Systems Theory And Change Management Information Technology Essay

Systems Theory And Change Management Information Technology Essay Change Management is important for any business transformation like new technology implementation, merger or acquisition. A common framework breaks down change management into three stages: Freeze, Change, and Unfreeze. This paper explains the concept of change management and relate it to the concepts in general systems theory. The case study on an organization is based on my experiences while implementing the change management. This case study is my understanding and analysis of the respective organization as a system of people, process and technology. This analysis will help students and change management consultants to broaden their view and correlate the general systems theory for effective change management. Whenever we have a business transformation within an organization, it impacts the process, the people and technology (Larkin, 2003). Change Management emphasis on the people side of change. Mc Kinsey and Company recently surveyed 1546 business executives from around the world, asking them if they consider their change program completely/mostly successfully: Only 30 percent agreed (Isem, Joseph and Pung, 2006). The change management approach for an organization was based on three stages: Freeze, Change, Unfreeze (Nickols, 2007). The key to the success of a change initiative is to access the previous changes and implementing the change by learnings from previous experiences and by avoiding repeating errors. To analyze the organizations readiness for a change we interact with the people who are responsible and are part of this change. In this paper we will discuss how the steps followed in change management to implement a change are also explained by Bertalanffy in General Systems Theory. We will discuss my experiences to access organizations readiness for change and correlate them with General Systems Theory. Systems Theory would enhance the understanding of an organization that would help to implement an effective change management. II. Theoretical Background: Change Management in Organizations. The first and foremost definition of change management refers to the making of changes in a planned and managed or systematic fashion (Nickols, 2007). A change within an organization could be a business transformation like implementation of new technology, merger or acquisition, layoffs etc. These changes not only affect the process and technology of an organization but also the people affected by this change. A business process transformation impacts the process, people and the technology (Larkin, 2003). Change management concentrates on the people side of change. Change Management is a process through which an organization can achieve its objective. In a conventional approach the various steps through this journey may be delineated but change management facilities to align these steps in a systematic manner to achieve success. It has not been determined whether change management is an art, science, a profession or a discipline. It is more likely composed of a little of each and a totally separate entity in itself (Ledez, 2008). It is a process through which we can predict the success of a change initiative by assessing the readiness of the organization towards change and then implement strategies to achieve the transition from the present scenario to the final transformation. Another definition of change management refers to the efforts it takes to manage people through the emotional ups and downs that inevitably occur when the organization is undergoing massive change (Sieber, Nah, 1999). With the increase in competition and technology it is necessary for an organization to initiate business transformation. The most crucial stage in the change management methodology is Freeze. As a change management consultant my focus was based on assessing the organizations readiness for change. To analyze the organizations readiness for change, we assess the change history, cultural conduciveness of the organization and the overall perception of the senior management towards this change initiative. Systems Theory and Systems Thinking. Systems Integrity is one of the underlying concepts of systems theory emphasizes on understanding the intricacies of a system before making any changes to it. A system becomes more complex with the advancement of technology. As the systems become more complex it is imperative to understand the system as a whole and the interactions within the system. Systems theory focuses on the relationships between parts and the properties of a whole, rather than reducing a whole to its parts and studying their individual properties (Ackoff, 1971). A system is defined as an entity which maintains its existence through mutual interactions of its parts (Bertalanffy, 1976). The interactions within a system occur due to its hierarchical order. The different sub-systems within a system have a particular role to play within a larger system of which it is a part (Sanford, 2004). The underlying structure of which is a nested hierarchy of increasing orders of complexity (Sanford, 2004). Ackoff believes that a systems theory concept approach is fundamental to the study of organizations, so he translated von Bertalanffys original definition of a system to organizational context (Chun, Song, Arling, Granados, 2008). A system is composed of subsystems that interact with each other. At any given time, a system or its subsystems exhibits a state, defined as its current properties or characteristics (Chun, Song, Arling, Granados, 2008). A change in the state of a system is called an event (Chun, Song, Arling, Granados, 2008). In simple terms, an event is any observable occurrence. The behavior of a system can be regarded as an event. Behaviors are events that initiate other events(Chun, Song, Arling, Granados, 2008). For example, providing incentives to the employees is a behavior that will cause another event to motivate the employees. A process is a sequence of behaviors within a system that can lead to reach its final goal (Chun, Song, Arling, Granado s, 2008). This is also related to the concept of equifinality. Equifinality is an idea that suggests that in an open system a similar result may be achieved in many different ways (Cumming, Worley, 2005). Any system that interacts with the external environment is an open system. The open systems interact with the sub-systems within or external environment through feedback mechanism. The final goal or objective of a system can be achieved by the various subsystems in an open system through different ways, paths or procedures. This concept of an open system is called Equifinality. Towards a Systems Theory approach in Change Management. The backbone of change management is composed of a variety of hard and soft sciences drawn upon psychology, sociology, business administration, economics, industrial engineering, systems engineering (Nickols, 2007). It is imperative to study the long term cultural and behavioral patterns of a system to analyze the scope of change within that system. Change Management theory includes a series of models, beliefs, concepts and principles known as General Systems Theory (Nickols, 2007). The concepts of systems theory enhances the effectiveness of change management in an organization. We will now describe the research methodology and the case study of the company where I implemented change management. Lets call that company as LSD (hypothetical name). III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: CASE STUDY The organization as a whole can be considered as a system with various departments within the organizations acting as subsystems interacting among each other and the outside world. The people within an organization are the integral part of this system. Change is also a psychological even and any organizational change may involve some real and perceived threat of personal loss for the people involved. This event may lead to the resistant behavior by the people involved in the change initiative. The success of a change program can be brought about by appropriate connections of many activities related to human behavior. Change management in all about predicting the future. To analyze and predict the success of a change initiative within an organization we need to assess the long term patters or history and behaviors of events within the organization. Current State Assessment consisting of evaluation the change history and assessing the Cultural Conduciveness for the change will provide suggestions how to manage the change within the organization. Organizational readiness assessment will help LSD to determine how prepared they are for the future. Current State Assessment and Organization Readiness Assessment were based on the following inputs- (1) Discussions/ Interviews with the top management, (2) Dialogue with the Core Team i.e. people working on the new technology, (3) Workshops and Questionnaire administration among the key stakeholders i.e. people who are either affected by the change program or can have an impact on the successful implementation of the change program, (4) Workshops and Questionnaire administered to the Core Team , (5) Questionnaires administered among the larger work force across all the offices in the country. Workshops were conducted to sensitize the stakeholders about the importance of the change initiative (ERP implementation) prior to the questionnaire administration. In all 90 responses were collected from all the departments and offices across the country. Also a variety of designations ranging from C-Level executive to lower staff , were covered to gain a comprehensive understanding of LSDs Change History , Culture and Organizational Readiness. IV. CHANGE MANAGEMENT AT LSD LSD is one of the leading government organizations in the power and energy sector. The organization has around twenty three offices across the country with four head offices in metropolitan cities. With the growth and expansion in the last twenty years the company is deciding to switch from the paper-work procedure to ERP implementation. This implantation will streamline and shorten their business processes to cope with the industry standards and competition. I was part of this change management team that facilitated this challenging transformation. Out team included four third-party change management consultants and ten change agents across the organization. These change agents were the employees who were influential within LSD. Applying Systems Theory to Change Management at LSD. We will now correlate the methodologies used by us in change management with the concepts in systems theory and systems thinking. The approach we used to implement this change included both the quantitative analysis (i.e. by administering questionnaire and analyzing the scores) and qualitative analysis (i.e. by conducting interviews and workshops with the employees). In the change readiness assessment we included the survey from all the employees across the country that would be part of this change program. All these employees are part of the whole change management system and relates to the concept that the focuses on the relationship between parts and the properties of a whole (Ackoff, 1971). Change History Assessment. We assess the history of the previous changes within the organization to understand the system better before altering it. The analysis of previous history data will provide us with the previous trends, patterns or behavior of the system. This helps a change management consultant to predict the system better in case of any future changes and manage the system accordingly. The parameters used in the change history assessment are:- Stakeholder Identification and Commitment It is imperative for us to include all the people as a subsystem to interact within the system as a whole. Resistance Analysis and Management The change from one event to another may cause some change in behavior. When we consider the people as part of a system, changes in human behavior is also predominant. Resistance analysis is to gauge the human behavior within our system. Benefits Identification and Management This is one of the parameters that play a very important role in a balancing process. The change management approach is a goal-seeking process that tends to reach the equifinality. The various departments and the people across the organization work together to reach the final change. The resistance from the employees may imbalance the system and diverge it to reach the final goal. Benefits Identification and management is a balancing act to make the resistant employees realize the benefits for them from this change initiative. This will lead the whole system to balance and reach the objective. Communication effectiveness This is also an important variable in any change management process. As the organizations become more complex and large the effectiveness of communication is a challenge. The more effective is the communication, the more aware and supportive the employees are. We can also explain this balancing process through the diagram below: Cultural Conduciveness: Culture is something that is difficult to define accurately, but everyone knows when they sense it. The pattern in the culture helps a change consultant to sense the mindset of the organization. The culture of the organization was assessed on the basis of the following parameters like trust , team work, openness , interpersonal learning , respect for the individuals , organizational support , rewards and recognition. After realizing the problem areas from previous history assessment, we had interviews with the stakeholders to understand the story of the problem. These interviews provided very useful information on the viewpoints of the employees with respect to this change initiative and their perspective on the culture of the organization. This helps the change management consultant to be a part of the system and sensitize to the structure of the organization. The key findings of my project were: The culture for rewards and recognition was less prominent and didnt motivated employees to be enthusiastic about any developments within the organization. The lower level employees felt alienated by the senior level executives. The communication and trust between the senior and lower management was missing. This lead to dissatisfaction among the lower level and they never took in the organization activities.

Sunbeam Case

The Chicago Flexible Shaft Company In 191 0, diversified into small electrical appliances and, with the launch of the Princess case 19 Case 20 case 21 Case 22 Case 23 case 24 Think design and performance-?think Sunbeam Cafe Series Banger Dance Theatre-?The Sydney Swans: a ‘Cousins' relationship What happened to Pokemoon? The evolution of cafe groupies Dick Smith-?the great adventurer Apple's renaissance-? the agreement that works electric iron, it laid the foundation for the small electrical appliance industry. The diversification strategy was aimed at offsetting the seasonal nature of the sheep-shearing industry.In 1 914, the company purchased the Australian operation, and the company Cooper Engineering Co. (CE) was born. Seven years later, in 1921, the introduction of the Sunbeam brand reflected SEC's core business shift to electrical appliances. After World War II, CE changed its company name to Sunbeam Corporation and it introduced the slogan ‘Best Electric Appliance Made'. The first Australian appliance, the Sunbeam misstates, was launched. Despite the fact that it cost more than an average Australians monthly wage, it was an immediate success.Within its first 10 years on the market, the Sunbeam misstates generated sales in excess of 725 000 units. In 1 950, Sunbeam exported its appliances to New Zealand. With international exposure, the growing company needed further manufacturing capacity and it acquired a second manufacturing site in the Sydney suburb of Campsite- In 1952, with the benefit of its sustained success, the company listed on the stock exchange and became Sunbeam Corporation Limited. Expansion continued with the New Zealand operation becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sunbeam Corporation Limited in 1960.Today, Sunbeam is owned by the United States company, GUT Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of pumps, filters and security products. GOD's acquired Sunbeam in 1996. After catering for predominately female needs, it was the male p opulation's turn to benefit from Sunbeam's innovations. The electric shaver-?asseverates-?was introduced to the market. Despite heavy international competition, Asseverates became a market leader shortly after its launch. The appliance revolution continued to penetrate he Australian market. Consumers were introduced to the pop-up toaster, the electric affray, and the dry iron.Over the years, models were replaced and the Toastmasters was introduced in 1960. In 1972 Sunbeam sold more than 1 million products. By 1973, Sunbeam had sold 3. 5 million affrays, one for every three Australians. Aiming to be the first in the market with product innovations, Sunbeam introduced a range of new appliances-?including an iron that featured a patented safety cut-out mechanism; the first plastic jug-style title and a fast-boil kettle, the Express kettle; the Oscar food processor; Quantum, a cordless automatic kettle; and the Toast ‘N' Crumpet toaster.Many of the new products became top sellers, and their excellence in design and function was recognized with several Australian design awards. Sunbeam realized that to maintain its competitive edge, its consumers needed more than just an innovative tangible product. The first 12-months replacement guarantee was implemented by Sunbeam across its entire product range, demonstrating Sunbeam's ointment to quality and performance.

Equality of Condition Essay

In his book â€Å"democracy in America†, Alexis de Tocqueville provides a thorough study of the equality of condition as a distinctive feature of the democratic America and discusses some of the consequences it might have. He begins his writing by introducing the reader that during his stay in America the equality of condition struck his attention the most. In America, the democracy has reached another level that has never been seen before or experienced in any of the European countries but that are slowly progressing towards it. This level of democracy has created a society in which all persons are legally understood to be socially and politically equal. Despite all the benefits that the equality of condition brings to the society, it also tends to isolate people from one another and cut them off from the social beliefs and values. When this form of isolation is transformed into an extreme form of individualism, it creates selfishness and egoism among people. When these people come together to form a majority which in a democratic society enjoys a great amount of power, it might cause the tyranny of majority – de Tocqueville’s main concern. The concept of equality of condition is more complex than it first seems and a society based on this fact poses a threat to freedom. De Tocqueville argues that â€Å"the influence of the equality of condition extends far beyond the political character and the laws of the country and it has no less empire over the civil society than over the government, it creates opinions, gives birth to new sentiments, founds novel customs and modifies whatever it does not produce† (â€Å"Democracy in America† Heffner ed., 26). It is important to depict from this quote that a society based on the equality of condition, above all, creates the common opinion. In an equal society, the fact that all the members are resembled enables them to trust and support the common judgment and opinion. Furthermore, de Tocqueville argues that all the inhabitants of the democratic society are individually equal and independent to each other but if one individual alone tends to contrast the â€Å"totality of his fellows†, he will find himself insignificant and weak. Therefore in a democratic society, the public has, as de Tocqueville calls, â€Å"a singular power† where it enforces certain opinions and infuses such opinions in the intellect of their mind. Considering that in a democratic society, it is the majority that takes decisions, the public opinion will then become the law creating political omnipotence. Therefore, de Tocqueville claims that in the US the majority comes up with opinions and the individuals although they develop their personal thoughts have to adopt those that the majority offers since they, alone, are unable to contrast them. This, in turn, discourages and in a way prohibits them from developing their own intellectual thoughts. Thus, the equality of condition that gives rise to the majority opinion poses a great threat to the individual freedom of thought. During his stay in America, de Tocqueville discovered that the American people appeal only to their own individual effort of its own understanding. He has found that in America the tie which unites generation is broken and that nobody traces or cares about the ideas of their forefathers. In a society where everybody is equal and classes tend to disappear, no man can have an intellectual influence in the mind of another man since nobody looks at his fellows as being superior. Therefore, de Tocqueville argues that in a society based on the equality of condition, not only the trust of one man on another is destroyed but also the intellectual authority on any man. In absence of such intellectual authority, people develop their own believes and judgments within themselves different from the rest of the society. In the absence of an intellectual trustworthy authority capable of imposing social beliefs and values, people are left to seek the truth alone and when they fail to do so or such truth is against their personal judgment, they simply ignore it. Thus, an equally conditioned society tends to isolate people from one another and cut them off from a common set of social beliefs and values. This isolation that results from the equality of condition has dangerous consequences if it reaches extreme levels which de Tocqueville calls individualism. As a result of the individualism, the selfishness and the egoism of people will be born. The egoism and selfishness cause people in this society to develop a love for material gratification a love for richness. They want to acquire everything for themselves even if it is done in the expense of other people. Furthermore, according to de Tocqueville, these individuals do not change their character as they unite with each other or grow in number. In fact, they tend to enforce those selfish opinions but on a greater scale. The majority they create will then act as one selfish individual and in a pure democratic society is given the power to make laws and take decisions on behalf of everybody. Therefore, such a majority consisting of egoist people who fulfill their needs and greed in the expense of the other people composing a minority creates the tyranny of majority. In a democratic society, the ultimate reason that the tyranny of majority occurs, is the individualism which separates people from each other and from the social values and beliefs and allows people to establish selfish opinions that hurt the other people. Therefore, de Tocqueville argues that the establishment of â€Å"family†, â€Å"religion† and â€Å"patriotism† are necessary protections against such tyranny because they bring people together and enforce on them social and moral values. Families bind people together and connect them with each other. Members of the family are taught to sacrifice some of their personal gratification for his ancestors and descendants. Therefore, the establishments of families attempt to fight the selfishness that individualism has created. The members of the family in their childhood are taught morals and social values. The elderly in the family can influence the young ones because they are perceived to have some intellectual authority. Therefore, the family brings people close to each other, where one member of the family cares about the others, and to the social values avoiding the isolation. Patriotism also fights the selfishness and brings people together. De Tocqueville sees patriotism as one citizen making a personal sacrifice for the greater welfare of the public. He also argues that in a patriotic society people do not fail to faithfully support each other. A patriotic person believes that it is his duty to make himself useful to other fellow citizens. Therefore, patriotism also creates a strong community where the members care about one another. It breaks the isolation and consequently the individualism that the equality of condition creates. Religion also brings people close to each other and to the social and moral values. De Tocqueville argues that every religion places the object of men’s desire above any treasurer in the earth. Every religion imposes duties on men towards his fellow citizens and draws him away from the contemplation of himself. Furthermore, the main concern of religion is to purify and restrict the excessive and exclusive taste for well being which men in the periods of equality wishes. Man cannot be cured by the love of the riches but they may be persuaded to enrich themselves by none but honest means (â€Å"Democracy in America† Heffner ed., 152). Thus, religion serves as a superior intellectual authority which brings people together to each other and also enforces on them moral values that people abide to. In essence it fights both the isolation and the selfishness of people. The â€Å"family†, â€Å"patriotism† and â€Å"religion† fulfill the absence of a superior intellectual authority, create a strong community and bring people close to the social and moral values which lack in an egalitarian society. De Tocqueville emphasizes the importance of associations in a democratic society. In his opinion an association consists of a group people united by a common interest and who agree to promote their ideas in a certain manner. Simply, associations guide a group of people with divergent minds towards achieving a specific end. In order for an association to exist it has to have the liberty to create an opinion and the freedom to meet which a democratic society grants to them. De Tocqueville distinguishes between two types of associations; the political association and the civic association. The political association besides having the two liberties mentioned above, they also have the liberty to unite into electoral bodies and chose their representatives. A political association acts as a government within a government where the delegates of the association represent the collective force of their party just like the delegates of the majority. The civic associations include a large number of organizations starting from building inns, churches, schools and hospitals. While the political associations have one major goal that they try to achieve by electing delegates; the civic associations are less formal, include a larger number and attempt to improve the social life in the society. Political associations are sometimes used to organize revolutions like those in Europe whereas the civic associations are voluntarily created and peaceful in their nature. The political associations are similar to the political parties today who elect their delegates and compete for offices. The civic associations are very similar to the interest groups where a group of people form an organization and express their point of view in certain issues and attempt to influence those who already occupy offices. The civic associations like the interest groups include a greater variety of interests. De Tocqueville goes further to argue that the political and civic associations are necessary to retain an active community life in a democratic society. De Tocqueville argues that in a democratic society all the citizens are independent and feeble and they, alone, cannot do anything and cannot oblige another person to assist them. They all become powerless if they do not learn to help each other voluntarily. If they do not form associations, which are simply artificial ways of binding people, they might preserve their wealth but their independence as well as their civilization will be in jeopardy. Furthermore, in a democratic society, as I have discussed earlier, people tend to get isolated from tone another. Therefore, since civic associations are very diverse, they are necessary to voluntarily bring people together and create ties among them. Thus, they are crucial to retain an active sense of community life. The political and civic associations are very important in a democratic society in the attempt to avoid the tyranny of the majority. The minorities can create political associations and elect their delegates in order to directly fight the oppressive laws created by the majority. The civic associations can also be used by minorities to create a larger group and then together voice their opinion. The associations are also used to bring people together and avoid the creation of individualism which is very likely in a society based on the equality of condition. Political and civic associations are, therefore, necessary schools for democracy because they teach us how to avoid the tyranny of majority in advanced democracies. De Tocqueville’s philosophy is still relevant for our own time. Nowadays, the political and civic associations play a very important role in creating communities. As countries become more democratic, the number of associations in those countries increases because people as individuals become powerless and they are unable to defend their beliefs on their own. Today, the political and civic associations are very common and much more active that they have ever been. The political and civic associations enable people to unite and become active members of the society. As people join different organizations, they agree to help and support other fellow citizens. People unite and form associations because they have strong feelings for a cause they fight although such a cause might not directly affect them. Therefore, political and civic associations tend to correct and remove selfishness from the people. The existence of a large number of associations is the reason why we have not exp erienced the tyranny of majority although a number of countries have reached advanced levels of democracy.

Canon Shape Structure in Jewish and Christian Bibles

Judaism and Christianity are derived from different times and places in the world. They share a lengthy past and many of the same books. However, these communities are divergent in their beliefs. The fundamental differences lie within the literary composition of each theology’s sacred texts. The shape and structure of the Jewish and Christian canons are arranged to substantiate each community’s religious beliefs. Jews and Christians arranged their canons differently to obtain a specific outcome in relation to their fundamental beliefs. First off, the Jews arranged their books in the Hebrew Bible to reflect their covenantal relationship with God. The 24 books are organized by genre of scripture and tell the history of God’s relationship†¦show more content†¦These passages from the Book of Malachi emphasize the people’s disobedience towards God and desperate need for redemption, or as the Christian community would interpret it, a savior. For Jews, this is a call to action and to return to God from devious ways. The Book of Malachi’s place in the middle of the Hebrew Bible reflects its significance as a moral lesson and warning. In the Christian Bible, having this book placed last and the Gospels following it, there is a fulfillment of the prophecies. For Christian communities, continuity is established through the prophecies of Jesus Christ. â€Å"In almost every case, the location of a biblical book relative to other canonical books, whether in terms of the grouping in which it is placed, or the book(s) that follow or precede it, has hermeneutical significance for the reader who seeks meaning in the text† (Goswell, 688). For Christians and Jews, their understanding of scriptures purpose is derived from religious texts. The textual arrangement portrays and supports an entirely different meaning to each community. For the Jewish community, the canons reveal their belief in God and their role with the divine entity. The books of the Hebrew Bible take particular significance with the Jewish community inShow MoreRelated1.The Major Literary Forms (Genres) Contained In The New3037 Words   |  13 Pagesbooks, which involves apocalyptic (uses dramatic symbols to give hope to those in a crisis), advice, genealogies, and prayers. The gospel stems from a Greek word meaning good news that describes the scriptures delivered by the ministry the early Christians concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Also, the genres are used to designate any of the first four books in the New Testament. The gospel is a method that specifies that when an individual dies, you do notRead MoreThe Common Prayer By Thomas Cranmer1526 Words   |  7 Pagesbut proclaimed; it is not abused, but discovered.  The gospel now has meaning for all the baptized....an beyond! Cranmer s work has precedent. Ancient scribes once translated the Old Testament into Greek to serve Jewish communities in Greece. As well, writers of the Hebrew canon used speech from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Hittite, and Canaanite sources in their translations. Today, Cranmer s adaptation of the language of the people has become obsolete. Nonetheless, moving toward a 21st CenturyRead MoreImportance of Intercultural Communication to Ist7702 Words   |  31 PagesChapter 4 - The Deep Structure of Culture Introduction Our interpretation of reality determines how we define the world and how we interact in that world. We believe the source of how a culture views the world can be found in its deep structure. It is this deep structure that unifies and makes each culture unique. Meaning of the Deep Structure of Culture Although many intercultural communication problems occur on the interpersonal level, most serious confrontations and misunderstandings are asRead MoreNotes On Religion : Final Exam3274 Words   |  14 Pagesworld’s savior, depicted in the Old Testament, was widely believed and accepted among Jewish communities. Since these ideas existed, the Christian movement popularized the idea of Jesus as the Messiah to legitimate his life. Writers then began to propagate the idea of his death as the centerpiece of Christianity after the crucifixion of Jesus. The crucifixion was portrayed as the sacrifice to end all sacrifices; Christians believe that Jesus died for their sins. Consequently, a shift within the idea ofRead MoreNew World Order in Conspiracy Theory13987 Words   |  56 Pagespolitical gatherings  and decision-making processes.[2][3][4][5][6] Prior to the early 1990s, New World Order  conspiracism  was limited to two American countercultures, primarily the  militantly anti-government right, and secondarily  fundamentalist Christians  concerned with  end-time  emergence of the  Antichrist.[7]  Skeptics, such as  Michael Barkun  andChip Berlet, have expressed concern that  right-wing  conspiracy theories about a New World Order have now not only been embraced by many  left-wing  conspiracyRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages1993 edition, published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, which is owned by Cengage Learning: There is a great deal of coherence. The chapters build on one another. The organization is sound and the author does a superior job of presenting the structure of arguments. David M. Adams, California State Polytechnic University These examples work quite well. Their diversity, literacy, ethnic sensitivity, and relevancy should attract readers. Stanley Baronett. Jr., University of Nevada Las Vegas Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesGabrielle Hecht and Paul Edwards provides a nuanced interweaving of analyses of the nuclear arms race, debates over nuclear power as a major energy source, and the communications revolution made possible by computer technologies that did so much to shape the cold war standoff between the Soviet and American superpowers and the transition to a new century and millennium. Hecht and Edwards underscore the vital connections between the genesis of and incessant innovations in computer technologies and

The Unification Of Innocence And Experience - 1933 Words

The Unification of Innocence and Experience Many peer-reviewed sources believe it is â€Å"essential† to understand the historical contexts of William Blake’s lifetime in order to accurately interpret Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Blake 23). I present opposing questions to this theory: (1) why is it necessary to try and adopt a perceptional adaptation of Blake’s historical perspective in order to comprehend and interpret his work; (3) is Songs of Innocence and of Experience a timeless work of art that remains relevant two hundred and twenty-one years after its initial publication as a compilation; (4) what remains when all historical contexts are eliminated from the analysis of Songs? If Blake only wants his readers to understand his personal viewpoint of Songs, relative to the historical context in which it was written, perhaps he would have published an analytical companion to Songs. Embracing William Blake’s â€Å"non-conformist† ways, I choose to explore the timelessness of Innoce nce and Experience by excluding the majority of historical and political information from my interpretations (Roberts 4). It is my goal to focus this paper on poems from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience that share the same title – I believe this will reveal the parallels between the natures of innocence and experience. Additionally, I will explore the basic philosophical concepts Blake infuses into his poetry; as well as extract the general themes, concepts, and imagery of Songs ofShow MoreRelatedWilliam Blake s The Lamb And The Tyger1493 Words   |  6 Pagesdraw parallels between the truths they found there and the inner experience of Mankind. Counted among the several writers who recorded their artistic and emotional responses to the natural world, William Blake explores the concept of life’s dualities and how this concept applied to life in 18th Century Britain, as well as to the relationship between the body and spirit, in his most popular works, Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul (1794). Two standoutRead MoreThe Beauty Of Nature By William Wordsworth972 Words   |  4 PagesPeople in society become less cognizant of nature around them and are more preoccupied with the things that have been produced by man. Wordsworth takes experiences that occur in nature or a human reaction to objects they encounter to inspire them. Nature is seen prominently as an eternal figure, which gives the reader as well as himself a sense of comfort. Wordsworth views the world as a soothing being of which he is a part. He describes nature and sees the goodness of the divinity aspects behindRead More Bless Me Ultima Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesTony? Tony is only a seven year boy who lives in small town of El Puerto. But he is no ordinary boy, he is the hero of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima. The novel guides you through Tony’s life. From childhood to adulthood. It tells you about the experiences Tony has in life. The difficult tasks he has to overcome. Tony being only seven years old has to go through a lot. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Tony begins his story in the beginning. He does not mean the beginning of his dreams from which heRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1157 Words   |  5 Pagesclassic narrative of evil tempting innocence. Oates’ version of the devil allegory combines this Christian model of temptation with contemporary secular society. Connie is a pretty fifteen year-old girl, beginning the process of maturation into adulthood. She begins to become aware of her ability to act of her own volition, but her naivete renders her ignorant to Arnold Friend’s layers of deception. Connie’s blindness is the pretext of her loss of innocence and subsequent fall from graceRead MoreEssay Dual Court System1094 Words   |  5 Pagesfederal constitutional guarantees. When that happens, claimed violations of federal due process guarantees especially those found in the Bill of Rights. B. Could the drive toward court unification eventually lead to monolithic court system? Would such system be effective? No, the drive towards court unification could eventually lead to a monolithic court system because the would give the federal court system too much control and besides, state legislative would make the better decision whenRead MoreJapanese Gardens : A Garden Style1450 Words   |  6 Pagesand refined character and they are placed on the ground among plants and under tall trees, it catches and reflects back the light from above, bringing added life to a dark spot (Harte, 58). The symbolism behind a water basin symbolizes purity and innocence or they are also associated with the Japanese Tea Ceremony. A Japanese tea ceremony is simply the process of boiling water, to make the tea, and just drinking the tea (Zen and the Art of Tea). The analysis of the water in the Japanese Garden itRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s The Negro Artist And The Racial Mountain ``1075 Words   |  5 Pagesthe ill-founded scientific belief that they were incapable of creative expression. Consequently, the space of Harlem invited opportunity for collaboration and publishing while simultaneously establishing the ideal era for artists to fight for the unification and acceptance of black identity. Therefore, in this context, Langston Hughes’s animosity toward Countee Cullen in â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain† seems eloquent and justifiable when Hughes obscurely claims that the black poet who wishesRead MoreThe Birth Of The Realism And Modernism Era1322 Words   |  6 Pagescharacters are more important than action, plot renders reality closely in comprehensive detail, events will be plausible and diction is natural vernacular† (Realism from American). In contrast, Modernism focuses on â€Å"rea listic detail, allusiveness, unification of fragmenting reality through inner perception and primitivism† (Craig White’s Literature). Modernism is as a â€Å"period of movement† such as â€Å"the Renaissance, Enlightenment and Romanticism eras†(Craig White’s literature). Through a different pointRead MorePeter Weir’s film Gallipoli1722 Words   |  7 Pagesideal manhood or womanhood† (in Inglis 458). The ANZAC legend portrayed within Gallipoli â€Å"creates a socially all-encompassing myth†¦[bringing] together all social classes† (Rattigan 135)). Despite the difference between social groups, through the unification of common duty, the stereotypical Australian values of mateship and endurance dominate. Individualism is shared through the mirror imaging of the two protagonists, presenting â€Å"unabashedly the primacy of the male subject, in fact revealing his elevationRead MoreWuthering Heights1424 Words   |  6 Pagesdif ferent pasts, different personalities, and different goals and aspirations that prevented true love. Tess Durbeyfield has a difficult past, and it impacts who she grows up to be; her past is always a part of her, a perpetual learning experience. Though she spends some years away from home, Tesss personality is still influenced by her humble beginnings, making it impossible for Angel to fully understand her, because his own childhood was relatively easy compared to Tesss. Tess bears most

Jetblue Airlines Strategy Audit Report - 1536 Words

JetBlue Airlines Strategy Audit Report Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University MGMT-436 May 2016 1. History of the Company JetBlue was founded by David Neeleman which was a former employee of Southwest in February of 1999. The original name for the new low cost airline was â€Å"NewAir† most of the original members to create the airlines all were former employees of southwest. JetBlue s founders wanted to originally call the airline Taxi and have a yellow paint scheme on the aircraft to associate the airline with New York. But for all of our sakes the ideas was drop by the major benefactor JP Morgan to pull its share ($20 million of the total $128 million) of the airline s initial funding unless the name was changed. JetBlue†¦show more content†¦High Value Geography – We operate from six focus cities in some of the largest travel markets in the United States. We plan to continue to grow our network, with most of our flights touching at least one of these focus cities (JetBlue, 2016). 3.Financial Overview The JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU), incorporated in Delaware in 1998, is the fifth largest passenger carrier in the U.S. based on revenue passenger miles. With an average of 800 daily flights, it serves more than 30 million passengers and provides flights to 82 destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America (JetBlue, 2016). JetBlue’s operations are concentrated in the domestic market and generates 28% revenues from international routes. Its passenger revenues accounted for 91% of its total operating revenue. During 2013, JetBlue added seven new cities to its network. It also recorded operating revenue of $5.4 billion(Marketrealist,2016). Plus, it reached its highest net income of $168 million by increasing its diluted earnings per share by 30%, from $0.40 to $0.52, in 2012(Marketrealist,2016). The following chart below shows the current stock information on JetBlue. Fig, 2 (YahooFinance, 2016) JetBlue’s unique selling proposition is providing high-class services to its customers at an affordable price. It ranks first among low-cost carriers for the ninth consecutive year in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey. JetBlue is also the first airline in theShow MoreRelatedJetblue Bmgt 364 Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesJet Blue Airlines BGMT 364 Alexandria Walker 01/19/2013 University of Maryland University College Professor Brockunier Abstract This paper outlines the formation of a vision statement, the mission and the values that JetBlue and Southwest airlines embrace. A firm can initiate strategic management once it forms a mission statement. That statement allows forms to aspire to its potential while bearing in mind what it wants to avoid as it successfully grows. JetBlue and SouthwestRead MoreJetblue Organizational Plan761 Words   |  4 PagesOrganizational Plan Introduction JetBlue is known as the airline that promises, and also delivers. JetBlue delivers Air flight of the future, with new jets and the lowest fares available. JetBlue has proved to the world that one can have it all. JetBlue’s Airways started in 2000 with the mission as stated by the founder Neeleman: â€Å"to bring humanity back to air travel by offering passengers low fares, friendly service, and high-quality product† (Ford, 2004, p.139). JetBlue has five core values that theyRead MoreJetBlue Airlines Case Analysis7061 Words   |  29 PagesJetBlue Airlines Strategic Management Case Analysis Introduction to the Company History of the Firm JetBlue was established in 1999, and was the third airline start-up for founder and CEO David Neeleman. Neeleman managed to gather $130 million, the most ever raised for a start-up airline, from investors that included Chase Capital and financier George Soros. With the large start-up capital he purchased new Airbus A320 jets equipped with satellite TV, a first in the industry. In 2004 theRead MoreBusiness Prospects Of A Saas Based Airline Revenue Assurance Business7408 Words   |  30 Pages APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT ON Analysis of the business prospects of a SAAS based airline revenue assurance business. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of Global Master of Business Administration (GMBA) Information technology management Term 2 Period of Study: May 2015 to August 2015 Submitted By: Under the guidance of: Aditya Sharma GJAN15IT031 Mr Gerald Thomas Gaurav Kenue GJAN15IT032 Director, Ridhi Rabra GJAN15IT034 Altruis Health Read MoreBalanced Scorecard and Strategic Analysis of Southwest Airlines2241 Words   |  9 PagesSUMMARY Southwest Airlines Co. provides low-fare, no-frills, civil air transportation. The company was incorporated in 1967 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. As of December 31, 2005, it operated 445 Boeing-737 aircrafts and provided service to 61 cities in 31 states. The company also provides frequent flyer awards to business partners, including credit card companies, hotels, telecommunication companies, and car rental agencies. Southwest Airlines is the fifth largest airline company in AmericaRead MoreDistinctions in the Customer Satisfaction Levels Between Southwest Airline Customors and Delta Airline Customers3467 Words   |  14 PagesSatisfaction Levels between Southwest Airline Customers and Delta Airline Customers Executive Summary Success for commercial airline companies is determined by their profit and their profitability is increased by making the most of satisfying their customers and retaining loyalty. Survey results in 2007 indicated that â€Å"airlines have work to do to improving customer satisfaction,† (AP, 2007). Delta Airlines ranked among the lowest and Southwest Airlines ranked among the highest in the surveyRead MoreStrategic Corporate Communication in Vodacom2673 Words   |  11 Pageswho reports direct to the Vodacom Managing Director. (see appendex1). The corporate Affairs office has to take care of employee relations, community relations, media relations, government relations, investor relations, advertising and marketing communications functions. This indicates that communication is a core value to Vodacom. Vodacom strategic corporate communication plan is to incorporate internal and external stake holders very closely to an overall corporate communication strategy. ToRead MoreCall Centers1308 Words   |  6 Pages* Maintains knowledge of phone system and the reporting capabilities.   * Provides supervision, guidance, coaching, recognition, motivation and training to department personnel. * Accepts and resolves escalated customer calls. * Ensures audit compliance and quality control of all work processed within the department * Attends various product knowledge and customer service training presentations. * Ensures effective communication to staff and implementation of all policy and procedureRead MoreSouthwest Airline Strategic Audit11701 Words   |  47 Pages(ESLSCA) Strategic Management Paper Southwest Airline Strategic Audit Prepared By : Hesham Gamal El Din El Desouky Mohamed Dandash Wael Youssef Professor : Dr. Saneya El Galaly Group : 21-A Table Of Contents I. Executive Summary 5 II. SouthWest Airlines History 6 III. Current Situation 8 III.1. Current Performance 8 III.2. Strategic Posture 13 III.2.1. Mission Vision 13 III.2.2. Objectives 14 III.2.3. Strategies 15 IV. Corporate governance 19 IV.1. BoardRead MoreSouthwest Airline Strategic Audit11690 Words   |  47 Pagesappliquà ©es (ESLSCA) Strategic Management Paper Southwest Airline Strategic Audit Prepared By : Hesham Gamal El Din El Desouky Mohamed Dandash Wael Youssef Professor : Dr. Saneya El Galaly Group : 21-A Table Of Contents I. Executive Summary 5 II. SouthWest Airlines History 6 III. Current Situation 8 III.1. Current Performance 8 III.2. Strategic Posture 13 III.2.1. Mission Vision 13 III.2.2. Objectives 14 III.2.3. Strategies 15 IV. Corporate governance 19 IV.1. Board of Directors

Supply Chain Information Systems Strategy

Question: Discuss about the Supply Chain Information Systems Strategy. Answer: Introduction: Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, derives most of its competitive advantage from its supply chain. The company, however, acknowledges that for sustainability and optimization of the benefits emanating from the chain, it is important to collaborate with other stakeholders. This vision resonates with Procter and Gambles long-term investment in collaborative supply chain management as a way of building trust and maximizing profits[1]. However, these efforts are being held back by a lack of deeper understanding of the dynamics of supply chain collaboration among managers and stakeholders. Therefore, research was needed to overcome this challenge. Fawcett, Jones, and Fawcett (2012) conducted a study about supply chain trust and collaborative innovation between PG and Walmart[2]. The aim of the research was to determine the managers and key stakeholders understanding of the nature of trust. The study undertook to establish whether managers from either company were fully aware of the desired nature of trust which they ought to build and how it can impact their co-operation. The study also aimed at increasing their understanding of the critical aspects of trust building. By doing this, the study will identify the strengths and the flaws of the current collaborative supply chain between PG and Walmart and make recommendations that increase collaboration and innovation. The research was conducted by Stanley Fawcett, Stephen Jones, and Amydee Fawcett. The three are business management scholars at renowned American universities. However, the three researchers were contracted by the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University[3]. The University is one of the leading research partners of PG and has been accredited with some studies that have helped the company continue to grow. Indiana University has also carried out several studies touching on Walmart. This is, therefore, the reason why it was chosen in this case involving the two companies. The research was used to identify the critical pillars of building supply chain trust between the two companies. The findings of the research were used to indicate the level of awareness among managers of the two companies in relation to supply chain cooperation. This indeed helped the managers to identify ways of improvement through building trust and efficiency in the supply chain. Considering that PG is one of the leading suppliers of a wide range of brands found on the shelves of Walmart, this study would help the company increase their supplies on a platform of improved trust, collaboration, and innovation. Walmart would also benefit in equal measure. The research was conducted using a two-stage qualitative methodology. This approach involved conducting a thorough literature review in an exploratory framework. In this regard, the study evaluated key issues such as interpersonal and firm-based trust[4]. Secondly, interviews were used to evaluate the level of understanding on supply chain alliance and the growth of supply chain collaboration frameworks among companies[5]. To maintain consistency, semi-structured questionnaires were used to all the interviews. These statistics were tabulated in the end with the major variables and indicators aligned in line with the respondents' feedback. This would help in data integration and analysis in the end. The findings of the research indicated that 55% of the companies had limited information regarding trust and collaborative information on a double-edged setting. The results showed that most companies adopted limited trust. They preferred a one-way flow of trust at the expense of mutual trust. The findings also indicated that managers had little information on how to build trust and collaboration, with most of them citing the supply schedule and pricing as the key aspects. On the other hand, the outcome also indicated that managers had little practical experience and the resources necessary for constituting supply chain trust and collaboration[6]. The study thus came up with a trust matrix against which the key variables were measured. The study recommended a trust maturity framework that would help cure the current disparities and increase performance based on supply chain trust. Overall, this research is straightforward and tackles the key aspects in the most comprehensive way. Although there is little statistical data, the study exhausts the key concepts relevantly and brings out the intended outcome. The results reflect what had been identified in the hypotheses. On the other hand, the study stays in line with the problem and solution model by giving a breakdown of the complex issues and then merging them with the respective remedies. In entirety, this study would help Walmart and PG to assess their chain relationship and apply improvement measures[7]. It is an ideal blueprint for the maximization of benefits beyond the obvious in any supply chain. Bibliography Delbufalo E, Outcomes of inter?organizational trust in supply chain relationships: a systematic literature review and a meta?analysis of the empirical evidence (2012) 17 Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 377 Du, Timon C., et al. "Willingness to share information in a supply chain: A partnership-data-process perspective." Information Management 49.2 (2012): 89-98. Fawcett SE, Jones SL and Fawcett AM, Supply chain trust: The catalyst for collaborative innovation (2012) 55 Business Horizons 163 Qrunfleh S and Tarafdar M, Supply chain information systems strategy: Impacts on supply chain performance and firm performance (2014) 147 International Journal of Production Economics 340 Ramanathan U and Gunasekaran A, Supply chain collaboration: Impact of success in long-Term partnerships (2014) 147 International Journal of Production Economics 252 Stadtler, Hartmut. "Supply chain management: An overview."Supply chain management and advanced planning. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015. 3-28.