Global Information Systems (GIS)

According to Deans Karwan (1994, p. 26), a global information system is an information system that is specially designed to collect and process information that is related to a specific field. The system also integrates, evaluates and communicates the processed knowledge.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global Information Systems (GIS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, Oxford University Press further defines, â€Å"global marketing is marketing on a worldwide scale reconciling or taking commercial advantage of global operational differences, similarities and opportunities in order to meet global objectives.† As to the objective of this paper, it will show the importance and advantages of a GIS strategy that will propel a local industry player hoping to achieve results, attain and sustain the local tourism company in a profitable operation while catering to the local market demand. Understandin g of GIS A GIS supports any application that requires the processed knowledge. The modern technology advancement has led to the development of data management systems that are in a position to support enormous information reliably. GIS has led to standardization of data communication. GIS has a profound impact on travel agencies and organizations. A GIS is relevant for communication of knowledge and relevant tourist destinations throughout the world. The main components of a global information system that lead to fast data communication to the organization are software tools that can capture and store data in bulk such as a guided data storage software (Deans Karwan, 1994, p. 38). A GIS encompasses many levels of analysis including international policy analysis, international enterprise of an organization, groups or team and the overlay of technology. Global information systems development was motivated by increased international business and trade activities especially since the 1 980s. The GIS was also developed following a revolution of information technology in the U.S. according to Oz (2008, p. 180), the culture of development implementation and utilization of information technologies. A GIS is able to relay different kinds of information to different people throughout the world. Due to advanced technology, information is an important ingredient to firms and most organizations utilize information as a competitive advantage. The internet enabled sharing of information and reduction of business costs. A travel agency that needs to increase its profitability should make information a competitive advantage and use a Global information system to communicate on the relevant tourism sites (Oz, 2008, p. 335).Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The modern world requires that organizations use modern technology with information as a competitive advantage. The exc hange of information through the internet reduces the operating cost of the firm. The firm can communicate and exchange information through the internet. In addition, the internet can be used for e-commerce and e-business. The tourism organization can utilize these technological options to increase its operations online and boost its market share after determination of international tourist destinations. In addition, the use of a GIS by the company can lead to increased market share. Key Categories of a GIS There are several categories of a global information system. The different categories of a GIS system are the country, choices, concentration, culture, consumption, capacity, currency and channels. Others are Commitment, communication, contracts and caveat. Country A country is an important category in global information systems because it forms the environment for the operation of an organization. Information on the country in which the organization operates is relevant to the o rganization because it provides the relevant information regarding the existing business opportunities in the country and the possibility of their exploitation. For instance, GIS information availability in the local country is able to target and identify a best tourism destination such as China, thru its GIS ability to take into account the economy outlook, business trend and general market trend of the current preferred destination of a local/ global consumer. If the GIS points towards China, it should provide information on tourist sites in China such as the physical features (e.g. the Great Wall of China) and other developed tourism destination attractions in the targeted tourism destination country. These features are important opportunities that can be exploited by the travel company. A country category of the GIS is usually structured around SLEPT factors. The information contained in the database is obtained through visits and reports, press cutting, other international orga nizations operating in OECD countries and other intelligent market sources such as trade associations’ reports.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Global Information Systems (GIS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The database on the country is therefore vital for effective performance of the travel agency in the country. For example, based on the economy and business outlook, be it for leisure or business, due to economic/business interest or with the sudden development of targeted tourism destination which in this case based on current GIS info which can be China. Local travel agency will be able to identify current consumer trend from both the business and leisure sectors, which currently China is ranked as one of the top choices for either business or leisure tourism destination. These factual evidence which can easily retrieved thru GIS and local survey, helps local travel company cuts down on unnecessar y operational RD costs by focusing a niche market with well planned out operational support and attractive tourism itinerary for either market sectors. Choices All travel agencies would like to find out other travel destinations in the world and explore the best destination for its market penetration and cater to its targeted consumer demands. The consumers in the different markets have different tastes and preferences and therefore consume different products. A global information system has a database on the different tastes and preferences and consumption trends in different countries in the world. For example, a business consumer sector would view a targeted country destination based on the targeted country destination of choice based on general economy outlook and investment opportunities in preferred country. Whereas for the leisure consumer market, it is largely based on the general market trend as to where is the preferred destination based on various factors such as current most fashionable city, current top tourism spots, current most value for money destination etc. In addition, a GIS category of choices provides the variety of products and services that the travel agency can provide to its clients. For instance, some consumers are interested in religious or historical sites, wildlife, natural scenery and unique physical features such as the Great Wall of China, which is one of the top ten wonders of the world. Using primary research, choices of products and services preferred by consumers are revealed. Other substitutes are also of importance to the sale of the company products and services in different markets (IRMA Khosrowpour, 2001, p. 161). Concentration Market concentration is the extent to which firms take up the market share. A market with many firms as opposed to a group of small firms with small market shares indicate a high concentration while a market that has few firms with less market share indicates lack of concentration (saturation) respectively.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Information on market concentration is important for any organization because it helps the organization determines the strategies to increase the market share and or venture into other potential markets (IRMA Khosrowpour, 2001). A GIS is an important system because it can provide important information regarding the different market concentrations of different travel markets in the world. The information revealed in the GIS on market concentration in the operating country and can help the travel agency segment the market and locate its offices. Market concentration on other international market will help the company make decisions on whether to venture into the market or not. Where the company decides to venture into the market, it will have enough knowledge on market segmentation and location of its subsidiaries (IRMA Khosrowpour, 2001, p. 870). The travel agency can access information on contained in the GIS system in the local on Chinese tourism industry concentration. The Chine se tourism industry is still growing there is some degree of concentration. The gaps in the tourism industry in China concentrations are receding as concentration in the industry increases rapidly. Areas of high levels of concentration include areas such as Tianjin, Pearl River and Yangtze River deltas. Other information on concentration provided by the GIS includes the market players such as Beijing Capital Tourism co. Ltd, China CYTS Tours Holding co. Ltd, Huangshan Tourism Development Co. Ltd among others (Eng, 2008). Using this information as provided by the GIS, the firm would be able to segment the market and strategize on competing effectively with its competitors. Culture Culture is an important aspect of the society and the market. Culture comprises of beliefs systems of people, language, religion and their value system. Cultural elements the behavior of people hence differences in consumption habits and trends. Language as an element of culture determines the interaction b etween the company, suppliers and its clients in different markets. Information on different languages, religions in China provided by a GIS system such as Yaho, Hui, Manchu, Miao and Dong among others is important to the organization because it will help the company to hire the right people to coordinate company activities in the Chinese Tourism industry (Kuper, 2000, p. 57). It is important that during the development of a GIS, a database on the culture of the Chinese people be established. Using the information in the system, the travel company should review the impact of different cultures found in China on the performance of the firm. The performance of the different products and services of the company in different the Chinese market should be reviewed with respect to the culture in the market. This is because culture influences consumption tastes and preferences of consumers. China has a rich culture comprising of Chinese medicine, festivals, kungfu among many others. These C hinese cultural aspects affect tourism consumption in China. The travel agency should utilize this information on cultural diversity of China from a GIS to strategize on venturing in the country. Culture does not only apply to a given market. It can also be applied to the organization. For effective performance of the travel agency, the travel agency should develop a good organizational culture that involves high communication and teamwork (Kuper, 2000, p. 69) Consumption Consumption is the act of purchasing a given good or service and using it as per your needs. Through consumption, a company can obtain revenue while the consumer can obtain satisfaction through utility. All consumers are rational consumers and they make rational consumption decisions. Consumption decisions are influenced by many factors including the levels of income, price, price of substitutes and compliments and specific needs of the consumers (Deans Karwan, 1994, p. 287). A GIS provide all details on consumpti on. A GIS system will track the changes in the consumption in different countries. The trends in tourism consumption in China as revealed by the system China are of importance to the travel agency could enable the company manage its inventory and distribution channels effectively. The statistics on consumption for different consumers of the travel services and products located in china is relevant to the travel company in deciding the products and prices to offer when venturing into China. For instance, increasing tourism trends in China as indicated by a GIS will help the company in forecasting future sales in the market (Research and markets, 2004). Capacity The information on the clients of the travel agency is vital for decisions on the transactions between the company and the clients. The information also influences the value and type of services to be offered. A GIS provides the detailed address and location of customers. As the company prepares to venture into China as a tour ist destination, a GIS will provide details of the location and addresses of clients in addition to their credit rating. This is important to the travel agency especially in determining the credit worthiness of clients and the types of contracts and terms and conditions of the contracts to be entered into. In addition, the system provides the credit rating of the customer hence the ability to rate the credit worthiness of the client. The credit worthiness of the customer is important in determining the terms and conditions to be contracted by the company with the client (Oz, 2008, p. 144). Currency Currency is useful as a medium of exchange for the travel company. Different countries have different currencies that have different values. A global travel agency that is interested in knowing different tourism destinations in the world is also interested in the currencies of the destinations. The different exchange rates are of importance to the travel agency because it determines the p rices to be offered in different for the different company products and services. A GIS will provide the exchange rates of the Yuan and the USD to the company so that the firm can constantly review its invoices for tourists touring China as a destination for tourism (Oz, 2008, p. 82). Channels Channels are well included in a supply chain. An integrated supply chain that utilizes the latest technology should incorporate the company, its suppliers and consumers. Media channels and distribution channels need constant review to ensure that the most appropriate channels are used. In addition, the firm should utilize the most cost effective channel. Information concerning the available communication, advertising and transaction channels is provided by a global information system. The system contains the channels for different markets and countries. The travel agency can regularly review its channels to fit into the Chinese market that it intends to venture after obtaining information on t he Chinese market from the GIS. Commitment For realization of the management goals and profit maximization, a GIS must indicate the commitment of the organization meeting the consumer needs. The system should cover all markets in China and provide statistics of the market regardless of whether the company operates in the market actively or whether China is a possible venture in future. By committing itself to venture into China, the firm should be committed through ways such as contracts with Chine firms and other tourist supporting organization such as the those in hospitality industry. Communication According to Deans Karwan (1994, p. 358), information is an important factor in the modern business environment. A global information system should ensure effective communication with every person consulting it for any kind of information. The system should collect and contain information and statistics regarding the development and the impact of communication systems globally. Howeve r, the company should take necessary care to secure its company details to avoid stealing its vital strategy information by its competitors. As the company prepares to venture into China as a travel destination, it should utilize information on the GIS concerning China’s tourist destinations to communicate to its clients using the internet. This is necessary for more clients and profit. However, the information communicated should be safeguarded from competitors. Contracts Technology has led to increased international business. However, different countries and organizations involved in international business are subjected to different legal and political environments that influence their transactions. A GIS should provide different legal requirements for transacting business in different countries to the travel agency. These legal requirements are vital for transactions and contract by the travel company in the respective countries. The availability of legal requirements conc erning transactions by the company in different countries will necessitate e-commerce and e-business for the company in the markets. For instance, e-commerce contracts in China are governed by e-commerce legal regulations such as rules and regulations on information service of internet, regulation on telecom management and telecom services standards that can be provided by a GIS. Through such online transactions, the company can reduce transaction costs and increase its profits (Xia, n.d, p. 4). Caveat According to IRMA Khosrowpour (2001, p. 1016), not all markets are safe to operate in. some countries are not safe and conducting business in such countries could result to a loss to the company. A caveat that is provided by a GIS system provides information on all market in all countries. Through such information, the travel company can realize safe and dangerous markets to trade in. the system will therefore provide danger signals regarding and giving the company either a go-ahead or a restrain from such markets. Warning signals are important in enabling the company avoiding dangerous contracts and loses. For instance, a GIS could provide a caveat on China’s inflation despite being a good tourist destination. Conclusion The information systems that are used by organizations in the modern world have changed leading to organization to use modern information systems to create competitive advantage. The information systems used by many organization use different approaches and methodologies. A GIS is important for the travel agency because it will provide the necessary information regarding the destinations in other countries in the world. The system will enhance communication and the way the company does business online. Statistics on the viability of markets in other countries is also of great importance because the company can use the trends in business in other markets to venture into the countries. The warning signals from the system will help the com pany avoid dangerous markets, countries and contracts. References Deans, C. Karwan, K. (1994) Global Information Systems and Technology: Focus on the Organization and its Functional Areas. Hershey, PA: IDEA Group. Inc. (IGI). Eng, (2008) The development of China’s Tourism Industry Cluster Analysis, Web. IRMA, Khosrowpour, M. (2001) Managing Information Technology in a Global Economy. Hershey, PA: IDEA Group. Inc. (IGI). Kuper, A. (2000) Culture: the Anthropologists’ account. Massachusetts, MA: Harvard University Press. Oz, E. (2008) Management Information Systems. 6th Edition. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning. Research and markets, (2004) China Tourism industry, Retrieved from: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/ This essay on Global Information Systems (GIS) was written and submitted by user RoxanneSimpson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Impact of Computer Based Communication

Impact of Computer Based Communication Executive Summary Computer based communication has become popular in the recent past especially due to the advancement in Internet technology. Email, wikis, blogs, instant messaging and video conferencing are some computer-based communications that have had a great impact on communication.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Impact of Computer Based Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Blogging and Instant Messaging (IM) are the most popular of these computer based communication. Computer based communication has transformed the way business is carried out. It has lead to introduction of new business channels and new ways for interacting with the customers. However computer based communication systems have some negative impacts such as the ease of spreading negative information. Computer based communication is slowly replacing conventional communication. With advancement in internet technology, various computer based communication will continue to gain popularity. This research looked at the impact of computer based communication on business. It started by explaining the impact of the internet in general then the paper will concentrate on the use of Instant Messaging and blogs. The research looked at both the positive and the negative impacts of the internet in business. The main research method that was used will be literature review. Material containing information on computer communication was reviewed and used to build up the subject of this study. From the finding the researcher concluded that there are many advantages of the advancement in computer communication in business. This is especially so with regard to public relations that has improved due to the use of the internet. This implies that a lot has to be done to ensure that businesses take advantage of the use of computer based communication for the wellbeing of their businesses. Introduction Advancement in computer technology has had a great impact on business communication. Computer based communication has almost replaced conventional means of communication. Internet technology has led to a revolution in communication with the advent of such applications as Email, wikis, blogs, instant messaging and video conferencing (Nicole, 2007, par 7).Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Not only has internet technology led to a reduction in cost of communication but has also provided an effective means of communication across long distances. As a consequence of advancement in computer and internet technology, computer based communication is slowly replacing conventional communication Effect of internet on communication Impact of computer based communication, particularly those supported by the internet is evident. Computer technology has led to great impact on people’s lives. Today, carryi ng a laptop or palmtop is becoming part of people’s culture. Not only do people have access to the internet in their work places or at homes, but modern technology has allowed portable internet supporting devices (Freeman, 2003, p. 53). As a result of internet portability, people can access the internet at any place from their home to right in their vehicles. This makes it possible for people to work away from offices. For example lawyers are able to work with their clients remotely and sort out legal issues. Internet technology has revolutionized communities around the world. It has transformed these communities from a tightly knit society into a loosely bounded and networked society. Wellman et al (2003, para 4) points out how governments and citizens interact through use of internet. For instance they singled out Scottish government’s use of email in accepting petitions from the Scottish citizens. Moran (2008) asserts that internet use will bring great impact on the way people carry out their daily business. Spaeth (2008, par 9) warns that organizations that not take advantage of social media are likely to get out of business. This is because other firms will use internet social media as a means of gaining competitive edge over rivals. To drive other competitors out of business, such firms will utilize internet in reducing competitive disadvantage and meeting other strategic organization objectives. Blogging, video sharing services, micro-blogging, and other social networking are impacting on people’s lives, particularly in communication. Instant Messaging has completely changed the way communication is carried out. Many Instant Messaging programs are in use today with about eighty percent of internet users using one or more of the programs to communicate. Low cost of using Instant Messaging and ability to use the service at virtually any place with internet access has motivated many users (Wilkins, 2007, par 5).Advertising We w ill write a custom report sample on Impact of Computer Based Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Instant Messaging Instant Messaging is a recent introduction to communication and has had a great impact on communication. IM is an online communication whereby individuals key in messages through the keyboard of their computers. Unlike conventional message communication, IM is almost synchronous enabling real time message communication. Popularity of Instance Messaging can be traced in 1990 (Isaacs, Walendowki, Whittaker and Schiano, 2002, p. 121). Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and Multi User Dungeons (MUD) were the initial Instant Messaging supporting technologies. IRC, still in use today, allows users to communicate with many servers that are dedicated to a particular topic. MUD on the other hand enables users to participate in real time chats in virtual communities. Unlike these older programs, Instant Messaging enables users to commun icate through real time message with other people that they already know. Among the popular instant Messaging companies today include Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ. Impact of Instant Messages in business Instant Messages is among the cheapest means of communication. While other internet communications such as email may cost an organization significant amount, Instant Messaging is provided virtually free of charge. IM has significant impact on communication in business and Media. In business, IM is being used as an effective way of providing support to customers. Through live chats customer can raise their inquiries to an organization. An online live chat support can be able to respond to customers addressing their issues interactively. Unlike call support, IM is cheap and fast. In addition, a customer support can be able to respond to many inquiries simultaneously. Impact of Blog in business Blogs provide a means for people from any part in the world to contribute to a particular subject or topic. Some of the important impacts of blogs in business are on market research and public relation (Braffort, 1999, p. 57). Through blogs, organizations or businesses can be able to get customer/ public’s opinions over their business, products or services. Blogs provides an important source of information therefore helping in business research (Mangold and Faulds, 2007, p. 263). With regard to public relations, blogs enable people to raise issues over a company’s products.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ability to express opinion over an organization, a product or a service is by itself a public relation act. In addition, through the blogs public relations officers in organization can be able to respond to the issues raised. Many organizations today run blogs to enable them to communicate with their customers (Kent, 2009, p. 33). The blogs mainly act as gateways to communication with the outside world. Conventionally the mass media was the primary means for public relations. Before the internet become famous, people had limited sources of information and mainly relied on the mass media for information. In addition, people had limited means for expressing their grievance, suggestions or inquiry. Customers who were not happy with an organization had very limited means of raising their issues (Bryant and Oliver, 2009, p. 65). Emergence of blogs provided new ways for connecting with an organization. According to (Kent p.1 2007) blogs are a recent addition to the use of technology by an organization and it is having a significant impact on public relations. Blogs have empowered the public significantly therefore making organizations to take them seriously. Through blogs, people discuss freely about various topics including products provided by organization. Failure of an organization to respond to blogs can therefore have significant negative impacts on its public relations. To be able to respond to issues raised by customers, organizations have to use the same channels of communication as the public. Communications through blogs therefore become an effective way for public relation. Contributions in blogs are usually personal in nature thus the use of this channel by organizations for Pr will enable organizations to retain customers by giving personalized customer services. The personal nature and closeness provided by blog enable blogs to be a preferred means for expressing opinion (Macias, Freimuth Hilyard, 2008, par. 7). Personal contribution of senior employ ees to a blog has very positive impact in public relation. Negative Impact on Communication Although computer based communications have brought significant positive impact on communication, they have some negative impacts. Blogging enables individuals to contribute freely to a topic. Therefore, there is likelihood for biased or false information in the contributions. In business, blogs can be used by competitors to raise negative issues about a company. Although an organization has an opportunity to correct some of the misinformation in communication, some of it may have long-term negative impact on the company. Instant Messages have wide usage in organizations. Addiction to IM leads to loss of a manpower and time in organizations (Perkins, 2008, par 8; Grinter and Palen, 2002, p. 73). Conclusion Computer based communication has had a great impact on communication. Considering the positive and negative impacts of this type of communication on businesses advantages outweigh the negat ive impacts and businesses have to take advantage of this technology to advance their businesses. Emails, blogs, wikis, IM and other computer based communication have changed communication at various levels of the society. As some of the most popular computer based communication, blogs and Instant Messages have had significant impacts on communication. In business the internet is not only used for advertising but also for direct interaction with the customer. Through blogs organizations can understand their customers and be able to respond to their needs appropriately. Instant Messaging is among the cheapest computer based communication and organizations need to take advantage of this so as to reduce communication cost. With advancement in internet technology, various computer based communication will continue to gain popularity and organizations need to keep themselves up to date with these developments. Some issues that may need to be looked into include the ability of all organiz ations worldwide to keep themselves up to date with the advancements in technology which affects their competitiveness. Reference List Braffort, A. 1999. Gesture-based communication in human-computer interaction: proceeding. New York: Springer. Bryant, J. and Oliver, B. 2009. Media effects: advancement in theory and research. New York: Taylor Francis. Freeman, L. 2003. The impact of computer based communication on the social structure on an emerging scientific specialty. Social Networks Vol. 6 No. 3, pp 201-221. Grinter, R. and Palen, L. 2002. Instant messaging in teen life. New York: Association for Computer Machinery. Isaacs, E., Walendowki, A., Whittaker, S. and Schiano, D. 2002.The Character, functions, and styles on instant messaging in the workplace. New York: ACM. Kent, M.L. (2008). Critical analysis of blogging in public relations. Public Relations Review, Vol. 34 No 1, pp32-40. Macias, W., Freimuth, V. Hilyard K. (2008). Blog Functions as Risk and Crisis Communication Dur ing Hurricane Katrina. Web. Mangold, G., AND Faulds, D. 2007. Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizon Vol. 52, pp 357-365. Moran, M. (2008). How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules. Web. Nicole, M. 2007. Keep Your Eyes on the Enterprise: Emails, Wikis, Blogs and Corporate Risk. Web. Perkins, B. 2008. The Pitfalls of Social Networking. Computerworld Vol. 42 No. 7, pp 44. Spaeth, M. 2008. The Next Generation of Communication. Web. Wellman, B, Quan-Haase, A, Boase, J, Chen, W, Hampton, K, Diaz, I Miyata, K., 2003, The social affordance of the internet for networked individualism. Journal of Computer-Medicated Communication, Vol. 8, No. 3. Wilkins, J. 2007. RU READY FOR IM? Information Management Journal Vol. 41 No. 3.

Preparing a contract administration plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preparing a contract administration plan - Essay Example The company adopts contract administration plan. This plan, as implemented by the company includes a series of measures undertaken to ensure that contracts execution are monitored for effective performance. One of the approaches adopted by the company towards contract administration is a well established â€Å"contract management system,† a system that records information about contracts for effective management. In order to maximize its capacity to manage data on processes and transactions, the organization applies a combination of data base applications that include â€Å"Access, FoxPro and SQL† (Harmon and Stephan, 2001, P. 2). The three systems have historically been incorporated into the organizational management to ensure continuity and familiarity in management processes. The organization has also implemented contract administration plan through ‘well-managed’ schedules. Adoption of electronic approach by the company has particularly facilitated an efficient contract management plan. Through this approach, the company ensures predefined and planned undertakings in executing contracts. The management schedule has also facilitated proper administration of processes that are undertaken in pursuing contracts. Similarly, the organization uses schedule management to identify anomalies in time plans and to initiate corrective measures. Monitoring and evaluation of proposed schedules and a comparison with the actual schedule has also been a critical tool for the company towards administration of contract plans (Harmon and Stephan, 2001) Proficiency in managing financial accounts and obligations in deliverables is another approach that the company applies towards administration of contract plan. By tracking consideration in agreements, the company avoids litigations for failure to meet its obligations in time. It has also helped the company to monitor and

If Posion Gas Can Go, Why not Nukes By James Carroll Essay

If Posion Gas Can Go, Why not Nukes By James Carroll - Essay Example Same patterns prevail today and it is just as difficult to ban the use of nuclear weapons as it was in the past. In the third paragraph, the author says that people hold different opinions on whether chemical weapons should be banned or not. However, the contradiction is only apparent. Actually, no one would keep from using chemical weapons in a war. In the past, the chemical weapon has proved very powerful. Therefore many countries acquired it and used it as required. However, because of the massive destruction to life and property as a result of its use, people have started to consider banning chemical weapon. In the fourth paragraph, the author expresses that there has been peace for a while since the peoples concern about aborting the use of chemical weapons, and no or very little use of chemical weapons has been made. After the World War I, the movement to ban chemical weapon resumed. The poison gas was outlawed by the Geneva Convention. That was similar to banning chemical weapon. However, in the World War II, most countries used chemical weapon once again. In the fifth paragraph, the author highlights how the use of nuclear weapon widened considerably after the World War II. Technologically advanced countries began to possess their own bombs. The mushroom cloud became a real nightmare. Consequently, no one used chemical weapon anymore, as all proceeded to make nuclear weapon and the situation worsened further. The author puts forward an excellent example to explain why it is nearly impossible to abandon nuclear weapon today, just like it was to relinquish chemical weapon in the past. He has presented a lot of facts and statistics to make the whole argument valid through reliable data. The author has maintained a moderate tone throughout the article. He narrates a story in which he tried to present the chemical weapon as an example. With the passage of time, people

HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS Essay - 5

HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS - Essay Example This causes an ethical challenge because decision is critical in the solving of the problem. In this regard, this essay will tear in to one ethical and moral dilemma case that will help in understanding this view. Further, the essay will focus on vital ethical principles related to the case and the process of making the ethical decision by medical administrators entangled in the case (Pozgar, 2012). In addition, the essay will provide an argument as to whether the handling of the case was appropriate then try to point out ways that would have the situation turn out differently. Therefore, the chosen case involved a sixteen-month-old baby boy whose father chose to end the life of his son at gunpoint. As per the case, hospital administrators refused to remove the boy from the respirator citing the right to life principle, as they did not agree to the father ending the life of the boy prematurely. In addition, the case presented the respect for autonomy to which the boy could not make the decision on whether to live or not because of the medical state and age of the boy (Zahedi, Larijani & Bazzaz, 2007). In this regard, the father decided to pull the plug after seeing that the boy was not getting any better hence going contrary to these two ethical principles. Ideally, siding with the request made by the parents of removing their son from the machine was not an option that the healthcare providers were willing to entertain. They stood their ground by maintaining that their hospital could not support their decision citing ethical reasons. Therefore, to them the decision was not a moral obligation rather an ethical move that they had sworn by before joining the practice. For one, every individual involved in the case acted out in a manner that they all saw fit hence justifying their deeds. Therefore, the handling of the matter was appropriate because there were injuries despite the presence of a riffle

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank Customer perceived value, can be regarded as the opinion that a customer has or has formed of a particular product and how it is of value to him. Now value can have many different meanings to it, for example the price of the product in the market, its quality etc. The value also depends on the ability of the product to satisfy the needs of the customer. Simply put, the customer perceived value of any product is the consumers overall assessment of the utility or use of a product based on perceptions of what the customer receives and what he is giving to get the desired service or product. This concept can also be explained with the help of the following diagram: Customer perceived value= Perceived Benefits _______________ Perceived Sacrifice Where, Perceived benefits are the attributes of the service being received and the customer perceived quality and price of the product. Perceived sacrifice are the customer costs involved in purchasing, such as time, travel etc. Introduction to the organisation: For the purpose of this assignment, the company that has been selected is BARCLAYS PLC; the following text would give a brief company profile followed by the identification of the customer perceived value for the organisation by the use of the Customer Value Hierarchy Model. Company profile: Barclays is one of the worlds leading financial institutions headquartered at 1 Churchill Place, London. It is a 300 year old corporation that became a major financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, wealth management, credit cards, investment banking and management services provider for big global equity firms. It has an extensive international presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and off lately has started to expand in the United States market as well. It operates in more than 50 countries and employs more than 145,000 people worldwide. It moves, lends, protects and invests money for than 38 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has two business clusters: Global Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management- both compromising world-class business and brands. There are two other major areas where Barclays operates its business; one being the Group Centre and Absa, the Group Centre being their head office and support functions operation. The Absa Group is one of South Africas largest financial services businesses. Before we take a look at the customer perceived value of the Barclays brand, the project would like to discuss the Customer Value Hierarchy Model, and then try to apply them to the customers of Barclays. Customer Value Hierarchy Model: OBJECTIVE LAYER Customers goal and purpose CONSEQUENCE LAYER Desired consequences in use situation ATTRIBUTE LAYER Desired products/services attribute and performances The Customer Value Model consists of three layers, namely the Attribute layer, the Consequence Layer and the Objectives layer. The objective layer includes the ultimate motivations of customers, the consequence layer represents the customer experience desired by the person and finally the attribute layer specifies what actually are the needs of the customer. From the bottom of the customer value hierarchy, customers would always firstly consider the attributes and availability of products. At the second layer, customers begin to make expectations according to the attributes. At the top layer, customers form expectations about the realization of their aim. How do Barclays customers perceive their bank? Thats the question that this assignment would like to answer by giving the objectives, consequences and attributes desired by the customers, followed by a customer review. OBJECTIVES Easy personal banking Safety of the account at all times Saving account options Availability of loans at a good interest rate Online banking to keep a record of their account details at all time Ability to invest Good mortgage options Insurance options Credit card facilities Assistance while travelling CONSEQUENCES Easy accessibility to the account Peace of mind as the customer is aware that the account details are secure and safe More control over their own finances The customer does not require to keep much cash with them at all times because of the debit cards Saving for the rainy day A secure and safe environment Future is taken care off Can start a business with the help of financial banking More purchasing power ATTRIBUTES Pin- sentry device Debit card Online banking facilities which enable the customers to check account balances, make transfers, setup standing orders and direct debits. Chequebooks Barclaycard ISAs Bonds Home insurance Different types of savings accounts Different types of current accounts Overdraft facility E-savings Car insurance Travel services Looking at the above attributes, consequences and objectives list one can identify the value of the brand as perceived by the customer. The brand Barclays is a very widely recognized name and almost every person in the UK is a big fan, of course with some exceptions which are bound to be there, the customers on a general note feel very happy with the huge array of services and products made available by the bank for its customers and are satisfied with the huge network of customer service centres spread all across the world providing 24/7 customer service, also the safe and secure online banking facility provided by Barclays is very user friendly and easy to use, letting the customers always keep a track of their money. So its safe to say that Barclays as a bank not only just for people but also for small businesses and big equity firms is a financial institution of repute and is trusted and respected by the people. Just to give a basic idea about how really people feel about the pro ducts and services offered by Barclays this project would like to include a customer review, which is as follow: Barclay has never let me down. I subsequently withdraw and deposit money with ease and have it connected to PayPal.  It is extremely easy to use, I have had no login issues and their customer service cleared everything up to me.  My favourite part is that unlike most banking companies; you dont have to pay monthly fees. This really pleased me. PART 2 Critically evaluate the existing value proposition of the product/division/ company you have chosen. Compare and contrast the value proposition with that of the leading competitor in your sector. This part of the project would evaluate the value proposition or the customer value proposition of Barclays and contrast it with the customer value proposition of HSBC. But before we proceed to comparing and contrasting the value propositions of both the brands we first need to understand, what a customer value proposition really is? This is the question this project would answer first and then proceed on to discuss the variations in the value propositions of both the brands. Customer Value Proposition: In the subject of marketing, the customer value proposition consists of the sum total of benefits which a provider offers or promises a potential consumer which he will receive in return for the customers associated payment (or any other value transfer). A customer value proposition is a business or marketing statement that would describe why a customer should make use of the services and products being offered by the organisation. It is targeted towards potential consumers, rather than at other constituent groups such as suppliers, employees or partners. It can also be looked from a viewpoint of a clearly defined statement, which is designed to convince the customers that this one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than the other competitors in the same industry. Why are customer value propositions so important? This question is of utmost importance to any business, because it is only these statements that give the customer an expectation of a desired service, it provides the consumers with a convincing reason to buy the desired good and also helps differentiate the product from the other services provided by the other competitors in the same industry. They help in gaining customers attention and if the customer value proposition is strong, and is able to gain the approval of the customer then it helps in building faster and more profitable sales and in increasing the market share of the organisation. Understanding of the customer needs is very vital as this would ensure the promotion and creation of a successful brand. The word brand, is the perception of a service or product that is designed to stay in the minds of the targeted consumers. It is a very important and a cumbersome task to build a strong and positive brand in the minds of your customers, but the firms which are able to accomplish this task are the ones which rise to the top. Types of Customer Value Propositions: All benefits: This is a list compilation of all the benefits of the products and services offered to the customers by the organisation. This approach requires the least market knowledge about customers and competitors and thus does not provide a good base when seen from a marketing perspective. Favourable Points of Difference: This type of value proposition explicitly recognizes the fact that the customer has different alternatives and it then focuses on how to differentiate one product or service from another. A product or service may have several points of difference, confusing the customer and thus complicating the customers understanding of the product which would offer him more value. Without a comprehensive understanding of the customers requirements and preferences, the suppliers might stress points of difference that relatively deliver little value to the targeted consumers. Resonating Focus: This approach is used by managers who directly deal with a supplier who fully grasps the critical issue in the product- consumer cycle and who can deliver a customer value proposition thats simple yet powerfully captivating. The value proposition offered is superior in the few attributes that are of the most importance to the customers which convey a message to the targeted audience, that here is an organisation which is communicating a sophisticated understanding of the customers business priorities. When talking about the value proposition of a financial institution we have to take into account the current market conditions and then arrive at the capital and funding strategy of the bank which in itself is a sort of value proposition available for the customers to have a look at and, then these consumers can decide for themselves whether they do need to associate themselves with the financial institution. Analysis of value proposition of Barclays: Capital Strategy: Barclays capital management activities will attempt to maximise shareholders value by optimising the level and mix of its capital resources. Barclays ability to operate as a bank is directly dependent upon the maintenance of adequate capital resources. Barclays works according to a centralised capital management model considering regulatory and economic capital. The Groups capital management objectives are to: Maintaining the sufficient capital required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements set by the UK FSA. Maintaining sufficient capital resources which can support the Barclays risk appetite and fulfil the economic capital requirements. Support the banks credit rating Ensure that the locally regulated subsidiaries can meet their minimum capital requirements without having to borrow from other financial firms. Allocation of capital to support the strategic objectives set by Barclays, including optimum returns on economic and regulatory capital. Funding strategy: Barclays will manage the funding position to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed by the UK FSA .Barclays operates on a centralised governance and control process that covers all of its liquidity risk and management activities. Funding Structure Global Retail and Commercial Banking, Barclays Wealth and Head Office Functions are to be self-funded through customer deposits and Barclays equity and other long-term capital. The Barclays Capital and Absa businesses will be funded through the wholesale secured and unsecured funding markets. Major currency payment flows and payment system collateral are going to be monitored and managed, so it can be ensure that at all times there is sufficient collateral to make payments. Day to day funding Day to day funding will be managed through limits on wholesale and secured borrowings. This will ensure that on any day and over any period there is only a limited amount of refinancing requirement. In addition to cash flow management, Barclays would also monitor the term mismatches between assets and liabilities, as well as the level and type of undrawn lending commitments, the usage of overdraft facilities and the impact of contingent liabilities such as standby letters of credit and guarantees. Additional value propositions specific to a persona customer and not the global market: Personal banking made easy by the debit card that is an internationally valid card which has many advantages like international assistance anytime anywhere, guaranteed transactions etc. Wide range of current accounts available to suit different customer needs.(mobile phone insurance, car breakdown cover etc.) Availability of loans at competitive rates Online facilities giving easy accessibility to customer funds. 24/7 customer service Wide array of savings and investment options Credit card facilities Insurance facilities(home, motor and life insurance) Mortgage facilities(buying, building and renovating of property) To understand the customer value proposition of Barclays and then to contrast it with the value proposition of HSBC, this project is going to use the SWOT analysis which is preceded by the mission statements and the vision statements of both Barclays and HSBC, thus giving us a better idea of what the customer expects from the brand and what are the promises being made by these institutions to potential and existing consumers. Mission Statement: This is a short, formal, written statement of the purpose of the company. It guides the actions of the company, benchmarks its goals, provides a sense of direction and guides in decision making. It provides a framework within which the strategies of the company are formulated. Vision Statement: This can be defined as statement that captures the long term picture of what the organisation wants to become. It gives a broad and an aspirational image of the future that an organisation wants to achieve. It is often inspirational and memorable. Mission Statement of Barclays: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. Vision Statement of Barclays: We have a clear view of where growth will come from over the coming years. While there will be significant growth opportunities in the UK, we see many more internationally. Barclays will become a leading global universal bank. Mission Statement of HSBC: We aspire to be one of the worlds great specialist banking groups, driven by commitment to our core philosophies and values. Vision Statement of HSBC: We envision enabling HSBC to achieve its strategic objectives, driving excellence in our delivery through partnership with our customers and associates. SWOT Analysis of Barclays: Strengths: Extensive network in Europe providing business sustenance. Focus on cost efficiencies which ensure relatively higher profitability. Ability to lend amidst reduced size of the balance sheet. Associated with innovation, brought out the first credit card in 1966, most recently the OnePulse card combining Oyster, credit cashless functions for its customers. Opening of several new branches, along with a massive refurbishment programme. Weaknesses: Strained trading income impacting the revenue diversity. Barclays Capital credit market exposures are impacting the financial position and performance. Large bonuses for the Directors have attracted unwanted attention. Expansion plans in the Asian market thwarted, when Barclays were outbid for ABN Amro in 2006. Opportunities: Barclays  was keen to acquire some of Lehmans assets prior to its collapse but however, after the collapse, they have been able to negotiate a better deal with liquidators which also allowed them to be very selective in which parts of the business they actually wanted to acquire. The banks strategy to offer a full portfolio of services worldwide, provides a wide range of cross-selling opportunities. Asia continues to be an opportunity for expansion, and operations are being set up in a number of locations. Welfare provision has decreased in many countries because of the cost to governments, and  Barclays  sees self-provision as an increasing trend that it can utilise. The court recently found that  Barclays  banking charges, which had been challenged legally, were enforceable, thus repayment is not necessary and charges can continue to be enforced. Positive outlook for buy to let market may bring business volumes. Buoyant secured personal loans market in the UK could help the business. Threats: Bleak outlook for the UK economy. Regulatory fines can compress margins and financial position. Increase in online fraud. Barclays  has been accused of loss-making investments associated with the sub-prime market from its accounts to those of other investors, and there is a risk it may be sued. While offering a wide range of services provides opportunities, there is also the threat that customers may prefer to go to suppliers who present a more specialised approach. Barclays  acquired a reputation for closing branches because of a high incidence of this in 2000, and competitors have been able to position themselves as more consumer-friendly through a strategy of keeping branches open. The Asia expansion is seen as risky given that  Barclays  are in a less strong position than banking industry leaders regarding capitalisation, and this may detract investors. SWOT Analysis of HSBC: Strengths: The bank is well capitalised thus enabling it to perform relatively well against other banks in the recent economic conditions. Going forward, the bank is unlikely to borrow from the UK government because of the huge market capitalization; this enables it to retain more autonomy. HSBC has a strong presence in emerging markets, placing it in a good position to take advantage of future growth in those economies. HSBCs global presence in Europe, Asia and South America spreads the risk and offers significant economies of scale. Rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC bank has become well-established and is considered of great value within the industry circles. Weaknesses: HSBC strongly believes in investing in the small business sector, but the current economic situation has led to increased risks, which could potentially compromise the activity levels in the area of its operation. HSBCs involvement with sub-prime markets in the US has forced it to write off large figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite cuts in the UK interest rate, HSBC has been increasing its mortgage rates. This can be perceived negatively by the borrowers and potential borrowers, which may add pressure to an already depressed housing market and can ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers would struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme which was announced recently can affect morale among staff, leading to decreased productivity and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises its global presence, and this can be seen as negatively by some consumers in its implication of homogenisation and lack of personalisation. Opportunities: HSBCs high levels of market capitalisation place the bank, in a strong position which helps it to acquire assets. Banks which find the trading conditions particularly difficult at present could be available at low costs. HSBC has adequate capital which it can use to purchase stronger banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue its Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs strong position presents the opportunity to outperform other banking competitors during the economic downturn which allows it to build a reputation of being one of the safer banks for depositors which in turn helps to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS can encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats: Decreased trust in the financial system overall, including HSBC due to financial losses suffered by investors may be a reason for them to invest elsewhere. Financial losses which has affected the banking industry and investors on a global scale has resulted in less credit being available for customers. In the UK this coupled with increases in living cost has resulted in less money being saved. The slump property market has led to a rise in numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a property is worth less than what it was borrowed to finance its purchase, there is less likelihood that the bank will recoup all its losses if owners default. Claims have been made against HSBC, about the bank understating losses resulting from US sub-prime markets, and this has led to undermining confidence in the bank by the customers. CONCLUSION: Barclays is currently taking a  conservative approach due to the recession. However, the downturn has provided the bank with many opportunities for consolidation. Also, with the BRIC and East Asian markets rebounding fast this region looks to be a source of potential revenues and provides opportunities for increasing operations. With the United Kingdom and the Americas looking at a slow and prolonged phase of recovery, Barclays will need to adopt a policy of looking east when it comes to operations. The threats and problems that Barclays may face in the future will be the sustained economic situation being experienced in the United Kingdom, Europe and America which will lead to uncertainty within the retail consumer market and could result in shortage of availability of credit. This in turn makes it even more important for the Barclays to drive its overall corporate profitability and margin by seeking to offset the shortfalls in the UK domestic market with advances in emerging markets. All companies, like Barclays, are being forced to re-examine in particular the retail aspects of their operations seeking to remain competitive on the high street and also making cuts wherever necessary. In this current financial climate, banks are unwilling to finance each other and with the UK market on the verge of a projected severe recession, all of the retailing factors will influence Barclays competitiveness and it would depend largely on how the Bank of England and the Treasury seek to reg enerate and reinforce the flagging confidence of the stock markets. HSBC will concentrate on the strategic and prioritized areas of its worldwide operation with the further emphasis on HR management strategies and technologically-advanced applications within the group to keep a firm lead in the financial markets. HSBCs conservative approach to banking, staying focused on keeping its capital base strong and liquid balance sheet have prevented its failure. Executing the HSBCs strategy entails improving intra-group linkages by joining up the businesses and functions to more effectively create additional value. The HSBC brand and global networks are going to be leveraged to reach new customers and offer more services to the existing ones. Efficiency will be enhanced by taking the full advantage of local, regional and global economies. Appropriate objectives and incentives will be adopted to encourage the employees to be fully engaged in delivering the strategy. PART 3 In light of your analysis of your existing value proposition and what you have learnt in this module produce, a new value proposition that will match the value criteria of your customers, and a plan to implement the value proposition externally and internally http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/pix/spacer.gif To create a new value proposition that would be acceptable to the customers of Barclays, all the weaknesses that the current business structure has would have to be removed and a new and better business plan would have to be drafted by identifying the opportunities and removing the weaknesses. A New Value Proposition: The trading income should be relaxed so that it does not impact the revenue diversity. Capital bonuses should be distributed in accordance with the FSA and the bad practice of the directors receiving huge bonuses should be curtailed. Barclays should provide the consumers with a full portfolio of services worldwide, rather than just concentrating in the UK, this move could enable cross-selling opportunities. Barclays should look towards expanding in the worlds booming economies like India, China, Indonesia etc. so that these economies could provide Barclays with the market opportunities it is looking for, thus increasing the market capitalization. This project would propose that Barclays should have an aggressive expansion policy in the Asian market. Barclays needs to invest in buy to let market, which would in turn bring business volumes. Due to the economic crisis in the markets, Barclays needs to cut down its interest rates and mortgage rates, so as to become a peoples bank and thus raising the brand image. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the new value proposition described above the project, will identify the key relationship-marketing issue, followed by refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to manage a complex network of relationships involved with the production of the whole consumer offering. T Marketing audit will be carried out so as to map out a plan that will be of most advantage to the customers and will be conducted in stages, namely at the beginning, the middle and at the end. Marketing analysis in terms of the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. A review must be undertaken to understand the new value propositions outlined above in the light of internal marketing. A new strategy development process concentrating on differentiation, cost leadership and adequate response systems would have to be created. Action programmes would have to be designed by managers so as to determine the most appropriate course to take in tackling the weakness of the organisation, with a determination of the like;ly costs which would be incurred. The implementation plan would have to be monitored and controlled by keeping a track of staff performance, evaluation and appraisal schemes. To ensure effective, appropriate and accurate results, basis for market segmentation would have to be identified, based on extensive market research. Marketing orientation is going to be very important, the new value propositions must be made clear to all the employees and clearly defined individual goals should be set down to enable the employees to see their own contribution in achieving the organisations objectives. Externally implementing the plan is going to be very important, and can be done by the use of media, electronic, print and sponsorships. The new value propositions can be made available in the form of television advertisements, available for all the people to see. The Barclays website can act as a powerful medium on which the new value propositions can be put up and made available. It should be designed in an effective and detailed manner so that the customers are aware about all the new services available to them. Print media is another powerful form by which the new policies can be made available for the masses. Barclays is a big sponsor for many big international events and meets and can use that as an active platform to educate the consumers about the new change in the policy structure.

Oliver Twist Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Oliver Twist Oliver Twist, a poor, innocent orphan boy, stands out in this story as the main character, but it is the supporting characters that allow this novel to develop a much more satisfying and believable theme. With "Good V.S. Evil" as one of the major conflicts, in such categories are the secondary characters found as well. Three supporting characters of Oliver Twist aid the elaboration of the story; these significant characters are Mr. Brownlow representing purity, integrity and goodness, Nancy as partially righteous, partially villain and lastly on the other extreme of the scale: Fagin, the symbol of evil, corruption and manipulation. Throughout the story we are introduced to each of these characters through an omniscient point of view, and are able to categorize them according to their personalities, thoughts and actions. With their differing levels of honesty and social status, each of them play a crucial role in the development of the story's theme. As most of the author's characters, Mr. Brownlow too, is brought out with an indirect presentation but it is not long after introducing him that his wholesome goodness is revealed to us. Though at first he accuses Oliver of stealing, his concern over Oliver's welfare on the street is a direct hint of his innocence which successfully helps him convince Oliver to board at his house. A generous and trusting man he was, perhaps too good a man to be true; but with all the malicious characters in the story, a pure persona was needed to ensure a happy ending. With honesty and great wealth as his prime qualities, he assists Oliver in his times of need and demonstrates to society with an exemplary touch, the attributes of a perfect citizen. As the positive extreme in both social status and benevolence, Mr. Brownlow is a definite aid in the development of the theme throughout the novel. Nancy, for us, must be the weakest character. Trapped between wanting to help Oliver evade Fagin's exploitat ion and her dedicated love for Sikes; she fails to survive to the end as she is convicted and ironically murdered by her own husband: Sikes, a brutal and abusive man. But there is a great need for this secondary character in the story, she serves not only as a tie between the scenes at the different house holds but as well she is the only hope of salvation for Oliver. Without her, Oliver may have never had... ...ty in the midst of England's nineteenth century. As revealed throughout the tale, England's nineteenth century was an period of much poverty and great social problems which resulted in a society of two opposing classes: the wealthy and the poor. Within these two classes lay two other opposing forces: the good and the bad. In the same way that good and bad exist within all classes in the novel, the same thing can be said about real life. What the theme of this story says about reality is that in today’s society, it doesn't matter whether you are rich or poor, educated or not, most competent human beings possess the ability to judge right from wrong and are therefore free to make whatever choices in their lives they wish to make, provided though, that they can live with the consequences of their decisions. In Oliver's case, even just as a very young boy, he too was able to judge right from wrong and ends up choosing not to steal. As a result of his decision, young Oliver is given a happy home and a promising future. On the other hand, Fagin's judgment is not so proficient, and concluding, he remains with nothing but insanity and a solemn life in jail until his last day comes about.

Belbin s Team Role Model Applications Essay

University of the Basque Country; University of Hull; Highfield House Consultancy abstract This paper brings together research into and using the team role model developed by Belbin (1981, 1993a) in an attempt to provide an exhaustive assessment of construct validity in light of the conflicting evidence so far produced. Role theory is used to contextualize the origins of the model. The psychometric properties of the Team Role Self-Perception Inventory used to assess a person’s likely behaviour in a team are examined along with 43 empirical studies that have tested theoretical associations between team roles and other cognitive or behavioural traits. While the evidence is mixed, we conclude that, on balance, the model and its accompanying Inventory have adequate convergent validity. However, strong associations between some team roles are observed, indicating weak discriminant validity among some scales in the Inventory. Through its coverage of important areas of teamworking, the paper contributes to the practitioner and research communities by providing fresh insights into aspects of teamworking and by suggesting new research agendas. INTRODUCTION Effective teamworking has become a basic concern for most organizations. While many factors influence a team’s performance, considerable attention has been given to the influence of team member diversity in terms of roles played in a team. The team role model made popular by Meredith Belbin in relation to management teams (Belbin, 1981, 1993a) and available commercially through Belbin Associates (1988) is widely used in practice and has featured extensively in research on teams at work. The model is used by many organizations including FTSE-100 companies, multinational agencies, government bodies and consultants and has been translated into 16 languages. This paper therefore reviews the published research and assesses to what extent the model is supported by the available evidence. Through its coverage of important areas of teamworking (conflict management, personality traits, team performance, control and power) the paper contributes to the practitioner and research communities by providing fresh insights into aspects of teamworking and by suggesting new research agendas. We first consider the theoretical context for the team role model. Second, all substantive studies that provide psychometric evidence, relationships to personality factors and evidence for predictive validity are summarized, evaluated and contrasted. Finally, we discuss the validity of the model and consider the wider implications of our findings. ROLE THEORIES Prior to the development of Belbin’s team role model (1981, 1993a) other role  theories had been put forward (Benne and Sheats, 1948; Graen, 1976; Graen and Scandura, 1987; Holland, 1985) although the model’s links to these and other role classifications (e.g. Davis et al., 1992; Margerison and McCann, 1990; Parker, 1990; Spencer and Pruss, 1992; Woodcock, 1989) are unclear. While a comprehensive theoretical examination of the many alternative role theories and models is beyond the scope of this paper, it is important to establish a theoretical context for the team role model. The role concept can be viewed from two different perspectives. From an anthropological-sociological perspective it can be defined as a combination of values, attitudes and behaviour assigned to an individual who occupies a social position (a location in a social network) associated with a specific social status (the functions assigned to that person). From this perspective, a role can be defined as the behaviour that a person displays in relation to his/her social position and social status (Linton, 1945). Secondly, from a psychosocial perspective, a role can be defined as the behaviour expected from an individual occupying a specific position (Biddle, 1979) such that the cognition and expected behaviour associated with the position are fundamentally important to success in the role (Katz and Kahn, 1978). This psychosocial perspective is adopted for the purposes of this review. Since Lewin created the Research Centre for Group Dynamics in 1944, two types of groups have been studied: groups created to solve problems and groups preoccupied with individual development. This duality has brought about a distinction between so-called ‘task roles’ and ‘socio-emotional roles’. In this light, Bales and Slater (1955) studied laboratory groups and concluded that there were significant differences between individuals concerned with solving tasks and individuals concerned with the social and emotional needs of group members. People concerned with solving tasks were called ‘task leaders’ whereas those concerned with emotional needs were called ‘maintenance or socio-emotional leaders’. Similarly, Benne and Sheats (1948) proposed a role behaviour classification describing 12 task roles and seven maintenance roles. Task-centred roles were concerned with the coordination of group problem solving activities, whereas   maintenance roles were concerned with promoting group-centred behaviour. Both role types were thought necessary for a team to perform well. These theoretical antecedents formed the pillars of the development of the team role model (Belbin, 1981) as its general framework and the names of some team roles connect to these and other theories (Fisher et al., 2001a). Among theoretical models explaining how roles are acquired, a two-part classification can be made (Ilgen and Hollenbeck, 1991). First, there are ‘role taking’ models that consider individuals as passive acceptors of the roles assigned to them by others (Graen, 1976). An example is the ‘role episode model’ (Katz and Kahn, 1978) where the role is defined by an interaction process between two people; the person performing the role (the focal person) and another who holds a set of beliefs that constitute the role (the role sender). The role sender communicates a set of beliefs and the focal person assumes them. The second classification of role models sees subjects actively participating in the definition and development of their role. These models assume that individuals are much more active and motivated to possess roles that they can perform successfully. They are called ‘role making’ models because the focal person actively attempts to influence the role sender as they try to build a role that will be acceptable to both of them. Graen and Scandura (1987) proposed the ‘theory of dyadic organizing’ which integrated and extended Graen’s first proposal (1976). This theory describes how members of a team coordinate their activities to accomplish tasks that are not prescribed in their positions but fundamental for the effective functioning of the team. When a job role involves very predictable tasks, assigning individuals to roles is relatively easy. However, as work becomes more complex then so do the abilities required by individuals. The question is no longer about the abilities and knowledge a person should have for a specific job but is about predicting how a person will behave in the work unit where the work will be  performed. In this sense, Holland (1985) proposed one of the first models that accounted for this individual context adjustment, suggesting that individuals and job environments can be classified into six different types: ‘realistic’, ‘conventional’, ‘entrepreneur’, ‘social’, ‘artistic’ and ‘intellectual’. Each type is associated with specific activities and abilities possessed by individuals. A set of adjectives characterizes each type. For example, the intellectual type is described as analytical, cautious, critical, inquisitive, independent, pessimistic and reserved. For individuals to be successful and satisfied in a job, their personal abilities, interests and personality traits should adjust with the requirements, rewards and interpersonal relations offered by the job consistent with individual job adjustment theory. Holland (1985) proposed that an individual may display attributes of more than one type and also that there are compatible and incompatible types; for example, ‘intellectual’ and ‘artistic’ types are more compatible than ‘artistic’ and ‘conventional’ types. Belbin’s team role model can be linked to these role theories and role classifications. We now turn to review the literature on the team role model, drawing upon studies using the Team Role Self Perception Inventory (TRSPI) through which it is operationalized. We also review team role assessment using personality questionnaires and empirical studies that have explored the theoretical network of team role constructs in an attempt to better understand how individual team role preference is related to the behavioural definition of team roles as well as to other areas of teamwork behaviour. As with most role theories, Belbin’s model is not preoccupied with the roles (behavioural patterns) per se but with the ways in which the roles develop, change and interact with other patterns of behaviour over time. The model  was proposed after a nine-year study of team building and team effectiveness with management teams taking part in an executive management exercise (Lawrence, 1974). Prior to participating in the exercise, individuals completed Cattell’s 16PF personality questionnaire and Watson Glaser’s Critical Thinking Appraisal. For each management team an observer recorded group processes based upon Bales’ (1950) interactive process analysis and reported their observations. Successful and less successful teams were analysed in terms of their members’ personalities and in terms of their critical thinking abilities. Analyses were then crossreferenced with observers’ reports and, as a result, eight team roles were proposed. The initial categorization of team roles was therefore based on assessments of team members’ personalities, critical thinking abilities and a behavioural checklist. The only empirical evidence of the early analysis showed a positive correlation between performance predictions based on team role composition and actual performance across 22 teams (Belbin et al., 1976, p. 26). The eight role model was introduced (Belbin, 1981) and a team role was defined as a pattern of behaviour characteristic of the way in which one team member interacts with another in order to facilitate the progress of the team as a whole. Names and descriptive adjectives for each of the eight team roles were also included. In 1993 some team roles were renamed and a ninth role added. Descriptions of each role are given in Appendix 1. In this model a role is defined by six factors: personality, mental ability, current values and motivation, field constraints, experience, and role learning. However, Belbin did not show how much of the variance in a team role is explained by each factor. In keeping with others (Benne and Sheats, 1948; Torrington et al., 1985), Belbin defends the idea that high performing teams need to have a balanced representation of all team roles. The team role balance hypothesis assumes that if all team roles are present in a team then it will perform better than other teams without the balance. Belbin also considers that the team role concept (a preference to behave in a particular way with other team members while performing tasks) should be distinguished from the concept of functional role which refers to the technical skills and operational knowledge relevant to the job. Consequently, several people may  have the same functional role but vary greatly in their natural team role(s). Belbin also stresses the link between the stages of a team’s development and the need for different team roles to dominate at different stages. Six different stages of development are proposed: (1) identifying needs; (2) finding ideas; (3) formulating plans; (4) making ideas; (5) establishing team organization; and (6) following through. In the early stages team roles like Shaper and Co-ordinator will be most needed, whereas in the later stages Completer-Finishers and Implementers make higher contributions. Operationalizing the Model The team role model is ideally operationalized through a self-perception inventory and through observers’ assessments to give a rounded assessment of a person’s team role. The   original Team Role Self Perception Inventory (TRSPI-8R) was hand-scored such that respondents computed their own profile. This version was later modified to embody the nine role model (TRSPI-9R) and for this version respondents’ profiles are generated by the Interplace computer package. Since it was never intended that the TRSPI should be the only input to exploring a person’s team role, an Observer Assessment Sheet (OAS) was also designed to be used by work colleagues who could make an informed judgement based on their knowledge of the person. The OAS should be used alongside the TRSPI although in many situations only the inventory is used. Details of the scoring procedures for these instruments are given in Appendix 2. The second way of assessing team roles is derived from personality questionnaires; equations to derive team roles have been developed in conjunction with personality questionnaire publishers. In particular, Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF; Cattell et al., 1970) and the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ; Saville et al.,  1992) have been used (see Dulewicz, 1995). Reviewing the Evidence This review draws upon 43 substantive studies of the team role model using the TRSPI, OAS and personality inventories. A table showing the purpose of each study, its aims, instruments and sample used along with the key findings is available from the first author. Psychometric evidence. Eight studies have analysed the psychometric properties of the TRSPI and two have reported results from the OAS. Initial evaluations were critical (Furnham et al., 1993a, 1993b; Broucek and Randell, 1996) and one study arrived at mixed conclusions (Beck et al., 1999). Recent studies have been more supportive of the TRSPI’s reliability and structure (Swailes and McIntyre-Bhatty, 2002, 2003). Since the first criticism of the TRSPI (Furnham et al., 1993a), other researchers have raised concerns about the statistical properties of the original inventories as well as their theoretical basis (Broucek and Randell, 1996). An important issue affecting psychometric evaluation of the TRSPI stems from its i psative nature which is outlined in Appendix 2. Evidence for the TRSPI. Furnham et al. (1993a) reported low reliability values for three different versions of the TRSPI. Correlations between team roles were different for a normatively scored (Likert scale) version (M = 0.36) and the original ipsative version (M = -0.29). Factor structures were also different for normative values (two well-defined task and socioemotional factors) and for ipsative scoring (four bipolar factors). Both Senior (1998) and Beck et al. (1999), in their respective exploratory factor analyses, also reported an underlying four factor structure for the ipsative version of the TRSPI. However, the ipsative design of the TRSPI was deliberate and any comparison of forms should recognize that transforming the ipsative structure of the instrument may alter its nature. (See Belbin (1993b) for a rebuke of the normative version.) In the ipsative form the average interscale correlation will be negative (Meade, 2004) whereas in a normative form scales are allowed to correlate freely. In this context, Furnham et al. (1993a) raised concerns about the theoretical basis of the inventory and a lack of evidence for its psychometric properties, noting that the test was ‘neither theoretically nor empirically derived as Belbin developed his team role typology based on observatory and inductive,   rather than theoretically deductive means’ (p. 247) with a limited sample of 78 managers. Similarly, Broucek and Randell (1996) raised concerns about the internal consistency and discriminant validity of the TRSPI and the OAS. They also noted that both tests could not be considered as parallel forms of the same construct. The average correlation between team roles was 0.27 for ipsative scoring and 0.42 for normative scoring; higher correlations were expected from the self-reported data collected by both tests. Similarly, Senior and Swailes (1998) also reported that both TRSPI and OAS did not show high convergent validity as only five team roles showed significant correlations with an average of 0.27. Broucek and Randell (1996) also reported that different correlations were found between the normative and ipsative versions of the TRSPI and the NEO-PI-(R) personality scale although 8 out of 19 predictions for the ipsative version and 14 out of 19 for the normative version were correctly hypothesized. Different correlation values were taken as ‘dramatic evidence of the type of distortion which use of an ipsative instrument produces’ (p. 401). Similarly, Fisher et al. (1996) looked at the correspondence between the TRSPI and 16PF and found low correlation values on the validity diagonal. Broucek and Randell also tested the discriminant validity of the OAS against the NEO-PI (R) Big Five personality factors, although Fisher et al. (2001a, pp. 125–6) noted that such analysis was dependent on the orthogonality of the personality factors and, as far as the factors have been found to be oblique (Costa and McCrae, 1992), any conclusion regarding the discriminant validity of the OAS should be taken cautiously.

Determining Outliers in Statistics

Determining Outliers in Statistics Outliers are data values that differ greatly from the majority of a set of data. These values fall outside of an overall trend that is present in the data.  A careful examination of a set of data to look for outliers causes some difficulty. Although it is easy to see, possibly by use of a stemplot, that some values differ from the rest of the data, how much different does the value have to be to be considered an outlier?  We will look at a specific measurement that will give us an objective standard of what constitutes an outlier. Interquartile Range The interquartile range is what we can use to determine if an extreme value is indeed an outlier. The interquartile range is based upon part of the five-number summary of a data set, namely the first quartile and the third quartile. The calculation of the interquartile range involves a single arithmetic operation. All that we have to do to find the interquartile range is to subtract the first quartile from the third quartile. The resulting difference tells us how spread out the middle half of our data is. Determining Outliers Multiplying the interquartile range (IQR) by 1.5 will give us a way to determine whether a certain value is an outlier. If we subtract 1.5 x IQR from the first quartile, any data values that are less than this number are considered outliers. Similarly, if we add 1.5 x IQR to the third quartile, any data values that are greater than this number are considered outliers. Strong Outliers Some outliers show extreme deviation from the rest of a data set. In these cases we can take the steps from above, changing only the number that we multiply the IQR by, and define a certain type of outlier. If we subtract 3.0 x IQR from the first quartile, any point that is below this number is called a strong outlier. In the same way, the addition of 3.0 x IQR to the third quartile allows us to define strong outliers by looking at points which are greater than this number. Weak Outliers Besides strong outliers, there is another category for outliers. If a data value is an outlier, but not a strong outlier, then we say that the value is a weak outlier. We will look at these concepts by exploring a few examples. Example 1 First, suppose that we have the data set {1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 9}. The number 9 certainly looks like it could be an outlier. It is much greater than any other value from the rest of the set. To objectively determine if 9 is an outlier, we use the above methods. The first quartile is 2 and the third quartile is 5, which means that the interquartile range is 3. We multiply the interquartile range by 1.5, obtaining 4.5, and then add this number to the third quartile. The result, 9.5, is greater than any of our data values. Therefore there are no outliers. Example 2 Now we look at the same data set as before, with the exception that the largest value is 10 rather than 9: {1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 10}. The first quartile, third quartile, and interquartile range are identical to example 1. When we add 1.5 x IQR 4.5 to the third quartile, the sum is 9.5. Since 10 is greater than 9.5 it is considered an outlier. Is 10 a strong or weak outlier? For this, we need to look at 3 x IQR 9. When we add 9 to the third quartile, we end up with a sum of 14. Since 10 is not greater than 14, it is not a strong outlier. Thus we conclude that 10 is a weak outlier. Reasons for Identifying Outliers We always need to be on the lookout for outliers. Sometimes they are caused by an error. Other times outliers indicate the presence of a previously unknown phenomenon. Another reason that we need to be diligent about checking for outliers is because of all the descriptive statistics that are sensitive to outliers. The mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficient for paired data are just a few of these types of statistics.

Free Essays on Jeffersonian Era

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States, and author of the Declaration of Independence. He was one of the most brilliant individuals in history. His interests were boundless, and his accomplishments were great and varied. He was a philosopher, educator, naturalist, politician, scientists, architect, and inventor, pioneer in scientific farming, musician, and writer(Cunningham 57). He was also the foremost spokesman for democracy of his day. As president, Jefferson strengthened the powers of the executive branch of government. He was the first president to lead a political party, and through it he exercised control over the Congress of the United States of the United States (Cunningham 102). He had great faith in popular rule, and it is this optimism that is the essence of what came to be called Jeffersonian Democracy. Early Life â€Å"Thomas Jefferson’s father, Peter Jefferson, was a prosperous Virginia planter. His mother Jane Randolph Jefferson was a member of the old and distinguished Randolph family of Virginia. In 1743 the Jefferson’s moved to western Goochland County, where Peter Jefferson had acquired 162 hectares (400 acres) of undeveloped land. He named his estate Shadwell. At first the family lived in a single log cabin† (Chinard 254). Thomas Jefferson was born in this cabin in 1743 (earthlink.net). A year after his birth, Albemarle County was formed from the western portion of Goochland County. Peter Jefferson soon became a leader in the new county. He was a justice of the peace, a magistrate, and commander of the county militia. Although young Jefferson was accepted into the Virginia aristocracy through hi mother’s family, it was his father, a self-made man, whom he especially admired. â€Å"In 1745, a man by the name of William Randolph, a cousin of Mrs. Jefferson and a close friend of the family, died. His will requested that Peter Jefferson move to his estate, manage the hous... Free Essays on Jeffersonian Era Free Essays on Jeffersonian Era Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States, and author of the Declaration of Independence. He was one of the most brilliant individuals in history. His interests were boundless, and his accomplishments were great and varied. He was a philosopher, educator, naturalist, politician, scientists, architect, and inventor, pioneer in scientific farming, musician, and writer(Cunningham 57). He was also the foremost spokesman for democracy of his day. As president, Jefferson strengthened the powers of the executive branch of government. He was the first president to lead a political party, and through it he exercised control over the Congress of the United States of the United States (Cunningham 102). He had great faith in popular rule, and it is this optimism that is the essence of what came to be called Jeffersonian Democracy. Early Life â€Å"Thomas Jefferson’s father, Peter Jefferson, was a prosperous Virginia planter. His mother Jane Randolph Jefferson was a member of the old and distinguished Randolph family of Virginia. In 1743 the Jefferson’s moved to western Goochland County, where Peter Jefferson had acquired 162 hectares (400 acres) of undeveloped land. He named his estate Shadwell. At first the family lived in a single log cabin† (Chinard 254). Thomas Jefferson was born in this cabin in 1743 (earthlink.net). A year after his birth, Albemarle County was formed from the western portion of Goochland County. Peter Jefferson soon became a leader in the new county. He was a justice of the peace, a magistrate, and commander of the county militia. Although young Jefferson was accepted into the Virginia aristocracy through hi mother’s family, it was his father, a self-made man, whom he especially admired. â€Å"In 1745, a man by the name of William Randolph, a cousin of Mrs. Jefferson and a close friend of the family, died. His will requested that Peter Jefferson move to his estate, manage the hous...

Describe history of multiculturalism and its evolution in the United Essay

Describe history of multiculturalism and its evolution in the United States - Essay Example This text puts into perspective the history of multiculturalism and its evolution in the United States from the time of its inception. The United States is often referred to as melting point due to its cultural diversity. Multiculturalism began in the US in the late 19th century and was based on the pragmatism movement. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a paradigm shift and multiculturalism was characterized by cultural pluralism and political symbolism (Bayor, 2011). The various dimensions of multiculturalism in the US emerged as a result of imperialistic tendencies by the European powers especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the immigration tendencies by Eastern and Southern Europeans to the US marked the beginning of a diverse society (Frazier & Margai, 2010). Mass migration was experienced throughout the 20th century with the US being a home to various groups from diverse cultural backgrounds. Indians, Africans, Europeans and other racial groups gained root in the US with each outfit being identified by unique cultural features. The assumption at the advent of the multicultural era in the US was that every racial and ethnic group automatically got integrated into the American society. The assimilation process was established as a consequence of ensuring national unity. Essentially, the diverse cultural society of America ensured that various sectors of the society had to be institutionalized to deal with tendencies of domination and supremacy battles (Bayor, 2011). The institutionalization process was meant to ensure the free interaction of various cultures without barriers that would otherwise have threatened peaceful coexistence. Multiculturalism is a myth that that inspires America’s past and is an important symbol of national unity. Multiculturalism was institutionalized in a number of dimensions ranging from politics to education. The political angle of multiculturalism advocated equal