Thursday, November 28, 2019
Hippolytus - Role Of Greek Gods Essays - Hippolytus, Theseus, Operas
Hippolytus - Role of Greek Gods The play Hippolytus by the Greek playwright Euripides is one which explores classical Greek religion. Throughout the play, the influence of the gods on the actions of the characters is evident, especially when Aphrodite affects the actions of Phaedra. Also central to the plot is the god-god interactions between Artemis and Aphrodite. In this essay, I hope to provide answers to how the actions of Hippolytus and Phaedra relate to the gods, whether or not the characters concern themselves with the reaction of the gods to their behavior, what the characters expect from the gods, how the gods treat the humans, and whether or not the gods gain anything from making the humans suffer. Before we can discuss the play, however, a few terms need to be defined. Most important would be the nature of the gods. They have divine powers, but what exactly makes the Greek gods unique should be explored. The Greek gods, since they are anthropomorphic, have many of the same characteristics as humans. One characteristic of the gods which is apparent is jealousy. Aphrodite seems to be jealous of Artemis because Hippolytus worships Artemis as the greatest of all gods, while he tends to shy away from worshipping Aphrodite (10-16). This is important because it sets in motion the actions of the play when Aphrodite decides to get revenge on Hippolytus. The divine relationship between the gods is a bit different, however. Over the course of the play, Artemis does not interfere in the actions of Aphrodite, which shows that the gods, while divine, do have restrictions; in this case, it shows the gods cannot interfere with each other. (1328-1330) The gods are sometimes evil and revengeful, though, as can seen by what Artemis has to say about Aphrodite: "I'll wait till she loves a mortal next time, and with this hand - with these unerring arrows I'll punish him." (1420-1422) The relationship of mankind and the gods also needs to be discussed. This relationship seems to be a sort of give-and-take relationship, in part. The Greeks believed that if they gave to the gods, through prayer and sacrifices, that the gods would help them out. This is especially true of Hippolytus and his almost excessive worship of Artemis. Also, Theseus praying to his father Poseidon is another example of this, only Theseus actually gets what he prays for. (887-890) Just because mankind worshipped the gods, however did not mean that the gods had any sort of obligation to help out the humans. Artemis did nothing to protect Hippolytus from being killed. But not all relations between the gods and mankind were positive from the humans' standpoint. Since Aphrodite is angry with Hippolytus for not worshipping her, she decides to punish him by making Phaedra love him, then making it seem that he rapes her, when she actually hangs herself, whether that is through her own actions or is the doing of Aphrodite. The thoughts and actions of Hippolytus and Phaedra certainly are irrational at times. After all, a stepmother falling in love with her stepson is unlikely, but probably even less acceptable. This is directly related to the gods. What Aphrodite does to Phaedra certainly causes her to do some strange things. For instance, first Phaedra seems to go crazy, and then she decides to hide her new-found love for Hippolytus from the nurse. Later, though, she decides to tell the nurse, and when she finds that the nurse has told Hippolytus, decides that the only logical course of action is to kill herself. This action is certainly related to the gods because Aphrodite makes it look as if Phaedra's suicide is really the fault of Hippolytus. Some of Hippolytus' actions are related to the gods as well. When Theseus discovers that Phaedra is dead and decides to exile Hippolytus, Hippolytus does object to his banishment, but eventually he stops arguing with his father. At this point, he prays to the gods that he be killed in exile if he is guilty of the death of Phaedra. It is also possible he may be expecting Artemis to help him out, though she does nothing until he is on the verge of death. The characters do worry
Monday, November 25, 2019
Research International Business Opportunities Tourism Essay Essays
Research International Business Opportunities Tourism Essay Essays Research International Business Opportunities Tourism Essay Essay Research International Business Opportunities Tourism Essay Essay The intent of this feasibleness study is to confer with Natural Experience whether they have to open their eating house in Bahrain or non. This procedure will be done by analysing all positive and negative facets of Bahrain. A elaborate SWOT and PESTEL analysis will be done and some inside informations will be given about the rivals which already exist in Bahrain. After all this process a recommendation will be provide to Natural Experience that, will it be profitable for them to open there concern in Bahrain or non and will it spread out in Bahrain. Introduction The concern which is traveling to be introduced in Bahrain is an organic eating house. The name of the eating house is Organic Experience. It was formed in London, United Kingdom by a hubby and married woman named, Richard and Dora in 2001. They have come up with a dream that they will open a eating house with high quality organically grown nutrient. The caf A ; eacute ; was holding the capacity of 25 people and the staff which was hired was 6 employees and one manager.They had made a sensible net income in the first twelvemonth which shows that their concern is successful. Subsequently on they open a new subdivision in Canary Wharf but they were holding some ailments about their nutrient and got fined for that. But subsequently on the eating house maintain its quality and got good consequences at the terminal of the twelvemonth. After the success of their concern they decided to open 3rd subdivision near tower of London. This clip they change the name of the eating house to Natural Experience because of some legal issues and the enlargement in bill of fare. The thought of this Natural experience worked really good so after that they decided to franchise it. Here is a brief debut of United Kingdom. It had become a province in 927 AD. It is located in European continent. The place of UK on the Earth is 51 A ; deg ; 30?North and 0 A ; deg ; 7?West. The country is 243,610 sq. kilometer. and their official linguistic communication is English. The capital of UK is London. The statistics shows that there are 83.6 % British and 16.4 % non-British. Its population is 62,698,362 ( July 2011 est. ) : in which non-British are included. The authorities system is constitutional monarchy. The per capita income is $ 39,604. It is rich in natural resource and industries. The GDP of UK was $ 2.481 trillion. Peoples of all sorts live in UK and subsequently on most of them get the citizenship of UK. ( State.gov, 2012 ) They were holding 5 franchised coffeehouse at the terminal of 2009 in UK. The income of Natural Experience reached 6.1 million Pounds out of which the net income was 1.9 million. After this success they spread their concern worldwide. The eating house will be unfastened in Bahrain. The location of the Natural Experience Caf A ; eacute ; will be Manama, because it is the capital of Bahrain. Bahrain City Centre will be the best topographic point to open eating house, the ground is, it is the best and the oldest in Bahrain and it is really celebrated as good. There are many of the eating houses but none of them are wholly organic so it will be really good for our caf A ; eacute ; . Promotion will be done to do it popular and if the eating house work good and started doing much gross so it will get down opening new franchises in Bahrain at the most fond points. This will be a key of enlargement in Bahrain. Swot Strengths The strength of the Natural Experience is its nutrient which is organic. There is a lack of healthy and organic eating houses in the universe. Peoples are looking for nutrient which is truly 100 % organic. The fleshiness is extremely increasing in Bahrain so the tendency of people is coming towards healthy and organic nutrient. The other strength of it is their bill of fare they have all sort of veggies which are organically grown and a assortment of meat dishes. There will be barely any eating house which is functioning this much nutrient types. They have drinks, salads, appetisers, sweets, soups and the chief classs. Failings Their failing will be the debut in Bahrain. As it will be new in Bahrain so it will non be much popular among the population. This failing can be minimized by making publicity and by the clip passes it will be celebrated. The concern is traveling to be presenting in Bahrain which has some rivals. They will give a difficult clip to Natural Experience because they had already built their repute in Bahrain. So it will be disputing for it. Opportunities They have the chance to spread out the concern in Bahrain. They can run their eating house on the most celebrated musca volitanss of Bahrain. This will be a beginning to acquire more popular because these musca volitanss are ever crowded and on weekends they reach to their extremes. Natural Experience demand skilled and efficient workers for their eating house without this they can non supply the best quality to the clients. So in Bahrain they can acquire skilled staff on lower rewards because there is no revenue enhancement system in Bahrain so the workers are agreed on lower wages. Menaces The biggest menace for the natural experience is the porc and the unhalal meat. They can acquire the halal meat locally but the porc is purely prohibited in Bahrain. This will cut down some dishes from the bill of fare but alternatively of porc other meat can be used such as beef, mouton, chicken etc. The authorities processs are really hard in Bahrain. They require a batch of attempts and high networking accomplishments to get down their eating house in Bahrain otherwise they have to confront many jobs and it will be really dearly-won for them. Besides these they should cognize all the Torahs and legal issues in Bahrain. Rival Analysis Organic Foods and Caf A ; eacute ; Organic Foods and Caf A ; eacute ; is house operated by a household. They sell organic and biodynamic nutrient. It has many shops across Dubai and they are the largest providers of organic nutrient in the universe. They produce fresh staff of lifes, fruits and veggies. They harvest everything free from all sorts of unreal fertiliser and chemicals. The nutrient is grown in household run organic farm throughout the universe. They are functioning to wellness witting and ecofriendly consumers. It is located in Al Seef promenade in Bahrain. ( Organic Foods and Caf A ; eacute ; , 2012 ) Strength The strength of Organic Food and Caf A ; eacute ; is their bringing service. They offer all sorts of nutrient at your door measure, no affair where you live in Bahrain. This service is giving them a really good response. Failing The monetary values of the caf A ; eacute ; are really high. Normal income individual can non afford it. So it will diminish the chances of the caf A ; eacute ; . Masso Masso is an organic eating house in Bahrain. It is originated from Italy and the full dishes served are Italian. The proprietor of the eating house is Susy Massetti. They sell organic nutrient with their particular vino. The Restaurant is located in The Palace, Adliya, Bahrain. ( masso eating house, 2012 ) Strength There particular sort of vino which is non available in Bahrain. This vino is made of their particular technique and merely served at their eating house. Failing Poor publicity of the eating house and the web site is besides non good designed. There is no proper location mentioned via map. PESTEL PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. It is a tool to analyse any state before get downing a concern. This analysis gives you the best overview of the state you are traveling to work. Political Government Type The type of the authorities in Bahrain is constitution monarchy. The system is based on land and the male monarch of Bahrain is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah. As there is land so the political system is really stable and there is non much job between the authorities and parliament members. ( CIA, 2012 ) There will be non much political crisis for my eating houses because there is land and the concern can be run swimmingly. There will be less governmental fees and financess which will assist in addition the net income. Corruptness Bahrain ranks 46th in the universe for corruptness and it really low as compared to the other developed states. If there is more corruptness there will be more jobs in licensing and processs. ( CIA, 2012 ) There is less corruptness in Bahrain so all the processs will be done really fast and without any job. For the farther enlargement there will non be much trouble and the cost will be less. Economic Per capita income The per capita income is $ 27,900 which is really high compared to other states. The mean monthly income is $ 2,400. The people of Bahrain spend a batch on their shopping and life style. This will be really good for the eating house because the people will non holding much job in purchasing the expensive nutrient and besides that they are really much concerned about their wellness which is besides good. ( CIA, 2012 ) Labor The figure of labour in Bahrain is 666,000. Therefore the labour in Bahrain is really inexpensive and you can acquire professional cooks and staff at really low wages. ( CIA, 2012 ) This is really good for the Natural Experience they can engage the best staff without any excess charges. They can besides engage chefs which can cook organic nutrient and are expert in it. Social Literacy rate Harmonizing to the nose count of 2010 the literacy rate of Bahrain is 94.6 % and it is one of the top literate states. The people are good cognizant of the tendencies and are extremely educated. Because of the instruction degree they are developing really fast. The people who have better knowledge merely know the value of the organic nutrient. This will be the plus point of the eating house. Life criterions The life criterions of people are really high. They enjoy all the luxury of the universe. They use most of the best trade names. Most of the population is populating in urban countries and have all the installations near around. This shows the criterion of life of the people of Bahrain. There will be a positive impact on the Natural Experience of the people s criterion of life. They will bask the location and the luxury provided by the caf A ; eacute ; . Technological Internet users Bahrain has internet regular users above 420,000 and there is a good connexion with the societal media. As the clip is go throughing Bahrain is increasing in engineering. If there will be a web site it will truly assist to advance the concern. There could be a Facebook page which spreads message locally and to chitter so that the clients can follow us. Transportation system The transit system is really good in Bahrain because it s a little state and it has roadways of 3851 KM. All sorts of conveyance are available like taxis, coachs, private autos etc. The clients will non traveling to acquire any conveyance trouble in Bahrain because it will be good civilized. It will be in the range of all the clients. Environmental Climate The clime of Bahrain is really hot and mild. There is really hot air current throughout the summer and there is near approximately two to three months of cold conditions. Sometime the temperature exceeds 50 grade centigrade. Because of this conditions people normally do non come out of their house. These conditions will severely impact the concern of Natural Experience. There should be high efficient centralized AC in the eating house. Terrain Most of the land in Bahrain is desert with hot air currents. The H2O is merely in the sea, there is no H2O on the land degree. Because of the desert the cultivation of harvests is non possible. The organic veggies can non be grown in Bahrain ; all the veggies must be imported from other states. It will increase the cost of goods. Legal Tax There is no revenue enhancement system in Bahrain, it means on any sort of income you do non hold to pay any revenue enhancement. There are some kinds of responsibilities on importing points which we have to pay in any conditions but the nutrient points are free of responsibilities. The concern has to import goods but it does non hold to pay any responsibility on the nutrient material. This will ensue in the in sensible net income and concern can spread out. ( CIA, 2012 ) Torahs The fundamental law of Bahrain is based on Islamic rules. Most of the processs are completed harmonizing to the instructions of Quran. If the eating house is making something against jurisprudence or selling unhalal nutrient they can close down for this and they will neer acquire the licence once more. Business Hazards Rivals When there is a idea of get downing a concern there are besides the hazards. There are really few opportunities of a concern that does non hold any rivals. Unfortunately there are some rivals of Natural Experience in Bahrain and they are holding really good repute. They will give a tough clip to the eating house. To get the better of the rivals there will be publicity before get downing the concern. SWOT analysis of the rivals will be done and better concern scheme will be made for the operations. Natural Resources There is scarceness of natural resources in Bahrain ; most of the points are imported from other states. There is no possibility of turning resources with natural conditions. All the nutrient points are imported from other states and most of them are farm green goods so it will non be suited for the caf A ; eacute ; . The eating house has to import all the veggies and meat points from UK. This will decidedly be more but Natural Experience has to keep its quality and techniques so merely it will be successful. Licensing Obtaining licence is a large issue in Bahrain. Many steadfast acquire shutdown before get downing because they can non acquire the licence. There is a long process to acquire the licence. For minimising this hazard the concern should hold good networking accomplishments with the people in the ministries and other authorities institutes to coup detat this hazard. Monetary values The monetary values of the eating house will be high comparing with other fast-food eating houses. It is because the organic points cost more. The monetary value will definitely affairs for the clients. The Natural Experience will seek to maintain the monetary values less to retain their client ; otherwise it can non remain in the competition. Religious beliefs Bahrain is a Moslem state and they have a belief that the porc is non good to eat ; it is prohibited in the faith. There are the hazards that the licence can be acquire cancel because of selling prohibitedfood. So they have to diminish some of the points from the bill of fare which may cut down their regular clients. Advantages Organic nutrient The chief advantage of the Natural Experience is that it is selling organic nutrient which is a trade name on its ain. The people of Bahrain are truly interested in of course prepared nutrient. This will be really paid for the eating house as the clients will be more interested and they will come more to the eating house. The more the gross revenues will be the more will be the net income and the consciousness among the people will increase. Electricity Bahrain is an oil based state. Most of the gross is generated through oil production. They use fuel to bring forth electricity because of this the electricity cost it really inexpensive and they charge really less measure to the people and commercial houses. This will be a major advantage for the eating house and it reduces the cost of goods. Menu There is a huge scope of organic points in the bill of fare. The rivals in Bahrain do non hold this much dishes. This will do Natural Experience caf A ; eacute ; better than other eating houses. Anyhow the porc is prohibited but still they have a batch like poulet, beef, duck, oyster and lamb. Besides these there are many sorts of drinks and soups. Tax Bahrain is free from all sorts of revenue enhancements. The employees or the business communities do non hold to pay any sort of revenue enhancement. This will be really good for the caf A ; eacute ; . They can engage employees on less salary and they will be satisfied because they did nt hold to pay anything to authorities. Disposable income The people of Bahrain have a batch of disposable income and they like to pass it. It will be a good advantage for the caf A ; eacute ; that the population can pass and they do non hold any job from the disbursement issue. The gross of the eating house will automatically increase. Decision After all the analysis done in the study, Bahrain is holding good points and some hazards as good. The conditions are besides stable in Bahrain and there will be non much competition in organic nutrient. The statistics besides shows favourable consequences. The Natural Experience caf A ; eacute ; got good consequences in UK and it is holding truly all right nutrient and drinks. The enlargement program of this eating house will be successful so my recommendation is to open the caf A ; eacute ; in Bahrain. The grounds are as follows The political conditions are stable and running really smooth. Besides this the province is monarchy so there will be no issues of election and instability The other ground is that there is no revenue enhancement every bit explained in the study The nutrient is organic and healthy and many points are at that place in the bill of fare which will be harmonizing to the demands of the consumers The income degree is really high and they have inordinate disposable income. These were some of the major grounds that why the eating house should be unfastened in Bahrain and harmonizing to me it will run really good.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Negotiation in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Negotiation in China - Research Paper Example As Ogilvie and Kidder (2008) have defined negotiation as the process by which individuals, business parties or countries exchange services, goods and decide an exchange rate for the exchanged goods. Both parties in negotiation try to articulate or influence each other in order to fulfillment of their own objective. Ma and Jaeger (2005) have done research work on negotiation process of China and found that business negotiation in China is affected by multitude of factors such as social beliefs, tenure of the deal making process, relationship, flexible nature of the negotiation and many others. Ma and Jaeger (2005) have argued that economy of China is booming and gross domestic output of the country is growing at an average of 9% which is greater than GDP growth of USA and other European countries. Hence, there is no surprise why American entrepreneurs are moving to China to open business units and American companies are looking establishing partnership with Chinese companies and gover nment. Interesting fact is that, research work of Ma and Jaeger (2010) has revealed in more than 40% cases, American entrepreneurs fail to negotiate with Chinese companies due to reasons like lack of understanding of American entrepreneurs about the business and social culture of china, language barrier to understand Chinese language etc. However, very few researchers have tried to understand the inter-correlated nature of independent variable which ensure effectiveness of negotiation in China hence it can be assumed that there is large gap exist in the literature about negotiation in China. Hence the researcher working as media consultant for Academy of International Business (AIB) will conduct a quantitative study in order to analyze the relation between internal variables related to negotiation process in China. Purpose of the Study Key purpose of the study was to determine what special insights outsiders need in order prepare negotiation in China. The report will answer followin g questions; Research Question 1: What are the important factors while emphasizing on relationship aspect of negotiation in China? Using this research question helped the researcher to understand conjoint impact of three micro variables such as relationship, social gathering and presence of translator on overall effectiveness of negotiation in China. These three micro variables defined the overall on impact of relationship in negotiation in China. Research Question 2: What are the important factors while emphasizing on process aspect of negotiation in China? Using this research question helped the researcher to understand conjoint impact of three micro variables such as fixed term, flexibility in negotiating process and slow deal making process on overall effectiveness of negotiation in China. These three micro variables defined the overall on impact of process aspect in negotiation in China. Methods and Procedure Used Data for this research report was collected by sample survey pro cess with the help of close ended questionnaire. Academic peer reviewed journals were used as secondary data sources in order to develop the theoretical
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Economics- Topic is on PIIGS or PIGS which refers to the economies of Research Paper
Economics- Topic is on PIIGS or PIGS which refers to the economies of portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Briefly explain the Piigs issue in regards to the world economy - Research Paper Example With these and several other multiplier challenges, the fate of the performance of these countries seems to be hanging on the balance. The following discourse attempts to expound on the global issues with regard to prospects of economic performance from the PIIGS countries. By virtue of being member states of the European Union that is economically unified by the Euro, PPIGS countries present a challenge not only to the eurozone but to the entire world. One of the factors making these countries to possess a critical role in world economics is therefore pegged to the fact that the Euro has grown to be an occupant of the top world currencies. According to Bercsten (7), Europe representation in world economy is directly proportional to the performance of the Euro in domestic economies which will in turn be extrapolated to a global impact. The author reckons that the position held by Europe with regard to world economic stage is very significant such that the developments in PIIGS ought to be a concern for any other economy remotely located out of Europe. According to Roubini (34), financial crises in the recent world economic occurrences can be predicted from the build up of economic vulnerabilities that the global economy was exposed to. In realization of the role played by political fortunes of a country to its prospects of economic survival, the author states that the political class ought to handle financial policies as if they did that to the entire world. The author reckons that the political interventions undertaken to cool down the PIIGS economic turmoil might not offer the appropriate solution to the entire world economy. By likening the economic crisis in PIIGS to a disease, Roubini (34) predicts that the intervention might prove to be a dangerous precedent set for the global economy by stating that the drug prescribed is toxic and
Monday, November 18, 2019
Business Report about Olympic Games 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Business Report about Olympic Games 2012 - Essay Example There are six strategies that one can employ to market their company at little to no cost. Marketing a business via press release is a method that has been around for quite some time and still continues to be the method of choice. Because businesses will have to do a great deal with public relations, as they work with and serve the public interest, press releases are just one more way to keep the public engaged, so they will be more than likely to seek out the products and services that businesses offer. Press releases can be used to market the opening of a company. They can also be used to promote new products or services. If a company is sponsoring a special event, such as that of the Olympic Games, a press release can also be used to announce this, so people will not only attend the event but will possibly become customers for many years to come. While press releases are wonderful for getting word out about the business with very little effort at all, there are a few rules that need to be followed, should this particular method be utilized. An article titled, "Still th e One, Crafting the Perfect Press release," sheds some insight into what they are. First of all, press releases need to be concise. They must not contain a bunch of useless rhetoric. Should press releases not be concise, the attention of their audiences will be lost, thus making them ineffective and a useless waste of time. Secondly, press releases must communicate real news. They should not talk about things that are of no real concern. The news that is being communicated has to be something that is really going to affect the audiences. Finally, when constructing press releases, the inverted pyramid method needs to be used. This method is to start out small by engaging the readers, build up larger and larger throughout the press release, and then give a call to action at the end, meaning that this is the largest point of all that needs to be made. Something else to remember is that press releases should not be overdone, meaning being released much too often, or it will detract from the overall reputation of the business. Should a business release press releases too often, their audiences
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Strategic Planning For An Information Systems Business Essay
Strategic Planning For An Information Systems Business Essay Over the past decade, the growth of information system has been tremendous. However, business organisations need to be cautious in adopting any form of technology so as to reap the benefits. They have to carefully study and decide which one is appropriate for an organisation to use. Thereby, enable any organisation to achieve its goal. Currently information systems are essential in any organisation unlike decades before. There are different types of information systems. Any company should have a clear understanding on the appropriate ones for the specific usage. Thereby, essential to have information technology experts or managers who will advice the company on what systems to use to be able to minimise costs and add value to a business organisation. More so, managers and staff would know how to accept the changes brought about by the information systems positively to enable them to work properly towards achieving the pre determined goals. The article gives an explanation as to what information system entails as pertaining to a business organisation or company and how it should be used hand in hand with the strategic planning to ensure the smooth running of any organisation and its success. It further entails and gives example of two companies and how they operate with regards to information systems and the strategic plans of a business. It is only limited to the technological aspect and the foreseen targets for the operation efficiency of an organisation, it does not incorporate other factors that enhance efficient management. Only two companies found in the UK were used to show case the study at hand. The article entails an evaluatory research of information systems and the strategic planning of two companies; Company A and Company B.Thereby, giving a basis of how the companies should use the two concurrently. It is also descriptive in the sense that it gives a clear picture on the application of eight tenets. The research in the article is interpretative in the sense that it the reader enlightens the reader on what is needed or expected to ensure efficiency on the management of information systems alongside with the strategic plans of the organisation. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY Strategic planning is a tool used in any business organisation to show where the organisation wants to be or achieve in future. Most strategies are either short term or long term depending on the organisation itself. However, the business world is not as it used to be due to the technological changes and advancements. In some business organisations, departments have been done away with while others have newly emerged due to computerisation. Customers are able to deal with suppliers or producers directly thus eliminating the use intermediaries as was before. Furthermore; the internet has greatly changed the business scene. It is apparent that any organisation has to do modifications so as to keep up with the ever-changing and rising demand for technology. An organisation has to be abreast with its information system so that it can know its existing competitors in the current business situation. Basically, have an overview of the current situational needs and changes of an organisation resulting into identifying the strengths and weaknesses both internally and externally and if need be correct to ensure maximum success. The article clearly emphasizes on the need of both information system and strategic planning for the operational efficiency. It clearly shows the difficulties of managing the former since planning is systematic whilst technology is not. Some companies incorporate the two differently and are still successful while others do not. All this depends on the type, size and location of the business organisation. Much as both information system and strategic planning are instilled, an organisation needs to exploit the opportunities and threats to ensure its survival and success. This study is meant to provide a framework for the use of information systems in an organisation such that it will enhance effectiveness and efficiency. In view of this, good operational efficiency does not only entail strategic planning but also involves other factors like effective management as well, so as to enhance the success of any organisation. Other factors that need to be considered to ensure the smooth running of any organisation include good employer/employee relationship, good communication among staff and so on. DEGREE OF CONTRIBUTION AND ORIGINALITY In the 80s and 90s, as a result of infrastructure development of organizational capabilities there has become a necessity to expand the concept of information systems which have strategic importance in any business organisation. Later, with the expansion of efficacy of any type of computer system led to the strategic planning of information systems to become an important issue. The priorities in a plan of the development of systems need to be identified into specific projects planned for the future. For any company, it is very important to have a business plan in the capacity of a flexible and constant development of organizational capabilities which leads not only to profit and expansion of the company, but also it is one of the foundations of stable competitive advantage. Various authors who have made a big contribution into the development of Strategic Information Systems Planning such as John Ward, Joe Peppard, Martin J., Earl MJ, and George Philip. Moreover, an important contribution in this area has been made by authors or researchers such as Samandra Pant and Cheng Hsu. They presented their work on an international conference, which was a prerequisite for the large development Strategic Information Systems Planning. Consequently, a set of different theoretical and practical researches are seen. If a parallel is drawn between the two researches, most of the fore mentioned authors rely on the theoretical basis. However, among the listed authors only George Philip uses an academic theory in practice. The importance of his work lies in the fact that he is trying to reduce the distance between the theoretical approach to business processes and application to the two companies. George Philip has made research based on related literature on Strategic Information Systems Planning thus on basis of eight tenets by showing an example of two companies in the different areas of development. In analyzing the article it can be said that the level of the research was evaluated to give a clear meaning on the usage of information systems and strategic planning concurrently. The generated work by the author shows that there was summarization of the related sources in the area and created a new direction for any business organisation to forge ahead in the ever-changing technological world. While it is very difficult to describe that the approach is original it still creates a good overview of the information and creates awareness that in information systems more or new research has to be done always to keep up with the changes in business scene to match up with technology. THEORETICAL ARGUMENT As seen 8 tenets were used to show the utilization of both the strategic plans and information systems for the success of any business organisation. The researcher tries to create a perfect model of business development on how any business organisation can be successful by use of the tenets. However, any business organisation can still be successful without following the models. Various methodologies have been put forward towards the rationale of strategic planning and information systems. Thereby, any business organisation can choose any methodology to develop their business based on their capabilities and targets. The use of eight tenets and methodologies used is a clear indication of a grounded theory whereby the underlying belief is that the data holds the clue to the explanation. In this case, the eight tenets and that the explanations are meaningful to those whose actions are being studied. (Denscombe, 2003, pg124). This is not appropriate because little scope is given to other factors that also affect the performance of a business organisation like the economic factors and social factors. RESEARCH METHODS ADOPTED There are two methodologies information systems that is impact and align methodologies (Lee and Gough, 1993; Booth and Philip, 2005). The importance of impact methodology is to achieve competitive advantage through the usage of information technology whilst the main purpose of the align methodologies is to a establish symbiosis relationship between information system strategy and objectives of the business itself. (Reich and Benbasat, 2000). It is apparent that the most prevailing planning methods are the one that take a top-down business-led approach (Premkumar and King 1994), and are designed to bring about contribution between the information systems strategy and the business strategy. Align methodology includes the exploitation strategy, which generally goes through two main stages: Top-down analysis for clarifying business needs and identifying Information System requirements. Bottom-up evaluation of already existing Information System for evaluation their effectiveness. Impact methodology includes the exploration strategy which aims to provide the strategic or competitive advantage for the business. The research analysis used in the article was qualitative method. The method, in contrast to the quantitative method which focuses on the statistical measurements, relied on the understanding, explanation and interpretation of empirical data and the sources of the formation of hypotheses and productive ideas. In simple terms, qualitative method does not respond to the questions of How much? What? How? and why?. Furthermore, in qualitative method, researches widely use projective and enabling techniques. By exposing some facts from the article, it is evident to know the applicability of the method of research used. Various authors used for research case study, questionnaires, scientific articles, text, observation , documents and thereafter, resulted into 8 tenets for information systems planning, this shows that the qualitative research method was mostly used appropriately in the research of information systems. (Orlikowski and Baroudi, 1991; Alavi and Carlson, 1992).In addition the above said confirmed the following expression that: using the case study, as a problem-solving technique, which is seldom undertaken in organisations since case studies dealing with problems similar to the one experienced by a particular organisation of a particular size and in a particular type of setting are difficult to find. More to that, Secaran (2000) suggested that the data collection methods like personal interviews within various groups in the organisation (primary data), examination of companys reports, data, academic and industry reports (secondary data) were used as an example of the qualitative research methods. The basis of research was proposed by the two strategies: exploitation strategy and exploration strategy. In the article we have used primary sources (researches); Text and empirical data for interpretation. (http://wire.rutgers.edu/research_assignments_pri_second.html) and secondary sources (researches)-Research based on the work of others. Literature that interpret or comment upon the primary sources (http://wire.rutgers.edu/research_assignments_pri_second.html). There are always two types of validity which are internal validity and external validity. The former of this was an output made by the author after the study, or the result obtained on the basis of the study. In this article, it is seen on the use of two types of strategies and review of 8 tenets for successful information systems planning. The latter refers to generalization. External validity was seen as a conclusion made by the author after the cross comparison of the case study of the two companies. It is not clear enough whether to talk on the internal and external actions of the case, although the primary and secondary sources of data are available. The article does include any new methods. As seen, that the author used a more qualitative methods, with all its attendant properties. Thereby making the study based on the two strategies and the reviewing of eight tenets. KEY FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS Currently, the world is in the technological era. People and business organisations are using information systems to make life easier. In the article, there are some strategies used to have a very strategic information systems plan and making sure that those companies reach their goal. The discussion based on the study was on the exploitation and exploration strategies. According to the Galliers, (2001) the companys information systems strategy should employ the two strategies. The exploitation strategy, is mainly focused on how to improve the operational efficiency of a company whilst in exploration strategy, it is usually used to make any business organisation have a competitive advantage. (Philip, 2007) The case study emphasized the need for operational efficiency in any business organisation. Operational efficiency is when the company uses the right combination of people and technology to enhance the productivity of the business operation while making sure that they are still in the budget. (Ensynch, 2009) Companies must ensure that they have the right technology and people to be efficient in the effective running of any business organisation. However, companies are facing difficulties in obtaining qualified employees who have technological skills and knowledge. They always need to ascertain whether the employees have the right qualifications. (Ensynch, 2009). It dwelled on the Eight Tenets in having a successful Information system planning in order to be efficient when it comes to the operations of any business organisation. They are as follows: (Philip, 2007) Developing a Business and Information System Strategy concurrently. Using Top-Down and Bottom-Up Listening and Communication Developing a High-Level plan with broad principles, not specific actions. Should have the support of the Top-Management Using Opportunistic Methods. Mandate Proactive Implementation Build in a Frequent Review Process and Contingency Planning Information Technology Leaders are technology scouts and interpreters Developing a business and information system strategy concurrently, is when we ascertain that the business plan and the information system plan go hand in hand. The process involves the entire executive team with the Chief Information Officer. Communication is one factor that makes the plan successful. Taking to the employees would help them in their planning. The company needs to know what the employees think about a certain situation and also, those employees would help them to generate some ideas to make sure that the plan made would be successful. Getting feedback regarding the performance of the systems is also important so the company would know whether the system is doing fine or not and whether it needs improvement or not. Making sure that the plan made is high-level enough; meaning the plan should allow some changes when implementing the program without rewriting the whole plan. By doing this, they could focus on making a solution when they overcome a problem rather than making the plan again. Support from the top management is crucial in having a successful plan. The senior executives must be active and makes sure that they have the correct materials to make the plan. They should also take an immediate action when they faced a problem regarding the plan. The company should make sure that their plan is put into practice proactively in order to maximize the benefits of the plan. They should make sure that the implemented strategy is to be effective to avoid any problems or inconveniences when the plan is implemented. Reviewing the plan is also crucial. Normally, the company reviews their plan at least twice a year and managers and information technology personnel usually review the plan. The reviewing of plan help the Chief Information Officer to know if they are still on budget or not. Also, they would know whether the plan is doing great; whether they are reaching their goal or not. Lastly, the Chief Information Officer should have the knowledge when it comes to the development of the information systems plan. The Chief Information Officer acts like a technology scout in an organization. They should make sure that the technology used incorporates with the mission and vision of the company. The Chief Information Officer should also be aware of the latest technologies in the market. He/she should know the right time of investing a new technology. They should make sure that when they buy a new technology, it still fits within the organisations budget. The Chief Information Officer should know the business language and the technology language for proper interpretation and usage of both technological and business terms. LIMITATIONS Case studies have become extremely widespread in research. When researchers dwell on a case study they look into a set of related ideas and preferences thus when combined give the approach its distinctive character. However they are not unique in the sense that the basis of investing has always been done already. (Denscombe, 2003, pg 31). The article is clearly a case study on use and applicability of information systems and strategic planning for the operational efficiency of any business organisation. Various authors have put forward their opinions whilst theories written for justification purposes. However, no solid generalisations can be made; in the sense that it would depend on ones advantageous view point of the whole scenario and understanding as pertaining to any business organisation. A manager would chose to adopt whatever benefits the company. There is no exact formula or specific way of managing the two concurrently to achieve the organisations pre-determined goals. The other issue is that information represented in the case possibly is not fully reliable and accurate. There is always risk that case can contain errors and inaccuracy. Apparently, the article based the research work on a qualitative approach. However, two methods of approach should have been used, that is the qualitative approach and the quantitative approach, to produce an unbiased end result. In the former, it is always natural for the researcher view not to be eliminated in the process. The other limitation as clearly seen in the article is whereby only two companies from the UK have been used in the research work. This is not adequate. It should have involved more companies since planning and use of information systems is vital to any organisation. There was also a variation in the way he provided and collected the data in that the companies are internationally based but only sited the UK one. However, different approaches or theories may apply differently to different nationalities due to technological factors, cultural barriers, political barriers and so forth. Furthermore, the comparison made on the two articles lacked equality. The dates of the research analysis done were different, In company A it was dated 2003 whilst in Company B it was dated 2004.Since the author rated the performance of each companion on the technological basis, it was not appropriate because how a company performs depends also on other factors like inflation rate, the countrys fiscal year and perhaps the national income for 2003 may not have been the same as for 2004. It is logic for plans and the way information systems are handled to change from time to time in the sense of recent information. Information systems and plans of any article also provide recent information to be used but the research obtained dates back 5 years or 6 years or so. The article did not present how all these statements should change in the fast growing and developing business environments thus no exact description of how all this eight tenets can be effective. More so, the researcher should have used real life current situations to assert his reasoning and conclusions. Other theoretical findings should have been included to give a thorough and more precise understanding of the research at hand. Other limitations in the researchers article included the failure to discuss the possible effects that would happen to both companies given the tenets and that Company A did not follow most of the tenets but still remained successful. SUGGESTIONS In this current technological era, companies are using technology to make work easier and gain competitive advantage in any business world. However, there are some companies who are not using the full capacity of technology in terms of being competitive in the market. Companies are not enthusiastic in employing the Strategic Information Systems Planning due to the fact it is expensive and it will not help in the attainment of long term objectives. In addition, other companies do not use information system and strategic planning due to lack of proper knowledge of the technological factors or others may be due to ignorance. However, to be competitive in the market, Strategic Information System Planning needs to be incorporated to enhance the performance of the business and aid in the normal operations of a company thus ensuring efficiency. Other companies should have been used in the research process. It should not only be based on this two companies when using the eight tenets since every company is different on how they approach activities carried out in any business organisation. The researcher should have explained more on the eight tenets. It is not stated in the article on the effects of the eight tenets and the usefulness of the tenets on any business organisation. The researcher should also have emphasized more on the eight tenets and how it can affect the fast moving and developing companies. Companies should not only use the eight tenets just to make an information systems strategy, but try to look for ways on how to have an efficient operating system. CONCLUSSION Strategic planning and information systems are vital components in any companys goal in achieving operational efficiency and in giving assistance in the companys decision-making activities. However, prudency is needed when incorporating the two for the business to earn maximum benefits. In doing so, the researcher tried to explain on the relevance of information system and strategic planning, in the article, by the introduction of eight tenets acting as guidelines. Thereby, any business organisation would be able to decide the best ways on how to handle the two for operational efficiency of the organizations. Apart from the framework given, further explanations and an exhaustive research should have been brought to attention so as to make clear generalisations thereafter, thus make applicability in any business organisation easier to comprehend and follow. All in all, the message was still passed across by the researcher on the comparisons and differentiation on how different companies, in this case, Company A and Company B, apply the 8 tenets for successful information systems and the strategic planning for operational efficiency. Thereby, enabling an analysis to be done on such a case study.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Authoritarianism: Until the Resources Dry Out Essay -- Government Poli
History has known far more authoritarian regimes than any other form of government. Authoritarianism is a form of non-democratic rule defined by state power being centralized in a single person or a small group of people. Unlike democracies, these individuals in power are not dependent on the people for power. Thus, under authoritarianism, state leaders have little accountability to the public and there is little individual freedom. Additionally, authoritarian regimes are not bound by a constitution that might limit their power. Such democratic liberties such as the right to assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press are highly controlled or non-existent. State policies are designed to maintain the power status quo in favor of the ruling group and perceived threats are marginalized or, in some cases, extinguished. Authoritarianism is more likely to exist in countries that have not yet experienced a high degree of modernization. This is because, without modernization, many of the fundamental institutions thought to be required for democracy are not yet thoroughly developed. These institutions include intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and the emergence of an economic middle class. In fact, it is highly correlated that a middle class is a vital requirement for the existence of democracy. However, modernization by itself does not always mean that the end result will be a democracy. For instance, if modernization occurs in some urban areas but lags behind in the rural areas it could be destabilizing to democratic institutions. Poverty is also strongly linked to authoritarianism although it alone is not a correlation. Authoritarian regimes would not survive if there was not at least a segment of the population that supp... ...ain control of the countryââ¬â¢s wealth and resources. Authoritarian regimes use coercion and limit individual freedom to maintain their power. They are also able to keep a middle class from emerging by hindering economic development. In these regimes, when the resources run out they are no longer able to buy off the segments of the population, the elites, necessary to maintain that power. Resource rich, countries are able to sustain authoritarian regimes longer than those without. However, as evidenced by the eventual demise of the Soviet Union, even the most powerful of authoritarian regimes are vulnerable when the resources start to dry up. Works Cited Oââ¬â¢Neil, Patrick H. ââ¬Å"Essentials of Comparative Politics.â⬠Third Edition. 2010 P. 142 P. 146 P. 146 P. 146 P. 146 P. 147 P. 143 P. 142 P. 147 P. 147 P. 144 P. 152 P. 153
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