The Fraud-Governance Linkage and Audit Research Paper

The Fraud-Governance Linkage and Audit - Research Paper Example Corporate governance also highlights the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders such as an organization’s management, the board of directors, shareholders, and other stakeholders. Corporate governance avails guidelines centering on the way in which corporations should be governed in order to attain its goals and objectives, as well risk monitoring and assessment and performance optimization (Carcillo, Hermanson and Ye 2). One of the outstanding themes of corporate governance revolves around the nature and extent of accountability required of persons running corporations, and mechanisms fashioned at decreasing principal-agent challenge to minimize managerial opportunism. Achieving Effective Corporate Governance Corporations operate in a legal environment and are subject to laws and regulations of a certain jurisdiction. Organizations also have a constitution that avails individual rules that govern the Corporation and sanction or constrain its operations or decision making. There are codes and guidelines that oversee corporate governance cover a broad array of categories. These include auditing, corporate responsibility and compliance, board and management structure, financial transparency and information disclosure. Corporations pursue and maintain an effective system that facilitates continuous enhancement in relation to strategy, performance, compliance, and accountability (Carcillo, Hermanson and Ye 3). Effective corporate governance can be achieved when the board of directors strictly embodies the interests of shareholders. In exercising their duty of trustees, the board of directors should review, challenge, and oversee the corporation’s business strategy and its effectiveness. Stakeholders should be well informed, engaged and willing to challenge each other. Parties involved in Corporate Governance The most prominent parties engaged in corporate governance incorporate government agencies and authorities, management (encompasses board of directors), Chief Executive Officer, shareholders, auditors, and other executives such as line managers, lenders, suppliers, employees, creditors, clients, and the community. Corporate governance mechanisms encompass systems of controls directed at aligning the interests of the managers with those of shareholders. The directors, employees, and management expect to draw benefits and reputation, as well as remuneration from the corporation, while the investors expect to draw financial returns from the Corporation. Lenders, on the other hand, expect specified interest payments, dividend distributions, or capital gains on their investment. The organization’s clients concern center on certainty in the provision of desired goods and services, which meet proper quality; the concerns of the suppliers revolve around compensation for their goods or services, and probable continuity in the trading relationship with the Corporation. The board is entrusted with playing a critical role in corporate governance. The board is mandated to endorse the corporation’s strategy as well as shaping a directional policy.  

Smart Watch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Smart Watch - Essay Example Finally, certain recommendations have been made to help Samsung avoid a premature decline of the product. Samsung forayed into the smart watch market when it released the Galaxy Gear in 2013. The gadget, 2.6 ounces in weight, boasts of a 1.6-inch screen, a 1.9 megapixel camera and is  compatible with the Note 3 smartphone. A built in speaker enables  users to make hands-free calls. Samsung’s intent is to make the smart watch an integral part of the customer’s daily life (Cheng, 2013). The South Korean company has also rolled out the augmented versions of the smart watch under the brand names Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Gear Fit and Gear Live. The augmented feature of the Gear 2 smart watch is the stand-alone music player. The Gear 2 Neo is equipped to handle voice commands and therefore users can answer calls and emails directly from the wrist. The heart rate monitor is the augmented feature of the Samsung Gear Fit. This smart watch is also dust proof and water resistant. The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo run Tizen  while the Gear Fit runs Samsungs proprietary RTOS (Sebastian, 2014). The Gear Live is powered by Google Android and has a built in pedometer in addition to the heart rate monitor. Samsung has announced that it is in the process of developing the Gear S. The yet-to-be-launched elegant smart watch will have access to 3G and 2G networks, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi. The 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display of the Gear S promises to provide an enhanced viewing experience. Data from research firm Smartwatch Group suggests that the global smart watch industry stood at $ 700 million in 2013. The industry is likely to touch $2.5 billion by the turn of 2014. Samsung has become a dominant player in the smart watch market space and had captured 34 percent market share in 2013 (Adams, 2014). Samsung has opted for a multi-pronged segmentation strategy for its range of smart watches. The company has used

Are private equity buyouts in the best interest of a company (2.3) Essay

Are private equity buyouts in the best interest of a company (2.3) - Essay Example g cost and managements time are considered worthless by private companies (Pietersz, 2007).However, shareholders will require detailed explanation of the benefits of such a strategy. Through buyouts, the cash flows of a firm are improved. The value of a firm is the present value of all the future expected cash flows (Bierman, 2003). Because of a reduced cash outflow, the present value of PE will be enhanced. The additional cash inflows arise from tax benefit of additional debt financing. The change in capital structure will enable the firm reduce its tax base at hence enrich the cash flows of the business. There are both advantages and disadvantages of private equity buyouts. Buying of inefficient performing companies and restructuring them to profitable ventures benefits the whole economy and the owners. Through elimination of these inefficiencies, they create additional wealth to the shareholders by increasing their return on the investments. After a buyout, the capital structure of the firm allows the firm to perform higher interest tax deductions from their income statement (Cendrowski, 2008). Increased tax shield benefit reduces the tax liability of the firm. In addition, the managers of PE have the mindset of achieving their goal within the shortest duration possible and make the sales at a profit. The profit motive of the managers is responsible for the enhanced value of the firm. Secondly, private equities are better managed than the publicly traded companies. Managers in of the PE rewards are pegged on performance. More still, the managers are sometimes required to put a material proportion of their investment in the investment. This would ensure that they to remain concerned about the company’s performance because any loss that might arise will also be borne by them (Colvin, n.d). Private equity further employed better executives by offering them high salaries. In addition, the acquired company also stands to benefit from the PE buyout (Cendrowski,

Alexandria Police Dept Intelligence Unit Proposal Essay

Alexandria Police Dept Intelligence Unit Proposal - Essay Example At the same time serial crimes and organized crime groups can be detected more quickly and more cases can be solved. Programs like community relations and robbery awareness could be carried out which helps to improve public trust and confidence, which in turn strengthen the information management system. By decentralizing the model and establishing a coordinating council, process of intelligence work could be made more effective and reliable.   Introduction Alexandria has maintaining highly skilled, energetic, technically oriented, well-equipped police department and serving the people better. It has the strength of 320 officers and 138 administrative workers.  Since 1986, the Alexandria police department has been internationally accredited by the commission on accreditation for law enforcement agencies (CALEA) which is a rigorous and difficult process, and has been reaccredited in subsequent years. By achieving this it has the professional status of law enforcement agencies worl dwide, and now has a responsibility of maintaining this status (Police Department, 2011). The department has provided searchable online crime data through the city's online crime search engine, and citizens can view it using an online Geographic Information System (GIS). Adding, the department's model mainly relies on the usage of advanced technology. Starts from 2004, the Alexandria police department is in the process of decentralizing its operations, and is now operating in three locations. One is at headquarter building at 2003 Mill road, and the other two is in 2034 and 2900 Eisenhower Avenue.  Decentralization of police function contributed to a decline in the effectiveness of communication among various investigative, operational, and administrative units. Information regarding new and emerging crime trends, patterns and neighborhood issues was often fragmented, which in turn fails to unite the department's resources and focus towards proactive and problem solving solutions. Joint efforts among all these units were also far more difficult to organize and manage (Police Department, 2011). More have to be done to improve communication and teamwork at all levels while increasing accountability and measure results on a regular basis. Increased communication among various operational and investigative units, teamwork, active participation, and accountability for results are to be the guiding principles of the department's process.  Ã‚   Crime trend in Alexandria Alexandria is the seventh largest and one of the highest income independent cities in Virginia. New town is largely populated by professionals those who are working with the federal civil service, or for one of the many private companies. On the other hand, the old town with its concentration of boutiques, restaurants, antique shops and theaters, is a major attraction for tourists. Alexandria has experienced a substantial decline in overall crime during the period 1970-2010, but has witnessed a si gnificant increase in scams and white collar crimes such as credit card fraud, worthless check cases, and larcenies of GPS units from vehicles, thefts of dodge caravans, IPods stolen, and phishing phone calls (Brian Block, 2007).