Study On A Paperless System Information Technology Essay

Study On A Paperless System Information Technology Essay Many organizations, in an effort to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in order to develop competitive advantages in their marketplace, are eager to develop information technology on their business systems. The age of information technology provides possibilities for an effective coordination of business process. Different partners and parties transact electronically in the modern commerce environment and this creates a push factor for accounting and auditing systems to convert into paperless forms as well. Over the last decade, climate change became one of the top key concerns for all countries. More and more nations are concerned with the sustainability of the worlds environment and are trying to contribute by various policies such as reducing their carbon footprints, conserving on resources, building greener environments and preserving wildlife habitats. The challenge is to maintain economic growth without threatening the long term survival prospects of mankind. One of the key issues with regards to the environment is deforestation. Food and Agricultural Senior Forestry Officer, Dieter Schoene, said, at a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change workshop in 2006, that We are working to solve two of the key environmental issues deforestation and global warming at the same time The removal of trees causes many problems including destruction of natural habitat and damage to our atmosphere. One reason for deforestation is the production of paper. Paper pulp is made of wood. Paper production accounts for about a large percentage of felled trees, and thus paper conservation has been a key concern for the world with plenty of researchers, conservation groups, campaigns and initiatives with the aim of reducing paper usage. A typical sale transaction will consist of but not limited to: the quote, the purchase order, the proforma invoice, the delivery note, the sales invoice. This means that one transaction will use at least five pieces of paper and this does not include other documents like the bank payment advice, beneficiary advice and other functions that lead to the sale. In 2007, Singapore had at least 160,000 small medium enterprises. If each business had a conservative average of 20 sale transactions per month, 16 million sheets of paper would have been used which is the equivalent of 32,000 reams of paper. That would mean to the world a lost of at least 1,800 trees every month just because of Singapores SMEs alone. Paperless system is used for automating the accounting information processes. Automation in accounting system means reducing the paper dependency, and it will provide effectiveness. An effective paperless business system will make paper an option rather than a necessity and thus reducing the usage of paper in the corporate world. It is for this reason that paperless systems have also become a need for business processes with many professionals believing that going paperless is no longer an option but a must. Another reason is that paperless systems involve technology which could make the business much more effective. The rapid rise of paperless business solutions and providers around the world goes to show that more and more businesses have identified pursuing a paperless office as a strategy that can help them gain a competitive advantage in their marketplace. It has been observed that internationally (Hannon, Neal 2004) many regions are adopting and shifting towards electronic transactions, electronic business systems and even the development of Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), a standardized digital language for business financial reporting. The EU for example already has a large and extensive list of directives covering the usage of electronic transmission of financial transactions, customs and trade documents, taxation issues, online privacy and security. Almost all countries in Asia have electronic transaction laws, with the exception of Sri Lanka and Nepal which have pending legislation. In Singapore there are many statutes that govern the administration of documents within organizations. A recent addition is the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 where it is specifically stated that where a rule of law requires any document, record or information to be retained, or provides for certain consequences if it is not, that requirement is satisfied by retaining the document, record or information in the form of an electronic record if conditions are satisfied (Singapore Statutes). The Singapore Standard for Auditing, namely SSA 500, also deals with electronic documentation. It has specified that electronic evidences are accepted as long as they fulfill the requirements. However it has also stated that electronic evidences are not as reliable as original documents. This contradicts the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 where the original documents may actually be in electronic forms. It is in the above context that this study attempts to investigate the awareness of the implementation of the Electronics Transactions Act 2010 in Singapore. It further attempts to examine whether such awareness translates into an intention to adopt paperless accounting systems and if there is no intention to adopt paperless accounting systems then the reasons for companies resisting the intention to pursue a paperless office. For the above purpose, the study will conduct a survey on the awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 in Singapore and whether it has impacted the way businesses operate in various industries. It will also survey on the reasons that hamper businesses from adopting electronic transactions as part of their operation models. The study will also attempt to find out what can be possible push factors to help businesses adopt paperless accounting. LITERATURE REVIEW The case for paperless accounting and chasing paperless offices have been researched and discussed by many practitioners and researchers, yielding a lot of literature on this topic both in popular and academic sources 2.1 The Case for Paperless Accounting Paperless accounting is based on electronic transactions where all business transactions are recorded electronically. The literature available on this topic is generally from popular sources with very little scholarly research attempted. The literature on paperless accounting from both popular and academic sources is primarily targeted on the benefits of going paperless, ways to implement a paperless office. They are focused on building the case for businesses to adopt a paperless strategy. Many researchers and practitioners believed that businesses must adopt paperless processes as part of their strategies. As a company grows and the transactions increase it will require a paperless system for its business processes (Webster 2004). James Blaylock (2005) believed that Going paperless is no longer an option, but must for a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Businesses have to go paperless in order to keep up with their competition. The mentality has changed. For example in 2005, a survey by PCPS/Texas Society of CPAs National Management of Accounting Practice (MAP) showed that 41% of CPA respondents indicated that they would consider going paperless, and 20% already have done it. 25% of the firms are planning to go paperless, but 13% will not consider it. Later in 2008, CCH Incorporated surveyed accountancy practitioners who have implemented paperless system. Of those of were surveyed, 95% would recommend the idea of setting up paperless offices to other users. However some researchers have also challenged the notion that paperless is the way to go. Paper is still the most widely used form of document medium due to its many benefits that is not easy to replace and will still co-exist with electronic documents in the long term (Liu and Stork, 2000) Paper usage cannot be reduced significantly unless work practices are re-organized and the digital alternative to paper has to be improved. Until that happens, offices will still most likely have paper around (Sellen 2003). This view is further re-emphasized by Gragg (2004) where he pointed out that it is difficult to depend solely on electronic documentation due to swift developments in software technology and hard copies will unlikely go away permanently. It is also wrong to assume that there will be no printing costs in a paperless office since a lot of people will carry on to print out the documents that are sent to them electronically, even if huge investments have been made to obtain technol ogy that help to store documents digitally. What Sellen and Gragg observed in 2003 and 2004 respectively still hold true today. The world usage of paper is still increasing. Some businesses still stick to paper. Even those which have invested in technology to automate their business processes still rely heavily on paper documents. For example, it is not uncommon to see executives printing out hard copies of their email correspondences. Logistics and shipping companies still require hardcopies of the bills of lading and certificates on goods. Banks and tax authorities still require hardcopies of hand-signed institutional documents. In such cases, businesses should look at usage of recycled paper which is more environmentally friendly although the ultimate aim should still be at reduction eventually. Therefore the case for paperless offices is very obvious with many benefits that all businesses should strive to achieve. Paperless accounting can bring about increased efficiency while at the same time lowering the costs of accounting (Gullkvist 2002). Brian Steinert, director of specialty software product management at CCH, in a supplement to Accounting Today, said that Because of the amazing efficiencies that result from streamlined, integrated workflows; because of the greater productivity brought about when professionals have anytime/anywhere access to what they need and anywhere/anytime ability to collaborate with their peers; because young professionals expect and embrace paperless processes; because all professionals will spend more time on high-level, high-value work; because money will be saved in the long run simply by buying and storing much less paper. Cost reduction will be the primary objective for many vendors who are considering implement paperless business processes (Davis 2005). Reduction in paper usage will also reduce the damage to the environment. The amount of literature available on paperless accounting suggests that it is a widely known concept around the world. However the lack of literature on the adoption rate of paperless accounting systems even in the United States and Europe, which are considered to be more developed in terms of technology, suggests that the actual awareness of the public is much lesser. A survey on the awareness of paperless accounting in Singapore should yield negative results. 2.2 Electronic Transactions Act in Singapore Many regions around the world are experiencing pressures for legal and regulatory changes due to the growth of paperless offices. The paperless office demands that transactions are documented electronically. Therefore the laws related, for example taxation and contract laws, need to be updated to recognize digital records of transactions as legal documents. As the information technology environment develops over time, nations will also move to improve their laws governing electronic commerce. This can be observed from the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts (UN Convention), adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 23rd November 2005 which was based upon the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce issued in 1998. The main driver for the new Convention was the fact that the electronic commerce environment in 2005 was very different from 1998 due to the evolution of the Internet. Singapore, being the first country in 1998 to follow the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce, on 7 July 2010 was the first Asian country to confirm its alignment to the new Convention, which is aimed at minimizing differences between laws in different countries. Therefore Singapore needs to update its Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) 1998 to complement the UN Convention and this resulted in ETA 2010. The ETA 2010, although based on the one in 1998, has introduced many key changes, one of it being Clause 9 which provides that Where a rule of law requires certain documents, records or information to be retained, the requirement is satisfied by retaining them in the form of electronic records subject to certain safeguards. If the rule of law already expressly provides for such retention in electronic records, the clause will not apply. A public agency may impose additional requirements for the retention of electronic records under its jurisdiction. This is the critical change that allows for the feasibility of a paperless office as businesses are no longer required to keep paper records of their business transactions by law. Besides financial reporting purposes, the other reason that companies archive their financial transactions is for audit purposes. In the Singapore Standard on Auditing under SSA 500, A31 states that Audit evidence in documentary form, whether paper, electronic, or other medium, is more reliable than evidence obtained orally (for example, a contemporaneously written record of a meeting is more reliable than a subsequent oral representation of the matters discussed) This is consistent with the ETA 2010 and further enhances the notion that companies no longer have to generate invoices in paper forms. Businesses can choose to issue their invoices in digital formats to their clients. The digital invoice will be recognized in the eyes of the law as a legal document. As the ETA 2010 was passed only in July this year, it is expected that most executives will be unaware of this change in the Act and subsequently, most will not have plans to adopt paperless accounting systems yet. The survey will attempt to determine if this is indeed the case. METHODOLOGY The primary research instrument used in this paper is a questionnaire which is piloted among members of the public working in finance related positions across a wide range of industries. The diversity of the members surveyed was as wide as possible in order to obtain a good mix of responses from members in both IT-savvy industries and non IT-savvy industries. The survey was administered and collected between October-November 2010. In keeping with the topic that is being discussed the questionnaires were sent out either via e-mail as attachments or through transfers via thumb drives and respondents were encouraged to complete and return in the same manner. The questions were structured in order to get feedback of respondents awareness of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010, whether it has impacted the way their businesses operate. If it has no impact yet, the survey will aim to find out why the business has not adopted a paperless transactions as part of its operations and what factors will push the business to adopt paperless systems. Surveys were distributed to 200 possible respondents from through digital survey forms. Although the target members were requested to reply in digital formats with respect to the topic in questions, some respondents replied through their own paper formats of the survey. Instructions and explanations are clearly stated should the respondents face any difficulties in understanding the questions. RESULTS 4.1 Question one After 2 reminders, the surveys were returned by 124 (62 percent respond rate) respondents. The breakdown of the respondents according to their industries is shown in the chart below. Chart 4.1 Breakdown by Industries Although an attempt to survey a wide diversity of respondents was made, 47% of the respondents came from the Banking and Finance and the IT industry. This is highly due to the fact that almost half of the 200 surveys were distributed at 2 commercial buildings physically where the tenants at both buildings consisted mainly of companies providing financial services or IT-related services. In order to obtain a more accurate response rate for different industries, the survey should have been distributed in a fixed number per industry. It must also be mentioned that a larger sample of respondents is needed in order to obtain more accurate results that can be indicative of the total population. 4.2 Question 2 The second question of the survey was to find out whether the respondents were aware of paperless accounting. The results of the survey are shown below. Q1 Q2 Yes No Banking and Finance 32 19 13 Fashion 5 1 4 Food Beverage 13 1 12 IT 26 9 17 Logistics 4 0 4 Manufacturing 11 2 9 Pharmaceutical 1 0 1 Property 1 1 0 Retail 20 1 19 Trade 10 4 6 Government 1 0 1 Total 124 38 86 Table 4.1 Question 2 results Out of the 124 respondents, 69% of the respondents were unaware of what is paperless accounting. This is consistent with what was concluded in the literature review. Although paperless accounting is widely discussed in both popular and academic articles, the adoption and awareness rates are much lower. This is especially the case as shown by the results above, where almost 74% of the respondents who are aware of paperless accounting come from IT-savvy industries. And even within the IT-savvy industries, only 28 out of the 58 respondents (48%) are aware of what is paperless accounting. Clearly, more has to be done in order to increase the awareness. 4.3 Question 3 The third question of the survey asked if respondents are aware of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. As discussed in the literature review, the awareness level should be low since this Act was only in effect since Jul 2010. The results of the survey are listed below. Q1 Q3 Yes No Banking and Finance 32 6 26 Fashion 5 1 4 Food Beverage 13 0 13 IT 26 6 20 Logistics 4 0 4 Manufacturing 11 0 11 Pharmaceutical 1 0 1 Property 1 0 1 Retail 20 0 20 Trade 10 1 9 Government 1 0 0 Total 124 14 110 Table 4.2 Question 3 Results The results are almost one-sided with 88% of the respondents stating that they are unaware of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. Most are unaware that invoices no longer need to be in paper form and can be sent via electronic means. This can be considered as a failure on the part of the government when the residents of a country are unaware that the country is the first Asian country to ratify the UN Convention. The government will need to raise awareness through more media coverage, campaigns and gazettes. 4.4 Question 4 The fourth question of the survey tries to find the adoption rate of paperless accounting by businesses in Singapore. The results are tabulated below. Q1 Q4 Yes No Banking and Finance 19 0 19 Fashion 1 0 1 Food Beverage 1 0 1 IT 9 6 3 Logistics 0 0 0 Manufacturing 2 0 2 Pharmaceutical 0 0 0 Property 1 0 1 Retail 1 0 1 Trade 4 1 3 Government 0 0 0 Total 38 7 31 Table 4.3 Question 4 Results Since the results of the previous 2 questions have indicated that there is a lack of awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010, only 38 respondents answered this question. The rate of adoption of paperless accounting systems cannot be high. Based on these 38 respondents, only 18% of the companies implemented paperless systems. Based on the results of this survey, Singapore is on a long road to becoming a paperless society. It is worthy to note that among the 19 respondents in the Banking and Finance industry who are aware of what paperless systems are; none of them were in companies that implemented such systems. This is highly likely due to the nature of their industry where paper documents are required. 4.5 Question 5 Question 5 asked respondents, whose companies have not implemented paperless systems, the reasons behind their companies decisions. A list of 5 options was offered to the respondents and they were allowed to choose more than one. The following chart shows their responses. Chart 4.2 Reasons for not adopting Paperless Systems Out of the 38 respondents, only 3 felt that paperless systems were costly. A majority of 30 felt that their suppliers and clients required paper documents and thus there was no need for them to adopt paperless systems. This clearly shows that the respondents and their clients/supplier as well are unaware of the new Electronics Transaction Act 2010. Half of the respondents felt that paperless systems are not adopted as it was not a standard procedure in their industry. Thus if their competitors started adopting paperless systems, they will highly likely follow suit as well. 13 respondents felt that there was no need to implement paperless systems since it is not mandatory by law and 7 felt that there were not many incentives to adopt such systems. 4.6 Question 6 Question 6 surveyed all the respondents on the factors that will push their companies to adopt paperless accounting. Again, a list of 5 options was offered and respondents were allowed to choose more than one option. The chart below shows their response. Chart 4.3 Push Factors for Paperless Accounting The biggest push factor for companies to adopt paperless accounting systems is for the government to make is a legal requirement. This is indicated by the response of 66% of those surveyed. 76 of the respondents indicated that they will consider adopting paperless systems if it is one of their industry standards. Half of the respondents felt that there is a need to create more awareness of paperless accounting. It is also worthwhile to note that less than 30% of respondents are looking at incentives and costs of adopting paperless accounting. CONCLUSION This survey, carried out in late 2010, found a low level of awareness and adoption rate of paperless accounting. The results of this study must be interpreted in the light of the response rate of 62%, which were obtained after 2 reminders. The final sample size of 124 respondents is definitely not a good indicator of the total population. The fact that 47% of respondents came from 2 out of at least 8 different industries shows that the distribution of the survey was not conducted wide enough although the time given for the survey to be conducted has to be taken into consideration. Basically this means that more time and resources need to be allowed in order for a similar survey to be conducted on a wider scale. A survey that yields at least 1000 respondents that are equally distributed across different industries will be a better indicator of the total population. The results of the survey indicate low awareness of both paperless accounting and the new Electronic Transactions Act 2010. Survey respondents have indicated that there should be more awareness made about paperless accounting. This indicates that there is a lot of potential in the Singapore market for companies that provide digital document management services. The government can increase the awareness of paperless accounting by setting up a national framework for a paperless society as well. This framework should be aimed at resolving the issues that are creating resistance to paperless accounting and helping Singapore businesses to switch to paperless accounting systems progressively. When businesses adopt paperless accounting systems, there are a few authorities that will have to be involved as well. For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore will have to look into solutions that can enable banking and financial institutions to adopt paperless business processes without compromising on risks and securities. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority will have to look into the acceptance of electronic financial statements. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore will have to come up with solutions that enable business to file their taxes electronically. By creating such frameworks and support, businesses can be assured of a smoother and easier transition as they adopt paperless accounting systems. This will greatly reduce the resistance to the adoption of paperless business processes that currently exists. The survey results should be interpreted with caution as they indicate only respondents awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. However it does indicate that there is a need for more research to be done regarding actual business adoption rates of paperless systems and the benefits that both companies and the environment enjoy with the reduced usage of paper.

Level of Awareness of BSTM Students Essay

This chapter is divided into five parts: (1) Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study, (2) Statement of the Problem and Hypothesis, (3) Significance of the Study, (4) Definition of Terms, and (5) Delimitation of the Study. Part One, Background of the Study and Theoretical Framework of the Study, presents the rationale for choosing the problem and the Theoretical Framework upon which study was anchored. Part Two, Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses, states the main and the specific problems of the research including the hypotheses. Part Three, Significance of the Study, cites the benefits that may be derived from the findings of the investigation. Part Four, Definition of Terms, gives the conceptual and operational meanings of the important terms used in the study. Part 5, Delimitation of the Study, specifies the scope and coverage of the study. Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study Capiz is a 1st class province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. It is dubbed to be rich in sea food products, and more likely to the brilliant Capiz shell that is produced here, making them as a decorative lantern, windows, vases, etc. Aside from this, the Province of Capiz also holds good fishing grounds and a major contributor in the aquamarine industry of the Philippines. To add, there are more to this in Capiz, with protected minerals, limestones, and gold from unexplored caves. (Captivating Capiz Brochure) Capiz is known for its seafood, but apart from that Capiz has a lot more to offer. Talking of many things to offer we have cultural, we have religious, we have food or palate heritage and most all of we have our own built heritage. Traditionally, it is classified as intangible or tangible, movable or immovable, natural or cultural, personal or communal. Usually, heritage is perceived as something without use or practical value and has no return of investment. Moreover, some view its preservation as something contrary to modernization, westernization or globalization, which are concepts equated with development. (Zerrudo) Nowadays, the Province of Capiz nurtures the aesthetic beauty of the places. Several major events have been venue in the Province of Capiz and making this as a promotion to the developing province. Culinary tourism is now one of the boast of the province but to enhance the developing place several of the heritages are now open to the public for educational purposes and awareness. Apparently, the Province of Capiz also treasures the heritage of both ecological and cultural areas; it may be tangible of intangible aspects of heritage. So much of Capiz contributed to the History of the Republic of The Philippines, many of the prominent persons came from the Province that made a great change to the renewal of the country, and many of the places have been preserved for the commemoration of the history that has happened in the place. Heritage conservation is action taken to sustain the value, meaning and significance of cultural resources from the past, for the use of the present and inspiration of future generations. And all decisions of conservation are based on the significance and meaning, the core value of a heritage resource. There are various types of significance such as historical, architectural, aesthetic, spiritual or social. It is established through physical, oral and archival research and study and is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, a setting, use, associations, meanings, records, related places and related objects (Australia ICOMOS, 1999). Heritage conservation is about protection and promotion of heritage significance or making heritage meaningful to the community. (Zerrudo) Heritage conservation maintains links with our past by preserving significant structures, historical and cultural sites and settings. Our built heritage is evidence of our political history and socioeconomic development; it reflects our shared values, and is tangible proof of Filipino excellence and creativity. This study is focused on examining how Tourism Students of Filamer Christian University are aware of the preservation of heritage sites in the Province of Capiz. Figure 1 shows the framework of the study. INDEPENDENT VARIABLEDEPENDENT VARIABLE Figure 1. The participants’ assessment of awareness of the heritage sites and the preservation process of the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz as influenced by certain personal factors. Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses This study aimed to determine the perceived level of awareness of the Tourism Students of Filamer Christian University towards the heritage sites and the preservation process. Specifically it sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the level of awareness towards the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz are as assessed by the participants taken as an entire group and classifies according to: (a) age. (b) sex, (c) year level, (d) district? 2. What is the level of awareness of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management in Protecting and Preserving the Heritage Sites of Capiz and participants are taken as an entire group and classifies according to: (a) age, (b) sex, (c) year level and (d) district? 3. Are there significant differences in the level of awareness towards the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz are as assessed by the participants taken as an entire group and classify according to: (a) age. (b) sex, (c) year level, (d) district? 4. Are there significant differences in the level of awareness of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management in Protecting and Preserving the Heritage Sites of Capiz and participants are taken as an entire group and classify according to: (a) age, (b) sex, (c) year level and (d) district? 5. Are there significant relationships among the level of awareness towards the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz are as assessed by the participants taken as an entire group and classify according to: (a) age. (b) sex, (c) year level, (d) district? In view of the aforementioned problems, the following hypotheses were advanced: 1. There is no significance differences in the level of awareness towards the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz are as assessed by the participants taken as an entire group and classifies according to: (a) age. (b) sex, (c) year level, (d) district. 2. There is no significance differences in the level of awareness of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management in Protecting and Preserving the Heritage Sites of Capiz and participants are taken as an entire group and classifies according to: (a) age, (b) sex, (c) year level and (d) district. 3. There is no significance relationships among the level of awareness towards the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz are as assessed by the participants taken as an entire group and classifies according to: (a) age. (b) sex, (c) year level, (d) district. Significance of the Study The results of this study may be beneficial to the following: Provincial tourism office. The result of this study may be beneficial to the provincial tourism office in developing the Province of Capiz as a tourist destination. Local government units. The local government units may use the findings from this research as a guide to develop the heritage sites in the Province of Capiz. Local businessmen. Local businessmen may find the result of the study useful in customizing products to satisfy the needs of the tourist. Colleges and universities. The results of the study may provide insights to school administrators, especially those offering hospitality management programs in promoting community awareness and helping the Province of Capiz boosts its local tourism. Researchers. The investigation may greatly help other future researchers who wish to replicates this study. Definition of Terms For the purpose of clarity and precision, important terms in this study were given their conceptual and operational meanings: Awareness — Heritage — a broad concept that includes tangible assets, such as a natural and cultural environment, encompassing landscape, historic places, sites and built environment as well as intangible assets such as collections, past and continuing cultural practices, knowledge, and living experiences (ICOMOS 1999). Preservation — is the maintenance of something, especially something of historic value, in an unchanged condition. Protection — is the act of preventing somebody or something from being harmed or damaged, or state of being kept safe. (Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009.  © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved). Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature A lot has been written about heritage tourism. Richards (1996; 2000) for example views tourism as heritage – it is one of the most powerful modern traditions. In a broad view, he connects heritage tourism with the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, gives the profile of cultural and heritage tourists and explains current trends and future directions of this type of tourism. Poria (2001) challenged the present approach to heritage tourism researching specifically the tourists’ perception of the site while Chen (1988) examines travel motivation of heritage tourists. Masberg and Silverman (1996) deal with visitor experiences at heritage sites. Bauman (1995) wrote about politics of historical representation of the heritage. The importance that must be given to local landscapes in the planning of cultural and/or historical attractions is the subject of Teo’s and Yeoh’s (1997) study on remaking local heritage for tourism. The title of the Herbert’s (1995) book ‘Heritage, Tourism and Society’ reveals a broader approach to the issue although it is of a greater value to the heritage manager than the tourism practitioner since it relates mostly to exploration of the concept of heritage and its troublesome connections with tourism. Boniface and Fowler (1993) write about heritage and tourism in ‘the global village’ from the aspect of heritage sites protection assigning responsibilities to each of the actors in the chain. They also write about heritage presentation and interpretation. How museums compete with tourism in the production of ‘heritage’ is the subject of Kirshenblatt-Gimblett’s book ‘Destination Culture: Tourism Museums, and Heritage. The authors of the book reviewed here have previously also written a lot about the subject focusing on some of the aspects presented in the book in a more integrative way. The previous list is only an excerpt from the existing literature on heritage tourism and shows how ‘hot’ this subject has been for more than a decade. Still, the authors mainly focus on one or two aspects of heritage tourism while the book Heritage Tourism probably for the first time provides a comprehensive review of the main issues and concepts relating to the subject. It considers the area broadly to include culture and nature in both urban and rural contexts, and presents an in-depth discussion of important global issues. Its inclusive approach to heritage as well to cultural tourism is of a great value since most of other texts focus only on one aspect of the heritage (for ex. built heritage, natural heritage). (Timothy & Boyd, 2003) Cultural heritage, whether built or living, is one of the most salient elements of the global tourism system. Many destinations rely almost entirely upon art, culture and built patrimony for their economic well-being and most devout non-heritage destinations have some elements of culture that can be shares with visitors as part of the tourism product mix. More places, such as some Caribbean islands, are beginning to realize heritage as a potential tool for diversifying their tourism economics. Heritage tourism encompasses all elements of human past and the visitor experiences and desire associated with them. Serious heritage tourist seeks meaningful, educational or spiritual experiences, or a combination of these. (Timothy, 2011) Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology This chapter has three parts: (1) Purpose of the Study and Research Design, (2) Methods, and Data Analysis Procedure. Part One, Purpose of the Study and Research Design, restates the purpose of the study, describe the research design, and clarifies the variable used Data-gathering instrument Two (2) data gathering instruments used in the study were in the Index of Heritage Sites and the Preservation and Protection process. The questionnaires were taken at face value. Index of heritage sites (IHS). The Index of Heritage sites determined the awareness level of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management of Filamer Christian University. The Index of Heritage Sites and the Preservation and Protection process contained two columns. The first column contains the statement of awareness, while the second column requires the participants indicate the importance of different measurement items related to Level of Awareness of the existing Heritage Sites of the province of Capiz. The following scores and descriptions were used: ScoreResponse 4 Conscious Competence 3 Unconscious Competence 2 Unconscious Incompetence 1 Conscious Incompetence

Benefits Of Financial Ratios And Analysis - 1816 Words

Introduction Droms and Wright (2010) state, â€Å"adequate financial planning is a key element in the success of any business venture. Conversely, the lack of adequate financial planning is a key element in the failure of many business enterprises† (p. 107). For the purposes of this paper, the benefits of using financial ratios to analyze the balance sheet, income statement, and the statement of cash flow will be discussed. The author will choose two key ratios for a review of how they best serve her purposes, and why. Additionally, the dangers of overanalyzing ratios will be discussed and the pitfalls for shareholders, for the owner of a small company, and for a banker assessing risk will be included. Benefits of Financial Ratios and†¦show more content†¦Ratios are used to interpret the financial situation and performance of the company differently depending upon who is assessing the information, what problem they are trying to solve, and/or what decision they trying to make. Balance Sheet. The balance sheet represents the stock of assets, liabilities, equities with in a company; they are used to view the financial condition of a company at a given moment in time (Droms and Wright, 2010, p.33). Ratios that are beneficial to assessing the financial health of the company from the balance sheet include: net working capital, return on assets, and long term debt/equity. Net working capital is important and beneficial to balance sheet analysis as it reflects the company’s short-term liquidity or ability to meet its financial obligations as they become due (Droms and Wright, 2010, p. 35). This is an important measure for bankers and other lenders as they decide whether or not to fund your company. An increase in net working capital is considered a negative cash flow, making it not available for equity. Net working capital is calculated by subtracting the current liabilities from the current assets. The rule of thumb for bankers and lenders is to have twice the amount of current assets over the current liabilities. Return on assets measures the company’s ability to turn assets into

Increasing The Competitiveness Of Russian Banking Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3667 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a strategy or strategies allowing Russian government and banking institutions to increase the competiveness of domestic banking industry through processes of mergers and acquisitions (MA). The initial research will cover following: banks, financial and banking sectors of economy. 2 Aim The research aims to elaborate theoretical and methodological recommendations and system of practical ways to stimulate and increase number of MA within the domestic banking industry; leading to the increased concentration of capital within the Russian banking industry and its competitiveness based on the analysis of current conditions, specifics and progress trends of these processes in Russia, in contrast with the experience of developed countries. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Increasing The Competitiveness Of Russian Banking Industry" essay for you Create order 3 Chronology The research will look closer at the processes related to banking industry in Russia and the world in the period of 90s until nowadays. The dissertation will consider further ways of development of the Russian banking industry in context of the globalization. 4 Objectives This is a general description of the objectives of the research: To compare the conceptual methods used within the context of MA in Russian and global experience, legislation and scientific literature; theoretically analyse terms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mergerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“acquisitionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, ground the classification connected with MA; To systematically analyse the causes why banks choose to merge and acquire, define the key players in the global market; expose the reasons typical for MA in Russia, its specifics, evaluate and forecast progress trends; To define general features and elements of MA for Russian banks, to prepare recommendation for each stage; To state and ground the development trends of future MA according to new economic and political issues; To critically analyse the current conditions of governmental policies and regulations aimed at stimulating the processes of MA of banks in Russia and develop recommendations in order to improve t he concentration and efficiency of banking capital; To classify the influence of foreign banks in Russia and ground the beginning of new developing stage of the banking industry, where issues of capital will be critically discussed; To produce a system of particular ways to stimulate and effectively use processes of MA within the banking industry. 5 Context 5.1 Introduction The project will be based on one research area, on processes of MA within the banking industry in Russia. Subsequently these processes and its relevance to the competitiveness of the banking institutions will be discussed. Moreover an industry profile including brief overview will be drawn. The information on the industry ought to explain the current situation and relevance of the processes. 5.2 Area of research One of the most problems the Russian banking industry is facing today is the capitalisation (Ashurkova, 2007). Operating within the global market banking institutions are unable to compete with major players effectively influenced by the processes of globalisation and high competition. Domestic banks are essential part of economic processes within the state, thus its condition and competitiveness are significant characteristics of the efficient economy (Gorelaja, 2008). In this context, the progress trends of banking industry acquire a special meaning not only in the case of the domestic economy but global market too. 5.3 Industry overview New economical and political issues, such as expansion of large Russian corporations to international markets, strengthened by the activity of foreign banks in Russia, the necessity to supply credits and investments directed at the steady growth of national economy and welfare, negotiation concerning joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO), increased risks and political tensions, etc, increased the importance of the domestic competiveness, especially within the banking industry (Gorelaja, 2008). In order to achieve success in the competitive rivalry within the domestic and global markets, where corporations will face competition of major foreign banks, it is necessary to significantly raise the capitalization and stability of the whole banking industry (Zoznobin, 2007). The most optimal ways to achieve it are MA, as the number of credit organisation organisations in Russia exceeds 1,200 (Uglovskaja, 2007). The process of consolidation within the banking industry should strengthe n existing institutions delivering financial gearing and diversification (Porter, 1985). However the negative side of these processes are linked with raising systemic risks (Brukov, 2004). Expansion of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“westà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? banks to Russia has worsen the situation of developing economy and especially of the domestic banking industry and forced banks to search for new ways of development, market niches, and slowly moving away from the corporate clients (Ioncev, 2004). Under these conditions major financial institutions favour regional development and further expansion to low competitive markets. Most of the regions in Russian, except Moscow and St. Petersburg, are considerably underdeveloped (Kaurov, 2006). The importance of these processes for the modern Russian economy and especially for financial market should not be underestimated. It is recognised by the Russian government and confirmed by the increasing number of such processes (Baranova, 2005). Banking industr y has experienced two stages of development: from 1991 until the crisis in 1998, this is the initial forming stage of domestic banks, accumulation of capital and establishment of first financial groups; from 1999 until today is the post-crisis period of recovery, restructuring of the whole industry and formation of new financial groups (Gorelaja, 2008). 5.4 The relevance of the chosen topic MA in the financial sector of Russian economic were not studied in details and do not possess with a solid methodological foundation. However, today, in the context of diversification and intensification of production, banking industry is facing following objectives: to satisfy the increasing consumer needs, i.e. credits, investments and other banking services; to survive and successfully compete with foreign banks and its branches. On the other hand, it is necessary to secure the domestic market from the monopoly in the banking industry. In essence, the banking industry is facing a start of a new stage in its development, including further liberalization of financial flows within the countries and outside of its boundaries. Moreover it is necessary to remember that functioning of banking industry at this stage is also requiring the formation of new type of banks, stable and efficient in a time of financial crisis, as well as creation of holdings and banking groups and further attr action of investments. The processes of MA are developing very quickly in Russia and the whole world. Meanwhile the scarce efficiency of a large number of deals, in both developed and developing countries, illustrates the inability of corporations and banks to recognise and evaluate effectively all the advantages and disadvantages of concrete offers, risks related to it and its reasonability. Under these circumstances the investigation of MA in Russia in contrast with the world experience acquires special relevance. 6 Literature review 6.1 Introduction The objective of the literature review was targeted at the specifics of the processes of MA within the Russian banking industry. Main sources of information are Aston university library, Moscow Government University library, the online libraries and Google scholar. In order to evaluate the current conditions of banking industry and process of MA within that industry the literature provide a broad variety of theories, concepts and models. 6.2 Definitions and concepts Mergers and acquisitions (MA) are forms of corporate restructuring taking a large part in the corporate finance world. Every day, banks attract investment to arrange MA transactions, which aimed at bringing separate business entities together to form a larger one (Arzac, 2008). The key idea behind these processes is to create a shareholder value exciding the sum value of two companies (Gole and Hilger, 2008). In other words the main idea behind MA stating that two companies together are more valuable than two separate business entities. Although it should be understood that these two words are not synonymous, the meaning of terms merger and acquisition is slightly different. When one company takes over another, it is establishing itself as the new owner (Bruner et al., 2004). In this case the purchase is called an acquisition. In contrast, a merger happens when two firms, often of about the same size, come to the agreement to continue operating as a single new company seeking for benefits rather than remaining separately owned and operated. This action is accurately referred to as a merger of equals (Frankel, 2005). However, in practice, actual à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mergers of equalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? happen very rarely (Gaughan, 2005). Moreover these processes possess with certain specifics which will be further discussed in the final project. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“domesticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Russian) and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“foreignà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? literature has studied this topic in-depth. However, literature does not provide with deep analysis of MA, considering its correlation with the overall economic growth and growth of the banking industry; evaluating those in combination with changes in the social and economical development of Russia. It is necessary not only to examine the current conditions, but progress trends too, in order to contrast those with world trends and draw up a proper conclusion including future development strategies and policies for banking industry a nd overall economy. In the Russian-language literature such topic, considering the specific consolidation of capital within Russia, occurs rarely. However, other literature possess with deeper understanding and analysis of MA, which has no theoretical and practical experience under circumstances similar to those in Russia. 6.3 Foundation Theoretical and methodological foundation for the project is the work of foreign and Russian scientist-economists and financiers in the credit and investment activities, economical policies of Russia: Arzac, Ashkenas, Ashurkova, Baranova, Brukov, Bruner, Frankel, Gole, Gorelaja, Harding, Ioncev, Kaurov, Kulik, Orlova, Potochnig, Reed-Lajoux, Rykova, Seredin, Uglovskaja, Weston, Zoznobin, etc. The work of experts in MA: Copeland, Gaughan, etc. Other sources of secondary data, i.e. analytical and statistical information, are the information provided by the websites of Bank of Russia, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Federal State Statistics Service, World Bank, Federal Financial Markets Service, journal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Bankerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Financial Timesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, data and information of consulting agencies Bloomberg, Interfax, Reuters, and Thomson Financial. The work will also use the information provided by the Russian banks, i.e. annual reports ; and analytical materials and reviews provided by international consulting organisations: PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, etc. Legal base for the research are legislative acts of Russian Federation of the banking industry, investments, equity market and antimonopoly law. 7 Methodology 7.1 Introduction In order to develop an approach based on the experience of Russian banks and its major rivals the theory and practise will be put together through the multi-method approach of: case study, exemplified by many researchers (e.g. Kaplan and Duchon, 1988), and field work à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" face to face interviews with senior managers of the major banks in the UK and Russia. The multi-method approach is likely to help gaining the comprehensive knowledge together rather than use of only one method (Robson, 2002). The whole research will last for maximum eight months, starting at January 2010. 7.2 Desk research Due to the specific nature of the chosen topic use of secondary data will be preferable. According to Gummerson (2000) secondary data is the pre-existing data or information gathered by the third parties (e.g. research study, survey, interview, etc) for a certain purpose not directly linked to the purpose of the initial research. Yin (2003, p.13) stated that a case study is suitable when à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life contextà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is analysed. Secondary data can be easily obtained and used in the research at the current moment (Saunders et al., 2007). Based on Hair et al. (2007) main advantages of the secondary data are resource implications, much easier to gather than primary data; low cost, as already collected; longitudinal study may be possible; quality and permanence of data (e.g. government surveys, official statistic). However, main challenges of the secondary data are linked to the fact that information was gathered for the purpose of another research (Gummerson, 2000). Thus, it is most likely to be out of date, not full, not directly linked to the current research and unreliable. It is appropriate to start a research from looking at the secondary data and when it is exhausted or its usefulness is decreasing considerably, this is a moment to start gathering primary data (Hair et al., 2007). Primary data Secondary data Purpose The purpose of the current research Not gathered for purposes of the current research Use Difficult to analyse Fairly easy and quick Cost High Relatively low Time-consumption Long Short Based on: Gummerson (2000) and Hair et al. (2007) 7.3 Semi-structure interviews Field work Deep understanding cannot be achieved through use of secondary data only. Thus use of a primary data is an advantage to gather unique knowledge and answers to the questions. Semi-structured in-depth face to face interview on one-to-one basis as one of the methods allowing gathering qualitative data is a significant part of a research process (Saunders et al., 2007). Journals, books and academic publications allow observing of basic information where interview is the next step delivering deep understanding of the topic. Semi-structured interview à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“are particularly useful if you already have a clear theoretical appreciation of your topicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Lee and Lings, 2008, p. 218). In this particular case interview will allow to draw up a conclusion and further recommendations for Russian banking industry based on the world experience (in this case experience of UK banking industry). Main advantages of the interviews are: considered to be helpful to obtain detailed inf ormation about personal opinion, experience and perception; possess with high response rate; useful in gathering specific information as open questions can be asked, moreover vague answers can be fulfilled (Jesson, 2006). However, there are some disadvantages too: interviews are time consuming (e.g. interviewing, analysing, reporting, etc); costly and sometimes difficult to analyse (Hair et al., 2007). The research will include up to ten interviews of senior managers within the banking industry in the UK and Russia, 30 minutes long each (in total 600 minutes, 2030). The time limit for the interview will not exceed two months. Each interview will be analysed on a thematic basis using the methodology proposed by Easterby-Smith et al. (1991). Many people are not used to giving interview, and probably would not like the fact of losing their free time (Gill, Johnson, 2002). Interviews will include group of people of senior working within the banking industry directly or indirectly related to the processes of MA. These are the people possessing with the significant information research is interested in. Interview will be taken in the lunch time in the informal environment, which is an advantage (Stjernberg, 2006). Interviews will start from general questions further moving to specifics. Successful interview should start from neutral questions such as question related to the industry as a whole (Lee and Lings, 2008). This helps to enjoy the favour of the interviewee in the discussion. Important questions are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“how long you are working for the businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“what are the main responsibilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“what is the experience the person possesses withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, etc (Saunders et al., 2007). 8 Ethics According to the research ethics guide of Aston Business School (Evans, 2004) the research has to to fulfil following principles: Beneficence Non-malfeasance Informed consent Confidentiality In order to ensure that guidelines are strictly followed interviewees will be fully informed of the issues concerning the aim and purpose of the initial research before the prior interview. Moreover such issues as anonymity, confidentiality, potential benefits and risks related to the interview and everything concerning the collected data, information and records will be emphasised by the researcher. The participation in the interview should be voluntary. Furthermore confidentiality should be documented for the benefit of the interviewee. 9 Novelty The novelty of the dissertational research and its topic is following: Based on the theoretical knowledge and analysis of economic literature it is possible to define terms: MA, which will allow adequately to evaluate these processes with particular attention to its dependence on the corporate control; To create a scientific classification of reasons leading to MA in banking industry, and analyse in details its role in the context of the global financial market; Based on the results of comparative analysis of Russian and global markets of MA reveal the specific causes of these processes dominated in Russia and major factors influencing the progress trends for this market in Russia. Retrospectively classify the Russian market of MA and define its historical and future trends; Based on the theoretical studies and world experience (McKinsey Company organisation) in the market of MA critically evaluate these process and create recommendation for the banking industry with p articular references to the specific nature of domestic banks; To develop a system of measures stimulating future development of required processes within Russian banking industry, aimed at gaining a competitive advantage of the whole banking industry and concentration of capital; To define and critically evaluate the presence and functioning of foreign capital in the banking industry; analyse those in the context of future development, progress trends of MA. 10 Practical meaning and approval The practical meaning of this work will reveal the results leading to a positive outcome. On micro level, banks face many challenges within the banking industry, thus they have to develop and plan MA more carefully taking in account the specifics of Russian market, its economic and political issues, and whereas using the experience of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“westà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? countries can be advantageous. Perhaps this will increase the effectiveness and bring down the costs. Organisations should consider better use of synergic effect and recommendations, keeping in mind the difference of each single process. This will likely to ease the integration of consolidating structures. On macro level, there is a necessity to change the legislative and regulatory rights, and policies in the whole banking industry, methods of regulations and supervision, as well as particular regulations in the governmental developing policies of the banking industry. This will accelerate the development of the ba nking industry and its competitiveness in a global market. The Bank of Russia is facing the necessity to develop a complex policies dedicated to the problem of future development of MA based on the high differentiation of services provided by commercial organisations, and recommend these organisations terms and conditions only of those processes leading to economical and social efficiency. 11 Structure The structure of the dissertation is based on the aims and tasks of the dissertational research and will include three chapters, conclusion, bibliography and appendices. The work should not exceed the length of 15,000 words. Introduction Chapter I. Theoretical foundation of mergers and acquisition within the banking industry 1.1. Terms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mergerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“acquisitionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? 1.2. Why do organisations tend to merger and acquire? 1.3. Reasons and causes in Russia and its specifics 1.4. Systemic analysis of mergers and acquisitions Chapter II The evaluation and comparative analysis of experience and progress trends f mergers and acquisitions within the banking industry in Russia and the world 2.1. Practice and trends of mergers and acquisitions in Europe and USA 2.2. Evaluation of experience and progress trends as an optimal way to attract investments within the banking industry in Russia, and its specifics according to the world experience Chapter III. Development perspectives of mergers and acquisitions, consolidation of banks in Russia and its influence over the capital 3.1. Mergers and acquisitions within the Russian banking industry as a significant factor in competitiveness and attraction of financial flows 3.2. Governmental policies and regulation of mergers and acquisition in Russia and the potential use world experience 3.3. The influence of foreign investments over future development of Russian banking industry 3.4. The place of mergers and acquisitions in the future development policies Conclusion Bibliography Appendices 12 Task list Task Difficulties Solutions Desk research Obtain literature on mergers and acquisition within the banking industry, banking industry conditions, progress trends Literature is not available through university library, limited due to specifics of the topic Textbooks, Journals, Newspapers, Business Magazines, Online sources, reserve of required items online, order books via internet-library loan, use of non-academic literature if appropriate Review literature, identify relevant and reliable sources Possibly large number of sources, analysis can be limited by time Efficient time management, scheduling, assistance of tutor and critical analysis Semi-structured face to face interviews Identify the interviewees for semi-structured interview, sample size 4-6 candidates May not identify the correct people Use of personal contacts to identify interviewees Conduct three pilot surveys to test interview agenda Responses may not be relevant Amend interview agenda Contact most appropriate candidates to arrange interview Candidate refusals to participate Reserve candidates Design interview agenda Ensuring appropriate focus on relevant questions Prepare interview thoroughly, send emails providing information about the interview, question, topic, etc, provide interview guide Conduct survey Insufficient, irrelevant or obsolete gathered information Vary question according to the interview flow, open vs. closed, neutral vs. specific Transcribe interview Time limitation, focus on relevant and reliable information Use of appropriate guidelines (Secondary data) Code and analyse the transcripts Information overload Use of appropriate guidelines (Secondary data) Report related Collate report based on objectives Write up dissertation, draw conclusion and recommendations Use of appropriate guidelines (Secondary data) Presentation and thank you letters to senior interviewees Week No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Task Literature search Literature review Idetify interviwees Pilot test interview Contact interview candidates Design interview agenda Conduct survey Transcribe interviews Code and analyse interviews Collate report, conclusion Write up report Presentation/Thank you 13 Time Plan Gantt Chart 14 Literature Search Framework Strategy Key Words Theory, concepts, mergers and acquisitions, banking industry, Russia, Bank of Russia, World Bank, experience, consulting, reports, analitical materials, review Online database Host/System Used Data Searched Key Words Fields Searched Years Searched Hits Relevant Proquest 24.12.09 Merger, acquisitions Bank, Russia, mergers acquisitions Russia banks Mergers acquisitions banking industry MA, strategy, development, future All fields All fields All fields All fields All fields 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 12 2 29 16 19 2 0 5 3 4 Aston E-Library Merger, acquisitions Bank, Russia, mergers acquisitions Russia banks Mergers acquisitions, banking industry, theory MA, strategy, development, future All fields All fields All fields All fields All fields 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 142 124 110 78 87 12 15 9 7 6 MSU E-Library Merger, acquisitions Bank, Russia, mergers acquisitions Russia banks Mergers acquisitions, banking industry, theory MA, strategy, development, future All fields All fields All fields All fields A ll fields 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 1990-2009 178 154 113 98 129 21 23 12 13 37 Web sites www.bankir.ru www.bo.bdc.ru Journals Government Other