Saturday, September 7, 2019
Use of Force Essay Example for Free
Use of Force Essay ââ¬Å"The Use of Forceâ⬠by William Carlos Williams, the use of authorial purpose is utilized by the author. The narrator is a doctor who is making a house call to help a very sick young girl. The author tries to justify the use of force in this situation through authorial purpose. The author uses expressive, informative, and persuasive writing techniques in order to address and give a good reason for exerting force over others. He builds a rapport in this story through the members of the sick girlââ¬â¢s family and the doctor himself. He shows many ways that the family and doctor can relate to each other through mutual attention, mutual positivity, and coordination. The thesis that the author is trying to propose is that in some situations, using force is ethical and should not be shameful when trying to help another person. The author uses different writing techniques including authorial purpose to influence the audience that the use of force was necessary and ethical. I will be explaining the authorial purpose used in this story. I will be discussing expressive, informative, and persuasive authoritative purposes as they all apply to the doctor visiting the young child at home. To better understand the authorial purposes used, I will explain what expressive, informative, and persuasive writing techniques are more in detail and I will provide examples throughout the story that show the author William Carlos Williams uses all three writing techniques to express his purpose and intention of this story. Although this short story may show how using force can be devastating to the child in need of medical attention, it is a necessary action to provide the child with the proper medical care. Body Expressive ââ¬â presenting feelings It is important to understand that expressive writing is author-centered. This means that the author will be presenting personal feelings in order to show their intent. The author will try to make meaning of an experience to express their intent in a more meaningful manner to the audience. These experiences usually include reflecting on past events, or speaking about their successes and failures in order to give the audience a sense of feeling toward the author. Informative ââ¬â sharing information Informative writing is always subject-centered. The author has the need to communicate information clearly so that the audience can understand the content. This is a very important consideration when writing informative stories. Nonfiction writing is usually always informative writing. In nonfiction stories, facts and opinions are revealed about people, places, things, and events. In ââ¬Å"The Use of Force,â⬠the author explains the subject matter clearly to the reader by explaining that a doctor goes on a house call to visit a very sick young girl and to try and help her get better. The era in which this happened can be picked up through context clues in the story. Usually in informative writing, the information is just shared and presented to the audience. Ultimately, the conclusions and results are left to the audience to determine. Therefore, an informative writing technique is just a description and explanation of some particular information in the story ââ¬â usually about the subject. The writer is constrained to explain the knowledge related to only a single topic in informative stories. Persuasive ââ¬â changing the audienceââ¬â¢s mind Persuasive writing involves taking a position on a debatable issue to convince an audience one way or the other about that controversial issue. In persuasive writing the writer presents his or her opinion and tries to convince the reader to agree. Persuasive writing is also known as presenting an argument because the writer uses words to convince the audience that their opinion in which they are writing about is correct. Persuasive writing, especially in short stories, is very commonly used. Persuasive writers employ many techniques to improve their argument and show support for their claim. Students understand that persuasive writing is audience-centered; the needs of the intended audience are the most important consideration. Conclusion ââ¬â I am proposing that the use of force, even if it causes pain, is ethical and sometimes necessary in order to help someone for their own good.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Twos Matrix Essay Example for Free
Twos Matrix Essay Strength-S 1. Samsung enjoys the widest range of product portfolio which includes Mobile phone, TV/Audio/video, camera, home appliances, pc and other accessories. 2. Samsung has dominated the market in south korea in almost all its product line. 3. Samsung has large investments on research and development. 4. Samsung operate using digital technology and product diversification strategy differentiated the company from its competitors. Weakness-W 1. Allocation of marketing budget is not proportional to the needs of the regions. 2. Poor marketing strategy resulting from different message or logo in regions where Samsung was sold. 3. Managementââ¬â¢s wrong perception of marketing function. 4. Samsung is a hardware leader but has too much of dependence for software from other parties. Opportunities-O 1. Samsung is the official Olympic partner for the 2000 sydney Olympic games, 2002 winter Olympic games and the 2008 summer games in Beijing. 2. Customers from other countries find Samsung delightful and affordable. 3. Samsung stood poised to become a leader in the era of digital convergence. 4. In china there are prospective five million customers signing up for cellular telephone service each month. SO-Strategies 1. Diversify in the industry of telecommunication in south Korea. (O3,S2) 2. Acquire or build showcase retail outlet in big cities in USA, China, and Russia. (S1,S4,O2,O4) WO-Strategies 1. Introduce Samsungââ¬â¢s products through sponsorship on Olympic, Winter and summer games to enhance brand awareness and increase sales. (W2,O1) 2. Stop operations in such as Germany and countries in north America. (W1,O2,O4) Threats-T 1. Threats from Chinese products. 2. Samsung has wide variety of product lines, failure of one product line wil have impact on the other and will result in brand dilution. 3. Aggressive competitors, including Sony, Nokia, Motorola and Panasonic. 4. Brand such asà Apple and Sony focuses on both software and hardware development. ST-Strategies 1. Improve digital technology and product differentiation to tailor their products, marketing and other activities to needs of the specific market. (S2,S4,T2,T3) 2. Innovate or modify mobile cell phones to cater the diversified preferences of the different nationalities. (S1,S3,T3,T1) WT-Strategies 1. Diversify the business on software industry in order to compete with close rivals. (W4,T4) 2. Set up its own advertisements company will take charge of its global marketing and advertisements. (W1,W3,T1,T2) TOWS Matrix
Thursday, September 5, 2019
How Google Demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Business Essay
How Google Demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Business Essay For decades, the management theorists have focused their attention on three types of thinking i.e. Magical thinking, modern thinking and postmodern thinking. The latest inclusion is the paradoxical thinking which was being studied by the researchers of the science field. The main reason that paradoxical thinking has gained importance in the business world is that there were some buzz phrases that were being used by the employees of the organisations such as controlled chaos, getting outside the box, breaking the frame of reference, creative destruction, fuzzy logic and etc. (Lovy, 2011). All of these terminologies show that a business can develop something impossible by going beyond the imaginative framework and these old models have less importance in the contemporary world. The primary crux of the paradoxical thinking is that the openness can be anything but it is indecisive, lacks principled convictions and is sometimes passionless as well (Gebert, Boerner Kearney, 2010). According to Sak and Oz (2010), paradoxical thinking implies that problems should be looked from different angles rather than one perspective so that it can be resolved effectively. The term paradox is described as a range or group of statements that are contradictory and challenge the conventional thinking parameters. Likewise, the paradoxical thinking is stated as the way of looking at a situation or a problem form a various range of perspectives and carrying out in-depth analysis to understand the problem completely (Miron-Spektor, Gino Argote, 2011). One of the best examples of the application of paradoxical thinking is evident in the work performed by Farday in about 1830s. Farday observed that when the electricity current is passed through a wire it can cause a magnetised needle to move that is located adjacent to the wire to move in a direction which is rotational; it formed the basis of electric motor invention. In order to extend his learning and thinking capabilities, he increased his efforts and found that even the moving magnets can ease the flow of electricity in the system. He challenged the ways in which the conventional theorists of physics were working so that he could make valuable contribution in the field (Kasi et al., 2008). It has been found that the companies that encourage paradoxical thinking within their culture are able to make successful progression and their success is evident from the robust performance in the industry. The paradoxical thinking is found in abundance in leading corporations especially technology related firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Apple, Dell, Google, Sony, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and many more. Examples of how Google demonstrates Paradoxical Thinking Google is definitely the market leader around the world as it has created a new virtual world for the Internet surfers. The company has been growing at a rapid pace in the Internet-related products and services market as it has efficiently responded to all the demands of the customers as soon as they are required by them. Since gaining top position in the market as a dominant search engine in 1988, it has ensured that it fosters a paradoxical thinking climate within its business operations (Stoltzfus, Stohl, Seibold, 2011). The basic foundation of the paradoxical thinking is that the employees have to be provided an open and innovative culture that will allow them to think a huge range of imaginative and compelling ideas that have never been offered in the market. Google was the first company to identify the need of creating an online search engine from where the people seeking information about different things can retrieve valuable information easily. When Google was thinking about introducing this offering, it had to face resistance from the traditional companies who found the idea to be unrealistic and ineffective. The owners of Google were not let down by such discouraging comments and launched this facility for the Internet users. Since then, the company has been flourishing successfully in the market and has encountered all the challenges with determination and bravery. In order to present the customers with unique offerings, Google has created a work environment that is friendly, fun-loving, enthusiastic and relaxing so that the people working there love to come to their job every day (Baldwin et al., 2010). As a result of such appealing working environment, the employees have successfully employed the concept of paradoxical thinking in the companys product and service offerings which are even evident in the form of its advertisements. The employees show creativity by sharing their ideas with the management and the ones that are compelling are implemented after some modifications. Google has a Loose-Tight structure where the employees are given autonomy to work but have to comply with the Googles unified philosophy (Korn Silverman, 2012). Following are some of the initiatives that are undertaken by Google demonstrate the application of paradoxical thinking in its business operations: In 2005, the Summer of Code mentoring program was launched for students of ages eighteen and older to get them engaged in the free and open-source software. It even made valuable contribution in the open source community. Google MentalPlex on April Fools Days feature the usage of mental power for searching the web. In 2007, it announced the introduction of TiSP (Toilet Internet Service Provider) where one could easily obtain the connection by flushing an end of the fiber-optic cable down in the toilet. It even started advertisements in 2007 about the Gmail paper that could be used by Gmail users to print and ship the email messages. It changed its company name in 2010 to Topeka to display its honour of Topeka Kansas where its Mayor changed the name of the city to Google for limited time period so that it can sway Googles decision of new Google Fiber Project. In its search engine, it added language selection features of Swedish Chef such as Bork bork bork, Pig Latin, Klingon, Elmer Fudd and Hacker. Google Map, Google Notebook and other features are all examples of the paradoxical thinking implications. Hence, innovation is properly embedded in the companys culture so that it can create something new and pioneering for its customers and enhance their online surfing time. Paradoxical Thinking Whether it can be learnt or not The proponents of paradoxical thinking state that the people have to think out of the box and do in-depth analysis of any contradictory thought because it can give rise to something new that is not present in the market (Lovy, 2011). There is no science involved in learning the paradoxical thinking as the learners just have to change their thinking patterns. Sometimes, a solution or invention may appear not to make any sense but it might appeal to the target audience. For instance, when sports cars were introduced, people were sceptical about it that whether it will be accepted in the market or not; now it is the leading choice in the sports world. Similarly, when solar cars were launched by Saturn, it had to face huge amount of criticism but it was successful in meeting the demands of its customers and providing them an energy efficient car that is beneficial for the environment (Luscher Lewis, 2008). The key requirements of developing paradoxical thinking are open mindedness, courage to take risks and experimenting with new ideas. It is important to remain alert about the absurd ideas that are present all the time in minds; they have to be noted down and then dwelt. The employees of an organisation need to be encouraged to play with even vague ideas because there are chances that a unique proposition gets clicked in the mind that can be beneficial for the companys enhanced performance. For this form of thinking, openness is crucial because it allows the individuals to learn new subjects that might not have any linkages to the profession. It is vital to extend the learning boundaries so that unleashed features can be addressed; therefore, increased exploration is the basic requirement of paradoxical thinking (Gobert, Boener Kearney, 2010). Wagner (2009) stated that the basic foundation of the paradoxical thinking is being sceptical all the time; meaning looking at the things from varying perspectives. For instance, when looking at a product, a person can think about making changes in it that can make it look more attractive or changing the style or ingredients that can appeal to other markets (Ging et al., 2010). Hence, paradoxical thinking can be learnt easily by changing the way of looking and observing things in the surroundings so that a new perspective is highlighted. 0230190406001.png (Source: Smith, Binns Tushman, 2010) Paradoxical Thinking Least used intelligence skill Since every organisation emphasises the importance of creating work environment that is conducive and comprises of competed people who have high intelligence skills, such organisations encounter problems when implementing the paradoxical thinking framework. The basics of the paradoxical thinking implies considering the irrational aspects as well so that innovation is encouraged throughout the organisation. It has been found that the paradoxical thinking is one of the eight skills that are related to the intelligence framework (Banff Executive Leadership Inc., 2010). The eight skills that are linked to the intelligence are judgement, perception, reason, intuition, imagination, logic, memory and paradox. Among all the skills mentioned, the least commonly used one is the paradoxical thinking because people are reluctant to get involved in illogical thinking. The traditional specialists still show resistance to apply the concept of paradoxical thinking within the business environment because they feel that it is not appropriate for a business to get involved in such irrational activities. However, the trend is now shifting to the paradox paradigm when the companys management have realised that the customers are looking for both functional and creative solutions (Baldwin et al., 2010). The reason that paradoxical thinking is linked to intelligence is that it allows the people to apply their thinking skills to modify the idea into something feasible that will be appealing for the end-consumers. IBM has ensured that it allows its employees to give any kinds of practical suggestions to the company that can help it in increasing its proficiency and eliminate the drawbacks that are prevalent within the firm (Miron-Spektor, Erez, Naveh, 2011). USA Today is the leading newspaper in the country and it was the first one to introduce the concept of online newspaper so that the customers can read the paper on Internet. When the owner wanted to launch this idea, majority of the people felt that it will have to encounter problems as people prefer to enhance their knowledge about the latest happenings through paper newspapers. However, the paper is considered to be the top selling newspaper in the region that has successfully met the needs of the customers especially who is looking for previous issues to get access to a particular article or piece of information (Wit Meyer, 2005). Ways in which paradoxical thinking can improve organisations performance Since the basic requirements of paradoxical thinking are open working culture and going out of the traditional ways to introduce innovative offerings, the organisations have to make these two elements the integral part of their working environments. The leaders of these companies have to show their appreciation for the efforts put in by the employees in the form of imaginative and appealing ideas so that they are encouraged to enhance their level of productivity (Wit Meyer, 2005). When employees are encouraged to become a crucial part of the organisations decision making process, it enhanced their level of motivation and they are willing to make more meaningful additions in the business processes (Miron-Spektor, Gino, Argote, 2011). In order to support the paradoxical thinking within the company, the top management has to understand that they need to create an environment which allows the employees to play with creative elements, get engaged in activities that will help them in unleashing unexploited avenues of the business operations and ensure that the customers are provided with unique offerings at a fast pace. 0010470201001.png (Source: Ging et al., (2010)) Hence, with the help of creativity, openness, innovation and sceptical thinking, the paradoxical thinking will be promoted within the business organisation. All of these factors will ensure that the companys productivity is increased, competitive edge is attained in the industry and performance continues to grow in a profitable way and at an accelerating rate. Conclusion In todays competitive environment which is being impacted by globalisation and accelerating rate of changes, the organisations have to remain alert all the time about the happenings so that the challenges can be encountered proactively. The managers and leaders of the organisations have to foster an innovative climate within the firms so that the paradoxical thinking can be nurtured which will ultimately make significant contribution in their enhanced performance.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
William Blake: Exposing the Harsh Realties of Life Essay -- William Bl
Sir William Blake was known for his lucid writings and childlike imagination when it came down to his writings. Some will say that his writings were like day and night; for example, "The Lamb" and "The Tiger" or "The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found." Born in the 18thà century, Blake witnessed the cruel acts of the French and American Revolutions so his writings also, "revealed and exposed the harsh realities of life (Biography William Blake)". Although he never gained fame during his lifetime, Blake's work is thought of as to be genius and well respected today. "The lack of public recognition sent him into a severe depression which lasted from 1810-1817, and even his close friends thought him insane (William Blake,)". Blake once stated, "Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you (http://brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_blake.htmlà )." Blake was educated at home by his mother, whom he was very fond of. his poem "Cradle Song" was about his memories of his upbringing. Sweet dreams, form a shade O"er my lovely infant"s head; Sweet dreams of pleasant streams By happy, silent, moony beams. à Sweet sleep, with soft down Weave thy brows an infant crown. Sweep sleep, Angel mild, Hover o"er my happy child. à This poem was in his collection entitled,à Songs of Innocence. ""today his most popular volume, he revealed glimpses of life as it appears to innocent childhood, full of charm and joy, and trust"(William Blake Dark 77 or 79 blu)." This is what Blake adapted as his style; his poems were simple, direct, and clear enough for a child to understand. One of Blake's other more popular poems is, "The Lamb." This poem like many others is written in his idiosyncratic view of Christianity, th... ...poetic thought that they express (Frye, 23)." à à à Works Cited Bernbaum, Earnestà Anthology of Romanticism and Guide Through the Romanticà à Movementà Vol 1. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1938. Biography William Blake. .à à 9 Nov 2008. Bloom, Harold, ed.à English Romantic Poets. . New York New Haven Philadelphia:à à Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. http://brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_blake.htmlà >. 9 Nov 2008. Frye, Northrop. "Blake After Two Centuries".à "English Romantic Poets: Modern Essaysà in Criticism. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York London Oxford : Oxford Universityà à Press, 1960. P 67. . 9 Nov 2008 William Blake.. à . 9 Nov 2008.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Abortion in the First Trimester Only Essay -- Pregnancy Ethics Essays
The argument that has torn the nation apart for ages is abortion. Each individual needs to take the time out to research every aspect of the ideals behind abortion. The two main sides to abortion are pro-choice and pro-life. Both sides make strong arguments to support their side. The main question behind abortion is whether the act is murder of an unborn child or the right of the mother to choose what happens to her body. A lot of research is needed before an individual can make a rational decision about what side of the abortion issue they take. This paper focuses on the argument that abortion is a womanââ¬â¢s choice in her first trimester of her pregnancy only, and after that time period is over the unborn child has the right to life just like any other human being. "This middle ground is what a lot of people believe these days, the right for a woman to choose in the first trimester only" (Baird 179). People who believe this are stuck between the two sides of abortion. These peo ple are just to be named as the middle ground, where both sides make good points, but they only agree with a few parts of the arguments. The basic idea is that a woman has the right to choose until the first trimester is over and from then on the unborn child has the right to life and should be carried to full term and delivered. The pro-life movement believes that the killing of any child, abortion or not, is murder and the dead, unborn child should be protected by the laws of the states just like any other victim of murder. "Pro-life advocates declare that the fetus is a person with the same rights and interests as a born person, therefore the mother does not have the right to privacy if by doing so they murder another person, their unborn child" (McDonagh 47). The advocateââ¬â¢s state that their argument is in the idea that an unborn child has the rights as the mother and that the unborn child would choose life, just as the mother would choose murder as her choice. Although the pro-life advocates make an argument that seems reasonable, what they are not stating is that under law the woman has the right to privacy, freedom, and the right to choose what actions happens to her body. The woman has control to do what ever she likes to her own personal body. Therefore, if a woman chooses to have an abortion, she may be able to in the first trimester of her pregnancy only. The developi... ... facts state that an abortion is the womanââ¬â¢s choice in the first trimester and the unborn childââ¬â¢s right to live in the second trimester and on. This belief is known as the middle ground in the abortion issue and many people believe in this kind of action. Although the abortion issue will be an on going dispute, the middle ground is a reasonable and logical answer to the abortion problem. This is why the mother has the right to choose in the first trimester only and after that the fetus has the right to life, like anyone else. Works Cited Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. The Ethics of Abortion. New York: Prometheus Books, 2001. Johnson, Robert V. Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Babyââ¬â¢s First Year. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994. Mason, J K, and R A McCall Smith. Law and Medical Ethics. London: Butterworths, 1994. McDonagh, Eileen L. Breaking the Abortion Deadlock. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Reiman, Jeffrey. Abortion and the Ways We Value Human Life. Boston: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC., 1999. Solinger, Rickie. Abortion Wars. Los Angles: University of California Press, 1998.
Monday, September 2, 2019
A Floral Engagement :: essays research papers fc
A Floral Engagement A Floral Engagement From the brides bouquet to the beautiful centerpieces few people realize the time, effort, and consideration that goes into the planning a wedding. The floral patterns and arrangements are just one part of the battle, but if you think about how many flowers are in a wedding then it is easy to see that they are the hardest part of putting a it together. Did you ever think about how many flowers are actually in a wedding? The bouquets and flowers are a very important part of a wedding day. A bridal bouquet should be a reflection of style and should compliment the brideââ¬â¢s dress. It adds that special touch to create the mood desired for the wedding. Flowers should show true depth and add beautiful colors and to a wedding dress. Brides usually try to find bouquets and floral patterns that have a completely unique elegance that reflects them for their special day. There are many things a bride has to do before her wedding day in order for her floral decisions to contrast nicely. Like determining her wedding style or theme, so that all the flowers in the church match the types of things (music, decorations) in the wedding. Hiring a wedding consultant, if she plans to use one to help her out with things including the floral arrangements. Deciding on a color scheme, this way there are not too many contrasting colors in the flowers at the wedding/reception. Planing the reception, like where itââ¬â¢s going to be and climate matters for certain types of flowers. Selecting the dress and headpiece, so that the bouquet matches perfectly. Selecting a professional florist, so she gets the best quality service for a reasonable amount of money. Selecting the bridesmaids' dresses, according to the color scheme, of course, they have to match all the flowers and bouquets also. Deposits have to be paid and contracts have to be signed so that there is no con fusion on what the bride wants, and is going to get. Having both mothers coordinate and pick their dresses, so that they match the color scheme as well. Selecting the men's (groom, and groomââ¬â¢s men) wedding attire so it matches the theme and color scheme. Then finalizing all the details with the florist. Believe it or not, there are a lot of considerations to think of when planning on what kind of flowers and arrangements they want.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Accounting Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited Essay
1. Executive Summary The aim of this report is to provide an accounting analysis of the 2011 annual report for Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), and a critique of the reporting of their performance. The report discusses the choice of accounting policies and the flexibility of these policies. The main objective of this report is to evaluate and recognise the possibility of using creative accounting within the company, recognise and questionable accounting numbers within items listed previously. A number of items have been selected from Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. 2. Overview Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), has history of 137 years with network of over 280 branches operating in Queensland. It offers core banking (commercial/retail), equipment finance, wealth management and insuranceservices. BOQ is listed on the ASX and uses its unique concept of the Owner-Managed Branch (OMB),a partnership between the Bank of Queensland (franchisor) and experienced bank managers (franchisees) to provide banking services. See more:à Capital budgeting essay 3. Description of key accounting policies and standards 3.1 Loans and advances at amortised cost (Asset) As shown on BOQââ¬â¢s Balance sheet in FY11, loans and advances at amortised cost are big-ticket itemsin its assets accounting for approximately 98 per cent. According to the significant accounting policies explored by BOQ annual report 2011, loans and advances are originated by the bank and are recognised upon cash being advanced to the borrower. Based on AASB13, loans and advances are initially recognised at fair value plus incremental direct transaction cost using the effective interest method. 3.2 Deposits and borrowing (Liability) Deposits, as the one of the most important cash inflows of the bank, follow ruleAASB13 as well. They are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs and thenby using the effective interest method, they are measured at amortised cost. It is classified in two concentrations: retail deposits and wholesale deposits. 3.3 Employee benefits (Expense) This item follows AASB119Employee Benefits which has been amended in its accounting rules affecting the measurement of its obligations and the timing of recognition of termination benefits. Employee benefits can be classified to four categories: wages, salaries and annual leave; long service leave; superannuation plan and share based payments. 4. Flexibility of Management in Selecting the Key Accounting Policies It is undeniable that having flexiblemanagement can exert positive effects on the presentation of companyââ¬â¢s annual financial report. Specifically, from the Bank of Queenslandà ´s perspective, if mangers have considerable adaptability in selecting the key accounting policies, the financial performance of Bank of Queensland Ltd can be improved; therefore more investors and customers would give priority to cooperating with them in the future. 4.1 Loan and Advances at Amortized Cost 4.1.1 Flexibility Analysis The measurement of loans and advances at amortized cost is extremelyfavourable to commercial banks. From BOQââ¬â¢s consolidated financial annual report, the loan and advances at amortized cost accounted for around 83.3% of total assets in 2011, it had increased from 31,736,5 million to 33,276,1 million during 2010 to 2011. This change in $1539, 6 million was caused by impairment charges made by managers of the bank. The increase of loans and advances at amortized cost could enhance the customers trust in the bank. Sincefinancial funds, credit business and debts are the core business transaction of the banking industry, this itemappears to increase receivable accounts. Also, as banks could charge a reasonable rate of interest on such future loans/advances, they are able utilizethis income to pay current liabilities, wage and salaries of employees, and also the tax liability of business. Consequently, the BOQââ¬â¢s managers have selected a flexible accounting policy in this item. 4.1.2 Accounting policies analysis Being dominant in the assets, loans and advances at amortized cost carries the burden of generating cash. The way that Bank of Queensland recognizes loans and advances at amortized cost can be separated to two phases. Initially, loans are recognized at fair value plus incremental direct transaction costs. Secondly, BOQ uses effective interest method to measure the amortized cost at each reporting date. The advantage of this accounting policy is that including direct transaction cost in the loan price can offset the actual transaction cost occurred and maximize the profit for the bank. Additionally, the effective interest method is considered as one of the prior methods for amortizing a bond discount. Theoretically, investors require a discount on bonds because the market interest rate at the time of issue is higher than the coupon payments on the bond. Therefore, by amortizing the discount at the market interest rate, accounting statement of Bank of Queensland will exactly reveal the economic reality of the bond issue and its true cost of debt. 4.2Deposits and Borrowing 4.2.1 Flexibility Analysis Due to the characteristics of banking industry, there is a high flexibility for management in these two liabilities. It is noticeable that deposits and borrowing accounted for about 97% of total liabilities on the balance sheet. Occupying 69% of total deposits, managers pay more attention to Retail Banking Services because of itsattractiveness to customers compared to other types of deposits. 4.2.2 Accounting Policies Analysis This policy states that securitization set-up costs relating to on-balance sheet assets are included with securitization borrowings, and amortization is recorded as interest expense. Initially, excluding off-balance sheet costs makes the liability much smaller and enlarges their net assets. Likewise, interest on debt is a tax-deductible expense and creates a tax shield benefiting Bank of Queensland. The major function for this policy is to save cash flows for BOQ. 4.3 Employee Benefits 4.3.1 Flexibility Analysis Employee expenses mainly consist of share based payments and employee benefits. All of these kinds of financial activities are beneficialto BOQ.The result from increasing incentives to employees applies as it encourages them to performenthusiasticallywhicheventuallyleads to higher profits for the firm. 4.3.2 Accounting policy analysis Among Employee Benefits, shared based payments are distinguished. The accounting policy demonstrates that Bank of Queensland allows employees to acquire its shares, options and rights sold recognized in the Employee Benefits Reserve. This expense could be reversed if the loss is not due to a market condition. This is highly beneficial as it encourages employees to purchase shares of their own company but, on the other hand, as more shares are sold, the higher price rises in the stock exchange. 5. Quality of Disclosure Made in BOQ Accounts The quality of disclosure in the BOQà ´s policies, strategy, performance and financial statements and reports is satisfactory as it provides accessible, transparent and fairly justified information. As the BOQ is a listed company, it has to comply with all ASX disclosure policies and reporting but in addition it also complies with the ASX Corporate Governance Recommendations as well as the Australian Prudential Standards (APS) (Profit Announcement 2011). In the profit announcement report for 2011, BOQ discloses a number of disclosure principles which include management, board structure, ethical and responsible decision making, financial reporting, timely and balanced disclosure, respect rights of shareholders, recognize and manage risk, remuneration. 5.1 Business Strategy and Economic Consequences The business strategy and economic consequences are disclosed in the notes to the annual report in terms of the risk management of the company. As it explains in these notes the bank approach is to manage its risk in terms of credit risk, market risk, liquidity, operational risk, compliance policies and capital management. As it states in the annual report there is a high level of assessment and monitoring of these risks in order to follow the companyà ´s strategy. 5.2 Notes to the Financial Statements ââ¬â Explanation of Policies The notes to the financial statements and reports do provide an explanation to the bankà ´s management policies. According to the 2011 Annual Report these policies provide effectiveness and efficiency in terms of managing the risks described above as well as creating controls to support growth and competitive advantage. An example of these policies in 2011 was a strong expense management which lead them to reduce their cost-to-income ratio from 45.8% to 44.5%. Moreover, these policies provide regulatory compliance as well as performance management. 5.3 Explanation of Current Performance BOQ through its yearly Profit Announcement Report clearly explains its current performance in terms of its principal activities. It states its current level of profitability and the main reasons for any losses. As well as these profit or losses explanations the report shows explanations for changes in expenses, asset growth, retail deposit growth, branch network expansion and capital management. 5.4 Accounting / Financial Rules In terms of financial conventions that restrict the firm as a banking institution, the main one is the Basel II Accord in which the bank is obligated to maintain capital adequacy requirements. In the 2011 Annual report is mentioned that Tier 1 capital made up of equity capital and disclosed reserves was higher than required by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Moreover, AASB 124 Related Party Disclosures is additionally disclosed in order to understand the impact on the firm. Moreover it discloses all its consolidated statements for all subsidiaries of the group following all consolidation standards. 5.5 Segment Disclosure The quality of the segment disclosure for BOQ is sufficient as it discloses its two operating segments, and since the bank operates only in Queensland, it does not need geographical segmentation. It discloses the high level metrics for both of the banking and insurance segments as well as consolidated totals (Annual Report 2011 pg. 89). Also, following consolidation requirements it eliminates inter-company transactions (Annual Report 2011 pg. 89). 6. Questionable Accounting Numbers The most important and questionable numbers can be seen in the yearly Profit Announcement where BOQ announced a net loss after tax of 90.6 million AUD. The explanation for this loss was attributed to significant impairment charges. As the income analysis shows that the company made a reasonable operating income loss, but the large part of the loss was due to a revision of their commercial loans and provisioning approach. They decided to increase these specific commercial loan provisions more than close to 90 million due to the continuous decline in commercial property in Queensland. Along with loan impairments, the bank also impaired a substantial amount of assets, also because of the decline if commercial property. Furthermore in the Directors Report in 2011 there were some potential red flags regarding remuneration. As the bank went through a restructure last year there were a number of high level managerial positions that changed in this period. During this transition there were a number of payments classified as à ´others` that did not have a clear explanation. An example of this includes a payment of half a million dollars to the previous CEO to à ´ensure a smooth transition` between him and the newly appointed CEO. While taking into account the Directorà ´s report is audited by KPMG, this payment seemed excessive. 7. Undone Distortions Based on previous parts, the conclusion has arrived that BOQ suffered net loss of $90.6 million because of the tremendous growth in impairment loss. The footnote disclosures in the Profit Announcement provide the composition of the impairment loss. According to note 11, loan impairment expenses totalled $327.7 million. $165.7 million of this amount is specific provision impairment and the rest $162 million relates to collective provision. Moreover, impairment loss for assets also amounts to $578.7 million. Note 4suggests that BOQà ´s management increase its impairment loss based on their estimates of dropping commercial property market. However, this estimate comes from historical experience and professional judgment. In contrast, the estimate might be different from actual results. Therefore, distortions may arise resulting from overstated impairment loss. In order to undo the distortion, the impairment loss should have been adjusted to a lower level with fewer provisions. 8. Financial Press Discussions Even before the Profit Announcement of BOQ came out, many financial reporters foresaw the net loss of BOQ resulting from increasing impairment loss. The downturns in tourism and recent natural disasters impacted Queenslandââ¬â¢s economy negatively, and the conditions in Queensland were expected to remain challenging in the future because of strong Australian dollar. As a result, for BOQââ¬â a company that is highly exposed to Queensland housing market, the current poor performance of might not change in short term.Following by the poor performance, BOQ isnow struggling to keep regulators happy and keep its capital at acceptable level. On 26 March 2012, BOQ announced aequity rising of $450 million. However, by doing this, the existing shareholders of BOQ will be heavily diluted and it will cause its share price to drop significantly.
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