Diligence
Essays

Reject Shop -- Recent Events (January 1st, 2010 -- March 31st, 2011)

Lord of the Flies: An Organizational Overview

The social view of the time was different than it is now, and there was a difference between the cultural heritage of religion and Biblical Christianity. There are examples from both sides of the argument that show America as one founded on the basic principles of Christianity – the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution being, for their time period, quite egalitarian. In the Declaration of Independence, for instance, there is a clear reference to the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God."

Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive of Nvidia, a maker of graphics chips, shows what transformational leadership is and how it is created by continually striving through failures and a strong sense of humility. Mr. Huang admits that he never was intimidated by failures growing up and that as Nvidia was in its early stages, the company experienced an exceptional level of failures that continued to challenge its very existence. Yet Mr. Huang takes a very positive, optimistic view of failures, saying that the acting of failing defines the dark space around success. His business of computer graphics chips has a very rapid, merciless pace of technological change. He has had to create an organization comfortable with failing fast and often, in order to continually improve a product line and make it ready for market. The qualities that make him an exceptional transformational leader include a heavy reliance on authenticity, transparency, trust and a very high regard for intellectual honesty. He believes that the best leaders have the ability to openly and regularly admit they are wrong and continually work to create workable solutions to problems. He also mentions the need for accuracy, speed and quickness of response to market and competitive conditions, using the allegory of a busy Denny's at rush hour. He uses the time pressure of dinner time to describe how critically important it is to also define when a customer is right and wrong. In his profile it is implied that the quicker a leader can either confirm or deny the value of customer opinion, the faster the leader can define an effective strategy. He uses the tense, high pressure environment of a Denny's to draw an allegorical reference to the very stressful, high speed business of designing and producing computer graphics chips. What is so effective about this allegory as a means to communicate leadership is the need for decisiveness and a focus on the customer, along with an acute sense of time and its incredible value as a resource. In his responses to the interviewers' questions it is clear he is thinking in these terms as a leader, working to triage the myriad of disruptions him and his organization face daily, choosing only the most significant to respond to. He has to in the business he's in, as the pace of computer graphics chip lifecycles is extremely rapid.

The report is an Internal Control and Accounting Analysis of ABC Limited which is an imaginary thriving restaurant chain that is located in London and specializes in pan Asian cuisine. Weaknesses and recommendations are given as well as a SWOT analysis. The whole is centered around accounting and regulations are mentioned as well as details of British accounting and business laws and controls.

Abstract After taking over after his father as the CEO of Rite Aid, Martin Grass undertook rapid expansion plans occasioned by numerous inventions, costly innovations, and numerous acquisitions and mergers. As a larger than life CEO, he became aggressive in pushing the company towards success. Instead of focusing on long-term sustainability policies, Grass emphasized on short-term goals. Unfortunately, pervasive corporate fraud traversed Grass' tenure. The ‘pressure to maintain numbers' was the first indicator of impending collapse of corporate ethics. The US Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it would be filing accounting fraud charges against Rite Aid Corp in 2002 after gaining reasonable ground to believe the company was involved in financial fraud.

The Financial Year/Accounting Period Concept

Poor Richard's "Way to Wealth" versus John Woolman's Way to Divine Riches

Horatio Hornblower's education in the naval lifestyle: a book review of Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.F. Forester (Boston: Back Bay, 1950)

When my academic advisor called me into her office in my freshman year, I was worried she might be sitting me down to discuss the last paper I turned in for class. Although I was up all night working on the research…