Topics For An Opinion Essay For 5th Graders

Topics For An Opinion Essay For 5th GradersTopics for an opinion essay for 5th graders come in many different forms. There are topics about real issues that adults may face in everyday life. There are also topics for kids to share their own personal experiences and views. And there are some topics that are open ended and can be written about anything that the child wants to write about.For kids who are reading this you may think that you would have no problem writing a topic for an opinion essay for fifth graders. After all, they are young and so young writing about anything is just part of the process of getting older. The trouble with kids is that they are very impressionable in this age.So when you consider those great reasons as to why this is so, you will find that many things you thought would work against you when writing a topic for an opinion essay for 5th graders, really don't. Let's talk about some of the reasons why you should be able to write a topic for an opinion essay for 5th graders.One of the reasons why you should be able to write a topic for an opinion essay for fifth graders is that these are the years when most teenagers start writing letters to their parents, go to school, and usually drop out of school altogether. All of those lessons you learned as a child about how to talk to adults will seem rather useless in this case.Another reason why you should be able to write a topic for an opinion essay for fifth graders is that when the Internet first came around it was so new that nobody knew what it would become. We had never seen a website, or heard of an e-mail address before, or knew what a URL was. So you should be able to put together a very good idea about what the Internet is, how it works, and why kids use it.One thing that you will find is that when your kid starts talking about these things in the fifth grade, they can explain the whole concept easily and that is when it will really sink in for you as to how much they understand ab out the Internet. This makes you wonder what you should do about it.When you think about it, the fact that your five-year-old can explain the Internet to you means that they are quite smart. That is not something that most parents realize and you wonder how much further they can get with their education and how much farther you can push them. But the great thing is that the younger the kid is the easier it is to teach them and that is when they get into fifth grade.So if you want to see how easy it is to write a topic for an opinion essay for fifth graders, then go back and read the last article that you read. Then go home and sit down and try to think of some of the topics for an opinion essay for five-year-olds that you know of.

Accounting Cycle free essay sample

This paper seeks to prepare a training handout to help non-finance directors understand the accounting cycle. The paper starts with the definition of accounting cycle and then followed by the discussion of each step involved in the process with the cycle. The accounting cycle is a series of steps which are repeated every accounting period.   An accounting period may refer to time an interval when financial statements; hence it could be monthly or quarter or yearly. Usually it is monthly since corporations or business entities have their board meetings where management is required to provide the board members or directors an update of information on what is happening with the company and outside the company using financial reports or financial statements.  Ã‚   The   process will have to start with an identification of the transaction from the original source documents such as invoice, official receipts, checks that are cancelled, time cards and summaries, contracts, purchase invoice with requisitions slips and corresponding purchase orders if there are any. We will write a custom essay sample on Accounting Cycle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Identify the transactions. In identifying the transaction, there is a need to determine whether the transaction is recordable or not. What will determine of what is recordable transaction is the effect of the transaction on the accounting elements which include the assets, liabilities, owners’ equity, revenues and expenses (Meigs and Meigs.1995). If indeed   the document verified warrants the recording of the transaction because the one or a combination of the accounting elements would be affected then, the accountant or the bookkeeper must extract the following information the from the documents:   the date, amount,   description or purpose of the transaction, name and address of the other parties involved if possible. Analyze the transactions. This will be followed by the analysis of the transaction where the accountant or bookkeeper will determine on which of the accounting elements are affected (Meigs and Meigs.1995). The possible effects are increase or decrease by a certain amount. Make and record the journal entries in the journals.   Make journal entries based on the transactions as analyzed.   Ã‚  Making journal entries involves making a debit or a number of debits and credit or a number of credits   and making its sure that   total debits   equal to total credits under the double entry bookkeeping system. In preparing the journal entries, it must be noted that the journal are kept in chronological order where the transactions first occurring during the month should be recorded ahead of the latter ones (Meigs and Meigs.1995). There is wisdom for doing this, since it is easier to locate and trace things when done this way and to allow regularity of recording as the accountant is expected to perform his or her functions regularly.   With the advent of computers, this chronological recording of transactions and events is encouraged if not automatic because documents, such as receipts and invoices, must come in their serial numbers as transactions are punched in into computer accounting system on a first come first served basis everyday. The journals may normally include the sales journal, purchase journal, cash receipts journal, cash payments journal and the general journal (Smartacus Corporation, 2008).   Cash transactions are recorded either in cash receipts or cash disbursements journal, while non-cash sale and purchases are recorded in the sales journal and purchase journal respectively. What cannot be recorded in the four special journals is recorded in general journal. Post to the Ledger. This process involves the transfer of journal entries or their summaries as afforded by the special journal to the general ledger. Before the transfer to the ledger, the accountant must make it sure that the total debits are equal to total credits from the journal books. Each account title is represented by a separate ledger. An accountant can never arrive at the correct ledger balances which must be derived at the end of the month also assuming again the financial statements are prepared monthly (Smartacus Corporation, 2008). Prepare the unadjusted trial balance. This is done by calculating to verify the sum of the debit and credit and to prove their equality. If the same are not in balance, there is an indication of an error along the way (Meigs and Meigs.1995). Therefore, before the accountant proceeds further, the accountant should go back and try to check the errors from identification to posting. Prepare the necessary adjustments. Adjusting entries are needed to update accounts that were originally recorded as well to recognize accrued and deferred items. This may include providing for bad debts expense from accounts receivable where collectibility is doubtful, providing for depreciation for depreciable non-current assets such as building and equipments.   Other adjustments include accruals and deferrals. Prepare adjusted trial balance. At this stage, the amounts from adjusting entries are integrated or combined to the balances from the trial balance; hence it is called, adjusted trial balances. It is best to prepare a worksheet from the unadjusted trial plus and minus and adjustments in producing the adjusted trial balance (Meigs and Meigs.1995). The worksheet should be extended to provide for income statement and balance sheet columns which must have debit and credit columns Prepare the financial statements. Preparation of the financial statements is the end products of the accounting cycle for purposes of providing information to decision makers (Smartacus Corporation, 2008). Financial statements are therefore making in proper form the data coming from the ten-column worksheet from which the adjusted trial balance and data from the income statement and balance sheet columns are found.

Stereotypes Essays - Stereotypes, Social Psychology, Discrimination

Stereotypes Essays - Stereotypes, Social Psychology, Discrimination Stereotypes Stereotypes are the organizational factors that virtually shape the way we think in 20th century America. They somehow manage to categorize some of lifes most complex matters into nice distinct sections. Classifications and organization, at first glance seem to be useful in distinguishing various aspects of modern life. However, these grouping methods can be very inaccurate, leaving erroneous ideas in the minds of citizens on a global level. Stereotypes, though originating as convenient sorting mechanisms, instead, influence our thinking process. By instituting broad categories, establishing virtually immovable terms, and, often, being mistakenly identified as facts, stereotypes affect the mental process of humans. Originally used as an organizational tool, stereotypes were simply broad generalizations about subject matters. These ideas werent necessarily meant to cause the feelings of anger that they do today, but to classify ideas. However, possibly the most apparent problem with stereotypes is that the sort very intricate subject matter into large, broad categories. For example, human beings are too complex to use generalizations like, all blondes are dumb or all smart people are nerds. Stereotypes use wide terms, to simplify subject matter, but this attempt often ends in an inaccurate result. Despite their wide generalizations, stereotypes establish virtually immovable terms. For example, Third World countries were hastily grouped together not because of social or economic similarities, but out of convenience. Since that time, the industrialized nations have harbored this stereotype that the third world is land of starving children and savage tribes. Despite decades of vast improvement, this stereotype remains unchanged. This rigid stereotype has caused many citizens to embrace a false view of the Third World nations and its citizens. Stereotypes, clearly, should not be mistaken for factual information. Although there may be a certain amount of truth to the statement, the generalization is often inaccurate. Unfortunately, many people believe this information to be not only truthful, but factual. Since most Americans have not visited a Third World country, they believe many misconceptions to be true. In reality, these stereotypes are often wrong. They may apply in some instances, but they should not be considered factual. Through establishing broad categories, creating immovable terms, and being mistakenly identified as facts, stereotypes often place inaccurate ideas in the peoples minds. They have a huge impact on the thought process and ideas. As increasingly more and more people become aware of this error, many of the stereotypes we now embrace will become obsolete. Works Consulted Lane, Charles. Lets Abolish the Third World. Thinking Globally. Andrew E. Robson. McGraw-Hill: United States of America, 1997. 155 160.

Ethnology book report for Social Anthropology Essay

Ethnology book report for Social Anthropology - Essay Example te a reading material that would serve as an eye opener to the present human generation with regards the implicative existence of minor groups in the past so as to make a careful description as to how these groups were able to influence whatever culture, traditions and social understanding the present human generations recognizes today. Hence, as a careful discussion of the said issues, the book offers a clear picture of the past towards the development of the Cree and Martu communities. With the said discussions, the book is then able to give the readers a clear vision and better understanding of the issues that actually make it certain that the said indigenous groups of people have greatly contributed to the progress of human communities towards the present. More than that this published reading also gives a careful examination as to how the present human generation should give important views of appreciation towards the past generations that characterized the ancient human civilization. Anthropological studies have determined and distinguished many indigenous societies and tribes, which can be traced as the roots of most of the major physiological and cultural ancestry of the present contemporary civilization. During the cultural and social development in the human civilization, most of these indigenous tribes have been affected and experienced drastic cultural changes from their traditional ones. Some merge with the others to create a larger and greater social group who used their powers and influence to dominate others while the other social minorities were dominated by greater ones eradicating their personal socio-cultural nature. However at the present, there are still some indigent social tribes who were still able to preserve their own original nature and stay secluded from the major civilizations influence like that of the imperialism of west and the colonialism of the other dominant nations. These social minorities still managed to live with their

In sociocultural terms, Rodgers and Hammerstein could be said to have Essay

In sociocultural terms, Rodgers and Hammerstein could be said to have invented the American Dream. Discuss - Essay Example Richards Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II reflect upon the dream and keeping in mind the transition of American people and the nation, they worked together to make this dream come true in their musicals.   American Dream is a collective imagination that proves the existence of a world where the people’s identity would be finally realized and then the dreams would inspire each and everyone to live peacefully. In socio-cultural terms, Rodgers and Hammerstein could be said to have invented the American Dream. The development of American identity by the musical theatre has been exemplary. American dream is something very intent but superficial because of the fact that it can only be assumed in this century.   In the year 1940, a new Theatre Guild musical produced Away We Go! This was Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s first work. Oscar Hammerstein II was a lyricist and together they created this musical that the audience found boring, serious and old-fashioned. But they made some changes in the same musical and also changed its name to Oklahoma! This development of the musical now found a new approach towards the audience and it was liked by all. The people were facing a difficult time because of the cold war and this musical provided relief and unburdened their problems with enchanting songs, like ‘ people will say we are in love,’ ‘the Surrey With the Fringe on Top,’ ‘Many a New Day,’ ‘Out of My Dreams,’ ‘Kansas City,â₠¬â„¢ ‘I Can’t Say No,’ ‘Oklahoma!’,etc. (Zinsser, 180). In socio-cultural terms, Rodgers and Hammerstein have invented the American dream because of their musical that had an awesome effect on the people living in 1940s. The musical had to be understood and felt by the audience in order to relate to the behavior of the characters that had a cultural context in the musical. This musical earned praises

Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay

Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay Olympus Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of reprography and optics products, founded on 12 October 1919 by Takeshi Yamashita with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of precision machineries and instruments for the imaging, medical, life sciences, information and communication and other markets. The companys imaging system business, though Olympus Imaging Corp., markets compact and lightweight digital cameras, optical lenses and voice recorders. The medical systems business, though Olympus Medical Systems Corp., offers medical endoscopes, surgical endoscopes, endotherapy products, ultrasound endoscopes and surgical treatment devices. The life science segments products include molecular imaging systems, such as chemistry analyzers, immunoassay systems and blood analyzers, diagnostic systems and biological and industrial microscopes. Olympus also operates several research facilities, such as the Olympus Bio Imaging Laboratory and the RIKEN BSI-Olympus Collaboration Centre, connected to the operations of their segment. The companys information and communication offerings, through ITX Corp., include investment and business incubation, IT services and equipment sales, such as the sale of mobile terminals. The company operates across six continents and more than 50 countries throu gh 219 subsidiaries and 19 affiliated companies. Altogether, Olympus is comprised of four business segments: Imaging Systems, Life Sciences and Industrial Systems, Medical Systems and Information and Communication. Olympus President and Representative Director is Hiroyuki Sasa, who took this office in April, 2012. PESTEL Analysis Political factors. The political environment is considered as one of the most influential factors that affect the operations of a business. Since all political forces are a part of the macro-environment and are associated with the situation of government, this directly influences the possibility of maintaining a business in a particular economy. Better government would always strive to create the most favorable conditions for a business, developing good policies and making business thrive. Governments also choose the way of taxation and can influence export and import abilities of a particular country (e.g. artificial limitation of an amount of particular good that can be imported in the country, changing taxation for local and foreign producers, stimulating export or import, special license conditions etc.). In our particular case, the most important thing of a political environment Olympus operates in is fiscal policies of the governments of the countries Olympuss stores and its distribution chain are situated in. Pursuing their objectives, governments can levy taxes that make conducting a business unprofitable in this political system, or, for example, cancel taxation of some firms at all to improve the situation of a company on the market. Overall political situation in particular countries also affects Olympus business. Since some countries have unstable political situation (e. g. Somali, Iraq, many African countries), Olympus is reluctant to maintain their business there because of unpredictable business conditions and unreliability of partnerships with local retailers. Economic factors. Economic environment of an organization are all economic factors that effect on the working of a business. This point includes distribution of income and wealth in the economy, trade cycles, economic policies and nature of an economy. Scientists distinguish five main components of a firms economic environment. They are: economic conditions, economic system, economic policies, international economic environment and economic legislations. Since Olympuss initial purpose is bringing profits to stockholders, all these factors should be carefully considered while acting in a particular economy in order to bring the highest profits possible. Size of market, demand and supply trends, inflation rate in the economy, national income, per capita income, efficiency of public and private sectors and many other factors influence Olympus performance in a particular economy and directly influence its profitability. Moreover, since an economic system of a country determines rules, goals and incentives that controls economic relations among people in a society, this factor influences Olympus desire or even ability to perform in a particular economy. Separated word should be said about global economic downturn as a result of the global financial crisis of 2008. The worst economic debacle the humankind has faced since the Great Depression left millions of people without jobs and trillions of dollars in market value evaporated. The global consumption and demand felt dramatically, including the demand for reprography and optics products Olympus manufactures. Although Asian countries did not experience such a striking shock as Europe and Northern America did, overseas sales account for approximately 80% of Olympus sales. Interest rates became higher in practically all countries, somehow influenced by the crisis. National income growth in majority of countries slowed down. Hence, the downturn of the global economy is one of the most prominent economic factors which influence Olympus operations. Furthermore, current economic problems in Europe, which accounts for 26% of Olympus sales, also adversely influence the company scrutinized. Social factors. One of the most important social factors, which influence operations of Olympus is ageing of population in its target markets and constantly growing of health consciousness of those individuals. Since Medical Systems Life Sciences are the largest business segments of Olympus Corporation, these trends can positively influence Olympus because of the demand growth expectations and need for improvement of patient quality of life. However, population growth rates in these countries are not that positive and for the last decade we have observed shrinkage of population in developed countries and constant growth of population in developing countries as India, China and many countries of the Muslim world. Therefore, in the nearest future the trend will reverse and exactly those growing countries will became major importers of hi-tech products as Olympus manufactures. Thus, Olympus should be ready to such changes and pay attention to the development of its distribution chain i n all prospective markets. Technological factors. Any changes in technology have a major impact on the business. New technologies change the business prospects and profits, work culture and methods of production that are used in the industry. Technological changes force management to change the course of how the business is maintained in order to boost the productivity and profitability of the production process. Talking about the industry of hi-tech medical, imaging and information communication products Olympus operates in and technological environment there, it can be said that this industry is probably one of the most technologically-advanced industries of contemporary world. Because of the nature pace of the human progress and constantly growing demand for better medical apparatuses and other hi-tech products Olympus produces, technological changes and breakthroughs in this industry happen extremely often. Technology incentives of many companies are striking, constantly increasing the rate of technological change. All these factors determine the technological environment for Olympus, simultaneously affecting its minimum efficient production level, level of financing its research facilities, cost and quality of products manufactured and ultimately strive for innovation, which will determine the share of the company on the market in the nearest future. Environmental factors. Environmental factors are those factors of any companys external environment, which include weather and climate concerns, directly influencing operations of a business. Environmental factors are not of the highest importance for Olympus Corporation and do not shape its or its competitors products or production chain as they do, for example, for agriculture companies. However, constantly growing concern of the environmental sustainability, greenhouse effect and nature protection define certain environmental standards Olympus should comply with. Legal environment. As any business, Olympus operates within a strict framework of law which influences different aspects of the company. Governmental laws regulate the status of the organization, its relationship with customers and suppliers and certain internal procedures and activities, influencing the behavior of Olympus on the market and specific market conditions. Consumer laws, discrimination laws, employment laws, antitrust laws and health and safety laws of different countries affect how Olympus operates on local markets and also determines cost and demand for its products. Porters Diamond Model The Diamond model of Michael Porter was contrived to evaluate and assess competitive advantages of a firm in national and global competition. Let us construct Porters Diamond model for Olympus Corporation. 400px-The_Porter_Diamond Graph 1. The Porter diamond Source: Factor conditions Skilled workforce High intellectual potential and strive towards innovations New innovations and new methods of corporate governance Developed technological base and infrastructure Demand conditions Sophisticated local and overseas market High pressure and demand for innovations Related and supporting industries Local and international competition creates innovations and cost-effectiveness Participation of suppliers in upgrading process High incentives for innovations in whole production chain Firm strategy, structure and rivalry New corporate governance strategy Focus on core business domains New corporate management policies: Back to Basics, One Olympus, and Profitable Growth Four new basic strategies: Rebuilding of business portfolio/Optimal allocation of management resources, Restructuring of governance, Review of cost structures and Restoration of financial health Fierce domestic competition, which stimulates innovations High standards of corporate culture Government Significant efforts paid to the development of infrastructure and attraction of new businesses Educational incentives and creation of skilled labor Encouragement of BPO/KPO (business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing) Chance Changes in global economic trends All factors, which create discontinuities and are outside of a control of a firm Market Analysis and Industry Life Cycle Nowadays the industry of reprography and optics products Olympus operates in is the subject for constant growth and development. The Medical Business, which is the main business segment of Olympus, has experienced steady growth over the years and is expected to grow even further in view of the social environment. At a time of fast aging of population in the developed countries, early detection and diagnosis of treatment have become urgent priorities for patients, physicians and societies overall. Minimally invasive treatment methods as endoscopic surgery are expected to play a key role in satisfying these requirements. The surgical devices field annual sales are expected to grow 14% annually, creating major business opportunities for Olympus because it is the only company in the world, which possesses the technologies for manufacturing of apparatus that meet the full range of needs from early detection of illnesses to minimally invasive treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that Medi cal Business of Olympus operates in the growth stage of the industry life cycle. Regarding the Imaging Business of Olympus, it operates in the industry, which slowly proceeds from the growth into the mature stage of its life cycle. Although hundreds of innovations are still made in this field, the market in developed countries is close to be saturated. However, there is still an enormous market and place for development in developing countries. Furthermore, it should be recognized that Imaging Business is simultaneously a brand and imaging technology driver for Olympus. Thus, it is an inherent part of the companys marketing strategy and will be paid an utmost attention in the nearest future. Life Science Industrial business of Olympus is also in its growth stage. The driving factor for this is that the industries, where reprography and optics products have not been used before, begin to adapt innovations from this field to develop and increase the efficiency and productivity of their business. Hence, sales expansion by entering untapped industries is of the highest interest for Olympus, since this market is undeveloped yet, contains a lot of opportunities, place for innovations and growth. Porters Five Forces Framework Porters five forces framework is a tool for industry and company analysis, aimed to derive those five forces, which determine the intensity of competition and therefore attractiveness of a particular market and overall industry profitability. Three of the aforementioned five forces concern competition threats from external sources. The remaining two are related to the companys internal threats. Graph 2. Porters Five Forces Framework Source: Bargaining power of suppliers. The concentration of suppliers of Olympuss three key business segments is comparatively high. The number of suppliers and availability of substitute inputs differs from the product or inventory supplied. Availability of lenses Olympus uses, for example, for its Medical Business segment is limited because of the complicated process of their production and various patents. Input of suppliers of hi-tech components is extremely important for companies in the industry Olympus operates in and an ability to substitute suppliers of such unique products is low. Hence, suppliers of technologically advanced inventory have a significant influence on the industry scrutinized and are able to drive up prices with little resistance from their buyers. Firms which produce less unique products, however, have dramatically less power. The number of suppliers in this category is big as well as the availability of substitutes. The competition among these suppliers is severe and therefore their ability to artificially deviate prices is low. Bargaining power of consumers. Bargaining power of Olympuss consumers, similarly to bargaining power of its suppliers, differs greatly from one business segment of a company to another. Imaging Business, for example, has a great number of customers. The size of each order, however, is low in comparison with other businesses of the firm. Buyers of this segment possess a credible backward integration threat, since they can choose to buy products of a rival firm as Canon or Nikon. Buyer power is also strong because switching costs are low, is usually well-educated about the product and lots of substitutes are available on the market. In case of Medical and Life Science Industrial businesses of Olympus, consumer bargaining power is different and is believed to be lower. To the great extent this is because of little number of substitutes available on the market and their lower technical characteristics. Threat of backward integration in these businesses is low and majority of buyers purchase products in low volume. Threat of new entrants. Threat of new entrants on the market of hi-tech products Olympus manufactures is low because of several factors. First, in order to enter this market, extremely high capital investments are required. Second, patents and rights of already established firms make it hardly possible for new entrants to produce products, similar to existing ones. Hence, prohibitive for new firms amount of financial and human resources should be put into research and development to introduce technologies and products unavailable yet on the market. Furthermore, in Olympus business lots of attention is paid to consumer loyalty and it may be very hard for new entrants to entice clientele of well-known already established brands. Threat of substitute products. Feasible threat of substitute products Olympus experiences in all its businesses other than the Medical. This can be observed because of consumers propensity to substitute and comparatively low switching costs. Number of substitute products, which can compete with the products of Olympuss Life Science Industrial and Imaging businesses is high. So is the ease of substitution. There is, however, less threat of substitute products from Medical business of Olympus because products in the Medical business have significantly longer lifecycles and development cycles. For example, Evis Exera III a core endoscopy system, which was introduced by Olympus in spring 2012 and has no substitutes on the market, had the development period of seven years. Since Olympus has a competitive edge in research and development, it is unlikely that products able to substitute Olympus Medical businesses apparatuses will emerge on the market in the nearest time. Competitive rivalry within an industry. Competition within Olympuss industry is fierce. All companies which compete for leadership in this industry have powerful competitive strategies and high levels of advertising expense. Each of the companies tries to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through implementing innovations and investments in research and development. Number of competitors is limited; however, their financial and human resources are huge. Costs of leaving market are high. Olympus Current Strategy Corporate Strategies. Basing on the corporate management policies and aiming to address pressing issues of the company, Olympuss management has set forth four basic corporate strategies. First, three business domains have been chosen as those, in which the company should invest first and foremost. These are: the Medical Business, Life Science Industrial Business and Imaging Business. Medical Business should become a growth driver for the company, which will later transform into a medical-field oriented firm. Second, Olympus will revise its cost structures and aims for profitable growth. Third strategy is to improve the companys shaken financial position and performance. Last but not least corporate strategy of Olympus is to restructure the firms governance after the recent unprecedented turbulence of the Olympus scandal period. Business Strategies. Medical Business. Under the current medium-term vision of Olympus management, the Medical Business of the company should become a profit and growth driver for the firm. The strategy of Medical Business is to achieve further expansion of the business by capitalizing on the highly strategically advantageous position of being capable of simultaneously developing devices necessary for new minimally invasive treatments as well as new diagnostic methods closely related to those new treatments (Olympus Corporation, 2012). The company also plans to replace existing devices with new once and create a new market by applying highly innovative technologies unavailable to its competitors. Life Science Industrial Business. Life Science Industrial Business of Olympus are aimed at growth of the corporation. There are two business strategies for this segment. First strategy is product portfolio expansion. Basing on the customer industry categories and technologies and product categories, Olympus will strive to open up new customers and open up new business fields. Moreover, this strategy also involves focus on emerging and developing countries, where the market and consequently demand for Olympus products is growing. Second strategy is implementation of reform of the income and profit structure of the Life Science field, which will involve reduction of cost of goods sold and improvement of operating efficiency. Imaging Business. For today, two strategies have been devised to address the proclaimed objective of restructuring the Imaging Business. The first strategy is to concentrate on mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras and high-end compact cameras. The second strategy is to restructure the manufacturing process and carry out reform of the cost structure of devises. Functional Strategies. Functional strategies of Olympus include the following: rigorous cost reductions, profitability improvements, increased investment in technology development, restructuration of subsidiaries and production sites worldwide. Olympus Current Business Policies The new management of Olympus, who took their office on April 2012, have set out three major corporate management policies of the company: Back to Basics, One Olympus and Profitable Growth. Back to Basics. Back to Basic policy was devised to deal with the aftermath of recent Olympus scandals, the cause of which was the pursuit of income from investments in non-core business domains of the firm, namely equity. Thus, the Back to Basics policy was developed to bring Olympus back to its initial mission contribution to the development of society through new solutions and products. One Olympus. The idea behind One Olympus policy lies in uniting all Olympuss employees and staff worldwide under a common business strategy and encouraging teamwork and cooperation. Profitable Growth. This policy simply proclaims Olympus intention to grow while earning profits. Olympus Current Performance Performance Indices Results (FY ended March 2012) Net sales  ¥ 848.5 billion Operating income  ¥ 35.5 billion Ordinary income  ¥17.9 billion Net income  ¥49.0 billion EBITDA  ¥80.3 billion Operating margin 4% Ordinary income ratio 2% Net income ratio -6% Net sales ratio 9% Free cash flows  ¥4.8 billion Balance of interest-bearing debt  ¥642.4 billion Equity ratio 4.6% Operating margin 4.2% Return on invested capital (ROIC) 2.7% Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Research Question 2. Strategic Recommendations Basing on the analysis above, several strategic recommendations are reasonable for Olympus to overcome its temporary crisis period and achieve financial superiority and growth of stockholders value in long-term period. First, it is pertinent that Medical Business should become the main segment of Olympus production chain. Olympus possesses a competitive advantage over its closest rivals in this sector and holds the largest market share. Its medical devices contain the newest innovations and technologies available on the market and hardly any company can compete in this sector with Olympus. However, for the last several years the company has been deviating from this segment, investing in non-core business segments of the firm. This turned into the debacle for Olympus. Therefore, total reconstruction of the firms operations should be conducted with the aim to bring an emphasis on Medical Business of the firm, which should become profit and growth generator. Life Science Industrial Bus iness, in its turn, will become an accompanying business, specializing in expansion of the product portfolio in the industrial field and hence another source of growth. The task of the Imaging Business, as one of the three core business of the firm, should be development of new technologies and innovations and becoming a brand driver for the company. Research Question 3. Mr. Michael Woodford, a Hero or a Traitor? Recent Olympus scandal has been one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in global corporate history since accounting and corporate scandals including Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International, Adelphia and WorldCom. One of the main Olympus insiders, involved in the scandal and who actually was the one who exposed doubtful acquisitions of Olympus dated several years earlier, was British-born top-executive Michael Woodford, former CEO of Olympus. This lead to missing of $6.25 in assets, overall downturn of the company and great concerns regarding corporate governance in Japan. Although some people would aver that Mr. Michael Woodford acted as a traitor, I assert that his actions were extremely ethical and complied with the highest standards of corporate governance and information disclosure. Hereinafter I will provide some cogent arguments to support my point of view. To start with, I would like to mention that ultimate aim of management of any company is growth of value for stockholders. In order to keep an eye on management actions, each publicly traded company has a board of directors, which defines strategy of the company, supervises management and ensures the protection of stockholders interests. Management, as an operational branch of corporate governance, is obliged to deliver truthful information regarding companys performance. From accounting and corporate scandals in the U.S. and Europe which involved Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International and several other big companies we have learned how distortion and hiding of information may make the companies concerned collapse and shook local and international securities markets. In order to avoid such shocks in future, many countries have adopted various standards and laws which regulate corporate governance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US and UK Corporate Governance Code. Japan, however, has not adopted any similar documents and this is one of the major reasons why Olympus scandal emerged in 2011. According to internationally-accepted standards of corporate standards and information disclosure, the behaviour of the former Olympuss CEO Michael Woodford was the only acceptable in the situation he faced with. Obviously, local peculiarities of Japanese corporate governance should be taken into account, however, from my point of view, Woodford acted in according to international business ethics standards. Olympus is an international publicly-traded company and therefore should comply with internationally-accepted ways of doing business. Furthermore, Olympus is responsible to its stockholders, who are interested in transparency of the business. Hence, Woodfords behaviour was ethical in all senses and was aimed to bring transparency to the company and protect Olympus stakeholders. Since Woodford did what all members of Olympus board could not do, I think that he is a hero for the company and should be brought back. The behaviour of top management of Olympus, however, was not ethical and, as said by Lindsay Whipp and Jonathan Soble, the management by itself was rotten at the core (Yasu, 2011). A twodecade scheme to hide losses from investment was maintained by the companys top executives. The Olympus scandal tells us that despite accounting and corporate scandals of the last decade, the tensions still remain in some countries, which have not adapted strict standards and codes of corporate governance. Japan is not an exception. The conflict between management and stockholders will probably last forever, however compliance with such laws as Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for example, will bring transparency to the activities of publicly traded companies. Management will have less space for financial machinations and distortion of information. This, undoubtedly, will create a more reliable system of corporate governance and management. Hence, adoption of strict laws which contain enhanced standards for all public company boards, management and auditors should be conducted in all countries where this has not been done yet. If I were in the position to make a decision, I would definitely employ Woodford as a new CEO of Olympus because he has demonstrated himself as a responsible top-executive who has extremely high ethical standards. Although corporate culture in Japan is very peculiar, he managed to uncover one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in Japanese history. Despite this created great financial troubles for the company, loss of reputation and urgent need of restructuration, I believe that disclosure of this crime was essential for Olympuss further growth and development. Ultimately, to solve the issues of the Olympus scandal several vital steps should be undertaken. First, and this has already been done, new management structure should be introduced. Second, Olympus should be restructured and the foremost attention should be paid to the core businesses of the firm. Third, thorough re-branding of the company should be conducted to renew the reputation of the firm in the eyes of its suppliers and consumers.

Titles

Do magazines marketed for teenagers send the wrong message? Using at least three specific magazines for support, argue for or against the moral and ethical messages that dominate magazines directed for the teen demographic. Is it freedom of the press or harassment? Argue whether the paparazzi helps or hinders the purpose of the free press. Are grades important? Discuss whether grades are necessary in order to keep students on track with learning. Is homework necessary? Hazing is a problem on university campuses America could start using year round school People should have green burialNon-essential plastic surgery should be illegal for children under 18 Parents should be informed if their child is given birth control It has been said that America's biggest export is pop culture. Is Hollywood a good ambassador for America? Should public schools provide more classes and internship programs for students who choose not to go to college? Are college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT good indicators of university success? Would a voucher system that allowed for more school choice be a positive change for the American education system? Should parents be allowed to sumbit their teens to drug testing?Would single-sex public schools be more effective than co-ed? Doctor-assisted suicide should (or should not) be legal. Every automobile driver should (or should not) be allowed to send their junk mail. Every automobile driver should (or should not) be required to take a new driver’s test every three years. Electroshock treatment is (or is not) a humane for of therapy. Every student should (or should not) be required to learn a foreign language. Solar power is (or is not) a viable alternate energy source. Drug addicts should (or should not) be put in hospitals for medical treatment instead of in prison for punishment.American workers should (or should not) be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law. All health professionals should (or should not) be tested annually for HIV infections and AIDS. Self-proclaimed â€Å"militia† should (or should not) be closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assault weapons should (or should not) be out-lawed. All owners of firearms should (or should not) be required to register their weapons with the police. A two-week waiting period should (or should not) be required for anyone attempting to purchase a firearm. The death penalty for murderers should (or should not) be abolished.The death penalty should (or should not) be imposed on juveniles. Drug dealers convinced of distributing large quantities of drugs should (or should not receive the death penalty. The U. S. military should (or should not) be used to curb drug smuggling in the U. S. The U. S. should (or should not) cut off all foreign aid to dictatorships. Smoking should (or should not) be banned in public areas such as restaurants and airport terminals. State and local governments should (or should not) operate lotteries and gamblin g casinos. The U. S. should (or should not) remain in the United Nations.Immigrations into the U. S. should (or should not) be restricted. Churches should (or should not) be required to pay taxes. Federal funding for the arts should (or should not) be provided. The present-day tax system is (or is not) unfair to middle-class and lower-income Americans. College athletes should (or should not) be required to meet the academic requirements of their schools. Sex education should (or should not) be required course in all schools as early as sixth grade. Everyone should (or should not) be required to pass a competency exam before being allowed to graduate from high schools.Chronic mental patients should (or should not) be housed in â€Å"halfway houses† or residences in the community, rather than in remote mental hospitals. The President should (or should not) be limited to a single six-year term. Billboards should (or should not) be outlawed on interstate highways. Business should (or should not) be permitted to make unsolicited telephone calls to citizens. IQ tests are (or are not) valid measures of human intelligence. Psychologists and psychiatrists should (or should not) testify in court on behalf of the not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity plea.Regardless of income, all Americans should (or should not) be guaranteed basic medical care under a national health insurance program. Heredity is (or is not) a more powerful influence on personality development than environment. ESP is (or is not) a demonstrable scientific fact. Scientific experimentation on animals should (or should not) be outlawed. Heroin should (or should not) be legal as a pain reliever for terminally ill patients. Acupuncture is (or is not a valid medical technique. Beauty pageants do (or do not) debase women. The minimum wage should (or should not) be waived for adolescent and young adult workers.Despite their legal tax deductions and loopholes, all millionaires should (or should not) be requi red to pay federal income tax. Police should (or should not) be allowed to set up roadblocks to isolate and arrest impaired drivers. Athletes should (or should not) be allowed to use steroids. Students need to be more vigilant and observant to avoid becoming victims of campus crime. Citizens should resist efforts being made to shut down zoos and aquariums. Steps must be taken to reduce contaminants in the nation’s water supplies. Children and teenagers need to be educated on the dangers of huffing (sniffing solvents and aerosols).Lawmakers need to pass tougher legislation to discourage the growing number of stalkers. Every person should stipulate that in the event of death, he or she is willing to donate organs. People of all races and ethnic groups should be aware that overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, regardless of a person’s skin color. Dog and cat owners should have their pets spayed and neutered. Citizens with cellular phones can help thwart crimes an d assist in the capture of criminals. People wanting cosmetic surgery should investigate the risks before submitting to surgery.