Reviewing Arguements Whether Scientific Management

The topic I have chosen for my essay assignment would be option 1 which is reviewing the arguments for and against the statement whether scientific management creates efficient organizations. In the world of today, it has been known that scientific management developed over the years and is applied in the everyday work life. Frederick Winslow Taylor is the person who discovered scientific management, also known as ‘Taylorism’.It is a theory about management that analyses and synthesize the workflow of a work place but the main objective is to improve the efficiency of the economy, especially in labour productivity based on five principles as described by Buchanan(2010, pg 423). The first principle of Taylorism is to have ‘A clear division of tasks and responsibilities between management and workers’ whereby the author Chris Grey(2010, pg 40) disagreed that it was an added advantage to an organization. He described it as a system that transfers the power from workers to managers.It reduces autonomy among workers, working conditions and threatened unemployment. It is more of a radical and near complete separation between planning and decision-making, where managers would make the decision while workers carry out the order. The outcome of this caused workers to leave their jobs and go on strike, time and motion studies were banned in US defence plants and even owners and senior managers were against Taylorism as they think that the system has given the managers a higher authority than them.The second principle, ‘The use of scientific methods to determine the best way of doing a job’ was brought up to a disagreement by Paul Adler where he claims that Taylorism represents a fundamental emancipatory philosophy of a job design. His research reveals two fundamental flaws in the standard view that is based on two psychological assumptions. The first one is that work will only be motivating to the extent that it resembles free play and the second that workers need to have autonomy. Adler states that the standard critique of Taylorism is that it presents the payoff of the workers as the only source of motivation to get them going.Adler also argued that when workers develop positive feelings towards their job and perceive Taylorism as an effective way of accomplishing the task, then low individual and team autonomy can co-exist with high morale. (Buchanan,2010,pg 444 – 445). Buchanan (2010, pg 428) also commented that there are several criticisms that disagree with Taylorism bringing efficiency to an organization based on this principle. The first one was because it assumes that the motivation of an employee was to gain maximum payoff for their hard work and neglected the importance of the other rewards such as being given recognition and achievement.This will cause workers to feel that they are not appreciated and are being used as tools to do the job. Secondly, it failed to explain to the workers the us e of implementing new procedures, being timed and closely supervised all the time. Workers will not enjoy being watched all the time, as it would make them feel like a prisoner. It also makes them feel uncomfortable as to not having any privacy at work. However, the Gilbreths came up with their own study through developing Taylorism showing their agreement with Taylor’s second principle. Frank Gilbreth tudied motion and time of job to analyse how long it would take for a person to complete the given task which then lead to the development of a system called ‘therbligs’ which is formed from elementary movements, each having its own symbol and colour. His research then lead him to developing a standard time for each job element, and this is still being used till today for designing the wage payment systems. As for Lilian Gilbreth, she contributed psychologically. She studied motions to eliminate unnecessary actions and to reduce fatigue experienced by workers.She f igured that if she could succeed it would increase the work rate of a worker to maximize productivity. She introduced rest periods, placing chairs at the workplace resting area, and instituted holidays with pay. Changes were also made to the heating, lighting and ventilation of the workplace. This may have been a new revolution for the workers as it improved their work life and gave them motivation to do their jobs. (Buchanan, 2010,pg 429 – 430). The third principle is ‘Scientific selection of the person to do the newly designed job’.Henry Ford did a great job in doing so as he became famous for his way of mass-production that benefited his organization. Ford applied the principles of rationalization whereby employees are allocated simple tasks that are carefully designed to gain maximum efficiency from the workers. Ford replaced skilled craftsmen with machines therefore eliminating the need for skilled workers. He boosted up production of the cars that could har dly be done with just manpower but critics argued that Ford’s technique was destroying craftsmanship and de-skilling jobs.In the workers’ view, this was more of an issue about identifying the right task for unskilled workers to do who would otherwise not enjoy their work and be demoralized which could lead to many problems later on if not solved. The same critics also asserted that short cycle repetitive jobs are the cause of workers being treated like a machine, alienated and stressful. (Buchanan, 2010,pg 431 – 435) A research on the Braverman thesis shows many criticisms were made about Braverman and his deskilling thesis that disagrees with this principle as well. Buchanan cited from (Noon and Blyton, 2007 (pp. 57-159); Fincham and Rhodes, 2005) which shows a couple of criticism such as Taylorism ignoring alternative management strategies like making a choice between using Taylorism to deskill a job position or to let the workers gain autonomy. Employee empow erment would definitely provide better worker interchangeability that allows better assembly line balancing. At the same time, employees will not be deskilled and the management gets to take control over the labour process. Another criticism was that it exaggerated about the management’s objective of controlling labour.The thesis underestimated the complexity and diversity about management objectivity and plurality of interests. Direct labour will take up a small proportion of the total cost of a product and it may not be significant as it was in the past compared to today. The third criticism was that workers were being treated passively. There have been unions and individual resistance towards deskilling, as workers were not being treated fairly as they were forced to do a specific job that does not require their skill they have to be put to good use.In the end, the worker’s skill will deteriorate until he loses it completely. The next one was the underestimation of the employees’ consent and accommodation whereby workers will welcome Taylorism once they understand the importance of it and practice it for years. Fifth, it ignores gender. In the past, men have always been the one who have been developing working skills and were more capable of doing work. That brought a disadvantage to the women as they were being compared to men. They overlooked the possibilities that women may also be able to do other jobs such as office jobs. Buchanan,2010, pg 440 – 441) The fourth principle is ‘The training of the selected worker to perform the job in the way specified’ and from this principle came about the upskilling position which gave importance towards human capital. Companies invested in their workforce by providing education and training to help them have a better understanding of their work and how to do it right. This will help managers to identify which worker is capable of doing which job they will be assigned to. Beside s that, it will generate higher level of skills among employees that most work required during those times.The fifth principle is the ‘Surveillance of workers through the use of hierarchies of authority and close supervision’. Harry Braverman developed the Braverman where he saw scientific management as a method of directly controlling fellow employees. Managers reduced the autonomy and discretion of workers in how they perform their jobs, thereby deskilling their work in order to gain more control over them. Braveman concluded two types of deskilling technique and they are, firstly, organizational deskilling which involves Taylor’s separation of task conception from task execution that all problems are to be solved by the supervisor.The second one is technological deskilling that is replacing the workers with machines to achieve a better rate of production. (Buchanan, 2010,pg 436 – 437) Max Weber also agreed to this principle stating that rational-legal a uthority was increasingly supplanting forms of authority which comes from a set of rules, procedures and duties. This authority is empowered to the person in charge, for example, the Chief Executive Officer of an organization. Eventhough the person holding the position may change, the empowerment the job position holds still maintains the same.There always have to be someone who oversees the entire organization and manage it. Just like a country, without the government the country will not be in order but instead be in chaos. Weber defines this type of organization being set by rules and a series of hierarchical relationship. It helps make use of principles of systemization, division of labour and authority. Weber stated that his theory represented the most technical and rational form of an organization and it was confirmed when his theory spread like wildfire throughout the state as organizations were implementing his theory. Grey,2009, pg 22-23) From what I have studied about scie ntific management and its theories about how it has been applied throughout the years I would agree that scientific management does creates an efficient organization. It has dramatically improved our work life today if compared to the old days where workers were mistreated, low rate of production and many more. Scientific management have been developing over the years and along side it there were ups and downs but I have to say that in the world today, it has definitely brought significant changes to organizations.As I have worked before at several hotels, I have experienced these changes such as following procedures and rules while working which is fine by me as it tells me what I should do and be more systematic. While I was working in the F&B department, everyday there will be tasks assigned to each staff so that everyone knows what they are supposed to do and to prevent miscommunication between one another. I felt very comfortable and I did my job well following it with little p roblems. Another example would be with the help of technology everything goes faster and smoother through my experience in the front office department.In the front office department, guest records used to be manually written down in a book and it would be a hassle to find out if the guest stayed there before but now we have computers where we can just enter a guest’s information within a minute and check it at anytime and any second. Everything will be recorded in the computer therefore making it available to other departments so that they could get information on a certain guest. In conclusion, surely there are advantages and disadvantages in scientific management but that is what that makes it improve and develop over the years.There may be people who disagree with me but I stand firm on my decision that scientific management does create an efficient organization and I also look forward to see what new changes it will bring in the near future. Referances Buchanan, D. and Hu czynski, A. (2010),Organizational Behaviour, Harlow, Financial Times/ Prentice Hall (7th edition), Grey, C. (2009) A very short and fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying organizations, (2nd edition), London, Sage Publications Ltd Noon M. and Blyton P. (2007), The Realities of Work, (3rd edition), Gordonsville,Palgrave Macmillan

Comparison of the Social Sciences

MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION 1 HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER ON DIVERSITY PRESENTATION JANICE MORELAND SSC101 HUMAN BEHAVIOR PERSPECTIVE SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTOR: ALOMA MENDOZA JUNE 4, 2012 1 Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn. com/abstract=2132524 MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION 2 ABSTRACT This paper is a critical comparison between the human behavior disciplines of anthropology, psychology, and sociology. This assessment is an observation of a social, political and cultural conflict that can be solved with compromise.The issue will analyze behavior using the social science perspective of anthropology, psychology, and sociology as a multimedia presentation. It emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and reflects the values of Respect and Community for people of other cultures. Keywords: altruism, diversity, self-actualization, community, philosophy, living, community, happiness, wellbeing, respect. 2 Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn. com/abstract=2132524 MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION 3 Anthropology Who Am I Cultural DiversityPsychology Why Am I Different Diversity = Differences Sociology What Influences You and Me and How Can We Survive Together with our Differences Compromise = Allowing me to be Different without you giving up your integrity THE ROLE OF ANTHROPOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY First, the study of anthropology profiles human behavior and cultural diversity based upon ethnicity, race, gender and national origin. This anthropological study of human behavior tells us the mores, work ethics, taboos, social constructs, social institutions, religion, family structure, hierarchy of social structures (popular and subcultures) and needs.Secondly, the study of anthropology equates to a psychological profile of a particular culture, ethnic group, race, or gender and their belief systems, lear ning, motivations, and perceptions. Therefore, the psychological profile of a particular region, culture, race or ethnic group tells us what sociology or social influences and biological influences have on the behavior of that particular group that motivates, enhances, destroys or influences change in that on a particular culture. 3 MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION ***Clip Art by Microsoft word*** In 1980, a lawsuit was filed: Keebler Co. v. Rovira Biscuit Corp. , 624 F2d 366 (1980). This lawsuit was a dispute about who owns the title to the word â€Å"export sodas† to identify a generic term for â€Å"soda crackers†. Expert Sodas was a generic term that meant the same as Soda Crackers and Keebler wanted to hold exclusive rights to it. Well Rovira Biscuit Corp had been using the name and made a knockoff package to look like Keebler and Keebler didn’t like it.Therefore, Keebler took an aggressive action by demanding that it h old title to the name. Well, the courts didn’t see it quite that way and looked for middle ground where all might not be totally happy, but not completely dissatisfied; the court allowed Keebler to keep the name based upon state specific areas and Rovira to use the other term in Puerto Rico where everyone knew what both names meant. Therefore, both got what they wanted and were able to operate without hostility or interference and everyone knew what both words meant. Justia, 1980) The moral to this story is that if you want to prevent stagnation then compromise is the answer, it’s the way America maintains domestic tranquility. What is based upon religion is that 4 MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION 5 and what is considered a secular idea with the same meaning can have a different name with the same rights. There are some paradigm shifts that can destroy or enhance. The question is anyone willing to compromise to get results?In concl usion, the study of anthropology which gives all of the facts of a culture based upon culture, region, race, gender and ethnicity. Psychology says that you can use the information from the study of anthropology model a psychological profile or the mindset of a particular culture, race, region or ethnic group to determine what they will or will not do. Sociology says that based upon the study of anthropology and psychology, political leaders, social institutions, businesses, and others can determine what social constructs or social institutions to use as a device for change. MORELAND: HUMAN BEHAVIOR PESPECTIVES COMPARISON PAPER AND PRESENTATION 6 REFERENCES: Bing. (2012) A view from the right. (picture) Retrieved June 3, 2012 from http://aviewfromtheright. com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/diverse-people. jpg Justia. (1980). Keebler Co. v. Rovira Biscuit Corp. , 624 F2d 366 (1980). Retrieved June 3, 2012 from http://law. justia. com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/624/366/312997/). ) Retr 6

Psychological Bases of the Learning Process Essay

I. Introduction The nature of the learning process has been studied by psychologists and physiologists. Many experiments have been performed and the literature on the subject is voluminous. There has been continual progress in exploring what is not known about learning. Each year sees new discoveries hew hypotheses. Some proposed hypotheses were proven wrong and some older discoveries were made eligible for major modification. Subjecting individuals and classes to scientific measurements has lifted certain phases of learning from the realm of speculation to the realm of science. At present, there is no comprehensive theory concerning all aspects of learning. There is considerable disagreement about the language to be used in describing learning. Different writers hold conflicting positions on the degree of specificity of generality appropriate in talking about learning (Baxter Magolda, 2000). The science of psychology is of significance for the light that it throws upon the nature of the learning process and upon the conditions most favourable to learning. Many other sciences have contributed a great deal to an understanding of the nature of the learning process and to the principal issues involved in the education of boys and girls. For example, sociology, physiology, biology, and biochemistry have added much to the improvement of educational procedures. In order to understand the teaching process, the students or the teacher must first know something about the learning process concerns the teacher no less than the pupils. Although the teacher cannot do the actual learning for the pupil, he can facilitate learning through effective teaching. Effective teaching and learning demand mutual understanding between teacher and learner. It is imperative, therefore, that the nature of the learning process be clearly understood by the teachers so that the instructional activities may proceed in accordance with the basic factors of normal learning. It is apparent that of the teachers do not know how learning takes place they will not be able to accomplish in directing and guiding the learning activities of the pupils (Woodworth, 2004). They should know not only how learning takes place, but also how activities of the pupils are sufficiently and effectively directed to bring about the desired growth and development of the pupils. Thesis Statement:   Ã‚  This study intends to: (1) develop the ability to understand the meaning of the learning process; (2) develop the ability to understand the major laws if learning and their application to teaching; (3) to acquaint the students with the different factors which affect learning and: (4) develop an understanding of the psychological principles of learning. II. Discussion A. Learning from different point of view As in other areas of science there are, in the field of learning, various theories which attempt to explain its basic processes. Both in method and conclusion these theories have differed greatly, for they have sharply focused attention on only certain aspects of the total learning process. As a consequence, the behaviour which various experimenters and teachers have observed has been different. These various experimental studies have led to several ways of looking at the process of learning. Each has attempted to derive basic principles. At present time, however, it would be unwise for a teacher to adopt any one method as the way. Dealing with complex human learning demands that one give attention to all aspects of learning process (Gates, 2003). A fundamental aspect of the present conception of learning is its meaning. The meaning of the learning process, explained from different point of views, is given as follows. 1. Learning from the point of view of the Mind Theory— This theory of the Faculty psychology was formulated by Christian Wolff in 1731. This doctrine held that the mind has mental powers or faculties, such as memory, reason, judgment, attention, will observation, and the like, each of which functions as a separate entity that can be improved through exercise or use. For example, faculty psychologists believed that the strengthening of memory could be achieved through the memorization of long and difficult passages.   Such exercise was assumed to develop in the learner the power to remember well whatever material by which he later might be stimulated. According to the mind theory, all learning is training of the mind and developing the powers of its faculties. The believers of this theory assume that exercise of these powers in one area of content makes one more competent in the use of these same powers with other materials (Stephens, 2001). 2. Learning from the viewpoint of Connectionist’s Theory— This theory refers to the famous stimulus-response or S-R bond theory advanced by Thorndike. This point of view is based on the concepts that bonds or connections between situations and responses. The basis of learning is association between sense impression and impulses to action. This point of view, learning occurs through a change in the connection between a particular stimulus and a response, thus this theory regards a connection as the key to the understanding of the learning process. To the connectionists, the stimulus-response (S-R) explanation of learning covers all types of learning. This point of view is based on the old synaptic resistance theory. The S-R bond theory is now known as S-O-R theory (Woodworth, 2004). 3. Learning from the viewpoint of Behaviourism—Learning from the Behaviourist’s point of view, refers to the building up of conditioned reflexes or habit formation resulting from conditioning. According to Watson, conditioned reflex is central to learning as the unit out of which habits are formed. Watson used Pavlov’s experiments as the epitome of learning and made of the condition reflex as the unit of habit, and built his system on that foundation (Woodworth, 2004). 4. Learning from the viewpoint of the Gestaltists— Gestalt mean pattern, shape, form, or configuration. It implies that a set of stimulating circumstances takes place according to the relative value of various stimuli acting at the same time. This point of view recognizes that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, or that the whole gets its meaning from the parts. It can be seen that the parts can be understood only in relation to one another and that this relationship is determined by the nature of the whole (Stephens, 2001). 5. Learning from the viewpoint of the Progressivists— The concept of learning from the progressivists’ point of view is in conformity with the integrative point of view which is based on Gestalt theory of learning. Both recognize the importance of the learner in the learning process, his interests, his attitudes, and above all, his ability to utilize the past experiences in meeting new situations. Both believe that there is no substitute for experience in the process. Likewise, learning is conceived by both in terms of total growth of the child rather than the mastery of the subject-matter or change in behaviour. Both views are complementary and supplementary to each other (Stephens, 2001). B. The Major Laws of Learning Learning, whether it be that of an animal or of a human being, goes on in accordance with the laws of life. Improvement in teaching and learning can scarcely be made without a careful recognition of laws and principles upon which to base any valuable structure for the betterment of the learners. The results of experiments on learning have been generalized and stated as laws of learning. The laws of learning are attempts to state the more fundamental conditions favourable to the learning process. There is need for laws whether it be in a certain fields of knowledge, a particular course of study, or in the learning process itself. They are designed to make learning a continuous process of development when properly handled and controlled. The more the teacher understands the laws and conditions of learning, the more fully he brings his knowledge into relationship with the situation in the classroom, and the better and more effective his instruction is likely to become (Kohler, 2005). C. Factors which may affect the Learning Process It has been found out that the pupil’s difficulty in learning may be due to many factors within the child himself. Some of the important factors which may affect the learning process are as follows: 1. Intellectual factor—The term refers to the individual mental level. Success in school is generally closely related to the level of the intellect. Pupils with low intelligence often encounter serious difficulty in mastering schoolwork. Sometimes pupils do not learn because of special intellectual disabilities. A low score in one subject and his scores in other subjects indicate the possible presence of a special deficiency. Psychology reveals to us that an individual possesses different kind of intelligence. Knowledge of the nature of the pupils’ intellect is of considerable value in the guidance and the diagnosis of disability (Lashley, 2004). 2. Learning factors— Factors owing to lack of mastery of what has been taught, faulty methods of work or study, and narrowness of experimental background may affect the learning process of any student. If the good school proceeds to rapidly and does not constantly check up on the extent to which the student is mastering what is being taught, the student accumulates a number of deficiencies that interfere with successful progress (Lashley, 2004). 3. Physical factors— Under this group are included such factors such as health, physical development, nutrition, visual and physical defects, and glandular abnormality. It is generally recognized that ill health retards physical and motor development, and malnutrition interfere with learning and physical growth. Children suffering from visual, auditory, and other physical defects are seriously handicapped in developing skills such as reading and spelling (Lashley, 2004). 4. Mental factors— Attitude falls under mental factors. Attitudes are made up of organic and kinaesthetic elements. They are not to be confused with emotions that are characterized by internal visceral disturbance. Attitudes are more or less of definite sort. They play a large part in the mental organization and general behaviour of the individual. Attitudes are also important in the development of personality. Among these attitudes are interest, cheerfulness, affection, prejudice, openmindedness, and loyalty. Attitudes exercise a stimulating effect upon the rate of learning and teaching and upon the progress in school (Lashley, 2004). 5. Emotional and social factors— Personal factors, such as instincts and emotions, and social factors, such as cooperation and rivalry, are directly related to a complex psychology of motivation. It is a recognized fact that the various responses of the individual to various kinds of stimuli are determined by a wide variety of tendencies. Some of these innate tendencies are constructive and others are harmful. For some reason a student may have developed a dislike for some subject because he may fail to see its value, or may lack foundation. This dislike results in a bad emotional state (Lashley, 2004). 6. Teacher’s Personality— The teacher as an individual personality is an important element in the learning environment or in the failures and success of the learner. The way in which his personality interacts with the personalities of the pupils being taught helps to determine the kind of behaviour which emerges from the learning situation. The supreme value of a teacher is not in the regular performance of routine duties, but in his power to lead and to inspire his learners through the influence of his moral personality and example (Lashley, 2004). 7. Environmental factor— Physical conditions need for learning is under environmental factor. One of the factors that affect the efficiency of learning is the condition in which learning takes place. This includes the classroom, textbooks, equipment, school supplies, and other instructional materials. In the school and at the home, the conditions for learning must be favourable and adequate if teaching is to produce the desired results. It cannot be denied that the type and quality of instructional materials and equipment play an important part in the instructional efficiency of the school (Lashley, 2004). D. Psychological Principles of Learning To teach effectively, the teacher must understand the basic principles of learning. Based on the different concepts of the learning process and the laws that govern them, the following general principles of learning are presented for guidance in teaching: 1. Learning is considered as the acquisition of knowledge, habits, skills, abilities, and attitudes through the interaction of the whole individual and his total environment (Guthrie, 2002). 2. Learning is meaningful if it is organized in such a way as to emphasize and call for understanding, insight, initiative, and cooperation. When the learner is capable of gaining insight or understanding into the learning situation, then and only then will learning take place (Guthrie, 2002). 3. Learning is facilitated by motives or drives. Needs, interests, and goals are fundamental to the learning process. If the individual has to learn, he must have some goal to be accomplished. Learning is best when the learner knows and understands his motive in learning (Guthrie, 2002). IV. Conclusion As a conclusion, learning is often confused with maturation or physical growth. It is obvious that some of the ways in which man becomes different are tied up very closely with his physical growth. Our knowledge concerning learning and the teaching process has thus undergone profound development in the last twenty-five years. Once it seemed sufficient for the educational psychologist to formulate a set of principles of learning around fairly simple concepts of exercise and effect. The teacher applied these principles through the techniques of drill, reward and punishment.   But with the development of theory and research, the psychologist has found it necessary to expand and to refine his understanding of learning with consequent important implication for teaching.

Industry Best Practices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Industry Best Practices - Research Paper Example This essay intends to describe one of the best practices in retail industry in relation to remote connectivity solution. The objective of the essay is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of remote connectivity solution. Furthermore, the essay would also discuss about the opportunities of improvements in remote connectivity solution (SonicWall, Inc., 2007). Best Practice for Remote Connectivity Solution In Retail Industry Traditionally, remote access was enjoyed by only a certain number of people in a retail organization such as executives or sales force. However, intense progress of mobile devices along with introduction of high speed internet connectivity have increased the expectations of organizations in retail industry to ensure better and safe access to various networks and services. Retail industry nowadays demand accelerated information transmission and real time information processing in order to enjoy remote access of organizational information. In fact, there are s everal best practices for remote connectivity solution in retail industry. One such practice is introduction of ‘Virtual Private Network’ (VPN) technology (Kouroubali, Starren, Barrows, & Clayton, 1997). Advantages VPN technology is a rational solution for remote access in retail segment. This system provides secure access to the organizational resources in retail segment by establishing an encrypted channel in an online environment. VPN technology permits retail organizations to reach their internal network in cost effective and secure manner. VPN technology can provide great flexibility to the employees to access the organizational network from any place and at any time. In this way, this technology helps employees to perform their job effectively. By implementing VPN solution, employees can conduct the regular business activities such as communicating through e-mail or using customized network program rapidly. The VPN solution can also enhance the productivity of ret ail organization as they will be capable of providing suppliers or business associates to access the required information without compromising the security (Lee, Hwang, Kang & Jun, 2000). The major advantages for applying VPN practices for remote connectivity solution are: It can provide secure communication with access authority by customizing the network system according to the information requirement for each user such as employee, suppliers or business associates It can improve the productivity by improving inner organizational network and applications It can minimize the communication expenses and enhance the flexibility of employees to perform regular activities (Cisco Systems, Inc., 2008) Disadvantages Although VPN provide solution to remote connectivity in retail industry, it also has quite a few disadvantages. VPN technology helps to extend the organizational network which at times makes the organizational resources more accessible for network invaders. They can disclose se nsitive information of organization to the public network. VPN technology is quite vulnerable, because any sort of fault or error in the system can result in security breach of organizational network. Except encryption technology, VPN system does not use any kind of security layer as a primary defense. Hence, it poses a threat for retail organization as people can access organizational information by bypassing the outside

Weekly ass. #10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Weekly ass. #10 - Essay Example business cant afford, try living in a world without it.† [2] Our Government has also taken initiative to honor the best organization that has effectively followed this principle of "eco-friendly business†. Major issues of global warming and climate change are faced by our planet. These problems affect badly to mankind, scenery and animals. Hence, I request you to help the environment by following "eco-friendly business" factor. There are many ways through which we can help the environment. We can avoid using extra wooden infrastructure and wasting papers in our offices. We can reduce the rate of releasing gases that are harmful for the ozone layer. It is very important for humans to survive on earth. The award of best "eco-friendly business" will be a token of respect, and it will be a great achievement for our company if we win this award. Our efforts will definitely help the environment and increase the awareness of eco-friendly nature of chemical industry. I hope that you will consider our mission of eco-friendly business in future while developing our business. â€Å"The only way we can do this is if we get back in the world’s fight against global warming and prove it is good economics that we will create more jobs to build a sustainable economy that saves the planet for our children and grandchildren. It is the only way it will work.†

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is Essay

Support the argument that warfare in the Napoleonic era is fundamentally similar to warfare as it practicted today - Essay Example Today, we look back to the Napoleonic era and we find a direct link in the military reforms and tactics that were used during the 1792-1815 French revolution having a direct impact on our very own military structures and organizations (Brian 46). France revolution was the of a monarch regime breaking loose and transforming into a nation founded on equality for all. This evidently was not an easy process as it meant doing away with monarchial rule, the nobles and breaking free from the church. It also meant that people would seize from being referred to as subjects, and embrace citizens as a title (Stewart 29). This was a task that had the rest of Europe at odds with France. Late 1791, the French King sought the help of other Europe rulers to aid in his reinstatement. This officially resulted in the emergence of the French revolution in April 1792; with the French new nation aiming at bring change through battle throughout Europe. Their first victory was marked in Belgium at the end o f 1792 (Paul 25). The French armies were now composed of talented men from all parts and class of France as with a nation structure, citizens were all equals unlike subjects who were greatly divided by the class system. This was one of the strengths of the French military as with such a tactic, it had more soldiers at its disposal than others (Brian 45). Moreover with a common goal, and the zeal to overcome whatever form of obstacles, the French military had a bond that was previously scarcely heard of in Europe, the ‘trust’ bond. Soldiers from France were able to with ease exploit tactical maneuvers hence breaking logistical constrains a factor that proved to be advantageous in battle and a contributor to their numerous successes in the fields (Stewart 29). War had been declared and the first coalition was formed by seven nations namely: United Provinces, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, and Prussia. This was at the beginning of 1793, marking the beginning of the 23years of struggle by France against these Nations. This is what created the need of an exceptional military leader who could face up to this challenge (Paul 25).The leadership of the French army was dynamic and strategic, especially since March 1796 when the great Napoleon Bonaparte took over the position of general. Napoleon was a brilliant soldier, a genius of sorts. He was a leader who could gather troops of up to 300,000 or more troops and maneuver them to success against their enemies as was the case in 1812 in Russia. The treaty of Campo Formio is an evidence of the organized and brilliance of Napoleon as a French army leader as it resulted from the defeat of Sardinian and Austrian forces back in Italy that led to French domination of the Belgium and Luxembourg then known as Austrian Netherlands. These two regions were the first additions of the now growing French Republic (Stewart 30). The French made organizational changes to their army that increased there lethality and sparked military reform in other states. Under the governance of Napoleon, greatness was curved for France and other states. Napoleon went by

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of being a native Essay

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of being a native speaker and a non - native speaker of English - Essay Example Through the global influence of native English speakers in cinema, airlines, broadcasting, science, and the Internet in recent decades, English is now the most widely learned second language in the world. Many students worldwide are required to learn at least some English, and a working knowledge of English is required in many fields and occupations1. According to Ethnologue (2000) English is spoken in 105 countries, it is the dominant or official language in more than 60 of the world’s 185 nation-states recognized by the United Nations. It has 55,000,000 first language speakers in the United Kingdom, 210,000,000 in the USA, 17,100,000 in Canada, 15,682,000 in Australia, 3,500,000 in South Africa, 3,213,000 in New Zealand. Native English usage concerns to the greatest extent the countries mentioned in the order: USA >>> UK > Canada > Australia > South Africa > New Zealand > Ireland > and other 98 countries. Although the available counts are very divergent, all of them agree on a greater number of non-native than native speakers of English in the world. Another factor which adds to the variability of English is hundreds of dialects (Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, 2005). Today, many countries have taken up English as their second language. As a result many young people and adults are involved in the study of English. Indeed this interest has lead to the popularity of this language to such an extent as it is considered to be an international language. Whereas today there are more native than non native speakers of English, in the coming decades the more and more non native speakers will take up English as an international language. In other words more bilingual speakers of English will use this language for several purposes particularly for cross cultural communications within there own borders. The use of English as an international language has been brought about by the continuing spread of English. This spread has resulted in a variety of

Financial Service Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Service Assignment 2 - Essay Example vital contributor towards the steadiness with regard to the financial structure along with being a significant element in the course of operations associated with the existent economy (Department of Mathematics, 2008). The structure of derivatives market in the present times has been learnt to lure increased concentration next to the present environment related to fraud cases, financial crisis along with the collapse of few of the market participants. It was an evident fact that the recent financial catastrophe principally occurred because of the planned credit-linked securities which were not actually derivatives. This made the regulators and the policy developers think regarding intensification of the guidelines for boosting the lucidity and security for both the wide array of financial instruments as well as derivatives (Department of Mathematics, 2008). Derivatives are referred as financial contracts the worth of which is considered as a resultant of certain definite underlying assets. The underlying assets are believed to entail equity indices as well as equities, loans, exchange rates, commercial along with residential mortgages, bonds, interest rates, commodities and natural calamities like the hurricanes and the earthquakes. The derivative contracts appear or are available in numerous forms however, the most widespread forms entail forwards or futures, swaps and options (Acharya & et. al., 2009). A forward contract is referred to a certain contract in which the involved two parties comply to trade the definite â€Å"underlying asset† in the upcoming days at a specific point of time which has been ascertained earlier and at a preset price. Thus, the buyer complies today to purchase a definite form of asset in the upcoming days and the other party i.e. the seller complies to give delivery of that definite asset at the agreed and predetermined time. Futures are regarded as standardised form of forwards that are capable of being dealt in on the exchange

Reliability & Maintenance of Solar or Wind renewable energy systems Research Paper - 1

Reliability & Maintenance of Solar or Wind renewable energy systems - Research Paper Example Every failure has a cost attached to it. The principal reliability-linked factors of cost through the useful life of an item being Design & Development, Production and Maintenance & Repair, evaluated in the backdrop of installation and environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, vibration, corrosion by chemical attack etc. and the degradation caused by the combination of a few or all of them. A higher reliability invariably envisages higher production, design and development costs, whereas, appropriately factored-in maintenance and repair costs can lead to higher levels of reliability. In the context of non-sustainability of the current energy practices, dawning of global awareness that renewable energy sources are the only way out, has led to a sensible emphasis on solar energy as one of the (wind energy being the other) most abundant and attractive renewable energy source, easily available for harnessing. In the scenario of rapidly depleting natural energy sources like coa l, oil and natural gas, the solar option has presented itself as an alternative which is being vigorously pursued for viability for commercial exploitation in the longer run. A system that uses solar cells and solar panels in a mechanical system that collects, transforms DC current into AC current and stores the electricity for later use is often called Active Solar Energy. The deeper â€Å"Bath Tub† assumes the shape of a â€Å"Shallow Pan† in the case of static equipments predominantly deployed for renewable energy applications, as far as reliability is concerned; the failure zones in this case are therefore not pronounced. Listed below are a few indicative amongst the many, though not exhaustive, but popular applications: Solar air conditioning Solar ovens for heating of foodstuffs Agricultural irrigation Hydrogen generation by the use of photo-electro-chemical cells The following applications however stand out amongst the most popular commercial applications: 1. Ge neration of electricity in Solar updraft towers Solar towers use an array of reflectors termed ‘heliostats’, approximately 120 sq. meters in size. Located on top of 150 meters tall towers within receptacles, these are directed towards the sun for direct absorption of the heat of the concentrated solar radiation. Operating temperatures close to 1000oC can be attained depending upon the choice of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) which in turn also decides the design of the receptacle, lined with the very best quality insulation material for optimum performance. High reliability is foreseen at the design stage itself. Likely failure points are identified in advance using the FMECA (Failure Mode Criticality and Effect Analysis) technique and appropriate specification de-rating vis-a-vis the liberal vendor rating is resorted to, for ensuring realistic unhindered performance. Finite element thermal simulation and sensitivity analysis to comply with the thermal specifications als o forms part of the internal product review. External third party assessment provides inputs for MTBF (Mean Time between Failures) calculation for useful lifetime assessment, maintainability and manufacturing as part of an iterative design process for consistent improvement of product designs and individual components. Selection of the most appropriate materials of construction of all the components of solar renewable energy systems forms the last

World Povery Causes and Role of Foreign Aid Essay

World Povery Causes and Role of Foreign Aid - Essay Example However, this development is seen only in the developed countries. There is a strong reason behind it. The developed countries have resources, education and most importantly money. They have all the factors which are necessary for a normal citizen to fulfill his needs. On the other hand many countries of the world are struggling with the issues of overpopulation and unemployment that eventually cause poverty. The cause of world poverty are many but it has been unveiled that the foreign aid provided to the deprived countries is usually not sufficient enough to fulfill their basic demands and thus inefficacy of foreign aid has evolved as one of the major factor behind the world poverty. Everything has a side effect and in the same way, the overuse of these resources and foreign aid by the developed countries tend to leave less for the other under developed countries that then face poverty. Poverty is a problem that cannot be solved instantly. It has to be a combined effort of everyone working together. However, before the solutions, there has to be proper knowledge about the main causes of poverty. There are many causes, big or small, that result in world poverty and give rise to the many problems caused by poverty (Bauer, 1992). Firstly, the main cause of poverty is overpopulation. When there are limited resources and too many people, it becomes hard for all the people to benefit from those resources thus causing poverty. This can be applied to many of the cases such as places to live. If there is limited property, it is obvious that the elite class will get the chance to utilize the area as they can afford it. The ones who are left unsheltered are the ones attacked by poverty. Overpopulation is closely linked to the literacy rate. Literacy rate plays an important role in managing the poverty levels of a country. If there is a low literacy rate, there will be less people to earn and fulfill their demands. The illiterate people are, however, engaged in agricultur al activities that can never fulfill their needs for a comfortable life. Illiteracy results in high birth rate, and thus more need of limited resources. The developing countries have more urban areas where the environmental degradation causes poverty as these areas have shortage of clean water, food and shelter (Mitchell, 2007). Another cause of poverty closely linked with the literacy rate is employment. In many developed countries, life is getting too fast like technological based. They use manufactured goods so there is less demand for natural resources. In developing countries, the people employed for the extraction of natural resources need to be highly professional, again leaving behind the illiterate population. Moreover, these employees are paid less wages with which they can only support their basic needs. Apathy is another major problem in poor countries which leads poverty levels to rise. The people feel so powerless and hopeless that they refuse to improve conditions, fi x problems and judge between right and wrong. When they see someone in their family or society rising above or trying to make a change, they get jealous and discourage them. This results in tension and suspicion in the society. An individual or a group of people feel so helpless that they start to depend on help from outside and forget about making a change on their own. Ignorance is another major factor as lack of education is the trigger that leads to poverty. The main contribution in the increase of poverty levels is from the government. The government of developing countries has become powerless. The government is influenced by the external influence of rich people who formulate the

The Keys Stages in the Capital Investment Decision-Making Process Essay

The Keys Stages in the Capital Investment Decision-Making Process - Essay Example This research will begin with the identifying investment opportunities. Once the capital investment strategy and budgetary processes are developed, the remaining process hinges on the generation of good investment ideas.   Projects do not exist merely to be discerned, rather opportunities for investment need to be highlighted or created, and subsequently exploited.   Initial investigation of the proposal pursues highlighting the projects’ feasibility (both technically and commercially). The origination of the proposal can come either from laid mechanisms that the entity has established to scan the environment for investment opportunities; technological developments/changes; or from those working in technical positions. Investment opportunities or proposals could emanate from analysis of strategic choices, an investigation of the present business environment, research and development, or legal requirements. A two-stage decision approach can be an effective way of encouragin g investment ideas whereby, first, organizational personnel is encouraged to advance any preliminary undeveloped ideas that they have. The advanced ideas are then reviewed in the first stage and those that fail feasibility test screened out using decision criteria. The most promising ideas continue to the next stage whereby thorough financial and strategic appraisals are undertaken.   The core requisite in this stage details that investment proposal should reinforce the attainment of organizational objectives. It is essential to appreciate that even projects that fail to come to realization may produce ideas and information that benefit future investments; hence, unsuccessful projects are not merely a waste of time and effort. An investment idea cannot be evaluated until the idea has been suitably defined and presented. In reality, within the business world, capital markets are imperfect, manifested by the fact that, among other aspects, companies are usually restricted in the amo unt of finance available for capital investment. Companies, thus, need to decide between competing for investment proposals and pick those manifesting the best strategic fit and the most suitable utilization of economic resources. The company’s capital investment procedures manual should outline the requirements for project information, as well as the format of the proposal. The preferred terminology ought to be specified and defined, and the project appraisal methods and criteria should be made clear. Standardized proposal forms should allow for flexibility in the lifespan, costs, and benefits of projects. However, too much flexibility may constrain the comparability of proposals. Thus, a balance has to be struck to match the organization and the forms of projects it considers. The screening of the projects may spotlight aspects such as cash flow analysis, critical variables, documentation, and sensitivity analysis. Candidate investment proposals require an in-depth analysis and appraisal to establish projects, which avail the most attractive opportunities critical to the attainment of organizational goals such as enhancing shareholder wealth. Analysis and acceptance stage involve undertaking financial analysis of the project and comparing the project to predetermined acceptance criteria, as well as considering the project as per the capital budget for both present and future operating periods.

Good Readers Good Writers V Essay Example for Free

Good Readers Good Writers V Essay â€Å"Good Readers and Good Writers† (from Lectures on Literature) Vladimir Nabokov (originally delivered in 1948) My course, among other things, is a kind of detective investigation of the mystery of literary structures. How to be a Good Reader or Kindness to Authors—something of that sort might serve to provide a subtitle for these various discussions of various authors, for my plan is to deal lovingly, in loving and lingering detail, with several European Masterpieces. A hundred years ago, Flaubert in a letter to his mistress made the following remark: Commelon serait savant si l’on  connaissait bien seulement cinq a six livres: What a scholar one might be if one knew well only some half a dozen books. In reading, one should notice and fondle details. There is nothing wrong about the moonshine of generalization when it comes after the sunny trifles of the book have been lovingly collected. If one begins with a readymade generalization, one begins at the wrong end and travels away from the book before one has started to understand it. Nothing is more boring or more unfair to the author than starting to read, say, Madame Bovary, with the preconceived notion that it is a denunciation of the bourgeoisie. We should always remember that the work of art is invariably the creation of a new world, so that the first thing we should do is to study that new world as closely as possible, approaching it as something brand new, having no obvious connection with the worlds we already know. When this new world has been closely studied, then and only then let us examine its links with other worlds, other branches of knowledge. Another question: Can we expect to glean information about places and times from a novel? Can anybody be so naive as to think he or she can learn anything about the past from those buxom  best-sellers that are hawked around by book clubs under the heading of historical novels? But what about the masterpieces? Can we rely on Jane Austen’s picture of landowning England with baronets and landscaped grounds when all she knew was a clergyman’s parlor? And Bleak House, that fantastic romance within a fantastic London, can we call it a study of London a hundred years ago? Certainly not. And the same holds for other such novels in this series. The truth is that great novels are great fairy tales—and the novels in this series are supreme fairy tales. Time and space, the colors of the seasons, the movements of muscles and minds, all these are for writers of genius (as far as we can guess and I trust we guess right) not traditional notions which may be borrowed from the circulating library of public truths but a series of unique surprises which master artists have learned to express in their own unique way. To minor authors is left the ornamentation of the commonplace: these do not bother about any reinventing of the world; they merely try to squeeze the best they can out of a given order of things, out of traditional  patterns of fiction. The various combinations these minor authors are able to produce within these set limits may be quite amusing in a mild ephemeral way because minor readers like to recognize their own ideas in a pleasing disguise. But the real writer, the fellow who sends planets spinning and models a man asleep and eagerly tampers with the sleeper’s rib, that kind of author has no given values at his disposal: he must create them himself. The art of writing is a very futile business if it does not imply first of all the art of seeing the world as the potentiality of  fiction. The material of this world may be real enough (as far as reality goes) but does not exist at all as an accepted entirety: it is chaos, and to this chaos the author says go! allowing the world to flicker and to fuse. It is now recombined in its very atoms, not merely in its visible and superficial parts. The writer is the first man to mop it and to form the natural objects it contains. Those berries there are edible. That speckled creature that bolted across my path might be tamed. That lake between those trees will be called Lake Opal or, more artistically, Dishwater  Lake. That mist is a mountain—and that mountain must be conquered. Up a trackless slope climbs the master artist, and at the top, on a windy ridge, whom do you think he meets? The panting and happy reader, and there they spontaneously embrace and are linked forever if the book lasts forever. One evening at a remote provincial college through which I happened to be jogging on a protracted lecture tour, I suggested a little quiz—ten definitions of a reader, and from these ten the students had to choose four definitions that would combine to make a good reader. I have  mislaid the list, but as far as I remember the definitions went something like this. Select four answers to the question what should a reader be to be a good reader: 1. The reader should belong to a book club. 2. The reader should identify himself or herself with the hero or heroine. 3. The reader should concentrate on the social-economic angle. 4. The reader should prefer a story with action and dialogue to one with none. 5. The reader should have seen the book in a movie. 6. The reader should be a budding author. 7. The reader should have imagination. 8. The reader should have memory. 9.  The reader should have a dictionary. 10. The reader should have some artistic sense. The students leaned heavily on emotional identification, action, and the social-economic or historical angle. Of course, as you have guessed, the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sensewhich sense I propose to develop in myself and in others whenever I have the chance. Incidentally, I use the word reader very loosely. Curiously enough, one cannot read a book: one can only reread it. A good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a rereader. And I shall tell you why. When we read a book for the first time the very process of laboriously moving our eyes from left to right, line after line, page after page, this complicated physical work upon the book, the very process of learning in terms of space and time what the book is about, this stands between us and artistic appreciation. When we look at a painting we do not have to move our eyes in a special way even if, as in a book, the picture contains elements of depth and development. The element of time does not really enter in a first contact with a painting. In reading a book, we must have time to acquaint ourselves with it. We have no physical organ (as we have the eye in regard to a painting) that takes in the whole picture and then can enjoy its details. But at a second, or third, or fourth reading we do, in a sense, behave towards a book as we do towards a painting. However, let us not confuse the physical eye, that monstrous masterpiece of evolution, with the mind, an even more monstrous achievement. A book, no matter what it is—a work of fiction or a work of science (the boundary line between the two is not as clear as is generally believed)—a book of fiction appeals first of all to the mind. The mind, the brain, the top of the tingling spine, is, or should be, the only instrument used upon a book. Now, this being so, we should ponder the question how does the mind work when the sullen reader is confronted by the sunny book. First, the sullen mood melts away, and for better or worse the reader enters into the spirit of the game. The effort to begin a book, especially if it is praised by people whom the young reader secretly deems to be too old-fashioned or too serious, this effort is often difficult to make; but once it is made, rewards are various and abundant. Since the master artist used his imagination in creating his book, it is natural and fair that the consumer of a book should use his imagination too. There are, however, at least two varieties of imagination in the reader’s case. So let us see which one of the two is the right one to use in reading a book. First, there is the comparatively lowly kind which turns for support to the simple emotions and is of a definitely personal nature. (There are various subvarieties here, in this first section of emotional reading. ) A situation in a book is intensely felt because it reminds us of something that happened to us or to someone we  know or knew. Or, again, a reader treasures a book mainly because it evokes a country, a landscape, a mode of living which he nostalgically recalls as part of his own past. Or, and this is the worst thing a reader can do, he identifies himself with a character in the book. This lowly variety is not the kind of imagination I would like readers to use. So what is the authentic instrument to be used by the reader? It is impersonal imagination and artistic delight. What should be established, I think, is an artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind. We ought to remain a little aloof and take pleasure in this aloofness while at the same time we keenly enjoy—passionately enjoy, enjoy with tears and shivers—the inner weave of a given masterpiece. To be quite objective in these matters is of course impossible. Everything that is worthwhile is to some extent subjective. For instance, you sitting there may be merely my dream, and I may be your nightmare. But what I mean is that the reader must know when and where to curb his imagination and this he does by trying to get clear the specific world the author places at his disposal. We must see things and hear things, we must visualize the rooms, the clothes, the manners of an author’s people. The color of Fanny Price’s eyes in Mansfield Park and the furnishing of her cold little room are important. We all have different temperaments, and I can tell you right now that the best temperament for a reader to have, or to develop, is a combination of the artistic and the scientific one. The enthusiastic artist alone is apt to be too subjective in his attitude towards a book, and so a scientific coolness of judgment will temper the intuitive heat. If, however, a would-be reader is utterly devoid of passion and patience—of an artist’s passion and a scientist’s patience—he will hardly enjoy great literature. Literature was born not the day when a boy crying wolf, wolf came running out of the Neanderthal valley with a big gray wolf at his heels: literature was born on the day when a boy came crying wolf, wolf and there was no wolf behind him. That the poor little fellow because he lied too often was finally eaten up by a real beast is quite incidental. But here is what is important. Between the wolf in the tall grass and the wolf in the tall story there is a shimmering  go-between. That go-between, that prism, is the art of literature. Literature is invention. Fiction is fiction. To call a story a true story is an insult to both art and truth. Every great writer is a great deceiver, but so is that arch-cheat Nature. Nature always deceives. From the simple deception of propagation to the prodigiously sophisticated illusion of protective colors in butterflies or birds, there is in Nature a marvelous system of spells and wiles. The writer of fiction only follows Nature’s lead. Going back for a moment to our wolf-crying woodland little woolly fellow, we may put it this  way: the magic of art was in the shadow of the wolf that he deliberately invented, his dream of the wolf; then the story of his tricks made a good story. When he perished at last, the story told about him acquired a good lesson in the dark around the campfire. But he was the little magician. He was the inventor. There are three points of view from which a writer can be considered: he may be considered as a storyteller, as a teacher, and as an enchanter. A major writer combines these three—storyteller, teacher, enchanter—but it is the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major  writer. To the storyteller we turn for entertainment, for mental excitement of the simplest kind, for emotional participation, for the pleasure of traveling in some remote region in space or time. A slightly different though not necessarily higher mind looks for the teacher in the writer. Propagandist, moralist, prophet—this is the rising sequence. We may go to the teacher not only for moral education but also for direct knowledge, for simple facts. Alas, I have known people whose purpose in reading the French and Russian novelists was to learn something about life in gay Paree or in sad Russia. Finally, and above all, a great writer is always a great enchanter, and it is here that we come to the really exciting part when we try to grasp the individual magic of his genius and to study the style, the imagery, the pattern of his novels or poems. The three facets of the great writer—magic, story, lesson—are prone to blend in one impression of unified and unique radiance, since the magic of art may be present in the very bones of the story, in the very marrow of thought. There are masterpieces of dry, limpid, organized thought which provoke in us an artistic quiver quite as strongly as a novel like Mansfield Park does or as  any rich flow of Dickensian sensual imagery. It seems to me that a good formula to test the quality of a novel is, in the long run, a merging of the precision of poetry and the intuition of science. In order to bask in that magic a wise reader reads the book of genius not with his heart, not so much with his brain, but with his spine. It is there that occurs the telltale tingle even though we must keep a little aloof, a little detached when reading. Then with a pleasure which is both sensual and intellectual we shall watch the artist build his castle of cards and watch the castle of cards become a castle of beautiful steel and glass.

Organisational Change And Development In Royal Mail

Organisational Change And Development In Royal Mail This assignment has been undertaken in order to examine and evaluate the modernisation of the Royal Mail. It will begin with identifying the reason for change within the company, and how the need for change was detected. After which the implementation of planned change in the Royal Mail will be discussed and its effectiveness will be evaluated. The resistant factors they met whilst trying to implement this modernisations programme will also be discussed. An evaluation of the planned change will be conducted in order to assess the extent of its effectiveness. The report will conclude will an analysis of the Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond National Agreement between Royal Mail the Communication Workers Union, implications for failure will be assessed from this agreement; theory will be linked throughout the report with evidence and discussion. Table of contents Introduction (p. 4-5) Main Findings Reasons for modernising the Royal Mail (p. 6-7) How change was planned in the Royal Mail (p. 8-10) Types of change (p. 11) Resistance to change in the Royal Mail (p. 12-13) Kurt Lewins 5 Force analysis applied to the Royal Mail (p. 14) Kotters 8 step plan applied to the Royal Mail (p. 15) Effectiveness of the Planned change in the Royal Mail (p. 16) Implications of failure (p. 16) Reference/Bibliography (p. 17-) Introduction The Royal Mail is part of the fabric of the country and the lives of the millions of people who use it every day. Uniquely it has the network of people and sorting offices spanning the country that can deliver to every household and business at one price, six days a week. But the future of this network is under threat as people increasingly switch to digital technology as their preferred way of communicating (Mandelson, 2009). Rollinson (2005) identified the term change refers to an organisation having to move from one situation to another, in the modern world being able to change can also be the dividing factor of an organisations failure or success, Beer and Nohria (2000) also identified that 70% of all change initiatives fail. Martinez et al (1997) identified five change objectives set out by Royal Mail in the 1980s as: privatization, modernization, commercialization, separation and automation, of these modernisation, which is the main focus of this report, automation and privatisation are still not finalised, thirteen years after this article was written. The Labour government has been pushing for privatisation of the Royal Mail for years ever since the Thatcher government, it believed the move would aid in financing part of the pension deficit and also make the company more competitive in this liberalised market, which was introduced in 2006. Lord Mandelson was pushing legislation up to 2009 in the hope of selling parts of the nationalised company (Hooper et al, 2008; Porter and Griffiths, 2008; Porter, 2009; Datamonitor, 2008). Hooper (2009) states that modernisations without privatisation would be very difficult due to the constant intervention from government, Private postal companies throughout the world have identified this constant intervention as the major factor in union disputes (Hooper et al, 2008). Resistance from the CWU on modernisation has been a constant topic as they believe that modernisation will bring about job losses, such resistance has especially been seen in the last two years by way of two massive strikes by postal workers (Poulter, 2009; Hooper et al, 2008). These strikes came at one of the worst times in UK history, a recession was in full force for the second in 2009, however after recording loses over many years the Royal Mail made a 4% profit in 2009 of  £184 million compared to 2008 figured of  £177 million, unfortunately this profit was overshadowed with the overall drop in group revenue due to a decline in mail volumes because of the downturn and a rise in digital media, this has led to a 5-7% yearly drop in sales since 2005, during this time staff were informed there would be pay freezes which inflamed already tense relations with the union (Royal Mail, 2009; Prince, 2009; Hooper et al, 2008). In 2000 the postal services act which governs the postal industry within the UK was introduced, the act provided for the Post Office to be converted to a PLC, set in place a new licensing system, gave the postal services commission (Postcomm) powers to protect the universal service, promote greater competition within the UK market and offer more protection to consumers with the introduction of Postwatch (Hooper et al, 2008). Main Findings Reasons for modernising the Royal Mail Hooper et al (2008) has stated for the Royal Mail to become competitive in this it must first become more efficient, in order to become more efficient it must modernise. It must be noted that even though the country is in a recession which had a major impact on the company, this was not a reason for the company to modernise (Hooper et al, 2008). There are eight reasons for modernisation of the Royal Mail listed below: Universal Postal Service (UPS): The main reason for change which the CWU also agreed upon is the survival of the UPS, which is the collection of mail six-days a week from 28 million homes and business across the UK, at prices which remain independent and set at a tariff no matter the distance up and covers five areas: up to 2kg for letters and packets (priority and non-priority), up to 20kg for parcels (non-priority), registered and insured service, international outbound services and offering services which support the security of mail (Hooper et al, 2008; POSTCOMM, 2010). Pricing: The introduction of a 5% weighted average increases by Royal Mail in 2007-2008 led to a reduction in revenues, sales volumes fell as customers increased their use of electronic media, business switched to competitors and there was an increased use of second class mail. It is known that the UK offers some of the lowest postal costs compared too many other European countries so increases are justify but the implementation must be able to offset lost revenue. As volumes fall due to digital media the better choice may be to implement price decreases instead to stimulate growth (Hooper et al, 2008). Pension deficit: This is one of the largest within the UK currently standing at  £4 billion; also until recently it was still possible to sign up for this pension. Figures in 2008 showed it had risen by  £2.5 billion since 2006 (75% increase). Due to the costs in paying the deficit, which is currently  £280 million per year and will continue for the next 15 years, competing within Europes liberalised market is made very difficult. The deficit is almost six times larger than the cash generated by Royal Mail making it a very volatile problem (Hooper et al, 2008). Improved efficiency: The Royal Mail is 40% less efficient compared to its competitors. Its network of mail centres and delivery offices have not been upgraded in years, Automation is severely inefficient with 70% of mail being sorted by machine compared to 95% in European companies, also all mail is hand delivered compared to 15% hand deliveries in Europe with walking sequence machines cover the remaining 85% (Hooper et al, 2008). Working practices: Certain working practices such as early finishes restrict Royal Mails efficiency to provide a better service, upon finishing rounds postal workers are eligible to return home no matter how early, they can also claim overtime on extra hours worked to finish a round or can decide to simply not finishing the round. Covering for absence only when receiving overtime, not using equipment at the instruction of the CWU and demarcation, employees refusing to work in other areas of the same site (Hooper et al, 2008). New technology: The volume of mail sent has been on a decline even since 2005, this is due to the rising use of digital media, this is being felt across the world with the UK showing one of the highest fall off figures, -3.2% in 2006-2007, however the internet also provides opportunities by way of the online shopping market as home deliveries have jumped in recent years making this a highly profitable market, also the Royal Mails use of machines to sort letters covers 70% while the some of the leading European companies are hitting 95% (Hooper et al, 2008; Warner, 2009). Competition: 2006 saw the Royal Mail lose its 350 year monopoly on the UK postal market, going forward any licensed operator can deliver mail to residential and business customers in the liberalised market of which Royal Mail controls 99% , although the Royal Mail still is required to provide a universal postal service (BBC, 2005), research conducted by Lawson (2010) indicates that the national operators in countries such as Germany and Sweden continued to hold onto the majority share of the market years after it became liberalised. Electronic media such as email is also a threat to the company as it become more popular. Transportation net working costs: The rising costs of fuel is having a hugely negative impact on the Royal Mail, employees uses over 30,000 vehicles to deliver mail (Hooper et al, 2008), the Royal Mail (2008) has identified a loss in revenue due to higher costs of fuel. However, Attwood (2010) states the Royal Mail is set to trial new Ford Transit vans powered by hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines in an effort to reduce fuel costs, plus they are also environmentally friendly as they only emit water vapour. How change was planned in the Royal Mail Planned change was a term first coined by Kurt Lewin to distinguish change that was consciously embarked upon and planned by an organisation, as averse to types of change that might come about by accident, by impulse or that might be forced on an organisation (Burnes, 2004). Hooper et al (2008) had reported that the universal postal service cannot continue under present policies, problem areas have been identified as the pension deficit, performance and relations between the Royal Mail, unions and the regulator. The BERR report of 2009 includes recommendation made by the Modernise or Decline report compiled by Hooper et al (2008), in which it identifies three main areas for the Postal Services Bill to address: Regulation: Transferring responsibility of regulation which Postcomm currently holds to Ofcom, providing for future financial support for the UPS, extending competition law powers to the postal market and providing for a new access regime (BERR, 2009). Pensions: Provide powers to establish a new government scheme, rights to move members to the new scheme, amend the existing scheme, set out a new division for Post Office Ltd employees and the ability to transfer assets from the scheme to government (BERR, 2009). Partnership: Royal Mail companies providing the UPS will remain in the public sector, part- privatisation of the Royal Mail, Hooper et al (2008) has identifies this as being a necessity if the company is to achieve modernisation and additional legislation being obligatory for a Government to sell more than a minority stake in the company (BERR, 2009). Planned change is more related to the Royal Mail compared to Emergent change as it involves strategically thought-out and planned objectives/goals, which are used to change the environment of an organisation, whereas emergent change is unpredictable and dynamic, does not work off plans compared to planned change and is continuous (Burnes, 2004) Although these changes were planned and most were implemented in the 2010 National Agreement, part-privatisation of the Royal Mail received alot of criticism from other party members and the CWU. due to the currently climate Peter Mandelson admitted he was unable to find a suitable candidate for the investment so ended the proposed privatisation plans from the postal services bill (Wintour and Webb, 2009). To fully understand planned change it is necessary to look at the works of Kurt Lewin who is regarded as being the father of planned change, he believed that only through learning and the understanding of the environment in which an individual is based, could a resolution to social conflicts be achieved and improved. Lewin developed four methods which were necessary in reaching planned change; three-step model, field theory, group dynamics and action research (Burnes, 2004). The Three-Step model: This is praised as being Lewins contribution to the study of organisational change, although the three-step model was not intended to stand alone but be part of his over-all Planned approach to change, which also included the field theory, group dynamics and action research (Burnes, 2004). The three step model is based on Lewins belief that successful change is brought about by using three steps moving from one fixed state (Unfreezing) through an advanced shift (Moving), to another fixed state (Refreezing). Unfreezing involves the creation of the right conditions in which change can occur, people create a sense of familiarity with their surroundings and any change no matter how minor will cause resistance (Burnes, 2004). The goal is to move a person to a change ready/unfrozen state. This was accomplished between the Royal Mail and the CWU through the 2010 National Agreement in which both parties, after years of bitter disputes have agreed to improve their relationship for the better of the company, employees and customers (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Burnes (2004) identifies the next stage in Lewins model as Moving, which he describes as being on a journey taking people to the Unfrozen state, old ways are in the past and the new are in the development stage of being implemented, it is here that support should be given to employees to assist with the changes being introduced (Burnes, 2004). The Royal Mail is in the Moving stage of the 2010 National Agreement as they try to implement new modern and efficient changes to the company by way of automation, technology and industrial relationships. This will take time to fully execute, Lewins model states that without reinforcement change is short lived, both sides must begin to agree soon on the changes otherwise relationships will begin to break down once again (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Refreeze is the final step in which the environment is stabilised, its sometimes difficult to separate from moving, many organisations dont fully implement the whole extent of the change as another form of change is usually on the rise. This stage cannot be evaluated as the 2010 National Agreement between the Royal Mail and the CWU is still being implemented at this time (Burnes, 2004; National Agreement, 2010). Types of change Due to outside influences driving change organisations are forced to keep up to speed, if change is required the appropriate changes are implements to reflect these external environmental factors in a timely and smoothly manner so to avoid putting added pressure on the company (Price, 2009). Grundy stated that many managers viewed change as being the same whilst others viewed it as having a negative impact, he identified three types of change as smooth and incremental, bumpy incremental and discontinuous, the Royal Mail uses none of these types (Senior, 2002; Price, 2009). Incremental change Continuous Change Punctuated Equilibrium Burnes (2004) identifies two other type of change as continuous transformation, which identifies the need for regular dramatic adjustments in organisations change like regular training of staff, and punctuated equilibrium, this recognises that change can occur at erratic and explosive periods of time (Senior, 2002; Price, 2009). Punctuated equilibrium is the type of change more associated with the Royal Mail, one outlining factor is the company has not changed in many years but in 2010 reached a groundbreaking agreement with the CWU for implementation for such things as a 6.9% pay rise plus working hours reduced to 39 (Hooley et al, 2008; National Agreement, 2010). Resistance to change in the Royal Mail Resistance doesnt necessarily surface in standardised ways. Resistance can be overt, implicit, immediate, or deferred. It is easiest for management to deal with resistance with it is overt or immediate. The greater challenge is managing resistance that is implicit or deferred (Robbins, 2001) Burnes (2004) identified resistance to change as the obstacles created by others to stop change; some forces will be more resistant than others such as the actions taken when people feel change to be a threatening factor, such as the modernisations planned by the Royal Mail, this has received huge resistance from employees and their union through planned strikes throughout the last two years, as they perceived the modernisation process would reduce staff numbers. The report identifies four main forces against the change process at the Royal Mail: Union resistance: The CWU also known as the Communications Workers Union is the largest union for the communications industry in the UK; it has 250,000 members most of which are Royal Mail employees, and was formed in 1995 (CWU, 2010). The sheer size of union makes it a very powerful force to be reckoned with, its also well documented throughout the years that the CWU and management at Royal Mail have very different views on what is best for the company, resulting in strikes against the modernised plan proposed by the Royal Mail, this was because the CWU felt its members were at risk from new technological advancements that they felt would result in staff numbers being reduced (Hooper et al, 2008). This could also be a result of the CWU using this tactic as a means of living up to a unions reputation with Warner (2009) adding that the chronic union militancy that once characterised shipbuilding, steel, car making and coal industries lives on in Royal Mail. Management and employee relations is poor: There is a long history of poor industrial relations between the Royal Mail management and CWU which continues to this day, this has impacted severely on the company to the extent that it has prevented the Royal Mail from modernising and expanding which has led to a high level of inefficiency (Hooper et al, 2008). However, with the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 and beyond agreement Both parties agree that central to success is the need to fundamentally transform relationships and quickly build a culture of mutual interest between managers, union and employees. Reluctance in staff to use new technology: Staff in the Royal Mail believes that through the use of new technology certain position within the company will become redundant, and due to advice from the CWU they have refused to use this modern machinery which would aid in the efficiency of the Royal Mail (Hooper et al, 2008). Employees disliking the modernisation plan: Adam Crozier who was the chief executive of Royal Mail from 2003 to 2010 is quoted as saying: Change is difficult for everyone, but Royal Mail has no alternative but to change and modernise if it is to compete in todays highly competitive communications market. This is against the wave of criticism from employees and unions against the proposed modernisation plan due to uncertainty felt for their position (Thomas, 2009). Management at Royal Mail have declared that the plan is already seeing results with operating profits up  £7 million in 2009 compared to the year previous, however employees and the CWU have stated that they believe they deserve to be rewarded for the success they have brought to this change process, which has delivered a 4% increase in half-year profits. A pay freeze is no way to thank staff who have seen colleagues leave and workloads rise (Thomas, 2009). This pay freeze was proposed due to the recession in a bid to counter its affects; it only resulted in already strained industrial relations becoming more intense (Prince, 2009). A gradual introduction of more work due to reduced staff numbers would have been a better plan when engaging with staff. Kurt Lewins 5 Force Field Analyses This analysis by Lewin was developed in the 1960s, its based on the assumption that when the need for change arises there will be forces for and against change; the theory states that when two forces are equal change can only happen if the force for change is strengthened and the force against change weakened (Senior and Fleming, 2006). The forces for and against change within the Royal Mail Group are listed below: Driving Forces: Restraining forces: Universal service Pricing Pension deficit Improved efficiency Working practices New technology Competition Transportation net working costs Modernisation process Union resistance Management and employee relations is poor Reluctance in staff to use new technology Employees disliking the modernisation plan The restraining force of staff reluctance to use new technology is in direct contrast to the driving force of new technology, the driving force of new technology can only be accomplished if the restraining force to use new technology is weakened. This was accomplished with the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond agreement which states, Royal Mails investment in new equipment and technology is a fundamental part of transforming the operation, this was accomplished by introducing new ways of working, including workload measurement, compliance to standard, engineering team coach, maintenance of equipment outside of the mail centre and technical operators (National Agreement, 2010). A new development plan for training and professional development plus apprenticeships in line with standards applying to Engineers based at HWDC. This was agreed by CWU which meant the restraining force was weakened so the driving force for new technology was strengthened and is in the process of being implemented (National Agreement, 2010). Kotters Eight-Step Plan Burnes (2004) identified that in order for change to be successful all of the eight stages in Kotters plan must be completed in sequence, any deviation from these steps will result in problems for the organisation. The Royal Mail did manage to achieve some steps but many more have still to come as the company finally embraces modernisation. Step 1 Create urgency: May 1997, deciding that modernisation was required, March 2010, finally implementing it. Step 2 Form coalition: Management and unions agreeing to work on a modernisation plan. Step 3 Create new visions discussions on the Business Transformation 2010. Step 4 Communicate the vision (Unfreezing): Introduction of the Business Transformation 2010. Step 5 Empower others Step 6 Reward wins (Movement) Step 7 Consolidate improvements Step 8 Reinforce the change (Refreezing) Effectiveness of the Planned change in the Royal Mail With the introduction of the Business Transformation 2010 it gives hope to the belief that harmony has finally been reached between the Royal Mail, CWU and employees. Adam Crozier, commented: This agreement is good for the business as it allows Royal Mail to get on with its modernisation, its a good and fair deal for our people, and its a good deal for our customers as it ensures stability over the next three years (ICM, 2010). The main points of the agreement will be the introduction of a 39 hour working week, 6.9% pay rise, more job security for employees, CWU to be involved in all change matters going-forward, and the Royal Mail to remain a 75% full-time industry (CWU, 2010). These changes have been agreed on the basis that employees will embrace the Royal Mails  £2 billion modernisation plan which includes the introduction of new automated machinery and delivery equipment (ICM, 2010). Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary, said: Its been a long time coming, but this deal delivers on the major issues which postal workers have fought for. Theres a balance of pay and operational changes which will help offset job losses and ensure our members are fairly rewarded for change. Both sides seem to be in agreement for the first time is years that modernisation is the way forward for the Royal Mail, but has this planned change been implemented too late, will the refusal of employees to let modernisation be implemented sooner be the downfall of the Royal Mail, rival companies such as Deutsche Post and TNT have still managed to make substantial profits even with the added downturn in the postal market due to the recession and the explosion of the digital era (BERR, 2009). There is also the added concern of the pension deficit which stands at  £4 billion, one of the largest in the UK, which the Royal Mail is required to make contribution into every year. It begs the question of how can a company who has such a huge cost output every year make proper investments into the future and still manage to return a profit (BERR, 2009), and will these investment in new technology and automation bring the rewards that Royal Mail believes it will, even with many people moving to digital media (BERR, 2009). Implications of failure The universal postal service is important. The ability to deliver items to all 28 million business and residential addresses in the UK is part of our economic and social glue (Hooper et al, 2008). As agreements listed in the Business Transformation 2010 for the organization have finally been reached, the implication for failure for the Royal Mail would be the loss of the universal postal service. It has been mentioned many times in this report the importance of the UPS to the UK and its people, also the loss of a public service that so many have fought to keep in the public domain, against recommendations made by the Hopper et al (2008) and BERR (2009) reports to part privatise the company. Without modernisation eventually the Royal Mail will decline taking with it masses amounts of tax payers money that was used to keep the company afloat, leaving many unemployed which would be a tragedy for the UK who are still suffering the effects of a world-wide economic recession.

Social Networking as a means of Employee Motivation

Social Networking as a means of Employee Motivation 1 Introduction In recent years Social Networking is very popular in eyes of youngsters and teenagers but is also grabbing attention of older age. Social Networking Sites (SNS) have given a rise to new communication vehicle which facilitates an innovative way of sharing information, interacting and collaborating different users. Today, there are 204 social sites available in the world as shown in Appendix 1, but out of all the most popular once are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace and Blogs. Within the illumination of the global recession, organisations are using every possible means of equipment to survive the economic downturn; companies are implementing cost saving methods this in turn have increased the workload on the employees. This overload will give a rise to the concern of employees satisfaction, productivity and efficiency. One way of encouraging and motivating the employees can be by accepting social networking at the workplace. dynamic changing natures of the business environment have contributed to knock down the barriers obstructing communicational flows (Cross, Nohria, Parker, 2002). Implementation of social networking at workplace will provide both formal and informal interaction and will also help in knowledge enhancement and better communication. This will give a greater shift in culture of Knowledge congregation to Knowledge contribution. Social networking is growing as fast as a computer virus, it is agreed that it is used for personal reasons but now-a-days it is used as educational, training and learning tools at the workplace. As every coin have two sides, implementing social networking at workplace has its own advantages and disadvantages. Since there is no geographical restriction on sharing information, there are growing concerns for organisation for leakage, breach in security and privacy of the information. This rings the bell in everyones mind whether it is appropriate to integrate social networking at workplace. This argument will be revisited in literature review section (section 3) of this report. The researchs major source of information will be through primary data collection such as conducting interviews, survey and questionnaires. Secondary source will also be used and the list is mentioned in section 4.1. Many general views have been given by different researchers on impact of social networking at workplace but very few research have been conduct in sectors such as technological. This research will be based on Multinational Corporation (MNC) which is an investment banking sector where no prior research has been conducted. The report consists of 7 sections. The next section will discuss research objective, questions and boundaries in order to evade the uncertainty. This is followed by literature review in section 3 where previous research will be analysed. Research methodology and research limitation will be discussed in section 4 and 5 respectively, followed by the research time lines in section 6. The final section contains of conclusion. 2 Research Objective, Questions and Boundaries 2.1 Research Objective The main purpose of this research is to critically examine the impact of social networking in a multinational corporation investment bank. This will assist the organisation to recognise whether having access to the social networking sites at workplace will motivate the staff in enhancing their productivity or limiting these websites will demoralise the employees. It will also give a true and fair view of employees and employers perception of integrating social sites in working environment. 2.2 Research Questions The research will provide answer to the following particular questions: Will the use of social networking sites at workplace enhance the productivity? What are the other advantages and disadvantages of using social networking sites at workplace? 2.3 Research Boundaries Due to time constrain it is necessary to restrict research only to one multinational company and therefore the research will be an action based research. The company is a worlds largest investment bank which has its presence in 74 countries. The research will be based on the companys head office located in London. The name of the company will not be disclosed due to confidential reasons and will be referred as Company X throughout the research. The research will be based on three departments which are: Human Resources Finance Information Technology Each of the above mentioned departments will be analysed to identify the impact of social networking on flow of information in the departments and security levels desired for each of the departments. 3 Literature Review 3.1 General Many researchers have correctly said that the growing technology has twisted the traditional features of the workplace (Bennett, Owers, Pitt, Tucker, 2010). This is due to integration of social sites and social media in the working environment which has broadened the view of the employees in the organisation. This has facilitated organisation to build up new networks, help employees to connect each other in different geographical location and time. It has also been argued that the growing importance of networking and socialising in modern days is becoming more flexible and dynamic day-by-day (Cross, Parker, Prusak, Borgatti, 2001). Boyd and Ellison have defined Social Networking Site as web-based service that allows individuals to (Boyd Ellison, 2008): (1) Construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection and (3) View and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. It is a technology which is used to support social networking. At workplace the social networking can be referred in two ways: external and internal social networking. The use of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and so on at the workplace is known as external social networking. On the other hand, there are some organisations that have developed tools such as Beehive at IBM, Watercooler at HP which provided social networking within the organisation which is referred as internal social networking. Company X uses Reuters and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 as the internal social networking tool and Facebook as the external social networking at the workplace. This research will only focus on impact of external social networking. 3.2 Impact of Social Networking on Productivity From past 5 years, social networking has sneaked into the business organisations due to the increased popularity and availability of social networking amongst office workers. (Shirky, 2008); (Tapscott Williams, 2006). This has lead to informal connection in the organisation and has transformed the ways of the knowledge sharing within the companies. The research done in 2008 by Skeels and Grudin has shown that around 37% of employees were using Facebook occasionally and about 17% were using it daily at workplace. Also around 50% of employees had their account on LinkedIn but only 4% were using it daily (Skeels Grudin, 2009). There is a significant increase in the number of user in Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking site and employees are using these sites at workplace to a greater extent due to vast growth and demand in social networking. According to the ClearSwift publications in January 2011, the exposure to social networking invites many threats to the companies. The research highlights that 42% of U.K. office workers admitted discussing work-related issues via social networking applications and 83% of the office workers were using office resources to access social networking websites (ClearSwift, 2011). The research conducted in companies such as Microsoft and IBM by different researchers has highlighted some of the benefits of using these social sites at workplace which are listed below (Skeels Grudin, 2009); (DiMicco Millen DR, 2007): LinkedIn being a professional social networking site helps to maintain professional network. LinkedIn and Facebook are often referred by employers for recruiting employees by reviewing peoples CV and other details such as profile pictures, details and post or comments. Facebook was helpful for building and strengthening knot between colleagues and also maintain contacts with the ex-colleagues. But the research has also shown some concern and worries about using these social sites at workplace which are listed below (Skeels Grudin, 2009); (DiMicco Millen DR, 2007): Staff wasting time during working hours. Security concern. Disclosing confidential data. Staff integrating professional and personal life. Some senior managers felt that employees were crossing the status and power borders of the organisation. Most of the company in UK have opposed the use of social networking at workplace and have banned these sites. However, Alan Calder have argued that blocking or restricting access to social networking site at workplace will demoralise the employees and make them less effective and productive (Calder, 2010). Some research have shown that social networking sites have reduced productivity and have cost companies lose of about  £1.38 billion annually (Manpower UK, 2010). Therefore, some companies are looking forward to strength the controls in the organisation. But companies need to be very careful in placing the controls. Since social networking has become an important part of every ones life and this has also been encouraged by the Smartphones such as Blackberries, I-Phones and many more. If the social networking sites are completely banned at the workplace, employees tend to use gadgets such as Smartphones to access social networking sites devoting less time to work eventually affecting their productivity. Therefore, employers need to weight the strengths and opportunities with weaknesses and threats to make a meaningful decision. Similar views have been shared by Jason and David (Fried Hansson, 2010) that the organisation will not be able to achieve anything by limiting or banning the social network sites at workplace because the time which they are devoting to the social networking sites will not get convert to productive work but and employees will find some alternative sources to spend this time. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) claims that handling carefully and allowing internet access for staff during breaks can be valuable for employees and can help them develop I.T. skills (TUC, 2007). Company X allows their employees to have access to Facebook and LinkedIn during working hours. The main report will throw lights on the benefits achieved by the employees with the use of these social sites in banking sector during working hours. Apart from deteriorating and enhancing the productivity social networking sites are playing a major role for recruiting employees. Employers use various sites to check the background of the candidate by making a judgment on their post and photos uploaded on the sites. According to study conducted by Deloitte in 2009, 23% of companies were using social networking sites for hiring employees (Allen, Deloitte LLP 2009 Ethics Workplace Survey results Social networking and reputational risk in the workplace, 2009). Now-a-days, LinkedIn is popularly used for recommending friends or co-workers for jobs and recruiting staff. May be in near future it will be incorporate as an official site for recruiting in the organisation. But till now no evidence have been found that it is a reliable source for hiring people. On the other hand there has been evidence that people are fired due to social networking site (write about wat jitu said as an example here). The other major concern of social networking is that it puts trust at workplace on stake. The survey conducted in Deloitte in 2010, highlights that only 34% of employees agree and 49% of employees disagree that social networking helps to build up the trust at workplace (Allen, Deloitte LLP 2010 Ethics Workplace Survey Trust in the workplace, 2010 ). The other drawback of social networking in working environment is the security of the sensitive data 3.3 Other Impact of Social networking sites in the organisation 4 Research Methodology The research will follow the inductive approach as it will highlight on developing a new theory after the data has been collect (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, 2009). The research will explore a new dimension of using social networking in a Multinational Company (MNC) for their business development in short term and long term and develop a good analysis based on the data collection as discussed below. 4.1 Data collection In order to achieve the research objective and question (mentioned in section 2) the subsequent data collection methods will be followed: Secondary Data Collection The secondary data will be collected from press release and academic literature such as journals, white paper and publication from ClearSwift and ZDNet. The data collection will be qualitative data. Also the research conducted by other researcher in Microsoft and IBM, technological companies will act as a base for this research. Primary Data Collection The forms of primary data which will be collect are as below: Face-to-face Interviews: Ten non-standardised face to face interview will be conducted split between Vice President (VP) and managers of three departments in company X. This will help to analysis the role of social networking in the organisation for different departments giving different viewpoints and a better insight of the matter. The interviews will also help to generate qualitative data which will be transcribed but will not be recoded due to ethics of the company. The time line for conducting interview is specified in research timelines section (section 6). Online Survey: Online survey will be conducted with the help of the website named Survey Monkey which will help to give a holistic view of the organisation as the survey will be filled in by VP, managers and subordinates. The layout of the questionnaires which will be formed for online survey will fulfil all the main attributes of questionnaires as recommended by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009). This will provide quantitative data for analysis. In order to improve the response rate of online survey, questionnaires and face-to-face interviews the recommendation from Bryman and Bell (2003) will be followed. 4.2 Analysis of Data The quantitative data which will be collected through online survey will be analysed by using computer based software named Minitab 15. The quantitative data will be divided in to two separate groups: categorical data and numerical data (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, 2009). The survey and interview results will help to produce a comparison between three departments within the MNC under the research study. (Add more details of what kind of information can be achieved from this analysis) 5 Potential Problem and Pitfall While undertaking the research following are the limitation and potential problem which are anticipated: Poor response to interview: Face to face interview or telephonic interview will be conducted, which will not be recorded due to confidentiality. The respondents might be bias answering in socially desirable way. Poor response to online questioner: Respond rate might be lower as online questioner because they are perceived to be spam. It would be difficult to determine whether respondents have understood the question correctly and have replied honestly. Inadequate Sample: Since only one organisation will be examined and so there will be limited sample to be examined. However, the research will be useful because practical evidence will be provided. 6 Research Time lines The research will start from 6th June 2011 and will commence till 12th September 2011. It will be conducted for 15 weeks as shown in Table 1 below: Table 1: Research time lines 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Appendices