The Outbreak Of Ebola Virus - 1866 Words

The recent outbreak of the ebola virus in 2014 reminds the world of the vulnerability of society because of the great force of disease. However, this outbreak of ebola is miniscule in comparison to all the pestilence and plague that has emerged throughout history. Nothing compares to the bubonic plague, which killed one-third of Europe’s population, smallpox, which completely eradicated some indigenous populations in the Americas, and AIDS/HIV, which is one of the greatest challenges the world faces today. All of these are characterized by to no methods of treatment (at their height), extremely painful symptoms, and their ability to spread easily. The Black Death, smallpox, and AIDS may be considered the most devastating pandemics to†¦show more content†¦When Columbus first brought this disease to the Americas, he landed on the island of Hispaniola, now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Here in 1507, the local indigenous group of three million people, the Tai no, was exposed to smallpox. A couple of decades later, the Taino were completely extinct. Soon afterwards, smallpox spread to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. Every two years, three to four million Indians continued to die. As a result, it destroyed all Aztec civilization. Also, religious and political leaders were among those that died, and this only weakened the social structure of this region. Smallpox led to the loss of culture, knowledge, and tradition (Mari 24-28). Even recently after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the government of the United States has been concerned with the possibility of smallpox being used as a weapon of bioterrorism. In other words, smallpox, a biological agent is purposely spread as an act of terrorism (Smallpox). On the other hand, HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, which has 62% of the world’s HIV cases. Because sub-Saharan Africa is home to 70% o f the poorest people in the world, people lack the skills and the money they need to survive. Therefore, the only way they can get their basic needs is the risky behavior. For example, women have to engage in sexual transactions for commercial

Interpersonal Communications Concept Analysis Paper

Katie Latimer November 1st, 2012 COMM 218 Concept Application Paper Communication takes place in any and all locations, intentionally and unintentionally, and it can be positive or negative. Many of our personal traits and character qualities can affect how we communicate with other people, and how they communicate with us. Recently, I had an experience that further proved this point to me in a very real and tangible way. Growing up, I have been known as levelheaded and optimistic. I don’t let a lot of distractions or emotions change or affect the way I act around others. As an athlete, my coaches always knew that if they called me into a game I would handle the pressure and play to the best of my ability, so I decided to change†¦show more content†¦I realize now, what I was feeling was a result of social comparison. According to Alder, Rosenfeld amp; Proctor (2013), social comparison is â€Å"†¦evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare with others. We decide whether we are superior or inferior and similar or different by comparing ourselves to what social scientists call reference groups...† (p. 69). Social comparison, in this instance, brought upon feelings of inferiority, as I was displaying undesirable qualities. After a very disheartening day at class, I went home. By the time my mom came home, my attitude had worsened. First she asked me â€Å"What happened?†. I responded by saying, â€Å"Nothing, I’m fine.† Which she took literally, by the content of my words, when I was hoping that she would take them in a relational sense and see that I wasn’t really â€Å"fine†. In this instance, my mother was hearing my words in a contextual form, so when I said, â€Å"I’m fine.†, she heard me saying that I was okay and nothing was wrong. If she had realized that I was communicating with her relationally, she could have been able to tell by the tone of my voice and my non-verbal communications that I was not really â€Å"fine†. At the end of this very long day, I saw my boyfriend. While I am more open with him than I am with other people, I know that he still sees me as a smiling, level-headed person. Somehow he immediately knew that something was wrong. I decided to self-disclose to him, and tell him what was wrong. I told himShow MoreRelatedIntercultural Interview1422 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION Ââ€" SPRING 2007 PROFESSOR CIRAULO INTERCULTURAL INTERVIEW PAPER ASSIGNMENT: Achieving competence as an interpersonal communicator in a diverse society is necessary to your personal and professional success. One way to enhance our understanding of interpersonal communication as a relationship-building activity is to engage in first hand dialogue with people from cultures other than your own. 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ACCOUNTING SYSTEM INSIGHTS Free Essays

AIS – Final Study Chapter Highlights Chapter 1 – ACCOUNTING SYSTEM INSIGHTS 1. Enterprise system – A system that supports business activities throughout the enterprise, including inputs, processing, and outputs 2. Integrated enterprise system – Shares data across functional areas within the enterprise 3. We will write a custom essay sample on ACCOUNTING SYSTEM INSIGHTS or any similar topic only for you Order Now Business processes – Related activities performed by an enterprise to create value by transforming input into output 4. Value chain – An organizing framework for business processes, beginning with vendors and ending with customers Baseline accounting system – A model that provides an enterprise-wide view of the firm`s accounting system 1. Transaction cycles – Accounting transactions related to specific business processes (1) Purchasing cycle – Transactions related to purchasing items from vendors (2) Payroll cycles – Transactions with employees (3) Sales cycle – Exchange or transactions between an enterprise and its customers 2. Vendors module – A module related to purchasing goods and services 3. Customers module – A module related to selling the customer a product or service 4. Employee module – A module related to the payroll cycle 5. Banking module – A module that involves cash received and cash paid 6. Financial module – A module that includes adjusting and correcting entries (1) Adjusting entries – Entries to bring accounts up to date at year end (2) Correcting entries – Entries to correct errors (3) Closing entries – Zeros out income and expense accounts at year end 7. Reports module – A module that relates to output from the accounting system (1) Financial reports – Reports that include a company`s income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows (2) Tax reports – Reports used when filling federal, state, and local returns (3) Management reports – Reports prepared to assist managers in making decisions (4) Sustainability reports – Reports used to evaluate an enterprise`s sustainability performance What is the importance and value of information as an asset? Today, the value of information assets for some business exceeds the value of other assets, such as land and buildings What is the role of the accounting system within the larger enterprise system? * The accounting system spans the entire value chain of an enterprise, tracking transaction information from the purchase of items from vendors through the sale of products or services to customers. Business processes are associated with the related acco unting transactions known as transaction cycles. Also read  Modules 9 10 The purchasing cycle consists of employee and payroll transactions. The sales cycle involves exchanges or transactions between an enterprise and its customers. In addition to the accounting system, other modules or subsystem can include supply chain management (SCM), operations/production system (OPS), human resource management (HRM), and customer relationship management (CRM). What are the database essentials that today’s accounting professional needs to know? 1) A field is a piece of data, such as customer first name (2) A record is a collection of related fields, such as a customer record (3) A table is a collection of related records, such as a CUSTOMER table (4) A database is a collection of related tables, such as an accounting database (5) A database form is a computer-based form for entering data into the database (6) A database query is used to extract data from a database, such as searching for a customer’s account balance. (7) A database report is a computer- based output to display What are the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) phases? The system development life cycle organizes the activities involved in developing a new system into the following six distinct phases: (1) Plan the system project including scheduling, budgeting, and staffing (2) Analyze the new system requirements, such as what reports are required and what data needs to be collected by the system (3) Design business processes and databases for the new system (4) Build/buy and test databases and computer programs for the new system (5) Install new IT hardware, software, and databases 6) Deploy the new system, using the system on an ongoing basis and maintaining and updating it as necessary. Why is it important to safeguard information assets? * To protect information assets, organizations implement security and controls to prevent fraud, unauthorized access, modification, destruction, or disclosure. Internal control is the set of policies and procedures enterprises use to safeguard assets, including information assets, and to prevent and detect errors. What are the three functions of an accounting system in today’s business environment? 1) Collecting, recording, and storing financial and accounting data (2) Providing financial analytics and business intelligence for improved decision making and business performance (3) Safeguarding information assets stored in accounting systems using security, controls, and risk management Chapter 2 – ACCOUNTING DATABASES 1. Operational database – Databases used to store data related to business operations and transactions 2. Data warehouse – Stores data from a variety of sources and is used for business intelligence 3. Database administrator (DBA) – Responsible for managing the enterprise’s databases 4. Intersection table – Placed at the junction of two tables to eliminate a many-to-many relationship 5. Composite primary key – Used when more than one field is required to uniquely identify a record 6. Normalization – A process for removing database anomalies or problems 7. Database integrity – Ensures that the database contains accurate, valid data Rule 1: Entity integrity Each record in the database must have a unique identifier. No two records in the database can have the same primary key value. Rule 2: Primary key integrity The primary key value cannot be null (empty). Rule 3: Domain integrity The field values must be from a pre-defined domain. Rule 4: Referential integrity Data referenced and stored in related tables must be consistent across the database. DBMS is a software used to (1) Create database tables (2) Transfer data from the accounting software to the database (3) Update data in the database (4) Delete data from the database (5) Sort database tables (6) Run queries What data is stored in accounting databases? * Organizations store data about assets, liabilities, operations, transactions, employees, customers, vendors, and more in databases. Accounting databases needs to be well structured, redundancy-free, consistent, and current What are the three tiers in accounting system architecture? (1) Database tier: The back-end accounting database stores accounting data in database tables. A back-end database management system (DBMS) sorts, stores, inserts, updates, and deletes accounting data and runs queries (2) Application tier: Accounting software applications interact with the DBMS to access the back-end accounting database (3) User tier: The user tier consists of the interface appearing on the accountant’s computer screen. The user interface consists of database forms and reports. What are enterprise databases? * Enterprise databases used by an enterprise for business purposes can be considered as one of two types: internal databases or external databases (1) Internal databases are databases in which the data belongs to the organization. Internal databases consist of two varieties: operational databases and data warehouses. Operational databases, such as an accounting database, store enterprise transactions. Data warehouses store data from a variety of sources. 2) External databases are databases containing data collected by other organizations. What problems can result from poorly designed databases? * Poorly designed databases may contain database problems or anomalies, such as problems with inserting, updating, and deleting data. This can result in inaccurate, unreliable accounting data. * Three types of database anomalies (problems) are DUI: Deletion, Update, Insertion What are the steps used to bu ild an accounting database? (1) Identify and build database tables (2) Identify and enter fields in each database table (3) Select the primary key for each table 4) Identify and build relationships among database tables, removing any many-to-many relationships by creating intersection tables Chapter 3 – ACCOUNTING INTERFACE 1. Graphical User Interface (GUI) – User interface containing images and icons 2. Data validation – Tools used to minimize data entry errors, such as drop-down lists 3. Real-time reports – Reports that provide up-to-the-minute data without a time lag 4. Live reports – Reports that provide up-to-the-minute data continuously 5. Structured query language (SQL) – Code used to search and retrieve data 6. Query Builder Tools – Streamlines query development What is the role of the accounting system interface? * The accounting system user interface plays an important role in entering accounting data and retrieving accounting information. The accountant views the interface on the screen, and the RDBMS and database are behind the screen. The accounting software interface interacts with the RDBMS using database forms, queries, and reports. Features of a well-designed interface include user-friendly, effortless navigation, and customizable preferences. What is the role of database forms? Database forms are commonly used to input data into accounting system. The database forms are frequently designed to look like commonly used and familiar items, such as an invoice or a check. What is the role of database reports? * The output of the accounting system is typically displayed in a report format. The report displayed on the user’s computer screen is actually a database report that is formatted to meet accounting requirements. The database report uses information from the database to populate the report. What is the role of database queries? * One component of the user interface is retrieval or query. Sometimes the interface will call this a search and provide a form where the search question can be entered. In other instances, a query may be run to prepare a report, retrieving data from the database to enter into the database report that appears on the user’s computer screen. Well-designed database forms are designed to save time and minimize data entry errors. A few general guidelines for database form design include the following: (1) Enter data once (2) Use data validation (3) Enable auto entry (4) Mirror paper forms (5) Design user-friendly forms (6) Implement appropriate security Chapter 4 – ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS AND B. PROCESSES 1. Data flow diagrams (DFDs) – a technique used to document business processes using agent, event, data store, and data flow symbols 2. Data flows – shows how data enter, moves, and exits a system 3. Data stores – a database table represented by an open rectangle 4. Events – a process represented by a rounded rectangle 5. Agents – a person or department represented by a square symbol 6. External agent – an agent outside the enterprise 7. Internal agent – employees within the organization 8. Event-agent-database (EAD) table – each row in this table corresponds to an event in a DFD 9. DFD Fragment – a DFD of a single event 10. Black hole – a DFD error that occurs when data goes into a process but no data exists 11. Gray hole – a DFD error that occurs when the input data does not correspond to the output data 12. Miracle – a DFD error that occurs when there is no input to a process The approach to reading a DFD is to use the following four steps (1) Identify the agents (internal and external) (2) Identify events (3) Identify database tables (4) Trace the data flows How are accounting systems developed today? * Today, most accounting systems are developed in two stages. First, baseline accounting software is selected. Then the accounting software is customized to meet the enterprise’s specific needs. How is customization of accounting systems documented? * Customizing an accounting system involves documenting the specific needs of the enterprise using data flow diagrams to provide a detailed view of the enterprise’s business processes. Each module of the baseline model can be customized to meet the enterprise’s needs. Additional modules might also be needed to provide the required customization, such as a production module to track manufacturing costs. Chapter 5 – BUSINESS PROCESSES 1. Gap Analysis refers to analyzing the gap between the baseline modules and the customization required to meet enterprise-specific needs. 2. Big Bang refers to when all system modules are built and implemented for the entire enterprise at the same time. 3. Stages refers to when modules or locations for a new system are built and implemented stage by stage instead of all at once. How are business processes documented? * The baseline accounting system can be customized using data flow diagrams (DFDs) to document the enterprise’s business processes. What is gap analysis? * A gap analysis identifies the gap between the selected baseline system, such as SAP, and the customization required by the specific enterprise. What is the difference between the big bang approach and stages approach to customization? * The two approaches to customization are big bang and stages. The big bang approach is used when all the modules are built and implemented for the entire enterprise at the same time. The stages approach involves completing modules or locations stage by stage instead of all at once. What is a workflow management system? Workflow management systems automate workflow by automatically forwarding the electronic document to the next step in the business process. Chapter 6 – INTEGRATED ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS 1. Order-to-cash – corresponds to the sales cycle 2. Procure-to-pay – corresponds to the purchasing cycle 3. Spaghetti code – programming code used to connect stand-alone systems 4. Three-tier architecture à ¢â‚¬â€œ when an enterprise system uses layers of IT components: enterprise database, application, and client computers 5. Firewall – software programs on a router that monitor network traffic 6. Business process management (BPM) – transforming business processes to improve efficiency Top Reasons for Failed ERPs include the following: (1) Unrealistic budget. Underestimated costs. Overestimated benefits. (2) Unrealistic schedule. Not enough time allowed for project completion. (3) Not a good fit. User requirements are not net. Baseline system not a good fit with business processes. (4) Too much change. Failure to educate employees on changes to expect. Lack of adequate change management. (5) Lack of project champion at the top. Commitment by top management is lacking to champion the project. What are advantages of an integrated enterprise system? * The integrated enterprise system offers many advantages over the functional silo approach to enterprise systems. The accounting functions are integrated into the larger enterprise system, permitting accounting to share data with other functional areas and better coordinate activities. What are challenges associated with an integrated enterprise system? * Challenges of an integrated enterprise system include business processes that may need to be redesigned and managing the changes required by the new system. How is data entered in an integrated enterprise system? Database forms that relate to business process activities permit users to enter data once into the IES and have the data shared throughout the enterprise, eliminating the need for different functional areas to rekey the same data. How does an integrated enterprise system relate to the accounting system? * Integrated enterprise system use a modular approach that is con sistent with the baseline accounting system model. The basic module names may vary but the functions are basically the same. Integrated enterprise systems integrate accounting with other modules for an enterprise. Customer and vendor systems can also be integrated. Chapter 10 – FRAUD AND INTERNAL CONTROL 1. Entity-level IT controls – processes, organization structure, and leadership for IT to support an organization’s business strategy and objectives, such as internal audits 2. IT general controls – controls that apply to IT services in general and ensure continued IT operation and availability, such as change and access controls 3. Application controls – controls embedded within business process applications, such as accounting software controls A. Classification by the control objectives specified in the COSO internal control framework: i. Operation controls – controls to ensure that operations are completed appropriately, such as the timing of cash disbursements to ensure that late fees are avoided ii. Financial controls – controls to ensure that external financial reports are prepared on a timely basis in compliance with laws, regulation, or contractual agreements iii. Compliance controls – controls to maintain confidentiality of information in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations B. Classification by how the process is completed: iv. Manual controls – controls performed without the assistance of technology v. Automated controls – controls performed automatically by computers 1. Input controls – controls over data entered into the system 2. Processing controls – controls to ensure that amounts have been processed appropriately 3. Output controls – controls to ensure that reports are distributed only to appropriate users vi. Hybrid controls – a combination of manual and automated controls What is SOX and how does it affect the accounting system? Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation resulted from the accounting scandals of 2002. This legislation requires organizations to use recognized framework for internal controls. As a result, many organizations adopted COSO’s Internal Control – Integrated Framework and the COBIT framework for IT controls What is IT control architecture? * IT control architecture is a blueprin t for IT controls in the organization. This blueprint shows that internal control impacts IT at three levels within the organization resulting in three levels of IT controls: * Entity-level IT controls Application controls * IT general controls How can control weaknesses be documented? (1) Build a DFD (2) Document preventive and selective controls on the DFD (3) Document control HotSpots on the DFD Fraud and abuse can be classified into three broad categories: (1) Corruption, such as bribery (2) Misappropriation of assets, including theft of cash, fraudulent disbursements, or stealing merchandise (3) Fraudulent financial reporting, such as misstating financial statements in order to meet earning targets. Three elements required to prove fraud are the followings: 1) A material false statement is made with the intent to deceive (2) A victim relies upon the false statement (3) The victim incurs damages The fraud triangle depicts the three conditions that typically must exist in order f or a fraud to be perpetrated (1) Motive – reason for committing the fraud, such as financial difficulties (2) Opportunity – access to the asset or financial statements in order to carry out the fraud (3) Means – knowledge or skills that permit the perpetrator to commit the crime Internal Control is a process, effected by an entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel. This process is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reliability of financial reporting, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) emphasize a strong system of internal control as a means of avoiding Enron-sized accounting frauds. SOX Requirements to remember (1) Section 302. Corporate responsibility for financial reports (2) Section 404. Management assessment of internal controls (3) Section 806. Protection for employees of publicly traded companies who provide evidence of fraud (4) Section 906. Corporate responsibility for financial reports Audit and Internal Controls (SOX) (1) Audit of internal control – tests of controls to obtain evidence that internal control over financial reporting has operated effectively (2) Audit of financial statements – tests of controls to assess risk and substantive procedures to collect evidence regarding the accuracy, completeness (3) IT audit – audit of IT controls 4) Integrated audit – integrates an audit of internal control with an audit of financial statements There are two types of deficiencies that may be found in internal control over financial reporting: (1) Material weakness – deficiency that results in a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis (2) Significant deficiency – a deficiency in internal control o ver financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness COSO (Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commission) Internal Control Objectives 1) Effectiveness and efficiency of operations (2) Reliability of financial reporting (3) Compliance with laws and regulation Internal Control Components (1) Control environment – control environment factors include integrity and ethical values, importance of board directors, management philosophy and operating style, organization structure, commitment to financial reporting competencies, authority and responsibility, and human resources (2) Risk assessment – involves identifying, analyzing, and managing risks that affect a company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data properly. Risk assessment control objectives include the following: A. Importance of financial reporting objectives B. Identification and analysis of financial reporting risks C. Assessment of fraud risk (3) Control activities – include policies and procedures to mitigate risks including financial, operational, and compliance controls. Control activities include the following: D. Segregation of duties – to divide authorization, recording, and asset custody among different individuals E. Independent reconciliations of assets and accounting records – such as bank statement reconciliations and inventory reconciliations F. Physical controls – to provide for physical security of assets, such as security cameras and restricted access to corporate buildings G. IT controls – to ensure appropriate information processing, authorization, and data integrity. (E. g. Data validation) (4) Information and communication – includes the accounting system for identifying, recording, processing, and reporting transactions and financial data. An organization’s system produces reports, containing operational, financial, and compliance information. Internal control principles related to this component include information technology, information needs, information control, management communication, upstream communication, board communication, and communication with external parties (5) Monitoring – involves assessing internal controls as well as the process for taking corrective action if needed. Effective monitoring includes: H. Ongoing monitoring – such as controls over purchasing I. Separate evaluations – such as an internal audit that assesses internal controls. J. Upstream communication to report internal control deficiencies COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology) Three Dimensions (1) IT Resources can be divided into the following four categories: A. Application – consists of manual and programmed procedures to process information B. Information – includes structured and unstructured data in any form, such as text, graphics, pictures, audio and video. Data is input, processed, and output by the system C. Infrastructure – refers to IT technology including hardware and software. It may also include physical structures, such as a data center facility D. People – includes staff members as well as their knowledge and skills to plan, organize, acquire, implement, deliver, support, monitor, and evaluate IT processes and systems (2) IT Processes deliver information, run applications, and use infrastructure and people to accomplish IT goals in light of business requirements. IT processes are grouped into the following four domains E. Plan and Organize (PO) domain – relates to IT strategy and tactics to contribute to attaining business goals F. Acquire and Implement (AI) domain – identifies, acquires (built or bought), and implements IT solutions. Also ensures that the SDLC phases and activities are used when upgrading and modifying current systems G. Deliver and Support (DS) domain – concerned with the delivery of IT services. Encompasses IT operations, security and training. Assures the continued support and maintenance of these services H. Monitor and Evaluate (ME) domain – monitors IT processes for compliance with control requirements. Includes management oversight of control processes as well as independent assurance services provided by internal and external audits (3) Business Requirements (Information Criteria) I. Three criteria relate to the information security: confidentiality, integrity, availability (CIA) J. For the remaining four criteria, COBIT relies upon definitions used by COSO’s Internal Control – Integrated Framework (Effectiveness, Efficiency, Reliability, Compliance) Chapter 11 – CYBERSECURITY What are the 10 domains of cybersecurity? (1) Legal, regulations, compliance, and investigations (2) Information security and risk management (3) Security architecture and design (4) Telecommunications, network, and Internet security (5) Control access (6) Operations security (7) Physical and environmental security 8) Application security (9) Business continuity and disaster recovery (10) Cryptography What is the scope of cybersecurity in the accounting system? * Cybersecurity in an enterprise is not limited to just guarding against hackers and cyberattacks. It involves many aspects of enterprise operations, including how you train and educate your employees about secur ity awareness to safeguarding information assets, how to implement new technologies in a security conscious manner, how to maintain backups in order to recover and continue business operations, and how to provide the highest level of security in a cost-effective way Why is encryption important in securing accounting data? * For accounting purposes, encryption provides an especially valuable tool offering increased data integrity and confidentiality. Encryption can be used for accounting data in transit and for accounting data stored in the database. If an attacker is successful in penetrating the enterprise security and reaches the database, encryption of the stored data is an additional line of defense *Refer to Lecture PPT slides for more detailed information regarding key terms. Chapter 12 – THE RISK INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE What is a risk intelligent enterprise? * The risk intelligent enterprise moves beyond security and controls to managing risk and then to using risk to create value What is the enterprise risk management (ERM) framework? * The ERM framework offers guidance to enterprises implementing enterprise risk management. ERM units may consist of entity-level units, divisions, business units, and/or subsidiaries * The four ERM objectives are Strategic – relate to goals that support the entity’s mission * Operational – relate to the effective and efficient use of the entity’s resources * Reporting – relate to the reliability of the enterprise’s reporting, both internal and external * Compliance – relates to the entity’s compliance with all applicable laws and regulations * The eight ERM components consist of * Internal environment – involves the risk management philosophy of the ente rprise, including the tone set by top management. Risk resilience, risk appetite, risk tolerance, integrity, and ethical values also affect the nternal environment * Objective setting – setting objectives that are consistent with the entity’s mission and risk appetite * Event identification – involves identifying potential events that might affect the entity. Events can be either internal events or external events that might affect the entity’s ability to achieve objectives. * Risk assessment – the process of assessing the extent to which events would impact an entity’s ability to achieve its objectives (impact/likelihood) * Risk response (avoidance/reduction/sharing/acceptance) * Control activities Information and communication * Monitoring What is spreadsheet risk management? * A significant risk for many enterprises is the widespread use of spreadsheets with limited controls. A spreadsheet risk management program includes using access and change controls with spreadsheets in order to be SOX compliant Chapter 13 – ACCOUNTING SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT * This chapter explains stages of SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and SDM (Software Development Methodologies). Refer to Lecture PPT slides for more information. How to cite ACCOUNTING SYSTEM INSIGHTS, Papers

Diploma in Hospitality Management

Questions: 1. Within the first article you will analyze the contribution of the entertainment industry and the development and distribution of different activities to the UK economy.2. In the second article you will compare local, regional and national funding agencies and their impact on the entertainment and venue industry in UK. Answers: The entertainment industry is clearly associated with the show biz or show business. It has contributed significantly to the UK economy. Till now, the show business has contributed around 4.6 billion pounds to the Gross Domestic Product of UK and then over 1.3 billion pounds to the Exchequer as per the independent report. Due to the entertainment industry, the quantity of jobs has significantly increased due to the entertainment industry of UK. It resulted in an increase in the employment of around 44,000 people in 2014. The film industry of UK employs more individuals than both the pharmaceutical and fund management manufacturing sectors with 70 percent of the graduates of the workforce and that people are earning around 32500 GBP that is mainly higher than the average salary (Blanchflower, 2009). The entertainment industrys reputation in the UK is significantly and imperatively strong. The exports of the UK entertainment industry during 2013 were found to be as GBP 2.1 billion and that the trade surplus i.e. net trade contribution since 2000 has been GBP 380 million (British Film Institute, 2015). This mainly indicates a significant increase with the entertainment industry effectively competing within the global market and developing an imperative contribution to the net trade position of UK through promoting the UK abroad emulated by the export earnings. The production that is spent on an inward investment on an average accounts for around 80 percent of the aggregate UK production and this critically contributes GBP 3.7 billion to the GDP of UK followed by GBP 1 billion to Exchequer revenues (British Film Institute, 2015). It should be noted that the growth is also further driven by the investments of the major studio where the example could be associated with the cumulative investment by Pinewood of GBP 63 million since 2007 and hence, it is anticipated to expand in the upcoming years where Pinewood would propose a significant development scheme for extendi ng the capacity of the studio and the GBP 100 million investment at Leavesden by Warner Bros (Humphries, 2006). The entertainment industry of UK makes a contribution substantially to the UKs cultural life and that the UK show businesses are found to be a significant means for expressing the identity of British. The UK audience like the films and plays of UK and that on an average earn 30 percent box office revenue within the domestic cinemas (British Film Institute, 2015). The entertainment industry of UK has boosted the box office GBP 69 million on an average annually since 2000 (British Film Institute, 2015). The sales or revenue for the films of UK on Blu-ray and DVD, films on VoD, film rentals, soundtrack CDs and related computer video games emulated by the merchandising associated with the film which further made a contribution of around GBP 239 million to the GDP of UK and GBP 108 million to the Exchequer (British Film Institute, 2015). 2. In accordance with the department for Culture, Media and Sport, there are skills investment funds mainly to support skills development in the films, high end TV animation, video game industries and visual effects. Government is contributing up to 8 million every year in 2013/14 and 2014/15 through the Skills Investment Fund, match financing industry venture. This is a one off allocation from DCMS to bolster aptitudes in the digital content sectors and innovative commercial ventures and is being conveyed by Creative Skillset. Innovative England are putting forth business loans to digital creative organizations hoping to grow new products, including applications, software and content for the development of cross platform TV, medicinal services, interactive, e-learning and versatile applications. Organizations situated in the South West, North and Midlands will have the capacity to apply for a loan of between GBP 50,000 and GBP 200,000 which is then reimbursed more than three years (Humphries, 2006). The repayments of the loan in the main first year are negligible, trailed by 24 equal reimbursements over the last two years. The loan must be coordinated 50:50 with other fund, sourced by the organi zation (Ukie.org.uk, 2015). Apart from this, the BFI film fund makes a utilization of the National Lottery funds for developing and supporting the genuine UK films and filmmakers which further expands the audiences who can further enjoy them. Their basic aim is to champion bold, diverse and distinctive films while increasing the audiences across the nation UK (Toporowski, 2011). They also make a provision of the support for the development, production and completion of the feature films that would reflect fairly those people having different backgrounds. That would also facilitate high quality British emulated by some of the other independent releases so as to expand the choice of films for the audiences and then also offer a springboard for the film exports of UK. Apart from this, the BFI diversity fund has given a rise to numerous opportunities for some of the individuals for the development on a professional basis and that the supporting organizations and companies so as to demonstrate the leadership within diversity. Some of the other private funding agencies include the names of creative Scotland, Creative England, Northern Ireland Screen and Ffilm Cymru Wales offer development opportunities or funding associated to their nations (Ukie.org.uk, 2015). This further fosters commerce, creativity and the development of the film skills. More than this, the agency of the capital film, Film London, runs directly several schemes related to production that supports the making of the local film (UK stabilizes some science funding, 2013). Apart from this, the direct assistance is further provided in accordance with the form of a Film Tax Relief for benefiting the UK films that are made by the production company of the British Films and that qualify as an official co-production or Cultural test which are aimed for theatrical release and hence, have a significant expenditure for production with at least 10 percent of the making of the films being spent in the UK (Ukie.org.uk, 2015). References Blanchflower, D. (2009). WHERE NEXT FOR THE UK ECONOMY? 1.Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 56(1), pp.1-23. Humphries, C. (2006). Skills in a Global Economy: Ten Proposals for a UK Skills Policy.Local Economy, 21(3), pp.241-248. Toporowski, J. (2011). Profits in the UK economy: some Kaleckian models .Review of Political Economy, 5(1), pp.40-54. UK stabilizes some science funding. (2013).Phys. Today. Ukie.org.uk. (2015). UK games industry contributes 1.43bn to economy | Ukie. [online] Available at: https://ukie.org.uk/news/2015/02/uk-games-industry-contributes-%C2%A3143bn-economy [Accessed 10 Mar. 2016]. British Film Institute. (2015). The economic contribution of the UKs film, high-end TV, video games and animation programme sectors. [online] Available at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/education-research/film-industry-statistics-reports/reports/uk-film-economy/economic-contribution-uks-film-sectors [Accessed 10 Mar. 2016].