analysis of the organisation, showing its information needs, the management accounting techniques it might use and decisions it could then make. 50% * The strengths and weaknesses of your analysis  œ for example the additional information you would have liked in order to improve your analysis. 15% Background to the organisation The reason for this is to introduce your organisation (briefly) and to show what a manager in this organisation will do. Later you will show how m. a. helps. * A manager will make decisions about the organisation’s products, processes etc. – therefore your introduction will cover this. * This introduction will reveal the kind of problems that your organisation faces and must overcome. * We do not want the history of the organisation and any information that you will not use later. * Choose your organisation carefully – one that you can understand. You need to be able to imagine the kinds of decisions that a manager might make. Review of the nature and role of management accounting * A definition (with reference) * Some idea of what management accounting does and what it does not do. * Some examples of the techniques and methods of m. a. * You have been studying this since week 5 and so it should not be a problem * DO NOT TRY TO BE TOO CLEVER. IN PREVIOUS YEARS STUDENTS HAVE MENTIONED ABC, JUST IN TIME AND THROUGHPUT ACCOUNTING. Do not do this as you probably do not understand these techniques and will only show that this is so. Keep to what you know! An analysis of the organisation, showing its information needs, the management accounting techniques it might use and decisions it could then make. * This is the hard part that attracts the most marks * You are to link part 1 and part 2 – you organisation’s needs to the techniques and methods of management accounting * What does m. a. Do that will help this organisation? * How can it improve processes? * How can it compete better? * How can it choose between products? * How can it use m. a. for pricing? Planning, controlling, motivating, organising etc * Difficult – but you are applying what you have learned to the problems of the organisation. The strengths and weaknesses of your analysis * This was badly done in assessment 1b * WE DO NOT WANT THE S&W OF THE COMPANY * What aspects of your analysis are strong. Where do you feel that your recommendations are strong and secure? Give examples. * Where do you feel your recommendations are weak perhaps due to lack of information about the company or lack of your knowledge and experience of management accounting. Give examples. Management Accounting Use the following to answer question 1: Marger, Inc. , provided the following data for two recent months: [pic] |1. |Which of the following classifications best describes the behavior of Cost T? | |A) |Variable | |B) |Fixed | |C) |Mixed | |D) |None of the above | 2. |The following data pertains to activity and maintenance costs for two recent years: | | | | | |[pic] | | |Using the high-low method, the cost formula for maintenance would be: | |A) |$1. 50 per unit. | |B) |$1. 25 per unit. | |C) |$3,000 plus $1. 50 per unit. | |D) |$6,000 plus $0. 75 per unit. | |3. Rible Company has observed that at an activity level of 8,000 units the cost for maintenance is $15,000, and at 10,000 units the| | |cost for maintenance is $16,500. Using the high-low method, the cost formula for maintenance is: | |A) |$15,000 plus $0. 15 per unit. | |B) |$9,000 plus $0. 75 per unit. | |C) |$1. 65 per unit. | |D) |$1. 875 per unit. | |4. |Which of the following types of firms likely would have a high pr oportion of variable costs in its cost structure? | |A) |Public utility. | |B) |Airline. | |C) |Fast food outlet. |D) |Architectural firm. | |5. |Factory overhead is an example of a: | |A) |mixed cost. | |B) |fixed cost. | |C) |variable cost. | |D) |irrelevant cost. | Use the following to answer question 6: Buffo Company fabricates metal folding chairs. Data concerning the company's revenue and cost structure follow: [pic] |6. |If Buffo plans to produce and sell 3,000 units next month, the expected contribution margin would be: | |A) |$30,750. |B) |$74,250. | |C) |$26,750. | |D) |$96,500. | Use the following to answer question 7: Frank Company operates a cafeteria for its employees. The number of meals served each week over the last seven weeks, along with the total costs of operating the cafeteria are given below: [pic] Assume that the relevant range includes all of the activity levels mentioned in this problem. |7. |Using the high-low method of analysis, the variable cost per mea l served in the cafeteria would be estimated to be: | |A) |$1. 50. | |B) |$2. 0. | |C) |$2. 80. | |D) |$1. 00. | Use the following to answer question 8: Stewart Company is attempting to classify costs according to their cost behavior. Data concerning activity and costs are listed below: [pic] |8. |If Stewart Company sells 1,150 units in March and this activity is within the relevant range, the expected total cost would most| | |likely be closest to: | |A) |$2,610. 50. | |B) |$1,774. 00. |C) |$4,343. 92. | |D) |$4,384. 50. | |9. |A disadvantage of the high-low method of cost analysis is that: | |A) |it cannot be used when there are a very large number of observations. | |B) |it is too time consuming to apply. | |C) |it uses two extreme data points, which may not be representative of normal conditions. | |D) |it relies totally on the judgment of the person performing the cost analysis. | Use the following to answer question 10: Marger, Inc. provided the following data for two recent months: [pic] |10. |Which of the following classifications best describes the behavior of Cost U? | |A) |Variable | |B) |Fixed | |C) |Mixed | |D) |None of the above | |11. |Fox Company's contribution margin ratio is 20%. If the degree of operating leverage is 15 at the $225,000 sales level, net | | |operating income at the $225,000 sales level must equal: | |A) |$2,250. | |B) |$6,750. | |C) |$3,000. | |D) |$5,063. | |12. |Korn Company sells two products, as follows: | | | | | |[pic] | | |Fixed expenses total $300,000 annually. The expected sales mix in units is 60% for product Y and 40% for product Z. How much is | | |Korn's expected break-even sales in dollars? | |A) |$300,000 | |B) |$420,000 | |C) |$475,000 | |D) |$544,000 | |13. |Brown Company has sales of 2,000 units at $70 per unit. Variable expenses are 40% of the selling price. If total fixed expenses | | |are $44,000, the degree of operating leverage is: | |A) |0. 79. | |B) |1. 40. | |C) |3. 50. | |D) |2. 10. | Use the following to answer question 14: Budget data for the Bidwell Company are as follows: [pic] |14. |If fixed expenses increased $31,500, the break-even sales in units would be: | |A) |34,500 units. | |B) |80,500 units. | |C) |69,000 units. | |D) |94,500 units. Use the following to answer question 15: Evergreen Corp. has provided the following data: [pic] |15. |The number of units needed to achieve a target net operating income of $49,500 would be: | |A) |1,238 units | |B) |2,750 units. | |C) |3,200 units. | |D) |2,057 units. | Use the following to answer question 16: A manufacturer of premium wire strippers has supplied the following data: [pic] |16. The company's degree of operating leverage is closest to: | |A) |20. 09 | |B) |7. 73 | |C) |1. 86 | |D) |55. 64 | Use the following to answer question 17: Consider the following budgeted data f or Urqhart Corporation: [pic] |17. If the unit contribution margin is increased by 10%, the total fixed expense is decreased by 20%, and all other data remain as | | |in the budget, net operating income will be: | |A) |$102,500. | |B) |$105,000. | |C) |$ 90,000. | |D) |$ 93,750. | Use the following to answer question 18: The costs of publishing a grade school textbook can be assumed to be as follows: [pic] Each book sells for $10 per copy. |18. |The unit contribution margin for each copy of the book is: | |A) |$5. 5. | |B) |$4. 15. | |C) |$5. 40. | |D) |$7. 15. | |19. |If a company decreases the variable expense per unit while increasing the total fixed expenses, the total expense line relative | | |to its previous position will: | |A) |shift downward and have a steeper slope. | |B) |shift downward and have a flatter slope. | |C) |shift upward and have a flatter slope. | |D) |shift upward and have a steeper slope. | Use the following to answer question 20: A company that makes organic fertilizer has supplied the following data: [pic] |20. |The company's degree of operating leverage is closest to: | |A) |3. 50 | |B) |1. 49 | |C) |9. 54 | |D) |2. 41 | |21. Trumbull Company budgeted sales on account of $120,000 for July, $211,000 for August, and $198,000 for September. Collection | | |experience indicates that none of the budgeted sales will be collected in the month of the sale, 60% will be collected the month| | |after the sale, 36% in the second month, and 4% will be uncollectible. The cash receipts from accounts receivable that should be| | |budgeted for September would be: | |A) |$169,800. | |B) |$147,960. |C) |$197,880. | |D) |$194,760. | Use the following to answer question 22: Young Enterprises has budgeted sales in units for the next five months as follows: [pic] Past experience has shown that the ending inventory for each month should be equal to 10% of the next month's sales in units. The inventory on May 31 fell short of t his goal since it contained only 400 units. The company needs to prepare a Production Budget for the next five months. |22. |The desired ending inventory for August is: | |A) |540 units. |B) |680 units. | |C) |720 units. | |D) |380 units. | Use the following to answer question 23: Balmforth Products, Inc. makes and sells a single product called a Bik. It takes three yards of Material A to make one Bik. Budgeted production of Biks for the next five months is as follows: [pic] The company wants to maintain monthly ending inventories of Material A equal to 20% of the following month's production needs. On January 31, this target had not been attained since only 2,000 yards of Material A were on hand. The cost of Material A is $0. 80 per yard. The company wants to prepare a Direct Materials Purchases Budget. |23. |The desired ending inventory of Material A for the month of March is: | |A) |9,300 yards. | |B) |7,140 yards. | |C) |3,100 yards. | |D) |8,400 yards. | Use the following to answer question 24: The Gomez Company, a merchandising firm, has budgeted its activity for December according to the following information: * Sales at $500,000, all for cash. * Merchandise Inventory on November 30 was $250,000. * The cash balance at December 1 was $20,000. Selling and administrative expenses are budgeted at $50,000 for December and are paid for in cash. * Budgeted depreciation for December is $30,000. * The planned merchandise inventory on December 31 is $260,000. * The cost of goods sold represents 75% of the selling price. * All purchases are paid for in cash. |24. |The budgeted cash receipts for December are: | |A) |$125,000. | |B) |$375,000. | |C) |$530,000. | |D) |$500,000. | Use the following to answer question 25: Young Enterprises has budgeted sales in units for the next five months as follows: [pic] Past experience has shown that the ending inventory for each month should be equal to 10% of the next month's sales in units. The inventory on May 31 fell short of this goal since it contained only 400 units. The company needs to prepare a Production Budget for the next five months. |25. |The beginning inventory in units for September should be: | |A) |460 units. | |B) |6,800 units. | |C) |540 units. | |D) |680 units. | Use the following to answer question 26: May Company, a merchandising firm, has budgeted sales as follows for the third quarter of the year: [pic] Cost of goods sold is equal to 65% of sales. The company wants to maintain a monthly ending inventory equal to 130% of the Cost of Goods Sold for the following month. The inventory on June 30 is less than this ideal since it is only $65,000. The company is now preparing a Merchandise Purchases Budget. |26. |The desired beginning inventory for September is: | |A) |$117,000. |B) |$ 76,050. | |C) |$ 91,000. | |D) |$ 59,150. | Use the following to answer question 27: Smith Company makes and sells a single product called a Pod. Each Pod requires 1. 4 hours of labor at a labor rate of $9. 60 per hour. Smith Company needs to prepare a Direct Labor Budget for the second quarter of the year. |27. |The budgeted direct labor cost per Pod would be: | |A) |$13. 44. | |B) |$9. 60. | |C) |$7. 38. | |D) |$11. 00. | |28. Self-imposed budgets typically are: | |A) |not subject to review by higher levels of management since to do so would contradict the participative aspect of the | | |budgeting processing. | |B) |not subject to review by higher levels of management except in specific cases where the input of higher management is | | |required. | |C) |subject to review by higher levels of management in order to prevent the budgets from becoming too loose. | |D) |not critical to the success of a budgeting program. |29. |Shocker Company's sales budget shows quarterly sales for the next year as follows: | | | | | |[pic] | | |Company policy is to have a finished goods inventory at the end of each quarter equal to 20% of the next quarter's sales. | | |Budgeted production for the second quarter of the next year would be: | |A) |7,200 units. |B) |8,000 units. | |C) |8,800 units. | |D) |8,400 units. | |30. |The Carlquist Company makes and sells a product called Product K. Each unit of Product K sells for $24 dollars and has a unit | | |variable cost of $18. The company has budgete d the following data for November: | | | | | | | | |* Sales of $1,152,000, all in cash. | | | | | | | |* A cash balance on November 1 of $48,000. | | | | | | | | |* Cash disbursements (other than interest) during November of $1,160,000. | | | | | | | |* A minimum cash balance on November 30 of $60,000. | | | | | | | | |If necessary, the company will borrow cash from a bank. The borrowing will be in multiples of $1,000 and will bear interest at | | |2% per month. All borrowing will take place at the beginning of the month. The November interest will be paid in cash during | | |November. | | | | | |The amount of cash that must be borrowed on November 1 to cover all cash disbursements and to obtain the desired November 30 | | |cash balance is: | |A) |$20,000. | |B) |$21,000. | |C) |$37,000. | |D) |$38,000. | Use the following to answer question 31: The following materials standards have been established for a particular product: pic] |31. |What is the materials quantity variance for the month? | |A) |$1,740 U | |B) |$4,350 U | |C) |$4,590 U | |D) |$1,836 U | Use the following to answer question 32: The following standards for variable manufacturing overhead have been established for a company that makes only one product: pic] |32. |What is the variable overhead spending variance for the month? | |A) |$3,010 F | |B) |$3,010 U | |C) |$10,435 U | |D) |$10,435 F | Use the following to answer question 33: The following materials standards have been established for a particular product: [pic] |33. What is the materials quantity variance for the month? | |A) |$5,050 U | |B) |$5,125 U | |C) |$9,292 U | |D) |$9,430 U | Use the following to answer question 34: Arrow Industries employs a standard cost system in which direct materials inventory is carried at standard cost. Arrow has established the following standards for the prime costs of one unit of product. [pic] During May, Arrow purchased 160,000 pounds of direct material at a total cost of $304,000. The total direct labor wages for May were $37,800. Arrow manufactured 19,000 units of product during May using 142,500 pounds of direct material and 5,000 direct labor hours. |34. |The direct material price variance for May is: | |A) |$16,000 favorable. |B) |$16,000 unfavorable. | |C) |$14,250 favorable. | |D) |$14,250 unfavorable. | |35. |Perkins Company, which has a standard cost system, had 500 pounds of raw material X in its inventory at June 1, purchased in May| | |for $1. 20 per pound and carried at a standard cost of $1. 00 per pound. The following information pertains to raw material X for | | |the month of June: | | | | |[pic] | | |The unfavorable materials purchase price variance for raw material X for June was: | |A) |$ 0. | |B) |$130. | |C) |$140. | |D) |$150. | |36. |If variable manu facturing overhead is applied on the basis of direct labor-hours and the variable overhead spending variance is | | |favorable, then the: | |A) |actual variable manufacturing overhead rate exceeded the standard rate. |B) |standard variable manufacturing overhead rate exceeded the actual rate. | |C) |actual direct labor-hours exceeded the standard direct labor-hours allowed for the actual output. | |D) |standard direct labor-hours allowed for the actual output exceeded the actual hours. | Use the following to answer questions 37-38: The Odle Company makes and sells a single product called a Kitt. Odle employs a standard costing system. Each Kitt has a standard cost of 5 pounds of material at $12 per pound and 0. 9 direct labor hours at $15 per hour. There were no inventories of any kind on June 1. During June, the following events occurred: – Purchased 17,000 pounds of material at a total cost of $190,000. – Used 15,000 pounds of material to produce 2,400 Kitts. – Used 1,900 hours of direct labor time at a total cost of $38,000. |37. |To record the incurrence of direct labor cost and its use in production, the general ledger would include what kind of entry to | | |the Labor Rate Variance account? | |A) |$ 9,500 credit. | |B) |$ 9,500 debit. | |C) |$15,200 debit. | |D) |$ 2,000 debit. | |38. |Odle Company purchased material on account. The entry to record the purchase of materials will include a: | |A) |credit to Work in Process. | |B) |debit to Accounts Receivable. | |C) |credit to Accounts Payable. | |D) |credit to Raw Materials Inventory. | Use the following to answer question 39: The Geurtz Company uses standard costing. The company makes and sells a single product called a Roff. The following data are for the month of August: – Actual cost of direct material purchased and used: $65,560 – Material price variance: $5,960 unfavorable – Total materials variance: $22,360 unfavorable – Standard cost per pound of material: $4 Standard cost per direct labor hour: $5 – Actual direct labor hours: 6,500 hours – Labor efficiency variance: $3,500 favorable – Standard number of direct labor hours per unit of Roff: 2 hours – Total labor variance: $400 unfavorable |39. |The labor rate variance was: | |A) |$3,900 favorable. | |B) |$3,900 unfavorable. | |C) |$3,100 unfavor able. | |D) |$3,100 favorable. | |40. |Home Company manufactures tables with vinyl tops. The standard material cost for the vinyl used per Type-R table is $7. 80 based | | |on six square feet of vinyl at a cost of $1. 30 per square foot. A production run of 1,000 tables in January resulted in usage of| | |6,400 square feet of vinyl at a cost of $1. 20 per square foot, a total cost of $7,680. The quantity variance resulting from the | | |above production run was: | |A) |$120 favorable. | |B) |$480 unfavorable. | |C) |$520 unfavorable. | |D) |$640 favorable. | Use the following to answer question 41: The Chase Company has a standard cost system in which manufacturing overhead is applied to units of product on the basis of direct labor-hours (DLHs). The company recorded the following activity and cost data relating to manufacturing overhead for October: [pic] |41. |The fixed overhead budget variance for September was: | |A) |$2,700 favorable. | |B) |$2,700 unfavorable. | |C) |$5,400 favorable. | |D) |$5,400 unfavorable. | Use the following to answer question 42: A furniture manufacturer has a standard costing system based on machine-hours (MHs) as the measure of activity. Data from the company's flexible budget for manufacturing overhead are given below: [pic] |42. What was the fixed overhead budget variance for the period to the nearest dollar? | |A) |$2,440 F | |B) |$1,200 U | |C) |$1,999 U | |D) |$704 F | Use the following to answer question 43: A manufacturing company has a standard costing system based on direct labor-hours (DLHs) as the measure of activity. Data from the company's flexible budget for manufacturing overhead are given below: [pic] |43. |How much overhead was applied to products during the period to the nearest dollar? | |A) |$79,118 | |B) |$76,035 | |C) |$77,440 | |D) |$80,145 | Use the following to answer question 44: The Chase Company has a standard cost system in which manufacturing overhead is applied to units of product on the basis of direct labor-hours (DLHs). The company recorded the following activity and cost data relating to manufacturing overhead for October: [pic] |44. |The amount of fixed overhead cost contained in the company's overhead budget for September was: | |A) |$45,900. | |B) |$54,768. | |C) |$49,920. | |D) |$47,703. | |45. |Baxter Corporation's master budget calls for the production of 5,000 units of its product monthly. The master budget includes | | |indirect labor of $144,000 annually; Baxter considers indirect labor to be a variable cost. During the month of April, 4,500 | | |units of product were produced, and indirect labor costs of $10,100 were incurred. A performance report utilizing flexible | | |budgeting would report a spending variance for indirect labor of: | |A) |$1,900 unfavorable. | |B) |$700 favorable. | |C) |$1,900 favorable. | |D) |$700 unfavorable. | Use the following to answer question 46: Wicks Company has established a flexible budget for manufacturing overhead based on direct labor-hours. Budgeted costs at 100,000 direct labor-hours are as follows: [pic] |46. |If Wicks Company plans to operate at 90,000 direct labor-hours during the next period, the flexible budget would show indirect | | |labor costs of: | |A) |$144,000. | |B) |$63,000. | |C) |$90,000. | |D) |$81,000. | Use the following to answer questions 47-48: The Steff Company has the following flexible budget (in condensed form) for manufacturing overhead: [pic] The following data concerning production pertain to last year's operations: – The company used a denominator activity of 15,000 direct labor-hours to compute the predetermined overhead rate. – The company made 6,850 units of product and worked 14,200 actual hours during the year. – Actual variable overhead was $15,904 and actual fixed overhead was $30,850 for the year. – The standard direct labor time is two hours per unit of product. |47. The fixed overhead budget variance was: | |A) |$3,450 unfavorable. | |B) |$3,450 favorable. | |C) |$850 unfavorable. | |D) |$1,200 favorable. | |48. |The fixed element of the predetermined overhead rate was (per DLH): | |A) |$4. 15. | |B) |$3. 00. | |C) |$2. 00. | |D) |$1. 15. | Use the following to answer question 49: Barrick Company has established a flexible budget fo r manufacturing overhead based on direct labor-hours. Total budgeted costs at 200,000 direct labor-hours are as follows: [pic] |49. |At an activity level of 170,000 direct labor-hours, the flexible budget for factory overhead would show the budgeted amount for | | |utilities as: | |A) |$ 85,000. | |B) |$140,000. | |C) |$160,000. | |D) |$100,000. | Use the following to answer question 50: The Steff Company has the following flexible budget (in condensed form) for manufacturing overhead: [pic] The following data concerning production pertain to last year's operations: – The company used a denominator activity of 15,000 direct labor-hours to compute the predetermined overhead rate. – The company made 6,850 units of product and worked 14,200 actual hours during the year. – Actual variable overhead was $15,904 and actual fixed overhead was $30,850 for the year. – The standard direct labor time is two hours per unit of product. |50. |The fixed overhead cost applied to work in process was: | |A) |$27,400. | |B) |$30,000. | |C) |$30,850. | |D) |$13,700. | Management Accounting Overall requirement * Explain how management accounting can supply information to assist the management of the organisation. * You are not required to investigate and report on the organisation’s actual management accounting system (even if you can find out). * You are to write a 1500 word report as though you were a management consultant writing to the board of directors. * WE DO NOT WANT ANY NUMBERS UNLESS YOU CREATE THEM TO DEMONSTRATE AN IDEA * This is like assessment 1a – you are to imagine and create! This is a report * It has an introduction A main body (see the next slides) * A conclusion How your marks will build up * Background to the organisation showing good reading of appropriate sources 25% * Review of the nature and role of management accounting 10% * An analysis of the organisation, showing its information needs, the management accounting techniques it might use and decisions it could then make. 50% * The strengths and weaknesses of your analysis  œ for example the additional information you would have liked in order to improve your analysis. 15% Background to the organisation The reason for this is to introduce your organisation (briefly) and to show what a manager in this organisation will do. Later you will show how m. a. helps. * A manager will make decisions about the organisation’s products, processes etc. – therefore your introduction will cover this. * This introduction will reveal the kind of problems that your organisation faces and must overcome. * We do not want the history of the organisation and any information that you will not use later. * Choose your organisation carefully – one that you can understand. You need to be able to imagine the kinds of decisions that a manager might make. Review of the nature and role of management accounting * A definition (with reference) * Some idea of what management accounting does and what it does not do. * Some examples of the techniques and methods of m. a. * You have been studying this since week 5 and so it should not be a problem * DO NOT TRY TO BE TOO CLEVER. IN PREVIOUS YEARS STUDENTS HAVE MENTIONED ABC, JUST IN TIME AND THROUGHPUT ACCOUNTING. Do not do this as you probably do not understand these techniques and will only show that this is so. Keep to what you know! An analysis of the organisation, showing its information needs, the management accounting techniques it might use and decisions it could then make. * This is the hard part that attracts the most marks * You are to link part 1 and part 2 – you organisation’s needs to the techniques and methods of management accounting * What does m. a. Do that will help this organisation? * How can it improve processes? * How can it compete better? * How can it choose between products? * How can it use m. a. for pricing? Planning, controlling, motivating, organising etc * Difficult – but you are applying what you have learned to the problems of the organisation. The strengths and weaknesses of your analysis * This was badly done in assessment 1b * WE DO NOT WANT THE S&W OF THE COMPANY * What aspects of your analysis are strong. Where do you feel that your recommendations are strong and secure? Give examples. * Where do you feel your recommendations are weak perhaps due to lack of information about the company or lack of your knowledge and experience of management accounting. Give examples. Management Accounting Running Head: MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING The Management Accountant in Business [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] The Management Accountant in Business Introduction Tesco Public Limited Company is a merchandising retailer and a grocery retailer multinational chain which has it’s headquarter in Cheshunt in the United Kingdom. Tesco as compared to its counterparts, Walmart and Carrefour, is the world’s third largest retail store with regard to the revenues that it generates. Tesco stands as the second largest retail stores of the world with regard to its profits, with Walmart being the first.Tesco has its retail stores spread across almost 14 countries of the world of Asia, North America and Europe. Tesco public limited company is the market leader in its home country United Kingdom with a market share of almost 30%. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 which operated as a group of stalls in the market. After its inception today Tesco plc operates across diverse areas of clothing, electronics, furniture, books, financial services and internet services. Tesco is listed at the London Stock Exchange and is a part of the FTSE 100 index having a market capital of approximately ? 24. billion and a symbol of TSCO. Tesco has been operating with seven business segments, namely, Tesco Superstores, Tesco express, Tesco metro, Tesco extra, One stop, Tesco Homeplus, and Dobbies. The market share of Tesco as recorded in 2012 was 30. 2% which was the highest as compared to its European counterparts. Tesco has developed its marketing headline to be, â€Å"Every little helps†. The tag line is represented in all the print and TV advertisements of Tesco which represents the value that Tesco offers to its customers against the price that they pay, with the value being more than the price of the products.Tesco not only works for company profits but also for the community at large in which it operates. Tesco has a value of contributing 1. 8% of its profi ts to the charitable organizations. Tesco has a culture based on its values of trust and respect. Tesco employees and management believe that the customers would come back to visit the stores for their shopping if they are satisfied with the products and the service. Tesco believes that the success of the company as a whole depends on the contribution of the employees and the customer satisfaction.Management accounting is also used in making strategic management decisions (Dixon & Smith, 1993) . Tesco has seven core strategies on which it operates in the long run. The foremost strategy of Tesco is to grow the United Kingdom core business from where it started its operations and expanded globally. The United Kingdom being the largest business operating unit of Tesco generates the largest share of revenues and profits; therefore Tesco needs to develop this major segment of the business.Tesco also has a goal of being the world’s largest retailer which it has been able to achieve since 1997 and has become the leading retail store in almost eight of its international retail stores. Tesco was originally a food retailer when it started operating and from then onwards it has aimed at becoming the strongest brand in the non-food items as well. Besides the growth in the United Kingdom segment Tesco has also a strategy of growing its retail stores in the other markets in which it has presence. Tesco believes in serving the community and working for its welfare so that the corporate responsibility of Tesco is fulfilled.Tesco also aims to make high value brands at very competitive prices. Tesco aims to build brands that are highly appealing to the customers and also in providing the customers with quality products. Tesco also builds teams that are very committed to their work and has developed leaders who are dedicated and hard working. The leaders at Tesco have a major responsibility of building teams and working for the attainment of the organizational goals (Tesc o, 2013). Tesco works closely with the customers and continuously collects their feedback by engaging focus groups in the feedback collection process.The research center facilitates the identification of the research areas and the areas of concern in the profit centers. The customer feedback collected enables Tesco to make changes to the business processes so that they better meet the customer needs. Tesco also works closely with its suppliers to develop the best brands and also bring in a variety of offers for the customers. Tesco works with a number of suppliers including the FMCG companies and the local suppliers providing goods for the regional retail stores.Management Accounting Functions at Tesco Management Accounting is distinguished from Financial Accounting as being an accounting constituent that is concerned with the measurement, analysis and the reporting of information regarding the financial and non-financial operations of the business, and taking decisions which are ne cessary for the attainment of goals of the organization (Bhimani & Langfield, 2007). Management accounting is concerned with the attainment of organizational goals and for serving the strategies of the organization (Durden, n. , p. 2). Hence, management accounting is concerned with the accounting information which is intended to be used within the organization and for the achievement of the goals of the organization. Management accounting is used in organizations to make decisions regarding the competitiveness of the business by the collection, processing, and the communication of the information which will hence help the management of the business in planning, controlling and evaluating the processes of the business and the strategies of the company.The controllers in the large organizations are basically the leaders who run the management accounting function of the company and the controller then reports the accounting information to the finance heads which helps them in taking or ganizational wide decisions. At Tesco the management accountants are known for having a number of responsibilities including the collection of information from the different cost and profit centers, evaluation of the information, and the identification of the appropriate solutions to the problems faced by the cost or profit centers.The management accountants have a responsibility of identifying the appropriate and the most cost efficient distribution systems. This role of management accounting in Tesco is related to the establishment and administration of effective control mechanisms. Another management accounting function of Tesco is the sales forecasting, which is related to the identification of the needs of the customers, sales volumes and the effects of seasonal fluctuations on the sales. The management accountants have also the responsibility of ordering the right quantity of supplies at the right time.The management accountants are also responsible for developing cost, sales and profit budgets and to make capital investment plans. The management accountants also are responsible for the comparison of the plans and budgets with the benchmarks set and the identification of the discrepancies. The management accountants work towards taking the corrective measures in case of variances between the actual and the standard budgets. The task of standard costing is assigned to them which they use to take decisions which are useful for achieving the organizational goals.The group strategy section of the financial reports shows the management roles in Tesco. The customer researches are conducted to know the extent of their satisfaction and their needs. The management accountants also plan the growth rates in the different markets across the world. The management roles are also highlighted in the capital expenditures section of the annual reports of Tesco. The capital expenditure plans are made by the management accountants. Tesco has planned for major capital expend itures which will enable it to diversify and move into expansion phases worldwide throughout all its retail chains.The management accountants are also responsible for evaluating and critically analyzing the cash position of Tesco. The management accountants are charged with the responsibility of generating cash sources and reducing the capital expenditures of the retail stores. The working capital is reduced in 2012 which has enabled Tesco to have increased cash inflows (TESCO, 2012). Functions of Modern Management Accounting at Tesco The roles of management accountants in the modern era have increased and have been very diverse in the organizations.The management accountants have many responsibilities including the formulation of accounting policies, statistical reports, administration of tax policies, coordination of the reports, preparation and the interpretation of the annual reports and the financial statements of organizations, audit of the accounting transactions and the reco rds, compilation of the business costs, costing and planning of inventories, and the interpretation of the statistical reports of the organization.At Tesco the management accountants are engaged in making budgets including annual as well as monthly budgets. The budgets prepared are used for planning the resources and the supplies required for the operations of the business. The management accountants at Tesco are responsible for looking ahead and predicting the future of the business. The management accountants prepare reports which are used within Tesco and are intended for internal use by the management rather than the outside stakeholders.The reports prepared are kept confidential because they serve as the basis of the development of the strategies of Tesco. The management accountants have a dual reporting role within Tesco in that they are responsible for developing and managing the teams within Tesco and at the same time reporting to the chief financial officers and the financi al departments. The management accountants at Tesco provide information related to the forecasts and plans, they perform variance analysis and monitor the cost centers.Therefore they serve to be the controllers as well as the financial planners for Tesco. The management accountants gather financial information from all the department of Tesco, organize the data, analyze and interpret and then report their findings to the financial departments of Tesco. Therefore, the management accounting plays a very key role in Tesco. The management accounting over the years have also developed many management systems (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007).The management accountants are reported to by all the accounting departments and they are responsible for presenting their financial suggestions to the financial executives for the implementation of the plans. The management accountants at Tesco are therefore charged with the overall responsibility of managing and interpreting very large amounts of acco unting information, and then reporting their findings to the chief financial officers. References Tesco PLC. (2013). Our Strategy. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/index. asp? pageid=12 Tesco PLC. (2012).Annual Report and Financial Statements. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/files/reports/ar2012/files/pdf/tesco_annual_report_2012. pdf Durden, C. (n. d). The role of management accounting in organizational Control systems: preliminary evidence of an organic Approach. pp. 1-50. Retrieved from: http://www. afaanz. org/openconf/2008/modules/request. php? module=oc_proceedings&action=view. php&a=Accept+as+Paper&id=570 Anthony, R. N. , & Govindarajan, V. (2007). Management control systems. USA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Bhimani, A. , & Langfield-Smith, K. (2007). Management Accounting Running Head: MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING The Management Accountant in Business [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] The Management Accountant in Business Introduction Tesco Public Limited Company is a merchandising retailer and a grocery retailer multinational chain which has it’s headquarter in Cheshunt in the United Kingdom. Tesco as compared to its counterparts, Walmart and Carrefour, is the world’s third largest retail store with regard to the revenues that it generates. Tesco stands as the second largest retail stores of the world with regard to its profits, with Walmart being the first.Tesco has its retail stores spread across almost 14 countries of the world of Asia, North America and Europe. Tesco public limited company is the market leader in its home country United Kingdom with a market share of almost 30%. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 which operated as a group of stalls in the market. After its inception today Tesco plc operates across diverse areas of clothing, electronics, furniture, books, financial services and internet services. Tesco is listed at the London Stock Exchange and is a part of the FTSE 100 index having a market capital of approximately ? 24. billion and a symbol of TSCO. Tesco has been operating with seven business segments, namely, Tesco Superstores, Tesco express, Tesco metro, Tesco extra, One stop, Tesco Homeplus, and Dobbies. The market share of Tesco as recorded in 2012 was 30. 2% which was the highest as compared to its European counterparts. Tesco has developed its marketing headline to be, â€Å"Every little helps†. The tag line is represented in all the print and TV advertisements of Tesco which represents the value that Tesco offers to its customers against the price that they pay, with the value being more than the price of the products.Tesco not only works for company profits but also for the community at large in which it operates. Tesco has a value of contributing 1. 8% of its profi ts to the charitable organizations. Tesco has a culture based on its values of trust and respect. Tesco employees and management believe that the customers would come back to visit the stores for their shopping if they are satisfied with the products and the service. Tesco believes that the success of the company as a whole depends on the contribution of the employees and the customer satisfaction.Management accounting is also used in making strategic management decisions (Dixon & Smith, 1993) . Tesco has seven core strategies on which it operates in the long run. The foremost strategy of Tesco is to grow the United Kingdom core business from where it started its operations and expanded globally. The United Kingdom being the largest business operating unit of Tesco generates the largest share of revenues and profits; therefore Tesco needs to develop this major segment of the business.Tesco also has a goal of being the world’s largest retailer which it has been able to achieve since 1997 and has become the leading retail store in almost eight of its international retail stores. Tesco was originally a food retailer when it started operating and from then onwards it has aimed at becoming the strongest brand in the non-food items as well. Besides the growth in the United Kingdom segment Tesco has also a strategy of growing its retail stores in the other markets in which it has presence. Tesco believes in serving the community and working for its welfare so that the corporate responsibility of Tesco is fulfilled.Tesco also aims to make high value brands at very competitive prices. Tesco aims to build brands that are highly appealing to the customers and also in providing the customers with quality products. Tesco also builds teams that are very committed to their work and has developed leaders who are dedicated and hard working. The leaders at Tesco have a major responsibility of building teams and working for the attainment of the organizational goals (Tesc o, 2013). Tesco works closely with the customers and continuously collects their feedback by engaging focus groups in the feedback collection process.The research center facilitates the identification of the research areas and the areas of concern in the profit centers. The customer feedback collected enables Tesco to make changes to the business processes so that they better meet the customer needs. Tesco also works closely with its suppliers to develop the best brands and also bring in a variety of offers for the customers. Tesco works with a number of suppliers including the FMCG companies and the local suppliers providing goods for the regional retail stores.Management Accounting Functions at Tesco Management Accounting is distinguished from Financial Accounting as being an accounting constituent that is concerned with the measurement, analysis and the reporting of information regarding the financial and non-financial operations of the business, and taking decisions which are ne cessary for the attainment of goals of the organization (Bhimani & Langfield, 2007). Management accounting is concerned with the attainment of organizational goals and for serving the strategies of the organization (Durden, n. , p. 2). Hence, management accounting is concerned with the accounting information which is intended to be used within the organization and for the achievement of the goals of the organization. Management accounting is used in organizations to make decisions regarding the competitiveness of the business by the collection, processing, and the communication of the information which will hence help the management of the business in planning, controlling and evaluating the processes of the business and the strategies of the company.The controllers in the large organizations are basically the leaders who run the management accounting function of the company and the controller then reports the accounting information to the finance heads which helps them in taking or ganizational wide decisions. At Tesco the management accountants are known for having a number of responsibilities including the collection of information from the different cost and profit centers, evaluation of the information, and the identification of the appropriate solutions to the problems faced by the cost or profit centers.The management accountants have a responsibility of identifying the appropriate and the most cost efficient distribution systems. This role of management accounting in Tesco is related to the establishment and administration of effective control mechanisms. Another management accounting function of Tesco is the sales forecasting, which is related to the identification of the needs of the customers, sales volumes and the effects of seasonal fluctuations on the sales. The management accountants have also the responsibility of ordering the right quantity of supplies at the right time.The management accountants are also responsible for developing cost, sales and profit budgets and to make capital investment plans. The management accountants also are responsible for the comparison of the plans and budgets with the benchmarks set and the identification of the discrepancies. The management accountants work towards taking the corrective measures in case of variances between the actual and the standard budgets. The task of standard costing is assigned to them which they use to take decisions which are useful for achieving the organizational goals.The group strategy section of the financial reports shows the management roles in Tesco. The customer researches are conducted to know the extent of their satisfaction and their needs. The management accountants also plan the growth rates in the different markets across the world. The management roles are also highlighted in the capital expenditures section of the annual reports of Tesco. The capital expenditure plans are made by the management accountants. Tesco has planned for major capital expend itures which will enable it to diversify and move into expansion phases worldwide throughout all its retail chains.The management accountants are also responsible for evaluating and critically analyzing the cash position of Tesco. The management accountants are charged with the responsibility of generating cash sources and reducing the capital expenditures of the retail stores. The working capital is reduced in 2012 which has enabled Tesco to have increased cash inflows (TESCO, 2012). Functions of Modern Management Accounting at Tesco The roles of management accountants in the modern era have increased and have been very diverse in the organizations.The management accountants have many responsibilities including the formulation of accounting policies, statistical reports, administration of tax policies, coordination of the reports, preparation and the interpretation of the annual reports and the financial statements of organizations, audit of the accounting transactions and the reco rds, compilation of the business costs, costing and planning of inventories, and the interpretation of the statistical reports of the organization.At Tesco the management accountants are engaged in making budgets including annual as well as monthly budgets. The budgets prepared are used for planning the resources and the supplies required for the operations of the business. The management accountants at Tesco are responsible for looking ahead and predicting the future of the business. The management accountants prepare reports which are used within Tesco and are intended for internal use by the management rather than the outside stakeholders.The reports prepared are kept confidential because they serve as the basis of the development of the strategies of Tesco. The management accountants have a dual reporting role within Tesco in that they are responsible for developing and managing the teams within Tesco and at the same time reporting to the chief financial officers and the financi al departments. The management accountants at Tesco provide information related to the forecasts and plans, they perform variance analysis and monitor the cost centers.Therefore they serve to be the controllers as well as the financial planners for Tesco. The management accountants gather financial information from all the department of Tesco, organize the data, analyze and interpret and then report their findings to the financial departments of Tesco. Therefore, the management accounting plays a very key role in Tesco. The management accounting over the years have also developed many management systems (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007).The management accountants are reported to by all the accounting departments and they are responsible for presenting their financial suggestions to the financial executives for the implementation of the plans. The management accountants at Tesco are therefore charged with the overall responsibility of managing and interpreting very large amounts of acco unting information, and then reporting their findings to the chief financial officers. References Tesco PLC. (2013). Our Strategy. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/index. asp? pageid=12 Tesco PLC. (2012).Annual Report and Financial Statements. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/files/reports/ar2012/files/pdf/tesco_annual_report_2012. pdf Durden, C. (n. d). The role of management accounting in organizational Control systems: preliminary evidence of an organic Approach. pp. 1-50. Retrieved from: http://www. afaanz. org/openconf/2008/modules/request. php? module=oc_proceedings&action=view. php&a=Accept+as+Paper&id=570 Anthony, R. N. , & Govindarajan, V. (2007). Management control systems. USA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Bhimani, A. , & Langfield-Smith, K. (2007). Management Accounting Running Head: MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING The Management Accountant in Business [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] The Management Accountant in Business Introduction Tesco Public Limited Company is a merchandising retailer and a grocery retailer multinational chain which has it’s headquarter in Cheshunt in the United Kingdom. Tesco as compared to its counterparts, Walmart and Carrefour, is the world’s third largest retail store with regard to the revenues that it generates. Tesco stands as the second largest retail stores of the world with regard to its profits, with Walmart being the first.Tesco has its retail stores spread across almost 14 countries of the world of Asia, North America and Europe. Tesco public limited company is the market leader in its home country United Kingdom with a market share of almost 30%. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 which operated as a group of stalls in the market. After its inception today Tesco plc operates across diverse areas of clothing, electronics, furniture, books, financial services and internet services. Tesco is listed at the London Stock Exchange and is a part of the FTSE 100 index having a market capital of approximately ? 24. billion and a symbol of TSCO. Tesco has been operating with seven business segments, namely, Tesco Superstores, Tesco express, Tesco metro, Tesco extra, One stop, Tesco Homeplus, and Dobbies. The market share of Tesco as recorded in 2012 was 30. 2% which was the highest as compared to its European counterparts. Tesco has developed its marketing headline to be, â€Å"Every little helps†. The tag line is represented in all the print and TV advertisements of Tesco which represents the value that Tesco offers to its customers against the price that they pay, with the value being more than the price of the products.Tesco not only works for company profits but also for the community at large in which it operates. Tesco has a value of contributing 1. 8% of its profi ts to the charitable organizations. Tesco has a culture based on its values of trust and respect. Tesco employees and management believe that the customers would come back to visit the stores for their shopping if they are satisfied with the products and the service. Tesco believes that the success of the company as a whole depends on the contribution of the employees and the customer satisfaction.Management accounting is also used in making strategic management decisions (Dixon & Smith, 1993) . Tesco has seven core strategies on which it operates in the long run. The foremost strategy of Tesco is to grow the United Kingdom core business from where it started its operations and expanded globally. The United Kingdom being the largest business operating unit of Tesco generates the largest share of revenues and profits; therefore Tesco needs to develop this major segment of the business.Tesco also has a goal of being the world’s largest retailer which it has been able to achieve since 1997 and has become the leading retail store in almost eight of its international retail stores. Tesco was originally a food retailer when it started operating and from then onwards it has aimed at becoming the strongest brand in the non-food items as well. Besides the growth in the United Kingdom segment Tesco has also a strategy of growing its retail stores in the other markets in which it has presence. Tesco believes in serving the community and working for its welfare so that the corporate responsibility of Tesco is fulfilled.Tesco also aims to make high value brands at very competitive prices. Tesco aims to build brands that are highly appealing to the customers and also in providing the customers with quality products. Tesco also builds teams that are very committed to their work and has developed leaders who are dedicated and hard working. The leaders at Tesco have a major responsibility of building teams and working for the attainment of the organizational goals (Tesc o, 2013). Tesco works closely with the customers and continuously collects their feedback by engaging focus groups in the feedback collection process.The research center facilitates the identification of the research areas and the areas of concern in the profit centers. The customer feedback collected enables Tesco to make changes to the business processes so that they better meet the customer needs. Tesco also works closely with its suppliers to develop the best brands and also bring in a variety of offers for the customers. Tesco works with a number of suppliers including the FMCG companies and the local suppliers providing goods for the regional retail stores.Management Accounting Functions at Tesco Management Accounting is distinguished from Financial Accounting as being an accounting constituent that is concerned with the measurement, analysis and the reporting of information regarding the financial and non-financial operations of the business, and taking decisions which are ne cessary for the attainment of goals of the organization (Bhimani & Langfield, 2007). Management accounting is concerned with the attainment of organizational goals and for serving the strategies of the organization (Durden, n. , p. 2). Hence, management accounting is concerned with the accounting information which is intended to be used within the organization and for the achievement of the goals of the organization. Management accounting is used in organizations to make decisions regarding the competitiveness of the business by the collection, processing, and the communication of the information which will hence help the management of the business in planning, controlling and evaluating the processes of the business and the strategies of the company.The controllers in the large organizations are basically the leaders who run the management accounting function of the company and the controller then reports the accounting information to the finance heads which helps them in taking or ganizational wide decisions. At Tesco the management accountants are known for having a number of responsibilities including the collection of information from the different cost and profit centers, evaluation of the information, and the identification of the appropriate solutions to the problems faced by the cost or profit centers.The management accountants have a responsibility of identifying the appropriate and the most cost efficient distribution systems. This role of management accounting in Tesco is related to the establishment and administration of effective control mechanisms. Another management accounting function of Tesco is the sales forecasting, which is related to the identification of the needs of the customers, sales volumes and the effects of seasonal fluctuations on the sales. The management accountants have also the responsibility of ordering the right quantity of supplies at the right time.The management accountants are also responsible for developing cost, sales and profit budgets and to make capital investment plans. The management accountants also are responsible for the comparison of the plans and budgets with the benchmarks set and the identification of the discrepancies. The management accountants work towards taking the corrective measures in case of variances between the actual and the standard budgets. The task of standard costing is assigned to them which they use to take decisions which are useful for achieving the organizational goals.The group strategy section of the financial reports shows the management roles in Tesco. The customer researches are conducted to know the extent of their satisfaction and their needs. The management accountants also plan the growth rates in the different markets across the world. The management roles are also highlighted in the capital expenditures section of the annual reports of Tesco. The capital expenditure plans are made by the management accountants. Tesco has planned for major capital expend itures which will enable it to diversify and move into expansion phases worldwide throughout all its retail chains.The management accountants are also responsible for evaluating and critically analyzing the cash position of Tesco. The management accountants are charged with the responsibility of generating cash sources and reducing the capital expenditures of the retail stores. The working capital is reduced in 2012 which has enabled Tesco to have increased cash inflows (TESCO, 2012). Functions of Modern Management Accounting at Tesco The roles of management accountants in the modern era have increased and have been very diverse in the organizations.The management accountants have many responsibilities including the formulation of accounting policies, statistical reports, administration of tax policies, coordination of the reports, preparation and the interpretation of the annual reports and the financial statements of organizations, audit of the accounting transactions and the reco rds, compilation of the business costs, costing and planning of inventories, and the interpretation of the statistical reports of the organization.At Tesco the management accountants are engaged in making budgets including annual as well as monthly budgets. The budgets prepared are used for planning the resources and the supplies required for the operations of the business. The management accountants at Tesco are responsible for looking ahead and predicting the future of the business. The management accountants prepare reports which are used within Tesco and are intended for internal use by the management rather than the outside stakeholders.The reports prepared are kept confidential because they serve as the basis of the development of the strategies of Tesco. The management accountants have a dual reporting role within Tesco in that they are responsible for developing and managing the teams within Tesco and at the same time reporting to the chief financial officers and the financi al departments. The management accountants at Tesco provide information related to the forecasts and plans, they perform variance analysis and monitor the cost centers.Therefore they serve to be the controllers as well as the financial planners for Tesco. The management accountants gather financial information from all the department of Tesco, organize the data, analyze and interpret and then report their findings to the financial departments of Tesco. Therefore, the management accounting plays a very key role in Tesco. The management accounting over the years have also developed many management systems (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007).The management accountants are reported to by all the accounting departments and they are responsible for presenting their financial suggestions to the financial executives for the implementation of the plans. The management accountants at Tesco are therefore charged with the overall responsibility of managing and interpreting very large amounts of acco unting information, and then reporting their findings to the chief financial officers. References Tesco PLC. (2013). Our Strategy. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/index. asp? pageid=12 Tesco PLC. (2012).Annual Report and Financial Statements. Retrieved from: http://www. tescoplc. com/files/reports/ar2012/files/pdf/tesco_annual_report_2012. pdf Durden, C. (n. d). The role of management accounting in organizational Control systems: preliminary evidence of an organic Approach. pp. 1-50. Retrieved from: http://www. afaanz. org/openconf/2008/modules/request. php? module=oc_proceedings&action=view. php&a=Accept+as+Paper&id=570 Anthony, R. N. , & Govindarajan, V. (2007). Management control systems. USA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Bhimani, A. , & Langfield-Smith, K. (2007).

7 Idioms from the Military

7 Idioms from the Military 7 Idioms from the Military 7 Idioms from the Military By Mark Nichol Military terminology and slang is a rich source of expressive expressions. Most, like â€Å"bite the bullet,† are clichà ©s, but some, such as â€Å"bomber crew,† are unusual (so much so, sometimes, that in writing they may require a partial explanation). 1. Awkward Squad This obscure but oh-so-useful phrase originated in military usage to refer to a unit of particularly inept recruits. Now, in civilian usage, it denotes an incompetent or obstructive group in a company or organization. 2. AWOL The acronym for â€Å"absent without leave† (pronounced â€Å"AY-wall†), sometimes spelled AWL (though pronounced the same), refers to the status of military personnel who desert their posts. It now refers in general to somebody who literally abandons a location, mentally disengages, or figuratively rejects a previously held conviction or opinion. 3. Bite the Bullet This expression refers to the tradition of giving a wounded soldier a bullet to bite on in the absence of an anesthetic while performing surgery on him on or near the battlefield. (An alternative theory refers to tearing a cartridge open with one’s teeth, but this wasn’t dangerous or difficult.) In casual use, biting the bullet is facing an unpleasant and/or difficult task. 4. Bomber Crew This phrase refers to the cinematic clichà © of the ethnically mixed crew of a military aircraft, familiar to fans of movies filmed and/or set during World War II: The characters, whether representing the crew of a bomber, soldiers in a platoon, or sailors on a ship, typically included such disparate types as a Jew from New York, a Midwestern farm boy, a tough guy from some rust belt metropolis, a Southerner, and so on. The expression could be used, for example, to refer to the â€Å"bomber-crew inclusiveness† of a poster depicting an ethnically diverse array of people. 5. Close Ranks In military formations, to close ranks is to compress the mass of soldiers after marching or standing apart, generally to create a more formidable offensive or defensive formation. In figurative terms, â€Å"closing ranks† now refers to an act of solidarity such as uniformly supporting someone or something subject to criticism. 6. Rank and File In marching and standing formation, soldiers standing abreast are said to be in the same rank, while a line of troops located from front to back is a file. (From the idea that the closer one is to the front of a marching column or a standing unit, the higher one’s place in the military hierarchy, came the use of the word rank to denote a degree of authority.) Now, â€Å"rank and file† is used figuratively to refer to the â€Å"foot soldiers† the ordinary employees as opposed to the leaders of an organization. 7. Scuttlebutt This term derives from the butt, or cask, that held drinking water on sailing ships; it was scuttled, or provided with a hole in the top, so that water could be drawn. In the same way that office workers gather around a water cooler to share gossip, the scuttlebutt was the locale of idle talk among mariners. Hence, scuttlebutt came to refer to the gossip itself, and the usage was extended to civilian environments. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†Cannot or Can Not?How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

What Is the IB Curriculum What Are IB Diploma Requirements

What Is the IB Curriculum What Are IB Diploma Requirements SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're reading this article, I assume you know a little bit about the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. If not, I encourage you to read our other article What is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program? before reading this article. As a brief refresher, the IBO started this program in the 1960s to be a rigorous, internationally recognized diploma for entry into universities that students all around the world could earn. In the US today, there are 873 IB Diploma Programme High Schools. At these schools, some students complete the full IB curriculum in pursuit of an IB Diploma (which I will explain in-depth below). At some of the schools, students are allowed to take a couple of IB classes without being enrolled in the full IB curriculum (ask your local IB school’s IB coordinator if this is permitted, find their contact information in our article Complete List of IB Schools in the USA, by State). As an IB Diploma Recipient, I'll discuss what it entails to complete the full IB curriculum and receive your IB Diploma. What Are the Main Components of the IB Diploma Programme Curriculum? There are two main components of the IB Curriculum: the class requirements and the core. The Class Requirements: To earn an IB diploma, you have to take courses from six subjects, one each from groups 1-5, and either one from group 6 or a substitute from one of the other groups. Group 1: Language A: literature, Language A: language and literature, and Literature and performance. Group 2: Classical languages, Language B, and Language ab initio Group 3: Business management, Economics, Geography, History, Information technology in a global society, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and cultural anthropology, World religions, and Global Politics Group 4: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design Technology, Environmental systems and societies, Physics, and Sports, exercise and health science Group 5: Mathematical Studies SL (known as Math Studies), Mathematics SL, Mathematics HL, and Further Mathematics HL Group 6: Dance, Film, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts For a full list of courses from each group with descriptions, check out our article on The Complete List of IB Courses and Classes. You must take at least 3 at a higher level (study 250 hours instead of 150 hours). Each class culminates in an exam. IB tests are graded on a scale of 1-7 with a 4 considered passing. For more information on this grading scale/score criteria, check out the IBO’s website. The Core To complete your diploma programme, you also need to complete what is known as the core in addition to the class requirements above. The core consists of 3 components: a class known as Theory of Knowledge, an essay known as the Extended Essay, and a project known as Creativity, Action, Service. Theory of Knowledge/TOK: This is a class that is a mix of philosophy, and IB says that the class "encourage[s] students to reflect on the huge cultural shifts worldwide around the digital revolution and the information economy." This class makes you think about what is important to you and think about big world issues. I LOVED this class! I think your teacher is critical to enjoying the class, and Mr. Fresco, you are the best! For the class, there is no exam. Instead, you write a paper and give an oral presentation. You can take it online through Pamoja Education. Extended Essay/EE: A 4,000-word mini-thesis. You choose a topic that needs to be approved by IB (which is not very difficult). You get an advisor (an IB teacher preferably at your school, although you can also get access to one at another school through the Pamoja Education). Write about something you enjoy because you will be spending a lot of time on it. I loved British theatre and ended up writing mine about a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. #theatrenerd. I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I ended up receiving a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC’s School of Dramatic Arts program, and in my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay. I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship. Creativity, Action, Service/CAS: A three-part project that forces you to get involved in extracurricular activities. Creativity, getting involved in something creative, learning an instrument, acting in a play, writing a short story, etc. As long as you can argue it is creative (since you have to do a report), you can use it as your creativity part. I acted in a few plays, which counted for my creativity hours. Action: Generally sports-related activity, sports in a wide sense (could be anything outdoorsy like rock-climbing or hiking). I played on my school’s varsity tennis team and that counted for my activity hours. Service: Think of this as traditional community service, you can volunteer to feed the homeless, host a fundraiser for brain cancer research, host a drive to collect prom dresses for Becca’s Closet, etc. Are Those All the Requirements to Get Your IB Diploma? No, you also need to hit certain score markers on your exams in order to get the diploma. You must score 24 points or more between all of your IB exams to get a diploma. If you score 24 points or more, you will receive your diploma if: All CAS requirements have been met. There is no "N" awarded for theory of knowledge, the extended essay, or a contributing subject. There is no grade E awarded for theory of knowledge and/or the extended essay. There is no grade 1 in any subject/level. There are no more than two grade 2s awarded (SL or HL). There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded (SL or HL). Overall, there are no more than three grades 3 or below. At least 12 points have been gained on higher level subjects (for candidates who register for four higher level subjects, the three highest grades count). At least 9 points have been gained on standard level subjects (candidates who register for two standard level subjects must gain at least 5 points at standard level). The final award committee has not given the candidate a penalty for academic misconduct. How Difficult Is It to Meet These Standards? Well, the international IB Diploma Rate (The Diploma Rate is determined by the percentage of the students who receive IB diplomas out of those who were diploma candidates) is only 80%. So, about 20% of students, who complete the IB Curriculum outlined above, do NOT receive an IB Diploma. Also, the IB Diploma Rate varies drastically between schools (some have 95% diploma rates while others have less than 5% diploma rates), so I recommend contacting the IB school you are considering attending to find out their specific diploma rate. For more information on this, check out our article on Complete List of IB Schools in the USA, by State. What’s Next? Trying to figure out what extracurricular you should do? Learn more about participating in Science Olympiad, starting a club, doing volunteer work, and joining Student Government. Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT. Taking the SAT in the next month? Check out our guide to cramming. Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school. Also, figure out your target SAT score or target ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Effect of Mexicos Automotive Industry on North American Economies Essay

Effect of Mexicos Automotive Industry on North American Economies - Essay Example The paper tells that Mexico has emerged as one of the leading recipients of manufacturing investments including in the automotive industry. In fact, according to Bureau of Economics and Business Affairs, Mexico has gained a foothold in the world and has jumped to be the eighth world producer of automobiles in the world. Among the two dominant North American economies, Canada and the United States, the latter has been the leading source of foreign direct investment in Mexico.   As a matter of fact, up to fifty percent of FDI in the first 9 months of the year 2012 were from United States investors. according to Keenan, Canada has continually fallen behind both Mexico and the United States in the auto industry over the years. Reduced investment in Canada’s auto industry has seen the investment being redirected towards the Mexican economy. In effect ballooning the Mexican economy and hurting the Canadian economy.   Major Investors in the Canadian economy are from the United St ates, and hence when they transfer their investments to another economy they shatter one and hurt the other, the effect, the Canadian economy is reeling from. Two reasons can be attributable to such an effect, first, unlike Mexican labour market, the Canadian market just like the United States labour market is very expensive and therefore employers undergo more operational costs. Secondly, Keenan, remarks that the Canadian dollar has hurt the economy, affecting its competitive position. The Mexican peso has provided not only the United States investors with favorable opportunities to make more profits, but also the Asian and European auto giants.