Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Man on Wire - 839 Words

Popular but Alone There are people who just suck you up in their lives and throw you away when they don’t need you anymore. Philippe Petit, the main character of the documentary film â€Å"Man on Wire†, directed by James Marsh, is a great example of such a sucker. Barry Greenhouse, Petit’s accomplice, says it during the film, â€Å"He sort of draws you into his world.† Philippe was a brave, enthusiastic and persistent high-wire artist. His raw passion to walk hundreds of feet above the ground on a tightrope helped him to make his dream come true, and he became famous all over the world. Philippe broke the law not only to reach his goal, but because it was an adventure; breaking into the tower to perform wire-walking was like a bank†¦show more content†¦She worried about Petit’s life, but at the same time was sure that her sweetheart could achieve his dream. And what did she get for following and encouraging her boyfriend after his triumph ? She got frustration and disappointment in the man she fell in love with. Petit cheated on her the first day he got popular, with an American fan. They broke up. Annie realized that her boyfriend’s fame changed his mind. They both had to start a new life. His girlfriend was just a toy to play with when Petit was bored or disappointed; friends were just tools, equipment that he used and threw away. Philippe took advantage of his support system. Even though they speak of the event with great awe, they still feel abandoned. Their lips may say, â€Å"We are glad it happened,† but eyes and tears never lie, and say, â€Å"We wish it had the other ending, a happy ending where friendship and love is more important than fame.† It’s two or three times as difficult to succeed without friends and support. Art shouldn’t be more significant than life; otherwise one is fated to be foreverShow MoreRelatedMan On Wire, By James Marsh1153 Words   |  5 Pages Man on wire which was set in 1947 directed by James Marsh about a french high wire artist Philippe Petit who is fascinated by New Yorks trade Centre where he has strung a six metre tight rope between the twin tires and walked across it without any fear. The documentary is about Petit s daring attempt, the aftermath and about his friends and the people who helped him achieve his life goals. Some consider it â€Å"the artistic crime of the century† The director has used many techniques to captivate audiencesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Man On Wire 1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe movie, Man on Wire is a documentary about wire-walker, Philippe Petit, who proves his impossible, yet inspiring dream above the clouds between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers was indeed possible. During this documentary, Petit magically walked and danced across a wire, leaving the audience filled with suspense and extremely sweaty palms. This project, completed by James Marsh, was truly a j ob well done, because of the way he has Petit narrate the documentary and how he recounts the eventsRead MoreMan on Wire Essay examples614 Words   |  3 PagesPetit: Sane Wire Walker What do you think when you imagine a man walking on a wire higher than 10 stories high? A French wire walker named Philippe Petit walked over many structures from Notre Dame to Sydney, Australia, to New York. Through the things he has done, people may think he is crazy. However, Petit and I think that there is nothing crazy about what he has done. I believe the people/society thinks he is crazy. They see this man up hundreds of feet walking across a wire over famousRead MoreThe Nature Of Truth In Sarah Polleys Man On Wire802 Words   |  4 PagesThe nature of truth presented in Stories We Tell, directed by Sarah Polley stands in stark contrasts with the nature of truth presented in Man on Wire, directed by James Marsh. However these documentaries are both postmodern. Both documentaries presented a variety of documentary, language and film techniques that express the nature of truth in each film. Polley demonstrates the intersubjective nature of truth through the use of interviews and music. Marsh however, uses long angle shots and flashbacksRead MoreHow One Might Find Philippe Petit, â€Å"Inspiring.† the Film Man on Wire1182 Words   |  5 PagesIn August 1974, Philippe Petit, a Frenchman with a passion for walking on wires, captivated New York City as he stealthy made his way to the top of the World Trade Center. Once there, he walked across a cable strung between the Twin Towers, a historic feat that s vividly depicted in a new documentary, Man On Wire (which will be screening tonight). The famous walk turned a void 1/4 mile above the streets into a stage, and made Petit into an instant folk hero. He now lives upstate in Woodstock,Read MoreOut, Out by Robert Frost and Death on a Live Wire by Michael Baldwin954 Words   |  4 Pages Out by Robert Frost and Death on a Live Wire by Michael Baldwin Both of these poems that I have chosen to compare are about death, although the circumstances surrounding the death in each poem contrasts greatly. In the poem â€Å"Out, Out-â€Å" a â€Å"big boy doing a mans work† and getting his hand severed by a buzz saw in a dramatic accident. The injuries sustained in this accident then lead to the â€Å"boys† tragic death. â€Å"Death on a live Wire† similarly involves a death, but unlikeRead MoreMy Mistress eyes880 Words   |  4 Pagespoem is written in iambic pentameter with an abab cdcd efef gg rhyming scheme. My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun; a Coral is far more red than her lips red; b If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; a If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. b I have seen roses damasked, red and white, c But no such roses see I in her cheeks; d And in some perfumes is there more delight c Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. d I love to hear her speak, yetRead MoreBarbed Wire Essay894 Words   |  4 PagesBarbed wire helped revolutionize the West by dividing up the land evenly and cheaply. However, some people out West found it to be an impediment to moving across wide plains. Cowboys and Native Americans even came up with a new name for it, Devil’s Rope. Joseph Farwell Glidden was a very influential man in the creation of barbed wire and he forever changed the West and the World. Barbed wire helped reform the West, but it had to start somewhere. Joseph Glidden saw a wire attachment at theRead MoreEssay on Frequency, Resonance and Radio Waves 1177 Words   |  5 Pagesexamples of resonance such as mechanical resonance, nuclear resonance, magnetic resonance and phenomena resonance Mechanical resonance are usually made in bridges by wind marching soldiers. Resonance happens very often in nature and is mostly used in man-made objects. Resonance phenomena occur in all vibrations. Its first occurrence in frequency circuits for communication, object circuit receives signals of some frequencies while not receiving others. Resonant systems are used to make vibrations orRead MoreSensory Images in the Visitor1537 Words   |  7 PagesThe Visitor takes place in the home of a married couple on an early October morning. The couple have called a blind piano tuner to tune their piano. After fixing the piano and claiming that the couple was lucky to have fixed the pian o now, the blind man requests that someone play the piano. The wife plays the piano, and the piano tuner eventually leaves, although he leaves an impact on the house: the entire afternoon is filled with music and eventually, the night arrives. There is initially silence

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Avoiding Relationships Can Be A Method Of Protecting...

Avoiding relationships can be a method of protecting oneself from hurt. Knowing that only oneself can create irreparable damage ensures that your well-being depends on you. Being involved in a relationship, or experiencing conflicting thoughts on whether one should start a relationship, can ultimately cause fearing for the worst, thus driving individuals towards keeping to themselves. In Zedd’s single, â€Å"Clarity,† the featured singer-songwriter Foxes returns to her senses when she â€Å"dive[s] into frozen waves† (1-2) and realizes she would be better off if she gave up her love for her partner. Often times, however, feelings of needing and wanting someone arise; her partner can cure past or present heartbreak, loneliness, and despair. Foxes believes her lover represents a vital â€Å"piece† (9) of her. While love may present cycles of abandonment and create tragedy, going through the motions of life reveals that love can be a remedy. Foxes’ relationship constantly takes a hit from many different factors, most of which, ironically, stem from the man in her relationship. Their relationship appears to be strict and stressful because their â€Å"clock ticks ‘til it breaks [his] glass† (7-8). Foxes’ partner puts up an emotional wall when trying to push her away and the wall shatters. Although this wall created a barrier in their relationship, the shattering of it demonstrates the truth of the tension; her lover’s wall will keep rebuilding and tragically crumbling because of the relationship’sShow MoreRelatedPrinciples of safeguarding and protection Principles of communication in adult social care settings2202 Words   |  9 Pagesabuse is the illegal or unauthorised use of a person’s property, money, pension book or other valuables. †¢ Institutional abuse involves failure of an organisation to provide appropriate and professional individual services to vulnerable people. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour that amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, stereotyping and rigid systems. †¢ Self-neglect is a behavioural condition in which an individual neglectsRead More Religion and Relationships in Christina Rossetti’s Work Essay4406 Words   |  18 PagesReligion and Relationships in Christina Rossetti’s Work Our dreams are commonly known as the subconscious manifestations of our inner desires. Creative writing, like dreams, can represent an outlet, a method of pseudo-fulfillment for those unrealized wishes or fears. In the case of much fiction, especially poetry, these hidden triumphs are often so subtle that the reader may not recognize the achievement or the repressed emotion to which it relates. Christina RossettiRead MoreFree Marriage : Can It Save Your Marriage?10636 Words   |  43 PagesTable of contents Introduction: Counselling: can it save your marriage? Understanding your partner’s emotional needs Working together to save your marriage Chapter 1: Communication Constructive communication Conflict resolution strategies Positive talk and actions Forgive and be forgiven Chapter 2: Overcoming problems Recovery from an affair Dealing with financial stress Analyse your anger Creating harmony in your relationship Your relationship and your responsibilities: finding balance Read MoreAlternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism21967 Words   |  88 Pagesopinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This article is a contribution from UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme to the World Water Assessment Programme. It was prepared within the framework of the joint UNESCO–Green Cross International project entitled â€Å"From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential (PCCP): Water for Peace,† and was made possible by the generous financial assistance of the Japanese governmentRead MoreOverview of Hrm93778 Words   |  376 Pagesimplementing employee communication system). †¢ Interrelationship of HR functions. A. What is human resource management? As we said that HRM is the management of people working in an organization, it is a subject related to human. For simplicity, we can say that it is the management of humans or people. HRM is a managerial function that tries to match an organization’s needs to the skills and abilities of its employees. Human Resource Management is responsible for how people are managed in the organizationsRead More Workplace Mediation36362 Words   |  146 Pages Some workplace conflict s healthy and if viewed positively, however where unhealthy conflict is present it has a potential risk to cause the company serious problems Workplace conflict can be in many forms from serious flare-ups to less obvious, but less destructive forms of negativity. Workplace conflict can be caused by personality clashes or style differences and personal. Workplace factors such as poor leadership, poor management, unfair treatment, poor communication, budgets, discriminationRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesWeidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproductionRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesNot Treating It Fairly ..................................................................... 174 Not Accepting the Burden of Proof ............................................................................................. 175 Diverting Attention from the Issue ............................................................................................. 176 Re-defining the Issue ....................................................................................................................Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages10.5/12 ITC New Baskerville Std Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrievalRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagessave money From multiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experienced

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Chapter 1 Modern Auditing Free Essays

string(66) " opinion on the fairness of the financial statement presentation\." CHAPTER 1 AUDITING AND THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTING PROFESSION – INTEGRITY OF FINANCIAL REPORTING |LEARNING CHECK | 1. SEVERAL COMMON ATTRIBUTES OF ACTIVITIES DEFINED AS AUDITING ARE (A) SYSTEMATIC PROCESS, (B) OBJECTIVELY OBTAINING AND EVALUATING EVIDENCE, (C) ASSERTIONS ABOUT ECONOMIC ACTIONS AND EVENTS, (D) DEGREE OF CORRESPONDENCE, (E) ESTABLISHED CRITERIA, (F) COMMUNICATING THE RESULTS, AND (G) INTERESTED USERS. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Chapter 1 Modern Auditing or any similar topic only for you Order Now A financial statement audit involves obtaining and evaluating evidence about an entity’s financial statements for the purpose of expressing an opinion on whether the statements are presented fairly in conformity with established criteria–usually GAAP. Thus, the nature of the auditor’s report is an opinion on the fairness of the financial statement presentation. You read "Chapter 1 Modern Auditing" in category "Papers" A compliance audit involves obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether certain financial or operating activities of an entity conform to specified conditions, rules, or regulations. A report on a compliance audit takes the form of a summary of findings or assurance regarding degree of compliance. An operational audit involves obtaining and evaluating evidence about the efficiency and effectiveness of an entity’s operating activities in relation to specified objectives. Reports on such audits include an assessment of efficiency and effectiveness and recommendations for improvements. 3. Independent auditors are individual practitioners or members of public accounting firms who render professional auditing services to clients. These services may involve financial statement audits, compliance audits, and operational audits. Internal auditors are employees of the companies they audit. They are involved in an independent appraisal activity, called internal auditing, as a service to the organization. Internal auditors are primarily concerned with compliance and operational audits. Government auditors are employed by various local, state, and federal governmental agencies. They may be involved in all three types of audits. 4. a. The financial statement audit is a form of an examination engagement in which the auditor provides reasonable assurance that the financials statements are free of material misstatement. The CPA might also perform an engagement to examine a forecast or a projection in which the auditor provides reasonable assurance that the forecast or projection reflects the underlying assumptions and that there is support reasonable for the underlying assumptions. A CPA might also perform an engagement to examine an assertion regarding compliance with laws or regulations in which the auditor provides reasonable assurance that the entity complied with laws or regulations. b. A review of financial statements is an engagement in which the CPA provides negative assurance that he or she is not aware of any material modifications that need to be made to the financial statements in order for them to be in conformity with GAAP. 5. Accounting and compilation services provide financial statement users and decisions makers with relevant information. However, they are not designed to test the reliability of such information. The primary benefit received is information that may be relevant to a decision, even though evidence is not obtained about the reliability of such information. . The following table summarizes several assurance services provided by CPAs and explains the how they improve the relevance or reliability of information used by decision makers. |Assurance Service |How the service improves the relevance or reliability of information used by decision makers | |CPA Risk Advisory |Provides relevant information to management or the board of directors about business risks faced| | |by an entity. It ma also provide information about the reliability of management’s system for | | |identifying and monitoring business risks. | |CPA Performance View |Provides relevant financial and nonfinancial information to management or the board of directors| | |about the entity’s performance. It ma also provide information about the reliability of | | |management’s system for monitoring the entity’s performance. | 7. a. The audit provides reasonable assurance that financial statement information is free of material misstatements. Decision makers can uses financial information to anticipate business opportunities and to make business decisions based with reasonable assurance that the information set used to make decisions is reliable. b. A review of financial statements provides less assurance about the reliability of financial information than that provided by an audit. The CPA provides negative assurance that he or she is not aware of any material modifications that need to be made to the financial statements in order for them to be in conformity with GAAP. This service is focused on both the relevance and reliability of information used by decision makers. A compilation does not provide assurance about the reliability of financial statement information used by decision makers. However, a compilation service may provide decision makers with relevant information that they would not otherwise have. c. The CPA risk advisory service may transform complex information into knowledge by helping management better understand business risks. The CPA risk advisory service may also provide assurance about the reliability of information produced by management’s system of evaluating business risks. . The origin of the company audit as we know it can be linked to British legislation during the industrial revolution in the mid-1800s. One or more stockholders designated by other stockholders initially performed company audits, but subsequent revisions in the legislation permitted the use of outside independent auditors, giving rise to the formati on of auditing firms. The focus of these early audits was on finding errors in the balance sheet accounts and stemming the growth of fraud associated with the increasing phenomenon of professional managers and absentee owners. Several important milestones in the rise of the U. S. profession were (1) the passage of legislation (2) the stock market crash of 1929 which drew attention to deficiencies in financial reporting and produced a challenge to the accounting profession to provide stronger leadership, (3) adoption of a requirement by the New York Stock Exchange in 1933 that all listed corporations obtain an audit certificate from an independent CPA, and (4) passage of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which added to the demand for audit services for publicly owned companies. Three important changes in audit practice that evolved by the 1040s were (1) a shift from detailed verification of accounts to sampling or testing as the basis for rendering an opinion on the fairness of financial statements, (2) development of the practice of linking the testing to be done to the auditor’s evaluation of a company’s internal controls, and (3) deemphasis of the detection of fraud as an audit objective. In recent years, the profession has come under increasing pressure to reverse the deemphasis on detecting fraud as the public’s expectation that the auditor will detect fraud persists. The quality of audits was questioned when a series of restatements of earnings from public companies such as Sunbeam, Waste Management, Xerox, Adelphia, Enron and WorldCom brought about a crisis of confidence in the work of auditors. By 2002 the collapse of Enron and WorldCom led Congress to pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This act created the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and gave it responsibility for setting auditing, ethics, independence, and quality control standards for audits of public companies. 9. Four factors that contribute to the need for independent audits are (a) conflict of interest, (b) consequence, (c) complexity, and (d) remoteness. Collectively these factors contribute to information risk. 0. Financial statement audits enable companies to (a) meet statutory and other regulatory requirements that must be satisfied in order to gain access to capital markets, (b) obtain debt and equity financing at a lower cost of capital, (c) deter inefficiency and errors in the accounting function and reduce the risk of fraud in the accounting and financial reporting process, and (d) make internal control and operational improvements based on suggestions made by the auditor as a by-pro duct of the audit. 1. The limitations of a financial statement audit include the fact that an auditor works within fairly restrictive economic limits that impose time and cost constraints and necessitate the use of selective testing or sampling of the accounting records and supporting data. Also, the auditor’s report must usually be issued within three months of the balance sheet date, which affects the amount of evidence that can be obtained. The availability of alternative accounting principles permitted under GAAP, and the impact of accounting estimates and uncertainties on the financial statements represent additional inherent limitations on financial statement audits. 12. Six public sector organizations include (1) the Securities and Exchange Commission, (2) state boards of accountancy, (3) the U. S. General Accounting Office, (4) the Internal Revenue Service, (5) state and federal courts, and the U. S. Congress. Five private sector organizations associated with the public accounting profession include (1) the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board, (2) the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, (2) State Societies of Certified Public Accountants, (4) Practice Units (CPA firms), and (5) Accounting Standard Setting Bodies — principally the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). 3. The Securities and Exchange Commission regulates the distribution of securities offered for public sale and subsequent trading of securities on stock exchanges and over-the-counter markets. The SEC also has the authority to establish GAAP for companies under its jurisdiction, and it currently recognizes the pronouncements of the FASB as constituting GAAP in the filing of financial statements with the agency. In some instances, however, the SEC’s disclosure requirements exceed GAAP. Finally, the SEC also exerts considerable influence over auditing profession. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 established a private sector, Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board to oversee the audit of public companies that are subject to securities laws. The PCAOB’s rulemaking process results in proposals that do not take effect until the SEC approves them. 14. a. The PCAOB has authority in five major areas (1) registering public accounting firms that audit the financial statements of public companies, (2) setting quality control standards for peer review of auditors of public companies and conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms, (3) setting auditing standards for audits of public companies, (4) setting independence and ethics rules for auditors of public companies, (4) performing other duties or functions to promote high professional standards for public company audits, and enforce compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. . Three important AICPA divisions, or teams, that have a direct impact on auditors are (1) the AICPA Practice Monitoring Program is responsible for quality control standards and peer reviews of firms that provide assurance services to private companies, (2) the Auditing and Attest Standards Team sets auditing and attest standards for audit, accounting, and review services provided to private comp anies, and (3) the Professional Ethics Division is responsible for setting and enforcing the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. 15. a. A CPA firm may be organized as a proprietorship, partnership, Professional Corporation, or any other form of organization permitted by state law or regulation (including limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and limited liability corporations (LLCs)). b. CPA firms are often classified into the following four groups: (1) Big Four, (2) Second Tier, (3) Regional, and (4) Local. 16. a. The purpose of the profession’s multilevel regulatory framework is to help assure quality in the performance of audits and other professional services. b. The four components of the profession’s multilevel regulatory framework are: Standard-setting. The private sector establishes standards for accounting, auditing, ethics, and quality control to govern the conduct of CPAs and CPA firms. †¢ Firm regulation. Each CPA firm adopts policies and procedures to assure that practicing accountants adhere to professional standards. †¢ Self-or peer regulation. The AICPA has implemented a compre hensive program of self-regulation including mandatory continuing professional education, peer review, audit failure inquiries, and public oversight. Government regulation. Only qualified professionals are licensed to practice, and auditor conduct is monitored and regulated by state boards of accountancy, the SEC, and the courts. 17. The five elements of quality control are (1) independence, integrity and objectivity, (2) personnel management, (3) acceptance and continuance of engagements, (4) engagement performance, and (5) monitoring. 18. a. The key elements of the PCAOB inspection program includes: †¢ Inspecting and reviewing selected audit and review engagements of the firm. Evaluating the sufficiency of the firm’s quality control systems and the firm’s documentation and communication of that system. †¢ Performing such other testing of the audit, supervisory, and quality control procedures of the firm as are necessary or appropriate in light of the purpos e of the inspection and the responsibilities of the board. The PCAOB conducts annual inspections of firms that regularly provide audit reports for over 100 public companies. The PCAOB inspects the quality control activities of firms that provide audit reports for 100 or fewer public companies every three years. b. The purpose of the AICPA practice monitoring (peer review) program is to: †¢ Determine that a firm’s system of quality control for its accounting and auditing practice has been designed in accordance with quality control standards established by the AICPA. †¢ Determine that a firm’s quality control policies and procedures were being complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance of conforming with professional standards. Determine that a firm has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform accounting, auditing, and attestation engagements in accordance with professional standards, in all material respects. |Comprehensive Questions | 1. 19 (Estimated time – 20 minutes) a. Internal auditing is an independent appraisal activity performed by employees of the company being audite d. The objective of internal auditing is to assist management in the effective discharge of its responsibilities. External auditing is done by independent, external auditors for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the fairness of the company’s financial statements. Governmental auditing is done by government auditors to determine (1) fairness of financial reports, (2) compliance with applicable laws and regulations, (3) efficiency and economy of operations, and (4) effectiveness in achieving program results. b. The Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the U. S. General Accounting Office establish practice standards for independent, internal, and government auditors, respectively. c. The audits serve different purposes and are made by different types of auditors. Auditing only by internal auditing will not satisfy the requirements of stock exchanges and the SEC for independent audits by external auditors. Moreover, internal audits will not satisfy all government requirements for audits, particularly in the area of compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In sum, each type of auditing is necessary. 1. 20 (Estimated time – 30 minutes) |a. Type of Audit |b. Type of Auditor(s) |c. Primary Recipient(s) | |1. Financial statement (1) |Independent(1) |Stockholders, investors, regulatory agencies, and| | | |general public | |2. Operational (3) |Internal (2), Independent(1) |Senior Management | |3. Compliance (2) |Government – IRS (4) |IRS | |4. Operational (3) |Government – GAO (3) |Congress | |5. Financial statement (1) |Independent (1) |Creditors | |6. Operational (3) |Internal (2) |Management | |7. Compliance (2) |Government – GAO (3) |Congress | |8. Compliance (2) |Independent (1), Internal (2), |Congress | | |and Government – GAO (3) | | |9. Financial Statement (1) |Independent (1) |Citizens, taxpayers | |10. Operational (3) |Government – GAO (3) |Congress | |11. Compliance (2) |Independent (1), Internal (2) |Bondholders | |12. Compliance (2) |Internal (2), Independents (1) |Management | 21. Estimated time – 15 minutes) a. The first step in the accountant’s value chain involves capturing data about business events, such as data about sales and the collection of receivables. The second step involves developing an information set that communicates the total picture with integrity and objectivity. The relevant information set here might include information about sales, receivables and the calculation of inventory turn days. Transforming complex information into knowledge involves understanding how the client’s receivable collection period (58 days) compares with the rest of the industry. In this case the 75% of the industry collect their receivables faster than the client. Anticipating and creating the opportunity involves recognizing that the client will improve its cash flow if it brings its collection days more in line with the industry median. This may further involve a study of specific customers that are delinquent and considering how to take steps to speed collection. The final stage involves management’s implementation of tighter credit policies, improved discounts for paying quickly, or charging interest for being delinquent. b. A financial statement audit is important as it provides reasonable assurance that the sales and receivables information that is being used to make business decisions is free of material misstatement. If the information supporting the calculation of accounts receivable turn days is materially understated, the company may not recognize that it needs to take steps to improve cash flows, and in turn, make poor business decisions. 22. (Estimated time – 20 minutes) a. The benefits of a high quality audit include the following: †¢ Access to Capital Markets. An audit allows companies’ access to public securities markets. In many cases, companies also need audits to support a lender’s loan decisions. †¢ Lower Cost of Capital. An audit often allows companies to obtain capital at a lower cost of capital, because of the reduced information risk associated with audited financial statements. †¢ Deterrent to Inefficiency and Fraud. Research has demonstrated that when employees know that an independent audit is to be made, they take care to make fewer errors in performing accounting functions and are less likely to misappropriate company assets. The fact that financial statement assertions are to be verified reduces the likelihood that management will engage in fraudulent financial reporting. †¢ Control and Operational Improvements. Based on observations made during a financial statement audit, the independent auditor often makes suggestions to improve internal control, to evaluate management’s assessments of business risks, to recommend improved performance measures, and to make recommendations to achieve greater operational efficiencies within the client’s organization. Your fellow business student is correct that these benefits are not achieved when an audit is not performed in accordance with professional standards. b. Even an audit performed in accordance with professional standard may not detect every material misstatement in financial statements. The following inherent limitations explain why an audit can only provide reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement, not a guarantee that the financial statements are accurate. †¢ Reasonable Cost. Audits must be performed at a reasonable cost. Auditors use selective testing, or sampling, of the accounting records and supporting data. In addition, the auditor may choose to test internal controls and may obtain assurance from a well-functioning system of internal controls. Audits cannot audit every transaction. †¢ Reasonable Length of Time. The auditor’s report on many public companies is usually issued three to five weeks after the balance sheet date. This time constraint may affect the amount of evidence that can be obtained concerning events and transactions after the balance sheet date that may have an effect on the financial statements. Moreover, there is a relatively short time period available for resolving uncertainties existing at the statement date. †¢ Alternative Accounting Principles. Alternative accounting principles are permitted under GAAP. Financial statement users must be knowledgeable about a company’s accounting choices and their effect on financial statements. For example, there may be a material difference between the value of inventory using LIFO or FIFO. †¢ Accounting Estimates. Estimates are an inherent part of the accounting process, and no one, including auditors, can foresee the outcome of uncertainties. Estimates range from the allowance for doubtful accounts and an inventory obsolescence reserve to impairment tests for fixed assets and goodwill. An audit cannot add exactness and certainty to financial statements when these factors do not exist. 1. 23(Estimated time – 15 minutes) |1. |State boards of accountancy |10. |State societies of CPAs | |2. |FASB and GASB |11. |SEC, state and federal courts | |3. |AICPA |12. GASB | |4. |SEC |13. |AICPA | |5. |AICPA, state societies of CPAs, |14. |State boards of accountancy | | |and state boards of accountancy | | | |6. |FASB |15. |AICPA | |7. |State boards of accountancy |16. Practice units | |8. |SEC |17. |GAO | |9. |AICPA |18. |IRS | 1. 24(Estimated time – 20 minutes) a. The four sets of standards in the private sector and the standard setting bodies are: (1) accounting by the FASB and GASB, (2) auditing by the AICPA, (3) professional ethics by the AICPA, and (4) quality control by the PCAOB and the AICPA. The other compo nents of the regulatory framework are: (1) firm regulation that occurs within the public accounting firm through day-to-day monitoring of the actions of the firm’s professional staff by the firm’s management; (2) inspections and peer reviews that relates to the activities of professional entities outside the firm such as the PCAOB and the AICPA’s Practice Monitoring (Peer Review) program; and (3) governmental regulation that occurs at both the state and federal levels through activities that range from positive enforcement programs to punitive actions. This type of regulation is done by state boards of accountancy, the SEC, and state and federal courts of law. 1. 25(Estimated time – 30 minutes) | | |Purpose of Policy / Procedure |Additional | |Policy/ |Element |(b) |Procedure | |Procedure |(a) | |(c) | |1. Personnel Management |Personnel should have the qualifications to |Establish qualifications necessary for | | | |fulfill responsibilities they may be called upon |each level of responsibility in the firm. | | | |to assume in the future. | | |2. |Engagement Performance |Work at all levels should be supervised to ssure |Establish procedures for reviewing working| | | |that it meets the firm’s standards of quality. |papers and reports. | |3. |Personnel Management |Work is assigned to people who have the technical |Identify areas and specialized situations | | | |training for the assignment and personnel should |for which consultation is required. | | |seek assistance, when necessary, from persons | | | | |having approp riate expertise, judgment, and | | | | |authority | | |4. Independence, Integrity and|All professionals should be independent of |Monitor compliance with independence | | |Objectivity |clients. |rules. | |5. |Monitoring |Determine that procedures relating to the other |Provide for reporting inspection results | | | |elements are being effectively applied. |to appropriate management levels in the | | | | |firm. | |6. Personnel Management |Only individuals who possess the qualities of |Maintain a recruiting program to obtain | | | |integrity, competency, and motivation should be |new hires at the entry level. | | | |hired. | | |7. |Personnel Management |Personnel should have the knowledge required to |Provide Programs to develop expertise in | | | |fulfill assigned responsibilities. specialized areas and industries. | |8. |Engagement Performance |Personnel should have the technical training and |Permit partner in charge of engagement to | | | |proficiency required by the engagement. |approve assignments. | |9. |Acceptance and Continuance |The firm should not be associated with clients |Establish review procedures for continuing| | |of Clients and Engagements. |whose management lacks integrity. |a client. | 1. 6(Estimated time – 30 minutes) a. The PCAOB’s inspection program and the AICPA’s practice monitoring (peer review) program do not have a direct impact on individual members. They are focused on a firm’s quality control activities. However, these programs may have an indirect effect on members who are involved in audits that are subject to inspection or peer review and all individuals in a firm may receive certain types of continuing professional education based on the findings of these programs. . The PCAOB is responsible for the inspection of audit firms that audit public companies. The AICPA’s practice monitoring (peer review) program is focuses on audit firms that audit private companies. The objectives of both program s focus on a firm’s adherence to quality control practices. c. The following table compares the objectives of the PCAOB’s inspection program and the AICPA’s practice monitoring (peer review) program. They both focus on a firm’s adherence to quality control practices. PCAOB’s inspection program |AICPA’s practice monitoring (peer review) program | |In conducting inspections, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 states |The purpose of a peer review is to determine whether: | |that the PCAOB should: |The reviewed firm’s system of quality control for its accounting | |Inspect and review selected audit and review engagements of the |and auditing practice has been designed in accordance with quality | |firm. control standards established by the AICPA. | |Evaluate the sufficiency of the firm’s quality control systems and |The reviewed firm’s quality control policies and procedures were | |the firm’s documentation and communica tion of that system. |being complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance | |Perform such other testing of the audit, supervisory, and quality |of conforming to professional standards. |control procedures of the firm as are necessary or appropriate in |The reviewed firm has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and | |light of the purpose of the inspection and the responsibilities of |abilities necessary to perform accounting, auditing, and | |the board. |attestation engagements in accordance with professional standards, | | |in all material respects. | d. The primary activities of the AICPA practice monitoring program include providing peer reviews and issuing reports on a firm’s compliance with quality control standards. Professional Simulation | (Estimated time – 30 to 45 minutes) | |Research | | | | | | |Situation | |Communication | A student can perform the search of quality control standards in two ways. First, the student can do a key words search o n â€Å"monitoring procedures. † Second, if a student looks at the way the Quality Control Standards are organized, he or she will note that QC Section 30 addresses Monitoring a CPA Firm’s Accounting and Auditing Practice. The relevant paragraphs are outline below. 1. Explain the monitoring procedures that should be performed by the firm. QC Section QC 30. 03 -. 08 2. Explain the factors that should be considered by small firms with a limited number of management individuals. QC Section QC 30. 10 -. 11 | | |Communication | | | | | |Situation |Research | | To: Tom Meyers and Kenny Vaughn Re: Monitoring Procedures From:CPA Candidate Based on a review of relevant quality control standards (QC 30. 03-. 09) the firm’s monitoring procedures should include the following: 1) Inspection procedures evaluate the adequacy of the firm’s quality control policies and procedures, its personnel’s understanding of those policies and procedures, and the extent of the firm’s compliance with its quality control policies and procedures. These might include: a) Review of selected administrative and personnel records pertaining to the quality control elements. ) Review of engagement working papers, reports, and clients’ financial statements. c) Discussions with the firm’s personnel. d) Summarization of the findings from the inspection procedures, at least annually, and consideration of the systemic causes of findings that indicate improvements are needed. e) Determination of any corrective actions to be taken or improvements to be made with respect to the specific engagemen ts reviewed or the firm’s quality control policies and procedures. f) Communication of the identified findings to appropriate firm management personnel. ) Consideration of inspection findings by appropriate firm management personnel who should also determine that any actions necessary, including necessary modifications to the quality control system, are taken on a timely basis. 2) Preissuance or postissuance review of selected engagements. 3) Analysis and assessment of a) New professional pronouncements. b) Results of independence confirmations. c) Continuing professional education and other professional development activities undertaken by firm personnel. ) Decisions related to acceptance and continuance of client relationships and engagements. e) Interviews of firm personnel. 4) Determination of any corrective actions to be taken and improvements to be made in the quality control system. 5) Communication to appropriate firm personnel of any weaknesses identified in the qual ity control system or in the level of understanding or compliance therewith. 6) Follow-up by appropriate firm personnel to ensure that any necessary modifications are made to the quality control policies and procedures on a timely basis. 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Friday, December 6, 2019

Integrated Reporting for Auditing & Accountability- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theIntegrated Reporting for Auditing Accountability Journal. Answer: Introduction The main objective of this essay involves in the analysis and evaluation of all the related issue of integrated reporting so that its major benefits and limitations can be identified for the business entities. Integrated Reporting is regarded as a tool of concise communication showing how the business entities create value for long term, medium term and short term. Integration reporting provides great assistance to enhance the business entitys manner to plan, think and report the different aspects of their business (de Villiers, Rinaldi and Unerman 2014). Apart from this, the implementation of integrated reporting provides the organizations with a major tool that helps in establishing better communication with the stakeholders so that the needs of them can be identified and fulfilled in the most efficient manner. Business organizations irrespective the size and industry can adopt integrated reporting for the establishment of understating and trust within the organizations as one cann ot ignore the significance of trust among the company, stakeholder, suppliers, customers and others. The implementation of integrated reporting assists in bringing trust by focusing on the drivers of values within the organizations (Adams 2015). Benefits of Integrated Reporting The above discussion indicates towards the fact that integrated reporting play an important part in the business organizations for the creation of value. For the creation of value, it is required for the integrated reporting to be concise so that it becomes possible for the highlighting the adopted process by the companies to create value (de Villiers, Rinaldi and Unerman 2014). Thus, it needs to be mentioned that the implementation of integrated reporting provides some major benefits to the business entities and they are discussed below: The effective implementation of integrated reporting in the organizations makes the management of the companies in the development of a better and solid understanding about different elements of the organizations that helps in determining the companies ability for value creation (Flower 2015). Thus, the adoption of integrated reporting leads to the better planning mechanism of the companies and also contributes towards the development of a holistic view on the capital and other resources of the business entities. With the implementation of effective integrated reporting, the management of the business entities become able in gaining effective understanding about the financial capital of the businesses along with other non-financial capital of the companies. As per the framework of integrated reporting, there is the existence of six types of capital in the companies; they are financial capital, manufactured capital, intellectual capital, human capital, natural capital and social and r elationship capital (Abeysekera 2013). The presence of integrated reporting can be regarded as the considerations among various aspects of the above-mentioned capitals, internal factors and external environments. The importance of the presence of integrated reporting cannot be ignored for the implementation of an effective communication tool in order to adders the demands and issues of the stakeholders. It largely helps in the process of the optimization of organizational reporting. For example, integrated reporting can be used for the collaboration among more than one departments in order to share information and to create synergies (Cheng et al. 2014). It helps in the broadening of understanding and knowledge of organization people about different aspects of the companies. For this reason, to strengthen the internal dialogue among different departments can be considered as a major aim of integrated reporting that leads to bring efficiency in resources. For example, it can be seen that the integration between annual report and sustainability report saves both money and time of the entities and provides greater understanding on both the financial and non-financial issues (Cheng et al. 2014). Integrated reports helps in bringing greater efficiency in the value chain of the companies; that leads to faster and effective decision-making process. Bringing simplicity in the assumptions of risk and opportunity management is another positive contribution of integrated reporting. The implementation of integrated reporting contributes towards the correct disclosure of financial information and it operates as an external communication tool for enhancing the image of the entities to the external stakeholders (Stubbs and Higgins 2014). For this reason, the investors can obtain all the required financial information for judging the current financial standing and financial performance of the organizations. It implies that the investors can obtain a holistic picture of the financial conduction of the entities. Financial performance can be a major limiting factor in the way to create value as most of the stakeholders judge the companies based on their financial performance. For this reason, companies are required to provide access to the stakeholders to their audited financial reports for effective investment decision-making (Fras-Aceituno, Rodrguez-Ariza and Garca-Snchez 2013). Apart from financial performance, the stakeholders show their interest in other areas like adopted business model by the entities and overall strategies that help the companies in achieving their desired goals. All these factors are the main aspects of integrated reporting as this report includes information about all these aspects for providing the overall outlook of the organizations. It implies that integrated reporting puts additional focus in the non-financial aspects of the businesses. Major external stakeholders of the companies like creditors, investors, suppliers, lenders and others can understand value cre ation process of the companies by gaining all the required financial as well as non-financial information (Frias?Aceituno, Rodrguez?Ariza and Garcia?Snchez 2014). Integrated reporting should not be burdened with unnecessary details as it is not to report for endless details. It only includes the necessary information so that the erasers become able to get specific results. The implementation of integrated reporting makes the management of the companies largely beneficial as it ensures better access to the required data and information that leads to easier and faster decision-making process. In addition, it also increases the overall efficiency of the whole workforce (Garca-Snchez, Rodrguez-Ariza and Fras-Aceituno 2013). The transparent process to create value with the assistance of integrated reporting helps in bringing improvement in the risk management mechanism of the companies. In the presence of transparent organizations operations, the management becomes able to assess the risk and opportunities from the businesses for the development of effective risk mitigation strategies. The implementation of integrated reporting helps the management of the business entities in the identification of the most efficient employees within the organizations that leads to better value creation process. Value drivers are another major aspect of integrated reporting as it assists the management of the companies in the identification of the factors that work as drivers for creating value (Brown and Dillard 2014). Thus, based on the above discussion, it can be said that the implementation of integrated reporting helps the businesses from both the financial and non-financial perspectives. Limitations of Integrated Reporting The above discussion involves in the identification of the major benefits of the implementation of integrated reporting as the reporting tool. How, it needs t be mentioned that the business entities have to face certain limitation while dealing with the aspects of integrated reporting. All the major limitations related to integrated reporting is shown below: Value creation is the major objective of integrated reporting. However, business entities face some major challenges while creating value through integrated reporting due to the fact that sometimes companies fail in the underatsding and identification of the aspect that is considered as value to the stakeholders (Crowther 2016). After that, another major limitation of integrated reporting is connectivity in the presence of the fact to break down the silos in the business organization in order to bring change in the procedure for collecting data. There are many instances for the implementation of integrated reporting that shows the failure of the business entities to identify the scopes for changing positive improvement with the help of the connectivity of financial as well as non-financial information (Churet and Eccles 2014). By bringing improvement in the process of integrated reporting, management of the companies become able in establishing interrelatedness, combination and depen dencies in order to create value in a better possible manner. Reconciliation of the needs of the major stakeholders of the companies is considered as another major limitation in the way of the implementation of integrated reporting. It can be observed that almost 45% of the integrated reports become successful in providing the explanation about materiality determination process and the overall efficiency of integrated reporting become largely affected by this (Eccles and Krzus 2014). For this reason, maintaining the required consistency in the whole process of integrated reporting is regarded as another major limitation of it. It can be observed that most of the integrated reports have length over 150 pages and it creates difficulties for the management of the companies in the reconciliation of conciseness and efficient communication with the major stakeholders. The absence of balance between the good news and bad news in the integrated reports can be regarded as another major limitation of it as lack of reliability and completeness can be obse rved in most of the integrated reports (Higgins, Stubbs and Love 2014). In order to overcome this limitation, the management are required to understand what is a good news and a bad news that should be included in the integrated reports. Another major limitation of integrated reporting is the presence of resistance to change. At the time of the introducing integrated reporting process in the companies, the management faces major resistance from individual departments as well as specific employees due to the change in the procedures of financial reporting (Busco 2016). At the time of the implementation of integrated reporting, the business entities have to incur large amount of costs. At the same time, large degree of work involved in the process to implement integrated reporting. It implies that both the increased amount of work and higher cost are two of the major limitations of the implementation of integrated reporting (Bartocci and Picciaia 2013). As the overall transparency in reporting process increases due to integrated reporting, it exposes the business entities to some potential risks due to the fact that the companies are required to disclose positive as well as negative performance of them in both financia l as well as non-financial areas. The adoption of integrated reporting brings some drastic changes within the operations of the companies and whole integrated reporting implementation process takes huge time. It takes several years from the initial decision to the full implementation process of integrated reporting and thus, there is a need for great coordination (de Villiers, Rinaldi and Unerman 2014). Apart from this, it also demands experience as lack of experience can lead to the failure in the whole integrated reporting implementation process that can lead to waste of money and time for the companies. Most impotently, there is a need for correct and sufficient data and information for the implementation of integrated reporting as lack of correct and required information can make the whole implementation process ineffective that can lead in the failure of integrated reporting implementation. Moreover, some other limitations of integrated reporting are lack of time, limited number of employees, lack of financial r esources, lack of work alignment related to the clear role of employees in the whole implementation process and others (Cheng et al. 2014). Conclusion The above discussion indicates towards the fact that the implementation of integrated reporting ensures the increased efficiency in the reporting as well as effective value creation. The implementation of integrated reporting ensures that there is an effective tool of combination between the major stakeholders and the company to addressing their needs. Moreover, by accessing the integrated reports, the stakeholders can obtain a holistic picture about the whole financial as well as non-financial performance of the organizations. These benefits of integrated reporting come with some of the major limitations of it. The involvement of large amount of work and higher cost for the companies is considered as major limitations of integrated reporting. At the same time, absence of coordination and inexperienced workforce are major constraints in the effective implementation of integrated reporting. Another limitation of integrated reporting is the absence of conciseness in the reporting proce ss. Thus, in order to ensure the correct adoption and implementation of integrated reporting, companies are required to secure the support from all departments and the companies should take help of external expertise. Apart from this, the introduction of various strategies like training and development campaigns, effective communication and others can ensure the effective adoption of integrated reporting. References Abeysekera, I., 2013. A template for integrated reporting.Journal of Intellectual Capital,14(2), pp.227-245. Adams, C.A., 2015. The international integrated reporting council: a call to action.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,27, pp.23-28. Bartocci, L. and Picciaia, F., 2013. Towards integrated reporting in the public sector. InIntegrated Reporting(pp. 191-204). Springer, Cham. Brown, J. and Dillard, J., 2014. Integrated reporting: On the need for broadening out and opening up.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,27(7), pp.1120-1156. Busco, C.A., 2016.Integrated Reporting. Springer,. Cheng, M., Green, W., Conradie, P., Konishi, N. and Romi, A., 2014. The international integrated reporting framework: key issues and future research opportunities.Journal of International Financial Management Accounting,25(1), pp.90-119. Churet, C. and Eccles, R.G., 2014. Integrated reporting, quality of management, and financial performance.Journal of Applied Corporate Finance,26(1), pp.56-64. Crowther, D., 2016.A social critique of corporate reporting: Semiotics and web-based integrated reporting. Routledge. de Villiers, C., Rinaldi, L. and Unerman, J., 2014. Integrated Reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,27(7), pp.1042-1067. Eccles, R.G. and Krzus, M.P., 2014.The integrated reporting movement: Meaning, momentum, motives, and materiality. John Wiley Sons. Flower, J., 2015. The international integrated reporting council: a story of failure.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,27, pp.1-17. Frias?Aceituno, J.V., Rodrguez?Ariza, L. and Garcia?Snchez, I.M., 2014. Explanatory factors of integrated sustainability and financial reporting.Business strategy and the environment,23(1), pp.56-72. Fras-Aceituno, J.V., Rodrguez-Ariza, L. and Garca-Snchez, I.M., 2013. Is integrated reporting determined by a country's legal system? An exploratory study.Journal of cleaner production,44, pp.45-55. Garca-Snchez, I.M., Rodrguez-Ariza, L. and Fras-Aceituno, J.V., 2013. The cultural system and integrated reporting.International Business Review,22(5), pp.828-838. Higgins, C., Stubbs, W. and Love, T., 2014. Walking the talk (s): Organisational narratives of integrated reporting.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,27(7), pp.1090-1119. Stubbs, W. and Higgins, C., 2014. Integrated reporting and internal mechanisms of change.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,27(7), pp.1068-1089.