Professional research FASB Codification Essay - 822 Words

Problem2# Professional research Acct2241 (a) What authoritative literature addresses comprehensive income? When was issued? The FASB Accounting Standards Codification ® is the source of authoritative generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 130 Reporting Comprehensive Income Issued: June 1997 (b) Provide the definition of comprehensive income Comprehensive income is defined in Concepts†¦show more content†¦This Statement does not change those classifications or other requirements for reporting results of operations. (d) Define classifications within other comprehensive income and give example. Other comprehensive income definition: Revenues, expenses, gains, and losses that under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are included in comprehensive income but excluded from net income. Items included in other comprehensive income shall be classified based on their nature. For example, under existing accounting standards, other comprehensive income shall be classified separately into foreign currency items, minimum pension liability adjustments, and unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities. Additional classifications or additional items within current classifications may result from future accounting standards. (e) What are reclassification adjustments? Adjustments shall be made to avoid double counting in comprehensive income items that are displayed as part of net income for a period that also had been displayed as part of other comprehensive income in that period or earlier periods. For example, gains on investment securities that were realized and included in net income of the current period that also had been included in other comprehensive income as unrealized holding gains in the period in which theyShow MoreRelatedThe Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Essay939 Words   |  4 Pageshelp accounting professionals easily navigate through 50-plus years of unorganized US generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and standards the Trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation approved the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (Codification.) By codifying authoritative US GAAP, FASB will provide users with real-time and accurate information in one location. Concurrently, FAS B developed the FASB Codification Research System; a web-basedRead MoreThe Fasb Codification Topic 320 : Investments Debt And Equity Securities1487 Words   |  6 Pages Overall. The FASB Codification Topic 320: Investments-Debt and Equity Securities is included under the financial statement asset section and offers guidance on investment instruments that represent either a creditor relationship (debt) or an ownership interest (equity) and provides standards for reporting such investments according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) (FASB ASC 320-10-05-2, 2016). Debt securities included under this topic include any investment that would be consideredRead MoreFasb Codifcation873 Words   |  4 PagesLinh Hoang ACCT 322-001 GAAP Research Part I Professional Research: FASB Codification Chapter 11 a. What is the authoritative guidance for asset impairment? Briefly discuss the scope of the standard (i.e., explain the types of transactions to which the standard applies) The authoritative guidance for asset impairment is to ensure that impairment is recorded and dealt with as depreciation. The scope of the standard is writing off of assets and depreciation. According to the guidance of 360-10-35Read MoreFasb1244 Words   |  5 PagesPart I: Know the FASB I. As discussed many times in ACC 310, the FASB is the current accounting standard setters in the U.S. as they are empowered by the SEC. Visit the FASB website at www.fasb.org and answer the following questions: (Do not cut and paste but answer in your own words. Any material quoted should be cited). 1. What is the FASB mission? 1pts The FASB mission is to establish and improve financial accounting standards and reporting. This sets the guidance forRead MoreAcc 541 Accounting Standards Board Paper1116 Words   |  5 PagesAccounting Standards Boards The field of accounting is constantly evolving. This is true not only for the theory of accounting itself but also the entities that govern its theory and practice. Presently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) are faced with some of the biggest challenges to date. To understand the significance of these two boards, it is necessary to understand their histories, relations between the boards, and theRead MoreThe Sarbanes Oxley Act ( Sox )2188 Words   |  9 Pagesfind and translate, the public expects auditors to prevent events such as those that sparked SOX. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) developed the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) that became the authoritative source July 2009 (FASB, 2009). Perhaps the hardest impact auditors experience with FASB ASC is attempting to ascertain clients’ FASB ASC references in disclosures on financial statements; â€Å"management cannot delegate t his function to the auditor† (McConnell, 2003). AnythingRead MoreThe Financial Accounting Standards Board1346 Words   |  6 Pagesstatements. The institutions can be made of up a simple or complex capital structure. It must be calculated on a constant basis in order for reports to remain consistent. FASB provides a formula of â€Å"dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period† (FASB 2009), to measure each share of stock earned. The net income of an institution simply comes from their income statement. The weighted average of common shares outstandingRead MoreEssay on Financial Accounting Textbook Solution11168 Words   |  45 Pages |Simple |15–20 | |CA1-5 | |AICPA’s role in rule making. |Simple |20–25 | |CA1-6 | |FASB role in rule making. |Simple |20–25 | |CA1-7 | |Politicalization of GAAP. |Complex Read MoreIntermediate Accounting Chapter 112758 Words   |  52 PagesCA1-3 CA1-4 CA1-5 CA1-6 CA1-7 CA1-8 CA1-9 CA1-10 CA1-11 CA1-12 CA1-13 CA1-14 CA1-15 CA1-16 CA1-17 CA1-18 CA1-19 CA1-20 Description FASB and standard-setting. GAAP and standard-setting. Financial reporting and accounting standards. Financial accounting. Objective of financial reporting. Accounting numbers and the environment. Need for GAAP. AICPA’s role in rule-making. FASB role in rule-making. Politicalization of GAAP. Models for setting GAAP. GAAP terminology. Accounting organizations and documentsRead MoreCh 1 Financial Acc. Theory and Analysis6038 Words   |  25 Pagesthose developed by the International Accounting Standards Committee. d. Response time. The emerging accounting problems were not being investigated and solved quickly enough by the part-time members. Answer c 5. Which of the following is the professional organization of university accounting professors? a. American Accounting Association b. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants c. American Institute of Accountants d. Financial Executives Institute Answer a 6. What controversy

Politics - 1493 Words

Politics (bullet 1) In college, Tesla observed the engine and after studying it, determined a way to take advantage of alternating current. A few years later, he expanded upon his original ideas regarding alternating current and designed plans for an induction motor, which would use alternating current. When he was 27, he went to work for Continental Edison Company where he realized his creation of an induction motor. The following year, Tesla moved to the United States with little more than the clothes on his back and began his new adventure in America. He landed a job with Thomas Edison, but they did not work well together and parted ways within a fairly short period of time. Shortly after leaving Edison, George Westinghouse†¦show more content†¦Richardson planned to have a tower built in Timmins and sought out an area in Minnesota to have a receiver coil built. Because local farmers in Minnesota were concerned the project may harm their cattle, they voluntarily participated in the pro ject to see how it might affect their livelihood. After Richardson had organized a place in Canada to gather the electricity and a place in Minnesota to collect the wireless transmission of electricity, the head office of his company heard about the proposal and immediately blocked the transmission and shut down the proposal. The cancellation was surprising because the entire project was already funded. Senator Carter, who had originally tried to get wireless electricity towers started in Canada, tried yet again to get electricity exported from his province so that they could make a profit by selling the electricity elsewhere. Carter took the Timmins proposal and began working on finding places and people to set up a tower in his province and a receiver coil in another. As he was building his network of people who accepted and bought into the proposal, he suddenly found that the government of Newfoundland blocking his experiment. Yet again, the ability to provide electricity wirelessly was thwarted by an invisible hand. Why would anyone want to block the ability to provide electricity to many people inShow MoreRelatedPolitics2099 Words   |  9 PagesEssay Question: Define â€Å"politics† in your own words relate your definition to that of the classical scholars discussed in class. Which of the three do you prefer and why. Introduction: Many people disagree about what the word politics can mean and how it is used in our country. It is often brought up in a negative manor that leads people to believe that politics itself is evil. The problem is, that the majority of our country can’t give a strong definition of what politics is to begin with. But itRead MorePresidential Election : Politics And Politics2225 Words   |  9 Pagesindependent Pew Research Center exposed in clear terms the extent of political polarization in America, illustrating in hard data the schism that’s opened up between the Democratic and Republican over the last thirty years. Unquestionably, American politics have polarized over the last several decades. The question of from where American political polarization flows, however, remains unanswered. In particular, political scientists have occupied themselves with the question of who, exactly, providesRead MorePolitics and Ethics2332 Words   |  10 PagesPolitics is truly one of th e greatest developments that mankind has ever had the notion to make. Can you imagine our lives without? I really cannot see our lives operating as smoothly without the existence of politics in one form or another. Almost everything we do in our lives is somehow linked either directly or indirectly to some sort of political ideology. Whether you are buying a candy bar at the store or negotiating international business mergers, politics has had a hand in it. Since politicsRead MoreOrganisational Politics3334 Words   |  14 PagesINTRODUCTION: â€Å"Politics is how interests and influence play out in an institution.† - Benjamin Franklin Organisation is a coalition of interest, so exists in the identification and solution of the problem. In the process of negotiation for consensus, politicking takes place. Therefore, the existence of power and politics is the inevitable phenomena in every organisation. In order to manage and to be managed in the organisation efficiently every individual starting from the topRead MoreIs Politics A Politician?4068 Words   |  17 PagesRetail politics can best be described as gaining support or backing for an individual through direct personal connection and networking. This type of politics is incredibly important because it creates a more intimate and special kind of deal that makes that person more willing to support a particular politician. Not to mention it can help on a personal level by moving up social and trust levels, which is a huge part of politics. This kind of politics is different than wholesale politics which targetsRead MoreOrganizational Power and Politics1511 Word s   |  7 PagesPower and Politics Some employees believe that politics and power in the workplace is a game that corporate and management plays. However, games usually have rules to follow, a referee or judge, and an ending with a winner. Although politics has a winner, this game never ends, the rules are always subject to change, and there is no referee or spokesperson. Corporate traditions establish much of the biased game of politics that is played on the organizational level. Unfortunately, politics and powerRead MorePolarization in Us Politics1665 Words   |  7 PagesAnalyze the evidence that American politics is becoming more polarized. If so, is this a reaction to the polarization of political elites? Approx 1500 words 13/12/10 The election of 2008... marked the end of an epoch. No longer could Republicans count on the basic conservatism of the American people, the reflexive hostility to candidates who favour big government (Darman, 2010, 34) In the 1970s and 1980s there was a consensus that the importance of political parties was in declineRead MoreComparative Politics Essay1392 Words   |  6 Pagesnecessary tool in the belt of any political scientist. Comparative politics is one of three main subfields in political science, alongside political theory and international relations. While political theory deals with theoretical issues about democracy, justice et cetera, comparative politics deals with more empirical questions. To use an example cited by Daniele Caramani in ‘Comparative Politics’ (2011), comparative politics is not interested in whether or not participation is good for democracyRead MorePolitics, Power And Communication1633 Words   |  7 PagesNEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY Case Study Name: Jun Fu (Fu Jun) Student number: 130336769 Module: Com3077: Politics, Power and Communication Submission date: 18/04/2016 Word count: 1452 words I declare that this assignment is my own work and that I have correctly acknowledged the work of others. This assignment is in accordance with University and School guidance on good academic conduct. The iconic image on social media: how a single image transformed the debate on refugee and immigrationRead More Money In Politics Essay993 Words   |  4 Pages Money in Politics nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the world of politics today there are many problems. Nasty campaigning and Slamming ones opponent have become commonplace in todays world. This is a very Distinct problem. Yet the root of the problem isnt the candidates themselves, in most Cases. The national committees for the republicans and the democrats is at the true heart Of the problem. The money which is spent by those massive institutions to their partys

Absolute Vs New Monarchs Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Absolute Vs. New Monarchs Essay, Research Paper Absolute vs. New Monarchs Monarchy was non at all a new establishment in the 15th, 16th, or 17th centuries. It wasn? t even really different with regard to the ends that prevailed in each monarchy. However, the differences between the New and Absolute Monarchy come in the manner of the methods, theories, and conditions prevalent throughout the different monarchal reigns. The chief end of new and absolute monarchies was the centralize the province. War, civil war, category war, feudal rebellion, and banditry afflicted a good trade of Europe in the center of the 15th century. Assorted swayers now tried to enforce a sort of civil peace. They therefore laid the foundations for the national provinces. Similarly, in the early portion of the seventeenth century, wars refering now to faith and dynasty had a profound impact upon the western European provinces. As military disbursement increased, monarchs realized the importance uniting their province possessed. The difference between the two monarchies? program for a centralised province was the method in which both were carried out. In the clip of the New Monarchies, faith was built-in to uniting the province. Monarchs such as Isabella of Castile tried to unite their states as a consequence of spiritual purification. Isabella believed steadfastly that a stable Spain would merely stem from a Catholic Spain. As a consequence, the reconquista was initiated and unification took topographic point around the church. The sovereign insisted on spiritual conformance. In add-on, parliamentary establishments were ignored or even sometimes abolished in order to centralise and convey peace to the province. Town, the mark of sovereign for support, were willing to allow parliaments be dominated by the male monarch, for parliaments proved frequently to be fastnesss of # 8220 ; boisterous barons # 8221 ; , or had accentuated the category struggles. In France, for illustration, the Estates General of Fran ce met merely one time under Louis XI. After which, the commission requested the male monarch to regulate without them in the hereafter, retrieving the lawlessness of the yesteryear. The power of the sovereign was thought to be derived from the people during this clip period and so the in-between category became of import in back uping the sovereign. Because of this, aristocracy, which was a menace to the power of the sovereign, was ever tried to be kept under control through assorted reforms such as the # 8220 ; livery and care # 8221 ; Torahs passed by Henry VII. Armies were besides built up by the sovereign as a manner to increase his ain power and centralise the province. Besides, during this epoch, the focal point was on faith and dynastic edifice while in the ulterior monarchies, commercialism and province edifice became the precedences. During the Absolute Monarch epoch, nevertheless, centralising the province became more secular. After the spiritual wars, faith was non the focal point of authoritiess. Paradoxically, nevertheless, the absolute sovereign derived their power from the Godhead right theory. This theory held that the establishment of monarchy had been created by God and that the sovereign functioned as God? s representative on Earth. This thought of Godhead right was noncontroversial. Many writers during the clip period addressed this theory as indisputably true. Jean Bodin, for illustration, called the male monarch # 8220 ; God? s image on Earth # 8221 ; . Louis XIV of France even called himself the # 8220 ; Sun King # 8221 ; . Surprisingly, the regulation of the sovereign was non arbitrary. Kings were bound by a higher jurisprudence and were judged by God which meant that they could non strip their topics of their lives, autonomies, or belongings without due cause established by jurisprudence. This Godhead right belief helped centralise the province because the people believed in the sovereign and were non tempted to oppose him. In add-on, provinces were farther centralized through bureaucratism and the royal tribunal. Whereas, in the epoch of New Monarchs, parliaments were shunned and sovereigns were the exclusive bearers of power, in the epoch of Absolute Monarchs, Courtiers and the legal system were critical to the well being of the province and the sovereign. The daily personal businesss of the authorities had grown beyond the capacity of any sovereign to manage them. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Gallic tribunal of Francis I employed 622 officers while at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the tribunal of Henry IV employed over 1500. Royal councils, a little group of taking officers who advised the sovereign on province concern, grew in significance. However, the tribunal still revolved around the sovereign. Courtiers such as Cardinal Richelieu of France, Count-Duke Olivares of Spain, and duke of Buckingham of England, all became the 2nd most of import people in their states. Taxs were besides critical to centralising the province. One-half of all province gross was used to finance national ground forcess and naval forcess for defence. In France, the taille and paulette were used as the chief revenue enhancement beginnings. By administrating justness, piecing ground forcess, and pull outing resources through revenue enhancement, the sovereign ruled every bit go od as governed. The richer the male monarch and the more powerful, the more powerful his province. The truth of this is seen in the â€Å"Grand Monarque† of France. Versailles was the prototype of this epoch? s amplification. Everything in the castle was awe-inspiring. 1400 fountains adorned the gardens entirely and the castle was constructed chiefly of marble and cherished metals. The grandiose manner of the swayer stood placeholder for the wealth and glorification of the state. Great show bespoke great pride, and great pride was translated into great national strength. As a consequence of this heightened pride in their sovereign and provinces, Europeans began to place themselves as citizens of a state and to see themselves in differentiation to other states. Whereas in the early 16th century, monarchs treated their provinces and their topics as personal belongings, and were praised for their virtuousness, wisdom, or strength, by the seventeenth century, swayers embodied the ir state, and no affair what their personal features, they were held in awe merely because they were sovereigns. One thing the two monarchies held in common was the thrust for hegemony, a political state of affairs in which one province might subordinate all others to its will. During the new sovereign epoch, the Habsburg household was possibly the best illustration of this theory. After the licking of the Hungarians at the conflict of Mohacs, the Habsburg household had established their domain of power in cardinal Europe, the Netherlands, Spain, the Mediterranean, South Italy, and America. During the absolute sovereign epoch, Louis XIV was the best illustration of # 8220 ; cosmopolitan monarchy # 8221 ; . His end was to do France the strongest state in Europe and push Gallic boundary lines eastward to the Rhine, annexing the Spanish Netherlands and France-Comte which involved the farther taking apart of the Holy Roman Empire. The chief difference between these two universal monarchies was the manner in which they were controlled. During the earlier monarchies, # 8220 ; cosmopolitan monarchy # 8221 ; was checked by assorted dynastic and spiritual wars between states. For illustration, the wars between Muscovy and Poland kept each state in balance. If there was a stronger state, it would have the ruling power. During the seventeenth century, nevertheless, there came to be a system of balance of power through confederations. The intent of this balance of power was non to continue peace, but to continue the sovereignty and independency of the provinces of Europe against possible attackers. The basic regulation was to ally against any province baleful domination. The weaker states would seek confederation with the other weaker provinces. They would therefore make a balance or counterbalance against the province whose dominance they feared. Overall, the ends of the monarchies remained chiefly the same but as the societal and political conditions changed and sovereigns learned from past experience, the methods of achieving these ends became rather different. In add-on, sovereigns were viewed rather otherwise between the two clip periods which besides attains to the differences in method. However, it can be seen that the # 8220 ; New Monarchs # 8221 ; had great influence on the constitution of ideals and policies in the subsequent epoch # 8220 ; Absolute Monarchs # 8221 ; .

Rewarding performance †comparison of alternative reward systems

Introduction Reward systems are the programs that are set up by different firms to recognize and appreciate the individual’s work in the organization. The main purpose for this is motivation. The concept of reward system comes from the fact that employees need to be motivated to work and this is achieved either by intrinsic or extrinsic rewards.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rewarding performance – comparison of alternative reward systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All reward systems revolve around the assumptions of attracting, retaining and motivating individuals. Reward systems are not only based on the financial needs since there are other factors required to motivate employees and increase their level of performance (Ledford, 1995). Organizations have adopted alternative reward systems so as to increase both, the domestic and international competition. Normally, performance-based compen sation is considered in designing most reward systems because companies are aimed at cutting costs, restructuring and improving performance (Lawler, 1995). Therefore, in order to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of reward systems, it is vital to ensure that they are based on performance. Hence, management should embrace the fact that rewarding performance is a continuous process that is essential for current and future employee performance. A reward system is a major contributor to shaping employment relationships. However, there are various forces that have an impact on the pay systems. The impact of the reward system will be felt in changing the work design and organization as a whole. This is as a result of putting emphasis on the individual performance. However, all reward systems have two elements that contradict each other. These include tensions and conflict between employer and employee (Hamel and Heene, 1994). Alternative reward systems are normally linked to employe e participation programs and are embraced by employers as strategies that are necessary in the current global competitive marketplace.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be seen from the point of view that compensation for work done by the employees has been changing. In the past, it was referred to as payment. It was later referred to as remuneration and now, as reward. Reward systems The basic types of reward systems include direct financial compensation (salaries/wages), Indirect financial compensation – other financial rewards, other than wages and salaries (for example, medical cover, insurance cover and paid leave) and Non-financial compensation – most are intangible and they are relate to the satisfaction that an individual gets from performing his duties. They can be as a result of meaningful jobs or a good environment (Schuster, 1992). Financial rewards are based on three criteria. They include the base salary, pay incentives and employee benefits. All of these can be categorized as extrinsic rewards, which are aimed at meeting the basic needs of individual and non-financial rewards are based on two things; intrinsic rewards – revolving around individual work and recognition rewards, which are given to employee by their superiors. A reward system normally has three main objectives. The objectives include attracting new work force to the firm, showing exemplary work performance and inducing commitment to the organization (Quinn, 1987). Attracting new employees is based on the fact that reward systems are designed with packages that aim at marketing individual reputation as desirable in the job market. It also gives employers confidence that employees will perform effectively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rewarding performance – comparison of alternative reward systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Performance is achieved by the use of a reward system since it motivates the individual to work extra hard. This is because they are promised a bonus or pay increase. This can be channeled in three different ways. This could apply for individuals, team or the entire organization. However, the individual performance-related pay could be challenging because it is based on the assumption that the pay, by itself, motivates workers. Reward systems boost and strengthen the psychological contract. It brings out the behavior that organization values the most. Psychological contract, in a way, determines the perception of employees concerning what they believe in. This is in terms of the reward they receive for the work they do. Without the psychological contact, the management cad face problems with the employees. The remuneration system should be able to attract and retain people of the right caliber. It gives rewards that wi ll increase the workers’ motivation (Senge, 1990). Financial compensations for employees are different for different companies. They are affected be various factors. One of the factors is the type of the organization. This depends on whether the organization is a profit making or not, whether it is private or under public ownership and many more. The size of the organization, type of industry, importance of the employee’s job, level of the job, contribution to profit, span of control, the employees education and experience, competition and supply or demand also affect the type of compensation employed (Spencer and Spencer, 1995). Direct versus indirect pay Direct pay is normally what the employees of an organization will receive in the bank account. This could be in terms of basic pay, overtime, paid leave, commission, merit pay or firm profit sharing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, indirect pay is commonly referred to as benefits, and it is the additional package that an individual gets on top of the direct pay. They include things like the health cover, insurance cover, company car, entertainment, club membership, mobile phone and retirement plans (Collins, 1994). Salaries versus Bonuses A fixed monthly payment is the main financial incentive for employees. It is usually adjusted and reviewed to reflect employee’s development. A salary is advantageous for both, the firm and the employees. For the firm, it makes it easy to administer. For the employee, it provides security. One can budget for it since he or she is sure it will be provided. However, salary is not closely related to performance and sometimes, it leads to complacency on the part of the employees. Most firms supplement a salary with a bonus. A bonus is directly related to the results achieved. It is a sum of money given, usually at the end of the year or additionally to t he salary. It is usually used by profit making firms. Bonus may be based on contribution to profit, waste reductions, sales increase and reduction in absenteeism. Profit-Sharing versus Stock ownership In profit sharing, the employees are given a certain percentage of profit. The profit sharing may be in form of cash or it may be kept in a fund and given out at a later stage. This could be at an agreed date or particular age. Profit sharing can help reduce turnover and attract better employees as well as help increase morale on the part of employees, leading to increased group co-operation. In stock ownership, some companies do sell shares to their employees. This gives employees a personal stake in the company and can make them more willing to improve the company’s performance. Pension plans The firm invests funds for its employees and this is disbursed back to them when they retire. Pension plans help employees stay longer in the firm. It helps meet the employees need for se curity and this means that it can boost their morale. The advantages of these reward systems include encouraging greater effort of employees, helping boost their morale, helping in problem solving (for example, it could help reduce waste of material, it could be of help where bonus is based on reduction of waste and encourages harmony at work, especially when employees receive group bonuses). However, this reward system can be disadvantageous in the various ways. Firstly, it is difficult to measure each individual’s contribution (in terms of sales or profits), it is expensive to administer, it takes time and makes management even more complex. When it is a group bonus, the high performers may feel discouraged when they are rewarded using the same rate as the low performers. Alternative Reward systems Alternative reward systems have two main corporate goals. Firstly, they provide a reward for the employees who are able to compete against their fellow employees in the same depa rtment. Secondly, they seek to enhance the removal of the general wage increase that is based on collective power and it replaces them with one of the payments based on individual or group performance standards. This increases the conflict between the system and the union in which some employees may be part of. Traditional wage compensations are straightforward and can easily be the measure for paying employees. The system can be useful when the employees’ wage and benefit packages are to be calculated to get the present and future values with some degree of accuracy. On the other hand, nontraditional lump sum payment can never be at par with the economic value of a general wage increase. Wage increases produce a constantly increasing income flow, which is accumulated each year (Torrington et al., 2005). Alternative reward systems can be categorized in the following payment schemes. Profit Sharing versus Gain sharing Profit sharing is normally a great disadvantage to employee s. This is because there are numerous factors that affect profitability. They are normally out of the employee’s control. Management decision making and overall economic conditions have different roles in determining the profit or loss of a company. In addition, the huge profits are not always beneficial for the employees in the present economy (Zingheim, 1995). On the other hand, gain sharing – as a reward – is not as bad as profit sharing. In many instances, it results in cutbacks in the employment levels as employees share their knowledge with their superiors so as to increase the overall productivity. Pay for Knowledge versus pay for performance This form of reward is used in most organizations. It revolves around the management’s plan to improve the employees’ work. It makes it more flexible and simplifies their job classifications. However, this system normally results in reduced employment and increased job stress. This is because the employ ees try to generalize their work and end up specializing in none (Roth, 2000). Pay for performance, also known as merit pay system, is said to cultivate favoritism since it is not entirely based on fairness. This makes the system conflict greatly with the union movement. Critiques say that, in most cases, it is purely based on the manipulation of the management. Factors Influencing Basic Reward System and Practices One factor is the demand and supply of labour and labour markets. The law of demand and supply must be considered. The higher the supply of laborers in the labour market in relation to demand, the lower the salaries and wages paid. However, when there is scarcity of labour, there will be less supply of labour in relation to demand. This means that the wages and salaries will go up. Hence, to achieve external consistency of wages and salaries, the organization’s wage and salary policies must take into account labour market conditions and prevailing wage rates. Union Pressures – Labour union pressures exert considerable influence upon the wage and salary issues. Generally, the more powerful a union is or the stronger the bargaining power (as measured by its membership and leadership strengths), the greater the possibility of higher wages and salaries. Job requirements in terms of knowledge and skills – Various jobs in an organization are graded according to the relative skills, efforts, responsibility or job conditions. The wages or salaries of the employees increase with the difficulty of the job (Ruona and Roth, 2000). The size or ability of organization to pay – larger organizations have higher chances of making good profits. Large companies or organizations tend to pay higher wages and salaries relative to smaller organizations because of their ability to pay (Scherer, 1980). Product competitiveness and prospects for higher profits – If an organization’s product (goods or services) is highly competitive an d profits are good, the wage level in the organization is likely to rise. Hence, the market leaders in terms of products or services will make more profits and pay better than their competitors pay since their quality will be higher (Scherer and Ross, 1990). Psychological and Sociological or Ethical factors – These factors exert a considerable influence on the company’s wage levels because if the employees are dissatisfied with wages and salaries paid to them, a sizeable pressure for wage or salary increase will be developed frequently. This at times may not be justified on purely economic grounds. Psychologically, individuals perceive the level of wages and salary as a measure of satisfaction, security and status in life. Wage or salary differentials serve to depict social hierarchies. This is seen in the way individuals rate themselves using their salaries. Ethically, individuals feel that wages and salaries should be commensurate with their efforts. Government polic y and action in wage determination – similar to the pressures from trade unions, the government exerts pressure on the wage and salary practices. Acting in the public interest, government may pass legislation, issue executive orders or establish commissions with a view to regulate compensation policies and practices for the purpose of attaining specific social and economic objectives such as elimination of exceptionally low wages (Shavell, 1998). Cost of living or consumer price index – This is often regarded as an automatic minimum pay criterion. Due to the high cost of living resulting from increased prices, various organizations increase their wages and salaries. This leads to an increase in Productivity (Taylor, 2005). Conclusion Alternative reward systems should aim at attracting the most qualified employees and motivate them individually and collectively. This would make them more efficient and effective. A good reward system must have the four things that follow : The organization must consider the system in its entirety. The firm should be looked at as a system that is interrelated. Besides the money, there should be good leadership, appreciation, respect and growth. Secondly, they should be related to the performance of employees so that they do not feel exploited. Good performers must be compensated well. Thirdly, the reward system must be reviewed and amended frequently. It may be adjusted to reflect changes either in the firm or on the part of the employees. Examples include increased responsibilities, rise in cost of living and development of skills. Fourthly, it must be fair, simple and objective. It should be also simple and not costly to administer (Bratton, 2007). References Bratton, J Gold, J 2007, Human resource management: Theory and practice, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, UK. Collins, JC Porras JI 1994, Built to Last: Succesful Habits of Visionary Companies, HarperCollins, New York. Hamel, G Heene A 1994, Competence-Base d Competition, John Wiley Sons, New York. Lawler, EE 1995, ’The New Pay: A Strategic Approach’, Compensation Benefits Review, Vol. 3, pp. 14-22. Ledford, GE 1995, ’Designing Nimble Reward Systems’, Compensation Benefits Review, Vol. 4, pp. 46-54. Ruona, WE Roth, G 2000, ‘Philosophical foundations of human resource development practice’, Advances in Developing Human Resources, Vol. 3, no. 2. Scherer, FM 1980, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance, Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Scherer, FM Ross, D 1990, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance, Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Schuster, JR Zingheim PK1992, The New Pay: Linking Employee and Organizational Performance, Lexington/Macmillan, New York. Senge, PM 1990, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Doubleday New York. Shavell, S Ypersele V 1998, Rewards versus Intellectual Property Rights, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Spencer , LM Spencer SM 1993, Competence at Work: Models for Superior Performance, John Wiley Sons, New York. Torrington, D, Hall, L Taylor, S 2005, Human resource management, Prentice-Hall,Essex, U.K. Quinn, JB, Baruch JJ Pawuette P 1987, ’Technology in Services’ Scientific American, pp. 50-58. Zingheim PK Schuster JR 1995, ’Moving One Notch North: Executing the Transition to New Pay’, Compensation Benefits Review, pp. 33-39. This essay on Rewarding performance – comparison of alternative reward systems was written and submitted by user Jayla Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.