Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay Example for Free

Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay Analyze the complexity of cost behaviors in health care organizations and describe how costs are classified according to their relationship with volume. Health services managers are vitally interested in how costs are affected by changes in volume. Before costs can be managed, one must have an understanding of how and why costs are being incurred. For, example medications dispensed from the pharmacy are variable costs items since the more often medications are dispensed to the patient, the higher to the total medication costs (Lang, 2012). In this example the cost is driven by the prescription of the medication for the patient, which leads to dispensing the medication and incurring the cost. If the medication is not prescribed the total cost would be zero. The salary of the Director of the Pharmacy is a fixed cost, at least over the short run because that person is paid the same salary regardless of how many, or how few, prescriptions they fill. The text defines the relationship between an organization’s total costs and volume as cost behavior or underlying cost structure, is used by mangers in planning, control, and decision making. The primary reason for defining and organization’s underlying cost structure is to provide healthcare managers with a tool for forecasting cost and profits at different volume levels (Gapenski, 2012). The cost structure of both fixed and variable costs- that is some of the costs are expected to be volume sensitive and some are not- is typical in healthcare organizations. Total variable costs increase or decrease proportionately as volume changes, but variable cost rate remains constant as long as volume remains within the relevant range. Fixed, costs, in contrast to total variable costs, remain unchanged as the volume varies. The Academy of Healthcare Management Journal states, when attempting to improve profitability by decreasing or controlling costs, cost behavior is particularly important. If activities are limited or decreased to lower variable costs without consideration of fixed costs profits may actually decrease. In conclusion, total costs are merely the sum of the two. Because total variable costs are tied to volume, total variable costs increase as the volume increases even though fixed costs remain constant. Discuss the importance of cost allocation and how it may be leveraged by health care organizations. Cost allocation is essentially a pricing process within the organization whereby managers allocate the costs of one department to other departments. Cost allocations within healthcare organizations must establish prices that proxy those that would be set under market conditions. Costs within a health services organization must be allocated. Overhead costs of the business, such as those incurred by administrators, facilities management personnel, financial staffs, and housekeeping and maintenance personnel must be allocated to those departments that generate revenues for the organization (Gapenski, 2012). The goal of cost allocation is to assign all of the costs of an organization to the activities that cause them to be incurred. Health services managers track and assign costs by individual patient, physician, diagnosis, reimbursement contract, and so on. Much of the motivation for more accurate cost allocation systems comes from the recipients of overhead services. Mangers at all levels within health services organizations are under pressure to optimize economic performance, which translates into reducing costs. To assign costs from one activity to another, two important elements must be identified: a cost pool and a cost driver. A cost pool is a grouping of costs that must be allocated, while a cost driver is the criterion upon which the allocation is made. Clearly, the proper allocation of overhead costs is essential to good decision making within health services organizations. In conclusion, revenues must exceed the total of both fixed costs and variable costs combines in order for an organization to be profitable.

Alcoholism - No Easy Solution Essay examples -- Argumentative Persuasi

Alcoholism - No Easy Solution Mike Brake’s â€Å"Needed: A License to Drink† is a well-written essay that covers the serious issue of alcoholism and goes on to offer a creative proposal to solve the situation. Brake addresses alcoholism as a â€Å"primary public health-problem† which holds merit, considering Brake sites alcohol is the cause of 19,000 auto fatalities each year. To remedy these preventable fatalities, Brake proposes to institute a national system of licensing with appropriate penalties for violators. He goes on to say that these licenses should be issued the same way as driver’s licenses. An applicant would have to read a manual, and take a written exam which would include questions such as â€Å"How many drinks would it take to intoxicate a 150lb man?† and â€Å"What is the penalty for drunk driving?† After passing the written test applicants would be issued a drinking license that would be required for buying any alcoholic drink. Brake bases his credibility on the tragic premature loss of four family members due to alcoholism which he refers to as a â€Å"deadly disease† (Brake 135). And although it would never be acceptable to wish such terror on anyone, the misfortune is not enough to qualify a person as an expert. Brake presents strong family values and plays into the reader’s compassion for loved ones. Brake also spent two years working as a counselor in a chemical-dependency treatment center, where he gained first hand experience working with a young man who passed out while smoking and a nurse who lost her license and became a prostitute. However he mistakenly forgets the patient explanation as to why a young man who passed out while smoking and a nurse who turned prostitute, is relevant to the problem of alcoholism. If ... ... can not present a legitimate argument, second alcoholism is not a disease and so each person must find it in themselves to stop, or they have family that really loves them and help them stop. Third it would cause more problems then it is solving, and finally it would cost the general public more money then it is worth. Works Cited. Brake, Mike. "Needed: A License to Drink." The Genre of Argument. Ed. Rosenberg. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle, March 14, 1994. 135-136. Falcone, Timothy J. "Alcoholism and Drug Addiction FAQ's Saint Jude Retreat House. 19 April 2004. Online. Internet. 19 April 2004. Available: http://www.soberforever.net/FAQ1.cfm. "National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration." Operating Administrations, U.S. DOT FY 2005 Budget in Brief. 19 April 2004. Online. Internet. 19 April 2004. Available: http://www.dot.gov/bib2005/admins.html#nhtsa.

The Measurement of Student Engagement

While there is limited research on engagement in adult literacy contexts across researchers, the literature shows a vast number of researchers have studied student engagement. The definitions and descriptions of student engagement are broad and range from engagement as ‘participation' in school as a social system (Finn, 1989; Newmann, 1981; Newmann, Wehlage, & Lamborn, 1992), to the concept that engagement is a cognitive function used during certain academic tasks (Corno & Mandinach, 1983; Helme & Clark, 2001; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990). More recently, student engagement has been built around the optimistic goal of developing students' abilities to ‘learn how to learn' or to become lifelong learners in a knowledge-based society (Gilbert, 2007, p. 1). Therefore, it is clear there is no ‘one' universal agreement among researchers as to what a definition of student engagement might be. Researchers have instead explained different forms of engagement and how they work for different students under different conditions (Kuh, 2009).For example, Kuh (2009) defines student engagement as â€Å"the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to desired outcomes of college and what institutions do to induce students to participate in these activities† (p. 683). Coates (2007) describes engagement as a â€Å"broad construct intended to encompass salient academic as well as certain non-academic aspects of the student experience† (p. 22), comprising: Active and collaborative learning; participation in challenging academic activities; formative communication with academic staff; involvement in enriching educational experiences; and feeling legitimated and supported by university learning communities. Hu and Kuh (2001) define engagement as â€Å"the quality of effort students themselves devote to educationally purposeful activities that contribute directly to desired outcomes† (p. 3). Comparably, Harper and Quaye, (2008) suggest engagement is more than involvement or participation and requires feelings, sense-making, and activity — as acting without feeling engaged is merely involvement or ‘compliance' and feeling engaged without acting is ‘dissociation'. Glanville and Wildhagen (2007) acknowledge there is a debate over the recognition of engagement being a single or multi-dimensional concept state. These authors conclude that â€Å"engagement should be measured as a multidimensional concept† (p. 1019) that is divided into behavioural and psychological segments. In recognising this ‘multi-dimensional' concept, Fredricks et al. (2004) drawing on Bloom (1956), identify three dimensions of student engagement that can be synthesised to gain a deeper and more meaningful grasp on student engagement: Cognitive, emotional, and behavioural.In looking at these categories, in turn, cognitive engagement includes two components; psychological and cognitive. The psychological component emphasises students' investment in learning, motivation to learn and self-regulated learning as it relates to thoughtfulness and a willingness to put in the effort to comprehend complex ideas and to master difficult skills (Blumenfeld, Kempler, & Krajcik, 2006). The cognitive component involves self-regulated learning, meta-cognition, application of learning strategies, and being strategic in thinking and studying. Cognitively engaged students invest in their learning, seek to go beyond the requirements and enjoy being challenged (Fredricks et al., 2004). In the adult literacy context, examples of cognitive engagement might include: The effort in understanding course material; completing assignments; critically analysing information; applying concepts to real-world examples; and deepening insights through research and interaction (Harper & Quaye, 2008). Emotional engagement comprises students' attitudes, interests, and values – mostly in relation to positive or negative interactions with faculty, staff, students, academics, or the institution. Students who engage emotionally experience affective reactions such as interest, excitement and enjoyment, or a sense of belonging (Fredricks et al., 2004). Emotional engagement also refers to a student's reactions to others, connections with the school community, and how students feel about their educational experience (O'Donnell, Reeve, ; Smith, 2011).Behavioural engagement involves complying with behavioural norms such as attendance, involvement and participation, student behaviours related to concentration, attention, persistence, effort, asking questions, and contributing to class discussions (Fredricks et al., 2004; Hattie ; Anderman, 2013). These students are typically not disruptive, nor do they demonstrate negative behaviour (Fredricks et al., 2004). In adult literacy, examples of behavioural engagement may include respecting others, listening to instructors and peers, engaging in discussions, and participating in group work or teams (Harper ; Quaye, 2008).Fredricks et al., (2004) explain that each of these three dimensions can have a ‘positive' and a ‘negative' pole, each one representing a form of engagement – with the two extremities separated by a space of non-engagement, demonstrated by withdrawal, or apathy. This means that students can engage either positively or negatively along one or more of the dimensions or engage positively or negatively along one or more dimension while not engaging along another or ‘others' (Fredricks et al., 2004).

Toys R Us - 8534 Words

Toys R Us Japan (A) and (B) By Mark J. Kay Assistant Professor of: Montclair State University LOGISTICS CASE STUDY DEVELOPED FOR: COUNCIL OF LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT Toys R Us Japan (A) and (B)* Abstract The cases describe the growth of Toys R Us (TRU) as the leading U.S. toy retailer to its international expansion and entry into Japan. Access to the Japanese market was made possible by adjustments to the Daitenho or Big Store Law, described in Toys R Us Japan (A). Toys R Us Japan next had to develop the distribution and logistic linkages to suppliers in support of the low price, wide selection, and in-stock retail strategy. This is examined in Toys R Us Japan (B). TRU expanded rapidly to 27 stores, but as the†¦show more content†¦Baczko perceived that there were increasing global opportunities in the toy business. In an article in 1986 for the industry trade magazine, Playthings, he noted that customers overseas had higher disposable income, were more educated, and had more free time. Moreover, these buyers were more price conscious and tended to prefer specialty retailers, factors that favored the international expansion of TRU.4 The first international store opened in 1984 in Canada. In 1986, TRU struck joint venture deals in Singapore and Hong Kong. The company next expanded to the United Kingdom in 1987, into Germany in 1988, and into France and Taiwan in 1989. By 1994, TRU had penetrated the Nordic countries and developed new franchise relationships with Top-Toy A/S, the leading Scandinavian toy retailer. The franchise division also led to the entry of TRU to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, markets which would otherwise be prohibitive because of both cultural differences and restrictive laws. TRU learned to adapt to the different competitive retail situations in each country that it entered. Different countries can have drastically different competitive environments. For example, supermarket toy sales as a percentage of all toy sales range from about 4% in the United Kingdom to 48% in France. High costs in land, labor, and distribution created problems in maintaining the TRUShow MoreRelatedToys R Us Swot Analysis1512 Words   |  7 Pagesleader should be able motivate his group and team members. David Brandon, CEO of Toys R Us joined the company in July 2015. He has many goals for the future of the company. While it is difficult to take on the many struggles of a company in distress, Brandon made up his mind that he could accomplish the impossible. One of the many challenges he faced was to inspire the workers to believe in his vision of what Toys R Us could be in the future. Others in the organization have been openminded to his messageRead More Toys R Us Sold Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pages Toys R Us is the worlds largest childrens specialty retailer. The company operates toy stores throughout the world and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In this paper I will give a brief company history, cite where the competitive environm ent is coming from, strategies that were attempted, and where they stand today. Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus opened the first Toys R Us store in Rockville in 1957. The company went public in 1978 and evolved into a powerful internationalRead MoreToys R Us Case Study1774 Words   |  8 Pages Organizational Hierarchy Structure- Toys R Us was a decentralized organization, which had a leadership type setting from country to country. This type of structure was difficult because all the leaders from different countries were not communicating effectively. The company knew they had to make some changes to the system, if they wanted to be successful. Therefore, after careful consideration, the company decided to move to a more centralized structure. This change was needed to strengthen theirRead MoreToys ‘R’ Us Business Prospective Essay2467 Words   |  10 PagesNOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY Faculty of Business Administration and Economics BAD 323 R. Saber TOYS ‘R’ US Business Prospective By Ralph Kaldawy TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Key Facts 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Business profile 2.2 History 2.3. Toys ‘R’ Us Timeline 2.4 Vision/Mission Statements 3. RISK ASSESSMENT 4. GUIDELINES FOR OPERATIONS IN JAPAN 5. SWOT ANALYSIS 5.1 IFE Matrix 5.2 EFE matrix 6. GROWTH STRATEGY 7. AUTHORS’ COMMENTS 1. Executive Summary Read MoreEssay about Nike, Inc vs. Toys R Us1476 Words   |  6 Pages NIKE, INC VS TOYS R U Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.2 INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Procedures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; COMPANIES.........†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...4 COMAPARISONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 GROWTH†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 Read MoreToys R Us1317 Words   |  6 PagesToys â€Å"R† Us Japan Answer1: Is Japan a good market for Toys â€Å"R† Us? CAGE Framework Cultural: * Lavish spending on children’s toys and clothes to compensate for constant pressure to excel in school * Greater preference to personal attention and guaranteed repair rather than low prices * But the younger generation owing to a greater international exposure realized that they were paying greater prices for many consumer goods compared to global standard * Cultural shift fromRead MoreToys, R, Us, Inc.1413 Words   |  6 PagesCompany Overview Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc., founded in 1948, has been privately held by Bain Capital Partners, KKR Partners and Vernado Realty Trust since 2006. Toy’s â€Å"R† Us. Inc., and its subsidiaries is the only specialty toy retailer with three brands of toys and juvenile products: Toy’s â€Å"R† Us, Babies â€Å"R† Us, and FAO Schwarz. During the holiday season it operates a Toy’s â€Å"R† Us Express in shopping malls around the United States. As of January 2015, the company, which is headquartered in Wayne, NewRead MoreToys R Us in Japan8391 Words   |  34 PagesSchool 9-796-077 Rev. February 25, 1999 Toys R Us Japan I do not believe the Japanese have chosen freely to have these limitations. All we would have to do is open a large retail store where prices were 40% less and choices were very broad. If the Japanese consumer didn t like products offered in that fashion, then the store would not be a success. . . . —Carla Hills, United States Trade Representative, February 1990 In early 1991, Toys â€Å"R† Us seemed poised on the brink of a high profileRead Moretoys R us lbo6421 Words   |  26 PagesKEL168 DAVID STOWELL The Toys â€Å"R† Us LBO â€Å"I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid† was the famous marketing slogan of Toys â€Å"R† Us (the â€Å"Company†), the world’s leading specialty toy retailer for much of the 1980s and 1990s. Private equity industry veterans may have had a similar attitude regarding the maturation of their industry. In its infancy, the industry had consisted of relatively few firms and lucrative investing opportunities that far exceeded capital in the industry. ByRead More A Comprehensive Financial Analysis Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pages A Comprehensive Financial Analysis Of TOYS R US TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview ....................................................... 4 Key Facts........................................................................ 4 Business Description.................................................... 5 History ............................................................................ 6 Key Employees .............................................................. 7 Major Products And