Corruption And Integrity In The World Politics Essay

Corruption And Integrity In The World Politics Essay Corruption is defined as the impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle or as inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means such as bribery. Corruption is defined by the World Bank and Transparency International (TI) as the misuse of public office for private gain. Corruption is generally considered to be a symptom and outcome of weak governance. Examples of corruption include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. While corruption may facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and trafficking, it is not restricted to these activities. Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well-performing judiciary, independent and properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law enforcement, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows, as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society, said Huguette Labelle, chairwoman of Transparency International. Every year, Transparency International ranks 180 countries to create its corruption index. The least corrupt countries for 2009 are New Zealand and Denmark, respectively. The most corrupt countries are Somalia and Afghanistan, respectively. In comparison to Transparency Internationals 2008 ranked list, the least corrupt countries stayed the at the same ranking and the most corrupt countries only slightly changed- Somalia topped the list both years while Myanmar was the runner up in 2008. Somalia ended up as the most corrupt country on Transparency Internationals list for a variety of reasons. In 1992, most of Somalia was a disaster area. It was effectively destroyed. It had no government, no police force, nor even basic services. Murderous warlords battled savagely for control of the capital, Mogadishu and armed thugs and bandits roamed the country destroying and taking everything insight. The fighting and the drought claimed over 300,000 lives, and heartbreaking spectacles of emaciated bodies of famine victims were seen on a daily basis. Although droughts have played havoc with agricultural production, the food supply has been far more threatened by never-ending armed conflicts. It is true that external factors, including the colonial legacy, the Cold War, and other foreign meddling in African affairs, have played a role in creating the regions problems. However, the primary causes of Africas crises are of internal origin: misguided political leadership, corruption, capital flight, defective economic systems, senseless civil wars, and military vandalism. The basic problem here, besides a lack of competence, is total corruption. The top people line their pockets through political influence. It is difficult to prove the corruption, even when a top official speaks out about wrongdoing. Somalias problems could have been avoided if their leaders and elites had used their common sense. In Africa the people are the peasants the majority in every African nation. Some minimum level of stability, peace, order, civil society, and respect for civil liberties is necessary for productive activity. The principal beneficiaries of economic prosperity ought to be the peasants, not the elite minority that constitutes less than 10 percent. Another corruption-ridden country is Afghanistan. Corruption has multiple and severe adverse effects on Afghanistan. In addition to the direct financial costs of corruption (higher costs of contracts and public services, loss of public funds due to theft or misuse of government facilities and assets) there are substantial costs related to time devoted to corrupt practices by government officials, private businesses, and the public as well as, especially in the case of the security sector, the human costs (e.g. of threats, intimidation, victimization of people by security forces). Widespread corruption deters and distorts private investment. But perhaps most important, are the adverse implications of corruption, and popular perceptions of widespread corruption, for the effective functioning, credibility, and legitimacy of the state. A particular problem in this regard is drug-related corruption, allegedly involving senior Government officials, which interacts destructively with corrup tion in the security sector (especially the police) and justice sector. Not surprisingly, the basic forms of corruption in Afghanistan appear to be broadly similar to those found in other countries. These include petty corruption and bribery, extortion, outright theft of government assets, patronage, and corruption in government procurement. Examples of the former in Afghanistan include the apparently common practice of demanding money from the public for required forms and documents; bribery in return for obtaining an electricity connection, uninterrupted power service, or under-assessment of electricity bills; theft of fuel in municipal sanitation departments, etc. On the other hand, New Zealand is ranked the least corrupt country. Unlike much of the world, New Zealand is a nation where corruption is virtually unknown. It is unheard of to have to bribe public officials to do the jobs they are paid to do. Genuine wrongdoing is quickly exposed and offenders are dealt with in open court under fair and transparent laws. New Zealand has a zero tolerance policy on corruption and bribery, which means that it does not accept bribery within its own ranks or in cooperation with external partners. Not even a New Zealand police officer can be bribed. Anyone who tries to will be arrested on the spot. Everyone knows this, which is why nobody tries to, not even the worst, most desperate or richest criminals. While there have been a few instances of bribery among low-level public servants over the years, the offenders are caught and vigorously prosecuted. New Zealand has had their share of fraudulent businesspeople, but they are also prosecuted. Their justice system is a stiff and regimented one, with fiercely independent judges selected because of their legal abilities alone, not because of political views. Like New Zealand, Denmark has also adopted a zero-tolerance policy. The zero-tolerance policy means that anti-corruption clauses are now found in all Government Agreements and in all contracts with companies involved in preparing and implementing Denmarks development. All of Denmarks contracts include an anti-corruption clause, whereby companies will have to sign a declaration on non-bribery. Non-compliance with this clause might lead to a cease of contract and exclusion from future contracts. The common denominator for the least corrupt countries verses the most corrupt countries basically boils down to having an organized government and rules and regulations. In New Zealand and Denmark they clearly have a solid government with well-known anti-corruption policies. They enforce the zero tolerance level so that people realize that it isnt worth suffering the potential consequences of even trying to do wrong. Things tend to work progressively and smooth. Whereas, in the most corrupt countries the common denominator is chaos and disorganization. There tends to be no democracy or government (fair) to rule and control the citizens. And there tends to be much violence. The culture of the country does play a huge role in the countrys ethics. In the most corrupt countries, the people tend to be poor, uneducated, and live in extreme destitute conditions. There typically is no middle class only a small percentage of very wealthy and powerful and a large percentage of very poor and powerless. In the least corrupt countries, the people tend to be educated and live in comfortable conditions. Some possible ways to lessen the corrupt and unethical behaviors are to be clear and concise with anti-corruption policies. A good example is New Zealand. They have made sure that their laws are transparent and understandable. If someone does not follow the law they are prosecuted to the fullest extent. Having an enforceable zero tolerance policy is a huge step in lessening corruption. Some additional ways to lessen corruption are by improving public sector service delivery by focusing on public sector accountability and legal reform in order to re-introduce rule of law, building integrity by promoting governmental accountability and transparency; and building watchdog and enforcement agencies. Lack of accountability by national and international politicians and civil servants is probably one of the most important reasons why sustainable development has not occurred in most of the worlds poorest countries. The country needs to have an information surplus, control of the government, a nd eliminate opportunities and incentives for corrupt behavior. Social conditions such as increased literacy and education among the population can help curb corrupt behavior as well. My home country, the United States of America, ranked nineteenth on the Transparency International corruption list. US federal law prohibits bribery of both non-US and domestic federal public officials. The US federal anti-foreign bribery statute is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977. The FCPAÂ  applies to the people of the United States and companies, stockholders, officers, directors, employees, or agents acting on behalf of a United States company. The FCPA has anti-bribery provisions and prohibits indirect as well as direct improper payments. If someone has a conscious disregard, willful blindness, or deliberate ignorance, of culpable conduct or suspicious circumstances it may be adequate to support a violation of the FCPA. The penalties for violations of the FCPAs anti-bribery and corruption provisions are severe. For criminal convictions, companies could be fined the greater of $2 million for each violation or twice the gain earned on any business obtained through conduct that violated the FCPA. In addition to similar criminal fines, individuals can be imprisoned for up to five years. For civil violations, penalties of $10,000 for each violation may be imposed both on companies and individuals. Moreover, in recent years, SEC has insisted that companies forgo all profits earned through conduct that violated the FCPA. In several recent cases, the US Department of Justice and SEC have also required companies to engage for a three-year period an independent compliance monitor that provides periodic reports to the US authorities. The US federal laws also include various domestic bribery statutes, which prohibits bribery of US domestic public officials. This statute prohibits the giving of anything of value to a public official or person who has been selected to be a public official.

Childhood Memories Of Summer Camp Essay

â€Å"Are we there yet?† I yelled from the back seat of my best friend Alicia’s mothers grey minivan. My mother sat in front next to Mrs. Martin, while Alicia and I had the whole back seat to ourselves. Well, mostly except for the suitcases and gear we had packed to spend the week at Camp. I already knew the answer to the question I had asked so, it didn’t matter that both women in the front seat ignored me and continued on with their own conversation. The answer was no, but I knew we were getting close, because I could smell it. It smelled like the woods, like damp mulch, like soil and like trees. It smelled like mud puddles and like grass. It smelled like sunshine, laughter and an entire week of freedom. To me it smelled exactly like summer camp. Nothing in the world was more exciting than arriving at summer camp. Alicia and I could hardly make it through the two hour drive from home due to the anxiousness of what was to come. It was absolutely agonizing to get up that morning and pack everything perfectly, checking and rechecking our lists just to sit in a hot van for two long hours. When we finally did arrive, we immediately ran to the Camp lodge where we would check in and find out which cabin we were assigned to that year. †Cabin 11 again!† The same one we were in the year before. We then started on the long walk from the lodge to the cabin villages. We were quickly able to spot cabin 11. The cabins were wooden structures with a single room and no windows with the names we had carved in the wall from our last visit were still there. It had a small front porch and inside there were about 12 bunk beds. A few girls had already claimed their beds and began unpacking. Alicia and I found two top bunks beside each other and  threw all of our stuff right on the bed. Unpacking could be done later. We then, ventured outside to meet our counselor. Her name was Noel, she was short and pretty with dark curly hair. I don’t remember all the names of my camp counselors but Noel was one of my favorites throughout the next few years of attending summer camp. After that, Noel went over all the rules of her cabin pertaining to food, dirty laundry, being courteous of one another, etcetera. We all said our separate good byes to our parents. Some of the girls cried, while most of the girls cheered. After all, a week was an awful long time to not have your mommy within reach or nearby. Of course I was one of those that cried. However, with comforting words, my mom was always the best at making me feel secure again. She reminded me that it was only a week and she was only a phone call away. She hugged and kissed me, gave me a lecture on following the rules before her and Mrs. Martin started back towards the camp lodge. Summer Camp had officially begun! I could now, not only smell my week of freedom, I could touch it. All week long we would be busy doing many different activities. Some of my favorites were survival training, obstacle courses, wall climbing, mud soccer, swimming and campfires. My favorite thing of all was the five mile hike outside of the main camp that took you on a nature filled journey that taught us about the different plant life and geography native to the area. All of this ended with an overnight stay at a very primitive campsite that lacked the modern day amenities we are accustomed to. Just taking a shower required filling huge water basins that were assembled at the top of wooden outhouses while waiting for the sun to warm them up. The fun that summer camp entailed for me was endless. The sweet smell of happy childhood memories will linger inside my soul forever. It is really quite astounding to me that something as simple as a common smell could bring fourth such an abundance of joyful memories to a person. Still to this day, whenever I drive towards woodsy areas I am flooded with the most wonderful memories that could possibly exist on this Earth and today I have the privilege to make similar memories with my own family.

Baseball History Research Paper

Baseball History Research Paper For many decades baseball has been a great source of entertainment and fun for a huge range of fans from all over the world. As we know, the first game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey on June 19, 1846. On that day the NY Knickerbockers were defeated by the NY Nine with the score of 23-1. The baseball players were keeping up to the rules, established by Alexander J. Cartwright. There’s also a myth that the inventor of baseball was Abner Doubleday, but that is not true. The basic rules of the game were created by Alexander Cartwright. The Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team, who played a range of successful games in 1869. The rules have been changing during the whole period of the game’s existence. In 1900 they were almost like the ones we have today. Nowadays a new generation of baseball players has come. Among them is Mark McGwire, Sammie Sosa, etc. However, there’s one significant difference between the players of our days and the ones from the previous decades. The baseball players are making huge sums of money now. Millions of dollars they get as their prizes. Also the equipment for the game has changed. For example, it was like that in the case with gloves. At first, the baseball players wore thin leather pieces on their hands. It had 5 holes for fingers. In 1890ies the gloves looked like the ones the players wear nowadays. You may wonder how come that

Chapter 8- Philosophy Of Education Essay - 724 Words

Sadker, D.M. Zittleman, K.R. (2013). Teachers, Schools, and Society. (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. Chapter 8- Philosophy of Education pp. 250-257 The author mentions four elements of philosophies in education that may center on teachers and centered on students. Teacher- Centered Philosophies are mostly emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information, and skills. One teacher-centered philosophy is Essentialism. Essentialism teaching the back to basic approach, which centers ‘building knowledge but also discipline, practical minds, capable of applying schoolhouse lesson to the real world’ (Sadker, D.M. 2013). Whereas, Perennialism is more centered around ‘books, ideas and concepts and criticize essentialism (Zittleman, K.R 2013). Perennialism education focuses on enduring themes and question that spans the ages such as the Great Books, ‘works by history’s finest thinkers and writer, books that are as meaningful today as when they were written’ (Sadker, D.M. 2013). Student-Centered Philosophies are more focus on the individual needs, contemporary relevance and preparing students for a changing future. One student-centered philosophy is Progressivism. Progressivism schools are centered on the concerns, curiosity, and real-world experiences. Teaching students to develop meaningful question about life and finding the answer to those question through experience. Similarly, Social Reconstructionism ‘encourage schools, teachers and students to focus theirShow MoreRelatedChapter 6 : Philosophies Of Education1332 Words   |  6 PagesKaur Savdeep MCC 623 Journal# 3 Chapters 6,7, 8 Spring 2017 Chapter 6: Philosophies of education Philosophy means Love of Knowledge.† One of the important means of getting knowledge is Education. Philosophers state different theories on education. Behind every school and every teacher is a set of related beliefs-a philosophy of education- that influences what and how students are taught. A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher s roleRead MoreDescribe What Montessori Meant by â€Å"New Education†1594 Words   |  7 Pagescommitted her life into education of the children. She has witnessed through some years with wars and conflicts and she thought; through education this can be turned into peace to this world. Since the year 1907 Montessori name has been recognized in the education system. Even though it has been over a century to this date Montessori principles are as powerful as it was. Dr Maria Montessori has relied on her actual observations on children to develop her method of education. During these o bservationsRead More1. 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In Chapter One she explains that she uses the terms the bully, the bullied, and the bystander not to lock children into labels, but instead to identify the role that the child is playing in a partic ular scene (p. 4). Moreover she describes the all too common scenesRead MoreH. George Frederickson’s The Spirit of Public Administration Essay1504 Words   |  7 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Frederickson begins in Chapter 1 by explaining that â€Å"public administration is both a profession and field of study (p. 19).† This statement is very exact. Often times public administrators focus on the profession and do not practice studying their role in society. â€Å"The word administration is the subject of extended study, analysis, and discourse (p. 19).† Meaning the role of the public administrator is to lead along with learning as they progress through their careers. 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Babbitt wrote, â€Å"[Bacon and thereby Rousseau] do not have the humanist’sRead MoreReflective Paper1125 Words   |  5 PagesTeachers were on measurement, geometry, probability, and data analysis. Just like part one of Math for Elementary Teachers, part two also address the relationship of the course concepts to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards for K-8 instruction. The first two weeks of this course, the main concepts that were explored was data analysis and probability. When learning about data analysis, A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers taught students thatRead MorePlanning For Instruction From The Course Text1252 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment #3 – Discussion Paper: Planning for Instruction This paper will discuss Chapter 4: Planning for Instruction from the course text, Teaching Physical Education Today Canadian Perspectives. 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Movie Review Crossing ( 2008 ) Film Review Essay

Crossing (2008) Film Review: Lights shine just a few yards from where you crouched clutching your bag for dear life, a blistering cold sweat trickles down your neck as you realize like an animal you re being hunted. Murky water seeps deep into the fibers of your torn clothing while you hide among the tall marsh grass just outside your way to a better life. Cutting through the thick night air and illuminating each blade of green the lights inch closer and That s when you feel it. A cough. The same deep coughs that your wife tried to hide that stemmed from her tuberculosis. Her need for medicine and your family s survival is what drives you and what has caused you to come this far leaving a nation of oppression and crossing into one of opportunity. You tighten your grip on the bag s strap then Your eyes wide in terror dart back and forth as you begin to feel your way through inky blackness. thunderous gunshots ring out in the distance a sound you know all too well. You have to make it to shore, there, is the land that holds the medicine you need. What would you be willing to do for your family? To some Kim Tae-kyun s Crossing (Keurosing in South Korea) could come off as simply a work that plays on the treatment of North Korea s citizens and the country s plight for control through creating a unified people at all cost. However, upon closer analysis the story delves deep into the very easily manipulated fabric of human emotion. Creating tears in its stitching withShow MoreRelatedProspectus Example1677 Words   |  7 Pagesby the 1990s-2000s. Literary Review Much of the sources for this paper will deal with personal memoirs of Cuban immigrants, journalists and scholars. I will critically analyze this existent data and correlate them with the interviews, newspaper articles and diaries of Cuban refugees. This way I can correlate all of the opinions and studies. 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No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilm, and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Routledge, Taylor Francis Group, 270 Madison

Sonography Career Free Essays

Sonography The first time I started college I had a different career path. It was not after my pregnancies that I decided to make the change to sonography. I think sonography is a career that really fits my expectations, and to make sure I am in the right path I will research this career in depth. We will write a custom essay sample on Sonography Career or any similar topic only for you Order Now Tests and evaluations in sonography are in writing and practical. They are prepared to measure the student’s understanding of the material, and the knowledge in manipulating the transducer (Craig 53). At the beginning I was curious about how the test would be. I now know the reading tests are normal types of tests: objective, which is cover multiple choices or true and false, and the subjective, which are the essays questions. I also found, I will have some tests on computer (Craig 46-47) which I think is a great idea because I will get accustomed to the way that certifying test are now presented, also it will help me to be successful in my career. The practical exams will help me to familiarize in working with patients on a day to day work habit, and the writing and computer exams will prepare me for my certifying examination post graduation. Sonography has different types of sonograms in which I can specialize. There are eight types of diagnostic ultrasounds specialties, but there are three which are the common practiced: abdominal, obstetric and gynecologic, and cardiac (Craig 152). This is great for me, because obstetric and gynecologic is the type of ultrasound I would like to specialize. Also, since this type of ultrasound is one of the most common I think it will be easier find a job in this field. Registration is very important in the sonography field. Graduates are encouraged to take their registry examinations as soon as possible after completion of their training (Craig 53). † In my opinion this is great because the knowledge of the sonographer is tested again giving us the opportunities to have prepared sonographers in the health facilities. Since â€Å"employers prefer candidates registered through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Morsch)† being registry is an open door for sonographers trying to get a job. American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) offers the opportunity to sonographers to earn three different types of credentials. The credentials are Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer, and Registered Vascular Technologist. In order to be award with one of them the graduate needs to pass two exams: one general and one specialty exam that depend on the credential wanted (ARDMS). This I think is a wonderful requisite because it elevates the prestige of sonographers. As more credentials I can get more knowledge I will have. Salary is another point in my research. â€Å"In 2008, the starting salary for a diagnostic medical sonographer was $43,600 (Diagnostic Medical Sonography). Even though this is not the most important point for me I have to admit it is within the range I was expecting for salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the annual mean wage in Florida is $56,990 which breaks down in $27. 40 an hour (Bureau). This is better than the figures from 2008 and if salary follows this line by the time I graduate it should be even greater. The outlook of this job is great. â€Å"Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to increase by about 18 percent through 2018-faster than average for all occupations (Bureau)†. This is about 2. 25 percent per year. Sonograms will become the most popular tool in the medicine field to check the human body since is not harmful and very effectively. The truth is that â€Å"sonography is in high demand trough out the country since the uses of sonography are expanded (Sonography). † Another factor that will help on the growth of the sonography is the population who is aging. Older people needs more tests and Florida is one of the favorite states for retired people, so I would say that we will have a nice increase on the growth rate. Learn about searching jobs I think is important. After I graduate I would like to know the most important factors when looking for a job. As I found there are many tips for a successful job search. A resume accompanied of a personalized letter, always listen to the interviewer and answer the questions straight and precise, choose professional clothes for the interview day, negotiate the salary if it is no right for you, and always get the final offer in writing (Craig 213-216). Responsibilities are part of all jobs. Sonographers once they graduate start taking responsibilities which include preparing reports, organized daily work schedule, and report equipment failure(Craig 205). Searching this I notice that sonographers don’t only make reports and scans in fact I will do more than what I thought was my responsibilities. Sonography also has disadvantages. Musculoskeletal injury has been affecting sonographers for years. The amount of sonographers in the country is a small number compare to other professions in health, but the amount of injured sonographers is that big relative to the total number of sonographers that brought the attention of NIOSH. To protect sonographers from musculoskeletal pain NIOSH recommend a few safety measures for under graduates to avoid injuries (Musculoskeletal). This is really worry because I want a profession not an illness. I really think the programs should emphasize more on safety rules to avoid MSI from happen so frequently. I have learned plenty of information with my sonography research paper. Now I like even more my career. I believe I will have a great future if I keep going in this direction. Sonography is a very popular job, and learn the inside of the human body it is always amazing. [1010] Work Cited ARDMS,†Credential and Examinations. †Web. 15 Nov. 2011. https://ardms. org/credentials_examinations/ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook,2010-11edition, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. Web. 9 Nov. 2011. http://www. ls. gov/oco/ocos273. htm Craig Marveen,†Essentials of Sonography and Patient Care†. St. Louis: Saunders,2006. Print. â€Å"Diagnostic Medical Sonography. † CAAHEP. Org. CAAHEP, 2009. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. †¹ http://www. caahep. org/content. aspx? ID=23 Morsch,Laura. †10 Best Paying Jobs for Associate Degress. †CNN. com. Cable News Network,05 May 2006. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. http://www. cnn. com/2006/us /careers/05/04/cb. associates â€Å"Musculoskeletal pain hits 80% of sonographers. † Occupational Health Management 1 Feb. 2007. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. How to cite Sonography Career, Papers

Financial accounting in banking industry - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about Financial accounting in the banking industry. Answer: Introduction: The current report aims to focus on Sunshine Limited, in which the accountant of the firm, Maria Mars was approached on the part of Kam Sunshine, the general manager. The person wanted to change the method in relation to income in a discrete fashion. As a result, Maria Mars has been in dilemma, since she was worried about renewing her terms with the company. Even though such actions are not ethical, the straight-line method of depreciation has been changed to sum-of-years-digits method (SYD). Thus, the stakeholders identified from the case study comprise of communities, shareholders, customers, governments, suppliers, partners, creditors, general manager and accountant. The ethical issues in relation to Maria have been described and the major norms violated on the part of the organisation comprise of lack of integrity, transparency and objectivity. Finally, the role of Maria to change the method of depreciation is described with adherence to the requirements of the organisation and t he effect of AASB 116. Ethics and governance: In the words of Ball, Grubnic and Birchall (2014), morality has strong relationship with governance and ethics and thus, it could not be imposed. However, the above-depicted ethics is suitable, since both quality and work level would be improved, which would further increase the overall confidence of the users. The governance and ethics-related problems of Sunshine Limited are depicted as follows: Breach of objectivity: In order to make personal gains, Kam Sunshine has deceived the higher-level management of Sunshine Limited and the person has obtained support from the accountant to accomplish his gains. The company has utilised various depreciation methods on non-current assets for representing the deflation effect and the depreciation method could signify the condition where the benefits related to future assets are estimated to be obtained (Beatty and Liao, 2014). The overall depreciation method has changed, which would lead to variance in timing of depreciation. As a result, the actual decisions might influence the decisions of the shareholders due to error estimates. The accountant has the responsibility to depict accounting information effectively and disclosure of changes in financial statements would be revealed. This contradicts the work ethics of the accountant and it has breached the doctrine of objectivity. Lack of integrity and lucidity: It is the right of the shareholders to obtain an overview of how profitable their investments would be in the organisation. Depending on the variation pertaining to profitability in their investments, the shareholders have the obligation to determine whether to retain the company shares (Bebbington, Unerman and O'Dwyer, 2014). For meeting the expectations of the shareholders of Sunshine Limited, Kam Sunshine has hidden the matter of change in depreciation method in order to form illusion of uniform higher profit. Hence, Sunshine Limited lacks integrity and lucidity for signifying rightful information to the users of financial reports. Role of the accountants in changing depreciation methods: The given case study clearly inherits that the accountant of Sunshine Limited has changed the depreciation method from straight-line method to SYD method. The motive of adopting the latter method is to reduce the profit level in the next two years in order to transfer the same 2018 and 2019 for guarding against the expected economic downturn. This could be described with the help of the below-stated instance: Asset cost = $500,000 Useful finite life = 5 years Salvage value = $50,000 Now, the difference between profits using the two depreciation methods is illustrated briefly as follows: Straight-line depreciation method: Straight-line depreciation = (Asset cost - Salvage value)/ Useful finite life Straight-line depreciation = ($500,000 - $50,000)/5 = $90,000 Sum-of-years-digits depreciation method: Sum-of-years-digits = Depreciable base x (Remaining useful finite life/ Sum-of-years-digits) Sum-of-years-digits = n (n+1)/2 Sum-of-years-digits = 5 (5+1)/2 Sum-of-years-digits = 15 Statement showing changes in depreciation: After modifying the depreciation method, the depreciation amount would rise in the opening years; however, the trend would be falling in the upcoming years (Brown, 2014). This would enable in keeping the consistency of profits because of the reduction in depreciation expenses over the periods. Thus, the accountant of the organisation has carried out its role of changing the depreciation method for fulfilling the goals of the general manager of the organisation, Kam Sunshine. Stakeholders: As laid out by Bushman (2014), a stakeholder could be a group, an individual or organisation having interest in another organisation. The main stakeholders identified in case of Sunshine Limited comprise of the following: Communities and government: The external stakeholders include the communities and government, since their association is close with the organisation. Since the organisation operates within the communities, the customers are not the only stakeholder to be affected. Even though they pay taxes, the residents are expected informally to act in an ethical manner along with maintaining environmental sustainability (Collier, 2015). Along with this, the communities expect the firms to be involved with local charitable gifts and events. The governmental organisations make decisions and such decisions could influence the overall business operations. Thus, hence it is expected from the managers of the organisation to maintain strong relationships with the local officials in order to project regulatory changes or development of community influencing business operations. Customers: The immediate external stakeholder comprises of the customers, which is the most profitable for Sunshine Limited. For retailers, consumers and customers are identical terms. Hence, attracting, retaining and creating loyalty from the core consumers assures long-term financial progress of a firm (Henderson et al. 2015). For business-to-business organisations, business firms comprise of the customers and the products or services are exchanged for business use. There is direct selling of trade resellers to the wholesalers or retailers; however, the end customers are to be considered as stakeholders as well. For example, the distribution channel would not succeed, if the customers do not purchase the final goods manufactured. Suppliers and partners: The suppliers and business partners are the crucial stakeholders in the existing competitive world. The firms often tend to create loyal association with their suppliers and associates. This would enable Sunshine Limited to establish common goals, combined vision and strategies. The trade buyers and sellers could work in partnership effectively to provide maximum value to the customers, which would be beneficial for all the partners (Gitman, Juchau and Flanagan, 2015). Along with this, it is expected from the trade partners to act ethically in order to avoid hampering the customer reputation of the firm related to Sunshine Limited. Creditors: As pointed out by Hoyle, Schaefer and Doupnik (2015), the companies often look for lenders in order to finance business ventures, supply purchases and asset purchases. The banks are granting loans for main purchases such as new building. The suppliers would be able to give product inventory on account that an organisation incurs in future. The current creditors of Sunshine Limited would expect the consistent meeting of deadlines, which would help the company in enhancing relationships with the creditors and this, in turn, would raise the profit margin of accumulating quality funding in future. Accountant: Based on the case study, it is observed that Maria Mars is the accountant of Sunshine Limited and the accountant has prepared the financial reports by switching the profit margin of 2016 and 2017 to the next two years respectively. General Manager: The provided case study clearly depicts that the general manager of Sunshine Limited is Maria Mars and the person is responsible to make decisions in order to enhance the overall performance of the organisation. Shareholders: The individuals investing in Sunshine Limited in order to reap the benefits by obtaining a part of the net income are classified as the main stakeholders of the firm. Impact of AASB 116: As identified from the case study, Kam Sunshine has asked Maria Mars in devising a way to minimise the profits in the next two years starting from 2016 onwards. Hence, it would fetch unswerving profits for benefitting the shareholders in the next two years (Hribar, Kravet and Wilson, 2014). Maria has changed the depreciation method eventually from straight-line to SYD method and she did not reveal such modification made in the annual report of the organisation. The compiled standard, AASB 116 associated with property, plant and equipment is applicable to annual reporting periods initiating on or after 1st July 2009. This standard aims to describe the accounting treatment associated with property, plant and equipment in order to discern information to the users of the financial reports. This is associated with the investment of the organisation on these assets and the modifications made in such investment (Li, 2015). The main issues associated with accounting in relation to property, plant and equipment are the asset realisation, carrying amount ascertainment, depreciation changes and the losses of impairment to be recognised in relation to them. According to the provided case, the depreciation method has changed from straight-line to SYD. The concept of the method of depreciation is distribution the tangible asset cost over the useful finite life of that asset (Macve, 2015). It is observed that the organisations are involved to depreciate non-current or fixed assets for accounting as well as purposes related to tax. The former has an influence on the reported net income of the firm, while the financial position might be influenced on the part of the former. Initially, the cost apportionment is made as depreciation expenditure in the period, in which the asset could be utilised (Pratt, 2016). The business firms often recognise this expense for financial reporting and tax purposes. The ways of computing depreciation and the years over which the depreciation of assets would be carried out, might deviate between the kinds of assets within the same business and modification for tax-related purposes (Smith, 2017). The accounting laws or standards need to specify the same, since they vary from country to country. There are various methods of computing depreciation expense like straight-line, sum-of-years-digits and declining balance methods. The introduction of depreciation expenditure is evident when the asset is placed in service. In the words of Warren and Jones (2018), the SYD method is a rapid process of computing the asset depreciation. The formula for calculating the overall depreciation value under this method is represented as follows: Sum-of-years-digits depreciation = Depreciable base x (Remaining useful finite life/ SYD method) This method is formed for signifying the consumption of the major asset. Moreover, it is utilised when any particular pattern to the method is not present, in which the asset is to be used over the years. The straight-line depreciation method incurs expenses in a uniform fashion over the useful finite life on fixed assets (Weygandt, Kimmel and Kieso, 2015). This depreciation method is suitable where the economic recognition where the economic recognition from an asset is estimated to be realised over the lives in an uniform manner. Depreciation per annum = (Cost - Residual value)/ Useful finite life The case study states that Sunshine Limited is a large departmental store and the top-level members of the organisation take decisions in combination based on regulations during its establishment. Due to this, Kam Sunshine has breached the policy of the organisation by making self-decisions, and the financial statements of the organisation are affected directly due to this. In addition, in this case, in which the changes to the organisation were conducted, the ultimate decision is required to be revealed to all the stakeholders related to the organisation. Therefore, it could be inferred that the change of depreciation method enforced on the part of Maria Mars has not adhered to the AASB 116 requirements. Conclusion: The above evaluation clearly states that the managerial actions towards approaching an employee and making recommendations in changing the depreciation method would have considerable effect on code of conduct and ethics within the firm. However, the accountant of the organisation has undertaken such actions because she might not be able to renew her contract and she might receive negative feedback in order to behave against the managerial orders. It is found out that constant profits would be maintained with the change in the method of depreciation because of reduction in depreciation expenses over the periods. However, this does not adhere to AASB 116, since the accountant has not revealed such method change in the financial reports of Sunshine Limited. References: Ball, A., Grubnic, S. and Birchall, J., 2014. 11 Sustainability accounting and accountability in the public sector.Sustainability accounting and accountability, p.176. Beatty, A. and Liao, S., 2014. 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