The Struggle Of Finding A Job - 1568 Words

Introduction Unemployment The Struggle of Finding a Job Job search is a harsh reality experienced by many college graduates nowadays. Numerous obstacles, including the tough job market, severely hinder the future success of a student who is truly determined. The transition from school to the labor market is extremely alarming to students that they usually end up satisfied with a tedious, low-paid, labor-intensive and physically demanding job (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, Pastorelli 2001). Working a job that does not require a bachelor’s degree completely de-utilizes the education of students. The first and main problem students’ face is their lack of experience when applying to a job within their field of study. Internships are competitive and hard to acquire but still it is needed for experience. Practical experience is needed but cannot be achieved if no one is willing to hire the student. This ongoing cycle of â€Å"to get a job, you need experience and to get experience, you need a job† (Abel, J. R., Deitz, R . 2014) brings by even bigger issues for the student. Scholars who go through this process of job rejection and hopelessness often experience anxiety, insecurity and stress. Emotional distress is an issue that is on an even larger scale of the struggle of finding a job. Once a student is rejected, they lose confidence and dedication. They start doubting their sense of self and their capabilities. The uncertainty of our future can lead to more anxiety and strainShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of College Education756 Words   |  4 PagesThere are roughly 4,140 colleges/institutions in the United States today as confirmed by infoplease.com and job options are endless. These institutions offer people a â€Å"gateway† to achieve long term success. In today’s society, there is the ongoing debate on whether or not college is worth it. Various valid points are brought up from each side. These points are what make this topic so debatable. Although there is a debate on whether a college education is worth it or not, in my opinion t he answerRead MoreThe Challenges Of Balancing Single Parenting With The Pursuance Of A Four Year Degree997 Words   |  4 Pagescollege degree face the challenge of balancing their studies with their parental duties. These parents acknowledge that a higher level of education increases the likelihood of becoming better providers for their children. Single parent students often struggle financially as they have to rely on financial aid to satisfy the needs of their children such as housing, nutrition, etc. The challenges of returning to school involve taking into account how financial distress can fuel academic failure. The benefitsRead MoreAmerican Dream Essay992 Words   |  4 Pagesseems to stand out from the rest. The biggest obstacle for immigrants to overcome to achieve the American dream is in the field of jobs. The biggest problem immigrants face is finding work in which they can support themselves and their families. Many immigrants in the United States face the issue of finding a steady job to help support themselves. In many cases, the jobs they worked in another country would not be available, or would require schooling, which most immigrants could not afford to do.Read MoreThe Jazz Age Of The 1920 S1272 Words   |  6 Pageswhat people don t realize, is that the 1920’s was not always the non-stop party and drinking days for everyone. Many families and individuals faced the struggles of abject poverty and working conditions, the fear of the Ku Klux Klan, and women wanting women s rights and individualism. The author of my novel had to experience some of these struggles first hand. Born in Shtetl, Russian Poland, Anzia Yezierska immigrated to America in 1890 at eight years old with her poor family consisting of eight siblingsRead MoreThe Importance Of Education780 Words   |  4 PagesFor generations my family has devoted their lives to actual survival and finding contentment. As Armenians, we have struggled through genocide and economical devastation. My family’s lives were focused on their livelihood as human beings. Survival was their first priority and thus education was not really an issue. For my grandparents, it was not even possible to attend school in any form. When my family chose to come to the US, they gave my brother and me the most amazing gift, the opportunityRead MoreThe Struggle Of The 1920s1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe Struggle of the 1930s: What the Great Depression Did to America During the decades of the 1920s and 1930s, the United States underwent a series of changes that had a drastic effect on people across the nation. As the economy began to slow to a halt, millions of people were left broke and without jobs. As the country’s farmers were paralyzed with debt, food prices increased radically (McElvaine). During the mid-1930s, a series of droughts coupled with poor agricultural methods led to years ofRead MoreEassy About The American Dream948 Words   |  4 Pageshave no idea of what the dream is or how to achieve it. Americans may think they are living the American dream, but the reality is that the American people will be faced with challenges they arent able to overcome. Every day the average American struggles to have a â€Å"wealthy and superior† life for him or herself, regardless of where they were born and their socioeconomic status. You may or may not be labeled as an immigrant in todays society but in Americas eyes, you are an immigrant somewayRead MoreChallenges College Students Face1042 Words   |  5 Pagesstates â€Å"two in three jobs require higher education† (2012 speech). College may be the stepping stone to real life but there are too many challenges against the students. If we want them to succeed why is the system so complicated and expensive? Many college students end up in financial trouble due to being unprepared. Students often don’t have the right study skills going into college and that can hurt them. Some student is often not emotionally ready for college and struggle with the transition.Read MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By Tom Joad Essay1004 Words   |  5 Pagespoor. Food was scarce and homes were even harder to find. Many people lived in Hoovervilles made of tarp and tin. This book goes through the life of one family through their troubles. Although the family is made up, thi s would represent the untold struggles of thousands of American families. Tom Joad, recently released from prison makes his way back to his family. Along the way, Tom meets a man by the name Jim Casy. Jim is an ex-preacher, who now believes sacredness consists simply in endeavoringRead MoreThe American dream, an idea spread throughout the world, that coming to the United States would900 Words   |  4 Pagestheir long struggle of the unsure promise of the American dream and what is to come from it. Immigration is a passionate and never ending topic that is discuss throughout America and the world. When the topic of immigration pops up, racism and poverty are sure to follow into the conversation bringing the once goal of the United States, known as â€Å"The American Dream† to a terrifying reality. In the novel we see the main character, who has immigrated to America with his family, struggle in his life

The Effectiveness of the Legislation and Policy Reforms in...

The Effectiveness of the Legislation and Policy Reforms in Practice In this essay I will set out to identify key legislation, which has impacted and shaped the lives of my particular client group, adults with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities can be hard to define, but it is widely accepted that impairments in the ability to read, write, spell, speak or perform any mathematical calculations can lead to a diagnosis of learning disabilities. The campaign group Values into Action defines learning disabilities as â€Å"A disorder in one or more of the basic cognitive and psychological process involved in understanding or using written or spoken language†. I will give an overview of service†¦show more content†¦There was no welcome for disabled people in the community†. (Slater, C. 1998 p. 3). Segregation of these individuals meant that they were placed in large institutions, often in remote and rural areas of the country. Lack of good transport links meant that it was difficult for people’s family and friends t o visit them. People with learning disabilities were often detained in these facilities for years under the 1913 mental deficiency act. This act allowed for people certified as â€Å"mental defectives† to be institutionalised against their will. This attitude was consistent with most of societies at the time. People believed that these so called â€Å"mental defectives† were highly promiscuous and were predisposed to leading a violent and criminal way of life. However, in his paper, â€Å"A History of Care for People with developmental Disabilities† John Francis stated, â€Å" not all was blinded by the conventional wisdom of the timesâ€Å". Josiah Wedgwood, a radical MP from Newcastle-under-Lyme, criticised the legislation as the work of eugenic cranks, and was particularly critical of its attack on feeble-minded women†. This went someShow MoreRelatedLabor Laws And Labor Policies985 Words   |  4 Pagesdealing with labor-management problems. There a re many labor laws in the United States that govern employment policies and practices. These laws cover a variety of industries and its workers, and should not be abolished. Five important labor laws that have further clarified labor-management roles includes: Norris LaGuardia, Wagner, Taft-Hartley, Landrum-Griffin, and the Civil Service Reform Act, Title VII. Fossum (2009), states that these five laws â€Å"enables collective bargaining, regulate labor andRead MoreProgressive Era Dbq792 Words   |  4 PagesThe progressive leaders led the reform process of the nation’s industrial economy in the early years of the 20th century. Through the antirust acts, inspection acts, and regulations on trading, progressive reformers reshaped the way the economy ran. In a political cartoon by the Washington Post in 1907, President Roosevelt is on a dead raccoon with the words â€Å"bad trust† shaved into it. The political cartoon does over exaggerate the effectiveness of Roosev elt’s policies regarding trusts, but it doesRead MorePerformance-Based Budgeting1075 Words   |  4 Pagesof work, efficiency, and/or effectiveness† (Young 12). Performance-based budgeting originated in the 1940’s after World War II when Hoover’s administration faced debt that surpassed the nation’s gross domestic product. The Hoover Commission attempted to align spending decisions with expected performance by recommending a shift from the traditional emphasis of government inputs to outputs (GAO 1997). Performance-based budgeting was designed to reform budgeting practices to focus on the measurementRead MoreAn Analytical Comparison Between England And Florida s Child Protection1619 Words   |  7 Pages† Answer this question referring to specific service delivery issues drawing on good practice from, at least, another part of the world. This assignment will begin by defining child protection. This will lead to an analytical comparison between England and Florida’s child protection approaches, structure of the system and possible practice issues. This will include will include relevant legislation and policies. Following this suggestions on the improvement of provisions and services will be madeRead MoreEssay On No Child Left Behind1132 Words   |  5 Pagesfurther their education and essentially their futures. However, the real question is in its effectiveness. After all, if there is no way to show that students are actually learning, then it renders the idea of schooling moot. That is why education policy in recent decades has turned towards a system of accountability in order to assess the effectiveness of schooling in the nation. A major piece of legislation that follows this philosophy is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, otherwise shortenedRead MoreQuestions On Australian Firearms Legislation1709 Wo rds   |  7 PagesTask 2: Individual case study essay on selected health policy Topic: Australian firearms legislation Background: Over the last two decades, Australia’s firearm laws have undergone extensive reform, resulting from two main catalyst shootings. These shootings events are known as the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and the 2002 Monash University shooting (Baker, McPhedran, 2007). However, prior to these events, there was no national legislation consistent among all Australian states and territoriesRead MoreYoung Youth Display Anti Social Behavior1663 Words   |  7 Pagescommunities may vary regionally. Both New Labour and conservative have suggested, that there should be greater emphasis on enforcement contrasts with the local implementation of social inclusion policies. Both government also share the belief the eradication of delay was important illegitimacy and the cost effectiveness with the justice system. While Maguire, Morgan, and, Robert, (2012) have suggested the delay within the system was sending a message to the youth that nobody care about them. AlthoughRead MoreInformation Security In Zanziabar Public Sector1465 Words   |  6 Pagesawareness, political instability, trust, business continuity plan, and inadequate human resource management to effectively manage this technology (Dada, 2006). The application of e-government in corporate governance to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector agencies and delivery of services to the users has increased extensively, due to its result oriented in accountability, transparency and availability of governance to the citizen. The viability of e-governance is not assuredRead MoreEssay on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act1500 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Problem The Problem our policy is intended to address is the lack of affordable health insurance as well as the lack of affordable health insurance to persons with pre-existing health conditions. The Extent of the social problem reaches to numbers of persons and populations in the United States. Living without health insurance are in excess of 50 million people in the United States, which is roughly equivalent to 16.7% of the population, or one in six U.S. residents (Wolf, 2010). DefiningRead MoreThe Successes of Progressive Era Reformers800 Words   |  4 Pagessafer communities. The government was affected by the Progressive movement becoming much more democratic, and caring more for the needs of its people. The Progressive movement was successful in reforming American business, society and its government policies in many different instances. The Progressive movement was based mainly on the improvement of human nature and businesses were treating many workers badly. Many muckrakers worked to end the terrible conditions that many workers were going through

Origin of the Flute Free Essays

Origins of the flute date back to the stone age. Known as the first ever wind instrument, most of the flutes were end blown flutes and looked like our modern day recorder. What could be considered the first flute was found in China and was called the â€Å"ch-ie†. We will write a custom essay sample on Origin of the Flute or any similar topic only for you Order Now The egyptians and Sumerians were the first to add finger holes so that we were able to produce different notes. Before then, it was made of animal bones with a carved out embouchure. Ancient greeks also played the flute (an end blown flute) however it was known as the instrument of the common man and was often looked down upon. During the fall of the roman empire, the flute seemingly disappeared from the west (Europe). It is likely that the flute was brought back to Europe during the Byzantine Empire from Asia where it’s traditions are longstanding. It was only during the 16th century (renaissance era) where the prototype or ancestor of the flute that we know of today was widely used. Until the 18th century, flutes were referred to pipe instruments that were both horizontal and vertical. A German court orchestra flutist by the name of Theobald Boehm presented what would be the modern day flute in 1847 at the Paris exhibition. He incorporated ideas from his colleagues and most notably, from Frederick Nolan who made use of the ring keys in 1808. In 1832, he (Theobald Boehm) built a flute based on logical acoustic placement instead of the easiest fingering. He also linked certain keys to each other. This lead to a new fingering that ended up being easier than its last. In 1847, felt pads were added to prevent leaking air, pin springs were added, the shape of the embouchure was changed and the flute was made of silver. This new flute was well received in the USA, France and England. However, in Germany, Russia and Italy, flutists were close-minded and didn’t want to accept the change of fingering despite the fact that the new design won many awards. Eventually, Boehm’s flute came into common use and has undergone minimal changes from then on. The flute, or what was called the flute back then, has been used since the middle ages. Used for the court and sometimes the military, it was often paired with the drum. During the renaissance era different ensembles were commonly heard together. The â€Å"flute consort† which consists of three different sized transverse flutes (horizontal flutes, like the ones today) and the â€Å"broken consort† which was made of the viola, lute and flute. During the end of the 17th century, solo flute works began to rise in popularity along with the excessive ornamentation of the baroque style. How to cite Origin of the Flute, Papers

National Security Strategy Comparison free essay sample

The US and Europe have different responses to the modernization of warfare from traditional (ships, armies, tanks, aircraft) to â€Å"asymmetrical† (terrorism, cyber-warfare), largely from differences in geography: With the notable exceptions of Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center, our enemy threat has been thousands of miles away, while Europe has seen two bloody â€Å"world wars† and acts of terror committed right on home soil. However, for the purposes of this paper, I will focus on religion and ethnicity/nationalism, and how these two factors affect strategic culture. Culture is important. It defines what’s important to a group, or nation. It emerges in stated doctrine, laws, strategy. It defines who we ARE. There are common views, interests, priorities, and verbiage in both Security Strategic documents. Major powers are at peace. The world economy has grown; globalism is increasingly important. We must reduce dependency on foreign energy. We have a commitment to alliance with each other (US and Europe) via NATO (Obama, 2010, 1-9) (European Security Strategy, 2003, 2-14). We will write a custom essay sample on National Security Strategy Comparison or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page NATO has made a strong tie between the US and Europe since it was created to contain the Soviets, integrating Europe and the United States politically and militarily (Friedman, 2011, 1). In fact, â€Å"For any kind of military planning and operations with regard to Russia, the Europeans will prefer to act through NATO rather than the EU. † (Valesek, 2008, 1) In contrast to the above commonalities, the United States document, while acknowledging that â€Å"no one nation—no matter how powerful—can meet global challenges alone†, repeatedly shows glimpses of â€Å"Nationalist† overtones with statements such as, â€Å"Our country possesses the attributes that have supported our leadership for decades—sturdy alliances, an unmatched military, the world’s largest economy, a strong and evolving democracy, and a dynamic citizenry. † (Obama, 2010, 1-9). The European document, on the other hand, openly and repeatedly calls for â€Å"Unification† and â€Å"Cooperation† (European Security Strategy, 2003, 1-8). The United States can draw from European religious history and ethnic origin, which gives it some cultural similarities. At the same time, the birth of our nation was so much more recent, and so dramatically different from the beginning of European history, that it’s no wonder there are fundamental differences in culture. Even before the Declaration of Independence (â€Å"God† and â€Å"truth† referenced) or the US Constitution were drafted (â€Å"freedom of religion†), early America was rooted in Christianity. The first Pilgrims fled religious persecution in Europe. Christian doctrine has been quoted in speeches given by American leaders from the beginning (Governor John Walthrop, Massachusetts Governor, 1630), to recent/present-day Presidents (Reagan, GW Bush, Obama), The United States has been referred to as something â€Å"different†, a shining example all the world to see and emulate, a â€Å"city on a hill†. (Walthrop, 1630, 1). America, from its beginnings to today, while welcoming diversity, continues to be a predominately Christian culture, allowing for religious overtones in national documents (mostly visible through reference to â€Å"values†, and â€Å"truth†). Europe on the other hand, in its challenge to unify the 27 countries that form the European Union (Rosenberg, 2011, 1), must tread lightly so as not to alienate or anger any portion of the contemporary combination of Christian, Muslim, and â€Å"Secular† cultures (Rubenstein, 2011, 1). Both the US and Europe are ethnically and racially diverse. Many marvel at the ability to retain direction and focus in the face of such diversity. Early America molded immigrants into a â€Å"melting pot†, mixing historical roots into a soup that became distinctly â€Å"American†. Nowadays, the preference is to hold on to ethnic differences and describe the result as a â€Å"mosaic† or â€Å"salad bowl† – separate pieces that, when viewed as a whole, create a larger picture (Branigin, 1998). In spite of this recent shift to retain ethnic individuality, America seems to successfully categorize this into its frontiersman â€Å"rugged individualist† mentality, yet in shunning division along racial lines, manages to successfully embrace all groups into a sense of singular â€Å"nationalism†. Europe on the other hand, struggles to balance 27 nations, each with their own sense of nationalism, without giving significant preference to any one culture. The ultimate impact of these religious and ethnic/nationalistic differences is that, yes, the US National Security Strategy reads differently than the European Security Strategy. The variance in background results in different wording and stance, different reasons for why we do what we do, and the desired result. This can cause misunderstanding, and even distrust between these two great entities. However, it’s important to conclude that overall, we BOTH have the same ultimate intent: a continued commitment to trans-atlantic relationship, globalized economy, reduced dependency on foreign energy, and, most importantly, peace and security to our world (Obama, 2010, 1-9) (European Security Strategy, 2003, 2-14). In conclusion, many world researchers (including Samuel P Huntington in his map of â€Å"The World of Civilizations†), when identifying cultural categories in the world, group the US, Canada, Greenland, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand as â€Å"the West† (Huntington, 1997, 26). Due to the emphasis on strong religious roots, belief in right, manifest destiny, and ethnic diversity in the United States, our stated objectives and self-identified role in the world is unique. However, overall, European US strategy and culture are not so remarkably different. BIBLIOGRAPHY Branigin, William, â€Å"The Myth of the Melting Pot: America’s Racial and Ethnic Divides. Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation† (Washington, DC: Washington Post, 25 May 1998), http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0525a. htm European Security Strategy, A Secure Europe in a Better World, (Brussels, 12 December 2003), 2-14 Friedman, George, â€Å"The Crisis of Europe and European Nationalism† (Austin, TX: StratFor Global Intelligence, 13 September 2011), 1, http://www. stratfor. com/weekly/20110912-crisis-europe-and-european-nationalism Huntington, Samuel P. , â€Å"The World of Civilizations† The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York, NY: Touchstone, 1997), 26-27 Obama, Barack, National Security Strategy (Washington, DC: Whitehouse Archives, 2010), 1-9 Rosenberg, Matt, â€Å"European Union Countries† (About. com, 09 December 2011), 1, http://geography. about. com/od/lists/a/eumembers. htm Rubenstein, Richard L. , â€Å"Islam and Christianity: The Roots of Europe’s Religious Identity† (New English Review, December 2011), 1, http://www. newenglishreview. org/custpage. cfm/frm/102790/sec_id/102790 Valesek, Tomas, â€Å"Europe’s Defence and its New Security Strategy† (Center for European Reform Bulletin: London, England, Dec 2007-Jan 2008), 1, http://gees. org/documentos/Documen-02705. pdf Walthrop, John, â€Å"Modell of Christian Charity† (Massachusetts, 1630), 1,

An exploration of the reason organisations adopt information systems strategy The WritePass Journal

An exploration of the reason organisations adopt information systems strategy INTRODUCTION An exploration of the reason organisations adopt information systems strategy INTRODUCTIONINFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGYREASONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGY1. Operational excellence2. New products and services3. Customer and supplier Intimacy4. Competitive Advantage4.1) Porter’s Competitive Forces Model1. Rivalry among existing firm2. New Entrants in market3. Substitute Products and Services4. Customer’s power5. Supplier’s Powers4.2) Porter’s Generic theory 1. Cost Leadership2. Product Differentiation3. FocusMultiple Methodology FrameworksTop-downBottom-upInside-OutFlaws in Earl’s MethodologiesExternal Drivers that Influence IS Strategy1. Competition1.1)   YANSHA Leans on IS to Stay Competitive2. Deregulation2.1) 7-Eleven Japan Company3. Changing nature of Customer3.1) KROGER COMPANY3.2) BARNEYS NEW YORK4. Emerging technologies4.1)   Sainsbury5. Transformation of Business Enterprise5.1)   World BankBibliographyRelated INTRODUCTION The information systems play a critical role in managing market logistics, especially computer, point-of-sale terminals, uniform product bar codes, satellite tracking, electronic data interchange EDI, and electronic funds transfer EFT, these developments have shortened the order-cycle time, reduced clerical labour, reduced the error rate in documents, and provided improved control of operations. They have enabled companies to make a promise such as â€Å"the product will be at dock 25 at 10:00 am tomorrow,† and control that promise through information. Keeping in view of above significance of information system, the report has been designed to explore and outlined the reason of organization adopting information system strategy and what is information system strategy. Also using multiple methodology frameworks that assist in devising IS strategy. At the end of this report the six external drivers are listed in connection with real world example to understand how they influenced on IS strategies. INFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGY The definition of IS strategy is formulation of approaches and planning needed to deploy information systems resources to support organizational strategy. The definition of development of information systems strategy is usually encompasses the areas of how information systems will be used to support an organization’s strategy. Support means creation of strategic of IS with organization strategy. Impact implies a role for IS in generating opportunities for an organization to gain competitive advantage. A strategy which covers both these facets is that of Dohertty et 999), who describe IS strategy development as The IS strategy is a process of identifying a portfolio of computer-based to be implemented, which is both highly aligned with corporate strategy and create an advantage over competitors. An information systems strategy brings together the business aims and understanding of the information needed to support those aims, and the of computer systems to provide that information. Irrespective, of any definition the main theme of information system is to establish strategy to provide best and timely service to their consumers in order to increase the wealth of shareholders. The emphasis of information systems strategy is on delivering a portfolio of appropriate software tools and systems that support the future direction of an organization and achieve advantage for the organization (Strategic objectives). Furthermore, the IS strategy also determines the quality of services delivered end-users. (BODDY, BOONSTRA, KENNEDY, 2002) REASONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGY The reasons organization heavily invest to generate its information system is to achieve six important business objectives. These objectives can be outlined as Operational excellence New products/services Business model Customer and supplier intimacy Improved decision making Competitive advantage And survival 1. Operational excellence The ultimate objective of every organization is to maximize the wealth of shareholders. The information system provide efficient mean to optimize the production and operations capability for the business. Also some time it needs to change the way organization conducting its business and management attitude. There are many success stories of those who plan strategically to implement information system and bring fundamental results due to this implementation. For example, Wal-Mart being as a largest retailer gains sales more than $348 billion in sales during 2007, which was 1/10 of total retail sales in US. The Wal-Mart achieved that hallmark by linking digitally its retail store system with the suppliers, so when the customer purchased items, the bar code link identified the suppliers about outflow and demand of certain product and suppliers timely replenish the stock. 2. New products and services The information system enables organization about the trend of new product or services. The demand can be evaluated of competitors product and then it is matched with the market to assess there is any need of copy cat product. Such as the music industry is no longer like it was in 2000. The exuberant demand permits the Apple Company to innovate new products with different styles. 3. Customer and supplier Intimacy The customers intimacy can be gauged by their frequency of repurchase, the often they come to buy the goods or receive the services the more they generate revenue for the organization. The suppliers relationship can be evaluated in the same way, if there are few suppliers and all are given confirm order or tie them with contract, the more they will deliver quality raw materials. Take the example of hotels business, they are using computers to keep track of guests preferences, such as their preferred room temperature, check in time, frequently dialled telephone numbers, and television programs, and store these data in a giant data repository, individual rooms in the hotels are networked to a central network server computer so that they can be remotely monitored or controlled. When these guests arrived to the hotel, the system automatically changes the room conditions, such as dimming the lights, setting the room temperature, or selecting appropriate music, based on the customer’s digital profile. Through, extensive use of IT, hotel can carry out their customer profitability analysis and can adequately determine those customers that are providing high revenue. 4. Competitive Advantage When organization outperform its competitors in terms of operation, new product development, services, and establishing business model, customer intimacy and last but not least in decision making process, then they are well ahead from their competitors. Through establishing IS strategy many organization prominently Toyota successfully eliminate waste, adopt continuous improvement, and optimizing customer value. The IS help to build effective supply and lean management system. Let discuss in detail that crucial aspect of IS strategy, The models which will help us to how to determine and evaluate of competitive advantage in terms of IS strategy’s are Porter’s Competitive Forces and Generic theory. 4.1) Porter’s Competitive Forces Model The most widely used mode for understanding competitive advantage is Michael Porter’s Competitive forces model. This model provides a general view of the firm, its competitors, and the firm environment. These are Rivalry among existing firm New Entrants in market Substitute product in market Supplier’s Power Buyer’s Power 1. Rivalry among existing firm All firms share market space with other competitors who are continuously devising new, more efficient ways to produce by introducing new products and services, and attempting to attract customers by developing their brands and imposing switching costs on their customers. 2. New Entrants in market The new arrival in market often gets kick start its business using several of IT and IS help. In mature market, when there is already fierce competition going on the tool that new entrants can use to get itself introduce to the customers are gaining economy of scale by spreading its fixed cost to the number of units or/and adopting learning curve. The state of the art designed IS can monitor the movement of learning curve that will help management in their decision making process. 3. Substitute Products and Services In a competitive market, there are several substitutes product each addressing different customers market need. New technologies create new substitutes all the time. To make the product more distinct and attractable organization need often to change its features and packaging to keep the product up to date. 4. Customer’s power The theory’s regarding customers retention has been getting enhanced day by day. The new theory related to customers are customer relationship management, which emphasis on keep the existing customers rather than deploying resources to attract the new one. In that sense, the power of the customer grows if they can easily switch to a competitor’s products and services, or if they can force a business and its competitors to compete on price alone in a transparent marketplace where there is little product differentiation, and all prices are known instantly through internet. 5. Supplier’s Powers The supplier’s power has huge impact on organization profitability. If there are few suppliers operating in the market the power of suppliers might be high and they would be in the position to convince the organization with their terms and condition. However, if there are many or diversified suppliers in the market, the greater control organization would have to exercise over suppliers in terms of price, quality, and delivery schedules. For instance, manufacturers of laptop PCs almost always have multiple competing suppliers of key components, such as keyboards, hard drives, and display screens. 4.2) Porter’s Generic theory There are four generic strategise, each of which often is enabled by using information technology and system: low-cost leadership, product differentiation, focus on market niche, and strengthening customer and supplier intimacy. These are Cost leadership Product leadership Focus 1. Cost Leadership The use of information system to achieve the lowest operational cost and lowest prices is goal of almost every organization. The classic example is Wal-Mart. By keeping prices low and shelves well stocked using a legendary inventory replenishment system, Wal-Mart became the leading retail business in the United States. Wal-Mart’s continuous replenishment system sends orders for new merchandise directly to suppliers as soon as consumers pay for their purchases at the cash register. Point-of-sale terminals record the bar code of each item passing the checkout counter and send a purchase transaction directly to a central computer at Wal-Mart headquarters. The computer collects the orders from all Wal-Mart stores and transmits them to suppliers. Suppliers can also access Wal-Mart’s sales and inventory data using web technology. Due to efficient use of IS by Wal-Mart they do not need to maintain large inventories of goods in its own warehouse, which cause greater cost of order and holding the inventories, because the system replenishes inventory with lightning speed. 2. Product Differentiation Those organizations that are charging high prices for their product need always modify their product to keep the product in the eyes of customers. For instance, Google continuously introduces new and unique search services on its web site, such as Google Maps. By purchasing PayPal, an elector nice payment system in 2003, eBay made it much easier for customers to pay sellers and expanded use of its auction marketplace. Apple created iPod, a unique portable digital music player, plus a unique online Web music service where songs can be purchased for 99 cents. Continuing to innovate, Apple recently introduced a portable iPod video player and music-playing cell phone. Manufacturers and retailers are starting to use information systems to create products and services that are customized and personalized to fit the precise specification of individual customers. Dell Inc. sells directly to customers using assemble-to-order manufacturing. Individuals, businesses, and government agencies can buy computers directly from Dell’s production control receives an order, it directs an assembly plant to assemble the computer using components from an on-site warehouse based on the configuration specified by the customer. 3. Focus Using information systems to enable a specific market focus, and serve this narrow target market better than competitors. Information systems support this strategy by producing and analyzing data for finely tuned sales and marketing techniques. Information system enable companies to analyze customer buying patterns, tastes and preferences closely so that they efficiently pitch advertising and marketing campaigns to smaller and smaller target markets. The data come from a range of sources-credit card transaction, demographic data purchase data from checkout counter scanners at supermarkets and retail stores, and data collected when people access and interact with Web sites. Sophisticated software tools find patterns in these large pools of data and infer rules from them that can be used to guide decision making. Analysis of such data drives one-to-one marketing where personal messages can be created based on individualized preference. For example, Hilton Hotels OnQ system analyzes detailed data collected on active guests in all of its properties determine the preferences of each guest and each guest’s profitability. (LAUDON, LAUDON, 2009) Multiple Methodology Frameworks Earl methodology has been regarded as most influential methodologies for developing information systems strategies. According to this work, IT offers major new business opportunities by improving productivity and performance, developing new businesses and enabling companies to gain competitive advantage. The key ideological stance taken by Earl is based not on internal but external or outward looking activities so that business objectives can be met fully. Earl pioneered a multiple methodology with three approaches (top-down, bottom-up and inside-out) Top-down Top down is concerned with identifying and agreeing business objectives and the drivers of business value through interviews, debates, existing business strategy and policies. Critical success factors (CSFs) are then developed for areas where success is necessary for survival, and subsequently information systems that support/enable/deliver these CSFs need to found. Bottom-up Bottom-up is about exploring what currently exist in terms of hardware, software, IT and IS applications and determining their functions, and how they work and add value. This activity concerns itself with understanding what systems currently exist and in establishing what needs to exist in the light of company strategic needs. This activity also requires and understanding of any capacity limits or constraints of current systems, which might act as a barrier to future needs. Inside-Out Inside-out is about being innovative and finding novel ways of giving the business an advantage. Usually, this needs strategic thinking into state of the art knowledge of other sectors/companies and spotting potential technologies or application of technologies, which will be ground-breaking in the near future. Benchmarking techniques are sometimes useful to highlight where an organization is falling short or has the opportunity to outperform its competitors. Earl suggests that both top-down and bottom-up methods should be used for IT/IS strategic planning and alignment since this gives a comprehensive overview of the situation from all angles. Accordingly, the top-down methods should be used to clarify business strategies and needs as well as the potential contribution of IT application. This should result in the alignment of IT and IS investment with business needs. Bottom-up methods should be used to discover gaps and map where an enterprise is in IS terms of its IT applications and where it needs to develop to meet the business strategy. The result should be improved specialist-user relationships and knowledge of where IT is important for competitive functioning. The third part of the methodology is termed ‘inside-out’ and implies designing an organizational and technological environment, which enables innovations to happen, thus making it possible to gain competitive advantages from IT/IS. Flaws in Earl’s Methodologies While Earl’s model is still relevant it does have a number of flaws: There is an assumption that because senior management are thinking about the strategic use of IT and IS and their alignment that this view and stance is good for everyone (throughout the enterprise), which may or may not be the case. The model lacks the ability to chart or predict future technologies and their potential impact on the business. The model is based on a rational and economic-based manager (Whittington, 1993),   who traditionally make decisions by analysing all the facts rather than taking into account more social, cultural, politically charged agendas, which can be entitled ‘social’ reasons and ‘gut feeling’ to decisions-making. Finally, Earl’s model does not take into account group and individual interactions and how this social networking is important is determining how things happen in business life. Since the development of Earl’s methodology other frameworks have evolved. A number of them have integrated principles and issues highlighted by Earl but have been modified to address some of the weakness of the Earl’s model. (GRANT, HACKNEY, EDGAR, 2010) External Drivers that Influence IS Strategy The following are the external drivers that have potential impact while formulating Information strategy and need to be adequately take into accounts. Transformation of the business enterprise Emergence of the global economy Transformation of industrial economies Competition De-regulation Emerging technologies Changing nature of the customer Environmental and conservation issues The value of intellectual assets 1. Competition Adopting Information System brings fundamental improvement inside and outside operation of organization. The organization added value in its activities by involving the IS across its department. The IS allow firms to understand and make better their supply chain, lean management, and value chain and eliminate all those wastes that do not give any margin to the company. Some of example of adopting Information system is given below. 1.1)   YANSHA Leans on IS to Stay Competitive YANSHA is one of China’s biggest retailers. It sells upscale designer clothes from around the world along with other line merchandise. One of its largest retail stores occupies 215,000 square feet in Beijing’s famous YOUYI Shopping City. YANSHA has long experienced market leadership in china, but in recent years has felt increasing completion from international companies. YANSHA’S management team was aware that its methods of communication with suppliers-the placing and receiving of orders-were less than efficient. It was also aware of other inefficiencies in communication throughout the organization. For YANSHA TO maintain its leadership role in the market, it would need to cut the waste and become lean and mean in its application of information systems technology. YANSHA turned to IBM China Research Lab to evaluate its information systems and recommend the latest technologies to bring it up to date. IBM implemented a massive system upgrade across the entire enterprise: an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The ERP allows YANSHA executives and managers to view real-time performance date, such as sales across all location, in certain regions, or in one particular store. Using this system, managers could, for example, determine the success of a particular marketing approach. The new ERP interfaces with a new supply chain management (SCM) system that provides close communication between YANSHA and its suppliers. These two systems working together, the ERP system and SCM system, allow organization. The new systems required a substantial investment of time and money for YANSHA, but the benefits have vastly overshadowed the costs. The new systems reduced the time it takes for suppliers to ship merchandise to YANSHA (order lead time) from 2.5 days to 4.5 hours. The order acknowledgment rate has increased from 80 percent to 99 percent. Order errors have been reduced from 9 percent to 1 percent. The money saved by YANSHA receiving the right merchandise at the right time has saved the company enough money to pay for its expensive new information systems within nine months of rolling them out. Achieving a return on investment (ROI) in such a short time is something any chief information officer (CIO) would be proud of. 2. Deregulation Deregulation can be defined as when Government cease to act as a controller over the industries and permit maximum liberty of the operation in market is called Deregulation. The use of IS in case of deregulation become vital because the connection with suppliers crossing the boundaries and new frontier develop which bring competitive edge to the firms. One of example in such situation is 2.1) 7-Eleven Japan Company In 1996 the Japanese Industries witnessed major deregulation in sales of stamps, postcards and revenue stamps and it is become possible at convenience stores. 7-Eleven Japan recorded sales figures equivalent to 9 billion yen in this area in 1996. Stamps and other products that customers frequently request contribute to increased store loyalty from customers even through the products themselves have low profit margins. In 1997 deregulation occurred in the travel industry. In 1998, the medical supplies and finance industries were deregulated and many other areas will also be affected. 7-Eleven Japan invested approximately 4 billion yen in the construction of large-sized refrigeration boxes for ice cream in 1994 and installed them in all of its chain stores. It is quite natural that ice cream sells well in summer time. However, 7-Eleven Japan recorded more than a two-fold increase in ice cream sales in comparison with the previous year. The refrigeration box was placed in the centre of the store where five gondolas used to be stationed. This was a drastic and innovative use of space as convenience stores have a limited space. Morinaga Milk industry Co. Ltd, Morinaga and Company Ltd, Snow Brand Milk Products Co, Ltd AKAGI NYUGYO, and HAGEN DAAS were the main suppliers. Until then, ice cream was mainly produced in the winter season and prepared for the concentration of sales in summer. However, manufacturers were unable to respond quickly to the change in the market. It was not possible to increase the production of popular ice cream because it would only build up inventory volume. Therefore, 7-Eleven Japan established a system to sell ice cream within 10 days after placing orders. The features of the system are as follows; On-line transmission of order information and inventory volume of the store directly to producers Manufacturers produce based on this information and store them in a storage facility especially prepared for 7-Eleven Japan The exact quantity required is delivered to the joint delivery centre for frozen products Form this centre, products are delivered to the stores In this way, 7-Eleven Japan has constructed a consistent production, distribution, and sales system for ice cream products. Thus, it became possible for the store to sell very fresh ice cream throughout the year. In addition, 7-Eleven Japan tied up with Morinaga Milk industry Co. Ltd Morinaga Company, ltd and AKAGI NYUGYOU for the development of new products and has developed new types of ice cream that satisfied customers’ needs. This is an excellent reflection of 7-Eleven Japan’s attitude towards â€Å"taste† and â€Å"freshness†, 7-Eleven Japan Attaches importance to the â€Å"un-learning effect†, something that breaks away from the existing concept. This is why it could carry out a very drastic innovation in order to sell â€Å"summer products during the winter season†. (ISHIKAWA, NEJO, 1998) 3. Changing nature of Customer The information system has been rigorously used to understand need and demand of customers in order to build stable relationship with them. A satisfied customer tends to remain a customer, and it is less costly to retain existing customers than to attract new ones. Therefore, the Information System helps to track down profiles of profitable customers to exceed revenue by continuously temping them. The process include compile the data of customers like Where the customers are located? What items are in demand? What is the revenue by customer and item in terms of an ABC ANALYSIS? What are the sales patterns and the sizes of orders? A sound database will enable organizations to manage costs, increase profits and make informed decisions about what to put on shelves. No manager ever has all the information needed to make a perfect decision, but having an adequate source of accurate information will improve the quality of decision. 3.1) KROGER COMPANY 3.2) BARNEYS NEW YORK Barneys New York, the upscale clothing store chain, reports a 10 percent increase in online revenue by using data mining software that finds links between online behaviour and greater propensity to buy. Barneys uses a system from proclivity systems to analyze data about when a customer visits its site and other demographic information to determine on whom it should focus its e-mail messages. For example, an email message announcing a sale might be send to those who had purchased certain products in the past but only when the items were on sale. This has not only increased sales but has increased customer goodwill by showing that Barneys understands its clientele’s interest. (GELINAS, DULL, 2010) 4. Emerging technologies The large supermarkets are extensively using information system to reduce their cost. They are acquiring sophisticated and state of the art technologies to evaluate the customer demand. The sensor machine on doors protect the shop to be stolen the goods. Also bar code or tag on the cloth helps organization to evaluate the demand of the product and link that technology with the Information system, which later send information to the supplier to replenish the particular stock in store. 4.1)   Sainsbury Since 1989, Sainsbury has implemented a high-tech information system that has halved the average time it takes to get a product from the supplier to the consumer. The impact has not only been on the Sainsbury organization, but also on other organizations within the retail food supply chain. According to Angus Clark, the Sainsbury director responsible for systems and distribution, bar-code scanning at the checkout counters has changed the whole supply-chain operation from a â€Å"push† system to a â€Å"pull† system. Historically, forecasts dictated what was pushed down the supply chain to each retail outlet. But scanning has allowed Sainsbury to capture demand data the instant a sale in made. Now, production and distribution can be calibrated to levels of real demand. (STAHL, GRIGSBY, 1997) 5. Transformation of Business Enterprise Organization structure refers to organizational subunits and the way they relate to the overall organization. An organization’s structure depends on its goals and approach to management, and can affect how it views and uses information systems. The types of organizational structures typically include traditional, project, team and virtual. Organizational structure can have a direct impact on the organization’s information system. 5.1)   World Bank World Bank is two financial institutions owned by 185 member countries. In recent years, the World Bank has suffered from front page scandal’s regarding suspected improprieties with its senior-level officials. In 2007, World Bank president Paul WOLLOWITZ was pressured to resign, and in 2005, vice president and CIO Mohammad Muhsin retired under a cloud of suspicion. However, while the press and the world were focused on corruption in the World Bank, some very positive developments were taking place with World Bank infrastructure and information systems that went relatively unnoticed. The World Bank has traditionally been run as a top-down hierarchy, which is a traditional organizational structure. In recent years, through the use of global information systems, the World Bank has transformed into a decentralized, front-line, matrix organization,† observes a recent article in Baseline magazine. Rather than controlling information systems from the top, the World Bank has been investing to empower its clients with the information systems they need locally to participate in the global economy. (STAIR, REYNOLDS, REYNOLDS, 2010) Bibliography Book References DAVID BODDY, ALBERT BOONSTRA, GRAHAM KENNEDY (2002), â€Å"MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM: STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION†, 4TH ED PG 312-314: PEARSON EDUCATION LTD KENNETH C. LAUDON, JANE P. LAUDON (2009), â€Å"ESSENTIALS OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS†, 8TH ED PG 6-22: PEARSON EDUCATION LTD KEVIN GRANT, RAY HACKNEY, DAVID EDGAR (2010), â€Å"STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT† 1ST ED PG 119: CENGAGE LEARNING EMEA AKIRA ISHIKAWA, TAI NEJO (1998), â€Å"THE SUCCESS OF 7-ELEVEN JAPAN: DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE WORLD’S BEST CONVENIENCE CHAIN STORES† 1ST ED. PG 46-48: SEBEN-IREBUN DAKEGA NAZETSUYOI ULRIC J. GELINAS, RICHARD B. DULL (2010), â€Å"ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS 8e†: 1ST ED, PG 345-346, SOUTH-WESTERN CENGAGE LEARNING MICHAEL J. STAHL, DAVID W. GRIGSBY (1997), â€Å"STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: TOTAL QUALITY AND GLOBAL COMPETITION† 1ST ED, PG 243, BLACKWELL PUBLISHERS LTD RALPH M. STAIR, GEORGE REYNOLDS, GEORGE W. REYNOLDS (2010), â€Å"PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS†, 1ST ED, PG 48: CENGAGE LEARNING

Free Essays on An Unconscious Friend

â€Å" ‘ Who the hell do you think you are’ Connie said. ‘Toldja I’d be out, didn’t I?’ ‘I don’t even know who you are.’ † (Oates 1227) Fear and uncertainty have come to fifteen-year-old Connie in the form of a â€Å"boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold† (Oates 1225) in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† The boy, who readers learn is named Arnold Friend, comes to the insecure and culture-obsessed Connie one random Sunday afternoon and eventually uses his manipulative powers to lure Connie away from her home to meet an uncertain fate. Like Connie, readers find themselves wondering exactly who Arnold Friend is and what his role in the story means. Oates, when speaking about Friend, said that he is â€Å"a fantastic figure: he is Death, he is the ‘elf-knight’ of the ballads, he is the imagination, he is dream, he is a lover, a demon and all that† (Franco). As one can tell, Arnold’s meaning in the story is subject to debate. While some argue that Arnold Friend is a psychopathic killer or Satan inc arnate, he is actually a collection of Connie’s unconscious thoughts and desires in human form. Some readers have come to the conclusion that Arnold Friend is a psychopathic murderer who has come abduct Connie. This is most likely due to his character’s strong resemblance to real-life serial killer Charles Schmidbetter known as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson.† Charles Howard Schmid Jr. acted out the same habitual behaviors exhibited by Arnold Friend in â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† The fictitious Friend, like Schmid, keeps his â€Å"skin darkened to a deep tan with pancake make-up† (Moser 1225); he stuffs rags and tin cans into his shoes to make himself taller, and both Schmid and Arnold cruise around town in gold colored cars. Like Charles Schmid, Arnold Friend wears the make-up in order to conceal his real age. Schmid... Free Essays on An Unconscious Friend Free Essays on An Unconscious Friend â€Å" ‘ Who the hell do you think you are’ Connie said. ‘Toldja I’d be out, didn’t I?’ ‘I don’t even know who you are.’ † (Oates 1227) Fear and uncertainty have come to fifteen-year-old Connie in the form of a â€Å"boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold† (Oates 1225) in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† The boy, who readers learn is named Arnold Friend, comes to the insecure and culture-obsessed Connie one random Sunday afternoon and eventually uses his manipulative powers to lure Connie away from her home to meet an uncertain fate. Like Connie, readers find themselves wondering exactly who Arnold Friend is and what his role in the story means. Oates, when speaking about Friend, said that he is â€Å"a fantastic figure: he is Death, he is the ‘elf-knight’ of the ballads, he is the imagination, he is dream, he is a lover, a demon and all that† (Franco). As one can tell, Arnold’s meaning in the story is subject to debate. While some argue that Arnold Friend is a psychopathic killer or Satan inc arnate, he is actually a collection of Connie’s unconscious thoughts and desires in human form. Some readers have come to the conclusion that Arnold Friend is a psychopathic murderer who has come abduct Connie. This is most likely due to his character’s strong resemblance to real-life serial killer Charles Schmidbetter known as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson.† Charles Howard Schmid Jr. acted out the same habitual behaviors exhibited by Arnold Friend in â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† The fictitious Friend, like Schmid, keeps his â€Å"skin darkened to a deep tan with pancake make-up† (Moser 1225); he stuffs rags and tin cans into his shoes to make himself taller, and both Schmid and Arnold cruise around town in gold colored cars. Like Charles Schmid, Arnold Friend wears the make-up in order to conceal his real age. Schmid...

Liberation theology is decidedly Christian however, Buddhism, Islam, Essay

Liberation theology is decidedly Christian however, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism each have traditions of protecting the poor as - Essay Example It is established that practicing religious beliefs plays a big role in defending the underprivileged in society (Jones, 5002-6184). The religious groups believe that it is important to offer assistance to the poor; the difference is the methods of assisting them. The liberation theology is entirely believed by Christians, however, religious groups such as Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have their own believe and traditions of assisting the poor as part of their religious practices. The teachings in these world religions about protecting the underprivileged individuals in the society have been researched aptly. Buddhism Buddhism is a religion that has cosmic and rich coherent traditions that protect and defend the poor. It has various set of teachings that guide believers on how to conduct themselves. The main teachings of religion is that people on earth should purify their minds and show love, empathy to others, especially the underprivileged. A Buddhist is an individual who is spiri tually driven to become a servant to others irrespective of the social class he/she is in, and ought to act for the benefit of other individuals in society. This is one the religion that upholds ethical values and emphasizes on implementing them when relating with other individuals in society. Compassion and loving-kindness are the core values that Buddhist should have; hence, promotes the practice of defending and protecting the poor. Life is important is an important and is highly valued, thus, believers of religion should ensure that they protect the lives of others. No person should be left die because of hunger and poverty or suffer because he/she cannot feed himself and family (Jones, 5002-6184). Being discipline is also significant, and humbleness is highly ranked, and for this reason the rich and wealthy in the society ought to degrade themselves and socialize with poor. Many opportunities will come up when individuals practice good morals and have a heart for the poor. Budd hism also teaches about love, which is a significant value a person can have. Love will make a person to protect and defend the poor in the community by providing basics needs and offering free services to them. Buddhism teachings comprises of 4 noble truths, the eightfold path and the precepts that teaches the society to defend and protect the poor. Christianity Christianity teachings on the subject require their believers to show love to the underprivileged neighbors by performing action of faith. For a Christian to have faith, it should be accompanied by actions (Jones, 5002-6184). Therefore, a person has cannot say that he/she has faith in God without assisting the poor. For instance, the religion requires their followers to provide food, clothing, and shelter to their poor neighbors. They should preach the word of God to them and lift their spirits that God loves them and wants them to be happy. Many Christian’s organizations have come up variety of projects that create employment to the people in the society. The projects employ such individuals, hence making them responsible and independent. According to the biblical prophet, a nation should consider as righteous or integrity, for it be judged by how it treats the poorest and most vulnerable. Christianity believes that the way in which we respond to the poor in society is how Christians respond Jesus; hence, the believers are encouraged to treat the poor for them to be recognized by Jesus (Jones, 5002-6184