The concept of having a conceptual framework in accounting is useless Essay

The concept of having a conceptual framework in accounting is useless - Essay Example However, there many critics who argue that the use of the conceptual framework in accounting is useless. The aim of this paper is to critically explain why many people think that the use of the conceptual framework in accounting is useless. Conceptual framework in accounting has received a lot of criticism whereby most of its critics claim that the framework does not provide adequate basis for setting standards. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has proved this inadequacy, which is becoming a more rule-based approach. Nevertheless, there is empirical prove that has been collected to support this argument against accounting conceptual framework (Hines 2011, p. 45). Out of the five characteristics of accounting conceptual framework, most people only rely on one characteristics, reliability, on accounting statements to make financial decisions. In addition, accounting familiarity influences many people to rely on or use financial statements instead of finding other accurate ways for finding this information. Therefore, it is not only that accounting conceptual framework needs alterations, but also changes to help come up with accounting standards that are principles-based. Implementing principles-based stand ards means that many users will be able to use irrespective of their backgrounds. Many people have been criticized FASB for not advising organizations to give out information that is useful and interpretable to the users of financial statements. Its conceptual framework is the main source of all accounting standards (Hines 2011, p. 78). Therefore, the conceptual framework for accounting must exemplify several qualitative characteristics in order to ensure that the financial reporting is able to provide financial statement users with information that is adequate for decision making. The accounting conceptual framework of the United States was founded in the year 1980. There are five key characteristics of accounting information, which

Advertising And The Sales Promotional Schemes

Advertising And The Sales Promotional Schemes The advertisement done today is far more different then the old era. Now, the emergence of new technology, the growth in the internet usage, rapidly changing environment, changing way of communications, fragmentation of mass markets, growing economies, and globalization has changed the overall marketing to use different other communication mediums and techniques with the old ones (newspapers, TV and Radio). Every day we are bombarded with different advertising messages whether it is on the radio while were driving to work, on television during our favorite programs, or in magazines and newspapers. Advertising has entered every area of our lives, and many of us choose to ignore it on many occasions. This might cause one to ask, can advertising and promotional efforts still are effective if people are so saturated with information? The answer is yes, advertising and promotions can be effective if used properly for targeting the right consumer. One of the main rules in advertising has always been to keep message simple and consistent and repeat it often. It has been shown that people remember advertising if they see it with great frequency, which explains why while watching hours of television one may see the same advertisement two or even three times even more. That way the message will positioned in ones mind. Integrated Marketing Communication One of the most important aspects of advertising and promoting a product or service is consistency. Companies ensure the consistency of their message by coordinating all of their promotional activities. This coordination of activities into a system or strategic plan is referred as integrated marketing communications (IMC). IMC creates a unified message and enhances the effectiveness of reaching the target consumer. Firms will create one message that will be used consistently throughout a marketing campaign. It is important that the promotional strategy also be in alignment with the organizational goals. There are three major aspects of an IMC plan:- Research Creative Aspects Implementation. Research and analysis are used to find the best way to design the product or service the most effective message and media to use and the best means to distribute the product or service at the optimal price. The creative aspect is the actual advertising, copywriting and designing of promotional materials. Implementation is the act of putting the plan together, creating a strategy and seeing it through. Planning an integrated marketing communications plan also means finding target market determining what is unique about the product offering or service providing constructing a positioning strategy for product or service deciding what the best message would be for product and choosing the optimal marketing mix in relation to allowed marketing budget. Ideally an effective IMC campaign will differentiate the product or service from a competitors generate a flow of leads be consistent with and support the overall branding strategy cause the company to have a more prominent place in the market. Communicate the companys experience and knowledge and help to retain existing customers. The Promotional Mix The promotional mix is the use of different advertising and communication channels in a coordinated way to run an effective marketing campaign. These coordinated campaigns are part of an effective integrated marketing communications plan. The four main methods of promotion within the mix are:- Advertising Sales Promotion Personal Selling Public Relations The most important factor in determining the optimal mix is identifying the target market. This can be determined through extensive market research. Once a company knows its target market it can then research its use of various media outlets in order to come up with the best combination of marketing materials to reach the defined target. For example if the target market is stay-at-home moms, an organization might find that television advertisements during certain daytime television shows are most effective for reaching them. If the target market is a young professional, the marketer might find that using billboards in a downtown commercial district and morning drive time radio advertisements are effective for getting the message to this target market. The size of the promotional budget will greatly influence the chosen mix as well. Television advertising can be very costly and therefore may not be a feasible option for a company with a smaller marketing budget at least not during pri me viewing hours on major networks. Often the amount of money a firm spends on promotional activities will be affected by the product life cycle general economic conditions and the competition. The promotional mix may involve a company coordinating its loyalty program with advertising campaigns and a promotional deal. Advertising Advertising is paid communication brought to audiences through different forms of media such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines and billboards. A company uses advertising to inform, persuade or remind its target market of its products or services. Comparative advertising is used to differentiate a companys products in the marketplace from other similar products. For example The Pepsi Challenge campaign was a form of comparative advertising in which consumers were asked to take blind taste tests to see if they could tell the difference between the products. Coca-Cola uses reminder ads to show us how refreshing the beverage can be on a hot day. 1.4. Different Medium of Advertising and Sales Promotion Advertising Mediums There are advantages and disadvantages to each media type and when selecting the advertising mediums to use companies must understand who their target audience is and which the most effective method for reaching them is. Marketers must be able to divide their budgets among the various media resources in order to stretch them the farthest to reach the most customers. Television Television advertising is the leading medium for reaching Indian audiences. Although a very expensive form of advertising, television ads reach the largest percentage of the Indian population at once and can be very appealing due to their visual nature as well as their sound. TV ads can be classified into national, local, and cable advertisements. The type of network chosen will depend on which audience the marketer is trying to reach. If the advertisement is for a local restaurant the company may choose to advertise only on local stations or in local ad space on cable channels or national networks. The time an advertisement is shown is also an important decision that companies must make in order to reach the target audience. Budgetary constraints will also be a factor in choosing time slots for advertisements. Print Advertisements Advertising in newspapers and magazines is another way of reaching customers with a companys message. Print ads are effective because of their visual quality and can be run in many different types of publications. Marketers selling products or services to consumers may choose national publications such as India Today or local newspapers such as the Times of India and Hindustan Times. Businesses trying to sell products or services to other businesses will often advertise in trade publications of the industries they are trying to reach. Companies may also target specialized publications for example a new computer product may be advertised in PC World or another specialty technology publication. Print ads have a longer life than electronic media ads and are good for telling a story about the value of a product or service. Radio Although lacking the visual appeal radio can be an effective medium for reaching target consumers. The average radio listener tunes in for three hours a day and often on a regular basis. When using radio advertisements in marketing mix it is necessary to make sure that the company and product or service is clearly identified. As with television it is also necessary to find the right station for advertising to the target consumer. If your service is a bar for college students you may choose to advertise in the evenings on a college station or an alternative rock station and if your target audience is senior citizens you may advertise on news stations or a talk show. Internet The Internet has become an important electronic medium and its interactive quality is unique. It permits immediacy of purchase and a high level of convenience. It can be personalized and individualized. The Internet and the World Wide Web are becoming essential tools in an integrated marketing plan and effective tools in sustaining customer loyalty and satisfaction. Direct Mail Mailing advertisements or promotions directly to peoples homes is another commonly used method of reaching consumers. Direct mail campaigns can be expensive due to printing and postage costs but these campaigns can be effective if the mailings reach the right consumers. Often companies will purchase lists of consumers or collect data themselves to build a mailing list. The people on these lists will then be sent targeted mailings. Telemarketing The utilization of telemarketing has been greatly affected in India by the recent implementation of the national Do Not Call registry, where millions of Indians signed up to have their telephone numbers removed from telemarketer lists. Internationally however regulations regarding telemarketing vary and it may still be a very effective method of reaching consumers. The downside of telemarketing is that most people do not like the invasiveness of being called at home though unfortunately many mass marketers find the risk of offending non receptive households is offset by the effective results and benefits from these marketing methods. Outdoor and Out of Home The majority of outdoor advertising rupees are spent on billboards. Billboards are a popular way of reaching commuters and consumers in a single geographic location. Other forms of outdoor advertising known as out of home include sports stadium ads, bus shelter posters, or signage on buses and taxis. Advertising Trends A very popular way of getting a message across is using celebrity endorsements. Advertising companies are willing to pay money in order to hire celebrities to represent their brands. Celebrities are part of an advertising message and campaign. Of course using a celebrity spokesperson can be a risk. When choosing a celebrity to endorse products, it is important to find an appropriate match with the product or service. The relationship should be believable. It is also important that the celebrities endorsing the product be credible. They should either have expertise in the field or be trustworthy characters. Sponsorships This is a well-used form of promotion and advertising that allows the company to buy into a sporting event or activity. The amount of investment in a sponsorship can range from an athletic company supporting a college sports team by providing them with brand-name uniforms in order to promote the brand to a company sponsoring a cricket game. For example Pepsi and Coke use to take sponsorship of cricket time to time. Infomercials Another trend in advertising is the infomercial. This is an extended television advertisement and usually runs at off peak hours or on lower-budget television or cable networks. Infomercials are usually at least a half hour long. Some of the most popular items that are sold through infomercials are fitness videos, skin care products and kitchenware. Often they will feature celebrity endorsements and offer products that cannot be purchased in stores. Their low-budget appearance and late-night showing often characterize infomercials. Once the consumer is convinced to purchase the product he or she will then be able to call and order the product over the telephone generating a direct response to the infomercial. Sales Promotion Sales promotion consists of many activities used to sell products. They are activities that give consumers a short-term incentive to make a purchase. Sales promotions are also activities that change the price and value relationship of a product as perceived by the target audience with the possible effect of generating immediate sales. It is possible that a sales promotion can also alter the long term value of the brand by making what might be a premium product more affordable. Sales promotions are generally time-bound programs that require participation on the part of the consumer through either immediate purchase or some other action. The fundamental goals of sales promotion are tactical, strategic and ultimate. The tactical goals are to combat a competitors increase in market share to combat other competitors promotional efforts and to move brands that are either declining, overstocked, damaged or not selling fast enough. The strategic goals are to motivate consumers to switch from a rival brand to increase product consumption to reinforce the marketing communications efforts for the brand and to motivate brand loyalty. The ultimate goal of a sales promotion is to increase sales, profits and market share. There are different channels for sales promotions which include consumer promotions and trade promotions. Consumer Promotions Consumer promotions are geared toward getting consumers to try a companys products. Some examples of consumer promotion activities include coupons, rebates, sampling, sweepstakes, point-of-purchase displays and special packs. Coupons Whether we cut coupons from newspapers and magazines or getting them in the mail, coupons are a very popular form of sales promotion. They are very effective especially in economic downturns for luring people into restaurants or causing them to make repeat purchases of products. E-coupons are another popular form of sales promotion they are extremely effective for luring in customers and are redeemed by 57 percent of the people who click on them. The most popular uses of e-coupons are for sales of groceries, books and health and music products. The disadvantage of coupons is that they do not encourage brand loyalty most consumers who use coupons regularly are willing to switch brands if there is a better discount available. Rebates Rebates are partial refunds that are offered by the manufacturers. Often manufacturers will use mail-in rebates as incentives for purchasing. The consumer must purchase the product at full price and then fill out paperwork and mail in the receipt in order to receive some money back. Rebate programs allow marketers to promote a companys product at a reduced poster bate price also called MRP offering a substantial savings to its customers but also requiring that a set of conditions be met to qualify. Sampling Companies will often send or hand out samples of products in order to attract customers who may not have purchased their products otherwise. Beverage companies may target college students and hand out soft drinks on campuses, or a food company may set up a stand in a grocery store so that consumers can sample their new chips. You may even receive a trial bottle of shampoo in the mail or you may remember receiving the India Online (IOL) CD in the mail offering 100 free hours of Internet access. These are all examples of sampling, and the intention of these promotions is to introduce a new product or service to a consumer in order to generate brand loyalty. Sampling can be a costly method of attracting customers and it often results in wasted distribution however it can be a very effective method for getting consumers to switch brands. Sweepstakes and Contests Sweepstakes and contests are another strategy of sales promotion. Data will be collected from consumers and they will be entered to win a prize. Companies can use the information that they collect from entrants in order to develop a mailing list for future promotional campaigns. Organizations must be sure to print all the guidelines for their sweepstakes or contests in order to avoid legal entanglements. Some of the guidelines companies should follow in order to put on a successful sweepstakes promotion include the following:- Clarify who is eligible Indicate states where the promotion is not valid Declare the termination date of the promotion Clarify random drawing procedures Companies should also detail the prizes disclose the odds of winning declare a deadline for entry and reserve the right to use winners names and photographs for publicity. Point-of-Purchase Displays Point-of-purchase (POP) promotional materials are displays that are set up in stores in order to prominently display products. At a grocery store a POP is usually placed in front of the store, at the end of an aisle, in the aisle or on the shelf. POP displays are very successful due to the fact that many people make last-minute purchasing decisions. Bundling Sometimes companies bundle products together in order to promote a new product or to encourage consumers to try a complementary product such as a free small conditioner bundled with a shampoo purchase or a free disposable razor with a shaving cream purchase. A company may also offer a bonus pack or a special pack with 20 percent more in order to encourage a customer to purchase a product. Give a ways Another strategy used by companies is that of special promotional items to be given away. These may be hats or T-shirts advertising the company or brand. For example, many times credit card Advertising

Sexual Healthcare on Campus :: Medicine Medical College Essays

Sexual Healthcare on Campus missing works cited Forking over $40 for a consultation plus another $20 for the Plan B pill at Planned Parenthood was a small price to pay for the peace of mind it afforded her once the whole ordeal was behind her. â€Å"After a night of bad decision making, I knew it was time to make some good ones,† Lisa said. â€Å"I knew I had to get tested for STD’s and HIV, and I also wanted to take emergency contraception, just in case. I knew it would make me feel better and as they say ‘better safe than sorry.’† After the trek to the closest Planned Parenthood facility for the emergency contraception pill, Lisa, an undergrad at Northeastern University, then made her way cross town to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for the walk-in hours of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Unit. This is the free infectious diseases clinic MGH offers to the public. There, she was able to get tested for all STDs plus HIV for free. Had she chosen to get tested at Planned Parenthood, she would have to pay about $20 for each test. What Lisa did not know was that she could have gotten all of these services for free from the health center at her university. Most college students know they are among the highest sexually active age group in the nation. What they may not know is that this age range (18-24) also has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. They also, like Lisa, may not know exactly where to go for sexual health care. Universities, colleges and clinics around Boston have a wide, yet differing range of sexual health care options available to students. â€Å"There is so much misinformation, it just boggles the mind,† said Pamela Harris, public relations spokesperson for Northeastern University’s Lane Health Center. â€Å"It is so important that students know what is available to them.† Planned Parenthood, located at 1055 Commonwealth Ave., near the Boston University campus, is perhaps the biggest sexual health care provider in the area. However, their services do not come cheap and for college students on a budget, other options need to be explored. Many students must rely on their college’s health center for sexual health care services, and depending on which university you attend, health center services vary. â€Å"I would imagine that my school, one of the most expensive in the country, would provide everything I needed, from sexually transmitted disease testing to abortive pills in case of pregnancy,† said Alexis Eskenazi, communications major at Boston University.

Models of Communication Essay

According to the authors of â€Å"Human Communication in Society†, communication occurs simultaneously between senders and receivers, with meaning co-created by all participants. The authors are saying that in communication the individual’s character affect the process of communication. Linear Model views communication as a one-way process in which the speaker speaks and the listener listens. The earliest model primarily involved the transfer of information from one person to another. An encoded message sent from the sender or the speaker to the person receiving the encoded message. Interactive Model of communication is a simultaneous or real-time exchange of information over a transmission medium, such as during a video conference. The linear model depicts communication as a one-way process. The speaker of sender of the message in the interactive model also listens to the feedback given by the receiver or listener. Both the speaker and listener take turns to speak and listen to each other. This method works better if the speaker and listener have common fields of experience. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously.

Like A Flag in the Wind We are One

Stop. Tell the driver to pause and command the tires to be silent. Make sure everyone is quiet and not fidgeting. Direct those who are waving to cease wagging their hands and let them glance for a quick second at this still moment-in-time and think. Look. Examine the picture. Why is everyone saying goodbye? Is it because waving is an acceptable folkway that has now become clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and is just an easy way out when parting? Why are those who have raised hands crying? What is causing such emotion to be stirred in so many all at once? Why do I feel the same way? Camp comes once a year. One week of late nights, talking, fellowship with other believers and close encounters with God. Camp is another world; a place unlike home. However, that yellow school bus always brings us back to reality, reminding us that this oasis is only temporary. Yet despite camp's brevity, its memories will always dwell in the back of my mind, always moving, breathing, living. They are translated into ink and laid out onto paper but they are animated in my mind – looping in my memory. I am inundated in the recollection of their faces. They are here with me. Now I sit. I sit looking at these photos by myself, but this one stands out. It was the last day of camp and a grey day at that. Everyone was saying their last goodbyes. We already missed one another. At the time, I don't think we realized that we would be together soon; camp would only be a year away and the winter retreat a mere six months. But who thinks of that at the time? Who reflects on such details when so overcome with emotion? That's what pictures are for: to look back and rethink situations, to clear your head and to revisit and understand past circumstances. Now looking back I understand and am at peace – I will see them soon. This realization excites me; the thought of seeing their faces enthuses me like the thought of a warm summer day. Once again we will have the chance to talk about and worship Jesus and not hold anything back. It is seldom that I get the chance to have companionship with other Christians and to be in an environment where everyone's focus is on God. Times like these I savor; slowly nibbling a piece of chocolate – sweet and smooth -letting it melt on my tongue. But like any piece of chocolate, there is an end to it. Goodbye waves and driveways are in inevitable. However, when we go home, our relationship with our God stays the same; we are still followers of Jesus – only now swimming up stream. Yet we do this together; we may not be side by side but we all love our God simultaneously. I can still remember the warm kiss of the sun dancing on my arm; the sensation of relaxation and comfort came down from the sky and hugged me, masking the inner sadness I had welling up inside. Yet, looking back at this picture, I can now remember also a great sense of confidence, knowing I was and am not alone in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ; those on the ground I was waving goodbye to and those whom I was sitting with on the bus all have the same purpose. This picture is a monument – lasting evidence, a reminder and an example of a great and notable event in my life: camp. It was a place where I became closer to God and made many marvelous friends. I will miss my brethren but despite the reality of our separation, there is comfort. There is comfort in knowing I will see them soon and until then we share the same purpose in unity. We don't have to be physically together in order to be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are connected by a common denominator: God. So tell those who are waving to stop†¦ pause†¦ realize†¦ We may not be united in close proximity, but like a flag in the wind we are one.