Free Essays on Micro Soft Audit

Microsoft, manufactures, licenses, and supports a host of software products for a number of computing devices. Their software includes operating systems for â€Å"intelligent devices, personal computers and servers; server applications for client/server environments; knowledge worker productivity applications; and software development tools. They also license consumer software programs; sell PC input devices; train and certify system integrators; and research and develop advanced technologies for future software products.† Should there be a reference here? Microsoft's ambitions are anything but small. The world's #1 software company provides a variety of products and services, including its Windows operating systems and Office Suite software. The company has expanded into markets such as video game consoles, interactive television, and Internet access. With its core markets maturing, Microsoft is targeting services for growth, looking to transform its software applications into Web-based services for enterprises and consumers. Microsoft has reached a tentative settlement to end an ongoing antitrust investigation, agreeing to uniformly license its operating systems and allow manufacturers to include competing software with Windows (Company Information). The following issues involving Microsoft were researched and analyzed in preparation for the production of this audit report. The three issues that were picked involve Microsoft’s employment discrimination troubles, anti-trust/monopoly problems, and revenue reporting investigations by the SEC. Following the legal audits, the appendix contains basic financial statements, a 5-year stock chart, and the 20 most recent insider trades as of March 2003. Employment Discrimination When it rains, it pours. The Associated Press headline and story lead-in of January 2001, announcing Jackson v. Microsoft, must have caused the hearts of anti-trust-weary Microsoft supporters to skip a beat: â€Å"N... Free Essays on Micro Soft Audit Free Essays on Micro Soft Audit Microsoft, manufactures, licenses, and supports a host of software products for a number of computing devices. Their software includes operating systems for â€Å"intelligent devices, personal computers and servers; server applications for client/server environments; knowledge worker productivity applications; and software development tools. They also license consumer software programs; sell PC input devices; train and certify system integrators; and research and develop advanced technologies for future software products.† Should there be a reference here? Microsoft's ambitions are anything but small. The world's #1 software company provides a variety of products and services, including its Windows operating systems and Office Suite software. The company has expanded into markets such as video game consoles, interactive television, and Internet access. With its core markets maturing, Microsoft is targeting services for growth, looking to transform its software applications into Web-based services for enterprises and consumers. Microsoft has reached a tentative settlement to end an ongoing antitrust investigation, agreeing to uniformly license its operating systems and allow manufacturers to include competing software with Windows (Company Information). The following issues involving Microsoft were researched and analyzed in preparation for the production of this audit report. The three issues that were picked involve Microsoft’s employment discrimination troubles, anti-trust/monopoly problems, and revenue reporting investigations by the SEC. Following the legal audits, the appendix contains basic financial statements, a 5-year stock chart, and the 20 most recent insider trades as of March 2003. Employment Discrimination When it rains, it pours. The Associated Press headline and story lead-in of January 2001, announcing Jackson v. Microsoft, must have caused the hearts of anti-trust-weary Microsoft supporters to skip a beat: â€Å"N...

Women in Gangs

Women in Gangs Youth gangs have spurred a sharp increase in social problems. The development of female gangs dates back to the 1980s. Family pressure, peer influence, ethnic, and economic decline are some of the forces, which lead to the establishment of the female gangs. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Gangs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Categorically, female gangs fall into three distinct groups depending on the method and motive for establishment. According to criminologists, the gang can be independent, auxiliary, or hybrid. Socially, the gang drives fear in the community due to its involvement in criminal and delinquency activities. The following text expounds on the external/internal forces, which aggravate the establishment of the female gangs and the long-term consequences to the society. Contemporaneous female gang research cites immediate environment as the main aspect contributing to the formation of the ga ngs. Poor family background, early child abuse, sympathy, and self-affirmation are some of the motives behind the establishment of the negative social groups. In addition, social stratification also contributes to the formation of the gangs. Some communities sideline families believed to cause social problems like robbery, homicide, and abuse of drugs but eventually the isolation push the young stars to form or join gangs. Sociologists also point at economic hardships and loss of jobs as an aspect that drive young women to engage in criminal activities like robbery for survival. Moreover, illicit trading activities for instance, involving drugs lead to the formation of female gang groups who solely engage in the business. Criminologists categorize the female gang into three groups (Moore and Hagedorn 8). The first group is the independent/autonomous female gang, which engages in criminal activities, hold traditional/initiation rites, practice violence especially to other female ga ngs, form their own leadership strategies and may or not involve men in their activities. Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the group may establish some membership and hybrid rules. The auxiliary female gang is under the leadership of a male group, which directs their activities. Lastly, the hybrid (gender-integrated group) female group involves young stars from all races, gender, and ethnic group. The formation of the aforementioned groups has long-term impacts to both the persons involved and the society. In comparison to the male gangs, the female gangs have nothing to boast about in their antisocial career. According to Moore and Hagedorn imprisonment, drug abuse, early marriage, poor education, and motherhood linger on in the lives of the gang members for a longtime (8). Sex offences like rape that occur to females whose gang forms integration with men remain undercover. Consequently, the females experience emotional and psychological imbalance, which may force them to indulge in alcohol abuse and hard drugs like cocaine, khat, and marijuana among others. Miller and Decker cite violence/homicides as the short-term effect of females who join/form gangs (120). Therefore, poor health and isolation from the community/society because of involvement in drugs and other social crimes affects the individuals negatively. Although males and females may join forces to form a gang, females experience drastic decline in their health and social lives. Sociologists and criminologists associate female gangs to the immediate environment or family background. Nevertheless, sometimes adolescence, peer pressure, and self-affirmation influence youths to join the gangs. Nevertheless, regardless of the group that the females associate with; the long-term impacts are severe to their physical, social, and personal lives. Finally, sociologists recommend further research into the female gangs, as a social problem, which the society has neglected for a long time. Miller, Jody, and Scott Decker. â€Å"Young women and gang violence: gender, streetAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Gangs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Offending and violent victimization in gangs.†Justice quarterly 18.1(2001): 116-140. Moore, Joan, and John Hagedorn. â€Å"Female gangs: A focus on research.†Juvenile justice Bulletin, March 2001.

Inflation and the cpi index Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Inflation and the cpi index - Research Paper Example Indeed, it affects financial planning and budgeting where it considers costs for goods and services, labor, and employee benefits (City Budget Office Web). In addition, inflation affects revenues as changes occur in the prices of taxable goods and services. Price inflation is normally confused with â€Å"Price Deflation† which is the percentage decrease in the price of the basket of products over a specific period. However, the question arises as to what measures the inflation rate. The Laspeyres formula applies in calculating the inflation rate that is defined by the consumer price index. This paper looks at the overwhelming evidence supporting that current inflation due to economic and political pressures has adversely effected the consumer price index The consumer price index (CPI) is generally the measure of the average change in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services over time. Indeed, the CPI represents all goods and service s purchased for consumption by a given population in a program that produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for available goods and services. ... Indeed, the CPI is best applied when the market has the intention to allow consumers to purchase goods and services at current market prices in equivalence to future purchases. However, the CPI may not be applicable to all population entities and is limited in measurement where it manifests sampling and non-sampling errors (Bureau of Labor Statistics Web). Inflation is caused by many factors that include economic, political, and human activities. The current inflation due to economic and political pressures has adversely affected the consumer price index. As stated herein, there are many causes of inflation where inflation can be long-term or short term. Economic pressures like the need to have more money in the market than the value of goods and services in the market and various shocks of the economy lead to inflation conditions in the economy. Indeed, economic shocks like increases in prices of imported raw materials, increases in costs of production, food and energy price shocks are common examples of the causes of Inflation. This form of inflation has diverse effects on the consumer price index. This is so because the market will not be in a position to effectively, adjust to the effects of the economic pressures. In addition, it causes many distortions in the economy that affect the purchasing power of the population. Moreover, this form of inflation hurts retirees living on a fixed income since when prices raises the retirees cannot buy their normal quantities as their income is fixed (Gerolamo Web). This is a direct effect on the Customer Price Index. In addition, this boosts the value of money presently compared to the future hence they will not save thus affecting the CPI. Indeed, when inflation surfaces, persons that include factories will