See intructions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See intructions - Case Study Example More specifically, the United States ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) positively affected intermodal transportation. Enacted in 1991, the legislation supported intermodal carriers by noting high priority corridors across the country considered essential for improving the efficiency of transport (Konings, Priemus, and Nijkamp, 2008). Deregulation in the United States paved way for the movement of products as benchmarks for health and security. The United States and EU can only enact some regulation statues at various levels through courses of action that assist in securing the intermodal transportation sectors. This deregulation calls for modifications in logistics as seen with the 1980 Motor Carrier Act (Konings et al., 2008). Once approved, this regulation allowed new trucking carriers to spring up since the intermodal transpiration sector was secure for investment. This legislation was considered largely a deregulation of the trucking sector that saw a significant decline in the cost of stocking and sustaining inventories. Further research showed that this partial deregulation led to the expansion and continued growth of the United States’ trucking industry. Regulation also fosters current competition among transporters by removing price fixing. This implication is arguably positive since different carriers from the United States and EU would view it otherwise. Most EU carriers are obligatory supporters of the stronger position or new carrier of this effect of regulation (Woxenius and Barthel, 2008). On the other hand, United States carriers do not support stronger positions or new industry players incumbently. Approaches to safeguard the competitive setting of the intermodal industry are often part of this type of regulation and often only new market entrants find it advantageous. This advantage arises from the regulation’s decrease of potential obstacles to entering the intermodal

Project Planning Flow Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Planning Flow - Assignment Example The primary key to the success of a project lies in the thorough technical understanding of its main characteristics and goals as this will eventually facilitate the production of the project report and the meeting of the schedule(Lewis 45). The most important key to successful and effective project management is through planning. A logically constructed and orderly plan is essential to direct any type of project and to help in preparing a report from conception through completion. The key to good planning is in its turn founded on clearly defined project objectives. Project planning can begin with the identification of the client's needs, the development of a budget and work schedule that fit these needs, and the planning for resources, including staff and materials. Project Planning Flow A project manager's planning process begins with the full comprehension of the assumptions. The understanding of the assumptions is important given how the expectations for the final results of the project are based on the initial suppositions made. Furthermore, changing assumptions throughout the project can bring about lack of satisfaction about the final results among the senior management; a scenario that is rather frequent in the project management field. Therefore, and despite the fact that project length remains a critical factor in the eventual extent of satisfaction exhibited with regard to the final results, assumptions should be documented at project initiation and throughout using the project charter as a possible means. The project manager should from then on continue to challenge and revalidate the assumptions to ensure that the project is either redirected towards a different set of objectives or simply terminated fully in the event of changing assumptions. Among the assumptions that need to be considered are related to both enterprise environmental factors as well as organizational process assets. Assumptions related to the external environment, and which can affect any given project and should be therefore taken well into account, include for instance interest rates, changing customer demands and requirements, technology changes, market conditions, and even government policies. The assumptions about present or future company aspects which can impact the progress of a project include on the other hand the capability of a company's enterprise project management methodology, checklists, guidelines, forms, templates, and the project management information system. Other keys to effective project planning include the right sampling of the most effective people for the job. In fact, this is in many ways one of the most important first steps in building a human resource plan for one's organization or project. As a project manager you need therefore to determine the desired background of your team by setting up certain standards and requirements. This can include for example a specific amount of experience, knowledge and skills, the availability of the team and the ability of the assembled members to work well within a team environment. These set of standards will generally help in minimizing the number of possible candidates and the selection of the appropriate ones. Additionally, among the important considerations in building a project team is to establish the

Business Process Reengineering and Organisational Change

Business Process Reengineering and Organisational Change Introduction This chapter reviews the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and its vision of radical business process change, focusing upon the use of Organisational culture change for multidisciplinary team-working. It highlights BPRs superficial treatment of the human dimension of its programme for radical organizational change and raises the question of how HRM specialists are to respond to its trivialisation of the complexities and dilemmas associated with the reengineering of work processes. Business Process Reengineering Following the publication of the fundamental concepts of BPR by Hammer (1990) and Davenport and Short (1990), many organisations have reported vivid benefits gained from the fruitful implementation of BPR. Corporations like Porsche AG (Zinser, Baumgà ¤rtner, Walliser, 1998), CIGNA (Caron, Jarvenpaa, Stoddard, 1994), and Wal-Mart (Altinkemer, Chaturvedi, Kondareddy, 1998) are all acknowledged as having productively implemented BPR. However, in spite of the noteworthy advancement of the BPR concept, not all organisations embarking on BPR projects achieve their intended result. In 1993, Hall et al. claimed that 50-70 per cent of business process reengineering (BPR) initiatives fail to deliver the expected results (Hall, Rosenthal, Wade, 1993). Having BPR constantly at the top of the list of management issues in annual surveys of critical information systems reveals executives failure to either implement properly or attain the benefits of BPR (Stefanescu, Stefanescu, Constantinescu, Constantinescu, 2007). This combination of outcomes makes the concern of BPR implementation very significant. BPR has abundant capability for accumulative productivity through reduced process time and budget, enhanced quality, and superior customer satisfaction, but it frequently involves a fundamental organisational change. As a consequence, the implementation process is multifaceted, and needs to be examined against numerous succes s/failure factors to ensure successful implementation, as well as to prevent implementation drawbacks. Practitioners and Researchers have classified BPR in various ways with dissimilar prominence. Hammer and Champy (1993) described BPR as the primary rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to accomplish spectacular enhancements in significant, modern measures of performance, such as expenses, service, speed and quality (Adeyemi Aremu, 2008). Lowenthal (1994) defined BPR as the fundamental rethinking and redesign of operating process and organizational structure, focuses on the organizations core competencies, to achieve dramatic improvements in organizational performance (Aurand, Schoenbachler, Gordon, 1996). Alter (1990) described BPR as a systematic process that uses information technology to radically overhaul business process and thereby attain major business goals (Grover, 1995). Sethi and King (1998) defined BPR as a redesign and reorganization of business activities that results from questioning the status quo. It search for fulfilling explicit objectives and ca n lead to revolutionary enhancement. It is often interrelated with major cultural and technological changes (Sohail, Daud, Rajadurai, 2006). Nevertheless the idea of BPR began to evolve where many theoretical propositions underlying BPR surfaced (Khong Richardson, 2003). Figure 1 shows some of the developments that BPR has undergone. Although the theoretical propositions differ, similarities are present. Figure 1: Comparison of Perspective and theoretical proposition underlying BPR (Khong Richardson, 2003) Impact of BPR on the organisation The previous segment highlighted the fact that for the BPRs success organizational culture plays a crucial role. In this segment of debate a description is provided on the basis of various thinkers thought that what are the main units or elements of organization, where the organizational culture element stands among them and the inter twinning of these various elements showing that how influencing one can guide rest in the desired direction. As discussed ahead, an organization is an integration of various sub-units or sub sets. For successful implementation of process such as BPR, one needs to consider all these elements simultaneously or to identify the core of these elements so that by influencing that the entire organization can be aligned for the process change purpose. In 1988, Leavitt and Bahrami Diamond model (see Figure 2) accentuates the association between technology, business structure, and people issues and related control mechanisms (Peters Waterman, 2004). They identified these four elements as the core and need to be considered for any change initiative in the organization. Figure 2: The Leavitt and Bahrami Diamond (1988) Again, Weisbord (1978) tries to develop a diagnostic tool for identifying six-box organisational areas, using the categories if structure, purposes, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms, and leadership (see Figure 3), where an organization has to perform well in order to succeed (Weisbord, 1978). Figure 3: Weisbords six-boxes Organisational Model (Weisbord, 1978) Further elaborating and developing on this thought McKinleys 7s provide a comprehensive set of factors to assess an organizations readiness for change. These factors recognize seven fundamental components (see Figure 4) none of which should be overlooked before the change process starts (Peters Waterman, 2004). The various frameworks and models have several common aspects. Since, McKinleys 7s encapsulates the important constituents of an organisation and because it has Shared Values (or Culture) at its heart, McKinseys 7s model will be used as a framework to assess the impact of BPR on the organisation. Because of the comprehensive nature and the area of vastness and dimension, McKinleys model holds a bigger degree of acceptance in the literature of Change management in organizations. A further elaboration on the elements identified by McKinleys will make this fact more elucidate to the reader and establish its importance for this research work. Figure 2: McKinseys seven S (Peters Waterman, 2004) Systems Systems are codified knowledge, structured in an analytical arrangement (Zack, 1999). They are management control system, performance measurement and reward systems, planning, budgeting and resource allocation systems and management information systems (Kaplan, 2005). They are the guidelines that direct workforce and administration in their daily tasks. All the BPR explanations, either explicitly or implicitly, imply to these features of systems as the subsequent examples of BPR implementation demonstrate. Rohm, in his examination of BPR at the Principal Financial Group Inc., gives an illustration from its field support transaction. He found that earlier, it has 16 step process involving input from nine people located in several areas and on distinct floors of the home office. The modern structure empowered this process to be diminished to six steps, involving the work of only three people. Consequently, customers were supplied with a single contact individual who could implement and control the whole process (Rohm, 1992). Often, new processes are aided by new technology. Thus, both the new technology and the new multi-function positions demand employees learn new techniques. Structures In 2005, Kaplan describes structures as The way in which tasks and people are specialized and divided, and authority is distributed; how activities and reporting relationships are grouped; the mechanisms by which activities in the organisation are coordinated (Kaplan, 2005). Henley goes on to classify six distinct kind of organisation: Simple structure, machine bureaucracy, professional bureaucracy, divisionalised form, adhocracy cult organisation. Having redefined the crucial processes within an organisation, the next step within BPR is to reorganise the organisation along process lines. Process organisations present a new form of organisation that aims to break away from many of the above traditional types, particularly the bureaucracies and divisional forms. Hammer Champy recommend a move to a widely horizontal structure established around the processes (Hammer Champy, 1993), whereas Davenport recommends a multi-facet matrix structure, with process accountability as a key element (Davenport, 1993). To achieve this, Jon Minerich states: the new organisation must adjust a balance between functional expertise and process involvement and goes on to say it is essential to remove functional barriers (Minerich, 2008). Still, whilst a process orientation is a new organisational structure it will incorporate attributes of the adhocracy: Workforces do not need to be supervised; they are grownups who are willing to take accountabilit y for their work products. Staff Buchanan Huczynski (1997) defines Staff as the quality and quantity of people employed but also adds the management concerns of motivation, reward systems, empowerment, the structure of jobs and team work (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004). The quality concerns will be noted in the Skills section that follows. BPR is often linked to new rewards systems. Davenport (1993) mentions gain-sharing, lateral promotion and a move from role title to process title, and variety through work role rotation. Life time employment, he considers encourage employees to redesign the processes to eliminate their own job (Sabki, Nawi, Mohamed, Azzli, 2005). BPR has certainly made some significant impact on the number of staff. At least in its early phase, re-engineering generally means heavy downsizing and extensive job reorganisation. The role of supervisors gets transformed and the number of intermediate managers usually decreased. At the same time, staffs at all horizontal have new, more receptive roles and specialist roles change fundamentally (Vollmann Brazas, 2004). BPR has indeed become related with down-sizing and right-sizing, and in such situations it is problematic to square with Davenports assertion above, that staffs should ha ve the confidence to redesign themselves out of the process. Skills Skills are defined as The distinctive competencies of the organisation needed to perform difficult tasks to a high standard along the dimensions such as people, management practises, systems technologies (Kaplan, 2005). The word empowerment is invariably associated with BPR. Bambarger (1993) and Anon (1993) illustrate employee involvement in the decision making through brainstorming potential solutions and by developing necessary skills to allow teams to make quick decisions. Hammer Champy (1993) elucidated on changing nature of job from simple tasks to multi-dimensional work, managers role from supervisors to coaches and executives evolves from scorekeepers to leader. Strategy Kaplan (2005) defines Strategy as: The positioning and actions taken by an enterprise, in response to or anticipation if changes in the external environment, intended to achieve competitive advantages. He concluded that strategic decisions are complex in nature, involve a high degree of uncertainty, and involve major changes. Johansson et al definition of the BPR drivers are of a strategic nature: Customers; Competition; Cost; Technology; Shareholders; Politics; Economics, Legislation, and Regulation [i.e. Environment] (headings in pp 37-49). One can see these relate to the Strategy definition given above. Johansson et al first task is to Discover the companys strategy and of what drives competitive advantage in a particular industry; the industrys value chain and the basis for competition, and how a particular company seeks to gain competitive edge (p87). Hammer Champy talk about the three Cs: Customers, Competition and Change (p17). Davenport (1993) advocates a Process Vision that is driven by Business Strategy (p127). BPR decisions, like Strategy decisions, are complex and involves a high degree of uncertainty ([BPR] is a complex undertaking and carries significant risk (Carey, 1993), and as noted under Systems and Structures, BPR involves major change. Style Style is the norms, dominant values and beliefs adopted by managers in their use of leadership (Kaplan, 2005). Hammer Champys New World of Work suggest managers to change from supervisors to coaches and executives to change from scorekeepers to leaders (Hammer Champy, 1993). Davenport (1993) also highlights that communication and commitment building must occur at all levels because changes incurred by process innovation are not only broad, but deep, extending from the vision of managers to the attitudes and behaviours of the lowest-level workers (Marjanovic, 2000). Considerable behavioural factor makes process innovation based change qualitatively distinctive from other forms of large scale restructuring. Process innovation involves immense change, not only in process flows and the culture surrounding them, but also in organisational power and controls (Davenport, 1993). Shared Values Shared values are the core or fundamental set of values that are widely shared in the organisation and serve as guidelines principles of what is important; vision, mission, and values statements that provide a broad sense of purpose for all employees (Kaplan, 2005). Successful reengineered business operations and individual belief systems need to be aligned with the specified beliefs of the organisation. Real value in an organisation is to be gained by looking at shared values that elevate above growth and profit objectives by connecting the ambitions of the organisation to innate human needs and principles (Ridder Wesselink, 2006). Reengineering entails as great a shift in the culture of an organisation as in its structural configuration. Reengineering demands that employees deeply believe they work for their customers, not for their bosses (Hammer Champy, 1993). The new process teams combined with shared values must believe in rewards, self-development and self-management centred on skills used. Critical Success and Failure factors of Business Process Reengineering There are a number of factors responsible for making a BPR process successful; simultaneously there are numbers of factors coexistent which can make BPR unaccepted in organization ultimately resulting in a complete negation of this process. Here is a discussion provided to elaborate on some of these factors so that it can be identified that which factor holds the bigger responsibility for a BPR to succeed or to fail. Success factors of BPR Among the chief success factors are aspiring objectives, a process approach and integration of electronic data processing (EDP), and the deployment of a creative team in problem solving (Peppard Fitzgerald, 1997). Ascari et al. (1995) emphasize four other elements in an organization with regard to successful BPR: Culture, Processes, Structure and Technology (Chang Powell, 1998). Ascaris analysis discovered that the enterprises that implemented BPR consented that its effect on the change of their culture was associated to the organisations reconsidering of its elementary business process. The concentration was also on recognising and enhancing core processes. Conversely, the extent and maturity of the business process architectures and the nature of changes within processes diverge within organisation. Furthermore, there must be substantial changes in structure, exclusively with stress on cross-functional work teams. The extent of the business process architectures is related to the study done by Maull et al. which showed the significant importance of this subject. He defined business process architectures as the definition of an integrated set of business processes (Maull, Weaver, Childe, Smar, Bennett, 1995). In 1999, Al-Mashari and Zairi underlined several facets of the critical success factors for BPR, including management proficiency and support, system composition, project management planning, change management and human resistance to change (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). According to Smith and Fingar (2002), BPR aims to achieve business performance and competitive advantage by applying innovative ways of doing business. Among few things, they stated to manage radical change efficiently comprises: communication is crucial to show support to the process change project and effective leadership to coordinate deployment of the resources to accomplish the strategic objectives (Smith Fingar, 2002). Further, to recognise the critical success factor of BPR in an organisation, it is essential to comprehend the organisation itself, since the factors may diverge viewing the type of organisation, including private or public. In the public sector, Hutton (1996) stressed several factors that need to be considered in order to implement BPR. These comprise swift dramatic changes in policy direction, rigid hierarchies, culture, multiple stakeholders, overlap of initiatives, wide scope of activities, and staff resistance that are crucial parts of public sector organisations (Hutton, 1996). However, he suggested that human issues should be considered for BPR to be performed in the public sector. This is supported by Smith and Finger (2002) who emphasized that communication at all levels becomes one of the critical elements here. According to the research done by (Berrington Oblich, 1995), it could be encapsulated that in order to implement reengineering, an organisation must understand it s composition first and ensure the vision was achieved. One of the significant points here is that commitment needs to be sustained and improved through communication. The employee concern rather than the technology concern is seen as vital to be dealt with and disciplined so as to make the change effort a success. The concern of culture becomes an imperative factor for BPR, which was further highlighted by Peppard and Fitzgerald (1997) who inspected the allocation of culturally based management procedures, namely BPR, making explicit reference to the German Organisation and cultural context. Their analysis determined that managers and employees as well should contribute their pledge for change. The conflict-free state will reflect on the sustainability of BPR in the long term. Other factors such as empowerment, culture, organisational circumstances and self-autonomy seemed to be significant for BPR to be effectively implemented. Hall et al. (1993) emphasized the depth factor which is related with shared values or culture in following BPR. This study identified six depth levers roles and responsibilities, measurements and incentives, organisational structure, IT, shared values and skills, which require change to enable successful reengineering. In an addition of methodology from the Hall et al . (1993) composition, Maull et al. (1995) concluded what the concerns are which fortify a BPR programme, by study commenced into a range of companies, located solely within the USA. Unstructured interviews took place with selected leading practitioners who had undertaken successful BPR projects and who were asked to share their experiences. The study was conducted with an individual or, more commonly with a team, which had overall responsibility for the BPR project within the organisation. There were five key issues in this study: scope of change, performance measures, information technology, human factors, and business process architecture. It is fascinating to observe and learn that human factors could become one of the sepping stones for the change to occur. The outcomes in Hall et al. (1993), Ascari et al. (1995), Maull et al. (1995), Hutton (1996), Peppard and Fitzgerald (1997), Al-Mashari Zairi (1999) and Smith and Finger (2002) underlined that Organisational culture and human resistance to BPR could lead to unproductive BPR projects. If the change has not been controlled and supervised carefully, employees would resist it, even it is a top-down approach, i.e. driven from the top. Failure factors of BPR Apart from the success factors, several authors also emphasized various failure factors in deploying BPR. Aggarwal (1998) stressed fiascos of BPR deployment, which were related to managers arrogance, resistance, crisis, expenditure, idea, etc. Hammer and Champy (1993) stressed some failure factors such as failure to have a process viewpoint, a rigid process that is not adaptable enough to be receptive to the requests and requirements, not linking workforce (i.e. bottom-up) in decision making, assigning someone that does not understand BPR, technology constraints, fabricating a project but concentrating on downsizing and cost diminution, processing an ineffectual team, and trouble with communication. Therefore, this research emphasized that reengineering is believed to commence with a new vision, mission and customers. Moreover, the scarcity of human resources, and insufficient IT competence and proficiency posed the main inconvenience in carrying out these programmes (Stoddard, Jarve npaa, Littlejohn, 1996). Other factors are the insufficient support from organisation members, absence of strategic vision, rigid organisational arrangement, and shortage of champion for BPR efforts (Ranganathan Dhaliwal, 2001). It is exciting to observe that, among erstwhile failure factors are poor top management support and human resources (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999), people resistance to adopt (Stoddard et al., 1996; Peppard and Fitzgerald, 1997; Ranganathan and Dhaliwal, 2001), IT related problems (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 1999; Ranganathan and Dhaliwal, 2001; Smith, 2003), and ineffective BPR teams, lack of project management, and problems in communication (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). The point for reiterating with these critical factors is that without another kind of fundamental change, namely, a change in organizational culture, there is little hope of enduring improvement in organizational performance. Although the tools and techniques may be present and the change strategy implemented with vigour, many efforts to improve organizational performance fail because the fundamental culture of the organization-values, ways of thinking, managerial styles, paradigms, approaches to problem solving-remains the same (Quinn Cameron, 2006). Evaluating the above discourse it can be summarised to some extent that although there are numerous factors which make impact on BPR majority of them can be summed under the organizational culture umbrella and those who cant be listed under this head can be guided and impacted by the organizational culture dimension. So here onward the essence is to explore further this crucial dimension of BPR which not only impacts the success of BPR most but can guide it to the way of success. Conclusion Using McKinseys organisational model it was shown that a implementation of any change like BPR will impact on six of the organisational dimensions, and that it is driven by the seventh element i.e. Strategy. One can deduce then, that a full BPR programme will embrace significant organisational change. BPR is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes that result in dramatic improvements especially in meeting customer needs and other external strategic demands. Crucial to prosperous reengineering is not only the formulation of more effective and efficient BPR processes but orientation of organizational culture to support BPR. Since, shared values is placed at the heart of an organisation by McKinsey, one can also infer that a full BPR programme will incorporate substantial organisational culture change. To fully understand this repercussion, the subsequent chapter will investigate the literature on organisational and culture change. Organisational Culture Managing Organisational Change Introduction Previous chapter emphasised that reengineering is not sufficient to attain necessary change in an organisation. It had to be integrated with an overall approach to changing an organizations culture. All prosperous organisations have established something special that surpasses corporate strategy, market presence, or technological advantages. They have found the potential that exists in developing and supervising a unique corporate culture. The failure of reengineering occurred in most cases because the culture of the organization remained the same. Almost every highflying firm has established a unique culture that is visibly recognizable by its key stakeholders. This culture is sometimes shaped by the original founder of the organisation, for e.g. Disney or Microsoft (Schein, The Role of the Founder in Creating Organizational Culture, 1995). Sometimes it is established intentionally by management teams who decide to enhance their organisations performance in systematic ways, for e.g. , G.E or McDonalds (Karp, 2006). But, not all companies automatically acquire a robust and highly operative culture; henceforth further discussion would be on methodology for how to lead a culture change effort in an organization. The potential for professional subculture exists within any organisation employing professionals. Professionals entering an organisation bring with them a large range of cultural knowledge gained both from the wider society and from their professional training schools and previous work experiences. When they join an organisation and meet like professionals, then their previous cultural repertoire gets validated. Even a sole professional within an organisation will find support for his or her existing beliefs and interpretations through interaction with peers outside the organisation, reading professionals journals, and so forth. This sharing of experiences and belief leads to the development and maintenance of professional subcultures which compliments, conflict and counterbalance the primary organisational culture (Bloor Dawson, 1994). To comprehend how culture change can improve implementation of BPR and organisational capability, it is important that we make clear what is and isnt Organisational culture. A description of organizational culture and subculture will be first delivered followed by the clarification of methods for comprehending culture change in the context of organizations. Finally, employee response to cultural change will be described followed by process of initiating culture change is described which can be used in organizational development interventions. Organisational Culture Subculture There is no clear consensus of an organizational culture definition (Zammuto, Gifford, Goodman, 2000). However, many researchers tried to describe organisational culture as below: According to Quinn Cameron (2006), an organizations culture is revealed by what is valued, the dominant managerial and leadership styles, the language and symbols, the procedures and routines, and the definitions of success that make an organization unique. Culture has been an important concept in organisational study for a long period, but there remains significant range in how researchers observe and analyse culture (Martin, 2002). The anthropologist Kluckhohn (1949) defined culture as the set of habitual and traditional ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting that are characteristic of the ways a particular society meets its problems at a particular time (Price Chahal, 2006). Several academicians who have analysed culture and have frequently come up with considerably narrow definitions, or some have used these definitions and merged them into recent, more espousing definitions. For example, Schein define culture as: a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (Schein E. , 2004). Scheins definition highlights that culture is something not to do with individuals alone but with groups of people collectively, who through their skills together in the work surroundings, will construct an image of what the organisation is all about and how it carry out its purpose. This image is constructed by knowing how to perform for survival and advancement. Contrary, (Smircich, 1983), support analogous hidden features of beliefs and values, while (Thompson Luthans, 1990) emphasise the behavioural interpretation of organisational culture that is learning through both direct and indirect means. For example, employees observe how they are cared by management and how they infer management treating other people. Accor ding to above theory, two components of behaviour exists: the patterns which are internal opinions of how one should act and the norms which are external observable manifestations of the internal opinions. Ogbonna (1993) asserted that culture may have lost much of its meaning as academics and practitioners use culture to refer to any facet of organisations that does not offer itself to obvious explanation. Also, there is a strong tendency among researchers and practitioners towards viewing organizational cultures as unitary belief systems (Ogbonna Harris, 1998). According to this, homogeneity, harmony and unity are features of organization cultures, and cultural change is understood as an organization-wide transformation process, where the old unity is replaced by a new one (Martin, 2002). This is a common view, although cultural organization studies have provided plenty of reflection on the issue of how organizations are subject to different types of cultural divisions (Lindstead Grafton-Small, 1992). It has also been made clear that the organizational belief systems are not necessarily clearly articulated or internally consistent, but that they may at the same time include inconsis tent and ambiguous elements (Meyerson Martin, 1987). The claim goes that the unitary interpretation can only deliver information regarding beliefs that are usually held within the complete organization. This creates problems such as the inability to reveal subcultures and a multiplicity of views, the inability to handle inconsistencies and the inability to take into account ambiguity in organizational beliefs. But, many theorists such as Morgan (1986) and Sackmann (1992) call for a view of culture that is pluralist with the existence of subcultures (Harris Ogbonna, Employee responses to culture change efforts, 2005). There are many kinds or levels of culture that influence organizational and individual behaviour. At the widest level, a global culture, such as a world religions culture or the culture of the Eastern hemisphere would be the highest level (Quinn Cameron, 2006). At a less general level are national cultures or subgroup cultures such as gender-based cultures, ethnic gr oup cultures, occupational cultures, or socioeconomic group culture. Each of these cultures is generally reflected by unique language, symbols, and ethnocentric feelings. Still less broad is the culture of a single organization (Quinn Cameron, 2006). Subcultures are groups whose common characteristic is a set of shared norms and beliefs. In contrast to subgroups, subcultures need not form around existing subdivisions, such as departmental or functional groups (although they often do), nor do they need to be consciously or intentionally formed (Boisnier Chatman, 2003). The range and variety of subcultures is as diverse as the range and variety of existing organizational cultures. Siehl and Martin (1984) gave three categories of subcultures: orthogonal subcultures, enhancing subcultures and counter cultures. Orthogonal subcultures are those groups of organisational members who accept the dominant values but also hold the

The Social Construction of Fibromyalgia Essay -- essays research paper

The Social Construction of Fibromyalgia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"With so many people in so much pain, how could fibromyalgia not be a disease?† (Groopman 3) This question regarding the â€Å"condition of persistent muscle pain throughout the body, pain that is often accompanied by severe fatigue, insomnia, diarrhea and abdominal bloating, bladder irritation, and headache,† now known as fibromyalgia raises some rather interesting yet complicated issues in today’s health care field such as: What criteria must be met in order for a symptom or a set of symptoms, as is the case here, to be classified as an illness or a disorder? What does the term illness itself mean? What makes up the concept of health? In this paper, I attempt to tackle these questions by examining the process of the social construction, the medicalization, and the medical uncertainties surrounding fibromyalgia. I will first discuss the process of social construction, or the development of a condition as a disorder, also discussing who t he key actors in the process are and how everyone involved in the process is affected. Second, I will analyze the process of medicalization, or how a set of symptoms comes to be known as a disorder, complete with treatment and all, of fibromyalgia over the years. Third, I Mohamed 2 will look at the medical uncertainties, or doubts about knowledge and treatment, regarding fibromyalgia. Last, I will discuss the possible explanations that have been given to explain fibromyalgia in patients by physicians who are opposed to medicalizing the disorder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term fibromyalgia was introduced in 1990, and since then almost six million Americans, ninety per cent of them being women, have been diagnosed as living with the disorder. Physicians are not sure of the exact cause of the illness, but many of the cases are reported immediately after a traumatic event (Groopman 3). Another puzzling issue here is the absence of any muscular inflammation in the complaining patient or the presence of any abnormal laboratory test results or X-rays. So is it possible for six million patients to be â€Å"fooling† physicians? You might have another illness of your own requiring another one of these papers if you’re even considering that absurd idea! Let us begin by defining illness and health. â€Å"Modern medicine is based on and dominated by concepts, methods, an... ...ikely to see a doctor for non-serious health problems† (Brown 43). These physicians also argue that patients become trapped in beliefs that they have an illness, allowing the beliefs to affect them psychologically, worsening their symptoms as a result of stress and depression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social construction of fibromyalgia is a quite complicated issue and requires much research. Social constructions are not always this difficult, but the general two paths seem to always be there: Should physicians medicalize a set of symptoms into a disorder or disease, and attempt to treat the illness, or should they attempt to figure out the underlying causes of the symptoms and try not to medicalize something which doesn’t need medicalization? Both arguments about fibromyalgia are strong, and both are backed up by valid claims, although each does have its positive and negative aspects. The social construction of illnesses in the medical field is an extremely assiduous task and requires years of dedication, time and research before final decisions are made. They must be made carefully, since they will affect millions and millions of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Computer Of My Dream Essay

Computer of my dream First, I need a motherboard because it’s like the backbone of the system, without a good motherboard it won’t be able to support the CPU, the brain of the system, very well. I choose a Pentium 4 motherboard because I want to keep myself up to date and the ASAU brand is a popular one. Then I chose a Pentium 4 CPU for its speed, also because Intel is a well-known brand. I chose an expensive RAM product, made by HP, because I want top notch quality for the RAM as it is very important in a computer. For video card I chose a Voodoo 5500 PCI as it is recommended by many sites. For sound card I will just buy a cheap one because I don’t think it’s going to make a big difference in the sound quality. I am going to buy a hard drive with 60 gigabytes because I like to install a lot of software and download a lot of songs. A big case is needed since I would like to upgrade my computer a lot. The speakers has to be a subwoofer as I like the feel of the bass. I will buy a Sony 27 inches monitor since I don’t want to hurt my eyes and want the best monitor to get the maximum performance from the graphics. Although it is cheap, I like this logitech mouse because it is cordless thus easy to move around. I am buying a Microsoft keyboard since the company is a reliable one, and it is cheap also. I chose this 56x CD ROM because it supports all types of cd formats, including the state-of-the-art Cd-rw. I will add a cd-rw drive to my computer because I like to make music cds, Creative is a reliable brand whose quality is always satisfactory. Plus, it enables me to download the latest digital audio file from the Internet and store them on CDs instead of on my hard drive. Lastly, I will buy a Canon bubble jet color printer. The product might not be as top notch as the other kinds but I just need a average printer since I don’t print things a lot. This is the computer of my dream.

Modern Mythology: Influence on the Society

Modern mythology is characterized as that by which are considered to be beings far from those who inhabit the earthly component of what seemed to be typical in the view of humankind.   The influence of myths in the standpoints and views of individuals had been one of the initial bases of our ancestors’ beliefs which are in a way creating a whole new dimension of their respective approaches in daily living (Bell, 1997).The broad landscape of myths had been sought to be traditionally passed on until the contemporary society of today, and as to how recent studies have stressed, the level of influence triggering the rationality of the masses had already been declining in some sort.   Such argument raised on why myths, which used to be the towering implication of human rationality had increasingly changed and depleted had been answered in the arena of sociological innovative as well as with the transformational changes in human beings sagacity of liberalism.Catastrophic EventHo wever, on the contrary of the proposition, one myth which I found to have been helpful, although factual data seem to mesmerize my stand is the Myth of the Gift of the Goddess, which caters an array of goddess-lined embodiment and correlating the goddess of fertility as that which conveys the essentiality of humanistic needs such as ‘sex’ and all the other forms of intimate relationships (Te Paske, 1982).Suppressing the realm of mythical, religious and cultural arena has been established to be that which serves as a symbol of the skills and capabilities of woman in performing its duties coherent with certain models, or what traditionalism presumed to be the representations of the kind of person any woman in the contemporary society incorporates.Freudian DoctrinesIn further illustration of the matter, shifting the scenario to Freudian doctrines, related with one of the mythical goddesses is Artemis, who is defined as the goddess who enjoys the gift of life and fertility or childbirth.   She is also known as the goddess of wilderness, thus given with such fact, it may be taken to assumption that women are capable of extracting and involving in ‘intimate’ relationships and thus have beliefs which are taken consideration initially before they are to dwell upon it (Te Paske, 1982).Sexual SolipcismFreud’s belief in the art of ‘sexual solipcism’ which never fails to mystify the society of today, is a proof that the level of rationality of human beings today, compared to that of the past decades had evolved in a rather more open echelon on ‘openness’ (Bell, 1997).   Freud established this so-called numerological fantasy connected to menstrual cycle of the female species by which on the hard line feminist critique of psychoanalysis is conceived as the predictable reaction to numerous psychologically based primacy of the internal organ of the male (Bell, 1997) and in the larger and rather explicit scale of s uch portrays the fact that all men are rapists and oppressors and women are the victims pious in their innocence (Te Paske, 1982).   The issue is deliberatively raised on the worst and animus shadow of the whole gist of what seemed to be a fact among the perception on men, thus creating a dim image of the men’s purity in mind and deed (Te Paske, 1982).Life Changing EventPerceivably, the only problem established by myths is its capability to change gradually the behavior and the personality of an individual who was able to acquire it.   21st  Century analogy and basis blatantly argues that myths create a negative impact on the society and thus must be given focus on to by behavioral analysts so as to fully eradicate the perception that myths are effectual ‘guiding stars’ (Wolin, 1995) and must be followed and given consideration on to by an individual.Numerous interpretations in the arena of mythological succession had been crucially studied and determined b y socio-political analysts.   With the objective to save the victims of false beliefs, they emerged in a form of research which indulges in transcendence and immanence to take a claim of the juxtaposition of modern and traditional conviction.Power of MythThe power of myth, according to mythologist Joseph Campbell and world renowned journalist Bill Moyers, myth is a sociological and at the same time a behavioral dynamic of individuality whereas enthusiasm of such somehow serve as a steer in decision making.   However, in his documentary show, he also stressed the negative effects of myths which denotes that the fallacious beliefs, taken from the word ‘fallacy’ itself is in a ratio of 10:90 adequate in helping people know and understand their inner self (Nicholson, 1999).Abandoning Mythological SkepticismMoreover, the argument on myths had been prudently expounded the EM Risse, in his article, Shape the Future.   In his article, he contended that the problem of the society on why development is dawdling in motion is because of the citizen’s counterfeit confidence on traditional notions.   Advising the community to jump out of the skin of life’s conventionalities and start exploring the rather challenging schemes of the highly regarded components of human settlement patterns (Bell, 1997).RelicWhat I have cited as an instance where the myth had been believed to be true to fact, is the dispute of a suspect in a rape case, wherein the bark of defenses of the offender laid a table of mythological explanations, which of course, had not been accepted by the court.   A perfect representation and actuality that modern world justice system and form of regulation on justifications of individuals are well studied and are not in point of fact based on that which is falling on the stream of false beliefs and other traditional saga eaten by criminals to escape from the bars of justice.The mere fact that there were still individuals who beli eve in the power of myth, it had been cited that the aforementioned kind take the risk of following the potent nature of myths and thus believe that their salvation or their scheme in life is already written in a book and thus cannot be changed (Nicholson, 1999).Reality versus IdealismFurthermore, I would barely like to support the argument on such statement.   Basing the idea on ‘reality’ versus ‘idealism’ will unfold the life living in myths as well as the twists and turns one may divulge in it (Wolin, 1995).Perhaps it may not be as sufficient as that if the scientific explanations rendered by critical research and studies, but for people who were not able to experience the privilege of knowledge and of literacy do not have any other outlet and sense of support to dwell on. Rather, what myths tend to offer already gives air to their living and thus making the people able to perform what is expected by the community or the culture that they inhabit, rega rdless the quintessence of universality or societal acceptance.ConclusionIn the light, what used to be the ‘bible’ of the medieval individuals’ daily basis has transformed in a rather conceptual and modernized state that such myths instilled by our forefathers had been locked in the jar of the times of yore.   The advent of mythological representations was noted to be either that of which is invented, or which had freely flown into place due to gossip (Bell, 1997; Wolin, 1995).   For the reason that humans are prone to interacting with the like is quite inevitable to take to assumption that the sufficiency and factuality of myths are deliberately hanging thoughts or perspectives.Every person has a certain point of enthusiasm in mythology in them (Wolin, 1995).   It may not be as obvious as one may seem to show the society or the people he or she is involved to, but the inevitability of the ‘vain thoughts’ within oneself is already a subconsciou s mythical ocean (Bell, 1997).   If one tends to believe that death will take him tomorrow, or that one will see his ‘loved one’ after an hour because a red Volkswagen passed by, those are already proofs that the existence of myth and its influence to people has not yet abandoned the modern limelight.   In conclusion, the never ending debates on how true or how sufficient myths are in explaining the phenomena occurring in this earthly place shall always be a part of every human’s query in life.   How people think and act today, may be a manifestation of what one has been before; and how they are today may affect the myth of their future (Nicholson, 1999).ReferencesBell, M. (1997). Literature, Modernism and Myth: Belief and Responsibility in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, Great Britain: New York Cambridge University Press.Nicholson, P. Y. (1999). Who Do We Think We Are?: Race and Nation in the Modern World. Armonk: N.Y. ME Sharpe, Inc.Te Paske, B. A. (198 2). Rape and Ritual: A Psychological Study. Toronto: Canada Inner City BooksWolin, R. (1995). Labyrinths: Explorations in the Critical History of Ideas. Amherst: Mass. University of Massachusetts Press.

Agile software development Essays

Agile software development Essays Agile software development Essay Agile software development Essay That is the application Of he skills, knowledge and methods of project management to deliver a project that is on time, according to budget and specification (AMP 2006, p. 2). There are two main methods of managing a project. A general summary of the agile approach, as well as the Scrum process, will be explained. In addition, the Waterfall method along with the spiral model, will be discussed respectively. As this essay progresses, a critical analysis considering the edge, shortcomings and major variance of the Agile and Waterfall Methodologies, will be considered in terms of project success. Risk Management that is the ell-organized process of identifying, analyzing and monitoring Project risk (MAMBO, 2004, p. 111) will be explained. Furthermore, the practice of stipulating requirements by analyzing stakeholder needs and the method Of systematically studying and fine-tuning those specifications known as Requirement engineering will also be explained, in terms of its relevance to project success. A conclusion will get documented at the end of all these findings and recommendations about best practices will be delivered. The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software (Has, 2007, p. 4). This is a statement from the agile manifesto that was compiled by a group of seventeen people called the Agile Alliance. They set up the basic structure of agile in February, 2001 in Utah, ASSAI. It is a project management method that is flexible and allows an iterative and incremental development to managing a project. This means t hat it ensures the client works closely with the software developers, to make sure the desired outcome gets archived (Has, 2007, p. 3). In addition, it releases small parts of the application to reduce risk (Dawson, 2009, p. 128). According to the agile manifesto (Agglomerations, 2014) there are some reminisces associated with the agile approach. These principles stress the prominent status of developers and how they collaborate with customers. They also emphasize on early and continuous release of the project, and they have a very high tolerance to change in requirements. The various agile methodologies are Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean, Dynamic Systems Development Method, Crystal, and Feature-Driven Development (Haycocks, 2014, p. 1). They share many of the same values, characteristics, and practices but a different standpoint when it comes to implementation (ibid. ). Scrum is a project management model suitable for projects with complicated requirements (Haycocks, 2009, p. 331). The name Scrum is a Rugby strategy that uses teamwork to return a ball that has gone out of play, back into the game. (Haycocks, 2009, p. 451 In Scrum, projects pass through a set of iterations called sprints. The length of a sprint can be as short as one to two weeks or could stretch up to one month. However, the software development team is in total control of deciding how long it lasts. Everybody in the project team works mutually to achieve the set of tasks they have collectively pledged o develop during a sprint. A concise gathering named The Daily Scrum is held every day during the sprint, and it aids in establishing the view of the days job (Schwab, 2004, p. 28). When a sprint ends, the small part of the application that got developed is tested, and if it works correctly, it is considered as shippable. The shippable software gets deployed to get feedback from the client (Wiggeries and Beauty, 2013). The three major roles, when implementing Scrum, are scrum master, product owner, and the team (Schwab, 2004, p. 55). The Scrum Master helps the project team and the product owner overcome obstacles. While, the product owner ensures the business rules are followed, makes plans and sets the priorities in terms of the product backlog. The team converts these backlogs into shippable products during the sprint (ibid. ). The waterfall project process follows a sequential pattern i. E. Room top to bottom thus, the term waterfall (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 12). It is a rigid and sequential method to project management. In addition, it follows a command and control management style (Haycocks, 2012, p. 42). With this approach, each stage of the whole project has been given a deadline and planned before the project commences. For this reason, starting any project needs a clear plan and vision Emphasis is laid on project planning and documentation (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 42). With this, timetables and budgets are more accurate, which leads to customer satisfaction. The main stages of a Waterfall approach are requirement analysis, design, implementation, testing/verification and maintenance (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 12). Application of a waterfall model can be either incremental or linear Haycocks (201 2, p. 42). The spiral model is comparable to the incremental waterfall approach, with extra stress on risk analysis. The four stages of this method re Planning Risk Analysis, Engineering, and Evaluation (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 17). During the planning stage of this model, requirement specifications are collected and documented. In addition, a procedure is carried out to know the risk involved in the project and prepare an alternative solution. At the end of this stage, a prototype is created, and if there is any risk found while analyzing, a different solution is suggested and implemented. The actual project gets developed in the engineering stage of the spiral model and testing is done at the end of this stage. The evaluation stage is the time hen customers can appraise output of part of the project that is ready before the next spiral commences (Wasteful, 2009, p. 133). An example of the linear waterfall project management approach is the structured system analysis and design model (SAD). Project success or failure is often defined by the ability of a project to react to change (Robert and Mica, 2006). For this purpose, a project manager needs to make a plan that is flexible and ready to fine-tune to changes in the business environment. The agile approach allows customers to work closely with the developers, to ensure the desired outcome is reached (Has, 2007). It gives a fabulously flexible design pattern, encouraging a change in plan during development. A small part of the software gets developed during a sprint, and feedback is obtained from the client concurrently (Highlights, 2002, p. 245). This process allows the customer to spot the features they do not like and add new features to make the software more up to date with new trends in their field. On the other hand, a waterfall approach does not consider the changing needs of the Customer. Just like Water flows over the edge of a waterfall and does not flow backward, this approach has a pattern related to the real waterfall. Requirements agreed upon at the beginning of the project are almost impossible to restructure (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 2). Changing the design at any stage of the software development can be chaotic. It is extremely uncompromising and rigid. The rigid structure refers to the fact that, if a fault is in the initial requirement of the project, the entire process has to start all over (ibid. ). Although the waterfall model is intolerant to change, this helps focus on delivering the project at the agreed time (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 39). It is a success factor, considering a plan that has a fixed requirement and delivery ate. It will be easier to make an adequate plan to deliver the software, on the agreed date and time. However, because of tolerance to change in an agile project management approach, it is hard to stick to a final release date because of the requirement changes (Blanknesss et al. , 2011 Imagine a scenario, whereby the software application is essential to a particular event, and the client makes several significant changes to the initial requirements. It will lead to an extension of the release date and eventually when the project is ready it will be useless to the client. So using the waterfall model will be a eye factor for project success in this scenario. Haycocks (2014, p. 6) explains that testing runs in one of the last stages of a Waterfall project management approach. It means that if a bug exists in a part of the software written at the beginning of the project, the chances that this bug will affect the future areas of the software is very high. It makes fixing this bug time-consuming and very expensive. On the contrary, when an agile sprint is complete, the unit of the appli cation undergoes testing, and if it works correctly, it is then deployed to get feedback from the client. If the feedback IS negative, an iteration begins to effect the changes (Wiggeries and Beauty, 2013). It is easier to identify bugs earlier with this approach. According to Steepness (2005, p. 38) documentation is a significant part of software development. It is a secure storage for the teams knowledge about the project. The waterfall documentation process is more reliable than agile because it is plan oriented (Haycocks, 2012, p. 42). An example would be the case whereby a developer leaves a project. In this case, it is easier for a new software developer to take his position, following the documentation without issues because this approach necessitates thorough documentation and planning. In the case of Agile, communication between customers and developers is favored over excessive documentation (Agglomerations, 2014). Developers need to be committed for the duration of the project, for this approach to work effectively. If one person leaves the development team, it could become a disaster as it will be difficult for a new developer to step into the shoes of the one who quit. Neither the Agile nor the Waterfall approach is fundamentally better than the other. Each approach has its uses for instance; Waterfall inclines to be best for static projects, where many changes will not occur throughout the process. In contrast, Agile is better when the end goal Of the project is not clear, the requirements are hazy and the business environment is ambiguous. Agile requires a team of skilled developers who have excellent communication skills and a solid principle of teamwork. Nevertheless, with the extent of customer participation and tolerance to change, Agile has a higher success tendency over the waterfall model in the ever-changing business environment. In order to boost the possibilities of project success, it is essential for a project manager to understand prospective risks (Mobbed and Parker 2002). Then hectically and quantitatively evaluate these risks, predict possible causes, effects, and select a suitable approach to managing these risks (ibid. ). Risk is an unlikely occurrence that holds a positive or negative impact on a projects goals (Haycocks, 2009, p. 40). When negative events are planned for in advance, it will lead to project success because a line of action would be in place for the event. MAMBO, (2004, p. 1 1 1) defines risk management as the well-organized process of identifying, analyzing, responding and monitoring Project risk. It means that, the process takes account of exploiting the usability and costs that definite risks have, reduces the likelihood and costs that negative risks attract. Risk management processes need to be clearly built into decision-making so as to ensure that the potential risks get managed efficiently (Lam et al. , 2007,). This process is used to examine, regulate, reduce loss, mitigate risks by proper planning avoid dissatisfactory projects and improve profit margins (ibid. ). It is an essential tool for determining project viability. The principles of risk management promote quality development and budget estimation by identifying and mitigating Seibel risks before the project Starts (Sounds and Million, 2010). TO ensure a project IS successful, it sets processes that give stakeholders the correlated risk notice early, so as to take remedial actions that will allow a realistic time and budget estimates (ibid. ). These principles develop team participation, by implementing a tool for reporting possible problems and increasing the teams involvement in the overall project success (Hodge, 2002, p. 18 22). Recording risk is a lasting process that ensures that these unlikely events get considered in decisions making process (ibid. ). The purpose of recording these risks is to trace the actions taken to reduce risks. It presents backup strategies that should get summoned, if a risk occurs and has details of cost involved in mitigation of risks. The record can also be used to prove that risk management has taken place (Haycocks, 2009). Lexington and Signalman (2002), have acknowledged that there is an obvious link, connecting the measure of managing risk practiced during a project and the height of success in a project. They also discovered that when risk management got implemented early in a project, the chances of project success is very high. Also, it is important for risk to get estimated at the project brief stage because it helps the generation of the necessary project outcome and raises the chances of the overall success. It will become a real problem in the life cycle Of a project if a significant risk is not identified and mitigated (ibid. ). A software project that gets accomplished within the anticipated time frame and cost, apparently shows that the requirements were understood and documented correctly in the early stage of the project. Requirement is a software competence desired by the user, to resolve a problem or accomplish goal (Lifelong and Wide 2000). Owing to this, all software consists of several requirements. If one of the requirements gets omitted, the project cannot be considered as successful. Requirement engineering represents both the practice of stipulating requirements by analyzing stakeholder needs and the method of systematically studying and fine-tuning those specifications (Hofmann, 2000). The principal outcome of requirement engineering is a specification. A specification is a brief account of the requirements that software must gratify. That is, the condition and capabilities a system must have, to conform to a standard (ibid. . Preferably, a specification allows stakeholders to swiftly study about the software, and developers to comprehend what needs to get implemented. Requirement Engineering comprises of four distinct but connected activities namely, elicitation and analysis, modeling validation and verification (Hull et al 2005). These activities will most likely contrast in timing and intensity for different projects. Typically, the first process would be to elicit requirements from whatever sources available (repositories, current software, or experts). The process of eliciting and modeling requirements are interconnected (ibid). Modeling illustrates a supposed way out in the perspective of an application domain using formal, informal, or semi-formal notations (ibid. ). The continuing normalization Of such ideals in terms of the requirements clues to an acceptable candidate specification, which must be validated and verified (Grady, 1998). This process helps stakeholders correct misinterpretations as early as possible, by giving them the analysis of their requirements (ibid. ). Requirement elicitation is a matter of talking to customers or evaluating documents, but there are more than one elicitation techniques offered (Households and Has, 2008). Some lay emphasis on group sessions in terms of focus groups or workshops; there are others that are engaged mainly to elicit requirements for precise kinds of systems(ibid. ). For instance, developers regularly use sorts, laddering methods, and repertory grids in stating knowledge -based systems. It also contains those actions that search how software can meet organizational objectives, what substitutes exist, and how they impact stakeholders (Somerville, 2011 , p. 100). Modeling Specialists have recommended many modeling techniques and specification languages for precise and consistent requirements (ibid. . By tradition, these procedures have divided the functional, behavioral, and data aspects of requirements and stated software by making one or more different models. Prototypes strive to produce a working model that stakeholders can experience right away (Poll and Erupt, 201 1). According to Young (2004), the idea Of validating requirements is to guarantee that they meet the stakeholders purposes. In other words, validation makes sure these requirements conform to stakeholder business rules. On the other hand, Verification defines if specification conforms to the allocated requirements Hull et al. , 2005). It means that, it examines a specification for inner consistency by mathematical proofs or inspection techniques. Proportioning requirement is an important point in validating and verifying requirements. Taking care of high -priority needs before considering low-priority once, can reduce the cost and duration off project (ibid. ). In conclusion, project management is necessary and choosing an approach that best suits a project is essential to project success. Although there are different methodologies for the project management, Agile and waterfall are the two primary methods. It s clear that a Waterfall approach supports a sequential structure. In addition, it goes through the requirement engineering, design, implementation, testing and deployment phases respectively. Once a phase is concluded it is almost impossible to revert to the previous stage. Agile is a flexible approach and supports an incremental and iterative approach to project management. It encourages collaboration between the customer and the development team. The team observes the principles of the agile manifesto throughout the lifestyle of the project. It is clear in this essay that, both approaches have their edge and shortcomings. Determining a methodology to accomplish a project is entirely dependent on the type of project. The liberty agile presents, to change, is paramount to project success. So if there is a plan that all the requirements are vague and the result is hazy, it is recommended to use an agile approach. On the other hand, a Waterfall model can be used when there are not ambiguous requirements. In other words, all requirements are known and fixed. Risk management and Requirement Engineering are paramount in the lifestyle of a project. Proper risk management helps in predicting the outcome of the project while Requirement Engineering contributes to communicating and identifying the purpose of a project, and the circumstances in which it will get used.

nightmare Essay

American dream/nightmare Essay American dream/nightmare Essay This article describes that the American Dream purports to be ideal vehicle for liberty and freedom. It is said to undermine individual freedom and expression (Bygrave, MacMillan, 2008). The American Dream/ Nightmare is a reification of what Marx described as the capitalist class structure. According to authors, self-worth and sense of well-being are inextricably linked to our income (Bygrave MacMillan, 2008). The objectives of maximizing short-term profit and serving the long-term needs of society are diametrically opposite. Profits serve people, people do not serve profits (Bygrave MacMillan, 2008). The European Dream is defined as a mindset that valued in humanitarian rather than economic terms. The Canadian Dream is the one which is neither purely American nor European. The four constructs of culture are uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/feminity, individualism and power distance (Bygrave MacMillan, 2008). The American Dream removes the individual’s ability to choose h is or her own vision of success or meaning. Whereas, the European Dream is more focused towards quality of life, sustainability, peace and harmony. Religion has played much more prominent role in American society than it has done in Europe (Bygrave MacMillan, 2008). The authors argue that the American Dream infringes on the individual rights of people and workers. As a result it robs the individual of his or her freedom of expression. Balance between work and family life is becoming much more prevalent than material wealth or individual success at work. The authors state that organizations should change their paradigm from strict profit maximizing to balancing profit along with long-term needs of society. The authors consider

5 Steps on How to Get Organized in College

5 Steps on How to Get Organized in College With all that you have to balance, getting organized in college can sometimes seem like both a hopeless and useless task. After all, what kind of person can create order out of so much chaos?! You might be surprised, however, to learn just how easy it can be to get organized during your time in school. 1. First and Foremost, Have a Time Management System Whether youre a super senior or an incoming first-year student, time will be your most precious commodity. Just when you need it the most, it will seem the most scarce. And you will rarely if ever, feel like you have enough of it. Consequently, having a good time management system that you use is critical for getting organized - and staying that way - during your time in school. After all, how are you supposed to know what youre supposed to be doing if you arent even sure, well, what youre supposed to be doing? 2. Write Down All Your Academic Responsibilities When you first get your syllabi at the beginning of the semester, find a quiet table at a coffee shop, get a cup of coffee, and sit down with your calendar. Put everything thats on your syllabi into the calendar: when classes meet, when things like required films and labs are scheduled, when midterms are, when classes are canceled, when finals and papers are due. And when you think youre all done putting everything in, double check your work and do it again. Once you have everything inputted into your time management system, you can rest assured that youll know about all required course assignments well before their deadline. Sometimes, just knowing whats coming down the pipeline can account for 90% of your organization prowess. 3. Go Through Something Once a Week It sounds strange, but youll likely be surprised at just how helpful this rule can be when it comes to staying organized in college. At least once a week, go through and organize something. It can be your backpack; it can be your bank statement; it can be your desk; it can be your email. You undoubtedly, however, will find something that slipped your mind or that youve been meaning to get to. And if you hadnt have gone through that item, you would likely have forgotten all about it. 4. Have a Budget and Check in on It Regularly A major part of being organized in college is staying on top of your finances. Even if most of your costs, like room and board in the residence halls, are taken care of through the financial aid office, staying on top of your money situation is still important. Being organized means knowing whats going on in your college life at any given point in time. If you arent sure how much money is in your account - or, worse, if youll have enough to make it through the semester or quarter - you arent organized. So stay on top of your budget and know where youre money has gone, where it is, and where its headed. 5. Be Proactive and Plan in Advance You know that guy down the hall who always is stressing out and cramming last minute for exams? Or that girl who freaks out every time she has a paper due the next day? Chances are youd be hard pressed to find someone who would describe either of them as organized. If you know whats coming - holidays, major events, midterms, papers, lab reports, finals - you can plan in advance and avoid unnecessary chaos. And if you know whats coming, you can organize your life (e.g., get enough sleep) far enough in advance that you can still enjoy yourself during even the worst of the worst.

Bussiness plan of photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bussiness plan of photography - Essay Example These include; increase in the flexibility of the business where by different colors of photos can be taken, different sizes, and different postures. The business also intends to employ experience and quality in order to attract and maintain many customers. The business also intends to expand and diversify its services such that it will be able to offer services such as printing of the photos, photo editing, framing and production. The business also intends to employ creativity and innovation in the business in order to come up with unique ideas. Photo-pix Studio aims at entering the international commercial photography market by the end of its third year in operation. Within these three years, the business also aims at having annual revenue of over $500 thousand. The business also aims at having wider market coverage with an established customer loyalty. Photo-pix Studio aims at serving a variety of customer (both businesses and individuals) in all their photography needs by creating excellent photos of a high quality and ensuring full customer satisfaction. Photo-pix Studio will be a sole proprietorship established within two miles from Berlin Side Walk. Start-up costs of the business include the licensing fees for obtaining the studio open space; marketing expenses in order to promote the business and rental fees for the studio. Other expenses include the acquisition of long-term assets such as cameras, flashes, lighting, tripods, and backdrops. Money for purchasing the assets and paying for the expenses will come from personal savings. If the personal savings are not enough, the business will take a long-term borrowing form a bank. The services to be offered by Photo-pix Studio include; full-time commercial photography, festive events photography services, Photo production, photo editing, framing photos, and digital editing work. The market for this business will include both business and

War Against Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War Against Terrorism - Assignment Example The war is now affecting even the people who are not directly involved (non-combatants) in its path, and this leads one to question the constitutional rights being violated by the American war on Iraq. This paper will examine the constitutional issue being impacted by this war, and what can be done to eliminate all possible constitutional violations on both sides. After the 9/11 attacks, the American government opted to take away or amend some constitutional rights enjoyed by the American people. It is believed that after the attack, Americans were asked to give up some fundamental rights in order to address the war on terror. Due to fear and uncertainty, people were willing to give these up, not thinking of the future days. It is sad that free people had to give up their civil liberties in order to acquire temporary safety and liberty. This is what most people are up in arms against today, and if the continuous wars are anything to go by, more lobby groups are going to stand and fight for the long forgotten American freedoms. Sadly, America’s allies are also feeling the pressure placed on them by the United States, and are being forced to do the same in their home countries in order to ‘protect’ their citizens from unforeseen threats (Nabeel, Howell & Shryock, 2011). Internationally, the United States is affecting the constitutional rights of the Iraqi government and people by attacking their national sovereignty. There might be a pretext that there is fostered co-operation between the two nations, but this is only what the American government wants people to think. The Iraqi government may be strong-armed to accept the conditions of the American government, while its people are being killed and maimed in the name of the war on terror (Herman, 2011). The trammeling of rights on both sides is alarming, and with advancement in technological fields, there is no telling

Was the US justified in using the Bomb against Japan Essay

Was the US justified in using the Bomb against Japan - Essay Example The bombing was necessary to prevent massive causalities on either side in the planned invasion since it precipitated the surrender. Japan’s plan was to inflict very heavy losses, which the war-weary Americans would not stand; neither would they negotiate for peace. Had the US continued with the plan to land on Kyushu, they would have suffered horrendous causalities. Pre-inventing causalities approximation anticipated the loss of between 100,000 to 1 million American soldiers, with 5 to 10 million Japanese civilians and military losing their lives ( Chappell 145). It has been estimated that between 250,000 to 400,000 Asians under Japanese occupation would have lost their lives for every month that the war went on. In this context, the fact remains that the atomic bombing against Nagasaki and Hiroshima resulted to the end of the World War II much sooner than any other alternative that could have been used and in so doing, millions of lives were saved. Given the reason that the Japanese had caused 17 million deaths, it is justifiable that the atomic bombing on Japan was to end the war. According to President Truman, an atomic bomb was to be used on Japan without a warning. In a radio broadcast following the atomic bombing on the two cities, President Truman announced that he realized the disastrous implication of the atomic bomb, which they had used against those who attacked Americans without caution, at Pearl Harbor. The bomb was to attack those who have beaten and starved and executed American war prisoners against those who deserted all the pretense of abiding by the international warfare law, and it was meant to shorten the misery of young Americans. The US was to continue using it until they totally destroy Japan’s power of making war. A decision of Japanese surrender was the only move that would have stopped them. The president was well aware of the savage way in which the Japanese waged war in

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example The chapter focuses on the post-menopausal syndromes and myths. The chapter also deals with the concepts of rape and its causes, the causes and tendency for child molestation and reason for impotency. The rate of sexual desire in men and women and the myth regarding it is also cured and discussed. The name of the chapter suggests that the chapter is an explicit delineation of sexual tendencies and various problems, myths and irregularities attached with it. The chapter focuses on the myth regarding the loss of sexuality or desire in women during their menopausal phase. It also delineates with the myths regarding the major sexual desire in men than women and that rape is the resultant phenomena for some men having strong sexual urge. The myth regarding the psychological domination and importance regarding the concept of impotency and that the exceptional case is those of the old man who do not face it at all as it is evident in them. The concepts and myths regarding child molestation that most of them falls prey in the hands of older men are also discussed thoroughly and properly. The chapter undoubtedly cures many narrow and parochial thoughts regarding the sexualities of older men. The very normal and the subtle relations that appear as a transition in the relationships prevailing amid men and women is discussed explicitly which acts as an eye-opener for any reader unknown to all these delicacies of relationship. The common tendency of people misinterpreting and misunderstanding the reasons associated with rape and child molestation also widens our perspective regarding sexual subtleties. The ideas regarding impotency and the knowledge that allows an individual to accept the limitation called impotency is a milestone for the general thought and perception regarding sexual life. The chapter unfolds many unknown avenues pertaining to human relations based on the realm of sexuality. It throws light on the dark abbeys of narrow thoughts

First assist surgical study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

First assist surgical - Case Study Example It involves cutting the linking parts and then conducting a usual vaginal surgery to take away specimen from the body. 1. Organ Structure function: The ovaries are two glands that are a constituent of the female reproductive system and are responsible for production of ova. Each of them is oval in shape and almost equal to the almond in size. They are found near the fallopian tubes in the tangential wall of the pelvis in an enclosure referred to as ovarian fossa. Each of the ovaries is connected to the fimbria of the fallopian tube. Three incisions will be made. These can be seen by the patient. The first one is to accommodate the telescope and is within or close to the navel. The other cuts are done in the lower part of the abdomen. These are 5mm long while the first is 1 cm in length (Petri et al. 170). Another slit is done at the top of the vagina to remove the needed material for analysis. The patient will wake up in the recovery room after the procedure and after the effects of the anaesthetic diminish. Some patients might require an oxygen mask to assist in the inhalation of oxygen ((Querleu, Leblanc and Castelain 580). Lukanovic, A; Drazic, K (2010). "Risk factors for vaginal prolapse after hysterectomy". International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 110 (1): 27–30. Petri Nahà ¡s, E.; Pontes, A.; Nahas-Neto, J.; Borges, V.; Dias, R.; Traiman, P. (2005). "Effect of total abdominal hysterectomy on ovarian blood supply in women of reproductive age". Journal of ultrasound in medicine  : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 24 (2):

Organizational Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organizational Performance - Assignment Example Usually, upon observing the extrinsically motivated employees, even the intrinsically motivated people may start to improvise on their perfection for attaining such extrinsic benefits. A manager should understand the types of motivation he should employ according to the personality of the employee and behave accordingly. The same differences can be tabulated in Appendix 1. (Quinn. S., 2010) The point where intrinsic and extrinsic motivations get exchanged is the ultimate place for job satisfaction and performance. However, this goal can never be explained arbitrarily. It has to be explained in terms of processes which have been enumerated in the following theories: Maslow’s Need Hierarchy: Every human being has 5 levels of needs, one superior to the other as explained in Appendix 2: It is the tendency of every individual to try and satisfy the needs from the bottom of the triangle to the top. Once the physiological needs get satisfied, he moves on to the security oriented needs and so on. As he starts moving higher up, the extrinsic rewards for which he was earlier motivated should be accompanied by his intrinsic motivation to achieve job satisfaction and performance. There is a natural tendency to move up and down the triangle continuously according to the circumstances. Herzberg’s theory of hygiene and motivation: Factors of hygiene contribute to the extrinsic motivation and constitute of work conveniences like good relationships with peers, supervisors, salary etc.

First assist surgical study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

First assist surgical - Case Study Example It involves cutting the linking parts and then conducting a usual vaginal surgery to take away specimen from the body. 1. Organ Structure function: The ovaries are two glands that are a constituent of the female reproductive system and are responsible for production of ova. Each of them is oval in shape and almost equal to the almond in size. They are found near the fallopian tubes in the tangential wall of the pelvis in an enclosure referred to as ovarian fossa. Each of the ovaries is connected to the fimbria of the fallopian tube. Three incisions will be made. These can be seen by the patient. The first one is to accommodate the telescope and is within or close to the navel. The other cuts are done in the lower part of the abdomen. These are 5mm long while the first is 1 cm in length (Petri et al. 170). Another slit is done at the top of the vagina to remove the needed material for analysis. The patient will wake up in the recovery room after the procedure and after the effects of the anaesthetic diminish. Some patients might require an oxygen mask to assist in the inhalation of oxygen ((Querleu, Leblanc and Castelain 580). Lukanovic, A; Drazic, K (2010). "Risk factors for vaginal prolapse after hysterectomy". International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 110 (1): 27–30. Petri Nahà ¡s, E.; Pontes, A.; Nahas-Neto, J.; Borges, V.; Dias, R.; Traiman, P. (2005). "Effect of total abdominal hysterectomy on ovarian blood supply in women of reproductive age". Journal of ultrasound in medicine  : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 24 (2):

W.E Dubois Essay Example for Free

W.E Dubois Essay William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, known as W.E.B. Du Bois, was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 1885, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Fisk University. It was there that he first encountered Jim Crow laws. For the first time, he began analyzing the deep troubles of American racism. After earning his bachelors degree at Fisk, Du Bois entered Harvard University. After completing his masters degree, he was selected for a study-abroad program at the University of Berlin. While in Germany, he studied with some of the most prominent social scientists of his day and was exposed to political perspectives that he remembered for the remainder of his life. In 1895, he became the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. A year later, Du Bois published The Philadelphia Negro, marking the beginning of his writing career. In 1903, he published The Souls of Black Folk, a collection of 14 essays. In the years following, he adamantly opposed the idea of biological white superiority and vocally supported womens rights. In 1909, he co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and served as the editor of the associations monthly magazine, The Crisis. Du Bois was a proponent of Pan Africanism and helped organize several Pan African Congresses to free African colonies from European powers. He died on August 27, 1963, at the age of 95 in Accra, Ghana, while working on an encyclopedia of the African Diaspora.

Formulate And Conduct Monetary Policy In Malaysia Information Technology Essay

Formulate And Conduct Monetary Policy In Malaysia Information Technology Essay The selected company for this paper is the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The organization is popularly known by its widely accepted acronym HSBC. To-date, this multi-national company is a giant financial conglomerate that operates from more than 7,500 offices spread across 87 countries world-wide with more than 330,000 employees (www.hsbc.com). Briefly, the historical background of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) was that it was founded in 1865. Its formation was to cater to primarily for the China trade. In 1876, it opened its Singapore branch followed by the Penang branch in 1884. The main banking activities then during the turn of the century in the Straits Settlements were to cater for trading activities in China. As the British presence in the Malay states in the Malay Peninsular grew through tin mining and during the later stages through rubber cultivation as well as other commodity plantations such as cocoa, tobacco and spices, Hongkong bank grew larger as demand for banking support to the business communities grew (HSBC. Its Malaysian Story, text by Douglas Wong, Editions Didier Millet, 2003). The financial industry in Malaysia has demonstrated a vibrant development since its announcement to open up the industry for foreign participation via increased equity and to hold a major stake in insurance companies, investment banks and commercial banks. Amongst the foreign players that has made a big inroad into the financial industry of Malaysia is HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citibank. (www.chinapost.com). The industry is controlled by the central bank of Malaysia known as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). BNM formulates policies, sets out controls for the banking lending activities in the country and implements the Banking Financial Institutions Act 1989. Its main primary functions are:- Formulate and conduct monetary policy in Malaysia; Issue currency in Malaysia; Regulate and supervise financial institutions which are subject to the laws enforced by the Bank; Provide oversight over money and foreign exchange markets; Exercise oversight over payment systems; Promote a sound, progressive and inclusive financial system; Hold and manage the foreign reserves of Malaysia; Promote an exchange rate regime consistent with the fundamentals of the economy; and Act as financial adviser, banker and financial agent of the Government. (www.mida.gov.my) The major competitors to HSBC in Malaysia comprises of the foreign banks in Malaysia such as Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, OCBC Bank and UOB Bank. The local banks that competes with HSBC are larger in terms of branch network, customer accessibility, capitalization, systems, loan spread as well as human capital. Part 2 The early era of modernization in the bank is through implementation of accounting machines in 1959 with the use of National Cash Register Corporation (NCR) Machine called NCR Class 32s for the general ledger and current accounts in Hongkong banks branches. The savings accounts were done using the NCR 42. The NCR 32 were later replaced by NCR Postronic machines in the larger branches in Malaya. The second phase of mechanization or early computerization in Hongkong bank started in 1976 through out to 1980. This phase involved the use of IBM mainframe such as IBM 360 which cost USD450,000 in 1977, Philips terminals, Racal modems and telecommunication provide by Telekon Malaysia. By 1988-89, the Philips banking terminal has been replaced by a Unisys system used by the HSBC group worldwide (HSBC. Its Malaysian Story, text by Douglas Wong, Editions Didier Millet, 2003). The Data Management and Storage system of HSBC are based mainly on its mainframe system that has been retained largely from its era of computerization in the 1976 era up until mid 1984/5. The mainframes are its key machines in storage of data and information which comprises of customer information, loan advances, staff information including its compensation payroll data. The Windows NT server is one HSBCs key data management and storage system. Another system in HSBCs data management and storage is its Windows 2000 SP4 server and Windows 2003 SP1 server. These three systems forms the core data management and storage for HSBC. The advantages of these systems are their storage capacity that is large enough for HSBCs customer information. The dependability of these systems has proven stable and dependable against unnecessary data losses. The IT Support teams constantly provide cumulative security update such as its Outlook Express. The flexibility of these three systems can be demonstrated in the series of pack and patches that was downloaded for the Windows 2000 SP4. Among those patches to address the system are:- Vulnerability in the Web View to allow Remote Code Execution. Vulnerability in HTML Help to allow Remote Code Execution. Vulnerability in Remote Desktop Protocol could allow denial of service. Vulnerability in the Microsift Data Access Components (MDAC) Function Could Allow Code Execution. (HSBC Intranet) The ability of the server to accommodate the above patched identified from the list of Microsoft Service Pack and Patches for Windows 2000 SP4 demonstrated the flexibility of the server to take patches in the system. These are aimed to ensure the server remains stable to support the banks requirement in data management and storage. In addition to the data management, the operating systems platforms are based mainly on Microsoft Windows. (www.hsbc.com.my) The bank placed high importance to ensure its operating systems are sound, dependable to its business needs, safeguard customer information, enables continuous product enhancement as well as maintaining employees information which are considered sensitive and crucial. Policies on internet usage for HSBC are highly regulated. The banks policy on the usage of email and internet is regulated and the policies can be found in the banks intranet accessible by all staff. The usage of email and internet is based on conditions laid down in the banks group policies. Its usage is for business correspondences and is to be conducted in a business-like and professional manner. The use of email and use of external computer access over the internet is subject to the banks policies and Code of Conduct. (HSBC Intranet). The networking and telecommunications aspect of HSBC is controlled and careful attention is given to the access to internal software and hardware of the organization. This manner of control is reflected in the organizations LAN security where all software installation is authorized through formal procedures. This would include LAN administrator guide strictly enforced, service patches on latest Microsoft updates are monitored and using approved anti-virus software (inclusive of updates). In terms of controlling the organizations network, strict password usage and control is enforced. This is evident in the organizations policy on placing ownership and accountability on individual user of their password. This includes frequent changing of password every 60 days (HSBC Intranet). In broad terms regarding consultants, system integrator and vendors, HSBC maintains strict regulations on outside equipment by consultants and vendors. In addition, the bank enforces strict controls on third party data transfer, maintenance of customer and staff personal data within the mainframe system and serves are not accessed by third parties such as external consultants and contract employees without proper clearance (HSBC Intranet/PC Security Guidelines). These strict controls are put in place to protect customer and staff data privacy as well as data security from being compromised by external or third parties that comes in contact with the banks systems or servers. In terms of the banks computer hardware platforms, these equipments are maintained through tight policy and guidelines that governs administration of the banks IBM servers, the computer hardware especially PCs and laptops used by the staff, comprising mainly of IBM machines (HSBC Intranet). Part 3 This report will proceed to present the concept on cloud computing, outlining its key features, current trends, future developments and consider its benefits to business (making direct reference to banking) and the cost of cloud computing to HSBC. Cloud computing comes into focus only when companies think about the IT needs/requirements. Companies started to explore ways to increase capacity or add capabilities on the go with business-as-usual operations without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends ITs existing capabilities (www.infoworld.com) (Based on an article by Eric Knorr Galen Gruman adapted from Infoworld). Prior to the availability of cloud computing, the traditional business applications have been complicated and expensive. The amount and variety of hardware and software required to run these applications and systems are daunting. The organization requires a whole team of experts to install, configure, test, run, secure, and update them. When the organization begins to multiply this effort across dozens or hundreds of applications, it is easy to observe the reason why the biggest companies with the best IT departments are not getting the applications they require. Given this reality, the small and mid-sized businesses will obviously face even bigger challenges (www.salesforce.com). While the concept of cloud computing was recognized to be spearheaded by Salesforce.com, there has been other companies that have dived into the business of providing CRM solutions in the form of software-as-a-service. A Google search produced several key service providers in cloud computing such as Gogrid, ORACLE, IBM, SAP cloud computing.com, vads.com and rimuhosting.com. The published benefits of cloud computing are the ability of the concept to leverage on cost while providing customized options to the subscribers. The list of benefits provided by cloud computing given the fundamental infra structure of cloud computing is as follows:- The level of Web-services integration has been proven. Cloud computing technology has demonstrated itself to be much easier and faster to integrate with the organizations existing enterprise applications (both traditional software and cloud computing infrastructure-based), whether third-party or applications that has been developed internally by the organization. Advanced service delivery. Cloud computing infrastructures offer greater scalability, complete disaster recovery, and demonstrated an impressive uptime figures. Lack of requirement to install additional hardware or software: There is no requirement for additional hardware or software in a fully cloud computing infrastructure. The positive features of cloud computing technology is in its overall simplicity and it requires significantly fewer capital expenditure to set up and get the whole system running. Faster and lower-risk deployment. The organization can set up and run the whole system much faster with a cloud computing infrastructure. It also saves the organization substantial expenses and allows employees/users to log into the new solution quickly. The cloud computing technology applications are live in a matter of weeks or months, even with extensive customization or integration included. Support for deep customizations. Cloud computing infrastructure allows deep customization and application configuration and it also preserves all those customizations even during upgrades. In addition, cloud computing technology is ideal for application development to support the organizations evolving needs. Empowered business users. Cloud computing technology allows on-the-fly, point-and-click customization and report generation for business users. As a result, IT is not required to spend a large amount of time and resource making minor changes and running reports. Automatic upgrades that dont impact IT resources. Cloud computing infrastructures put an end to a huge IT dilemma: If the organization upgrades to the latest version of the application, the organization is required to spend time and resources to rebuild their customizations and integrations. Cloud computing technology doesnt force an organization to decide between upgrading and preserving all its applications, because those customizations and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade. Pre-built, pre-integrated apps for cloud computing technology. The involvement of more companies in providing cloud computing infrastructure and applications will be able to multiply and provide more applications in either pre-built or post-built requirement to suit clients requirement. (www.salesforce.com). Malaysias IT infrastructure. The availability of better infrastructure compared to other countries in the region such as the availability of broadband indicates that the country is a suitable platform to embrace cloud computing with the assurance and support from the government. An example of this support is the entrance of Microsofts full range of cloud computing capabilities in Malaysia as well as other established parts in this region. (www.nst.com.my). While the concept and published reports and opinions have advocated various benefits from cloud computing, there are obvious down side to the concept compared to the more established traditional business applications that are more supported by the applications provider. One of the major online company that adopted cloud computing is Amazon.com. Recently, there have been technical problems and interruptions by the company starting on 21 April 2011. This has prompted industry analysts and observers to ask organizations to seriously reconsider relying on remote computers that are beyond their control. Matthew Eastwood, an analyst for the research firm IDC has called this incident involving Amazon.com as a wake-up call for cloud computing. The incident has started discussion on the concerns for cloud computing as such:- The amount organizations are required to pay for backup and recovery services. This concern also covers other areas, including paying extra for data centers in different locations. That is because the companies that were apparently hit hardest by the Amazon interruption were start-ups that, analysts said, are focused on moving fast in pursuit of growth, and less apt to pay for extensive backup and recovery services. (www.nytimes.com). The actual flexibility of cloud computing. While cloud computing has demonstrated its flexibility in terms of adaptability to organizations requirement and cost, there is a real concern amongst industry analysts on the claim of actual infinite elasticity of cloud computing. Arising from the recent Amazon.com interruption, there are serious concern on the ability of cloud computing to provide stability beyond the security from the traditional business applications provider that has seen proven reliability. This will be severe for what the analysts are concern for larger industry such as the entertainment industry (http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com). Taking this argument a step further, this report also raises the concern arising from the Amazon.com incident to the banking industry. Would HSBC depart from the major players in banking to embrace cloud computing given this latest discussion in the IT industry. Part 4 In my analysis of the present structure of HSBC, the idea of adopting cloud computing needs to be pursued with a certain degree of caution and optimism. I am recommending the following options for your consideration in adopting cloud computing into the applications support, maintenance and storage for HSBC:- Limited participation in the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) by putting in the new applications via cloud computing whilst keeping the existing applications to be enhanced, supported and stored by the existing system. The bank will continue to work our vendors and system support providers to maintain the existing applications. This dual approach is aimed to venture quickly into cloud computing and at the same time in assuring senior management, Asia Pacific Group IT as well as the Global team on our prudence to continue maintain the existing system for our current applications. This recommendation is to maintain status quo in our level of customer service with any unexpected disruption to our clients arising from technical problems. In addition, the VPC is relatively simple to implement and the cost of the subscription to SKALI Cloud Servers a minimal fee while having pre-build features which HSBC can use immediately. (www.skalicloud.com). This approach also eases up our GTLM (subsidiary providing IT support to HSBC) who is having attrition of IT personnel and simultaneously struggling to backfill the vacancies. In considering the IT infrastructure of our competitors, our proposed investment into cloud computing would be timely to ease off more capital investment into applications management and storage. The savings can be channeled to other IT requirement such as upgrade of our servers and other interface channel to the front end to give better support to our users. This will enable faster turnaround time and increase productivity of backroom / support staff and also better customer service for our sales service staff to our clients. Our overall business strategy under the Medium Term Outlook (MTO) three year plan from 2010 to 2012 emphasize the importance of improving productivity and cost savings to complement the bigger business revenue aim for the bank. Under this plan, the proposed adoption of cloud computing is to enable HSBC to have a quick support for its application support, minimize over dependence on staff, service providers and vendors. Many banks have spent time and money building an internal infrastructure. Such large infrastructure investment makes it difficult to cost justify moving for such infrastructure to be moved to an outside provider. There may be long-term savings but in the short-term, the difficulty is justifying the large investment into a cloud computing arrangement. In addition, moving the whole application systems from internal to eternal source via a cloud-based platform has a certain cost in itself which makes it even less attractive and even more difficult to justify. (http://thefinanser.co.uk) Issues with regulators. A recent report appearing in the UK Financier highlighted that Microsoft is often asked about Security by share holders as well as regulators. Companies would naturally due to their interest in protecting data privacy, will be determined to know how organizations protect their data. Among the questions posed to the organizations is the location of the cloud, the standards used by the organization in selecting the cloud that is located remotely away from the host country. In this respect, Microsoft is heavily geared towards security and is one of the largest firms in the development space in this area. Some issues do arise however with regulators in key markets, particularly in finance. For example, in Turkey, they regulate that data must be held on bank premises. Thats hard to overcome but is a key reason Microsoft continues to provide on premise solutions banks can implement while regulations catch up. (http://thefinanser.co.uk) Security of the information maintained within the cloud that is located away from the bank. In view that the cloud is not part of the banks organization or a subsidiary where the bank has partial or majority ownership, there remain questions on the control the bank has over the information, data or applications stored in the cloud (Interview with Mr Peter Ng, Manager IT Development/Support Office Automation on 12 April 2011). In addition, there is a provision within the Banking And Financial Institutions Act 1989 (BAFIA) that prohibits any director, employee or agent appointed by the bank who has access to the banks information made available such information to any other person or parties (S.97 of the Banking And Financial Institutions Act 1989). The concern raised by Mr Peter Ng is amplified by the fact that banks information, data or applications stored in the cloud outside the management purview of the bank. In view that the facility and commercial ownership of the cloud does not come under the definition of an agent appointed by the bank, there is no locus standi on the part of the cloud being accountable for any legal action that can be taken in the event there is a breach of S.97 of BAFIA. Section 97 of BAFIA states as follows:- 97.  Ã‚   (1)  Ã‚   No director or officer of any licensed institution or of any external bureau established, or any agent appointed, by the licensed institution to undertake any part of its business, whether during his tenure of office, or during his employment, or thereafter, and no person who for any reason, has by any means access to any record, book, register, correspondence, or other document whatsoever, or material, relating to the affairs or, in particular, the account, of any particular customer of the institution, shall give, produce, divulge, reveal, publish or otherwise disclose, to any person, or make a record for any person, of any information or document whatsoever relating to the affairs or account of such customer. (Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989). Part 5 In summary, HSBC has a complex IT system that has been build over the years of our existence in Malaysia since the computerization of our banking system. The availability of cloud computing as an alternative in our on-going challenges in application management should be carefully considered in terms of expanding our IT capabilities to move into bigger areas of banking. This will provide HSBC with the opportunity to have better flexibility in managing our overall applications system to be able to provide better support to our users. This will in turn, enable our staff to provide better customer service and engagement. The adoption of cloud computing by the bank can be implemented with the following strategies:- Adopting a hybrid cloud where major vendors such as IBM, ORACLE and Hewlett Packard offers hybrid delivery with their existing technology to manage complexity of HSBCs diverse application systems that caters to different business groups where different applications for business segments such as Personal Financial Services, Commercial Banking, Treasury and Global Banking are different. The dedicated servers and applications can be better managed through public cloud (for lower cost applications storage with medium or low risks) and managed dedicated servers (for higher risks applications and data) that can be managed in partnership with the major vendor. This combined approach mitigates risks portfolio for the bank in terms of spreading evenly its storage in cloud computing where external parties and vendors cannot be fully controlled compared to internally managed servers and storage facilities (Interview with Mr Lim Wei Hup, Senior Manager IT Operations/Support conducted on 14 April 2011). Co-venturing into cloud computing by adopting a strategic partner to mitigate risks as well as leverage on common areas and different technical expertise to harness effective teamwork for selecting external applications from various clouds. An example of a recent tie-up and cooperation in the financial industry is the venture of Polaris Software Lab, one of the leading global financial technology companies announced a strategic investment in IdenTrust, a global financial institution. IdenTrust is one of the premier service providers of digital identity authentication services to several key banks such as Citibank, Bank of America, Deutsche, HSBC and even Barclays Bank. (www.siliconindia.com). The concern of being the first bank in Malaysia to embrace cloud computing need not arise as the government has provided ample support, key service provider such as Telekom Malaysia has been upgrading its broadband services and the availability of fiber optic infrastructure will ensure adequate bandwidth and speed. HSBC has always been a pioneer in various aspect in banking be it technology, products and services and even bringing environmental issues into part of its global commitments. With our rich history and forward optimism, venturing into cloud computing is an option management seriously need to consider in view our future growth strategy.