Farm Standard Council Case Cost Allocation

Farm Standard Council Case Cost Allocation Introduction Fixed/variable cost thinking has no place in today’s cost accounting world; those are words of Hervey (2010, p.1) an all time accounting specialist. This observation is as result of many limitations that accountants and managers have experienced in the past years in their efforts to differentiate between fixed and variable costs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Farm Standard Council Case: Cost Allocation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some costs cannot be classified as either fixed or variable costs and yet they have to be allocated somewhere in the process of allocating costs to different cost centers. Traditional costing is also expensive compared to other methods (Alabbadi Areiqat, 2010, p.239). The inadequacies in this traditional cost approach have led to development of other methods that can allocate costs appropriately to their respective cost centers. One of these methods is activity-ba sed costing (ABC) that allocates costs to different centers based on the activities that have resulted to these costs. This paper will use Farm Standard Council case to look at the differences between traditional cost allocation and activity-based cost allocation. Activity-Based Costing In the case of Farm Standard Council, activity based costing is used rather under traditional cost accounting in identifying different cost centers in the cost pool and also in the cost allocation. ABC approach is based on activity and not volume (Bengu, 2010, p.213). Cost centers include equipment, general farm, maintenance and shop among others. Cost centers are classified into support center, services center, production center, marketing and profit centers. Costs are allocated to different production activities such as production, harvesting, processing and storage. These costs are then divided by the quantities of crops produced at the end of the season in order to calculate the amount of profit produced per hectare of land.  If the Farm Council used another approach such as traditional cost accounting, it would not be easy for the management to allocate costs to different cost centers and hence calculating profitability of each crop would be a challenge. It would not have been easy for the management to allocate some costs that are neither fixed nor variable. Costs such as maintenance and shop could not be fairly allocated as either variable or fixed thus giving misleading information about profitability of each crop. This view is supported by Rezaie, Ostadi, and Torabi (2008), who claim that ABC is more reliable than traditional approach (p.1047).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As Harvey (2010) posits, costs are no longer driven by volume but by the demands of customers (p.2). However, not all the costs are driven by customers since some like maintena nce are fixed. Thus, this case study provides a good example of how activity-based accounting can be employed in agricultural enterprises when allocating their costs. Alternative Solution The alternative solution is a more general cost accounting approach that may apply in many situations since the suggested solution (activity-based costing) was tailored to specifically fit the situation of Mary and John farms. The alternative approach provides a design that summarizes all the cost centers into three categories viz. support, production and profit centers (Farm Financial Standard Council, n.d, p.14). The advantage of the alternative solution is that it is simpler compared with the suggested solution. Accountants and managers can group similar costs in one centre to avoid complexity in their allocation. In the suggested solution, all the costs have to be accounted separately which involves a lot of work. Conclusion ABC approach is much better than traditional cost approach since all c osts can be fairly allocated to their respective cost centers. Suggested solution applies this approach in allocating cost in different activities. However, I would prefer alternative solution since it is more reliable and at the same time simple to use. References Alabbadi, H., Areiqat, A. (2010). The Systematic Relationship between the Activity Based Management (ABM) and the Activity Based Costing (ABC). Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 2(2), 239-264. Bengu, H. (2010). The role of activity based budgeting on target costing practices. Suleyman Demirel University Journal of Faculty of Economics Administrative Sciences, 15(1), 213-233. Farm Financial Standard Council, (n.d). Managerial Accounting Case Studies. Case Study, No. 1, 1-14.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Farm Standard Council Case: Cost Allocation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Harvey, R. K. (2010).Throw Out Fixed and Va riable Cost Thinking- Bring In Activity-Based Costing to Business Decisions. White Paper, I, 1-6. Rezaie, K., Ostadi, B., Torabi, S. A. (2008). Activitybased costing in flexible manufacturing systems with a case study in a forging industry. International Journal of Production Research, 46 (4), 1047-1069.

Mankind Distanced From Nature And The Use Of Earth Simply As A Essay

Mankind Distanced From Nature And The Use Of Earth Simply As A Resource - Essay Example Never before have had the benefits of mankind labour threatened their precise existence: also this era of nuclear disasters, arms race, and global warming (Turner, 1980). For the first phase in history, mankind can produce enough to satisfy the needs of every head on the Earth. Despite mankind power to regulate natural world, many societies are dominated by emotions linked to the economic recession, health issues, insecurities, and military chaos (Turner, 1980). These issues overwhelm lives with the seemingly irresistible power of natural disasters. The more densely populated cities become, the more mankind’s lives are recognized by feelings of loneliness and isolation from the nature (Phillips, 2010). The more forces mankind experience to satisfy their emotion, the more they emotionally distance themselves from nature; and this distancing permits them to treat Earth simply as a resource to their needs. This is well discussed in the following paragraphs. The mankind ability to perform their tasks, to develop how they work and build on their successes, has tried to result in cumulative development of the productive forces. From the research carr ied out, one such advancement gave rise to class community. When community became capable of generating surplus, it also made it conceivable for a class to rise, which was liberated from the need, to generate directly and could survive from its control over the work of others (Phillips, 2010). This process was significant in order to establish and direct the productive forces; however, it was also meant that the producers, the majority of the community lost control of their labour. The emergency class society in which one class had power of control over the means of generating what the community required, led to a further division between individuals and the community to which they fit. Some forms of social life caused a wedge between the two dimensions of the self, the person and the communal, producing a separation between people’s interests and those of community as a whole (Turner, 1980). Thus, the mankind distanced from nature arose from class community. For instance, Ro bert Romanyshyn use metaphor in is work to elaborate these ideas. He claims that mankind have given their hearts away, a sordid boon (Romanyshyn, 2001). Sordid is the demonstration of the worst aspects of mankind nature such as greed, immorality, and selfishness. On the other hand, Boon is something that works as a blessing or benefit. Complication between the words proposes materialism is corrupt and destructive blessing that the industrial revolution has offered. It emphasised the tension between the good external and the sordid truth behind materialism. On the external, material goods bring pleasure and in many ways are a symbol of mankind progress; however, in truth, they feed the worst feature of humanity (Romanyshyn, 2001). The discipline whose duty is to describe and map the capabilities of human emotions/ mind is psychology; and psychology’s accepting of these abilities is built around the concept of intelligence. Apart from mankind psychological understanding of how they interact with the world around them, this concept has been widely applied in education and business, where test of intelligence always impacts selection and promotion. More indirectly, a psychological notion about what establishes intelligent action pervades the wider fabric of the community. This impacts common-sense ideas about what institutes mental ability, and offering certain styles of thought and action a higher status than others (Kidner, 1999). At the same time, the

Marketing Survey for Gourmet Cupcakes Research Paper

Marketing Survey for Gourmet Cupcakes - Research Paper Example The research report author recommends that the Gourmet Cupcakes Bakery undertakes an expansion strategy into the key markets of Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan and South Africa. Opportunites exist to position the product as a luxury item in these markets. 4. Introduction The purpose of the following report is to put forward a study that gives quantitative insight into current consumer response toward the product offering, gourmet cupcakes, from the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery. The report intends to identify current and future opportunities for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery to expand its operations beyond its present location in the United States to an international market. The report also points to a secondary opportunity for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery to co-brand with specialty food stores in the United States and internationally to build sales and develop a strong brand reputation. To date the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery has focused its operations exclu sively in the United States market. However, international demand for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery product can be stimulated through a series of strategic partnerships and co-branding initiatives. Key target markets exist in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan and South Africa. The report seeks to highlight future opportunities that serve the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery strategic vision. In order to accomplish the stated goals of the project, the research report author employed the web based Qualtrics survey software to create an online survey of consumer responses to the current gourmet cupcake product offerings produced by the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery. The Qualtrics software allowed the research report author to... The report intends to identify current and future opportunities for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery to expand its operations beyond its present location in the United States to an international market. The report also points to a secondary opportunity for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery to co-brand with specialty food stores in the United States and internationally to build sales and develop a strong brand reputation. To date the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery has focused its operations exclusively in the United States market. However, international demand for the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery product can be stimulated through a series of strategic partnerships and co-branding initiatives. Key target markets exist in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan and South Africa. The report seeks to highlight future opportunities that serve the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery strategic vision. In order to accomplish the stated goals of the project, the research report author employed the w eb based Qualtrics survey software to create an online survey of consumer responses to the current gourmet cupcake product offerings produced by the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery. The Qualtrics software allowed the research report author to perform quantitative statistical analysis, create a survey database and export the results to a simple Excel document for further examination. The result is a comprehensive and thorough analysis of consumer purchasing intention for the product offered by the Gourmet Cupcake Bakery, using its present branding strategy.

Reserch Into Memory Recall Essay Example for Free

Reserch Into Memory Recall Essay The main three systems of operation of memory are known as the Multi-Store Model (Atkinson amp; Schiffrin 1968), the Working Model of Memory (Baddeley amp; Hitch 1974), and Levels of Processing Model of Memory (Craig amp; Lockhart 1972). Multi Store Model Figure [ 1 ] http://www. smartpsych. co. uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/msmmodel2. png Key features of MSM: * Three types of memory stores – sensory, short term and long term (any stimulus must pass through one or more of these in sequence). Each store retains a different amount of information based on how much the store can retain. * Each of the stores retains a different amount of information in a different way and for a varying length of time. The sensory memory is responsible for taking the information from one of the sensory organs and holding it in that format, prior to transferring the data to the short term memory, and then dependent on the form of rehearsal (either by maintenance or elaborative rehearsal), is stored in either the STM or LTM. The information from any one of the sensory organs is encoded into the STM as one of the following: * Iconic (visual) stored as an image. * Echoic (acoustic) Auditory input from the ears and stored as a sound. * Taste * Haptic (touch) * Smell An example of Iconic sensory storage was demonstrated by Sperling (1960), whereby he tested participants by using a tachistoscope which flashed pictures onto a blank screen for a very brief amount of time. He then tested them on their ability to recall as many of them as possible from a grid of twelve that he would display for one twentieth of a second. His findings showed that whilst they could only recall approximately four images, the overall suggestion was that they had seen a lot more, but not enough time to record them. The presentation of the images was followed by three tone levels of high, medium or low which instructed the participants which rows they should focus their iconic memory on. Recall rate recorded was on verage three out of the four symbols from any one row, which suggests that the iconic store has a retention capacity of approximately 76%. Sperling reported that if a delay occurred between both the presentation of the grid and the sounding of the tone then an increasing amount of information would be lost gradually (50% after 0. 3 seconds and 67% after 1 second delay) (Baddley, 2002). The short term memory has a retention duration of 0-18 seconds, and a capacity of 7(+/-2), as demonstrated by Miller’s (1956) experiment of chunking. He discovered that our capacity to retain information can be increased by chunking large amounts of information together, otherwise referred to as trigrams (3 letter combinations). The length of time information can be retained is only a few seconds in the STM if not rehearsed, whereas rehearsal can increase that from anywhere from a few seconds too years. Peterson and Peterson (1959) found that the STM fades in under half a minute if not rehearsed, within 3 seconds this is reduced by 80% and only 10% of information remains after 18 seconds. The LTM (long term memory) has an unlimited duration and capacity, although these memories can decay over time and become displaced (shunted out of the way in place of new ones). Long term encoding can be semantically associated in which by we link things together, such as school, tie, and teacher. Although there is the possibility of incorrectly making additional connections dependent on the individual LTM and what is personally associated with the key word.

Essay on the Structure of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily

The Structure of A Rose for Emily    William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the murder took place. Without bluntly saying it, Faulkner, in several instances, hints that Emily has gone mad. At a few points in the story, the narrator mentions Emily's Great Aunt Wyatt, who "had gone completely crazy at last" (paragraph 25). This is the narrator's insinuation that insa... ...was a desperate act of a lonely, insane woman who could not bear to loose him. The structure of this story, however, is such that the important details are delivered in almost random order, without a clear road map that connects events. The ending comes as a morbid shock, until a second reading of the story reveals the carefully hidden details that foreshadow the logical conclusion. Works Cited Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily". An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed. Ed. Barnet, Sylvan, et al. 287-294. Essay on the Structure of William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily The Structure of A Rose for Emily    William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the murder took place. Without bluntly saying it, Faulkner, in several instances, hints that Emily has gone mad. At a few points in the story, the narrator mentions Emily's Great Aunt Wyatt, who "had gone completely crazy at last" (paragraph 25). This is the narrator's insinuation that insa... ...was a desperate act of a lonely, insane woman who could not bear to loose him. The structure of this story, however, is such that the important details are delivered in almost random order, without a clear road map that connects events. The ending comes as a morbid shock, until a second reading of the story reveals the carefully hidden details that foreshadow the logical conclusion. Works Cited Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily". An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed. Ed. Barnet, Sylvan, et al. 287-294.

Racism in South Africa

It is easy for people to shut their eyes to things they do not witness, like bigotry, racism, and the cruelty of South Africa. According to Blob Kiwanis â€Å"It has been nearly a decade and a half after the end of apartheid† and South Africans are finally realizing there Is a problem with racism (Swank, 2008). This realization occurred after white students from the university of the Free State, made a racist video. This video showed the students degrading and humiliating four black workers. The racism portrayed by these students was said to be deep-seated.These students even went so far as to allegedly, urinate in the four lack workers food (Kiwanis, 2008). In 1994 a man was fed up with his black worker, so the black man was fed to the lions (Kiwanis, 2008). This type of cruelty is not as common as it once was, but any act such as this should not be allowed to take place in the free world. Imagine living every day in fear, never knowing what the day is going to be like. What about tomorrow? This behavior is something most people never have to experience in their lifetime, but what about those that get to witness these events first hand?The violence and hatred that has caused a country to live In ear, was said to be a symptom of globalization, by a country that calls Itself a â€Å"Rainbow Nation†, yet was not supposedly about racism at all (Perry, 2008). 3 It became apparent in 2008, when 42 black people were killed. These people were raped, neaten, eroded, Ana Turned alive. I Nils type AT loathing NAS lave a country (Perry, 2008). These types of incidents have diminished over time, but are still evident in the culture. The cultures in South Africa are many and most are still high in the masculine beliefs. Ethnicity is the differences in culture and is diverse in SouthAfrica. The many different tribes and people have similar yet different beliefs. Race refers to the social construction on the difference of skin color, or nationalities (South Afri ca and its Culture, 2011). Polygamy is still carried out and a dowry is still permitted in most of South Africans cultures. Cattle are a sign of wealth and also used as a symbol for sacrifice. The Zulu is one of the strongest surviving black culture in South Africa (South Africa and its Culture, 2011). Xhosa are also a strong presence in the South African culture, and are referred to as the red people.The red people are called this because the red dye they use on their clothing, worn by most adults. The Indelible are related to the Red people, but live in the North-western corner of what now is called Mulligan, in vibrant painted homes (South Africa and its Culture, 2011). Then there are the Dutch settlers along with the British, these people are known as Afrikaners, and are the majority of the South African population (South Africa and its Culture, 2011). Surprisingly there is a large Jewish population that resides in South Africa; no doubt the survivors of Hitler and his brutal re in.Brutality is not the only problem that has affected the people of South Africa. Because of this racism the poverty level has remained a problem. If a company only hires white people to work, how are people of color ever going to rise above poverty? The Jobs available to black people in South Africa are almost non-existent. If there are no Jobs then there is no money to be made. No money means no food, no shelter, and no means to support a family. This is another instance of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. 4 Are people so blind and callused, as to not care how the actions and the words thrown out will affect others?What about the future of innocent souls to come? Why is one color any better than another? Who gets to decide these types of things? If a person were to close their eyes and solely Judge another based on their personality, or the way they are treated by a person, our world would be a different place to live. Discrimination has kept the people of South Afric a in poverty for way to long, it is time to break the chains of bigotry and learn to live together in a peaceful place. A place where color does not mean you are rejected for a Job, or for housing. A place where everyone is color blind seems ideal, does it not?Education is a factor for the people of South Africa. People are more concerned with finding a Job; instead they are worrying about whether or not they can attend school. And the sad part about that is that in order to get a good Job or even a Job, education would be beneficial. This is one of the excuses for not hiring people with black skin, they are not as educated. This is one way companies get around race (Reuters, 2001). The companies use this as their reason for hiring the white person applying for the Job and not the black person. It is a vicious circle for the people of South Africa.

Fast Food Nation, By Michael Pollan - 1324 Words

They say if you don’t like heights but enjoy the thrill, don’t look down. This is the same mentality that director Robert Kenner tries to prevent in his film Food Inc., where he sheds light on the corporations that control the way our food is being grown, processed and sold to the American people. With the help of Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, and Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore s Dilemma, Robert takes a shot at all corners of the food industry from meat packaging, to corn reprocessing, even Monsanto’s seed copyrights. While Kenner’s goals for change certainly lead to a better America, they tend to lean on the side of unrealistic. Modern America is a place where we the people don’t have to see how our food is being†¦show more content†¦better feed, lack of growth hormone leading to overall healthier livestock. This isn’t the biggest issue for Salatin’s methods. The process in which Salatin’s goes ab out raising his livestock is arguably both more humane and lead to a higher quality for the consumer, quality doesn’t feed an entire nation alone. Kenner is quick to show that Saladin’s methods both work and are favored by his customers but fails to point out how Saladin’s methods are formed around a small customer base. If every farm were to convert to his practices America would struggle to feed a nation of hundreds of millions of people. Not all of Kenner’s arguments hold equal ground. The film gets in a little over its head when it tries to tackle the issue of individuals being sued by Monsanto. While Kenner isn’t entirely off path by pointing out this poor practice and how it hurts small farmers trying to make a living, providing us with the necessary resources for survival. This issue is not exclusive to the food industry. America is a capitalist society, more money has virtually always been synonymous with more power in the courtroom through the use of better lawyers. It wouldn’t take any amount of effort to find news on how a large corporation was able to beat a family run business by dragging out the system until the competition couldn’t afford to continue the case. This ends up being a bigger piece than Kenner can chew and distracts from the health issuesShow MoreRelatedHow Junk Food Can End Obesity1175 Words   |  5 PagesFast food eateries are one of the main, if not the primary, reason behind obesity in the United States. Fast food, what many people for the most part view as a speedy approach to get some nourishment, is really killing a large number of individuals than you may suspect. In this current time, nearly everybody realizes that fast food isn t especially the best thing for you to eat, yet that won t verge on preventing us from eating it. Diverse things play a component with respect to why we as a wholeRead MoreThe Omnivore s Dilemma By Michael Pollan1122 Words   |  5 PagesThe Omnivor e’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan is a comprehensive look into the present day food culture of the United States. Throughout the book the author tries to find out the true composition of the diet that is consumed by Americans on a daily basis. There is an excessive dependence by the American population on the government to know which food is good for them. This paper will critically analyze the book as well as the stance that the author has taken. Since there is a deluge of information aboutRead MoreThe American ( Food ) Revolution1270 Words   |  6 PagesJaehun Lee 10/8/15 Summer Reading Essay The American (Food) Revolution Medical Experts are divided on whether or not the government should increase regulation on fast and processed foods. Remember those days when Thanksgiving dinners were a family affair? When the whole family went to the supermarket and bought turkey, ham, potatoes, and all of the raw ingredients needed to make every dish? When the whole family worked together to make a Thanksgiving meal to be shared by everyone? Today, this isRead MoreNutrition 251, And It Focuses On The Principles Of Nutrition1035 Words   |  5 PagesIn this class, I had to read a book from Michael Pollan called In the Defense of Food. As I read, I could not help but remember all the things I have eaten. Pollan explains how food changed over the years in the US and goes into great detail in how the industrialization of our food has impacted our ways of eating, poisoning us with refined and processed foods. Reading Pollan’s work made me realize that the food we eat is not actually food. Back then, food was grown and not scientifically engineeredRead MoreBook Report in Micheal Pollan ´s Book769 Words   |  3 Pagesoption s that the act of choosing the food we are going to eat is indeed difficult. On top of that, there is another problem. Unless you grow it yourself, you do not exactly know where food comes from. In his book, Michael Pollan, by embarking the reader into a discovery journey, explains both of this topics using his research and experience. PART ONE: â€Å"Industrial/Corn†__________ In this first section of his book, Pollan begins by examining the food-production system from which most AmericanRead MoreSynthesis Essay : Synthesis Process Essay Essay1680 Words   |  7 Pageshigh schools around the nation with almost three times our number of students, the amount of trash that we throw away together in one day is outstandingly high and it becomes overwhelmingly important to look at the sustainable options that we have available to us. Although implementing a sustainable menu would be costly, its adoption will bring benefits to the environment and to our students’ health, changing our lives for the better. A sustainable menu is one where the food was grown in an ecologicalRead MoreDon t Blame The Eater Essay1007 Words   |  5 Pagesclaims that fast-food industry should accept full responsibility for a serious public problem: leading American kids to obesity. Zinczenko supports his claim with his personal experience to show how the fast-food chains marketing on them with low price. He also said it is not easy for those obese kids to turn their lives back. He believes this should be considered as a public health problem because their obesity causes the society huge public health losses. Zinczenko insists that if fast-food industryRead MoreWhat You Should Eat Will Stir Anxiety1230 Words   |  5 Pagesat the top of the food chain. For most animals, eating is simply habitual and is a subconscious choice. Monarch butterflies eat milkweed, koalas go for the eucalyptus leaves, and whales chow down on plankton. But we homo sapiens, hindered by a big brain and inventions such as agriculture and industry, face a bewildering array of choices, from scrambled eggs to Chicken McNuggets, from a bowl of fresh blueberries to the chemically complex yellow and white log of sweet, spongy food product known as theRead MoreThe Cooking animal903 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Michael Pollan’s article The Cooking Animal, describes the decline of home cooked meals and its effects. Cooking, he says, is what separates us from animals. It’s how we became civilized. By making us come together and share food, we learn about each other and ourselves. Although its importance, cooking is rapidly declining in modern times. What was once a daily ritual is now becoming a special occasion. Replacing cooking is convenient, yet horribly unhealthy, processed foods thus worsening theRead MoreThe Paradox between Ecological Adversity and Human Civilation976 Words   |  4 Pagesas means to make survival simpler. Rather than expending energy gathering edible plant species, humans began growi ng those species on plots of land. Inherently a â€Å"desire to liberate food from nature† arose amongst groups of humans, which came to be the early workings of human civilization, known as settlements (Pollan 117). Cultivation of plants as means of simplification allowed humans to settle, and the social interactions that took place to encourage the survival of these settlements fashioned